


The road to Beach City

by OneCoolCat



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: A bit of racism, A bit of sexism, Aaaaaaaaaaaaand just a dash of bittersweetness in the cake, Amputee Peridot (Steven Universe), And I only count Steven & Connie as MAIN characters, And also some minor character deaths, Angst With A Bittersweet Ending, Anxiety Attacks, Birth Defects, Blood, Child Abuse, Child servants, Connie is 18 and Steven is 21, Deception, F/M, Forced C-section, Gangs, Guns, Heavy Angst, Human AU, Hurt/Comfort, Killing, Lies, Major injuries, Minor Injuries, Panic Attacks, Past Child Abuse, SECONDARY CHARACTER DEATH!, Unplanned Pregnancy, a little bit of cussing, homocide, marraige, mutations, robbers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-30
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-12 03:22:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 229
Words: 1,101,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21593314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OneCoolCat/pseuds/OneCoolCat
Summary: Human AUThe story of Steven Universe as a young hustler and his life in the Crystal Gem Gang. The series covers his relationship with Connie, the Crystal Gems and the townies of Empire City as he digs up past secrets and trains under the Crystal Gems  in an attempt to steal the rarest Pink Diamond and to take down the Diamond Authority. All while secretly, still trying to escape the rigors, violence and mayhem of being in a gang in a quest for a better life in this thug, crime, drama series.So yeah, basically a thug/crime/drama edition where I try to hit every single Steven Universe episode before dying or getting tired of the fic ;)
Relationships: Connie Maheswaran/Steven Universe, Doug Maheswaran/Priyanka Maheswaran, Jasper(Male)/ Lapis, Lars Barriga/Sadie Miller
Comments: 238
Kudos: 133





	1. Chapter 1




	2. Gem Glow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeaaah, I know that pink diamonds aren't the rarest, but in this fic, they are xP

The three women stood side by side, huddled around each other as they each stared at the huge screen displayed on the wall in front of them. A large pink diamond-shaped gem was plastered on the screen. 

The shortest one of the group clicked a button on a small remote she was holding. The gem spun around once and rotated down, showing the circular top of the gem, the point facing away from them. A few moments of looking at the diamond from that angle and she clicked the button again. The gem flipped back 180 degrees, the point now facing towards them. Then she clicked the button again and the gem flipped up, going back to it's original position, showing it's whole profile from top to bottom as the diagram rotated slowly on the screen.

There was a whistle from the tallest one. "Now that baby can definitely go for at least five point two billion dollars." she said to the group.

The short one nodded. "And it'll be ours for the taking." she turned to the slimmer one of the group. "Looks like you'll finally be living that Malibu Barbie life, P." 

The girl scoffed teasingly. "Well it's about damn time."

The short one pressed another button at the top of the remote and the screen blinked off. Then she took a few steps forward and spun around on her toes. Her lavender hair flying up as she did. "Now, as you know. This will not be like all of our other missions. We are talking about stealing a _pink diamond_ here. The absolute rarest gem of them all. That gem will have more guards and security cameras than all of the other gems that we've already stolen combined." she looked at the tallest one, then to the slimmer one. "But we'll nab it." then a hint of self admiration crept into her voice just as a guileful smile swept across her face. "Just like the others. And we'll-"

P raised her pale arm in the air. The purple haired one sighed. "What is it, Pearl?" she switched to the full name.

"Sorry..Amethyst.. But, I was just curious. Where will the gem be taken to?"

"It is still unknown. It could either be Hong Kong, Singapore or Dubai. But right now, it's currently being held in Los Angeles where it's being treated with glow to preserve the gem." 

"Ah, so _that's_ why you didn't want us to just take it back then when we were already in Cal."

"Exectamente. And while we _could_ just easily steal it once the treatment is over, it would be wise of us to still hold back." she held up a hand to silence Pearl. "_because_ it very well may undergo another glow treatment after it arrives at it's destination." Pearl got her question answered and so, remained quiet.

Then it was the tall one's turn to interrupt just as Amethyst was about to continue with her speech. She raised a muscular, fit arm in the air. Amethyst sighed again. She titled her head. "Garnet?"

"Do we have anyone stationed at any of the three potential locations?"

"Iolite is currently in Dubai and Star Garnet." she took a quick glance at her Rolex. "should be boarding her second flight to Hong Kong in another three hours. And as of yet, we're still in debate on whether to send in Orange Fire Opal or another Crystal Gem to Singapore." 

Garnet only nodded. Satisfied with Amethyst's answer, she too, went back to being quiet.

"Now, anymore questions?" she looked at the two. They did, in fact, have more questions, but they decided to save them until later, not wanting to interrupt their boss' talk again. She waited for a few moments until she said, "Good." with a slight bob of her chin.

She straighted her back and squared her shoulders, taking her first step as she paced towards the left with her hands fixed behind her back. "Now. With everything going underway, we can continue with our plans until another couple of weeks, then wrapping everything up very soon, no later than the end of this month." she turned and marched steadily in a line. "It may be three of us.. or more who will go and retrieve the pink diamond." 

"Three or more?" Amethyst cut her eye at Pearl and she covered her mouth. She stopped and turned around to face the slim, pale woman. "Yes." she said coarsely. "Is that a problem, Pearl?" She didn't say anything.

Amethyst snapped back around and continued her course back towards Garnet. "See, I've been thinking you two, that with the biggest heist yet, we may very well be facing one of our BIGGEST, I hesitate to use the word 'challenge' because no heist is truly challenging for us, but, it won't be a walk in the park is what I'm getting at."

The two nodded in affirmative. Then a hand was raised. Amethyst looked up. "Pearl? Again."

"Are you.. suggesting that we recruit another person to our team?"

Amethyst slowed her pace as she walked back up. She raked a hand through her hair. "It." she strained out. "is an idea." she scratched the back of her head, ruffling up her locks before dropping her hand back down to her side. Her other hand on her hip. She kept looking straight, not turning to look at Pearl. "We need that diamond.. And I just CAN not risk our heist being compromised in any way." then she slowly turned her neck towards Pearl. "We may need an extra person to get all of this done. And since everyone else will be busy on other missions, at that time, we will not be able to pull anyone from any of our groups." then she turned sharply to face the two women. "We'll need to be incredibly thorough and careful with who we choose." she said with such authority in her voice. "We haven't recruited ANYONE in over fifteen years." 

Garnet raised her hand and Amethyst gave her a nod to go on. "But how exactly would we recruit anyone? Just about everyone on the streets is weak and the neighborhood is filled with nothing but eyes and ears.. We cannot blow our cover." 

"You're correct, Garnet. But, I already have a few guys in mind.. And us three will be keeping a close eye on them before we make our move." A short chuckle escaped her. "But for right now? Let's just focus on our planning. And everything else, should fall neatly. into. place." Another chuckle escaped her. Then another. Until she was cackling in the room. Garnet and Pearl looked at each other before cracking nervous smiles. Garnet was the first one to break, slowly chuckling, then Pearl until soon the other two formed their own cackle, joining Amethyst's. The three laughed and cackled in unison for a full thirty seconds until Amethyst stopped abruptly, the other two still in their fake, fits of laughter. "Okay, that's enough!" she ordered the two. And they stopped on cue, their mouths shut tightly.


	3. You're what?

"I'm pregnant." Connie finally broke the silence.

A fork was dropped on an almost empty plate across from her. "You're.." Steven sat there, eyes wide.

Connie nodded, her fork poking and prodding at a single piece of pea amongst the hill of corn and peas on her plate. "Lars took me to the hospital to get checked out.. Turns out that all of that acid reflux and burping weren't from pizza rolls and that cheap, generic store soda after all.. Or at least not entirely." she continued to prod at the green vegetable. "..It was just the early signs of pregnancy." Then a not so comical thought came to her mind, and she let out a dry chuckle. "Who would've thought.. I actually have a _fetus_ growing inside of me the size of an Appleseed.Heh.. I guess that's what happens when you lay down with someone, huh?" 

Steven swallowed. Whether it was from the dinner she'd made for him or his own saliva, was anyone's guess. "How far along are you?" she could tell that he was trying to sound calm, but she still heard a slight shakiness in his voice. 

Connie's eyes drifted up from the plate, drifting up and pass Steven to an errant crack on the wall by the dining room clock. "Oh, only about five weeks." 

Silence sat back down to join them at the table again. Steven sat back in his chair, his mouth a thin line and his eyes filled with worry. The two sat at the table quietly. Then after a few seconds of neither one of them saying anything, Steven cleared his throat, finally finding his words. "Are-"

"Yes." Her eyes snapped right to him. "And I've made up my mind. You know how I feel about that." she started putting pressure on the middle of the pea, still glaring at Steven. 

"It's.. a touchy subject for everyone."

The pea split in two, and the prong of the fork clinked on the plate. "I'm keeping the baby, Steven. And that's final."

"No, no, no I want to keep the baby too!" Connie didn't believe him. "I.. was just making sure if _you_ wanted to do the same..Heheh." he scratched the back of his neck. She still didn't believe him.

Silence again.. say for the drumming of Connie's fingers on the table. She and Steven stared at each other, one with a piercing glare and the other, with a worried look. The two stayed like that for a few seconds before Connie broke the stare to look down at her food. She'd lost her appetite since they'd sat down. She couldn't even take a couple of bites of the macaroni and cheese and that was her favorite.

"Okay, well. I'm off to bed." she said a bit too sternly.

He watched her as she pushed her chair back and walk to the foldout couch bed. "Oh, um.. Okay." He said sadly. "Did you want me to uh.. massage your feet?" 

"That's what got me into this in the first place." She plopped down on her side, her back facing him.

"Oh." He gave a nervous chuckle. "..Umm.. right.. Uh... Goodnight."

She didn't answer him. She curled up on top of the covers, not caring that she was a bit cold. She was just mentally drained and didn't feel like doing even the smallest things. 

She laid there for just a few moments before looking up at the window. Through the tan colored blinds, she could see the boarded up house across the street from them. Red and blue lights from a police box on the corner of their block by their apartment was reflecting off the window. And a chipped up flower pot sat alone on the windowsill. No flowers. Just dirt and bits of rock.

Not much of a scenery, but she rather look at that than at him.. She was just so angry at him.. And she knew that it wasn't his fault. Well, not _entirely._ They were both held accountable and now they have to face the consequences of their _fast_ actions.

She breathed in and exhaled deeply though her nose. She heard a chair being pushed back on the bare, wooden floor and she heard some footsteps walking slowly up to her. She shut her eyes. The sound of the footsteps stopped in front of her and a few moments later, she felt a blanket being thrown over her. She felt the blanket being pulled up, just below her chin and he adjusted the blanket so it could cover her whole body, except for her feet, leaving only one foot out of the covers. Just the way she liked it.

Then Steven tucked the blankets underneath of her and gave her a kiss on her temple. She heard him walking back to the dining room, listening to their plates as he picked them up off the table. There was a rustle and a tear from an aluminum foil and she heard the fridge open and close. Then she heard the scraping of a plate, rushing water, clanking from some utensils and she heard the footsteps coming back. She felt a dip in the bed as he laid down on the other side.

The clock clicked steadily on the wall in the dining room.

"Connie?"

She was glad that she was turned the other way. Otherwise, he would've seen her face scrunch up just from the sound of his voice. 

"It's okay. You don't have to talk to me." He rolled over, staring at the lump of blanket in front off him. "We'll get through this. I know we can.. Connie, I can change." she heard that so many times. "I can better my life. For you. For.." he forced out in a whisper. "For our child."

Connie _wanted_ to believe him. She really did, but it was just the same thing with him again and again. She was going to tell him off and remind him of the many times that he'd already said that, but she decided against it. She didn't feel like arguing with him. They'd been going at it back and forth over small, petty things lately and she just didn't feel like being apart of another yelling match. She adjusted the arm she was laying on, so she could get more comfortable, but still opted out on saying anything to him. 

He sighed. "I guess we'll talk more in the morning." It sounded more like a question than a statement. He laid his head down on the pillow. "Goodnight, Connie." 

She didn't answer him.

............

Connie woke up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. She threw the covers off of her and sat up at the edge of the bed for a few moments. In deep thought. More seconds passed and she buried her face in her hands. A long, tired sigh coming from her.

Then she rubbed her face, like that would somehow ease the emotional tension she had in her head. She got up and looked over at Steven. He was curled up in a little ball, shivering. He'd covered her with the other side of the blanket she was laying on.

The heat didn't work very well in their apartment and sometimes, it didn't work at all. And this particular night, it was barely working. 

"Oh, Steven.." She shook her head with a small, sad smile on her face. With that little kind gesture on top of her being so in love with him, she had to admit, that that _did_ warm her heart a bit. 

She took the covers and placed it on him gently. Then she took her hand and started brushing his hair back a few times before giving him a small kiss on his forehead. 

She went to the bathroom and took a quick glance at the clock on the wall. _2:47a.m._ She walked back to the bed, this time, pulling up the blankets. She crawled into bed and pulled the covers up to her face. Thoughts of last night still swirled around in her mind and she shook her mind of the negative thoughts. _Who knows.. Maybe things_ WILL_ be different this time.._


	4. A turning point..?

Connie woke up to the smell of cinnamon and the sizzling sound of something frying in the pan. Steven was either fixing it because he simply wanted to make breakfast or he was _specifically_ making an apology breakfast. (As that was one of the ways he apologizes). 

She stretched and shuffled over towards the kitchen. Steven was cracking some eggs into a bowl. He threw the shells in the trash and picked up the whisk on the counter and started mixing the contents in the bowl. He stopped whisking once the mixture was to his liking and he put the whisk back on the paper towel on the counter. Then he picked up the spatula on a separate napkin and cut a piece of butter off from the container. He turned slightly to the oven and noticed a figure out the corner of his eye and he jumped. "Whoa! I uh.. didn't know you were behind me."

"Oh. I didn't think I was walking that quietly."

Awkward silence. Then Steven slid the piece of butter into the pan and turned around fully to face her. It bubbled and sizzled behind him. "I'm cooking breakfast." he stated the obvious.

"Yes, I can see that." she didn't mean to sound so harsh, but that's how it came out.

He fiddled with the spatula in his hand. "Thanks for putting the blanket over me." he changed the subject. 

"Mhm." Connie walked over and opened the fridge, taking out a carton of orange juice. It felt nearly empty. She shook it. 

"It's okay. You can have the rest of it. I'll just boil some tap water and drink that." Steven said behind her, pouring the egg contents into the pan.

She sighed, her head still in the fridge. Steven wasn't a lot of things, but being thoughtful and making her feel guilty was something he could do so easily. Which, made her even _more_upset.. That she couldn't stay mad at him, even though she tried. But.. why _was_ she trying to stay mad at him exactly? She played a role in it too..

Maybe she was being emotional already? She read up a bit on the ride home in Lars' car and read about females being overly emotional and that having mood swings was something that happens to certain women.. So, perhaps she was going through that? Or maybe she was just being irrational.. or perhaps it was a mixture of both? "But what are you going to drink now?" she asked him. 

He started chopping up and scrambling the eggs with the spatula. "I'll just wait for the water to cool down and drink it warm. And I'll put the rest of the water in some empty cups and put them in the fridge for later." 

She sighed again. "Okay." and leaned up, closing the fridge door.

Steven sprinkled a bit of salt on the eggs as she made her way to the cupboard. She took a small cup out and sat down at the table, quickly pouring the rest of the orange juice in the cup. She placed the container on the end of the table. 

"Oh, wait. I just thought of something. I wonder if we have..." he left the eggs to cook a bit longer as he opened another cupboard. "We do!!" he cheered. He pulled out two teabags from a small, square container and closed the cupboard back. "I'll just drink tea for right now. And I'll boil some water for later." 

..........

A few minutes later and the food was ready. He placed two plates on the table. Three pieces of French toast, a rectangular piece of harsh brown and two scoops of eggs on each plate. (Steven had cheese on his). Then, he placed two cups of fruit on the table in front of them. 

Yup, apology breakfast. Him going the extra mile in making the hash browns and cutting up some fresh fruit. He always go the long approach in making hash browns, baking the potatoes for two hours, then putting them on a low fry. 

And then there was the cut up fruit in the cup. They didn't have any fruit in the apartment, so he must've walked ALL the way to the store to buy some fresh cantaloupe (her favorite) and cut them up.

_He must've woken up extremely early to do all of this.._ She cracked a small smile. "It looks good."

"Thanks." he said bashfully and sat down in front of her.

They prayed over their food and immediately started digging in. Connie went for her fresh fruit first and Steven went for the hash browns. 

For a little over twenty minutes, the two sat there, eating their food in tense silence. Steven looked to be in his thoughts, eyes not looking up from his plate as he ate his French toast. Connie had finished nearly everything on her plate, going for the last thing on it. Her hash browns. 

A couple more minutes passed and Steven couldn't take more of the tension and the silence. He set his fork down, two pieces of French toast still on the four prongs. "Can we.. please talk about this?" 

"About what?" she broke apart the hashbrown and took a bite. 

"Uh.." he scratched his ear. "Everything, I guess." 

She resisted the urge to groan in frustration. ".._Like_?" a twinge of annoyance in her voice.

"Like, baby stuff and money stuff, I..guess.." he looked away. 

"..Well, as far as 'baby stuff' go, I'll need to start going to these appointments and start taking these huge prenatal vitamins.. And that's pretty much it. I'm not planning on telling anyone just yet. And we don't have a lot of people to tell as it is, anyway." she took a forkful of hasbrowns from the plate. "And we can start with baby clothes and other baby stuff much later in the game. And as far as money goes." she leaned back, setting the fork back down. "We'll have to think of something and think of something soon." 

"You know, I could call Jeff and see if he can get more of that stuff and-"

"No! Not that! That's a BAD idea!"

He winced at that. "But we need the money." 

"_You._"she pointed at him with her fork. Bits of the hash brown fell off the fork. "said that you were going to change and THAT has to be one of them. No more of these kind of jobs."

"But, what about rent? That's coming up next week, right? I was supposed to be meeting with Pee Dee tomorrow. He's going to pay me a LOT and I was going to use that for the rent." 

"Pee Dee?"

Steven nodded. "Yeah, he's hosting this huge party and needed something that would get the crowd going." 

Connie massaged her temple and sighed. "Now, I _am_ tired of this kind "job" " she made air quotes. "of yours..." then a beat later "but as you said just now.. we _do_ need the money.. BUT!" she quickly said. "I think you should start cutting ties with these people and get a real job. Both of us, actually."

"Yes, yes, I know. But it's hard, you know? You have jobs out here wanting people with experience, but you can't _get_ that experience because you can't get a job! For once, I just want someone to say, 'Hey, you look like a nice young man. Why don't ya come work for us? You don't need experience. We'll train you! And we'll start you off at $12.50 an hour. Entry level job.' " 

Connie snorted. "That sounds like something from off of a Craigslist ad."

"Heheh, yeah, I know.. still." he picked up the fork he abandoned earlier and ate the pieces of French toast off of it.

"Yeah, I understand. But" she shrugged. "sucks to say, but we're both going to have to push pass our anxiety and start job hunting and start sending out a lot of resumes. We can't keep living like this. This is dirty money. And.." she set the fork down in her hand. "I don't know.. I just feel like every bad thing that we've done, and are STILL doing, you drug dealing, us having sex out of marriage, us lying to get this apartment and SO much more.. I feel that everything is going to catch up to us eventually.. And I just want to nip a lot of things in the bud now."

Steven was looking at her shocked and uncomfortably. He tried to hide his unease by eating the rest of his French toast.. Where was all of this coming from? She just wants to cut everything cold turkey or what? ..Or.. little by little? Either way.. it was going to take some time before he could _really_ change, even though he told her so confidently that he could easily do so. But no.. Change actually _wasn't_ so easy to him.

He finished the rest of the French toast on his plate. "I'm.. just going to make my tea now." he announced and got up. He pulled the kettle from the cupboard and poured some water in it. Then he turned the knob for the front burner and placed the kettle on it. Water that'd slid down the sides to the bottom of the container fizzled on the rings of the burner.

"Yesterday was my wake up call, if you're wondering where all this is coming from." he heard her say. He turned his head to look at her. "When the doctor told me that I was ..expecting" that word still sounded so alien and so surreal to her at the same time. "something just clicked on. I mean, I wasn't ready to hear the news, but, what's done has been done and, here we are now." he nodded as he sat back down. "And well.. that just has me thinking about you and your job. I don't want to get a call that you're in jail or get a call that you're.." she shook her head of the thought. "You get my point, right? I can't be the only one who's thinking about stuff like that."

"Eh, yeah, I _may_ have thought about it just a couple of times, but" he sighed. "It's just easier doing stuff like this."

"Yes. I know. But at what cost?" 

He didn't have an answer to that.

Connie scooped up the last few crumbs of the hash brown. "So.. is Jeff coming over to bring you the stuff oor..?" she ate the rest on her fork. _Ah, good 'ole Connie, prying into Steven's business again in a subtle, but at the same time not so subtle way. What the question _really_ meant and what she _ really_ meant to ask was.. "Will the drugs be dropped off here or will you have to go pick it up at Nephry's?"_

Steven looked a bit tense, saying out of his mouth slowly. "No.. Jeff had one of the boys drop it off.." he hesitated. "At Nephry's place. "

"At _Nephry's_ apartment.. again."__

_ __ _

_ __ _

Steven heard the first rumbles of the water as the orange rings heated up the kettle. He turned back to Connie. She did not look happy. "Yeah." 

"It's always her apartment. Can't Jeff just get it sent somewhere else? Or have it sent straight to Pee Dee's house?"

"Can't. I have to.. put something in those substances before giving it to Pee Dee. So the untouched materials can't go straight to his house. And then there's Nephry's cousins, but.. they like to steal some of the stash, so I can't give it to them either. And then there's Ronaldo and.. well you know how that'll go, that guy would end up using all of it."

"I seriously think that you can find someone else."

"There's no one else now that Jeff is out of town." 

"Excuses, Steven."

"Well we can't just have_ anyone_ hold the stuff. There's undercover cops out there, snitches and more. We have to be careful of these things."

"Oh yeahh." Connie rolled her eyes. "And I'm sure she'll be _very_ careful around _you_."

"She WILL be careful around me."

"Just like how she was careful with you all of those other times?!"

The water was almost to a boil. The water rumbling within the container.

"But nothing ever happens between us! SHE always come on to me and I always grab the stuff and go!"

"But she's ALWAYS trying to flirt and do things with you, Steven! I just don't trust her!"

"But you can trust ME!"

The water began to boil and the kettle started to whistle.

"That STILL doesn't change the fact that she's a homewrecker!"

"But if you know you can trust me, then that shouldn't even matter!"

"Steven, even IF I trust you, that girl is BAD news! I just don't feel comfortable with you being around her!"

"But, either way I STILL need to get the stuff from her place!"

"I know and after this you really need to figure out what you're going to do! I don't want you to keep doing this in general!"

"I know and I told you that I will!"

"Get the kettle!!"

He jumped at the sound of her voice and ran to the stove, the chair being pushed and falling on the floor.

Steven turned the nob to a click. He looked back at Connie. The girl had her eyes clenched tightly and her fingers to her temples.

He took a few steps towards her, but the sudden side glare she gave him made him stop.

"Steven, I just don't like you being around her.. and I just _don't_ want you doing these drug related things anymore.."

"I know you don't.. And, you won't have to worry about Nephry either. It would only be for a couple of minutes at the place. I don't even have to step foot in the apartment. I'm just going to get the stuff and go. In and out."

She let out a deep breath. "I.." she trailed off before starting once more. "Just be careful around her."

"Of course." he leaned over and kissed her temple. "I'll get ready to head over to the place." Connie made a disgusted look at that.

He went back to the stove.

She raked her hands through her hair before opening her eyes to glare at Steven. "You know she's going to try to get you to do something. She's not going to let you leave so easily." 

"Connie, it'll be fine. Go there, get the stuff, then head back home. Easy."

"Fine. Don't listen to me." she slid the chair back and the legs underneath scraped across the floor. She turned and started walking away from him.

"Please Connie. Don't be like that. That won't happen." 

"Whatever, Steven.. Just leave and do what you have to do." she picked up her phone on the dresser and made her way to the bed. "While _I_ make a few calls and" she looked down at her flat stomach. "Get everything officially started."

Steven couldn't help but berate himself harshly. He poured the hot water into a cup. _I should've pulled out..we wouldn't be in this damn mess.._ his teeth clenched as he threw the kettle a bit too hard into the sink, earning an icy glare from Connie. 

He turned around to face the sink. _We wouldn't have to worry about some damn baby.. and she wouldn't had had her "wake up call" on turning over a new leaf...Yeah, let's see how far that'll go.._ he picked up the jar of sugar and started pouring the contents into the cup.


	5. Making the right calls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just for the record, this is how section 8 houses are in _this_ fic. I'm well aware that the process isn't entirely the same for the ones in real life xP

Steven sat at the table alone while Connie made her first call. He tried to drown out her talking by sipping on his tea loudly.

"Hello, Dr. Yellowtail? Yes, this Connie Maheshwaren, from two days ago? I was the one who.." Steven took his sips. "..yes sir, I'm just making a few calls now. I'm trying to get everything situated. So, what exactly do I need to do?" she chuckled nervously. "I'm new to this so, I'm not sure what to.." Steven took more loud sips. ".. Heh, well thank you and-Huh? Yeah, I.. told him. He uh. well.." then she whispered into the phone. "He's not really taking the news too lightly." there was a chuckle on the other end that Steven couldn't hear. "Well sometimes that is to be expected of first time fathers. Don't worry, Miss. He'll come around. I'm sure of it." Connie could only hope that he would.. "I hope you're right." she told the doctor. "I wouldn't want to do this by myself.. But.. if I have to, I will." Steven sipped the tea louder, ignoring the fact that he just gulped down the hot liquid a bit too fast that time. The tea burning his tongue. He ignore it. Whatever, the damage had already been done and his tongue was just going to have to feel like rubber for the next few hours. He continued sipping through the pain. 

"Uh huh. Yes, I-" Connie snapped around. "Uhg, Steven. Do you mind? Stop it with the loud sipping, I'm on the phone." the she turned back to her cell. "I'm sorry, what was that?" 

Steven sighed even more loud than the sipping. Connie ignored his little hissy fit. He drunk the rest of his tea _quietly_ and got up from the chair. He put the cup in the sink and turned the faucet on, filling the cup up with water. 

Without anything to distract him from Connie's words to the doctor, he decided that this would be a good time to take a shower. He took a glance back at Connie. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, her back facing him. _Of course._

He walked over to the closet and grabbed a washcloth and a towel. Then he walked into the bathroom, clicking on the light switch. He hung the towel on one of the rods in the wall and took his clothes off and threw them in the hamper. He stepped into the cold tub and turned the shower water on.

A quick fifteen minutes later and he was done. He wrapped the towel around him and opened the bathroom door. Cold air hit his bare skin and he shivered a bit. The chattering from Connie was still coming from the bed "...And how much is that?.. Oh..A, alright. And you said my next appointment was on the 27th, right? Okay."

Steven walked over towards the dresser and Connie looked over her shoulder at him before going back to the paper she now had in her lap. She wrote the date down on the sheet in front of her. "Uh huh." she nodded. "Yeah, there's both a Ryde Ade and a Wawlgreans by me."

Steven pulled out the fourth drawer, taking out his boxer briefs. He threw the towel on the floor and slipped them on. He looked up to watch Connie through the mirror of the dresser.

"Yes, so I can just pick them up at any of the two places tomorrow morning"

Steven picked up the deodorant stick and rolled it under his arms. Then he took out an undershirt from the same drawer, throwing it over his head, still eyeing Connie in the mirror.

She was finishing her talk with the doctor on the phone as Steven walked over to the closet closest to the dresser. "Okay. Yes. Mhm. Thank you." she took her phone off her ear and watched as the caller screen blinked off for an end call. She sighed and locked her phone. Then she threw her phone on the bed and buried her head in her hands. She took another deep breath just as Steven pulled out a pair of jeans and a long sleeved polo shirt. "Connie? What's wrong?"_Stupid question.._ There was another sigh from her. "Everything, Steven." she shook her head in her hands.The paper crackled underneath of her elbows.

"What? What did the doctor say?" he ripped out a black hoodie from the hanger and walked to the bed.

"Everything." she said in her hands. "The appointments, the medicine, the classes, the instructions.." she looked up from her hands. "And then I called the people from section 8 as well." 

"What?! Why?!" he threw over and tugged the shirt hard over his head, then went for his jeans.

She turned around sharply to him. "Because we are having a child, Steven. You know about their two per household policy.. And keeping him or her in secret isn't going to end well. Especially since they do a lot of random checks throughout the week."

Steven was buttoning his jeans. Then he grabbed his hoodie. "Yeah, well.." he tried not to look _too_ annoyed. "What all did they say?"

"Well the obvious being an increase in rent." Steven zipped up his hoodie and Connie continued. "And it's this random extra third person payment on _top_ of that that we have to pay a month."

"What?!"

Connie got off the bed, the bed making an audible creak. She walked over to the dresser. "Yup. So that's more money we'll need to have." 

Steven brought his hands into his face before tracing his hands down his cheeks. "Of course." he growled out. Then he started towards the front door. He put on his shoes and unlocked the door. "Well, I shouldn't be long, Connie." he tried to quickly change the subject. That was his specialty, after all.

"Mhm.." she had her hands on the edge of the dresser as she stared at herself in the mirror.

Steven turned back, successfully keeping back is groan. "Look Connie. If you're that hung up about it, why don't you just-"

"Why don't I just, _what,_ Steven?" she snapped back at him, her eyes shooting daggers at him.

Steven shut his mouth.

"I _know_ you're not suggesting what I think you're suggesting? Especially with what I _SPECIFICALLY_ told you last night about keeping the baby."

Steven was about to say something, but closed his mouth again. A look of contempt on his face. Connie waited to see if he was going to say anything else stupid out of his mouth.

The seconds dragged on with Connie's glare and Steven's wavering stare. Then he sighed, his face falling into something of fatigue and defeat. He looked up with sad, worried eyes. She still kept her glare.

A few seconds more and he gave her a small nod and turned back around, turning the doorknob and pulling the door open. "Like I said.." he whispered. "I shouldn't be out too long." Then he walked out the door, not waiting to see if Connie would answer him or not.

The door closed and Connie looked back at herself in the mirror. Her eyes trailing from her tired eyes and down to her flat stomach. She stood there for a few moments before going back to the bed. She plugged up her phone and picked up her laptop from the small table by their bed. She sat back down and opened her laptop. She turned it on, put in her code and went straight to her search bar. _Jobs in Empire City._


	6. From room 302 to room 203

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slightly tw for attempt at a sexual act.

Steven was already walking down the street after having left their studio apartment twenty five minutes ago. He'd managed to hop on the bus just as it nearly pulled off from the bus stop. He took it all the way down the street, getting off just two blocks from Nephrite's apartment complex.

He jogged up the stoop and pressed the button. There was silence for a few seconds until a voice came through the small, old speaker on the side of the door. "Yes? This is room 302." she tried to sound halfway professional.

"Hey, Nephrite. It's me, Steven." he decided to use her full name to express how "serious" he was.

"Oh, Steven! Come iiinn~~" he tried to ignore the sultry in her voice.. _Oh no.._

The door buzzed in and Steven walked inside of the urine aroma filled hallway. He tried to ignore that too and walked up the three flight of stairs. 

Nephrite must've heard his footsteps as she opened the door once he got close to it. "Steven!" she threw her arms around his neck and tried to kiss him- 

He lean away from it and put an arm in between her and his face as he took a step back. "Nephrite, why do you always have to do this!"

She leaned away from him slightly, though her arms were still around his neck. "Awww, come ooon, Stevie-Pooh~ One day you won't say nooo~." 

He grabbed her arms as he kept his face to the side. "Nephrite, that'll never happen." he pulled her arms off of him. "Look, I only came here for the stuff. You know that."

She sighed dramatically with an eye roll. She gently pulled her arms from his hands. "Yeah, let me go get it for you real quick." she walked into the room and Steven stood in the hallway, not daring to get any close to the door.

Moments later and he heard the floor creak as she walked back to him. "Here ya go." he heard her and he turned around and quickly looked away. 

"Nephrite." he began plainly. "Why did you feel the need to get naked?"

"Mm?" from the corner of his eye he could see her bare brown skin as she leaned on the doorway with the brown box in her hand. Knowing her, she most likely also had a sly smile on her face.

"Oh?" she brushed back her long, silky black hair. "Aaall this?" he saw her gesture at her body. "Just figured you would like to have a bit of fun before you go back to your main chick." 

"N, no.. I, wouldn't.. actually." he cleared his throat. "I just need the stuff and I'll be on my way." 

"Aww, come on Steveeeen. You can't tell me you don't want this just as bad as me~." 

Steven sighed. "Nephrite, we do this all the time. I'm with Connie." he kept his eyes away from her. "So, I would really appreciate it if you would just give me the box so I can leave." 

She sauntered over to him, quickly closing the distance between them and he was quick to pivot away from her and to a corner of the building. "Nephrite-"

"I knoooowww." she murmured. "You said you want the stuff?" he felt her chest pressing up on his back and he arced his back as he took a step forward. He heard her giggle behind him. "If you want the stuff, you have to turn around and.. get it yourself." she cooed.

"Nephrite, I'm not going to turn ar-

"Then you don't want the stuff." she chuckled. "Or, just turn around. And get it." 

_Seriously, with this girl.._

_Why can't she just hand me the box like a decent person!_

Steven stood there, debating.

He needed the stuff. 

But he didn't want to turn around.. 

He needed to give the drugs to Pee Dee and get the money for the rent.

But he could only imagine what he would see once he turned around..

But.. he needed to get the stuff and leave.

He sighed and he heard a giggle. "SoOoOoOo~" he knew she had a smirk on her face. 

_Look, just hurry up and turn around and grab the box and leave. That's it. Just grab the box and go._

"Steveeeeen~"

_Just grab and leave. _

_And just be quick with it._

Steven turned around and kept his eyes away. At the corner of his eye he could see Nephry poking her chest out. In between them was the box and she held her chest in place with her arms on either side. "Here you go, Steveeen~" she murmured. 

Grimacing and reluctantly and quickly _and_ without trying to look, he reached forward and barely grabbed at the top and bottom edge of the box, not trying to touch even a bit of her chest. 

She laughed loudly, dramatically. "Ohhh, Steeeeveeen! You DOG you!" she pinched his jeans, right between his legs and barely missed _him._

He pulled the box from between her chest and pushed off into a run. 

Nephrite chuckled behind him. "See ya, Steven!! Can't wait to see you again, love!"

He ignored her and he ran faster down the three flights of stairs and down the street.

.............

Steven opened the door to the studio. Connie was on the bed, sitting criss crossed applesauce, with the laptop on her lap. She seemed to be so engrossed in what ever she was doing.

Steven stepped through the door and shut it quietly behind him. "Hey, Connie."

"Hey, Steven." her eyes never left the screen as she finished up her sixth application. 

Steven kicked his shoes off by the door and went over to her. She turned from the computer as he crawled across the bed and gave her a kiss. "So, what are ya up to there?" 

"I'm just job hunting." she stated plainly as she typed her name in the box. Then she typed in the day's date in the second box before clicking the send button. _Your application for Cashier at Shoppers has just been sent! A representative will call if you meet their requirements._ The screen said to her.

"Oh.." then a beat later. "Having fun?"

"No, not really." she clicked on another application for a stocker position, then thought otherwise due to the.. human baby now currently residing and steadily growing inside of her as she typed..

Connie seemed to had been.. acting pretty distant and a bit cold towards him and he felt guilty as he immediately thought it was pertaining to Nephrite and _or_ his lifestyle. 

He leaned up slightly to give her some space. "Connie.." he frowned. "you're.. not still mad about this morning are you? I got the box and left just like I told you." 

She shook her head as she typed for a few moments on the keyboard. She clicked on the mouse pad and looked at him. "I'm not mad about this morning, it's just.." she paused before saying, "It's other things, Steven." 

He sat down beside her. "What, what's wrong? Talk to me."

"It's nothing, Steven-" he looked at her and leaned his head to the side. "I, I mean.." she sighed. She rubbed at her temple and was quiet for a few moments before she spoke back up. "It's a few things really. Us getting jobs, you not having to do.." she pointed at the box in his hand "that." she continued. "And most importantly, we have to really think about how we're going to prepare for this baby."

'Baby'..

That's right.. they were having one..

.. because he was too stupid to not pull out..

Despite of the apprehension and the tinge of annoyance already creeping in, he more so forced a gentle tone to his words. "But.. we said that we were going to get our lives together, right? Get actual jobs, I stop doing what I'm doing and, we take a fresh new step in what we're doing." 

"I knoow. And, it's just a lot to take in." she exhaled out through her nose. "I've just been thinking about a lot of things when you were out and.. when I _really_ sat down and dissect things, I just realized that there's so much more to it then finding a job and not selling drugs or, making calls to the doctor." her voice was a low whisper as she said, "It's.. so much more than that.." 

Steven scooted up closer to her and wrapped an arm around her side and pulled her in. As she would always do, she sat her head on his shoulder. 

He brushed her hair back with his other hand and kissed her forehead. "I have to admit, it.. really is quite a bit to take in." he thought more on what to say. "But I know that we'll be able to get through this. We're already.. well, _you're_ already taking the necessary steps and I plan to do that too. You and I getting a job and I plan to apply for some. And you.. making those hospital calls" his stomach churned. "and the necessary appointments." he continued. "I think you're being too hard on yourself, Connie. We'll be fine."

She shrugged. "I'm _trying_ to think like that, but my mind is still being pulled in so many directions. I- I don't know.. maybe it's because everything is still so fresh? Maybe I'm trying to do so many things at one time?" 

"That could be it. But," he shifted slightly towards her and threw his other arm around her in a hug. "whether it's because of that or not, I just want you to know that it'll be okay. Sure, there's a lot of things to do and to consider, but we're still _taking_ those steps towards something better. And right now, that's more than enough. We know what we have to do and we're going for it." he squeezed her gently in the hug as he placed his head on hers. "And, not to sound cheesy but.. we do have each other, you know?" he felt a shy smile come to his face. "We're together and we can _do_ this together. I know we can and.. that's one of the things that matters. That we have each other."

Connie was quiet for a few moments before lifting her head off of his shoulder. She had a sad smile on her face. "Yeah.. we do." she looked into his dark brown, remote eyes. "I have to say.. I'm still pretty nervous about all of this; the jobs, the baby" his stomach dipped and he resisted a grimacing look. "but, I think in time, hopefully.. I'll start to get less stressed out as more things start piecing together. Maybe then I can start getting more situated with things."

"That can happen." he leaned forward towards her lips. "But it'll happen in time and until then, you and I can do what we can." he placed a soft peck on her lips. "Everything will be fine." he kissed her once more before leaning away slightly. "You don't have anything to worry about."

The nervous look was still in her eyes, though she still nodded with a small smile. "Yeah. Everything.. will be okay." she leaned towards him. "Especially since we have each other." she kissed him.

She broke away softly from the kiss for him to say, "Exactly." and he nuzzled his face into her neck. "So stooop worryiiiiing." 

She chuckled and tried moving away. "Steveeen." 

He shook his face into her neck, eliciting more laughter from her. "Are you going to stop worryiiiiing?"

"Yesss. Now stop." she laughed. "That tickles." 

He blew a raspberry on her neck. "Steven!!" she laughed. 

He leaned up from her neck and she quickly rubbed at her skin as the laughter was slowly dying down. "Only you." 

He wiggled his eyebrows. "I'll take that as a compliment." 

She rolled her eyes good naturedly. "Of course you would." 

He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "Why wouldn't I?" 

She scoffed under her smile. "Whatever, Steven." with a smile to her face she turned back to the laptop. "Anyway, I still have to get back to applying for some jobs. I want to apply for a few more before tonight." 

"Oh, uh, sure. Gotcha." he slid his arms away from her. "I'll let you have your quiet time." he grabbed the box from his lap. "I have a feeling one of those jobs are going to call you." 

Her eyes didn't leave the screen, though her smile widened slightly. "Thanks. I hope they do." 

He slid off the bed and walked around it to the couch by the window. He sat down and opened the box, not noticing Connie's smile faltering to a frown as he went to start what.. he had to do.

Steven shook everything out on the couch and put the box down beside him. 

He slid his hand between the cushions of the seat on the other side of him by the arm rest and pulled out a thin, rectangular box and opened the top from it. 

_Okay. Time to get to work. _

.............

Steven was laying down in bed. He'd finished what he had to do with the box and had kept it in a safe place. 

Hours later he'd been relaxing on the bed and surfing the web on his phone while listening to Connie click away at the keys. 

She'd told him that she managed to apply for four more jobs before she got up from the bed. 

That'd been almost ten minutes ago-

The front door opened and Connie stepped in holding a few flyers in her hand. She closed and locked the door behind her and slid her pink flip flops off. Her eyes were glue to the first paper.

"Guess they had some valuable stuff down there after all." said Steven. 

"Yeah." she skimmed a few more job positions as she walked over towards the bed to him. "These jobs aren't half bad either." he saw her lifting up the first paper and he leaned up from the pillow. "Here." Connie handed it to him. "It's talking about a Job Fair." 

Steven skimmed the list of jobs that were going to be at Best Prices. 

"You can go there." 

"Yeah.. yeah, I can do that." 

Connie slid in bed next to him. 

"Are you going there too?" 

"Yes, if I can make it in time." she told him. "If not," she held up two pieces of paper. "there are two more Job Fairs I can try to go to." she lowered the papers down on her lap. "I have to pick up the medicine at Ryde Ade tomorrow morning, then I need to try to get down there in time."

"How much is all of that? The vitamins and everything?"

"It's only the Prenatal vitamins. And since I'm getting it over the counter and not at FloorMart, they're $85"

"A bottle?"

"Mhm.

"Expensive."

"Yuuup." she said, popping the letter p at the end.

Steven laid the paper down and slid off the bed. He slid his hand underneath of the mattress and pulled out a stack of fifties. He pulled three off and placed the wad of cash back between the mattress and the springs. He handed the money to her. "Here you go." he said softly to her.

She bit the inside of her cheek. "..Thanks.." She counted the money. "You gave me way too much. Are you sure we're going to have enough money for the rent?" 

"I told ya before Connie. Pee Dee is going to pay a lot for this stash. That should cover the rent and part of the EGE."

She didn't look convinced. "No.. Here." she handed him a fifty back.

"It's fine, Connie. Keep it. Maybe you'll find something else in Ryde Ade or you can just save the rest of the change."

She looked at him. "O..kay." she placed the money on the small table beside her side of the bed and turned back to him. "So, do you see any jobs that interest you?" 

"Huh?-OH..Uh.." he picked the paper back up. "Something about stocking." He skimmed the list. "Here." he showed her the paper with his finger pointing at the job position that said Produce Stocker PT/FT at Zh-eyeants. "Interesting name for a store." said Connie.

"Yeah, but I'm pretty interested in the job position in general. I think I could do pretty well with that. It's just stocking stuff like meat and dairy. Shouldn't be too hard."

_I think you can do well with that job, especially since you're so strong._ Was what she most likely would've said, going for a flirt, but she wasn't going to fill his head up nor be that cheesy person like he was. "Well I hope you get it. That would be a good start off point." was what she said instead.

"Yeah." he put the paper back down. "I wonder how it would be to really work, you know? To have an _actual job._ A _real_ job." 

"Well, I finally wouldn't have to worry about you twice as much."

"Awwweee, you worry about me." he teased into her neck. 

Connie scoffed. "Whatever." she pushed his head off of her. "I worry about _everyone_." 

"But no one as much as meeee." he snuggled into her again. 

Connie pushed his head off of her, a small scoff escaping her again. "Yeah, don't get cocky."

"Heh.. I'll try not to." He looked at the clock on the wall. Only three twenty three. "Wow, it's still pretty early." he turned to Connie. "Well since we don't have anywhere to go today, care for a season 1 marathon of Laughing Dinner Enemies?" he suggested casually.

"Mmm." she pondered.

"Just thought I would throw that out there. You and I have a busy day tomorrow and.. since we're just going to stay home today, I figured, why not? Instead of just sitting here and doing nothing? Besides I'm .. preeetty sure that season six is coming out soon. It would be great to get a refresher before the season comes out."

Connie looked at him. 

He gave her that smile that she loved so much. 

She thought about it for only a few moments before gaving him a one shoulder shrug. "Fine." she smirked.

"Great!" He leaned forward and picked up the laptop from the blanket. He slid back in bed beside her and clicked on another tab, not wanting to mess up any of Connie's work or where she'd left off of the saved applications. 

Steven went to his Nitphlicts account. He typed the title in the search bar and every season from one through five popped up on the screen. He scrolled down and clicked on the first season. 

"There we go." he scooted up closer to her and laid down and she laid down with him. The two both got comfortable while the Nitphlicts logo came on before the series' intro began to play.

Steven kissed Connie's temple and got comfortable once more beside her. 

............

A little after four hours later and they weren't even a quarter way done with season 1. 

Steven had paused right before episode sixteen's intro when Connie got up to use the bathroom.

She slid back into bed. "Which episode is next?" she snuggled underneath of the blankets and under his arm.

"It's.." he read the synopsis. "Oh, this is the episode where chicken leg meets a tub of ice cream for the first time." he scooched the laptop between them so Connie could see it.

"Oh brother.."

He looked over at her. "What?"

She moved her head just slightly as she looked up. "That episode always makes me crave ice cream." she giggled, embarrassed. 

"Me too." a beat and he added, "I wonder if we have some in the freezer? We can eat some while we watch it." Connie lifted her head up so Steven could get off the bed. 

He walked to the fridge and opened it. He sifted through the t.v dinners and bagged vegetables. "Mmm..Nope.." he closed the door back. "Doesn't look like it."

"Aw.." she groaned. She put her head back on the pillow. "And I was really looking forward to it." 

"Yeah, sorry." he made his way back to the bed. 

"Mmmmm.." Connie mumbled in protest. She slid back further under the covers.

Steven laughed and peeled the blanket back a bit to see the rest of her face. "You really want ice cream that bad?"

Connie pursed her lips. "Nooo.. I'll be fine."

Steven leaned in laughing. "Seriously, Connie. If you want some ice cream, I can just walk to the store and get you some."

"Nehh. I don't want you to have to do that."

"But I want to do that for you!" 

She tried to hide her smile, dipping her head back down.

Steven lifted her chin up "Yeahhh?" 

"Fiiiine." she rolled her eyes.

"See, now was that so hard?" he gave her a peck on the lips and pushed his self off the bed. "Welp! I should be back in no time." 

Connie sat back up as Steven reached for his jacket in the closet. He put it on and reached back in the closet and took out a pair of jeans. He began putting them on.

"You know which ones I like, right?" she teased. 

He zipped up his jacket and gave her a thumbs up. "Lion Lickers." 

"Yes." Then she crossed her arms and lifted her head up. "And I need them at ONCE." she acted. 

"As you wish, my dear." he chuckled and slipped on Connie's pink sandals. "Hey, I'm taking your sandals again. Hope ya don't mind."

"As long as you don't bring them back with cat poo on them like last time."

"Ooooone time, Connie. That was oooooone time." he opened the door.

She waved him off. "Uh huh, Steven."

He let out a few more chuckles before walking out the door. "See ya, Connie."

"See ya, Steven."

He closed the door and locked it. 

Suddenly, Connie couldn't help but sing the tune to herself. "Ahhhhh, they're preserved delicacies with an all new flavor mix! 'Cause they came to the jungle with their bag of tricks! A pack of lions, come on and show them what you got! 'Cause now they're at your favorite convenient spot! Lion Lickers. They're animals incredibly vicious! Lion Lickers! They're extremely delicious! Lion Lickers, they're just misunderstood! Lion Liiiiiickers! Now available at ANY store in the Delmarva area." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Took me... waaaay too long to write that freakin Lion Lickers jingle xD (coughcough like 20, 30 minutes coughcough)
> 
> Anyway, hope y'all will like these next chapters!


	7. How convenient..

Steven was rounding a corner, on his way to the next crosswalk. Vehicles screeched and honked on by in front of him. The streetlight turned yellow and cars either sped up, going under the light or slowed down. The light turned red and just as Steven was about to step into the street, a car flew pass, and he jumped back as the car ran the light.

This time he looked both ways. All of the cars had stopped and the slow beeping from the light for the seeing impaired was heard on a speaker of one of the poles. He made his way across the street just as the neon figure of the walking man started blinking on the screen. The beeping increased it's rhythm, indicating that the light was about to change. He made it to the sidewalk just as the sign turned into a red hand and the beeping stopped. Cars continued their drive under the light behind him. 

A ten minute walk later and he made it to the store. He opened the door, the door making a _ching_ as he stepped foot in the dim lit building.

"ሰላምነሽ!" Salamneshi! (Hello!) he waved at a slim, brown skin lady with a white scarf around her head. Her wavy brown hair draped down from the scarf and down her back.

"ሰላም, Steven. እንደምን ነህ?" Selam Steven. Endet neh?"(Hello, Steven. How are you?)

"ደህና ነኝ." Dehna negn.(I'm doing well) he smiled. Then the young man walked over to his favorite aisle, going straight for the delicious ice box in the middle of the aisle. He slid the window open and started grabbing a handful of lion lickers. Then he grabbed a couple cookie cat bars from the other side.

He walked over to the counter and placed the ice cream in front of her.

"Will that be all, Steven?"

"Yup! Aaall of these are for Connie. Oh and these two." he pointed at the two cookie cat ice cream bars. "are for me."

"Awwee, you're buying ice cream for her." she cooed. She rung up the items and started putting them in a plastic bag. "That'll be eight seventy two."

"Yeahh, well.." Steven handed her a ten dollar bill and she typed it into the system. "It's the least I could do after knocking her up-" he choked back, closing his mouth shut. 

The girl gasped. "Steven!" 

The register popped open.

"I, uh.. Well..-"

"YOU said that you and her weren't doing anything! And that you two were waiting until marriage." she shrieked, completely shocked at what she just heard. 

"Oh. Well.. Stuff.. Happened.." he trailed off, feeling so embarrassed. Then he looked at the register and changed the subject. "Can I have my change no-" 

"Are you thinking about marrying her at least, Steven?!" her eyes were pleading.

"Y, yeah. I mean.. eventually. Not now."

"But why? You're just going to _keep_ on doing the do without marriage?" she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Ye-No, uhm.."

"Of course you are! Don't you lie to me!" she freaked out.

"Please.. can I just have my change, please?" he whispered, pointing at the register.

"You're gonna be doing a lot of changing once that baby comes!" she worried her lip. "Changing your sleep schedule." she counted on her fingers. "Changing diapers, changing clothes, changing out bottles. Can you even afford all of that baby stuff?!" 

"That's why Connie and I are trying to find jobs now." 

"You're really going to let your own woman work?! And what's going to happen when she has her maternity leave?!"

"I.." he choked out. "I..really don't know. We haven't thought that through."

"OH! But you didn't have _any_ trouble laying down with her though." she whined.

Steven didn't say anything to her. He only looked at her. She looked at his sad face and she took a breath, calming down. "Oh, Steven.." she said softly, shaking her head. "I thought you knew better. I thought you were better than this.. And I thought Connie was the girl who knew when to say when."

"I'm sorry, ... But.."

She looked at the poor boy in front of her. Sad, pitiful eyes. She took another breath to calm herself down. "Well.. it's nothing we can do now, right? What's done is done." 

He nodded.

"Exactly. So. It's time to step up and be a man."

"Yes. I know."

She took the change out of the register and handed it to him in his hand. "..Thanks." he put the money in his pocket and went for the door. He opened it with another chime. "And Steven?"_Ah man.. here it comes.._

He turned back around. "Of course, if you OR Connie ever needs anything. Aanything. Please don't hesitate to ask.. okay?" 

"O. Of course." he took a step out the door, then stopped. "Thank you." 

"No problem, Steven. Anytime...መልካም ቀን ይሁንልህ." Melikami k’eni yihunilihi. (Have a nice day). 

"መልካም ቀን ይሁንልሽ." Melikami k’eni yihunilishi. (Have a nice day.) then he walked the rest of the way out, letting go of the door behind him.

He gripped the plastic bag tightly in his hand, marching down the sidewalk. _I just HAD to trip up and tell her. And now she thinks she can judge ME?! She can't do that.. And I can do whatever I want to do with Connie.. That girl doesn't have any say in what Connie and I do behind closed doors.._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gotta love that Juno quote :D *thumbs up*  
Also, for those of you who's wondering, the language that they were speaking in is Amharic.


	8. Fight or Flight

After cutting down a few shady alleyways, he was nearing a basketball court. A stray basketball was resting by the fence. He took the ball in his hand and bounced it a few times. Still walking pass the hoop, he turned back around and threw the ball. It bounced off the ring of the hoop with a thud and bounced on the ground a few times before rolling and stopping at another part of the fence. He turned back around and proceeded to walk down another side street. He could hear rats tearing through a garbage bag as he walked pass a trash bin.

He exited the alleyway and walked up a sidewalk. Just a couple more blocks to go... aaand-

He thought he saw something.. A figure of some sort dart by another alley just one block ahead of him. He slowed his pace and stopped. Everything felt still. And eery. After just a few seconds of contemplating, he decided to just cross the street to avoid any sudden mugging.

And just as he stepped foot on the opposite curb, he heard a scream. He pivoted around. Three shadows in a crouch position shown off the wall from a nearby street lamp. He stood there. Fight or Flight. Should he help her or should he just dip off and save his own tail??

Another scream as three figures vanished from the shadows, going deeper into the alley. He took one step forward and stopped. Save _ or try _ to save the lady and possibly get hurt or killed oooooor go home and spoon Connie in the nice warm bed until he falls asleep? The latter was definitely better in his mind. And he was so close to home too.. 

Another scream. And a clatter off trash can lids.

Steven stepped back, away from the noise, then stopped. _No.. I can't let this happen.. but.. Connie.. I want her in my arms, I-_

The sound of something hitting a dumpster.

The comfortable thought left his mind as he dashed into the direction of the sound, leaving the bag of ice cream on the ground. He was going to try and save this woman.

He turned down into the alley and saw three figures with ski masks on. From what Steven could tell, five or six unconscious bodies laid in front of them. They all had on the same black jump suits with a green stripe down the backs of them. And in the middle of them was a woman with white, flowing hair sticking out of a black cap. She had a gun pointed towards them. She quickly pivoted, turning the gun towards Steven. Her trenchcoat swaying in the breeze. "You brought back up?!"

"No! I'm not!-"

Steven heard the click of the gun and just as she pulled the trigger, Amethyst tackled her on the ground. Steven screamed, hearing the shell hit the wall behind him. Garnet followed right behind her and Pearl lunged towards one of the unconscious bodies.

Steven hid behind a dumpster. Deep breathing. More shots were heard from behind him and a couple hit the dumpster he was in front of. He sat there, not sure if the woman was out of bullets or not.

Amethyst now had the woman's hands on the ground. The pistol still in her hands. Garnet stepped on her wrist and the woman let out a shriek of pain. She picked up the gun and aimed it at the woman. "You wouldn't."

"Oh, but I would." 

Steven heard three fires and a few empty clicks. _THEY KILLED HER!!_ Steven was screaming in his mind. _THEY MURDERED SOMEONE!!!_ He could hear footsteps coming towards him. He heard a creak from the top of the dumpster and a heavy thud in the hollow container. He swallowed. Feeling sick to his stomach. He looked at the shadow getting bigger as one of the ladies walked towards him. "Garnet." the shadow stopped. "Leave him." the shadow receded, going back to Amethyst. 

"Yo, P? What did ya find?" 

Pearl was digging through the pockets of one of the victims. "A few rubies, a topaz, an orange agate. And this one haaas." she rummaged through the pocket and took out a shiny, blue gem. "A larimar." she held the rock up to her face. "Wow. Look at the cut on this." she licked her thumb and rubbed a spot off of it before putting it in her satchel. "Yeah, these girls definitely got to the good stuff. These jewels aren't cheap at all."

"Then I'm glad to see that we got them back." said Amethyst. She looked back at the dumpster. "And maybe they'll think twice about stealing from us again."

Steven swallowed, looking back. The three of them were walking away now, leaving everyone else on the ground. He got up slowly and took a few steps, then made a mad dash towards the opening of the alley.

A tall, bulky woman with white, frizzy hair that covered one of her green eyes stopped him, right at the front of the alley. He stopped and fell back. She towered over him.

"Well, well, well.." looks like there's one straggler left. She looked up at her henchmen on the ground, then back down at him. "Looks like you'll have to pay for what you've done." she pulled out a long gun from her pocket.

He didn't know whether to scream and get shot because he screamed or not scream and get shot and she runs off.

"Get up!" she ordered him.

He got up with his hands in the air. _This is it.. I'm going to die right here.. And I never got to tell Connie.. that.. that I love her._

The hulking woman looked over his shoulder and without a word, shot at something behind him. Something green squirted from the gun. _What is that?!_

The woman growled, Steven assuming that she missed. She took him by the arm and he walked with her back down the alley. "Come out!" she shouted. "I have one of your henchmen right here!" 

"I'm not.. I'm just .. I was just. walking away. home." he couldn't form a coherent sentence. 

"Shut up!" She turned back towards the alley. Staring.

There was a creak of the dumpster and she turned the gun towards it. She walked cautiously towards it.

There was a louder creak and in an instant, a dumpster was titled up and thrown forward. Without enough time to process what was going on, she didn't have enough time to move out the way. The dumpster smacked into her and Steven was pulled back right before her hand slid from his hoodie.

He sat up, groaning, trying to ignore the pain in his back. He looked up and gasped. The three women in front of him were sporting a proud stance. The short one in the middle had a spiked whip and beside her, the tall one had brass knuckles on and the slim, tall one had a spear in her hand. 

He kept staring at them, his mouth wide open in shock and fear. 

Amethyst pressed a button right in the middle of her throat, on her jumpsuit. "Garnet, get Centi. We'll take care of the kid." 

Garnet nodded and ran towards the dumpster. Green coloring oozed from the dumpster and Garnet stopped. The woman crawled from under it, her gloves and part of her clothing getting in contact with the liquid, the liquid eating the material away. 

She gave a boisterous laugh. "Did you really think you could get rid of me that easily? You my have gotten rid of one person," she gestured with her neck at the dumpster. "but I can't go down that easily." She clicked back the gun and the green liquid shot out towards them. They dodged it and Steven barely ducked, some of the acid splashing on his clothes. It ate away a bit of his hair and part of his collar. His ear burned and he hissed in pain. He touched it, the acid getting on his fingers. More pain from his ear being touched and pain from two of his fingertips. 

She continued to shoot across the alley, trying to hit Pearl. The woman jumped on the wall stepping and bouncing off of it, the acid barely missing her. She threw her spear. The woman quickly tried to recharge the gun, but jumped away to avoid being struck. 

Centi was about to pick up the spear and Amethyst spun her whip and threw it, smacking the woman in her back. She shrieked and turned around, unloading the gun at Amethyst. She back flipped a few times, missing the liquid.

Centi ran towards her, charging up the gun. Amethyst hopped on another dumpster and Centi followed her, jumping on top of the lid. She held the gun up and shot it at Amethyst, the girl getting hit on her shoulder as she leapt of.

Garnet ran up behind the woman, kicking her in the face. She fell off the dumpster and slid across the ground, hitting one of the unconscious bodies. The gun still practically glued to her hand. 

Pearl picked up her spear just as Centi got back up. She was reaching in her back pocket for something. Pearl threw the spear and it hit her arm. She screamed out. She tucked the gun underneath of her arm and started tugging at the spear, pulling it slowly from her skin. She screamed out more.

The three ran towards her and she stopped and took the gun from under her arms, holding the gun towards them. They stopped.

Steven was terrified. Afraid to run, in fear of getting hit. He stayed his ground behind a small trashcan. The woman seemed to notice him and he ducked back down.

Amethyst pressed the button on her jumpsuit again. "Relax, Centi. He's just some bystander. He's not one of us."

She chuckled lowly. "I don't care." she hissed out slowly. "I don't need anymore witnesses."

She kept the gun out, walking around them. They stood their distance, turning and watching her intently. She backed up, making her way towards Steven with the gun still held up towards them. 

Amethyst lunged at her. The woman tried to get the gadget from her back pocket again and pain shot up from her arm. She growled out. She tucked the gun under arm and tugged at the spear again.

Garnet and Pearl were right behind Amethyst.

Centi pulled the spear out and threw it. Amethyst leaned back, the spear going above and pass her as she slid on the ground on her knees. Pearl grabbed the spear right out the air and threw it back at her. The woman barely dodged it and the spear slid pass and in front of Steven. He could see blood and pieces of skin and muscle on it. 

Garnet tackled her to the ground. Pearl ran pass them, picking up her spear. She took one look at Steven, glaring at him. He swallowed and backed up more into the trashcan. She ran back towards the fight. 

Garnet punched her with a brass knuckle and she fell back. She picked her up by the shoulders and the woman took out the gadget, a taser, from her pocket. Ignoring the pain in her shoulder, she went for Garnet. The woman let go of her shoulders, punching her hand out the way, dodging the taser.

"Garnet!" Amethyst ran up, spinning the whip around again. The woman put the taser back in her pocket and held the gun up, just as Amethyst wrapped the whip around the gun. The woman tugged, trying to pull Amethyst with her.

Pearl jumped in front of Amethyst and threw the spear again, just as Amethyst was pulling the woman closer to her. The spear grazed her bad shoulder and Amethyst took out another whip, wrapping it around the taser in her pocket. She pulled the gun from her grip and sent both the taser and the gun far behind her.

Unarmed, the three ran for her, until she took out another gun from her back pocket. "Yeah, I don't think so. I'm done playing around. I'm officially going to end this."

_Okay! Now's my chance!_ He got up and he looked back at them. Centi's back was toward him. He took a few more quiet steps, then stopped. Why couldn't he leave? Maybe he should still help them?..But they killed someone! ..But, didn't that other one say that they stole from them? Who's? Who's in the wrong here?..But that same one _did_ save him when that Centi woman was walking over to him.. And.. he didn't know.. It was just something about them. He turned back around and Pearl almost broke eye contact from Centi to look back at Steven.

He looked around for something and saw the lid of the trashcan he'd hid behind. He picked it up and took a stance, lowering his body as he twisted his hips. He ignored the burning pain from his two fingertips. "LEAVE THEM." he turned with a step forward, bringing his wrist forward and away from him. "ALONE!" the trashcan lid flew from his hands. "What did you say?" _CRACK!_ the lid hit her in the face and she stumbled back. She groaned, bringing her hand back down. Blood leaked from her nose. "Now you're going to get it.." she started charging after him.

"Nnnn!!" Steven froze, too afraid to make a move.

"Oh NO you don't!" Amethyst dashed pass the bodies towards her. She spun the whip and threw it, grabbing a hold of Centi's torso. She couldn't move. "You think you so tough, punk!" Centi growled at Steven. He coward under her one eyed glare. Her green eye staring right at him. She got pulled back.

Pearl threw her spear, hitting the woman's back. She screamed out as Amethyst pulled her in, right in front of her. She threw a punch and Garnet came up, throwing another punch, sending her to the ground. 

Steven finally got his bearings and was able to move again, taking a few small steps away from them. He wanted to leave, but he couldn't. He still didn't want to leave them. It was still something about them..And even though it looked like they were winning.. he still wanted to make sure..but now he just had to figure out how..? He stepped on something and looked down. The taser. _That could work.._He picked it up and looked back up at them. He took a breath and ran towards them. He turned the taser on. 

Centi got up. "Is that all you got?" she wiped her still bleeding nose. She ignored the blood dripping down to her lip.

The three stood there. Mischievous grins on their faces.

"Come on! Fight me-!" Steven jammed the taser in her side and she screeched. He kept the taser in her side for a few more seconds until she fell limp on the ground. 

Amethyst ran back and picked up the lid. "Che! You do the honors!" she threw the trash bin to him. "Huh?" he dropped the taser to quickly catch the lid.

"Knock her out!" Amethyst shouted through the voice box of her suit.

Steven still didn't want to die. And so, he did what he was told. Just as Centi was getting back up, he brought the lid down behind her head. Twice. She fell to the ground. Out cold.

Steven gasped. "Did I.. Did I kill her?!"

Garnet lifted up the woman's limp hand and felt her pulse. She gave Amethyst and Pearl a thumbs up.

"Neh, relax. She's just unconscious." said Amethyst. She pulled the woman's hat off and a dark green jewel fell from her head. "I knew she had it all along." she gave Pearl the jewel and she put it in her satchel.

"Thanks for helping us, kid. Though we, didn't truly _need_ your help from the start." her lips were curved in a smug as she helped him to his feet. "What? But, but you three-"

"Were just having a bit of fun." she shrugged her shoulders. "We could've ended the fight looong before you got here." she let go of the button on her jumpsuit.

_Well damn.._ he thought. _ Could've been cuddling Connie then! But noooo. I just HAD to feel like a hero and want to help people._

His facial expression must've dropped to something sour. Amethyst laughed to lighten the mood, bringing her hand back up to her jumpsuit. "Hey, don't worry, buddy. We do appreciate the "help" though!" she pat him on the shoulder.

"Yeah.." he mumbled. He looked at them one more time, first the tallest one. He couldn't see her eyes through the black tint of her mask.. _Glasses?_, Then he looked down at the shortest one, still sporting her smug look, then to the last one, who was looking at him with such contempt. He stared at her a little bit longer before looking away. He dropped the lid on the ground and walked away, looking back behind him to see if they were coming after him. They weren't. Actually, he saw them going the opposite way. The same way they were going earlier. He saw the plastic bag still on the ground and ran across the street. He picked it up. He inspected it. Didn't look like any rodents had gotten into the bag. He opened it and felt a few of the ice creams. They were still pretty solid and cold. With the chill of the night, he wasn't so surprised, the cold side walk keeping them a bit cooler. He closed the bag up and looked back again. Nothing. 

During the rest of the walk, he kept looking back. And he wasn't sure if it was just his imagination or if certain objects were casting shadows from the street lamps or what.. But every time he looked back, he thought he would see a figure, sometimes three, lurking just a block behind him..

He quickly opened the main door of the complex, relieved that he made it that far. Then he opened the door, looking back. This time he saw no shadows. But just as he was closing the door back, he thought he heard a low chuckle just near the building. He chalked it up to someone on the first floor's window being open. He ran up the stairs, quickly reevaluating himself. _Why did he open the door?! Say if they really _were_ after you? They could've capped you RIGHT then and there!_ And now he was at the second flight of steps, on his way to the second floor. _And what would Connie had done when they found me dead?!_ *Gasp!* _Oh no! Connie! Aw man.. She's going to think that I was doing something.._

He felt himself slow down to a slow walk, dreading what she would say. He grabbed the keys and immediately let go, wincing at the pain in his fingertips. He put the bag on the ground and fished out the keys with his other hand, flipping the keys to the house key. He put the key in the lock and turned it. It clicked open and he pushed the door open slowly. The door making a light sweeping sound as it slid across the indoor mat. He picked the bag up and stepped in. The lights were still on, but the screen on the laptop was black. And there was his pretty little Connie laying near it, asleep. Light snoring coming from her. He could only hope that she'd fallen asleep a bit after he left and not a few minutes ago, wondering where he was.

He kicked the flip flops off and put the ice cream in the freezer and he made his way over to the bed, noticing that Connie was actually a bit too far to the edge of the bed. Too far for him to sleep behind her. He sighed. _I guess no spooning tonight.._Then right as he was about to dive into the bed on the other side, he realized how incredibility dirty he must be. Out there, hiding behind trashcans, falling into the ground.. Another sigh from him. He was just so mentally and physically exhausted.. And wouldn't that make it like.. the THIRD shower he'd taken that day?

Whatever. He was just going to have to take a quick one and just hope that Connie wouldn't wake up and think that he was trying to cover up something.

He took his clothes off, making a mistake with his shirt as he brushed his bad ear. He winced in pain and looked at it in the mirror. Dried up blood and now fresh new blood from the now agitated ear hung around the side and down in his ear. The tip of his ear was gone. _Oh f!! ..My ear.. Now I have to somehow hide it from Connie!.. Or at least think of something. I cut it on something. Yeah, that'll work.. but cut it on what?_ He checked his hair. That wasn't too noticeable. The acid had only burned off a few strands. He threw the clothes in the hamper and took the quickest shower ever, _having to be very careful of his ear and his fingers_ and got out. Connie was still asleep. _Fewf._ He quickly put on some clothes, did one last ring out of his hair and quickly popped open the mirror as quietly as he could. The mirror creaking. He took out the first aid kit, popped it opened, put some stuff on his ears and fingers that burned like crazy and quickly bandaged them up. He closed the kit back up, put it back in the cabinet, stepped out the bathroom and carefully walked over to the bed. He closed the laptop, still in sleep mode and set it down on the table beside her. Then he carefully slid the glasses off of her face and placed it on top of the laptop. He gave her a kiss on the forehead and slid into bed, getting comfortable under the blankets. Thankfully she didn't catch him and now he could relax.

The relaxing moment was cut short though as he started to have thoughts about what had happened not too long ago. He tried to not think about what happened to him.. How he put his life on the line for a bunch off ladies just playing around essentially.. The whole thing felt weird to him. The whole ordeal. It just didn't feel right to him. Like.. something was up.. What was his gut trying to tell him?

Connie's crackling snore tore him out of his thoughts and he looked over at her. She just looked so peaceful. He put what happened in the back of his mind. What happened back there is in the past now. _But right now, I'm here and I'm still alive._ He scooched over to Connie and put his arm around her side. He gave her another kiss on the forehead and laid his head back down, listening to her soft, comforting snores until he dozed off into a sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BTW guys, nothing is wrong with the Crystal Gems' voices. They're simply using a voice changer ;)


	9. Fry bits and tidbits

Steven woke up with the blanket tuck neatly underneath of him. _Connie._ He sat up and looked up at the clock on the wall. _8:46a.m._ He got up and used the bathroom. Then he cleaned and put a new wrapping around his ear and fingertips before making his way over to the kitchen. Four pieces of French toast and scrambled eggs with cheese was set on a plate on the counter. A note was underneath of it. He slid it from underneath of the plate and unfolded it.

_Morning Steven._

_I left a bit earlier than usual, since I'm trying to catch the Job Fair today. I fixed you something small, since you're going to Pee Dee's place. I know how you usually eat there too. Anyway, see you at the fair. _

_XOXO, Connie_

He smiled and set the paper unfolded on the table. He unwrapped the plate of food and picked the plate up. It already felt pretty warm to the touch._ She probably just left out._ He put the plate in the microwave to warm it up just a bit more.__

He devoured his food_ Connie is such an amazing cook_, washed the dishes and started putting on his clothes for the day. He would've just worn a regular pair of jeans and an old t-shirt to go to Pee Dee's workplace, but since he had to go to the Job fair, he decided to put on a nice pair of slacks and a white, button down shirt. He slipped on some black socks and went back to the closet and pulled out a pair of shiny black shoes, a black belt and his backpack. 

He went to the bed and pulled out the brown box from underneath of it, placing it carefully in the bottom of the backpack. He put the shoes and the backpack by the door and went towards the dresser. He pulled his collar down and tucked in his shirt. He slipped the belt around and buckled it, then grabbed his comb from of the dresser. He started at his hair, brushing it and fluffing up his curly bush, being careful to not hit his ear. He put the comb down and leaned forward into the mirror. Moving his head right, then left. Then he learned back, a satisfied smile on his face. He clicked his teeth. "Now that's a heartbreaker right there." he made a finger gun pose, winking at himself in the mirror. 

He went to the door, slipped on the shoes, threw the bag over his back and went out the door.

...........

Steven walked pass the many food eateries that were already open and swarming with people. He squeezed by the crowd and walked a few blocks down to an old fry shack, right beside another busy food place. The huge contrast of the no customers where his friend worked to the long line out the door of the other restaurant was pretty jarring, but at the same time, also relaxing. He didn't have to worry about a long line, so he could easily do what he had to do, without any eyes on him and head to the Job fair.

"Hey, Pee Dee!" Steven yelled from the window.

A few moments later, a slim boy, just a bit taller and much slimmer than Steven, with blond dreads walked up to the counter. "Yo, Steven. What's up, man?"

"Oh, nothing much really. So, what's up with those bits?"

"Yeah, yeah. When you called me, that's when I put them in the fryer. They should be out in sec."

"Nice."

There was a buzzing sound in the background. "And there they are." he went back, put the bits of fries in the bag and gave it to Steven. "Here's the bits. Now where's_ my_ bits."

"That doesn't sound right.. But I know what you meant." he pulled out the brown box from his backpack and handed it to Pee Dee. "Now that's what I'm talking about." he put the box somewhere underneath of the counter. Then he reached further under the counter and pulled out a stack of hundreds and one fifty dollar bill.

"Man Pee Dee. I STILL don't know how you get all this money, but I'm not complaining one bit!" he quickly counted the cash in his hands. Yup, $650 dollars. 

"Heh heh, yeahh, well. I do stuff." was all he said. 

"Mhm." Steven nodded and put the cash in his backpack.

"So, how ya been, Steven?" 

"I've been fine for the most part." he threw the bag on his back.

"Cool, cool. So what about Connie? How has she been?"

"Oh uh, heh. She's been fine too." Steven looked at him. Of ALL the people he knew and came across, Pee Dee was the only one who he couldn't lie to. Not because he didn't want to. Nooo. Because Pee Dee could read people so well.. A bit _too_ well. He would always try to see right through him and he didn't really have to try. He was just that good.

Pee Dee looked at him. And gave him a slow nod. "Okay." he leaned on the counter, his head facing away from Steven as he stared down the sidewalk at something. "So, nothing to report, huh? Nothing new, no changes.._ Nothing_?"

Steven decided to just tell him. There was literally no other way to go around it. Pee Dee could see right through him somehow.. Not only that, but he as well as other people are going to find out anyway, once Connie started showing so.. 

Steven took a breath. "There may be one thing.."

Pee Dee turned and tilted his head up slightly. "Yeah?"

Steven rolled his shoulders back, stretching out the tension in his back. "Look, don't tell anyone this but.. Connie's pregnant."

"Whoa, what!" he said in a hushed tone.

"I know, I know." Steven groaned.

"Oh, crap dude. Did you ask about the alternative?"

"I did! She wants to keep the damn thing.." he shook his head, then looked back up at Pee Dee. "I don't know, maybe I can persuade her somehow.."

"You mean manipulate?"

Steven was quiet.

"Haha! Yeah, I know how you do it, Universe. That's also one of the ways of how you get your girls." he nudged his shoulder from the window. "Isn't that right?"

"Well, n, no?" Steven scratched at his hair. "Maybe.. the universe charm?" he tried saying casually with a shrug. "Anyway.. who knows. Maybe I _can_ get her to rethink her decision."

"Well, it doesn't hurt to try." said Pee Dee. "I can't imagine you having a kid, Steven. No offense."

"None taken. I can't see myself with a kid either." he twisted his face. "That's not me, ya'know?"

"Yeah, I know." then Pee Dee snorted. "Heck, if anything, you're more of a hit it and quit it kind of person. Heck, me and the guys STILL can't believe you're still with Connie. It's been, what, three years now?" 

"Almost three years. And yeah, that's true." a beat. "And, speaking of Connie, I have to start heading over to this job fair thing."

" 'Job fair' ?"

Yeah, Connie doesn't want me to do this kind of stuff anymore."

"What?!

"Yeah.. she wants to "better are lives" and all that." he mocked.

"Well, you ever thought about just leaving her?"

Steven was taken aback. "No.. not at all."

"Mhm."

"I honestly haven't." he said truthfully. "I.. I really do like her." he paused before whispering. "I.. I love her, Pee Dee. It's just, I don't know. It's just something about her. I've never felt this way with any other girl before.. I can't live without her.."

"Wow." he snorted. "Home girl got you on a leash, man! That's sad."

"Can it, Pee Dee!" he snapped back defensively.

"What? It's true. Of ALL the girls you've messed with, you've never stopped talking about this gal."

"So?" he said, still in defense. "It's.. I don't know, I just can't help it. She just.. has that effect on me.." he could feel the blush coming to his cheeks.

"Heh." he shook his head and the dreads swished side to side. "Well I guess you better put a ring on it." he teased. 

"Oh, well.. eheh." he scratched at his neck. "I mean.. I could see that. Just.. not right now. Heh.." he cleared his throat. 

"Well whenever you do, in the next five, ten years, I'll be sure to be your best man."

"Uh, yeah." he lowered his hand from his neck. "Hmph. Sure."

The two chatted for a few more minutes before Steven had to go before he missed his bus.

"Alright, Pee Dee. Stay safe." Steven went in for a dab and a shoulder hug.

"Yeah, you do the same."

As Steven walked away, Pee Dee picked up the box, smelling it. "Ooooohh yeahhh." he chuckled. "This is definitely that good stuff." 


	10. Job Fair

Steven sat on the bench and ate his fry bits. It wasn't long until he saw the bus coming down the street. He tilted the bag up, pouring the crumbs into his mouth and threw the bag in the trashcan.

The bus pulled up and he got on and put his bus fare in the machine and went towards the back, by the doors. He stood the whole hour of the bus ride on the cramped bus. He noticed that other people were looking quite presentable as well. _They're all most likely going to the job fair as well.. No wonder it's so packed._

He and a crowd of other people stepped off the bus and made their way down to Best Prices. They passed under a huge Job Fair banner plastered on the wall by the store's name and the sliding doors slid open. They entered the building to see nothing but tables and people. Everyone started breaking away from the group as they each started going towards the jobs that interested them.

And just like that, Steven was already bored and ready to leave. It was something so lackluster, so tedious, so monotonous about it all. And everything was just so plain looking.

He decided to just do a walkthrough of the store, passing by the first table. **Super Giant Mart** **_Looking for full time and part time cashiers and stockers._** Steven stopped. It wasn't from that other store that he'd shown Connie on the paper, but it _did_ have a stocking position. Steven waited in line until fifteen, boring mibutes later, when he was finally next. 

"Hello, Sir." the guy gave him a professional smile, holding out his hand.

Steven shook it. "Hello."_Oh, crap.. What else should I say?!_ "Uh, Steven, sir." _Yeah, that was terrific.._

The guy let go and gave Steven a small nod. "So, what brings you here today, Steven?" 

_Well, you know. Just got my girl pregnant and now she wants to change our lives all around so now I need to get a normal job.._"Oh, I, uh." _stop saying 'uh'!! That's not professional!_ he cleared his voice, and in a confident, stable voice he said "I, am interested in your stocker position."

"Are you looking for something full time or part time?"

_Maybe I should do something full time for right now. We do need the money. Then, perhaps I can change over to part time once she was the baby, so I can help her with him or her. But wait.. Shouldn't I stay full time SO I can have more money when the baby is here? But.. would Connie be okay by her self with the baby? Oh crap! He's waiting for me to answer him. And that was one of the simpler questions too! Hurry up Steven, just say something!_ "Yeah, I think that full time would be good for me."

"Are you sure you would be able to handle the hours? You seemed to had been contemplating a bit."

"Oooh. u-" he stopped himself from saying 'uh'. "No, no! I'm, I'm very sure about it."

The guy looked at him in his eyes and he tried hard not to look away. "Alright." he said. He slid a clipboard with a few sheets of paper towards his self and wrote something down on it. Then he looked back up at Steven. "So, why do you think you're a good fit for the company?" his expression was unreadable as he stared into the boy's wavering stare.

_The number one, horrifying question of all time! _Steven had always heard of horror stories about that question. It always seemed to trip people up.

He thought about it. "Well, I.. know that you're looking for stockers-" _No dip, Sherlock! That's what the sign says RIGHT beside him!_ "-And I am pretty strong for the job. I have pretty good stamina." _No I don't, I get tired easily.._ "I'm quick on my toes and I'm a pretty reliable person. If you need someone to work during any hours, I can do that."_Yeah, no. I'm not quick on my toes.. Though I guess I am a pretty reliable guy...I just hope that the hours don't cut into my dealing time, since I'm still doing that for the time being._

The guy nodded and wrote something down. "Weeell." the guy started. "I have the information here. We'll be going over everyone's qualifications today and we'll be making calls sometime this week. And, if we decide to proceed, we'll give you a follow up call."

"Oh, okay." he barely spoke out.

"What is the best number to call you on?"

Steven gave him his cell phone number and he wrote it down. "Alright." the guy gave him another nod, a very professional, unreadable, somehow neutral smile on his face. He held out his hand again and Steven shook it. Then he walked away. "Thank you for your time." the guy said behind him. _Oh crap! Was I supposed to say that to him?!_ He turned back around. "Oh no. Thank _you._" The guy was still sporting that.. smile and Steven turned back around and walked off. _Yeah, my first interview ever and I blew it.._

He continued with his walk through, looking at other tables with people hovering around them. And twenty minutes of pointless walking around half of the store, he saw a familiar face.

He was talking and laughing with a manager at the table. The tanned guy said something to the manager sitting down and the guy was in fits of laughter. Then the guy turned his head, catching Steven. He waved to him and Steven waved back. 

The guy said something to the manager, patting him on the shoulder and then jabbing a finger at Steven. The guy looked back and gave Steven a wave. He waved back.

Then the two shook hands and the guy started making his way towards Steven. "Hey, Steven. Nice to see you. Didn't think I would see you here."

"Nice to see you too, Lars. And yeah, it was Connie's idea."

"How is she anyway? Um! Well that is.." he trailer off.

"Don't worry, Lars. I already know. She told me."

"Oh, good. She told me that she would tell you, but she didn't know when. So uh. How are you taking the exciting news?"

_'Exciting'? More like dreadful.._ He tried to not let his anger or disappointment show. "I'm just." he shrugged with his hands in his pocket. "Taking it one step at a time."

"Ah, that's great."

Unlike Pee Dee, Lars, on the other hand, was not that great at reading people all of the time. Of course, he gave great advice and he was definitely a people person, but when it came to subtle cues, those just went right over his head. And Steven being uncomfortable talking about the subject of babies and being a father seemed to go right over his head as well. And with this, he kept on going. "Yeah, Steven. A bundle of joy. Will he be a momma's boy? Will she be daddy's little girl?" he nudged Steven in his side. "Ah, the exciting mystery of it all to have life growing right before your very eyes." Steven felt his stomach double over. "Something that's apart of you. A product of two people coming together and a beautiful form grows as a result." Steven's jaw tightened. He could feel himself getting more and more uneasy. "Yes, life sure is full off endless mysteries." he had to stop him. He couldn't bare to hear any more about any of it. "I can't wait until you two welcome him or her into the world and-" Steven forced out a fake cough and he cleared his throat.

Lars stopped and Steven quickly thought of something to say. "So, Lars. Why are you here anyway? Are you recruiting new people?" 

Lars had to find his footing again, going from talking about babies to Steven changing the subject completely. "Oh, n, no. I'm not. I actually came here for Sadie."

"Sadie? She's looking for a job now too?"

"No, not necessarily. But I'm trying to get her on the right path of things now. Though now I'm worried that if she _does_ manage to get a job, if she wouldn't spend it on drugs or do anything else reckless with the money." 

"Yeah, that's something that you have to think about." Steven was already bored with the conversation. Lars was a great guy and everything, but.. he could be a bit boring at times too.

"Yeah.." then a smile came across his face. "But I'm hopeful that she'll come around!" he gave him a thumbs up.

"Right, right." Yeah, he was getting way too bored.. "Well, I guess I'll see you around Lars. Put in a good word for me for these jobs that's looking for stockers." he took his first few steps away from him. 

"Yeah, no problem, Steven." he waved to him.

The next hour was of him walking around, eating some of the snacks some of the tables had put out and talking to a few managers. All of them seemed to not really care too much for him. And of course. He wasn't putting his all in it. He simply didn't care because well, he didn't truly want any of the jobs. He just wanted everything to go back to normal..

"Steven!" he snapped out of his thoughts and looked up from a chair he was sitting on by a small waiting area. Connie was walking up to him. 

He took in her whole attire. The flowing dark blue skirt with a white blouse. And her hair was incredibly curly._Wow_

She walked over to him and he got up, giving her a hug. "Hey, sorry I was late." he saw some of the guys looking at her and he held on to the hug, keeping her close. "Yeah, what happened?"

She groaned. "I went to Rite Aid and bumped into NONE other than Opal."

"Aw man. You mean that girl from your old archery class who NEVER shuts up?"

"Yeah, her.. Talked my head off for a good thirty minutes right by the front of the store. Haven't even walked in yet! Then I had to rush in, get the prenatal vitamins and RIGHT as I stepped out the store, I saw the bus going pass.. Then I had to wait an extra forty five minutes." 

"That sucks." he chuckled. "You should've just told her that you had to go."

"I did! More than once! But she just kept going and going and goooing."

Steven only laughed more. "Well you should've just avoided her when you saw her."

"I couldn't! She was coming out the store _as_ I was about to go in!"

Steven only laughed more. He couldn't help it. Her throwing a little fit and being overly animated was just so darn cute. 

"Yeah, well. Glad to see that you find it amusing. I wasted a lot of time. Now I have about." she looked at her watch. "thirty more minutes."

"Oh, well I'll let you go then. I'll just wait here for you."

"Alright." 

Steven went in for a kiss and she kissed him back. And he purposely let the kiss linger a bit too long for her comfort. She broke away. "Steven. People are watching." she blushed, putting a hand on his chest.

_Exactly. Those guys that keep staring at you need to know that you already have someone. _ "Just wanted to give my girl a goodbye kiss."

"Anywayy. I'll see you later." she ignored the butt squeeze and she walked away. Steven made side glances at the other guys as he sat back down. _That's right, fellas. She's mine._

The last thirty minutes went by fast. He'd watched a few theory videos on TubeTube and as soon as he knew it, Connie was already making her way back to him, smiling. He got up and met her halfway. "I take it everything went well?"

"Yes!" she cheered. "I really think that I may get some calls back!" 

"Glad to hear that! So." then he said in a suave voice. "Where to, M'lady?"

"Well we don't really have anywhere else important to go. So I guess back home." she laced her hands together with his and they left out the store. People were packing up and there were still a few stragglers at a few other tables that were still up.

....

After close to an hour on the bus, traffic started to build up. They could hear helicopters above them. Cars honked to get from lane to lane.

"What's going on out there?" Connie asked Steven as she looked out the window.

"Not sure. Maybe it's an accident?" he looked out the window as well.

The people on the bus were verbally protesting their disgust, wondering what the hold up was. 

The bus continued to inch along for the next twenty minutes. People continued to shout out their aggravation and the bus driver ignored them.

"Wow, he can't even tell us what's going on. He knows what's going on!" yelled out one lady. He continued to ignore the people on the bus.

Another fifteen minutes later and they were nearing their stop. Steven pulled down on the string and their was a _DING. Stop requested._He helped her up and they got off the bus, power walking the rest of the way home, wanting to avoid anything dangerous that may be happening in the area at that time. A helicopter flew overhead as they walked into the main door of the complex.

They walked up the stairs and Steven unlocked the door and the two immediately took their shoes off. They could hear police sirens outside their window now. Steven turned and locked the door behind them.

Connie was already in the kitchen. She took out the bottle of prenatal vitamins and took out one of the bottles that Steven had poured the boiled water into from the fridge. "It says I don't have to take it with food, so I'll just take one now." 

"Okay." Steven made his way over to the closet nearest the dresser and opened it. He took out the wad of cash and left the bag in the closet. "Wow, these are huge. I definitely have to cut them.. Or try to at least." he heard Connie say behind him. He heard the rustling of utensils in a drawer.

He got up and closed the door, making his way back to the bed when a few police cars going by caught his attention. He stopped and watched as another police car shot down the road. He continued looking out the window. Suddenly, a short figure wearing a mask and a purple jumpsuit ran across the street, away from his side of the street. It ran up an alley. _That.. kind of looked like that same woman from last night. That's even the same clothing.. Why is she-?_ Then another figure wearing a pastel jumpsuit ran across the street. She stopped and turned around. Steven's breath hitched up. She seemed to be looking right at him through the window.

"Steven?"

He looked back. "Huh?"

Connie had the freezer door opened. "I said what would you like to eat?"

He gave her a look.

She rolled her eyes, her lips curving up slightly as she tried to hold in her smile. "I'm being serious." she rummaged through the freezer. "We have frozen broccoli, carrots and.. a bit of spinach left. And I think we still have a box of pasta left. I know we still have a half a pound of ground beef, so maybe I should make some spaghetti?"

"Just cook that." he told her casually. "And cook whatever vegetables you want. You know me, Connie. I'm not picky." he went back to the window.

"I just wanted to make sure if you were feeling like eating something particular or not. I know how you can get sometimes.." he drowned her out. He was too focused on the figure across the street. The figure stared at him for a few more moments before sprinting off in the same alley the first figure had ran in. "..like that one time you had a taste for turkey legs and Mac and beef. What an odd combination." she chuckled. "And then it was that one time when-" "Hey, uh, I'm going to head out real quick." he went and tucked the stack of cash between the mattresses.

"Huh?" she put a pot out on the counter. "Where are you going?"

_Think fast, Steven._ "Oh I. Thought I saw someone from Best Prices out there. I was talking to him earlier about being a frozen produce stocker. Thought I would talk to him real quick about the job." 

The heavy thudding of the propellers from a helicopter flew overhead. Connie didn't hide the worry on her face. "Well.. be careful. It sounds like it's something serious out there. I honestly don't see why anyone would even want to be outside right now."

"You don't have to worry about me, Connie." he went over and kissed her. "Just gonna have a quick chat is all. I'm not going to be too far away." 

"Alright.. See you later."

He took off his socks and left them on the mat. "Taking your flip flops again." he told her and he left out the door. He jogged down the steps, ran out the main door and across the street, and down the middle of the alley and stopped. _Now..Where are they.._


	11. Tunnel Vision

Steven stood at the middle of the alley. Helicopters continued to hover overhead and sirens blared in the vicinity. One siren sounding a bit too close.. _Wait a m-_ "Whoa!" he jumped back, as a police car nearly hit him as it drove down the alley. The tires splashed over some unidentified liquid on the ground, the liquid getting on his jacket as he covered his face. He looked at his sleeve. "Eeuugh." he shook his sleeve _like that was really going to work_ and got up and walked down the end of the alley to a small road. Across the street were little shops. Police cars and paddy wagons filled the lanes as they drove pass him. 

_They could literally be ANY where by now.._ A chilling breeze sent a burning pain through his bandaged ear and he pulled the hood over his head. _But I can't give up now. I have to get to the bottom of this.._ He power walked along the sidewalk, listening to the sirens and watching the lights reflect off the buildings.

He looked down the street, straining his eyes to see what was going on just at the end of the street. A cluster of police cars were around a tall, white building._The Mayor's Hall?_ Steven took off down the opposite way, away from the building and down two blocks to the subway. If he was going to try and catch them at the scene, then the subway was the best way to go for a quick commute.

He ran down the escalators, passing a few people. "Excuse me, excuse me." he said under his breath as he squeezed and stomped pass them.

"Dag! You coulda said excuse me!" yelled out one young lady. 

Steven turned around briefly. "I did." and kept running down the moving stairs.

"I ain't hear you!"

Steven ignored her. He didn't have any time to entertain her behavior. He finished the first escalator and ran down the next one, passing more people who seemed to be on both sides of the escalator, instead of just stepping to one side to stand. He continued saying his excuse me, _and he made sure to say it louder that time._ Some of the people complied and others, he still had to squeeze through between them. A couple people saying something similar to what the other lady had sad. He ignored their asses too. _Whatever. I have somewhere to go. Eff 'em._

Just as he made it down the second escalator, he could hear the screeching wheels of a nearby subway right as he entered the damp, cold area by the turnstiles. _Is that the eastbound or the westbound one?!_ He didn't know. And he also definitely didn't have enough time to buy his fare... SO!

"Hey! Hey you get back here!!" the heavy set guy ran out from the comfort of his office, then remembered and went back to press the button for the first turnstile to open, then ran back out, following after Steven who was already clearing the escalator down to the platform. 

The eastbound one was coming. The exact one he had to get on. It pulled up to the platform and the doors on the opposite end opened. A few people exited out. He could hear the transit guy hollering after him as he made his way, huffing down the escalator. "Hey you!!"_Come on, come on, open up! Open up already!_ Steven ran further down towards the front of the train to distance himself more from the guy.

The doors slide open and Steven jumped in. "HEY!!" he heard the guy shout. _This is the eastbound train to Glenmont Grove. DING DONG. Stand back. Doors closing._ said a feminine voice on the train's speaker. The doors slid close just as the guy and another officer he must've gotten just a few seconds prior stopped right as the doors clicked shut. They shouted and waved for the conductor to stop, but the train was already pulling off.

Steven had his head down and his back turned until the train roared it's way into the tunnel. He turned back around, still keeping the hood on his head.

The train screeched along the tracks and then there was the muffling sound as the train rode deeper and faster into the tunnel. The cart shook along the tracks.

Steven looked up to read the stops above the door. The screen displayed a read dot reaching the next destination point. **_McPeary Circle._**

_Doors will open on left side of the cart_The train pulled up to the platform moments later. "Wow, look at all these cops here." said one lady. "Something must've just happened." another lady answered her. She was bouncing a little girl on her lap and Steven quickly turned away. _Stand clear. Doors opening._The doors opened slightly before closing back. 

"Aye yo, what da-" he heard a guy and a few people spewing out their confusion as they came face to door on the train.

"Come ooooon man! I need to catch my bus! I don't have time for this!" said, what Steven assumed was a high schooler, on account of the uniform she had on. People continued to gripe until a _DING_ signaled through the train. Then a male voice came through the speaker.

"Uh.. attention everyone. I've just been informed that I cannot let anyone off of this train." More protests echoed through the train. "-ere's been a break in in the Mayor's Hall and the suspects were last seen here so.." there was a crackle in the speaker "sorry for the inconvenience, but.. I cannot let anyone off the train. Again, sorry for the inconvenience." more shouts and profanity down the train. 

"Yo, this is why I can't STAND taking the metro! Something is ALWAYS going on!" shouted the lady, still bouncing her daughter on her lap.

"They could at least open ONE door, know what I mean?" shouted another lady. "It's not like those burglars or whatever they are are gonna barge on in or whatever. We gotta go! Some people. have places. to go." she clapped.

"Exactly!" one other girl agreed.

Steven just stood by the door, looking at the police as they continued to tape up the DO NOT CROSS tape across a few parts of the platform. Some were talking amongst each other and others were looking around.

Then another bystander on the train had looked down to the other carts of the train. "Hold up! The doors are opening down there!" she shouted. Everyone else looked down. People seemed to be moving, but no one seemed to be getting off. Two cops squeezed in through the crowd. "Wait, I don't think they're letting anyone off though." said one guy. "Looks like they're just looking inside of the train." 

"Yo, come ooooon. I reaaaally don't have time for this!" one woman groaned out.

The people waited until three other policemen finally came to their cart. People tried getting out, but the officers pushed them back. "We can't let anyone leave just yet." said one guy.

"Why! Come on, man. We have to go!"

"Sorry, ma'am. But we have to check the train." said the second guy. 

More profanity was thrown around as the people stepped back to let the officers do their business. The doors closed back right behind them.

There was a crackle form one of the walkie talkie's. "We spotted one." it crackled. "Eastbound train! In the front by the conductor!" 

"Copy that." said the first officer into his walkie.

The doors opened again as the officers tried to squeeze out. Other people pushed by, pushing Steven further away from the door. _It's not even that flipping serious.._

A whopping total of TWO people exited the train and ran up the platform. Two other officers ran up to get them while the other three ran to the next cart.

There was a sudden crash to the front of the train and everyone fell back on the floor or forward on one another in the seats. "DAMN!" yelled out one lady. There was more yelling o the train.

"Da fuck was that?" one guy asked, getting up off the floor. Everyone looked at the front of the train, looking at everyone pulling on the sliding doors and squeezing out and running out the train. More policemen ran up to the front. 

The train jerked forward and started pulling off from the station. "Hold up, so we moving now? What just happened?!" asked one lady, frantic.

_This has them written all over it..._ Steven and the other people on the train watched as the policemen tried to get to the conductor. 

"Aye yo! Is that smoke! Yo, I ain't playin'!" one guy yelled out. They could see smoke out the windows of the train. The thick smog pouring from each side of the train, now blackening up the windows, obscuring their view of the stone walls of the tunnel. Everyone started screaming and shouting. The noise being two much for the kids and babies on the train. They started wailing at the top of their lungs. 

Steven closed his ears, anger building up that he would have to deal with that one day. He tried to focus on the next cart in front of them. The officers were still trying to open the door, until suddenly, there was an abrupt stop and everyone fell back again. They were stuck in the middle of the dark, cold, ominous tunnel. "Are we by the platform?" asked one older woman.

"Naw, I think we're still in the tunnel." one girl answered her.

"Oh hell naw! I need to get out of here!" yelled out one woman.

Steven continued staring at the next cart. He saw the police officers pull out their guns, aiming it where the conductor would be. They took their steps forward just as the door flung open. Black smoke escaped and bled through the train, covering the whole area in black. "Look what's happening up there!" one guy pointed to the front if the train.

Steven took a deep, shaky breath._Alright, I should leave out now..Here I go!_ He opened the exit door of the train. "Yo, what the hell you doing!" one guy yelled out. Steven took his time, stepping out the door, lifting his leg to the next cart. He threw his body over. One foot on each cart. He could see the connector keeping the carts together. He quickly threw his other leg over and opened the door. Smoke seeped out through the crack of the door as he entered the next cart. Shots were being fired and he yelped, cowering behind one of the seats. _This is just like last time.._ he thought. 

A few more shots were heard and screams echoed through the cart. Steven waited until there was a few seconds of silence. He turned around. He could hardly see in front of him. He walked slowly.. cautiously pass everyone hiding and up to the front. He tripped over someone. He gasped. "S, sorry!" no one answered him. _I hope that wasn't a dead b.._ He shook his head of the thought.

He got up, keeping his body down and close to the ground as he approached the open doors to the conductor's seat. Thick, black smoke poured out from the front and into Steven's face. He gagged and pulled the jacket up to his face. He could still smell the smoke and he gagged and coughed inside of his jacket. The irritants from the smoke of the engine started irritating his eyes. He squinted. Nobody was there. Just him and the gaping whole in the shattered out window in front of him. He slowly straightened up his body to a full stand. 

_Should I keep going? .. ..Man, I might as well. I'm already way in over my head.._ He slowly lifted his foot over the opening of the window, trying to be as careful as he could to not press his hands over the shattered pane of lamanted glass. He slowly eased out, tilting his body over to the other side. Slowly. Easily... And without any support on the other end, he found himself losing his balance, trying to hang on, but still steadily slipping and cutting his bad hand in the process. His body swung down as he lost his grip, falling hard on the metal tracks of the train. "AHH!" he laid there for a few moments, feeling every nerve of his face throb from his cheekbone and down his arm. His shoulder shooting up pain throughout his whole left side. He grit his teeth, slowly pushing himself back up on his good arm and coughing from the smoke. Then he saw a figure laying beside him and he jumped. It was the conductor laying motionless on the ground. He scooted away from him and slowly got to his feet. Then he looked down the dark grey tunnel and thought he saw someone looking at him from a side path of the tunnel. 

He grunted through the pain, running towards it. The face disappeared from the wall. Steven was thinking about calling out to her, but decided against it. Not wanting to draw attention to himself if there were any cops or any other robbers nearby.

He dashed down the narrow path and heard some crackling and more screaming from the train behind him. He picked up his pace. The pastel jumpsuit now just a tad bit visible, the smoke not reaching down the path just yet. She darted left in a snap, running further down another path. He started losing momentum. He could feel his lungs and his legs screaming. He gasped for air, jogging to a stop. The smoke, on top of him being extremely out of shape was a horrible combination. He dropped his hands to his knees, heaving a few more times as he tried to get more air into his lungs. Then he felt eyes on him.. and something told him to look up.

The figure was halfway down the hall. Steven leaned back up slowly, still deep breathing. He walked across the vacant, broken tracks toward her. 

The figure disappeared behind the wall again and he picked up his pace, _only slightly._ He was slowly approaching the wall to the other side path.. and with each step, he couldn't help but feel like something bad was going to happen.. He tried to walk a bit more quietly, across the metal paneling. The air of the tunnel seemed to chill, sending shivers down his spine. _Don't worry Universe. You got this.._ He was just two steps from the wall and he could faintly make out a shadow on the ground. He swallowed. _You got this.. _ he took two more steps and turned. _You got-_

"WHY!" he screamed and fell back, hitting his arm on the cold, metal track. "ARE YOU FOLLOWING ME!!" he winced in pain. 

The figure stood above him. Back straight and her slim, muscular shoulders squared back. Her light blue eyes glaring right at him.

"What?" he struggled through the pain in his lungs and his arm and the whole rest of his waist on down. "You.. You were following _ME."_

"WHAT are you talking about.." she growled out. She held her hand to the throat of her jumpsuit, speaking through the voice box on it.

Steven got up slowly and took a few steps back, trying to keep his distance. "YOU. You were in front of me and my girl's apartment! I, I saw you!"

She took a few steps toward him and he almost tripped over the tracks behind him as he tried to keep the distance between them. His back hit the wall and she stepped up to his face. "Look, kid. I don't know what game you're trying to play here. But." she tapped his chest hard with every word. "it's. not. working. on.me."

He winced every time her bony index finger hit him in the sternum. _Damn, why is her fingers so damn hard?!_ "I'm not playing any games. I really did see you." he looked into her eyes. Her eyes were searching his. She stayed close to him for a few moments before slowly stepping back. "Just beat it kid." her voice was as bitter and cold as ever.

"I'm not going anywhere, until I get an explanation." then a beat later. "And STOP calling me a kid. I'm NOT a kid." 

She grabbed him by his shirt and pushed him up and into the wall. His feet dangled in the air. _Why is she so strong?!?!_ Her face was so close he could feel her breath on his cheek. "You want an explanation?" she whispered lowly. "What happened last night SHOULDN'T had happened. It. Was just." she tugged him forward before throwing him back against the wall with every word. "One. Huge. Mistake." he flinched, grunting. She looked at him in his eyes again. "We didn't need you then and we damn sure don't need you now. So just. _leave._ And stay out of everyone's business." she let go of him and he fell to the ground.

"I.. don't know what you're talking about. I'm confused. I,.. what? I never said you needed me. I just want to know why you were in front of where I live! You had to had been stalking me!"

He could see her eyes grow wide behind her skin mask at his statement. "I AM NOT A STALKER!" she punched him in the face and he fell down to the ground. He could hear heavy, shallow breathing coming from her. Her fists clenched tightly.

He lifted his body up, looking up at her. "What is..What was that for? I.." he slid away from her before slowly getting to his feet. She put her arm around her back to get something. Steven took a few steps back. "I just want to know why-" in one motion she took a small gadget that quickly snapped vertically into a spear. She aimed it right at him. "Listen up. And listen _good_ because I WON'T be repeating myself." She took her steps towards him and he took his steps back. She put her hand up to her jumpsuit. "I have NO idea. what you're talking. about. Now stop. following me. Avoid us at EVERY cost. And keep going. about your simple life." 

"But-"

"Now LEAVE! While you still have a heartbeat." she aimed the spear at his chest.

There was a loud explosion that echoed from the subway track behind them. The ground started to shake as rubble and bits of stone started crumbling down on them. "Oh shit. Now look what you did. You made me late." she flipped her spear in a 360 clockwise motion and it went back into its compact cylinder. She put it in the back part of her belt and fled, running fast and away as another explosion erupted from the track. 

Steven got up and watched her as she effortlessly dodged every debris and jumped across the tracks with such graceful, agile speed. He tried to follow her up the tracks. Another explosion and sirens were heard behind him. He watched as she looked back at him, then turned and did a running jump of the wall, to the other wall, bouncing off of that one and grabbing on to something in the ceiling. She pulled herself through and disappeared. _Huh?..Some kind of secret entrance?_

Once he finally made it roughly to the area he thought she'd pulled herself from, he searched the ceiling. Nothing. Everything looked the same. The cracks and jagged stone just blended in together. 

He heard a rumbling sound and looked back. The tunnel started caving in and he panicked, running down the track, hoping there was some kind of opening. 

Dirt and debris blew pass him as the tunnel caved in closer towards him. He tried to pick up the pace, but he was just so tired.. He berated himself for being so freakin' unhealthy..

He managed to jog for a few more feet when he saw the entrance of the next platform. Now hopeful, he plowed through the tightness in his chest and jogged the rest of the way. He jumped up to the edge of the platform and heard a lady scream. "Someone's coming from the tracks!" Onlookers watched on as he tried so desperately to pull himself up. He lifted himself slowly, his belly sliding on the cold, dirty floor as he strained to slide his legs on to the platform. He gasped for breath, laying on the filthy floor for a few moments. Then he got up and half wobbled half jogged up the escalator just as policemen started coming down the escalators in groups on the other side. 

He came up to the turnstile. _Oh crap.. That's right.. No pass.. Welp.._

"HEY!" a slim, short lady ran out the office. "POLICE!!" she called out. Steven ran up the next escalator and out the arch opening of the subway. He cut down the nearest alley and down the street back down towards where he assumed the lady had possibly got out from. More police cars, and now ambulances and firetrucks roared on by. Steven had to take a break.. His lungs and his WHOLE body couldn't bare any more running.. He wobbled to another alleyway and leaned back on the wall. His eyes closed as he tried to catch his breath. Deep breaths. In. And out.. In...Aand out.. He tried to relax his body and-_SMACK_ he felt the side of his face get hit with something hard and he fell to the ground. It took him awhile to get his bearings together as he blearily looked up at the woman above him. "Wh, wha?" he mumbled out.

"I TOLD you not to follow me!"

"I.. I didn't know you were ..Right here.. I was just trying to..Get some rest and lay low." he wheezed out.

"Pathetic liar." she spat out through her voice box. She put the canister of her spear away back on her belt. Then she held two fingers to one ear. "Yeah, what?" she snapped. Then her whole demeanor changed. "OH! Amethyst. I'm sorry! I, I, didn't mean to shout, I.. uh huh. Yeah, well I." He watched her walk away from him. Her fingers still pressing something into her ear. "Yeah I.. Yeah and.. Well yeah, you know I." she sighed. "Amethyst, if you would please just let me explain. I was underground the whole time. I got distracted and. I.." she listened to the girl fussing at her on the other end. "Okay.." was all she said. She dropped her hand down and turned to Steven. "Good going, punk! You got me in some SERIOUS trouble!" she yelled.

"I didn't mean to! I just got caught up in.. whatever you all were doing!" he held his hands up, still on the ground. _Why did he have to follow her.. Him trying to protect his property and Connie again.._

"Shut it.._Kid._" she mocked. She walked pass him and stood just behind the wall of the alleyway. A white van drove up and reversed into the alley. The back doors flew open. "Get your ass in-!" Then she quickly held her hand to her jumpsuit. "Ah, oh dude!" she looked at Steven slowly getting back to his feet. Blood trickled from his eye from the last blow. Pearl got in the truck and sat down with her hands in her lap, not making any eye contact with Amethyst. 

Steven just looked at the woman in the purple jumpsuit laying casually on the floor of the van. Random old, crumpled up paper laid scattered across the flooring.

"Wow, that's one nasty gash, bro." she chuckled. "Aye, you know what. Why don't you come in?" she beckoned him with her hand. Pearl's eyes widened behind her ski mask, but she still didn't look up at Amethyst. Her eyes quickly went back to looking sad. 

Steven followed orders. It felt like his brain was on autopilot as he felt himself going towards the van. "Come on! Hurry up! We're on a tight schedule! And on an even _tighter_ schedule thanks to this eff up here." she gestured at Pearl. The lady sunk in even more.

_This is so stupid! I'm.. I'm actually getting into the van!!... But, but what would she had done to me if I hadn't?_ He jumped in, sliding his stomach across the floor of the truck and pulled himself up. Amethyst stepped over him, closing and locking the doors back. "Floor it, Garnet!" she yelled to the front.


	12. Well..*truck* it then..

The truck sped off and Steven fell forward. Amethyst laughed. "Pathetic." 

Steven pushed his self up on his arms and pushed his back to the wall and tried to hold on to the floor.

"Bueno. ¿Cómo andas, che?" (Well. What's up, dude?")

"Uh.."

"Oh. Yeah." Amethyst chuckled. "Almost forgot who I was talking to." she nudged Pearl. She still didn't make eye contact and made little movement. Amethyst turned back to him. "I said 'what's up'?" she said through the voice box on her jumpsuit.

The throbbing in his eye and the loud sirens outside made it hard for him to think properly. "Uh.. nothing?.. I guess?"

"Alright, cool. So, how are ya? How ya feelin'?" she stared at him.

"Uh.. I'm doing fine.."

"You sure about that? You got a little somethin' right there?" she teased, pointing to the bottom of her eye.

Steven shot Pearl a nasty glare.

Amethyst followed his gaze. "Oh yeah." she snorted. "I should've known it was from her. Pearl here can sure pack a wallop." she nudged her again. This earned a subtle smile from the slender woman and she only lifted her head up slightly. "Yeah, Pearl is the best at using that spear. Heck, swords too!" she swung her arm around like she was swinging an imaginary sword. "Man, how did you even find her in the first place?" 

"I.. followed her."

Amethyst burst out laughing. "What? You. Followed Pearl?" she looked at her. "Wow, you really are slipping. You actually had someone follow you."

She scratched the back of her neck, looking up at her. She brought her hand up to her jumpsuit. "Amethyst, I saw him coming when he landed on the tracks." she said softly. "I could've left earlier. I _could've_ made a quick gateway but.." she looked at him. "I just had some very choice words to say to him." 

"Yeah and look where that got us?" Pearl looked away again. "You weren't at your post and they got away. And now we have to go back to the shack to get that stupid, heavy cannon so we can blast them!" 

_CANNON?! BLAST THEM?!?! LIKE, TO SMITHEREENS?!?!_

"But, whatever. It's nothing we can do now." she leaned back. "So, why did ya follow Pearl here anyway?"

"She was stalking me." 

Amethyst looked at her.

"Amethyst, I really have no idea what he's talking about. I was not. stalking him."

_Of course she would continue to lie like that!_ "3400 block of Empire. On Viewpark street. I saw YOU in front of the apartment complex!" he challenged her.

"Hold up." Amethyst said, confused. She looked at Pearl. "You mean where I dropped you off? That's by those section eight apartments. That was just a random drop off point. You managed to find his apartment?"

Pearl suppressed a groan. "I don't know Amethyst. I was never stalking him!"

"You were staring right at me! Right at the building!"

Then, from the facial expression of her eyes, it seemed like something dawned on her. She relaxed, tilting her head. "You mean that sign I was looking at?" she said with a touch of boredom in her voice.

"What sign?"

Pearl shook her head. "I was looking at a banner taped across one of the section 8 buildings. It was advertising the next wrestling match on the 27th."

"WHOAHO! YOU MEAN THEY'RE STILL CONTINUING WITH THE PROGRAM?!" Amethyst shouted her enthusiasm.

"Yup. Apparently so. According to the banner."

"Yayaayee!!!" she cheered, pumping her arms up in the air. 

Steven just looked at the two.

"Welp, looks like she wasn't stalking you after all, dude. Was just one big 'ole cowinkidink."

_I don't remember seeing a sign up there when Connie and I went in the building.._ "Oh.. Okay." was all he said. He still didn't trust or believe her. Especially with how she'd treated him up to this point.

They just stared at him and he looked away.. _What do they want from me?.._

"Che, Pearl. ¿Creés que podría ser un gran activo para el equipo?" (Hey, Pearl. Think he could be a huge asset to the team?) _Are they.. talking about me?_

She scoffed. "¿Un mocoso sin espinas como él? (A spineless brat like him?) she gestured at the boy. "No lo creo." (I don't think so.) _Yeah, they're definitely talking about me..Oh crap! What if they're planning to take out one of my organs and sell it!?! This is just like in the movies!!!!_

"¡Por eso lo entrenamos!" (That's why we train him!)

"No se sober eso, Amatista.." (I don't know about this Amethyst..). she rubbed at her arm.

Amethyst leaned her head back. "¡Cheee, G! ¿Que pensás sos? ¿Creés que haría bien en este grupo?" (Heeey, G! What do you think? You think he would do good in this group?)

"No estoy seguro. Quizás necesitamos verlo más en acción. Auuuunque _intentó_ ayudarnos anoche. Eso podría ir por algo." (I'm not sure. Perhaps we need to see him more in action. Thoouuugh he _did_ try to help us last night. That could go for something.) She turned down a side street, avoiding a group of police cars all in a line. "Y también él siguió a Pearl Y se subió al auto, a pesar de ser golpeado." (And he also followed Pearl AND got in the car, despite of being beat up.)

"Hmmm. Tal cual.. Tal vez él es más que un chico lindo, después de todo. Tal vez él _tenés_ agallas y como solían decir en el día "moxie". " (Hmmm, good point. Maybe he's more than just a pretty boy, after all. Maybe he _does_ have guts and what they used to say back in the day "moxie".) she looked at him. "o tal vez él es solo un idiota." (or maybe he's just an idiot.) __

_ 'Idiota' ?? That sounds like idiot.. Did she just call me an idiot?? UHG!!! Why didn't I pay more attention in Spanish class?!? _

"Sigo pensando que es una mala idea, Amatista.." (I still think this is a bad idea, Amethyst.)

"Bueno, Perla. No tenés poder sobre el asunto." (Well, Pearl. You don't have a say in it.) she snapped back. "No estamos aquí para hacer amigos. Estamos aquí para reclutar. Y SOS debes dejar..lo que sea que estás haciendo. Mira, hasta ahora, los tipos que hemos estado vigilando durante los últimos días no parecen tener la fuerza de voluntad y la terquedad de este tipo. Y honestamente, ese es el tipo que necesitamos y tan crédulo como es, podemos moldearlo fácilmente en algo mejor." (We're not here to make friends. We're here to recruit. And YOU need to stop..whatever this thing is you're doing. Look, so far, the guys we've been keeping an eye on for the passed few days doesn't seem to have this guy's willpower and stubbornness. And honestly, that's just the guy we need and as gullible as he is, we can easily mold him into something better.)

Pearl only turned away, crossing her arms.

Amethyst ignored her, turning back to Steven with a confident, sinister smile.

He stared back at her. _What was that conversation about?!.._

"Hey." she started. "Would you risk a life just to get what you wanted?"

_What.. kind of question was that?_ "You mean like.. actually.. taking someone's life?"

She nodded. That evil smile growing deeper.

He swallowed. "N, no.. That's wrong.." he whispered.

"So you say." that creepy grin was still on her face.

He didn't say anything else back to her.

Amethyst continued to stare at him..

And he continued to stare at her.

And she stared back..

And he stared back.

And the stare lingered on, then went to a half lidded, sinister stare.

And Steven's stare was beginning to waver.. _What is she going.._

"You're a cutie, ya know that?" she said casually. She sported her famous smug look.

"Oh.." he was shocked at the random compliment. He looked away blushing.. "Thank..you?"

"BUT, we're not here just for looks." she got up. "Perla. Vas a echarlo de la furgoneta." (Pearl. You're gonna throw him out the van.) 

"Huh, what do you mean?" he looked at the both of them. "What did you say to her just now?!"

"We need someone with bronze as well. Not just looks." she walked pass him, with Pearl getting up in front of him. He looked up at her. "And well, you gave us your answer." Amethyst said behind them. She opened the back doors. "Pearl now!" 

Pearl lifted her leg and in a snap motion, roundhouse kicked him right in his neck. With the force of her kick, the motion of the truck and the slippery material of the inside of it, he slipped towards the back and slid halfway off the truck. He screamed. "I don't wanna die!" was what his instincts told him to shout out first. Amethyst closed one of the doors, Steven blocking the opening of the other door. "Who said you were going to die?" she grabbed the other door. "You might survive this. And if you do? Why, that might be another reason why you actually_ may_ be a good fit."

"What do you mean!" he shouted. The strands of his hair swept and bounced across his face from the air as he looked up at her crazy expression. He felt himself slipping as his hands squeaked along the slippery floor. His waist on down dangled off the truck.

"Wow, you can't read between the lines, can you?" Amethyst slowly pushed the door to a close, pushing Steven further and further down. His foot touched the ground and he almost lost Connie's flip flop. He pulled his feet up as Garnet hit a speed bump. The truck popped up and landed hard back on the street and Steven slid down the corner of the truck. "See ya, bro!" Amethyst cackled and closed the door in his face. He moved his hands to prevent his fingers from getting crushed as he slid more, barely grabbing on to the side of the truck. He knees slipped from off the bumper and his feet hit the street, making him run way too fast for him to keep up and his feet dragged along the street before he pulled himself up, sliding his knees back on the edge and finding a resting position on the bumper. He had a safe hold for now _Crack_ the bumper cracked, giving in as it made a loud whining sound as it bent under his weight. He climbed up on the truck, his tip toes barely stepping on a piece of the corner of it. The bumper broke from one side, skidding and causing sparks along the street. 

Steven looked at the front of the truck to the side view mirror. He could see Amethyst now sitting in the passenger's seat.

.....

"HA! Look at that goof, Garnet. Dude is STILL holding on." she looked at him through the mirror. "See, this is what I'm talking about. He's gullible, he's stubborn, he has a lot of willpower AND he can take a lot of hits and he definitely knows how to grab and hold." she nodded, respecting his qualities. "Yeah, he's definitely someone who we need." 

"But you heard what he said." she turned down a side path onto a dirt road. A wooded area was just ahead of them.

"Neh. That was just him giving me an answer based on his core morals." She pulled a case of soda out from underneath of the chair. She took out one, then she picked up another one and raised it towards Garnet. The lady shook her head and she put the can back and slide the container back under the seat. She popped hers open. "Yeah, we can break him. Mold him into _our_ own moral beliefs." she drunk from the can and smacked her lips. "Yeah, all in time, Garnet. All in time." she looked into the sideview mirror at Steven again. She smiled at him, giving him a nod and a thumbs up.

............

The ride was twenty minutes too long for Steven. He felt exhausted and his muscles were strained.. But he didn't want to let go. And he didn't know why, but, he just didn't.. Maybe because of how they were treating him and he wanted to get to the bottom of it? He didn't know. But he just wanted.. something? Like they were alluring him somehow.. He couldn't get away from these three mysterious women. 

The van pulled up to a pristine, cemented platform that was just a few inches off the ground within the woods. The vehicle rolled across the gravel to a stop and he immediately let go, falling hard on the rough pebbles. He didn't care. He just had to rest his aching muscles.

He heard the two front doors of the truck open and close, then the sound of the two back doors opening. He opened his eyes. The three figures were just staring at him. He froze, not wanting to make any sudden movements. 

Then Amethyst spoke up through the voice box. "Hey, you manage to stay all in one piece. Buen trabajo." (Good job) she gave him a quick side smile before walking towards the platform. Garnet gave him a minute nod and walked away. And Pearl.. just stood there. Staring at him with such hatred in her eyes..

"Yo, P. Come on and help us with this thing." Amethyst called from the side of the platform.

Pearl's glare lingered on him for some time before slowly walking away from him. Once she was halfway away from him, she turned around and met the two women at the side.

Steven got up and stood there. He watched as Garnet stepped on something on the ground. A long pool stemmed from the ground. On top of it was a silver tablet looking object. She typed something in it and the tablet lifted up. She looked into it and it scanned her eyes. The other two did the same and the small, cemented flooring rose up to six feet. Garnet typed in another code in the door and it slide open. She opened her arm in a "after you" pose and Amethyst entered first, then Pearl. Garnet looked back at Steven. Her expression covered by the mask. She nodded and walked through the door, bending her head to not hit the top of it.

_Was that.. some kind of invitation to .. follow them?_ He took a few cautious steps toward the door and noticed that the door was getting smaller.. No, it wasn't the door. It was the actual building. It was going back into the ground! _Should I go or not?!.. Should I go or not?!_

He dashed to the door, jumping down and through it. His feet barely making it pass the threshold as the top of the cement made contact with the ground again. He fell a few feet, falling hard onto the floor.. _How many times was he going to fall today?!_

He got up, taking in his action movie-like surroundings. That's how he saw it as. It was like being in one of those top secret buildings that only certified agents could get into. 

The walls and the ceilings were bright white and the floors were a shiny silver. Steven could see his reflection off of it. And on the floor were silver tables laid strategically about the room. Weapons of all kinds laid across them. And on the white walls were even more different style weapons. And he also noticed that, on each wall, there was a door. One purple, one a mixture of yellow, blue, pink and white and the other, a more darker purple and the other one, pink. 

The one that was pink opened up and the three women were carrying.. _AN ACTUAL CANNON!!! AN ACTUAL, SHINY, SPARKLY, PINK, GEM STUDDED CANNON!!_ Steven couldn't believe his eyes.

"Yup." Amethyst strained out. "This baby should definitely do it." 

Steven just stood there, awestruck.. _or dumbstruck._ He watched as the ladies walked pass him and went back to the door. "Yo dude. Come over here." 

He took his slow steps towards them. "Hold that side." she gestured at Garnet. The tall woman let go and Steven numbly took the other end. He watched as she put in a code and then the floor started shaking. Then with a slight jump, it started sliding up smoothly. Light from the sun seeped in, brightening up the room even more as he looked over his shoulder at the light reflecting off the weapons. He looked back and caught a glimpse of Pearl glaring at him. He looked away and looked down at his hands holding on to the base of the cannon.

The floor halted. Garnet went back over and Steven moved out the way so she could grab the cannon. "Alright ladies." Amethyst said as she stepped out the door. "We're going to try and make this as fast as possible. Garnet, you have the model number for the Red Eye, right?" 

"Yes. I managed to put them in the system. We have them tracked down." 

"Great! That's what I like to hear." they walked to the back of the van. "So we find them, hit them with 'ole reliable here and-Uh, hey dude. Open the door up, will ya?"

Again, he couldn't believe himself actually doing everything that she was telling him.. He opened the back doors and the three hauled and pushed the cannon into the truck, pushing and crinkling up the scattered papers. Amethyst and Pearl hopped in. They started strapping the cannon down in place. "So, you coming in or what?" Amethyst asked Steven.

Garnet put the key in the ignition and turned the van on.

_But didn't you just try to throw me out the vehicle earlier?_ He just figured he would have to hold on to the van again like some action movie stud.

"Hey, promise I won't throw you out the vehicle." then a beat later. _"Today."_

He took what she said for what it was and just got in the van with him. "Ceirta la puerta."

"Huh?"

"Close the doors." she gesture with her chin as she put in the last straps across the cannon.

Steven closed the doors.

"Alright, everyone's in. Let's go, Garnet."

She put the gearshift in drive and pressed on the gas, the truck sputtering on the rocks and driving down the wooded area.

"So G. Are they far? Heck, all this time, I would assume they would already be on the highway to either Northern VA or South of PA." she had her hand on the base of the cannon.

"The GPS is tracking now." said Garnet looking at the screen in front of her. "Here we go." she watched as the red dot blinked on the screen of one of the highways just reaching the district line. "Good news. They're not too far." 

"Nice." 

"I'm going to head off 895 West to see if I can catch them at the ramp. Looks like they're trying to head south to West VA."

"West VA? So they're not even trying to take it to their main base? Weird.. But whatever. Let's get 'em!" 

Steven sat there on the side, by the doors, just listening to them talk the rest in Spanish. He really did wish he hadn't ignored all of his Spanish classes..

The whole truck ride was tense but yet.. still and eerily tranquil at the same time. Like the calm before the storm.. And with that, he was on edge, worrying what was going to happen once they reached their target's destination.

Just ten minutes on the highway and they were hit with traffic. Police cars and helicopters surrounded the area. 

"Ah, they're they go. Our intended audience." said Amethyst, listening to the sirens and whirls outside of the truck.

"Yeah, I was almost getting worried they wouldn't come." Pearl joked. 

"And they're right on time too." said Garnet through the voice box. "Because there's the errant helicopter up ahead." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way, just to clarify up any confusion, only Amethyst is the Hispanic one. Pearl and Garnet had to learn Spanish from her.


	13. Laser Light Cannon

"Okay, hold on you three." she turned in the shoulder lane and pressed down harder on the gas pedal. The wheels thumped and sputtered along the rumble strips.

"Looks like the money from these gems that we'll take back from them will have to be put to new tires." said Amethyst. Then the truck rocked and bumped up. "And maybe a wheel alignment and an axel.."

Garnet squeezed through the police cars and the pedestrian cars, twisting the steering wheel left and right and moving the truck from lane to shoulder lane, back and forth as she tried to avoid the other police vehicles on the shoulder lane.

A few police cars drove off, following them. "Alright. Looks like we have a few brave ones following us." said Garnet. She made her way, shooting down the highway at a ridiculous speed. "Amethyst. Red Eye, nine o'clock." 

Amethyst got to her feet. "Pearl?" the woman got up, a serious look in her eyes. She punched a small red button on the side of the truck and the ceiling started sliding out, revealing the blue sky now mixed with a hue of orange and yellow. She crouched down by Amethyst. They struggled a bit, barely lifting the cannon up.

"Alright Garnet." Amethyst grunted. "The cannon's up."

"We have to wait a few moments. They're hovering above the intersection. They know we're here.." she turned down into a lane. Cars honked at her from all sides as she continued to bob and weave in and out the lanes. 

"Okay, once I turn down this ramp, we should get a clear shot of them." she turned down one lane and was stopped by a police car as she was trying to go down the other lane. 

"Haaaaa, they're in the way." she hissed out. She rolled down the window and took out a pistol, shooting at the cop's window. The vehicle pulled back a bit and Garnet quickly went in front of him just as the vehicle started to slide back up, the car hitting the back of the van and sending them on a tail spin.

Steven tried hard to not scream and to keep everything down in his stomach. Honks and screeches and a few crashes were heard outside of the dull, grey walls of the truck.

Pearl and Amethyst held on to the cannon as the car completed it's spin. A truck was coming towards them and Garnet quickly put the car in reverse, hitting a few cars, both police and pedestrian vehicles. Then she pulled back the emergency break and hit the shift into drive, making a sharp U-turn and driving back down the lane. "Everyone good back there?"

There was the sound of something wet splattering in the truck. "Aw, sick dude." said Amethyst. "Yeah, we're fine back here Garnet. But Pillsbury Doughboy here ralphed all over the floor." 

"Well, guess you two will have to ignore the mess for the time being." she floored it. "Our targets are approaching now. We missed the ramp, but I managed to catch the 2A exit. That took us closer than expected." 

"Alright, Garnet. Just tell us when. Remember, we only have one shot." said Amethyst. She and Pearl got into position again. 

"Aaaalmost.. theeerre.." Garnet crossed another lane. Steven looked up, trying to see what they were looking at. And there it was. A huge, red helicopter with yellow tinted windows. White and black stripes lined across the red coloring.

"Okay you two!" he heard Garnet. "Here's your shot." she kept the truck running just below the helicopter.

One of the windows went down and a gun was pointed out. "We gotta do it now! We gotta do it now! Amethyst ordered. She tried balancing the cannon on her shoulder as she lit the cannon with a lighter. Then she went back to holding the cannon with both arms. 

"Try to be quick. We're about to reach uneven ground." said Garnet.

Amethyst looked at the fuse. It was almost reaching it's end point. "Just a little longer." she told Garnet. 

Garnet proceeded. Quickly hitting the uneven ground she'd warned them about. The trucks bounced and rocked and the two strained to keep the cannon up. The fuse reached it's base. "Alright, here we go." said Amethyst. The cannon lit up just as a piece of the base fell.The screw popping and rolling to Steven's foot. The cannon slid down more, now facing the front of the truck. "Oh crap! Oh crap! Oh crap! Push the cannon up!" Amethyst tried to push the weapon up and Pearl did the same.

_I definitely have to do something now! Before we ALL get it!_ He wobbled up to them. 

"What's the hold up, guys?" Shells smashed the window shield, some leaving dents and cracks in the window. The shots stopped just as they were approaching the back of the truck.

"Stupid cannon fell down more." said Amethyst.

Steven squeezed between the two, straining to push the heavy cannon up. _What are these things made out of?!_ He was starting to lose his breath as the cannon moved upwards. Smoke started coming from it. The cannon feeling hot to the touch.

And with a loud crackling boom in his ears, a flash of pink liquid shot out of the cannon, beaming right into the helicopter. 

"We got 'em!" Garnet cheered at the front. "Alright, now we just have to give them a warm welcome." she increased the speed as the cannon shot out the last bit of power into the helicopter. 

Steven collapsed just beside the cannon and Amethyst and Pearl kept their crouched position as they relaxed their muscles for a few moments. With nobody holding it up, the cannon slid all the way down.

The Red Eye was engulfed with smoke as it came crashing towards the ground. Garnet followed the trail down from the sky. She approached a wheat field, driving through the wheat.

There was a loud crash in front of them. Garnet searched the area, eventually finding the drag in trail in the ground. She followed it up to the helicopter. "We're here." she clicked the pistol and jumped out the car. Pearl and Amethyst left a tired Steven in the back of the truck as they jumped through the back doors. 

The helicopter was on its side. Small flames swirled around the front of it. A door was kicked open as a woman jumped out, wearing red clothes with white and black stripes on them. She held a gun out at Garnet. "Don't move." she coughed out. 

"We're coming to get our jewels back." Garnet grounded out through the voice box. She met the woman with her own gun.

"Then it seems that we have reached an impasse." 

Another woman got out the smoke filled helicopter. She was holding a black bag filled with the _stolen_ stolen jewels.

Pearl took her canister from her side and turned it 360 degrees counterclockwise, the spear sliding out with a _SHNG_. She threw it and it hit the first person wielding the gun, that said gun, falling out of her hands. She tried to take the spear out of her arm as Garnet picked the gun up. The second put the bag on the ground, drawing a dart gun out. "Hold it!" 

Amethyst ignored her, throwing her whip and smacking her in the face. 

Garnet put both guns away and took out her brass knuckles, sending her fists down towards the first lady on the ground.

......

Steven got up. After a few moments of resting his aching body, he had a bit more energy. Enough to get up and exit out the back doors. He looked pass the edge of the truck and saw the three women attacking one other woman. The other one, not moving. _Oh boy.. I really hope she's not.._

Pearl threw her bloody spear at the second woman, it grazed pass her head. The woman tumbled back.

Garnet swooped in, snatching the bag and quickly tying it to her belt. The woman shot at Garnet and she barely dodged the darts. Amethyst tackled her back, sending her down to the ground. "Get to the van!" she yelled. 

Garnet nodded and started running back to the van.

She ran passed Steven. "Is it.. is it over? I was going to help."_ Why did he blurt that out?!_

"No, we're done here." she said in a the voice box. She hopped in and drove the van forward. 

Steven jogged alongside the vehicle. "KID! Get back in the van!" Amethyst yelled out. The woman twisted within the whips Amethyst had wrapped her up in. The two fighting over the dart gun. 

"But you're still out here." 

"I said go!"

"DO what she tells you!" Pearl spat out as she run back to the truck. 

"But?-OW!" he looked at his side. A long dart gun was visible in his jacket. He pulled the needle out and looked up groggily. Amethyst punched the woman in her face, knocking her out cold. She took the dart gun out of her hand and looked up at Steven as he fell to his knees. "Oh great." she groaned. 

"I've been hi-" he couldn't finish his sentence. He fell face first on the ground. The pain shooting from his bad eye. And then. 

........

Steven woke up in the back of the van. He looked around blearily. Pearl was looking at an orange jewel. She had one of those jewelry monocle thingys that Steven saw in commercials or in movies. 

She was looking intently at the jewel, twisting her hand left and right, inspecting it. Then she turned to Amethyst. "This may go for mmm, two point five grand, give or take."

"Eh, more on the cheep side. But not _too_ bad."

Steven lifted his head up and Amethyst caught him trying to sit up. "Hey, dormilón. (Sleepyhead) Didja have a nice nap?"

He groaned, trying to stretch his muscles in his back and arms.

"I take that as a nope." she chuckled.

"What.. what happened?"

"Got hit with a tranquilizer gun."

"What?!"

"Told you to listen to her." said Pearl. She let go of the button on her jumpsuit and put the orange gem back in the black bag.

He turned to Amethyst. "But you-"

"Pearl is right. You should've just listened. I had her under control. Heck, we had everything under control really. Even down to that cannon "falling" down on us." 

Steven leaned back. An expression of 'say whaaaat?' on his face. 

"Yup. It was just a test." 

He felt himself getting a bit miffed. "Why would you even joke around like that?"

"I already _told_ you. It was just a test. To see what you were going to do. Pearl and I could've easily pushed up the backup lever to hoist it back up. But I wanted to see what you were going to do."

"And if I hadn't done anything?"

"Then one of us would've pulled up the lever, dummy. Duhh." then she gestured at the cannon behind them. "We know how long it takes for that baby to fire out. And we would've pulled up the lever a few seconds before it's "shoot off" point."

_Effin got me again.. Why do they play around so much? Is it.. only with me or is this some kind of sick, adrenaline thing they got going on?_

"Well you passed." said Amethyst. "That's something!" she encouraged him.

"Passed what? What are you?" he groaned into his hands. "What are you talking about? I've been so confused since last night when I bumped into you three! What game are you trying to play here?!" he whined.

Amethyst leaned back, her arms behind her head as she rested on them. She stayed there like that in silence, looking at him.

_Crap, what did I do now?! Maybe.. Maybe I should've worded that a certain way. Maybe I should've-"_

"I have a proposition for you." she said ever so casually. 

"...Huh?"

"How would you like to join our team?"

"What?!"

Pearl's eyes went wide, though she didn't say anything to her boss. 

"So, is that a yes or a no?" she went straight to the point.

"I.. I don't know.. I.." _Come on, Universe. You should be quick on your toes with this!_ "I.." _Well, it was something about these three ladies.. And he was still trying to find out what drew him to them.. But, wasn't what they were doing bad? He was face to face with three of the TOP robbers of ALL time.. And each time, they toyed with him.. Then he finally realized why he was drawn to them.. It was the mystery.. the thrill of it all..And even though they toyed and played with him both physically and mentally.. he.. well, kinda enjoyed it. It was kinda like how Connie would tease him before they would-Oh crap! That's right! Connie! Aw man, she definitely wouldn't like this.. This is the exact thing that she said she didn't want me to do.._ "I.." he sighed. "My girlfriend wouldn't like it and-"

"Aw man.. don't tell me you're some family man. You're one of those?" she growled out, annoyed.

"What?! NO! UH uh. HECK no. I'm not a family man! And I don't have any damn kids!" he snapped. Then he thought about that.. thing growing inside Connie.

"Whoa, cool it, bro. Didn't say you did.

Then he sighed again. Defeated. "I mean.. not yet." 

Amethyst nodded in understanding. "Ah, got a bun in the oven, do we now?"

Steven didn't say anything. Just his narrow eyed glare and a lip twitching.

"And? So? So what, you have a girl and a baby on the way. Who cares? You don't want to live that double agent life?"

"You three are agents?"

_But.. aren't they Crystal Gems?_

"Mmm, not necessarily agents. But eh, I like to think so." she winked at him.

_Unless.. she was joking.._

He gave her a blank stare.

Her smile dropped slightly. "Alright, alright. How about I do this." she took a piece of paper from the random piles of paper in the van. "Che, Garnet. Dame una pluma." (Hey, Garnet. Give me a pen) she held her hand up.

Garnet opened the glove compartment and took out a pen. She handed it to Amethyst and she began writing down something for a few moments. "Here." she handed the paper to Steven. 

He looked at the numbered coordinates on the paper, as well as the directions to get there. He looked back up at her.

"It's the directions to that old shack that we took you to earlier. You think about that proposition tonight. Think it over. And over again." how she was saying it made it seem like she was reeling him in that 'no' really wasn't an option.. "And you come meet us at the spot. At fifteen three zero"

Steven did the math. "Three.? Thirty..?"

"Yeah. And not a minute later. We're VERY serious about our time stamps." she cut her eye at Pearl. The woman was too busy looking at a silver jewel and a blue jewel in her hand to feel embarrassed by Amethyst's glare.

"So, we'll see you there." she said it more like a fact. _Like she can see the future.. Yeah, whatever_ "Okay.." he mumbled out. Then he had a worrying thought about possibly joining them. And he couldn't help that blunt question to come to mind. "Do you three.." he hesitated. "..ever fear that you will get caught one day?"

There was a conceited, dramatic raspy laugh from her. "You're funny." then she stopped her laughing, her voice more serious as she looked at him RIGHT in his eyes. "They'll_ never_ catch us." she hissed out, lowly. "Never have. Never. will." she leaned into him. "Ever." she whispered into his face. He stared at her.. And she stared at him...Then she gave him a peck on his chin and he jerked back, touching his chin in shock. She only cackled more. "Just wanted to see your reaction!" she laughed. "Wow, you're pretty animated, aren't you? You have a lot of raw emotion." she smiled coyly. "I like that."

He felt embarrassed. Her pulling that random stunt and talking to and flirting with him like that. He dropped his hand slowly from his face.

"HA! Look at him, Pearl. Turning red like a tomato." she cackled.

He looked away. 

And Pearl only slightly looked at him _in disgust_ before going back to the two jewels in her hands.

"You know." Amethyst leaned back again. "I think you'll bring a lot of fun to the team." she smiled at him.

He looked at her before looking at the piece of paper in his hands.

........

He looked at the piece of paper in his hands once more.

"Dude, what are you trying to do? Burn it into your retinas or something?" Amethyst joked.

"No." he mumbled.

The van pulled up at a vacant parking lot behind an old Jeepers building. "Alright, kid. This is as far as we're going. It's still a hot spot up by the Mayor's Hall and down to your house." said Amethyst. She opened the back doors for him and he got up. "See ya later." she said to him.

"See ya." then he looked back at Pearl. She never looked up, now looking at a blue gem in her hand.

"See you." he heard Garnet say.

"Yeah.. later." he jumped out the truck. 

"Your apartment's that way." she pointed to her left. "About five blocks down from here."

"O, okay.. Thanks." he gave her a small, awkward wave. 

She nodded and grabbed the door as she turned back "Aw, yuck. Freakin' stepped in his-" the door cut her off as it slammed shut.

The truck sped of moments later and Steven watched as it turned towards and pass him and out the parking lot. And he watched the truck as it disappeared down the street. The sun just barely shown over the horizon. 

He turned left and made is way down to the complex.


	14. Smash first then smash later

Steven found himself behind his apartment. He turned out the alley way to the front of the building. He looked up to see the sign, big as day on the building. **WRESTLMANIA!!! WEDNESDAY THE 27TH!! BE THERE!!**

_Mm.. so there really _was_ a sign on the building.._He walked through the main door and walked up the steps to the second floor, digging into his pocket for his keys. He flipped to the apartment key and put the key in the lock. He unlocked it and pushed open the door.

"STEVEN!!" Connie ran to him, tackling him into the wall as she hugged him. "WHERE WERE YOU!!" she yelled into his chest.

"Whoa, whoa, Connie. What happened?!" He rarely ever saw her this frantic unless it was something truly devastating.

She cried into his jacket, inaudible words as she tried to explain.

"Connie. Relax.. relax.." he rubbed her back. His head on hers.

She sniffled, trying to find the words without them being caught in her sobs. "I... I heard these huge explosions. And I checked the news and they were talking about the subway.. Then it was that accident all the way near West Virginia." she cried more. "I THOUGHT SOMETHING HAPPENED TO YOU! WHY DIDN'T YOU ANSWER YOUR PHONE!"

"Connie, I'm sorry!! I. I didn't hear it." he pulled out his phone. The screen was cracked up and the rest of the phone had huge, dents in it. He tried turning it on. It didn't work.

"What happened to your phone?!"

"It.. must've broke when I fell on it."

"You fell?" then she looked up at him. She gasped and touched his face. "Steven! Your face!"

"I'm fine, Connie." he gave her a gentle smile.

"Who did this?!"

"Eh." he shrugged. "Just one of those robbers that people keep talking about." 

"You mean the Crystal Gems?!"

"Yeah." he said matter of factly. He took her hands gently and genlty moved it from his face. "It was no big deal."

"No big deal?! Steven, those women have a track record. They are _very_ dangerous!"

"But I'm fine, Connie." he took a few steps to her left, going away from the wall and stood back. "See?" 

She looked at him and he struck a crouching hip hop-like pose. His arms crossed out in front of him and both of his hands making peace signs. That earned a sad chuckle from her. She sighed. So mentally tired. "I'm.. just glad you're alive." then she frowned. "Steven they.. they could've killed you. They're known for stuff like that. Just killing people who gets in their way." 

Steven slowly got up from the pose. Now that he thought about it, it did seem pretty weird. Excluding that Pearl character, Amethyst seemed.. interesting, but she didn't really seem like she wanted to kill him. Even with that whole "kicking him out the truck" thing. And then there was Garnet. And well. He didn't really interact with her as much. But she seemed to be the most level headed one out there.. _From what he could see so far.._

"Did they at least catch them this time?" she asked.

_"They'll never catch us." she hissed out, lowly. "Never have. Never. will." _ he remembered her saying to him. _"Ever."_ her words replaying in his mind. _Never have. Never will.. Ever... Ever... Ever.." _ "Nope." he shook his head. "They got away."

She groaned. "Of course they did.. Well, hopefully they'll catch them soon.. Now come on." she said softly. "Let me fix your eye up." she walked towards the bathroom. He kicked off the flip flops and followed her, taking in the delicious smell of dinner before he followed her into the bathroom.

She took out the first aid kit from the mirror cabinet and opened it. Steven maneuvered around, so he could be in front of the light and she caught a glimpse of his bandaged left ear. "Steven, what happened to your ear?"

"Huh? OH! I uh. Cut it with some scissors while trying to trim my hair up a bit."

"It must've been some bad cut. The blood seeped through the bandages." she grimaced. "Maybe I should change it." 

"No!" he moved his head, covering his ear. He didn't want her to see that the tip of his ear was completely gone. Although of course she would know _eventually._ But now? He didn't feel like dealing with the matter.. 

She looked at him, confused.

"Heheh, see, it's still pretty painful and uh, I.. just don't want to touch it, ya know?" 

"Yeah. Okay." then she looked at the two thick Band-Aids wrapped around his two fingers as well as the gash across is palm from the train. "You cut your fingers too? AND your hand?!"

"Yeahh, uh. I dropped the scissors and ended up grabbing the blade and cutting them. And the one on my palm... came from today."

"Ouch.." she grabbed his hand to look at the deep cut. "Aw, you poor thing. You're just getting all tore up aren't you?"

_You have no idea..._

"Alright, well let's get started." she moved his hand above the sink and opened the bottle of peroxide and poured it over his hand. He sucked in some air. The liquid fizzling in the cut. "Just two more times." said Connie. She poured a little bit of peroxide on his hand, waited for it to fizzle out and poured a little bit on his hand again. Then she set the peroxide down and turned the water on. She cupped the water in her hand and gently rinsed of the peroxide residue from around the cut and a part of his hand. Then she took a couple cotton balls and dabbed and dried off the hand before putting some cream along the cut. Then she wrapped up his hand. She looked up at him and picked up the peroxide. "Now just hold still." She clumped a few new cotton balls together and placed it on his face. She poured just a little onto the cut. He winced. "I know.. sorry, sorry." she whispered.

She poured a bit of peroxide on his cut two more times, then threw the damped cotton balls in the trash can. She put some cream on it, being gentle over the wound. Then she carefully placed a gauze over it with two pieces of medical tape. "There you go." she smiled at him. She was so close to him and he felt his cheeks get hot. She looked at him, then at his lips and blushed. 

And right then, he had the urge to kiss her, but remembered that whole... spinning around in the truck and him tossing his cookies in the van.. _Sigh.. but he wanted to kiss her so bad... Well, maybe if he just.._ He leaned in, giving her a very, very long kiss on her neck.

Then he leaned back and looked at those half lidded, beautiful, almond eyes of hers. "You know a.. simple thank you would've worked just fine." she breathed out with a smirk.

A huge smile came to his face. "Thank you!!" 

She laughed. "Alright, well. Let me just put everything up." she moved pass him, putting the supplies back. "And thankfully, I _did_ manage to cook dinner before I started losing my mind.." she put the kit back in the cabinet and closed the mirror. "I'll start setting up."

"Alright, I'll see you there. I'm just going to use the can." 

"Okay." she washed her hands and left out and Steven closed the door. He used the bathroom and also used that time to quickly brush his teeth and wash his face, being mindful of the bandage under his eye. He walked out feeling a bit more refreshed.

Connie was putting the last plate on the table. A plate full of sliced garlic bread. 

"Wow you went all out and made some garlic bread too?" he sat down at the table.

"Yeah, we head some leftover sweet bread. So I figured, why not? You can't have a proper spaghetti dinner without garlic bread." she sat down across from him.

They prayed over their food and began putting the food on their plate. Connie went for the string beans and Steven went straight for the garlic bread, taking three pieces. He took a huge bite out of one of them and then went for the bowl of spaghetti.

Connie chuckled. "The food isn't going anywhere, Steven."

"Hm?" he stop in the middle of scooping out another scoop of spaghetti, his cheeks full of garlic bread.

........

The two ate for a few minutes before Connie spoke up again. "So, I got a call today."

Steven choked on his spaghetti in mid swallow. His mind going straight to her talks with doctors about ..baby stuff.

"Are you okay?"

He coughed a bit and cleared his throat before swallowing the clump of food. "Down the wrong pipe." he told her. "So uh.. you got a call you said?"

Connie knew what he was thinking about and she was a bit upset at his reaction.. _Will he eventually come around like the doctor said?_ "No, I don't mean hospital calls." she could already see him calming down as he stuck his fork down in the spaghetti, twirling the noodle around on the fork. "I got a call from one of the managers I had an interview with at Best Prices. I have an interview this Wednesday!"

"That's great! That's REALLY great Connie!"

"I just reaaally hope I get this one. It would be great to hurry and get this job so we can start putting some money up."

"Yeah." Steven agreed. "But I kinda feel bad, ya'know?" 

She picked up the near empty bowl of greens and scooped some more onto her plate. "Why?"

"Well, because I'm not the one working. Just hoped that I would get a job first at least, so I could lessen some of the stress off of you." 

"Oh, Steven. You shouldn't have to worry about that. I don't mind it at all. And who knows, maybe you'll get a couple calls sometime this week. You _have_ been applying for jobs, right?

"Yeah." _Nope. I haven't even done a SINGLE one.. Not ONE application.. Heck, I barely talked to the managers at the job fair._

"Well, in time it'll come." she took a slice of garlic bread from the plate. "Just keep applying for jobs and keep up prayer."

"Of course." he lied. 

The two continued their talk, from talking about new seasons of t.v shows, to which ice cream bar was better. They finished their food and continued their nice talk for another fifteen, twenty minutes, laughing it up. 

Steven cleared the table, putting the dishes in the sink. He started washing them as Connie cleaned the table off. She put the dish towel back in the sink and went to the "living room" part of the studio.

He continued with the dishes until a very particular_ thought_ came across his mind..

But would she? 

She could be tired.. or simply wasn't in the mood. 

Buuut the sensual side of him was just like..Eh, I could tryyy~

Steven put the last dish in the dish holder. "Hey, Connie?"

"Hm?" she was closing the blinds. She turned around to see him make _that_ face. "You're making that face, Steven."

"What face?" he tried to play coy.

"That face you always make before you ask me."

"Ask you what? If you want to watch something on Nitphlicts?"

"More like Nitphlicts and chill." 

"Well, if you insiiist."

"I didn't." she tried to sound serious, but Steven could see right through her. Looking for any subtle cues. Her facial expressions, her eyes and.. the slight crack of a smile.

"Aaaalrighty then. Guess I'll just head to bed then?" He walked slowly to the bed as he took every piece of clothing off except for his boxers, placing the clothes just on the foot of the bed, all while giving her _the look._ He laid down on the bed. "Wow, these sheet are extremely comfy tonight. Did you do the laundry?"

"Those are the same sheets from this week, Steven."

"Really? Wow, you would've fooled me. Come here, see what I'm talking about." he wiggled his body over the sheets. "Wow, soooooo comfortable."

She could easily see through his little game. It was just so painfully obvious.. "Fiiiine." she couldn't hide that smile on her face. She laid down beside him on her side and rested her head on her hand.

"Comfy?" he asked her.

"It's the same."

"Really? Huh, that's odd.. How about this." he reached over and grabbed her shirt, lifting it up. 

"Steven." she pulled her shirt back down. 

_Abort! Abort! She pulled the shirt back down! ..But wait, I still see that smirk. Maybe she's just playing hard to get. Heh, okay._ "Oh wait. I, think I saw something on your collar bone."

"..Really?" she didn't believe him, but she still played along.

"Yeah, I think the shirt may need to come off for me to check." he scooted up closer to her and reached up just ever so casual and grabbed the bottom of her shirt, lifting it up. She didn't stop him this time and he took her shirt off. "Oh, nope. Looks like there's nothing there after all." he threw the shirt behind him. "Whoops, silly me."

"Sooo, I can't get my shirt back now?"

"Neh. Shirts are way too constricting. You want to be comfortable, right?" 

She didn't say anything and simply rolled her eyes. 

"Aaaaaand, here comes the bear hug." he wrapped his arms around her, hugging her. "Comfortable now?"

"A little bit, sure."

He leaned down, kissing her passionately. He broke away. "How about now?" 

She was left breathless.

_Aaand there we go._

He placed a hand right behind her bra. 


	15. Cheeseburger Backpack

Steven woke up with Connie's arm around his bare chest. He moved slightly and pain hit him at various points of his body. Yup, he was definitely feeling the injuries from the train station.. aaand that hit that Pearl did.. _aaaand_ that stunt that Amethyst pulled with the truck.. He suppressed a groan, scooting off the bed slowly and easily, not wanting to wake up Connie and he went to the bathroom. Then he went into the kitchen and opened the fridge. He moved a few things out of the way, to get to a water bottle, trying to be quiet.

Connie started to stir awake. She leaned her head off the pillow, her eyes still nearly closed. 

"Sorry, did I wake you?"

"Mmmm, no." she leaned up. "You didn't." she got up and went to the dresser and picked up a few toiletries. "Alright, I'm about to take my shower." she walked over to the bathroom.

"Okay." Steven drunk some more of his water as he took a quick peek at her bare chest right before she entered the bathroom.

He heard the bathroom door click close. He sat there in the kitchen, taking in the.. eerie atmosphere of the room. Something just didn't feel right all of a sudden. He looked up at the clock. _7:52a.m._ The thought of having to leave later made him very uneasy.. He put the water bottle back in the fridge and walked towards the dresser, getting his stuff ready for his shower. He pulled open a drawer.

_KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK._ He turned his head to the door. "Now who could that be?" he whispered to himself. He heard footsteps dart from the door as he approached it. He stopped.. _What if this is a set up?_ Why did he even feel that it was a setup anyway? He shook his head of the thought and unlocked the door. He opened it slowly to see.. a brown package in front of him. He looked down the hall. Nobody was there. He crouched and read the writing on it. "For me?" Then relief washed over him. "Hey Connie." he giggled. "Did you buy this for me? You know I don't really collect these novelty bags anymore." there was the sound of rushing water from the shower. 

He lifted the box up and closed the door with his foot. Then he leaned the box on the wall and locked the door before putting the box on the dining room table. He opened the box up. There was a Cheeseburger backpack inside. "Oh cool. I don't have this one." he picked up the bag. "Huh?" there was a note in the box. He placed the bag on the table and opened the letter and read the words written in glittery, purple ink.

_Here's a little bit a somethin' somethin' for "helping" us those two times. Perhaps this'll make you reconsider._

"Pfft.. Did they have to put the word in quotes?" he put the letter back in the box and unzipped whatever zipper he grabbed first. He chose the cheese side. Nothing was in it. He unzipped the pickles side, then the hamburger side, then then both buns. Nothing. "Is this some kind of joke?" then he unzipped the lettuce side. _WHAT!?!?!?_ Stacks of fifties were stuffed deep in the bag.._How much is this?!?!_ He just grabbed a handful and started counting._$50, $100, $150, $200, $250, $300, $350, 400, $450, $500, $550, $600, six fi-_

He heard the shower water turn off and he quickly threw the cash back in the bag. Then he threw the bag in the box and quickly pushed the box under the bed. He ran to the dresser, pretending that he was looking for something.

The door opened and Connie walked out wearing just her under clothes. Her wet hair sticking to her skin. She saw his underclothes everywhere on the dresser. "What are you looking for?"

"Uh, just looking for my favorite purple briefs. They're pretty comfortable."

"You wore them already." she put the toiletries back on the dresser.

"I did?" he tried to play dumb. "Oh yeah! I did! I remember now." he picked up another pair of briefs and put everything back in the drawer. 

Connie walked to the bed and started putting on the clothes she'd laid out on it.

_Fewf, that was close._

.........

By the time Steven was finished in the shower, Connie was done making breakfast.

Steven just threw on a short sleeved shirt and met her in the kitchen. "Ah, there's nothing like a nice breakfast from an amazing cook." he complimented. 

"I don't know why you keep saying that." she smiled. "You cook way better than me." she placed the pancakes on the two plates, then scooped the eggs beside them. She brought the plates to the table while Steven rinsed off the utensils and went to grab the syrup bottles.

They sat down, prayed over their food and started eating.

"So, any plans today?" Connie asked.

Steven poured some syrup over his pancakes and eggs, thinking about his little get together that he may or may not be apart of later on.. "Nothing really." he told her instead. "I might just relax here or, I don't know. Hang out with the guys or something."

"Uh oh.. The guys? Is Jeff in town too?"

"He is, but I'm not hanging out with him today. Or any time soon really."

"What, you two had a fall out?" she poked a few pieces of her pancakes onto the fork and ate them.

"No, he's just trying to lay low for a bit. Some stuff happened with a bad batch of drugs and then there was this he say she say crap and yeah, to make the long story short, he wants to lay low for a couple of weeks until everything dies down."

Connie sighed. "See Steven? That's the exact kind of stuff that I'm talking about. Laying low, ducking people and stuff. I just don't want that for our growing family." his stomach tightened at the last two words. ".. it's not a good way to live."

Bits of his conversation with Amethyst echoed through his mind. _Che, you got this all wrong. This IS the life. You can live like a king and your girl can live like a queen and your kid can live like a prince or princess. Heck, you don't even have to deal with 'em. You can hire nannies and maids, around the clock. Dude, this kind of job can get you to places that people always dreamed of, what they desire. I'm talking rolling in dough, jewelry, fancy cars, travelling all around the world and MORE. I'm telling you, man. LOVE the high life, LIVE the fast life! LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST!! No. Regrets."_ "Mhm." he nodded numbly. He took a nervous bite out of his syrupy eggs. He swallowed hard and nearly choked. 

Connie just looked at him. Cocking her head to the side. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. What, why?"

"You just seem.. tense today, is all."

"Connie, after last night, tense is far from what I'm feeling."

She blushed.

_Fewf, that was another close call.._

_ "Anyway."_ she said through her blush. "Whatever you plan on doing today, just be sure to stay out of trouble, please?" she finished off the rest of her pancakes.

"Of course. I wouldn't want to see it any other way." he swallowed.

............

The next few hours went by relatively quick. The two just laying in bed and watching more of season one of Laughing Dinner Enemies and cuddling under the _fresh laundered_ blankets. 

Steven moved his head slightly off Connie's hair to look up at the clock. _1:38p.m._ If he were to actually meet them at the shack, he should leave out now. But should he go? Connie was right about living this kind of life.. and then working with people like them?.. .Man..what was he going to do?..What was his decision going to be?..

The end credits of the last episode was playing and Connie quickly clicked the _NEXT_ button to go to the first episode of season 2. The intro came on. "Hey, Connie?" he leaned over to press pause as she lifted her head up. "Yeah?"

"I just thought of something and. I think I need to head down to Super Fresh Foods and talk to the manager." he lied. "I was told that he's there on Tuesday's after 2." Connie looked up at the clock. "Which Super Fresh Foods?" 

"The one out Timson and Pulski avenue."

"Steven, that's like, two hours away!"

"I know." he gave her a peck on her forehead and slid off the bed. "But I think it's manageable." he walked over to the closet.

She sat up. "I just hope you know what you're getting into with this long commute. Especially since it's getting dark pretty early now." 

"I know." He put on a blue jacket and a pair of jeans, rolling them up in a cuff as he always do. "But I can't be too picky. If it's a job, I'm taking it." he threw out words that would make her happy.

"Okay." she said plainly. "Just.. be safe."

"Will do." he came back over to give her a kiss, then went over to the door. He looked down at her sandals, then back up to her, a childish, sneaky grin on his face as he slipped them on. He opened the door and walked out the room.

He left out the main door and opened up the piece of paper he had stored in his pant pocket earlier that morning._Take the Navy Blue 83 bus to Conven Center._ He folded the paper back up and put it back in his pocket, taking his first steps toward ... A new beginning?


	16. ..A new beginning?

He looked at his watch. _3:28p.m._ Then the time blinked to 3:29p.m. He picked up his pace, huffing and puffing as he ran up the dirt road. He _really_ hoped that he was going the right way. After the two bus rides, the rest of the way was by coordinates. And he could only hoped that he was going North instead of South..

Then he saw something silver just up ahead. _I really hope that's it. _He looked at his watch again. Still 3:29p.m. He continued running and was so happy once he realized that the silver that was up ahead _was_ the part of the shack. 

He was getting closer and closer to it. _But how do I get in? Do I.. just knock on the top of it and hope that they would hear me? Or do I try to find that.. thing that Garnet had stepped on?_

He ran down to the side of the platform, nearly slidding and falling over the small rocks. He knocked on the roof, and without waiting to see if that worked, he quickly dug his feet through the dirt to try and find.. whatever it is that Garnet stepped on. He looked at his watch again. Still 3:29p.m.

He continued to dig, this time, with both feet, stomping on the ground and hitting the side of the platform in the process. He looked at his watch. _3:30p.m!_ He stomped on the ground harder.

Suddenly a long pole came up from the ground. The "tablet" turned on to a lock screen. _I don't know the passcode!_

He started pressing random numbers. And each time, the screen shook with the words 'Incorrect Password'. He typed in his birth year. The screen shook. _Incorrect Password_. He typed in Connie's birth year. The screen shook. _Incorrect Password._ He typed in the day and two digit year they first met. The screen shook. _Incorrect Password._ He typed in the day and two digit year they started dating. The screen shook. _ Incorrect Password._ He typed in the day and two digit year Connie lost her virginity to him. The screen shook. _Incorrect Password._ He started panicking. Suddenly, the screen turned black for just one long second before a figure popped up on screen. "Ah, false alarm girls." said Amethyst. "It's just el chico lindo. (pretty boy) 'Sup dude."

"Uh..Hi." he waved at the screen.

The "tablet" blinked off and snapped vertically towards the pole, as it went back down into the ground. The platform started raising from the ground. Steven watched as a small piece of ground opened up, the pole going right inside, then closing back up. It didn't look like anything was there. The ground just blended in so well.

The door of the shack opened. Garnet had her hand on the button on the collar of her shirt right near her throat. "You made it." said Garnet. Steven noticed she wasn't wearing her jumpsuit and was now wearing gray jogging clothes. But she still had on her ski mask. She stepped to the side to reveal Amethyst who was wearing the exact same attire. Ski mask as well. She was sitting down in a black chair way too big for her. A table and a couch, that Steven was sure wasn't there before, was in front of her and a small fridge laid right beside her chair. "Yo dawg." she waved a lazy hand in the air and sipped a bit of her soda. "Pasa, pasa."

"Huh?

"¡Paso adelante che! Don't let all the heat out! We ain't heatin' the outside! Come in!"

"Oh!" he stepped in and Amethyst looked at the clock above her and Steven and Garnet did the same._3:30p.m_. The woman looked down just as the clock turned to 3:31p.m. "Looks like you made it here on time." then she turned to Garnet. "Wake up Pearl for me."

The woman walked pass Steven and over to a small cot on the floor. She shook Pearl's shoulders. "Hey. Hey Pearl. Wake up."

The woman groaned, rolling over, her back now facing them as she put her arm over her face.

Garnet shook her shoulders harder. "Pearl, we're about to start the meeting. Wake up."

She rolled back towards them as a tired breath escaped her. She cracked open a bleary eye.

"Yo! Pearl! Get up!" Amethyst ordered. "We're about to start this meeting!" 

The woman sat up and threw the thin covers off of her to reveal a very ..revealing attire, wearing nothing but a yellow laced underwear and a bra. She got up and walked over, seemingly not noticing Steven, her eyes still barely opened as she walked over to the bathroom. From the moment she got up, Steven had bypassed the revealing attire and couldn't help but look at how extremely fit she was. Her toned muscles, her abs..

_She must work out every day.._

He looked from Pearl to Amethyst who was sporting her famous, sly smirk on her face. "Pearl worked at her other job last night." was all she said.

"Oh. Uh.. okay." _What kind of job?_ From what she was wearing, he could only imagine.

"So, you're going to sit down or what?" she gestured at the couch.

"Oh uh. S, sure." he walked over and sat down next to Garnet who was looking something up on her tablet. Amethyst cleared her throat and Garnet looked up. She gestured at Steven with her eyes and Garnet smiled. She turned the tablet off and set it back on her lap. Steven looked back at Amethyst who was now staring at him. Then she turned back to Garnet and smiled, who smiled back at her, who looked back at Steven who looked at Garnet who winked at Amethyst and looked back at him. Steven looked back at Amethyst who was now nodding her head at him and turning back to Garnet nodding with a smile, who was chuckling and looking at her, who was now looking back at Steven who looked at both Garnet, then her again.. 

They always seemed to have a stare off, but now Garnet was involved.. Maybe there was something more to this staring and he would have to learn about this "Eye Morse Code."

They heard a toilet flush in the bathroom and Pearl opened the door, walking back out.

"Yo, did you wash your hands?"

Pearl stopped in her tracks, looking at her.

"¡Lávate las manos! (Wash your hands!)" she gestured at the bathroom. "I keep telling you that! That ish is disgusting!"

Pearl turned around and walked back in.

"¡Con el jabón!"(With soap!) she shouted back. Then she shook her head before looking back up at Steven. "So, before we start." _Oh no.. What is she going to ask me?!_ "Wanna soda?" _"Oh.. I thought she was going to ask something more sinister.._ "No, I'm fine."

"You sure? You look like the type to freeload." she opened the small fridge sitting right beside her. "Come on, we have coke, orange juice, water, mountain dew, clear fruit, those huggie juices from the corner store."

"I'm fine. R, really."

"Mm, suit yourself." she closed the fridge door back and took more sips of her soda as she threw her feet on the table. Steven's time with Connie made his head scream in Connie's voice, _FEET OFF THE TABLE!!_

She looked and chuckled, sinking more into the chair. "Just making myself comfortable. And you can do that too, if ya want. Just kick back and" she took another few sips of her soda. "Relaaaax."

Steven didn't want to keep imposing, so he just settled in stretching his legs out and leaning back into the couch.

Pearl walked back out and finally noticed Steven sitting on the couch. She quickly moved her hand down, covering up her underwear and put her hand over her bra, glaring at him as she made her way back to the cot. She threw the covers back over her. 

_Relax.. I'm not the type to gawk and look.._

He focused his attention onto their boss. 

"Alright, now that we're all here." Amethyst began. "Let's get down to it."

Steven swallowed.

"Now. I'm just going to get right to the point with you. Are you in or are you _not_ in? With everything that I told you.." she leaned in forward, her elbows resting on her knees. Her eyes not leaving his and her face in a tight scowl. "What's the verdict?" 

He looked from Amethyst, to Pearl's strained look, to Garnet's eyes..-er shades? All three women were looking back at him. Their ominous, black masks incredibly unsettling to him..

He thought about it. He would be going against what Connie told him.. These three women were known for just about every horrible act in the book, without any remorse. And.. Steven getting just a tad piece of that action twice, now realized that he wanted to be apart of that more. He loved that rush he felt those two times and he only craved more of it. Then it was the money that he got from them. He still had to go back and count it. It had to be at least a couple grand.. Would he be getting this kind of money every single time?!

Then he quickly went to the main, important thought at hand.. Connie. And his future with her. And he really could see a future with her. And she didn't want him to join these kind of things. Point blank. So maybe he just.. shouldn't. And leave while he still could.. But wait. Could he?

He cut his eye at the few tables on his left, hosting weapons of all sorts.. That was definitely a good intimidation strategy.. A room full of every weapon one could think of.. Weapons that were so dangerously close to grabbing easily and using it on him if he didn't give them the right answer..

He looked back at Amethyst who had followed his eyes to the tables and back. Her eyes narrowed. And he swallowed. Amethyst put one thumb in her mouth, biting her nail, still staring at Steven. From the corner of his eye he saw Garnet shift her arm down towards the inside of the couch where the cushion met the couch. 

_Do I.. really have a choice though? What if I say no... Would they kill me? But Connie! And our child!_ He still didn't like that word.._ What would they do without me?.. But then again, maybe they would be better off without me anyway.. and-_

"Sooo?" he could hear the impatience creeping up in Amethysts voice. The latina cutting her eye back at Garnet and rubbing at an earlobe before going back to Steven. From Steven's angle, Garnet looked as if she'd pulled something out from the couch and laid it down beside her. 

"I" the boy started. He bit the inside of his cheek. _But what if they don't do anything to you and they just simply want to know? ..No.. that can't be.. I saw Garnet take something out.. Maybe she's assigned to kill me if I don't._ He sighed. _So either way I'm dead then. They'll most likely kill me if I say no OR I get locked up or killed one day doing this._ He took a breath.

"So." Amethyst got up. "I'm going to ask you. One. Last. Time. Are you in.. or _not."_ she put a hand behind her back. _Was she about to pull out something?_

The woman stood in front of him. She only stood an impressive, four foot eleven, but her presence seemed to loom incredibly over him. She was just so intimidating.. And the mask only heightened the mysterious aura of the lady. And her deep, chilling voice..

"I.."

"You.. _what?"_ she leaned in. Her eyes narrowed at him.

"I.." he sighed, hanging his head low in defeat. "I'm in.." he whispered.

There was silence for a few moments until he heard a, "Hey." 

He didn't look up.

"Lift your head up when I'm talking to you, che."

Steven slowly lifted his head up and raised his eyes up even slower, his eyes drawing up to Amethyst, from her jogging suit with her arms crossed.. then finally to her mask. A sour scowled frown on her face. 

She stood staring at him for a few seconds..until Steven saw her expression breaking down, her eyes from a glare and slowly opening to something of glee and her mouth forming from a tight frown and stretching up to a ..smile? 

"Welcome to our team, che!" she yelled. And this time. She sounded different. Her voice.. And he didn't see her press the button on her collar. "I hereby declare _you._An official. Crystal. Gem." she reached up to her ski mask and took it off. Her long, purple hair falling down on her shoulders. _WOW! SHE'S ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS!!_ She smirked at him, then looked at Garnet and Pearl. 

Garnet took her ski mask off and started plucking up her curly fro with her fingers. Then she took off her shades revealing her light brown eye and what Steven assumed was a glass blue eye. _WOW!! SHE'S FREAKIN' GORGEOUS TOO!! AND HER SKIN.. WOW.. LIKE SHE'S BEEN KISSED FROM THE SUN!! ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS!!_

Pearl looked away. "Perla. ¡Quítate el pasamontañas ahora! Él es uno de nosotros ahora." (Pearl. Take off your ski mask now! He's one of us now.)

Pearl curled in on herself.

"Escúchame... O ya _verás_." she hissed out. (Listen to me... Or _else_.)

Pearl slowly raised her hand to her head and took the ski mask slowly off. She shook her head to let her short hair fall down just below her shoulders. _WOW.. ABSOLUTELY WOW.. THREE SEXY, FINE, GORGEOUS, LADIES ALL UNDER ONE ROOF. _ He felt his face heat up as he wavered under their incredibly beautiful stares _or glare_ from Pearl.

Amethyst and her long, purple died hair, dropping along her toned shoulders. And her dark brown, alluring eyes... And her tanned complexion... and her nice smooth lips.. And that little mole just underneath of her eye.. Then it was Garnet, with her stunning, sun-kissed skin, her full lips, her beautiful and natural hazel eye and her mysterious and alluring sky blue one. And the dark freckles on her nose and cheeks was just an added bonus. And then, it was the fine swan herself. So elegant looking with those icy blue eyes of hers. Her light peach hair hugging her face. Her creamy, smooth skin, her nice jawline.. And those small, thin lips of hers and her aquiline nose. 

He could hardly breath, taking in their absolutely beautiful and breathtaking features. 

Amethyst let him gawk for a few more moments before a snort escaped her. "Take a picture, it will last longer." she joked. Garnet chuckled at the joke and Steven noticed that she had dimples, her mask, only having shown her pearly whites. _Wow, can she get any more beautiful?!?!_

He looked away.

He shouldn't be gawking at them like this. He wasn't a gawker remember?! Besides, he has the most amazing, most beautiful woman ever and that was his girlfriend.

"Alright, that's enough of that now. Back to business." said Amethyst. She reached behind her back again- Steven quickly snapped out of his admiration of Garnet and started freakin out. _OH CRAP! WHAT IS SHE GOING TO DO?!_ -and threw something at him and he screamed, holding his legs up and his arms out to shield himself. A light clothing material hit his knees. _Huh?_ He opened his eyes and looked on the floor. It was a red shirt with a pink rose in the middle of it. He looked up at Amethyst. She was belly up in laughter. Then he looked over at Garnet and Pearl. Garnet was also belly up in laughter and Pearl couldn't help but laugh at how pathetic that was, though she covered her mouth, trying to stifle her laugh. She didn't want to find him funny, but that was just so pathetic, she couldn't help it.

"What? You thought I was going to do something?" Amethyst asked him.

"Well.." he trailed off.

"Neh, you're apart of us now, shrimp! So long as you stay a Crystal Gem and don't give me reasons to end your life, you're good."

His breath hitched at that..

"Go on, pick up your shirt." she ordered him.

He picked it up and rubbed the material in his hands.

"Yeah, that's that good material. Try not to ruin it, okay? That thing cost me two grand to make."

His eyebrows flew up. "This shirt?!?!"

"Yeah, so DON'T ruin it." she demanded, pointing a finger at him. "We'll be sending you a few other shirts like that later on. But now? Try to keep it pristine like _our_ attire." 

"So, I don't get a jumpsuit like you three?"

"Yeah, I thought about that actually." she said casually. "But I don't know. It just doesn't seem _you._ But that." she pointed at the shirt. "Does." Then she continued on. "As for your uniform, I can envision you with that shirt, a pair of jeans that you seem to always have cuffed." she pointed at the bottom of his jeans. "Aaaand oddly enough, those pink flip flops definitely suit you." she pointed at the flip flops.

"But I might not be able to wear these all of the time. They're not mine. These are my girlfriend's flip flops."

"Wow, you and your girlfriend have the same size feet? Aren't those flip flops like.. a five and a half?"

"N'yeah? What's your point?" 

Amethyst snorted, turning to Garnet and Pearl. "You know what they say about guys and _small_ feet."

That earned another cackling laugh from Amethyst and Garnet and Pearl found it absolutely hilarious because they wear ragging on him.

Steven blushed in embarrassment. _That's not true.. That's just something that someone made up.. Like they could speak on behalf of all guys.. That's not true! I'm.. well I'm.. average..More than average..? And, and BESIDES, it's not the size of the boat, but the motion of the ocean!. But that doesn't pertain to me anyway.. because I'm a grower.. and a shower! So, I have both going for me. I'm ..average size, I'm a grower on top of that AND I know how to use him. I have some sweet moves.. So they don't know what they're talking about. I'm not.. small.. Neh, I'm not. Heck, Connie liked every inch of me last night.. Of course she did..I know she did.. So I'm great. I'm great in bed. Nothing's wrong with me.. I-_

Amethyst continued to cackle, now pointing at him. "Dude is so embarrassed!" she pointed at his flushed face. "Come on, I was just joking, yeash. Talk about a guy's manhood and he goes all self conscious and starts reevaluating himself." she scoffed.

Steven didn't say anything, his face in a slight pout as he looked away from them.

"Aaalright." she clapped her hands together, changing the subject. "Now that you're an official Crystal Gem." those words seemed to make his heart skip a beat. Whether because he was happy or scared.. he couldn't quite tell yet.. "It's time to give you a proper gem name. What do you think, Garnet? Pearl?" she looked at them.

"A ..gem name?" Steven asked.

"Well, yeah. Why do you think we have gem names? Pearl, Garnet." she gestured at the two then at herself. "Amethyst. Those are all gem names. We steal gemstones. Hence the word 'gem' in our title.. And we damn sure make it _crystal_." she winked "clear about that."

Garnet and Pearl groaned at the lame joke.

"Okay, so." Amethyst went back on topic. "Names. What do we have? I'm thinking something pink, because he's _aaaalways_ blushing."

Steven pouted more.

"Hmm... How about Tourmaline?" Garnet asked. Steven couldn't help but immediately catch her accent.. and immediately fall in love with it.. She'd sounded different when she was using that.. voice box thingy.. Amethyst did too. And he definitely preferred Amethyst's cool raspy voice over the deep, monotone one on the voice box.

"Neh, that's already taken." said Amethyst.. "And there's_ Morganite_, but.. that sounds like too much of a chick's name." she rubbed her chin as she thought.

Steven wondered if he should speak up or not.. "Umm.. " they looked at him. He sunk a bit back in his seat. "How about.. Spinel? That's a pink gem, right?"

Amethyst and Garnet thought about it and then looked at each other, nodding. "Yeah, I think Spinel would do." said Amethyst and Garnet agreed with her.

"No!" Pearl shouted from her cot. Her voice also sounded different.The three looked at her and she went back to looking defenseless. "Umm.. Spinel is uh.. already taken." 

"Really? Hm. I don't remember ever hearing that name.. But okay. Looks like we have to think of something else." said Amethyst.

"What about something close to pink? Like red?" Garnet asked.

"All of the red colored gem names are taken." 

The two and Steven thought about it before Amethyst chuckled. "Hey, I know. How about Talc?"

"Talc?" Steven asked.

"Yeah." Amethyst had a Cheshire grin on her face. "One of the most _softest_ most _weakest_ gemstones ever." she teased.

Steven glared at her and she didn't care. She ignored him. "So! Talc it is. Alright, everyone, let's all give a tip for _Talc_ on his first day as an official. Crystal. Gem." she kept stating that.. and every time she said the name, Steven's heart would skip a beat. Again, whether because he was happy or scared, he still didn't quite know.

Garnet slid something back into the couch and stood up and pivoted around to him. "Situational Awareness is key." was all she said.

Amethyst nodded in agreement.

Pearl spoke back up from her cot, still not looking at Steven. "Every Crystal Gem for themselves." she told him.

"Oooo, that's a good one. I always loved that one." she turned to Steven. "So that means, if you're caught up in something, if you get cut up, if you get shot, or if anything else happens to you, you better figure out how to get out of it yourself. For example, we didn't save Pearl because she got caught up in her distraction with you." the slim lady frowned and her light blue eyes falling to the floor. "We simply picked her up so she would be of good use getting that cannon and helping us with getting our jewels back. So. Every. Crystal. Gem. For. Themselves...." he swallowed under her one eyed stare. The purple hair covering her other .. beautiful eye. "Understand?..¿Comprende?"

He lowered his head down in his shoulders and nodded. "R, right."

"Great! Okay, know get up and put the shirt on. I want to see if it's a good fit or not. It _was_ last minute after all. Made that overnight call and everything."

_Is that why the shirt cost her two grand to make? Because it was an extremely last minute call? Or was that just the average cost of the shirt?.. They're jumpsuits looked pretty expensive as well._ He took his jacket off and put the shirt over the first one. It hugged him. 

"Hm. Just a little too tight.." she looked at the shirt hugging his stomach. "Eh, whatever. You're going to slim down anyway, fatty. It's going to be apart of your regime." Steven didn't like the sound of that.. 

She started walking away and he saw a glimpse of the whip on her belt. "Yeah, you're going to be FIT when all three of us are done with you." she went to the small fridge by her black chair and started taking out a few waters. "Yo, Talc. Come over here and grab some water bottles." he would have to get used to that name.. "And Pearl, go and put your jogging suit on." Pearl threw the covers off of her and walked over and opened the pastel door of the room. Steven tried to take a look inside but she'd quickly closed the door right behind her. 

"Hey, hey, hey!" Amethyst snapped her fingers in front of his face. "Pay attention. Go take these waters and put them in the black bag over there." she pointed at a black dufflebag near the door. Steven didn't want to agitate her more than he already had just now, so he quickly picked up all of the bottles, nearly fumbling with them and got up and went to the bag.

Garnet was still near the couch, now typing something on her tablet. She stopped to look up at Amethyst. "Good news, Amethyst. Looks like there's going to be three new jewelry stores opening up along the East coast."

"Great, great." said Amethyst. She closed the door of the fridge and walked up to Garnet. The woman lowered the tablet down to show her the three new stores opening up in Maine, New Jersey and Georgia. "Sweet." said Amethyst. "Can't wait for them to open up."

Steven put the last water bottle in the bag and zipped it up just as Pearl walked out of the room sporting a gray jogging suit, similar to theirs.

"Alrighty ladies." then she looked at Steven. "And Talc." she teased. And he suppressed a groan. "Time for us to head out."

"Wait, huh?" Steven was so confused.

"I _said_ we're going to get you fit." said Amethyst walking towards him and the door.

"What?! N, now?!"

"Of course _now._ It's not like you're doing anything important anyway. Just go home and give your girl some cuuuuddleeees." she mocked, pursing her lips and making kissy noises while hugging all on herself. Then she stopped. "You can do all that later. But right now?" she grinned, looking at Garnet and Pearl, then back at Steven. "It's workout time, baby."

"But-"

"No buts. Now go and grab la chaqueta."(the jacket.)she pointed at the article of clothing on the catch. "and let's go!" she jammed a thumb out towards the door in front of them.

Steven assumed she was talking about his jacket and went to grab it off the cushions. Then he went back to meet them at the door. Amethyst was digging inside the dufflebag. "Here." she handed Steven a gray jogging suit. "Put that on in the van." she told him. "And you can just leave all of the other clothes in the van until you get back." 

"Oh.. okay." _Hopefully this'll fit.._

Amethyst turned to Garnet. "Alright G. Pon el código en el sistema. (Put the code in the system.) It's time to go above surface." then she cracked her knuckles. "And go to the Solar Ground Spire for a little bit of fun."


	17. Change and stretch

Garnet put in the code and the floor shook before it started moving up.

"Talc, grab the bag." said Amethyst. _That name.._The boy moved to the front and picked up the heavy duffle bag just as the door of the shack was above ground.

Garnet and Pearl moved out the way. There was a sound of someone's throat clearing and Steven turned around to see Amethyst with her hands on her hips. Then he looked at Garnet and Pearl and eventually noticed what he was doing wrong. "OH! Sorry. Sorry." He moved to the side as well, standing beside Garnet so Amethyst could leave out first.

Garnet left out next, then right as he took a step Pearl abruptly put her arm in front of him to stop him in his tracks. "Hey!" 

_"Shut up."_ she growled and left out next.

An annoyed growl escaped him as he walked out the door. He turned around to see the door swing back close on it's own and the shack pulling back down inside the ground.

He walked away and stood behind the now opened back doors of the van. Garnet was already in the driver's side and Pearl was jumping into the back. Amethyst was waiting at the doors for him. "Alright man. Hop inside. And.. try not to blow any chunks like last time, yeah?" he rolled his eyes and she jumped in, laughing. "Yeah, I don't want to have to take this van back to the wash. Now come on. Hurry up and get in."

He heaved the heavy bag off of his shoulders and into the van. Then he jumped in, being careful not to drop the jogging suit from of his other shoulder.

Amethyst looked at Pearl and gestured with her chin at the doors. Pearl got up. "Talc, come sit next to me." said Amethyst patting her hand beside her. Steven crawled on his knees for better stability as Pearl easily and effortlessly walked over and locked the doors back before sitting back down.

Steven sat down next to Amethyst and she gave him a nod then turned towards the front of the van. "Okay, Garnet. Everyone's ready." she said to her.

Garnet turned the car on, put the gear in drive and drove off.

"Alright, dude. Hurry up and put your clothes on. The spire isn't that far away from the shack." said Amethyst. "Just take off your clothes and put them in that bin over there." she pointed to a brown box further back in the van.

He placed the jogging suit on the floor by her. "..Okay. So I just.." he grabbed the hem of his shirt and stopped, looking at Pearl who was preoccupied with her phone and then at Amethyst. "Aye, don't worry about her. It's nothing that _she_ hasn't seen before."

Pearl looked up upon hearing that, noticing that Amethyst was talking about her, but she didn't say anything, immediately going right back to her phone.

"And well, I'm no stranger to the male anatomy either. So just take off your clooothes." she bit her lip and just that look set him off.. "and put the jogging suit on." she told him.

"Ookay.." Steven lifted his official Crystal Gem shirt off, then the shirt from home. Then he suddenly became just a tad bit self conscious with his slightly big belly. 

"The baby hair on your chest and stomach is a good look on you. Especially that wicked scar over your bellybutton." Amethyst pat his belly. "And all that's going to look even _sexier_ once those abs start coming in." she flirted, patting her eyelashes.

"Oh.. er, well.." he trailed off, trying to fight off the blush.

Then Amethyst took out her phone, putting her focus on it now. "Alright, come on, come on." she snapped her fingers at him, her eyes still glued to the screen.

_Well that was.. odd? Just stopped flirting so quickly like that..?_ Steven grabbed the hem of his pants and stupidly just realizing that he never truly _went down.._ And that he was most likely still showing under his shorts. _Great._He looked at both Pearl and Amethyst again. Both ladies were glued to their phones. _Okay, great! Now's my chance._ He pulled his pants down, his hand coming in contact with it as he pulled his pants down. He tried to push himself back a little between his legs before he grabbed for the first article of clothing on top. The hoodie. _Okay, well maybe I can just quickly throw this on and tug the hoodie down to cover myself up._

He quickly threw the hoodie over his head and just as he was about to put one arm through, he felt something, drag along his.. private area, from the shaft and dragging all the way near the tip. His breath hitched at the sensation and he lifted the hoodie back up, looking. Pearl was still heavily engrossed on her phone and Amethyst was typing out a message _in freakin' Spanish of course, so he couldn't understand what she was typing.._ But in general, the two looked preoccupied.. Maybe he just shifted along his boxers a certain away?

He pulled the hoodie back down over his head and this time immediately felt something actually grab the very tip and squeezed him. He quickly threw the jacket off, trying to ignore how great it felt and looked right at Amethyst. She was still on her phone, typing out a message. He watched her as she typed out her last sentence then click the send button. She looked up, raising an eyebrow up at him. "What?"

How could he word this? This.. random, unwanted touch on his hang down. "Uh..." he started. "Did you..." the question died on his lips as she looked at him in total confusion. "Did I what?" she looked at him for a few moments before going back to the phone in her hands. "Dude, just hurry up and put your jogging clothes on. We're almost there."

He just decided to leave it at that and just threw the jacket over his head again. And this time he felt a hand grab his length and he threw the jacket off. Amethyst had a huge grin on her face as she looked right at him. Her hand still grabbing him tightly through his boxers. She squeezed him harder.

Steven gasped in both shock and arousal. 

Amethyst finally let go and she cackled as Steven quickly grabbed himself to cover his now full on erection. "What was that for?!"

Pearl looked up at the two, then shook her head, going back to her phone.

"What?" she laughed. "Dude, it was just there. I just _had_ to do something." then she tried to calm down her laughs, putting her hands up in a placating matter. "Alright, alright, this time I won't touch you." she snorted.

Steven looked at her, still holding himself. 

"Honest."

Steven looked at her for a few moments before he slowly picked up the hoodie from off the ground, having dropped it in the process and slowly put it back over his head. And this time, Amethyst didn't touch him again, she only stared at it, her expression lustful and with thoughts. 

Then he took the pair of pants and put them on. It fit, say for the bulge from his pants. He put the clothes in the box and Amethyst was patting the seat beside her again. He sat down just a few inches away from her and she scooted closer by him. _What is she going to do?!_ "Hey." she said to him. Her eyes half lidded. "I notice you bend just slightly to the left." he blushed at that. "And.." she whispered to him. "I really do appreciate a guy with a really nice" she looked down at his pants then back up into his eyes. "_curve_." she murmured. He took a deep, shaky breath, her hand going up his thigh, so close to touching it.. and her lips just so close to his lips...

Then she scooted away laughing. "Aw, man buddy. I'm telling you, you are just _sooo_ easy to tease." she slapped her knee.

_WHAT?! Crap, there she goes again!!_

........

Throughout the rest of the van ride, Amethyst didn't do or say anything else sexual or flirtatious to Steven. She just stayed on her phone as Steven managed to successfully.. calm _himself_ back down..

He felt the van stop and with the engine not running anymore, he could hear rushing water. It sounded like.. A waterfall?

"Alright everyone. We're here." said Garnet. They heard her get out the car and Pearl quickly pocketed her phone and opened the doors for them. She _and this time Steven_ both stepped to the side for Amethyst to step out first. Garnet was already waiting at the back of the van. Steven was about to step off before Pearl put her hand out to stop him again. She jumped out and Steven followed after.

_WOW.._ The scene before him was breathtaking. Garnet had parked the van right on the cliff, the back of the van facing two massive waterfalls. The white, rapid water crashed down towards the bottom. The bottom that he couldn't see due to the cliff obscuring the view. He looked to his left to see the rest of the water flowing down rapidly over half a damn filled with thick tree stumps and dirt. And then he looked up and he breathed out. The waterfall seemed to stretch up further, into other small waterfalls all the way towards the top; A multi-tiered waterfall..

He looked back down, tracking the smaller waterfalls rippling down and he trailed back down towards the two huge water falls just ahead of them. The cliff that they were on as well as the cliff on the other side were heavy with greenery and shrubs. Very few leaves turning colors already.

"Where are we..?" he breathed out. He didn't know a place like this even existed in Empire. He thought it was nothing but industrial buildings and high rises and smog and filth. But this place.. Wow, this place was the complete opposite.. And it was so tranquil. So still. Say for the flowing waterfalls in front of them.

"We call this the Solar Ground Spire." said Garnet in that incredibly sexy accent Steven just wanted to hear more and more of.

He looked at her. "How come? I don't" he looked around to make sure. And he didn't. "see any spires around here."

She chuckled. That kind of smug chuckle that superiors do when a total noob asks an obvious question. "You're only looking at the outside."

"Huh?" he looked back at the two humongous waterfalls rushing down.

"The Spire is _inside_ the waterfalls. We'll have to climb to the veeeeery top." she pointed to the top of the falls, obscured by some trees. "to get there."

Steven was afraid to ask the question.. But he rather knew it now than later. "How do we.."

"Get there?" Amethyst interrupted.

Steven just looked at her.

"Exercise our way up there, that's how." then she pointed to the two huge waterfalls. "We're gonna climb."

"BUT" he whined. "I'm not fit for that! I've never even done one of those kiddy rock climbing thingys!!"

"Don't be such a baby. Grow some cojones (balls) and be a man. It's only a waterfall."

"But.. I.." he sighed, giving up.

Amethyst walked over to him, grabbing the side of his face with her hands. She was in his face. "Escúchame che. That means listen." she held a finger before putting her hand back to his face. "Climbing waterfalls." she said slowly. "Is easy." she was looking at him right in his eyes and he could see his own scared impression in her eyes. "You have me, Garnet and Pearl." Steven thought he heard a faint huff in front of him. "to help you out." she nodded. "You'll be a pro in no time, dude." she pinched his cheek. Then she dropped her hands and started walking away, only to stop and turn back around. "Hey, Talc. Don't forget the dufflebag." she said to him. Then she turned back and walked to a round dirt circle. Bits of grass were starting to peak out from the moist soil. Garnet and Pearl walked away, towards the front of the van.

Steven jumped back into the van to get the duffle bag and hoisted it back up on her shoulders. He sat down, slidding out of the truck instead of jumping out, on the count of not wanting to get knocked off his feet by the weight of the bag.

He went to the edge of the cliff and took a look down. They were even higher than he expected. Even looking all the way down the waterfall, he couldn't tell where it truly ended as the water rushed and crashed against the plunge pool.. wherever it was.. And the water vapor seeped up into the air, making that cold, misty look.

"Alright, Talc. Time to do what they're doing and do a little stretching before we climb up to the Spire." said Amethyst. She motioned for him to come and he walked over. He stopped once he got inside of the circle and looked to his left to see Garnet and Pearl stretching. Garnet was doing lunges while Pearl had her leg up straight on the tree. In a leg up split. She pressed her hips towards the trunk of the tree, widening her split until her leg was at a straight line. She bounced a bit, stretching out her muscles. _She is incredibly flexible.._Then he saw Garnet jump into another lunge, holding her pose for a few seconds, until she started slowly parting her legs, going further down into the ground. All the way down until she was at a full split. She kept the pose for a few seconds, then started bending her upper body towards the left side. She grabbed her left foot, and stretched. _They're both incredibly flexible.._

"Yeah, they're a bunch of show offs." said Amethyst. She began rolling her shoulders back. "We all are really." she stopped and leaned her head to the left and used her hand to pull her head further down while stretching her right arm down. 

Steven looked back at Pearl who was still leaning her split into the tree. Then she grabbed the top of her foot and leaned off the tree, holding the split up. She held the pose for a few seconds before pulling her legs closer to her. Her leg touching her face. He swallowed. "I..I can see that.." _Will I have to be that flexible too?! That's not going to be a good feeling.._

Amethyst laughed. "Wow, you got a think for Pearl or something? You keep looking at her."

"Huh?! What!" he looked back at her. "N, no I don't! I have a girlfriend! And, I was just looking at how flexible she was! That's it!"

"Yeah.. _sure."_ she turned her head to the other side and did the same thing, pulling her head more towards her shoulder and stretching her left arm down. "Whaaaever, dude. Just hurry up and get to stretching already. Put the bag down and do a bit of head rolls and shoulder stretching like I'm doing." 

Steven put the duffle bag on the side of him and started mimicking what Amethyst was doing, pulling his head towards his shoulder. He felt a sharp pain in his neck and winced.

"Dude, you can't just PULL your head down like that. Especially since your body isn't used to it. You have to" she raised her head up to show him. She put her hand over the side of her head and pulled her head towards her shoulders gently. "eaaaase your head towards your shoulders. And when you start to feel that stretch in your neck, you can make that your stop point and just stretch your other arm." she stretched her right arm down. "And, you'll eventually be able to bring your head all the way down to your shoulders without any pain."

Steven tried it again, pulling his neck further down until he felt that pull on his neck muscles. He stopped and started stretching down his opposite arm.

The two did a few reps before Amethyst went for another stretch, rolling her neck around her shoulders. Steven did the same. A few reps of that and Amethyst went to another stretch.

"Time for a few arm swings." she raised her arms up and started to swing them slowly in a circle. Steven did the same, mimicking her. "Just keep the circles controlled, in a slow controlled rhythm." Steven nodded and continued swinging his arms in small circles just like her. "And be sure to roll at the shoulders." He nodded again.

Amethyst started to swing her arms the other way and Steven followed. Five times in the opposite position and Amethyst put her arms straight out in front of her. "Now we're going to do even smaller, more controlled circles." Steven followed her movements.

She did the same going the opposite way before dropping her arms gently back to her sides. "Alright. Now some walking lunges. Like the one's that Garnet was doing." Keeping her upper body straight and upright, she took a step forward with one leg and slowly dipped her hips into a lunge, her knees slowly dipping further down until it was a few inches from the ground. She stood back up slowly and did the same for the other leg. 

Steven tried to mimic her, but was nowhere near as flexible, barely being able to dip his leg down into a lunge. He could already feel his muscles pulling in his legs.. He was just so out of shape.. and not flexible AT all..

They did a rep of ten for each leg and Amethyst stopped. "Okay, we're almost done. We're just going to do a few side twists and do a bit more leg stretching and that's it." 

"Okay." 

"So. We're going to lie on our backs." Amethyst laid down and Steven laid right next to her. His head looking to the side to see the next move.

Amethyst was facing the sky. "Okay, so we're going to keep our feet flat on the ground." she tapped both her heels on the ground for emphasis. "and put your hands over your stomach and bend." she raised her waist up. Steven did the same. "And then you. Rotate your upper body slowly side. To side.. like this." she moved her hips from side to side. Steven followed her. "Yup. Just like that." she said. But in a way Steven found quite.. _sensual_. 

They twisted each side five times before resting one minute. They did four reps of them before Amethyst put her waist back onto the ground. She sat up and turned herself to face Steven who was now sitting back up. He turned towards her.

"Alright. Last stretch." said Amethyst. "And we can help each other with this one." she scooched back a bit and opened her legs. "You're just going to take my hands." she out her arms out and Steven grabbed her hands. Then she leaned forward "And pull back." she told him.

Steven leaned back, pulling her towards him and she leaned all the way to the ground. "Alright, now I'm going to pull myself up." she leaned back up. They did a few reps of that before Amethyst spoke back up. "Now it's your turn. Remember. Once you feel that pull, you can stop there. Don't want you to pull anything on your first day." 

"Yeah." Steven opened his legs and Amethyst took his hands, pulling him slowly towards her. Steven leaned forward only tad bit before he started feeling the pull on his legs and back. "I.. yeah, I think this is it." he grunted, looking up at Amethyst.

"Hey, be careful with your neck like that, dude."

"Oh. Okay." he put his head back down and leaned back up. They did a few reps like that. 

"Alright, not bad. Not bad at all." said Amethyst. Then she had a thought. "Wait, one more stretch." she said. "Let's see how far you can stretch your legs apart."

"Like the closest I can get to a split?"

"Yeah. Like this." Amethyst scooted her waist up, spreading her legs out further away as she pushed forward on her hands towards Steven. She continued to push her thighs forward until her legs were in a full split, completely straight. Then she moved her hands to the side and leaned forward, getting even closer to Steven. She looked down between her legs, then looked back at him. She bit her lip and winked at him.

He felt a tingle between his legs and immediately berated himself for that feeling. He quickly tried to ignore the feeling. It was just stretching. She was just trying to teach him how to stretch. Nothing more.

She chuckled as she leaned back up, but keeping her legs in a tempting split. "Yeah, so let's see how far you can get with that."

Steven scooted up closer to her, spreading his legs until he felt that pull. He stopped. His legs not too far apart. "Yeah.. that's how far I can go." 

"Mm.. well, we need to work on that." she told him. Then she shouted out to the two stretching. "Yo, Garnet. Pearl. Alright you two, I'm ready to go." 

They gave her the affirmative and jogged over. "I'm ready to get this rock climbing started." said Garnet.

"Great, me too." Amethyst got up and Steven did the same. His legs and arms feeling.. weird.. Kind of achey, but.. loose at the same time. His body just wasn't use to all of that stretching.. But he didn't _not_ feel good. Just.. he couldn't put a finger on it.

"Okay, now it's time to jog all the way down. That'll get more of our blood circulating." then she looked at Steven. "And good blood circulation. Is a good thing." 

Steven's perverted mind went to a particular thought, but he quickly dismissed it. _Neh, she wasn't talking about _that.. _She was probably talking about good circulation throughout the whole body, in general._

"Okay, Garnet. You're next to be Steven's shadower. You two will be at the end while I lead the way."

Garnet nodded and walked over to Steven. He looked up at the tall, dark skinned beauty. Blushing under her stare. "...Mm.. so.. do you three.. do this often?" he tried to engage in small talk.

"As often as we must." was what she told him.

He didn't_ quite_ understand that. But he didn't want to pry more into it.

"Oh and Talc?"

"Yeah?" he looked into her hazel and blue eyes. Her expression, unreadable.

"Try not slip on the rocks and fall to your death." she said bluntly.

Well that certainly creeped him out. "Uh.. I'll try..?"

She looked at him.. before a small smile came across her face. She nodded. "Good."

"Hey! Hey! Come on you two! Pick it up! Pick it up!" Amethyst yelled from the side of the cliff. They couldn't even see her anymore. 

"Alright. Let's go." Garnet picked up the duffle bag and pulled the strap over her head and jogged ahead of him and down a small hill, only the top of her curly afro being shown as she turned a bin towards the edge of the cliff. Steven jogged after her. "Whoa!" he lost his footing, sliding down on the wet leaves and dirt as he slid down the hill. A few pebbles got under his foot, his flip flops flopping underneath his heel. He slid to a stop, and flicked away a few pebbles that had rolled towards his toes. Then he looked towards the ..terriffying waterfalls in front of him before running around a huge oak tree towards the bin. 

He wound the edge of the shrubbery filled cliff and before he knew it, he was already running off the cliff, the edge being a bit too narrow. He screamed, sliding down the dirt and shrub mixed wall just as two soft arms grabbed his torso, squeezing him tight and.. gently? all at the same time. His feet dangled in the air and he watched as rocks and dirt that he'd kicked in the process tumble and disappear into the abyss that was the deep waterfalls..

He looked up. Garnet didn't look pleased. 

_Uh oh.._

"I _told_ you not to slip and go to your watery death." she whispered harshly. 

"I uh.. didn't know the edge of the cliff was that narrow." he felt Garnet pulling him back up. Her soft chest pressed against his back.

She placed him back on the ground. "That's why you need to be more careful. You can't just _RUN_ off without knowing what's ahead." she put a finger in his face. "Know your routes."

He looked at her, feeling a tad bit embarrassed.

She looked at him for a bit longer and he shrunk in on himself. 

Moments later of her glaring at him and she leaned up slowly from him.. 

..and placed a hand on his hair, ruffling his curls. 

_..Wha?_

He looked up to see a small smile on her face. "Buuuut, at least you didn't pee your pants." she ruffled his hair a bit more before dropping her hand. 

_Pfft.. ruffling my hair like I'm some child.._

"Now, _do_ be careful next time. Keep close to the wall. Steer clear of slippery moss and find your footing." and with that she pivoted away from him and started jogging down the rocky, shrubbery mixed path down.

Steven looked at his foot, just a few inches away from the jagged edge of the cliffside. He took a couple more steps towards the wall and tried to jog as carefully as he could down the slippery path, trying his best to be mindful of the cracked, layered rocks ahead of him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all probably don't care one bit, lol, but the waterfalls and the whole rest of the area in general is an homage and a mixture of these three waterfalls:
> 
> Fall Creek Falls in Fall Creek Falls State Park in Van Buren, Tennessee/ and near Spencer, Tennessee
> 
> Soco Falls which is located between the towns of Maggie Valley and Cherokee in North Carolina and
> 
> Mingo Falls in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina


	18. Rock Climbing

The jog down to the base of the waterfall took a very long twenty five minutes. Garnet having slowed her place to be closer to Steven. She _was_ his shadower after all.. And during their little jog together, she'd given him a few tips on how to navigate through the wilderness, if anything were to happen and he would need to survive in the woods. And interesting things too. Like the 30/30 rule for lightning and bear proofing one's campsite.

Right as Steven and Garnet got nearer to the end of the clift and into flat ground, the air around them got chillier. Well, while they were halfway down the path, it was getting chillier then. But now, the temperature had dropped even more and the cool, moist wind nipped at his face. He shivered a bit. 

"Come, Talc. We're almost at the rock side." she jogged ahead. He didn't_ quite_ like that name.. yet? But the way Garnet says it made it a bit easier to digest.

He followed behind her, trying to ignore the wet leaves and mud now caked up on his toes and all around the edges of his feet. 

Once Steven got closer towards the waterfall, he could see Amethyst leaning on the cliff. Pearl was a few feet away from her, sitting down and doing a few more stretches to pass the time. This time she had one leg behind her head. Her other leg out and resting on the wet soil.

Amethyst kicked off the wall, her arms folded. "Took you two long enough."

"Sorry Amethyst." Garnet jogged to a stop and threw the duffle bag off of her back. "But we had a few minor set backs." 

"Of course you two did." her eyes went right to a heavily, heaaaavily panting and very, very, veeery sweaty and extremely exhausted Steven who was half jogging half power walking at this point, towards the three women. He stopped and slumped over, hands on his knees as he tried to take in some air. 

"Wow. And that was supposed to be an easy task.. Running for twenty, twenty five minutes should've been a piece of cake, even for a doughy boy like you." snarked Amethyst.

Steven dropped to his knees. Completely self conscious and embarrassed _again_ that that was supposed to be an "easy" task. He panted, eyes half opened as he saw Garnet taking out the last pieces of equipment out the bag and putting it with the other equipment on the ground. 

Pearl lifted her leg back over her head and got up and walked with Amethyst over to the equipment. Steven watched as all three women started hooking up the pieces together; thick ropes going here and there, through huge carabiner clips and straightening out other ropes inside of the harnesses and listening this rope and that and clipping that carbine clip there and and around. Then he saw them slide their harnesses up. More twists and rope going places, and knots were being tight here and there. It looked pretty intricate.

Then Amethyst looked at him. "Aye, Pillsbury. You done catching your breath yet? Get over here and put your harness on."

He huffed to his feet and wobbled over to the three, his legs already feeling like lead..

Amethyst handed Pearl the equipment. "Okay, so Pearl here" the lady managed to not make an audible noise of protest. "is going to help you with your harness. Come on Garnet. Let's do a bit of pyramid climbing to warm us up a bit."

The two headed towards the cliff as Pearl stomped over towards Steven. "Make sure everything doesn't have any knots in it." she said quickly in a very bored, monotone voice. Her icy stare to match her tense jaw. She quickly undid all the knots and made sure everything was untwisted. "Now put this on." she shoved the harness in his face. 

He was about to say something, but took a deep breath, calming himself back down. He took the harness and looked at it. He turned it slightly in his hands. Various materials were draped along it.

Pearl gave an aggravated sigh. "You're holding it the wrong way. Turn it back around. Right there." she stopped him. "Now, just put your legs in. Through there." she pointed at the two, not so obvious leg holes of the harness.

Steven started putting a leg in, looking up at Pearl to see if he was doing it right. "Now the other one." she growled. He put the other leg in.

"Okay, now let's be quick with this." she hissed out. She tugged the harness toward her to pull him closer and he almost tripped forward. "Keep your balance." she poked his chest to keep him steady. Then, in such a quick motion, she started tying up the ropes to the carabiners and pulling up and tightening the harness hard to his thighs and above his waist. He grunted. _Are these suppose to be this tight? I mean.. I guess if you don't want to fall out and land to your death.._

Steven looked up from her hands to the tense look on her face. The mixture of the sun's rays as it bleed through the trees seemed to brighten her face up even more. Yet at the same time, the cool, steamy water vapor coming from the waterfalls seemed to make more depth of her features somehow. She seemed to stand out more. Her pale skin taking in the warm rays of the sun. The foggy mist making her icy blue eyes even more mysterious. The whole outline of her face as the water crashed down behind her. Wow, was she a sight to see.

Pearl looked up and he blushed, looking right in her eyes. She gave an aggravated sigh again. "DON'T look at me! You should be paying attention to what I'm doing! You need. to learn. how to do this. on. your own."

"You, uh.. were going a bit too fast. I.. couldn't keep up."

"Well maybe YOU just need to focus a bit more!"

"What is your problem!" Steven snapped back. Why was she treating him like this? He's never done anything to her!

"My _problem_ is YOU!" she shouted.

"But I've never done anything to you!"

She looked like she was about to snap back with something else, opening her mouth, but instantly, she stopped and looked taken aback. Like she'd just realized something-

"Hey! Hey! Hey! What's going on down there!" Amethyst shouted from the cliff. She was hanging on to the cliffside. One leg a few feet up from the other one, her toes pressed hard against a divot in the rocky wall. Her hair and skin damp from the sprays of the waterfalls.

Pearl leaned back, smacking her teeth and rolling her eyes. "_He."_ she gestured at Steven with her chin. "still doesn't understand how to equip a harness."

"She was going too fast!"

"HE wasn't paying attention!"

"¡Ayyyyye, CARAMBA, you two! Acting like a bunch of children!" Amethyst used the rope to slide down the cliff. She landed near a moist patch of grass. "Yo, Talc. Come here. Pearl, start setting up and wait for us. Garnet can wait a little longer." The aforementioned muscular woman had reached a great distance above them. She'd found a good dip in the cliff that she could sit on. One hand keeping her steady as cold water of the falls poured over her. She looked totally unfazed about it. Her afro completely drenched and matted to her face. Her whole attire completely drenched and sticking to her skin. 

Steven took one last glance at Pearl glaring at him as he made his way around her and toward Amethyst. Pearl walked over to the cliff, not too far away from them as Steven walked over towards their boss. _His_ boss. Actually _their_ boss..

She looked at the harness tied tightly to him. "What da?" she tugged on the leg straps, then the pelvic strap and then the strap above his waist. "Why did you tie this harness like this? It's both way too high up _and_ way too tight." she started adjusting the leg straps, bringing them further down and loosening them up just a bit. "She was about to let you crush your family jewels, dude." 

"Of course she was.." he mumbled

"Yeah, I don't know what her problem is with you." then she turned around look at Pearl. "But she NEEDS to put an end to it." then she lowered her eyes at her. "pronto.."

The slim woman's expression went from anger to sadness. She turned away.

Amethyst went back to adjusting Steven's harness. "Anyway, did she at least tell you about the rope quality?" 

Steven shook his head.

"Of course she didn't." she growled out. "Okay, well it's simple." she slipped her hand under the pelvic strap, her hand pressing up way too close to his nads. The back of her thumb just barely grazing his pants. 

She smiled, flippng her hair back with her neck. "There's two things you need to decide when looking for climbing rope." she loosened the strap halfway before slowly pulling it back up and tightening it to the proper hold, her hand closer to his junk. "Length." she looked up at him, her eyes glued to his as her hands stayed near the front of his pants. She tightened the pelvic strap to a snugged position not too far from his jewels. "And thickness." she whispered.

He twitched in his shorts at the wordplay and quickly berated himself, hoping she didn't feel it.

She snorted. Whether because she _did_ feel it or because something else was funny to her, he didn't know.. but he was hoping it was the latter..

She quickly adjusted the waist strap, then pulled on the ropes of his harness. "See? Now these are the best kind of ropes to get." then she leaned into his ear. "A _long, thick_ rope gets the job done."

Another twitch in his pants. He shook is head. Yeah, he really needs to learn how to control his thoughts more. She was simply talking about the rope. That's it.

She snorted and leaned back. Then she tugged on the bottom of his harness. "Alright, so is your junk safely secured in here? The harness is fixed, but you could still squish them bad boys."

Well that certainly was a ...question.. but it made sense because of what he would be doing.. And a part of his balls _were_ hanging out a bit further towards the left of the pelvic strap, but he didn't think too much off it. Not only that, but a bit of mainly pride came over him. A _woman_ telling _him,_ a guy, how to tuck himself in? Pssht, yeah 'ard. "No, they're good."

She didn't believe him. She scoffed. "Pfft, alright, don't listen to me. But when you lose your footing and totally wail your sack or your weiner, don't go screaming like an opera chick." 

"Tsshh." he rolled his eyes. That strong sense of pride still in his gut.

"Alriiight, whatever. Don't say I didn't want you.." she told him. "See, a lot of the Crystal Gem guys who've done this rock climbing stuff for the first time had wrecked their sack, but hey, that doesn't apply to you because _you_ know what you're doing, right?" she mocked. 

"Yes." he said plainly.

"Hey man. You better watch your tone." she snapped. "_especially_ with me. Pride won't get you anywhere, unless you're _me."_ she jammed a finger at herself.

Steven sighed. "..Right.." yeah, he did have a .._bit_... Okay, a _lot_ of a pride problem..

"Mhm." Amethyst nodded. "Now, let's get you set up on the cliff here." she turned around to face the cliff. "Okay. So just watch me, while I do this."

Steven nodded.

Amethyst started setting the equipment up, putting up the ropes, carabiniers and other gadgets Steven had seen on nature shows in between the divots and cracks of the rocks. "Now. First thing's first. Use your toes, NOT your mid soles. Mid soles restrict your movement. If you use your mid sole, then you won't be able to pivot easily. Like this." Amethyst jumped up and grabbed a hold, putting her toes on two small rocks that had been shifted outwards. She moved her body from side to side, turning on her toes. Then she leaned up on one leg and climbed up to another point. "See? Easy movement. Easy pivot. But, if I were to use all of my feet." she slid her feet all the way on top of the protruding dirt mound She tried to pivot, but her foot was stopped by a bit of the clump. "See? It's not that efficient." she climbed up further. "Okay, now it's your turn."

"Um.." he looked at the slippery rock in front of him.

"Oh, wait, wait, wait." Amethyst slid back down then stood her body against the wall as she leaned forward. The rope holding her up. She dug into a small pack on her harness and took out a bag. "This may work just for a little while since the rocks are wet here. Nevertheless, this should still help you, even for a bit. Hold out your hand." Steven did what he was told and she poured a powdery, chalk-like substance all on his hands. "Don't want _too_ much of it." she told him. Then she poured some more of it on her own hands. "Alright, rub that all over the inside of your hands and fingers. We use this and sometimes the liquid kind for traction. Though I prefer the powdered one."

Steven rubbed the chalk on his hands and Amethyst put the bag back, then turned back around and Steven caught a glimpse of two whips on the back of her harness.. _So she always have that on her.. I wonder if Pearl and Garnet have their weapons too?.. Most likely.._"Okay. _Now_ let's go." he heard Amethyst say. "Pearl. Come here."

The woman climbed her way gracefully towards the two. She held onto a crack in the cliff and turned sideways to face them. Amethyst looked back down to Steven who still hadn't made his first step. "Pearl is still your shadower." the woman suppressed another groan. "she'll be your belayer. You know what a belayer is?"

He shook his head.

"To put it simply, belayers are in charge of keeping the lead climber safe. They prevent the climber from falling to their death."

Steven swallowed.

"As the lead climber starts climbing, the belayer has to make sure that the climber has just the right amount of rope either by paying out or pulling in the excess rope. If the lead climber falls, that's you Talc, you'll end up free falling the distance of the slack before the friction applied by the belayer, Pearl, starts to slow your descend. And do take note if you are to ever be a Belayer one day: Too much slack on the rope only increases the distance of a potential fall, but too _little_ slack on the rope may prevent the climber, you, from moving up the rock. So you see, it is VERY crucial for a belayer to closely and intently monitor the climber's situation. At all times. The role of the belayer is crucial to the climber's safety."

Steven looked up at Pearl's sinister stare. _SHE is in charge.. of MY well-being?!?! She's definitely going to let me fall to my death.. I just know it.. Man, why couldn't it be someone like Amethyst or, or GARNET! Heck, she already saved my life once!_

"Pearl's one of the the best, if not THE best belayer out of all the Crystal Gems." Amethyst said, as if reading his mind. "Someone like her would see to it that you get to the very top." Amethyst pointed towards the top of the waterfalls. He could barely see the top of it from the mist in the air. "Okay, so let's hook you two up." Amethyst winked at the word play and her and Pearl started working on the equipment. Steven moving with every tug and pull. Then they started anchoring the equipment, fixing one of the pieces to the ground and another one behind Pearl. 

"There." said Amethyst. "Also, if you feel like you're about to fall, shout out the word slack and Pearl will take over from there."

"O..kay."

Amethyst climbed up a bit so Steven could have more room to start. "Alright, let's see them limbs at work!" she cheered him on. 

He took a few shaky steps towards the cliff and lift up his foot to, what he thought was a good place to put it. He slipped and his foot went back down.

The two women shook their heads.

"Watch your footing, dude. And know your routes." said Amethyst. She stood straight up on the wall, the rope holding her securely. "Look ALL around you." she gestured with her arms. "There are a lot of arm and foot holds EVERYWHERE on this side of the cliff." then she turned to face him, still standing straight up on the wall. "Now. With what I told you. Do it again." she ordered him, with such force in her voice.

He looked around, looking at the caked up dirt, the various cracks both big and small, the jagged edges of rocks, plant life, roots, weeds and moss all around them. He found a few holds that looked to be pretty sturdy and took his step up. "Toes, man! Use your toes!" Amethyst corrected him. He straightened his foot, stepping on the jagged rock with his toes. Then he lifted his foot up to another rock. "Widen your stance. Think of a tripod. The wider your stance, the easier it will be to keep yourself balanced." Amethyst spoke up again. Steven moved the same leg again, this time, a bit further up and away from his first leg. "Yup. You got it. Keep going." 

Steven found another crack and went to grab it. The cold, slippery rocks on his bare fingers. He grunted, pulling himself up as he found a foot hold. He found another hold and pulled himself up slowly. Then another hand hold and a foot hold and pulled himself up. He let out a breath, seeing his breath in the cold air. Water that was already spraying on him from the moment he'd reached the falls had now started to drench his clothes. He was so cold. And stiff. Despite of all the stretching and running. 

"Hey! I didn't tell you to stop! Keep going!" she ordered.

He let out another breath and quickly tried to pull himself up, rushing in the process. He slipped and his chin and his right knee hit the rocks as he slid back down. His harness hiked up and pushed on his testicles and he winced.

Amethyst snorted. "Hurt your balls, didn't you? Told you that was going to happen if you didn't have them secured a certain way."

Steven looked away, embarrassed. His pride still brewing in him. "No, I'm fine.. They're fine.." he mumbled.. and lied. Now his whole left sack was wedged between the harness and his thigh. He didn't bother fixing it back in though. He didn't want her to know that she actually _was_ right.

"Hm. Ooookay then. Also, you were rushing and weren't paying attention. That's why you lost your footing." then a beat later. "AND you didn't yell out the word slack when you found yourself falling. _Oh yeah.. I totally forgot about that that quick.._

Then Amethyst turned around and started climbing up. "Vámanos." (Let's go)

Steven quickly to put his hand in his pants to fix himself, but stopped and looked at Pearl. 

She sighed, rolling her eyes as she looked away. "Look, just hurry up and fix yourself so we can get a damn move on." 

He quickly put his hand back in his pants and fixed himself through his boxers, putting them back in the middle of the harness. Then he pulled up his boxers a bit, to try and keep them up and more secured. He made mental note to get some _actual_ climbing shorts that would hold him in more.. 'Cause right now? The baggy boxers he had on was just going to move around again and it would only be a matter of time before his boys started moving back to whatever side of the harness again..

He hiked his sweatpants up then went to the same footing he'd held on to the first time and slowly started his climb up. With every pull up and pivot, he found himself more and more cold, wet and tired.. And he barely made it a few feet up. He continued slowly up, somehow feeling the icy stare of Pearl behind him. He didn't bother looking back.

Once he was a good distance up, Pearl started climbing up behind him, being his belayer, but not caring or paying too much attention to his sloppy climbing.

With just a few minutes of climbing, he was only a quarter up the two huge waterfalls. He looked around, both taking in the beautiful sight of nature aaaand taking a breather. He saw a lone, white butterfly flutter on by him. He turned his head to see it fly up and disappearing into the mist. He took a few more breaths in the cold air, and continued his ascend on the cold, bone chilling rocks. 

He took just one more arm up, stretching himself all the way up. He grunted, and jumped, hitting his cheek on the wall as he barely grabbed a hold of a crack. One of his feet slipped on a cracked rock and his leg dangle, a part of his balls sliding back out and between the harness and his thigh again. He sighed, trying to find a proper footing. He managed to find one on a pointed stone out of a crack.

Amethyst saw that. "Yo! You're going to end up pulling something! Use more of your legs to push up!" she shouted above him. "Look! Like this!" she pushed up with one leg as she raised her arm up to grab hold of a rock. "See? I'm not just _pulling up_ with my arms. I'm using my legs to give me that extra leverage, that extra height and more momentum to get to the other hold."

He nodded, his cheek still hurting from the impact. _At least he didn't hit the side of the gash on his face.._He continued with his climbing.

She watched him for a bit. "Straight arms! Straight arms! You won't get fatigued as fast!" he straightened out his arms and continue yes his climb. "There you go! And shift the core of your body on the highest foot! Yeah! You're getting it!"

Steven huffed, trying to remember everything that Amethyst had told him. Use your toes, legs apart, arms straight, shift your core on the highest foot and most importantly. Don't crush your nads.. or fall to your death.. The other two, being his own advice.

He continued up the hill, feeling every last once of energy leave his body. He started struggling. His arms wobbling to pull his self up to the next hand hold. He panted, grunting to pull himself up once more to get to the next crack way above his head. Then he remembered what Amethyst said and started stretching with his legs and kicking his feet apart for stability. Then he shifted his body weight to the highest foot, swinging his body up to the next hold. _YES!_ Then he looked up. Amethyst wasn't watching and his expression dropped. _Of course she wasn't looking that time.._

He stayed in that position to get a breather, trying to catch his breath a bit. A few moments later, he heard.. sound of some sort. But he couldn't make out what it was. The sound of the rapid waterfall just a mere few feet beside him was drowning out the sound.

He ignored the.. rustling? or.. crackling? sound and took a few breaths and pulled himself up, stretching up with his legs to get to the other handhold. He let go of the hole in the cliff and grabbed a stone and pulled himself up, pass the crack he'd had his hand in just a few minutes ago.

He hoisted himself up to the next hand hold for his other hand and pulled up, his head meeting up with the crack in the wall.. to see a huge rattlesnake staring right at him. The rustling/crackling sound which he now found out was actually a _rattling_ sound coming from it's tail echoed through the small cave-like hole.

He screamed and let go, immediately plummeting down the sharp rocks as he hit and skinned his legs, knees and hands across them. He screamed louder, this time because he was free falling to his immediate death. _That word! What was it! But.. Shouldn't Pearl help me whether I shout it out or not?! I know she sees me falling!!_" Shack! Stack!!" he screamed, going faster and faster down towards the mist. "Stack!! Stack!! Shellack!! I'm FALLING!!" he shouted out.

"PEARL, YOU HEAR HIM! GIVE HIM SOME SLACK!!" Amethyst snapped at her.

The woman gave him slack as she was hoisted up by him. Steven tumbled down before finally stopping abruptly. The harness hiked up, his sack getting pinched underneath/behind the harness. A shot of immense pain shot up from his testicals, to his stomach and throughout his whole body as he grunted out, trying to adjust the harness away from his balls. The dead weight of him being in mid air only pinched his self into the harness even more. More pain shot up from his testicles. He couldn't move, _ trying_ to come down from the pain.. that didn't seem to be letting up. He just stayed there, dangling along on his harness.

Then he heard a stomp along the cliff behind him. Then another stomp and another. Someone was jumping down to meet him. 

Amethyst jumped down further in front of him. "Oooooooo.... that was a nasty fall." he could tell she was trying to hold in that "told you so" face.

"Yeah." he whimpered out in a high pitched voice.

Then she started laughing in his face. "Dude, I think you destroyed your sack. You betta check 'em when we get up the Spire."

Yeah, that definitely wasn't a bad idea. He didn't know what was up up down there. He'd never wailed his sack like that before.. And the pain that he was feeling was immense.. 

Then he quickly just noticed that she said something about the Solar Ground Spire. He was just way too tired and exhausted to go ALL the way back up. And he was barely halfway before he fell! And then there was the pain between his legs.. 

_Yeah, I'm out for the count.. I can't make that climb.._

Pearl jumped down and stopped just a few feet above them.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT, PEARL!! LOOK, I KNOW YOU DID THAT ON PURPOSE!"

"Amethyst, something was wrong with the anchor." her voice sounded so fake and innocent. "Then there was a bit of a jam with the-"

"Yeah, no. I don't buy it. YOU knew what you were doing! You damn well know how to trouble shoot these things. This was just YOUR own fault."

Pearl looked to be on the verge of saying something. Her eyes glossy. "I.."

In such a quick movement, Steven didn't think she could even move, Amethyst ran the side wall towards Pearl, slamming her to the wall. She held her chin up with her hand, forcing her too look at her. "You listen to me. And you listen good..You will NOT bring your personal issues. To this group." she whispered in a dark tone. She breathed out in her face. "You pull a stunt like this again...y me aseguraré de ponerte seis pies bajo tierra.." 

Pearl's eyes went wide at that and Amethyst let go, pushing her face away. "Remember your place, Pearl." 

"Y, yes.. Amethyst." she looked up at her. Amethyst glared at her for long moment before jumping back to the side over to Steven. "Alright. Now, let's get you fixed here." she pulled him by the waist towards the cliff, the harness pushing more on his testicles. Steven placed his feet back on the cliff side and Amethyst quickly loosened the pelvic strap. He let out a breath.

Garnet came stomping towards them, completely drenched from top to bottom. "Talc! You survived." she said it in such a way that was a mixture of relief, mock and coo all at once. 

"Yeah, but his balls sure didn't." Amethyst snickered.

Steven blushed in embarrassment, looking at Garnet. "I mean.. they're.. starting to feel better now.." he lied.

"Ah, okay then." Garnet's expression went neutral. Her mouth a thin line. "Well, since you're fine, I guess you don't need me to carry you up there. You can just. cliiiiimb up there yourself." her voice seemed to be a bit of mocking tone.. but she kept a straight face. Steven didn't know if she was being serious or what. "You.. were going to carry me.. All the way up there?" he looked up towards the towering falls.

"Well, yeah. I've carried boxes on my back heavier than you before tons of times." _Wow, she's incredibly strong._ Then he remembered her stretching. _Incredibly strong _ and _flexible._

"Alright, I don't think he's going to admit it." she climbed up towards Garnet. "So Garnet, I'm ordering you to take him up there." 

The woman nodded. 

Amethyst swung down towards Steven's face. "Whoa!" he closed his eyes and covered his face with his arm as rock and dirt cascaded down and over him. He waited to make sure the debris was completely gone and looked up. Amethyst was in front of him, her legs out on either side of him so she wouldn't crash into him. The whole pelvic area of her pants right at his face. "And Talc. I order you to get on Garnet's back so she can take you up there."

He kept his eyes up from her pants. Okay." 

Amethyst grinned down at him. "Good." then she slowly began stepping up and away from him. "Then I'll see you two in the Spire." with that, she turned and started climbing up.

Pearl, apparently at some point had climbed up far away from them and was resting on a wedged rock in the cliff.

Garnet swung down closer to him. "Okay, Talc." she said softly and welcoming. Like how a mother would speak to a child to get them excited to leave the house. "Hop on." she smiled and he absolutely loved looking at her dimples.

He slowly got on and the coldness from her damp, wet clothes sent chills throughout his stomach, arms and legs.

"Yeah, sorry." she chuckled. "It's not going to be the most _comfortable_ ride ever."

Oh he begged to differ. Yes, he was cold.. and wet.. but her body itself was just so soft to the touch. He practically melted, laying his head on her cold, soft back. "Yeah, that's okay." he eventually said. "I don't mind it." and he really didn't. 

Garnet chuckled again. Her laugh.. like absolute honey.. "Okay then. Well, without any further ado." she shifted her foot on a better foot hold. "just hang oooon." she started climbing up and Steven held on a bit tighter, being careful not to squeeze her to hard. 

The two climbed pass Pearl who was staring at them with sad eyes. Garnet waved to her, then started her climb again. Steven took a glance at Pearl. "Hey Garnet?.. Can I.. ask you something personal?" Pearl looked at Steven. But instead of glaring at him like she usually did, she just simply, looked away.

"As long as it's nothing _too_ personal, sure." she said gently.

"Do you.." he paused. Then started again. "Do you.. know why Pearl hates me so much?" he watched as the slim woman started climbing up with agile ease.

"No." Garnet shook her head. Her damp hair rubbing Steven's forehead. Droplets of water shook from her curls and dropped into his hair and slid down his face. A few droplets getting into his eyes. He blinked them away. "Pearl." then she took a moment to think about what to say. "has been through quite a bit.." then another moment to think. "we all have.." she said with such sadness and sorrow in her voice.

"Really?"

Garnet nodded. More water droplets fell on his forehead and trailed down his already wet cheeks. "Yeah." she whispered. "The Crystal Gems loves to take in people such as us. Pearl, me.." a pause. "Amethyst.. and even you, Talc."

He looked up at her, even though he couldn't see her face. "..Me?"

"Yeah. Someone who's hit hard times.. Struggling to survive. Not truly knowing their place in the world or what to do.." there was another beat of silence. "You're lost.. Just like us..Lost and without knowing your purpose so you just, live life doing whatever you feel like.. though no matter what you do, you still have that.. empty, yearning feeling for something more.. And it's an everyday cycle. You want to better your life.. And so you've chose this life. A job filled with so much distraction and adrenaline so you won't have to focus on your own true life in front of you and your own future." 

"Wow, Garnet.. That was.. that was deep." he held on to her tighter. Not because he was afraid to fall.. but he figured she needed a hug. Though she probably didn't notice and just figured he was holding on to not fall from her. 

"Yeah, well.. I've had a lot of time to think." and that's all she said, continuing her climb up.

Steven hesitated. That possibly too personal question to ask, right on the edge of his tongue. He swallowed. "Garnet?"

"Hm?"

"Did you.. ever.. think about leaving?"

The lady stopped, then proceeded within a second. Whether she stopped to find another hand hold or was shocked by the question, Steven couldn't tell.

She continued climbing in silence.. And just when Steven was about to apologize for asking a personal question, she stopped and turned her head and looked down at him. Craning her head down to a certain point so her blue eye could be looking somewhat at him. Steven looked at it. Her glass, blue eye obscuring her true feelings like that of her actual eye if he'd been looking at it instead. It was beautiful, but lifeless and cold all at the same time..

Her mouth was closed tightly and her jaw clenched.. Then, after a few moments and it loosened. "No." she said softly and went back to her climbing.

She continued to climb up in silence and Steven was about to let her have her quiet.. But Pearl was just still stuck in his mind. "I still don't know what her personal life has anything to do with me though.." 

"Perhaps when she's ready Talc. She will tell you. But you cannot rush these sort of things.. It takes time." then she took a breath, whether because she needed a breather, he didn't know. "and trust.." Steven watched Pearl jump up high to a jagged stone and swung to the side, moving and shifting the momentum all the way to the side and swinging her body like a pendulum towards the other side and jump off and grabbing hold to a deep crack in the cliff. "And perhaps sooner than later. She'll tell you.. in confidence." Steven continued to watch Pearl jump and pivot on every hold, gracefully and quick and with just sooo much ease. "Yeah.. maybe you're right Garnet." then he laid his head on her ice cold, drenched back. "Maybe you're right."

Garnet didn't say anything back. She just continued climbing.

With the sudden silence, Steven couldn't help but feel that he opened a can of worms at Garnet.. The woman's silence didn't seem like silence after a casual talk. A sort of, calm silence. This silence seemed to be carrying weight with it somehow.. He moved his head up, still laying his head on her back. "..Garnet?" 

He felt her slow down and immediately picked up at her pace again. "..Mhm?"

"Thanks.. for the little talk. I.. didn't mean to upset you in any way, if I did."

"No, Steven. That's fine. You didn't upset me." she climbed in silence again.

Steven didn't wholly believe her, but he didn't bother prying more into it.

Garnet climbed up a few rocks in her silence for a couple minutes before stopping. She didn't bother looking back down to him. "Talc?"

He quickly lifted his head back up. "Yes?"

She stayed there. Silent. And Steven waited for her to say something.. And waited.. And waited.. And then.. "Never mind." she told him. "It's nothing, never mind.. Sorry." she picked back up on her climbing.

Steven didn't press on. He laid his head back on her back and gave her another hug, disguised as him holding on for support. _Maybe like her, in time, she too, will tell me what's truly upsetting her.. Maybe all three of them will...I mean, I still do have this hard to explain gut feeling about them after all.._


	19. Solar Ground Spire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah.. I know rattlesnakes dwell in warm, hot environments and definitely not in.. icy areas, but eh, let's just imagine that they can in this fic xP

The whole climb up was in silence, say for the rapid water of the waterfalls and the cries of various tree critters scurrying and flying and crawling about.

It took, what Steven felt _had_ to have been more than forty, forty five minutes until they neared the very top of the falls.

Garnet pulled them up to flat land and walked a few feet before lowering Steven back into the ground. He slid off her back. "Thanks.. for the ride Garnet." he said shyly.

She still had a sad look in her eyes.. Perhaps from the talk earlier? She smiled at him, though it didn't reach her eyes. "No problem, Talc." _Okay, maybe it was because of that talk from earlier, but just hearing the name.. had a bit of warmth to it just now.. Or maybe because Garnet was saying it.. Or maybe because he was actually getting used to the name already.. Or a mixture of all three?_

"Well, let's get these harnesses off." she said, unbuckling and untwisting the ropes from her harness. It dropped to the ground and she stepped out of the loops. Steven was still trying to undo the first knot of the rope. He smacked his teeth, tugging on the knot. "I can't.. quite-"

"Here. Let me help you with that." 

Steven let go and watched as Garnet started to undo all of the knots and untwist the ropes of the harness. It fell to the ground and he stepped out. 

"The Spire is just a few feet away." she said.

The two left the equipment on the ground along with the other harnesses that were left by Amethyst and Pearl just a few minutes prior.

They walked towards a huge gaping hole in the ground. A few small streams from the river had made a oath towards the hole and small streams of water poured down from them and into the hole. Steven watched the current of the river flood down making it's way down the first waterfall. Then he looked up. The top of the river was obscured under thick trees and thorned vines. Luscious bushes piled up on either edge of the huge river.

Garnet stopped at the very edge of the hole and Steven slowed his pace down as he got near the edge. He looked down to see the very pointed tip of the spire stretching up towards them. "Wait.. So.. we had to go _all_ the way up.. Just to.. go back down?" 

"Not all the way down. The entrance of the Spire is directly above the twin waterfalls. We would only be going half way down." 

"Yeah, but, still. ALL the way up, just to come back down though?" it just didn't make sense to him.

"There's a tactic method to it all." said Garnet. Then she crouched down. "Okay, you'll have to get on my back once more. With the equipment not installed in your flip flops yet, you can't properly jump and land from very tall heights."

"You all, have some kind of super powered shoes too?!" he swung his leg over Garnet's back and held on. 

Garnet stood up, holding onto his legs. "Indeed. Both the shoes and all of our clothes, in general. Including the jogging suit that you have on and your Crystal Gem shirt."

"WHAT?!"

"Heheh, yup. There are a lot of weapons and equipment that are only known to us. And day after day we have our techies at the base trying to make better equipment."

"Wow.. That's so cool." he breathed out.

"Ehm.." she chuckled. "You get used to it really." she held his legs close to her. "Hold your legs tight to me like this. Okay. Here we go!" she jumped up and started to free fall. Cold air and water droplets from Garnet's fro hit his face. It was like being in a drop roller coaster as the rush of cold air hit his lungs. He held his breath and looked around with half opened eyes. Ice.. or.. crystals? walls were surrounding them.

Garnet held her legs and arms out and he felt them slow down. Then within the mist, he could barely make out the glass-looking floor as they approached it.

Garnet turned her body upwards and pulled her legs up slightly, her hands still out. Even though Garnet knew what she was doing, Steven couldn't help but close his eyes and brace for impact.

The woman landed on the ground with barely a buckle of her knees giving in. Her hands plastered apart and in front of her on the cold flooring. Then she got up from her crouched position. "Alright Talc. Here we are." 

He slid off of her, as he looked around. A tall, ice sculptured tower right in the middle of the enclosure loomed over them, resembling that of a lighthouse. A river of water fell.. from somewhere out the side of it.

"Is that.. all ice?" the soft rays of the sun reflected off the ice and the point of the spire far above them. The light riccheted off of the glassy material and further down towards them to a certain point before the mist and the cold shadows swept over it. The rays not even reaching them at ground level. Which made Steven wonder why it was called the _Solar_ Ground Spire and not something obvious like.. Ice Castle Spire or.. something more fitting such as that.

"Yup. Every last bit of it. Yeah, it's an odd phenomenon, this place. Why ice is produced only in this particular area." Garnet started walking towards it and Steven followed her. "Yeah, it is pretty weird.. But also pretty cool." it took him a few seconds of walking towards the castle to realize they were actually walking to another edge. "Wait.. is this another.. edge?"

"MmmmmHM." she hummed proudly. "Just another one of our tactics." 

Steven looked at the river of water from the side of the castle again and followed it down, over the edge to see the rushing water below. They were just a couple stories up from the top of the two huge waterfalls. The rapid waters looking fierce and dark and deadly as ever, shadowed by the towering castle. He took a few steps back. "Uh.. so.. how do we.. get to the other side?" 

"Well, each of us have our own way of getting across. Amethyst uses her whips to wrap one of the pillars." she gestured at the opened spire. "Pearl uses her spear to catapult herself across. And _I_ jump and latch on to the side structure, pulling myself up with." she put her hands behind her back and in an instant pulled them back out. "These puppies." brass knuckles that he'd never seen before were clamped securely around her whole hand and a part of her wrists. Four incredibly sharp spikes protruded from them. This one was different than the brass knuckles he'd seen before.. Perhaps she has more than one for certain situations? 

Steven looked at the castle on the other side, then back at Garnet and her brass knuckles. "But.. how would _I_ be getting across?"

"Hm." Garnet nodded then quickly jumped off the edge.

"Hey! Hey! What are you doing!" Steven ran but stopped right at the edge. 

Garnet put her arms out, the jogging suit spreading out like that of a wingsuit as she glided towards the structure. Her brace knuckles spiked through the icy structure and she placed her feet on it for stability. Then she turned around. "You'll have to figure that out on your own!" she shouted from far away.

"But.. But how?! I can't jump that far like you did just now! I don't have those kind of shoes yet! And.. and I don't have any weapons yet!"

"Then you better think of something quick!" she demanded. She turned her head up and started spike climbing her way up to the structure.

"Aw man.. How do I even do this now?" he asked himself. He started pacing back and forth, looking around the icy interior of the enclosure. Then he looked across from his self and looked at the pillars. _Man, if this was a cartoon I could easily just tie my jogging shirt and my pants together, forming a rope and with some cartoon magic, just throw them and wrap them around a hole in one of the spires and just jump off and pull myself up. But nooooo. This is real life.. No cartoon magic here.. Just gravity.. and deadly waters.. _ He looked over the edge again to see the rapid waters before walking away from the edge.

He started pacing back and forth again, in thought. "Okay, new Crystal Gem Steven. Think. You can't super jump and land from tall heights like them.. Neither do you have any weapons like them... Nor are you sturdy and powerful as well... But dang NABBIT you're STILL an official Crystal Gem no less!" he smacked a fist into his palm. "And this Crystal Gem is going to make it across!" he looked around the sparkling, icy enclosure. "I just have to think outside the box... Hmmm... Ice..." He looked up at the ceiling. Huge ice spikes hung from the glassy ceiling. 

"Hmm.. okay, okay.." he nodded, rubbing his chin. He looked back at the structure underneath of the castle where Garnet had struck it. Deep lines trailed vertically on the walls from other previous times. He turned away, looking at the glinting, shiny ground below him. "Hmmm..." he took a step and started moving his foot up and down. Slippery. "That could.. possibly work?" he said, trying to form his game plan.

He looked around again. Ice picks that had fallen laid scattered about the floor all around him. "Okay... Alright that.. that could actually work." he said to himself. He jogged over to a few piles of ice picks, trying to find the biggest one. He picked up one huge, tall one and two of the sharpest ones he could find. 

He shifted the largest piece of ice spike to his main hand and held the two sharpest spikes in the other.

He turned his body towards the edge and took a deep breath. "Okay, Universe. You got this." he took a few steps forward before going to a full on sprint. "Yooouu goooot thiiiiiiis!!" his flip flops tapped and flopped on the slippery flooring, the edge just a few feet in front of him. He held up the largest spike, trying hard not to drop the other two in his hand.

"Here I gooooOOOO!" Right before he reached the edge he slammed the ice pick into the ground, pushing up and off of it with as much force as he could put out. "YAAAAAHHHHH!!" he was in mid air for just a second..

Then, he plummeted straight down, falling quickly towards the water. "Nnnn!! AAHHHHHH!!!" he flailed in the air, trying to activate the suit like Garnet did. He watched as the waters churned and crashed below him. He started deep breathing, still trying to open the suit up. Nothing happened. He lean his body forward, trying to glide towards the structure. "Come oooooon!!!" Cold hair bite at his face and stung his eyes as he got closer to the top of the falls. He could feel himself picking up more speed. The end of the structure piercing through the icy waters. The falls rising higher and higher with every crashing wave.. And he could avoid it all if he could just.. get.. a little.. closerrrr...

He stretched out his arms, the sharp ice spikes in each hand. "Almooost theeeere." he said through his teeth. Ice shards splashed up from the choppy waters, hitting him in the face as he got closer to the water.

He leaned further, just a few inches between him and the structure.. until finally, he pierced the wall with one of the spikes. He quickly swung his other arm, hitting the structure with the other spike. He took a few panting breaths, as he hung there, just a few yards up from the water. Something caught his eye and he lifted his head back. There was a small opening just a few feet beside him. He took a few more breaths and took one spike out and ice picking another spot. He huffed, taking out the other spike and doing the same with his other hand, trying to make his way to the opening. 

He pulled the ice spike out again and jammed it into another part of the wall. Just as he was about to pull the other ice spike out, the one he'd just jammed into the structure started ripping further down through the ice. "Whoaa." Steven tried to take the spike back out, but it was wedged in deep. It slid more through the ice. "Oh no, oh no, oh no." he took the other pick out and jammed it into another spot, then that one too, started sinking deeper and sliding down. He tried to push up with his feet, but both ice spikes cracked further into the ice. He was stuck.. Until he tried to pull himself back up. The ice cracked in front of him and the two spikes peeled down the wall and Steven found himself rushing down down towards the water. He screamed, trying to get some traction as he pushed his feet up against the wall.

He slid all the way down, his feet coming into contact with the icy, rough waters. He slid down more to a stop. His waist on down being caught in the rapids. Ice and slush churned around him and the chilling air made it hard for him to breath. 

He tried moving the ice spike again and this time, he was able to pull it out of the wall. He ice picked his way to the left to get out of that particular area of the wall and to get right underneath of the hole in the structure. The rough waters nearly pushed him back, but he managed to hold on. He took a few more breaths, seeing his breath in front of him. 

He grunted, pulling himself slowly out of the water. He took another few breaths and took a few more spikes up to free his legs. The water churn and splashed into him, pulling his legs down with the current. One of the flip flops being taken off and getting carried away. "Oh no! Connie's flip flop!" _Damn.. I'm definitely going to get an earful when I get home.._ Then he thought. _ If I make it home..If I even make it out of here._ He grunted, taking spike after spike up the icy wall, huffing and puffing as he tried to continue pushing himself up. 

His arms started to get tired. Him constantly pulling back the ice spike and jamming it back in the wall with enough force was wearing on him. He looked up. The hole was just a few inches from the last spike he'd pierced into the structure. He took the other spike and ran it into the wall, the spike sinking all the way into the wall. "Aw man!" he tried to poke his fingers through the cracks to get the spike. He couldn't. 

The spike he was holding onto tilted with the added weight. "No, no no!!" he pushed up with his feet and pulled his self up, the spike breaking in half. He jumped and grabbed ahold of the ledge and slowly pulled himself up. He grunted, pulling and rolling his body over the ledge. He took a few quick breaths then continued crawling, his stomach sliding across the cold ice.

The floor wasn't too far from him and he slowly turned himself around and slid down, his hands on the opposite side of the ledge now. And slowly he slid his fingers from the edge and dropped to the floor right on his back. "Ahh." he got up slowly, rubbing his back.

There was a rattling sound. Actually, multiple rattling sounds. And he knew exactly what it was too.. 

He turned around slowly to see hundreds of rattlesnakes in front of him. _That's not good..._ A handful of the rattlesnakes started to slither towards him and he started to step back until his back was against the wall. _AW MAN, I DEFINITELY WISH I HAD A WEAPON NOW!!_ "GARNET!! AMETHYST!!" he shouted out. The snakes were steadily to coming towards him and he started flailing his arms and stomping and making loud noises. They only stopped for a few moments before slithering their way towards him again.

He inched his way back, sliding against the wall, and keeping a close eye on the snakes. He took a few more steps back and tripped and fell over something. He quickly got up and stepped away. It was a huge, circular grey, flat pan of some sort. Like what one would cook pizza on. Steven quickly picked it up, shielding himself with it. More snakes started slithering faster towards him. 

"Get away!!! Aw. way!!" he held the ..pizza cooking pan looking thingy.. in his hands and started swinging it, trying to scare them away. That only made them slither on towards him even faster as more rattlesnakes joined the group. 

Then he saw an incredibly huge snake right beside him. His jaws open as his head neck tilted back towards it's body. "Oh NO you don't." Steven shifted his hand around the thin pan and used his upper body to tackle the pan into the snake. 

"WHOA! WHOA! HEY! STOP THAT!!" he heard Amethyst's voice shout. He got up off the floor. The snake started twisting and turning in pain, while all of the other snakes started to slither towards her. 

"AMETHYST! WATCH -huh?.."

Steven saw the woman petting the snakes on their heads as she made her way towards the stunned one on the floor. She knelt down to it, petting it's head.. "Ay.. mi pobrecito.¿Te ha pegado bien, eh?" (Oh, my poor thing. He got you good, huh?) she spoke softly to it. 

Steven couldn't believe what he was looking at as the snakes started slithering and huddling around her.

"Alright you ravishing reptiles. We have food!" said Garnet walking through the doorway. She had two huge boxes in her arms. Pearl walked in after, not too far from her. She also carried two huge boxes in her arms. The two started opening the boxes up and started putting dead rodents on the thin pans on two sides of the room. The rattlesnakes started to slither away from Amethyst and towards their food on either side of the room, making a clear path right to the exit door.

Steven still couldn't believe what he was seeing. _So these are.. their pet rattlesnakes?!.._

"Mind if I burrow that?" Garnet asked, pointing at the pan in his hand. He didn't say anything, just handing it to her while he stood there wide eyed. "Thank. you." she walked back towards one of the sides of the room.

The rattlesnake beside Amethyst started to move around again, seemingly not in pain anymore. She pet it on it's head. Then looked up, glaring up at Steven. "Good going, Talc. I almost lost him."

He finally snapped out of it "I! I didn't know they were your pets! I'm sorry!"

"Um, Amethyst. If I could speak on his behalf." Amethyst shot a glare at Garnet and the woman was hesitant, before saying slowly. "He's new.. He couldn't had possibly known that the spire habors guard snakes." she placed the last dead rodent on the pan as she sat criss cross applesauce. One diamondback was sliding down her head and on to her shoulder and another was sliding off her lap to get to the last dead mouse. It's tongue flickering.

Amethyst looked back at Steven. "Hm.. yes." she got up. "I guess I'll let you off the hook this time." 

Steven let out a breath of relief.

"And moving on from what just happened.. I _did_ want to tell you that I'm quite impress with you."

"What did I do?"

"Garnet, Pearl and I were watching you from the sidelines. We were curious how you would get across. IF you were going to even get across in the first place." she smiled proudly. "And I must say. Utilizing both Pearl's way and Garnet's way to try and get across was pretty smart. Though I think if you'd use _my_ method, you would've been more successful and not eventually having to take an ice cold dip in the water." she snickered, looking at his waist on down, completely soaked from the water. "AND you lost your girl's flip flop. Good going, Pillsbury." he ignored the name calling.

"I don't have a whip like you though.. And you three were looking at me falling but didn't even help me?!?!" _Well, Pearl he could understand.. but the other two?! Actually, Amethyst was pretty iffy... But Garnet?!?! ..Unless she was ordered not to.._

"Aye, we told you about the 'every Crystal Gem for themselves rule' back at the "shack"." she made air quotes. "Which is obviously just our code name for the weaponry room, by the way. Just in case you somehow didn't realise that." Well he _did_ see all of the weapons in the room.. but he didn't know there was a code name for it.. But if that's a weaponry room.. What's behind those four doors? ..More weaponry? Or something more?

Amethyst continued. " 'Every Crystal Gem for themselves'." she said again. "And that includes during your training period." 

_Damn, these women are brutal.. no mercy at all._He looked from Amethyst to the other two. He just nodded numbly.

"Alright, well now that that has been established. _Again._ Let's head all the way up to the top."

The rattlesnakes started to slither away, quickly into the cracks of the ice, leaving the room. Amethyst looked at the other two, then pulled up her sleeve and looked at her Rolex. "Yeah and fast." She quickly left out the room and Garnet, Pearl and Steven ran out with her. "Hey. What was that all about back there?" he asked, for anyone to answer.

Garnet and Pearl only looked up at Amethyst. She turned around looking at them, then looked at Steven. "They left the building."

Steven started to get a bad feeling about .. something.. "..Why?" 

She turned back around. "Because they're smart." was all she said and turned her attention back to where she was running.

That.. wasn't quite the answer he wanted to hear.. But he didn't dare ask anything further. 

The four of them ran up a spiral staircase and Steven took that time to look at more of the icy interior of the castle. And honestly it was.. rather plain looking. No weaponry, no furniture, no ice sculpted into furniture or anything. Just, plain, flat ice all around.. What made this place so special? 

Amethyst looked at her watch again and picked up her pace.

They made it to the top of the Spire in a very long twenty minutes and Steven saw a river rushing the opposite way and down. _That must've been the river I saw earlier from the side of the tower that was falling down to the main waterfalls..Would I have to somehow get across that by myself as well?-_

Garnet ran ahead of them and ran towards a pillar not connected to the ceiling. She crouched down, spinning her body counter clockwise with a leg out in a low roundhouse kick, kicking the bottom of the pillar. The ice cracked from the blow. Then she got up and tackled it, the pillar falling to the other side. "Ah, I always love doing that." 

"Good job, G." said Amethyst. She ran pass her and across the pillar to the other side. Then Pearl ran across and Steven ran up to the woman. "That was some kick, Garnet. How did that not hurt your legs?" _or break them... But he didn't dare say that._

"Lot's of kick boxing practice." then a beat later. "Also, these shoes." she raised her foot and pointed at her heels. "The material can cut through just about anything. There are also these Gemtech shocks to help cushion the blow, so I don't feel as much of the impact." 

"Man I can't wait to get those shoes." he looked at them starry eyed. 

"Hey! Come on! What's the hold up!" Amethyst yelled from the other side.

Garnet put her foot back down. "We're coming Amethyst." she ran across the pillar and jumped off.

Steven looked at the water just a few inches underneath of him. It wasn't as choppy as the ones from the falls; nevertheless, the current was still there and that would be all he need to just fall in and get carried along with the current and let the current drop him to the choppy waters of the falls. 

He threw his leg around the pillar and began scooting along it, slowly. Literally freezing his balls off on the ice.

"Come on! Try to use your feet! You're going to have to learn how to walk and run on those kind of things when the situation asks for it!" Amethyst shouted. "Get up!"

He was only half way across. "But-"

"We don't have time for that! Pick up your legs! Let's go!"

He sighed, getting up slowly. He wobbled a bit before taking a step to keep his balance. He looked up at the group. 

"Good! Now _move! Hurry up!"_

He took a few slippery steps, trying to keep his balance. He looked down at the water. "Don't look down! Come on!"

He looked back up and took a few more steps and slipped. "AAHHH!!" he screamed out, running the rest of the way. He slipped a second time, from the side of the pillar and jumped. His bare foot dipping into the icy water. He quickly got up and ran towards the group and stopped, panting. 

Amethyst was shaking her head. "You're pretty clumsy AND not too coordinated." she insulted him.

He looked down.

"Buuuuut."

He looked back up to see a sly smile on her face.

"That's why we're here after all. To train you."

He waited a bit to say something, still a bit upset with himself. "Yeah.. so.. what's the training going to be like? You three are going to teach me some moves?"

"Why, Steven." she acted shocked, putting a hand on her chest. "Some moves? Why, you haven't even taken us on a date yet."

For a quick second he didn't understand what she meant until it clicked. He blushed. "Uh.."

"Dude, I'm kidding, I'm kidding. But yeahhh, to answer your question, we didn't come here to do a bit of exercise with lame push ups or whatever. This ain't a gym. We're doing something more extreme." 

"What kind of.. 'extreme'?" 

"Seeing how fast we can escape a falling castle extreme. 

"Wait! What!?"

And as if on cue, the castle started rumbling under them. Amethyst looked at her watch. "Right on time." Then she pressed a few buttons on the side of her watch. "Alright everyone. Let's see if we'll make it out alive or not." 


	20. Shake and Tumble

Steven was scared out of his mind, feeling the spire rock from side to side. He looked at the three ladies for any clue or help of some sort. They each took out their weapons; whips, brass knuckles and spear in hand. They looked at Steven ..who.. had no weapon.. or special moves..

"Talc. Stay close to us." said Amethyst. "And pay very close attention to what we do."

He nodded.

They heard a crack above them and a piece of the ceiling fell towards them. They three jumped back and Steven barely flailed out the way, on the opposite side. He fell and slid on his stomach.

The fallen piece crashed into the floor, cracking the floor. More cracks started to trail from the collision spot and throughout the floor and up the walls.

Steven got up slowly. The large piece of ice was blocking him from the Crystal Gems. "Talc! Mind the cracks and wall jump towards us!" Amethyst shouted.

"Huh? he looked at the shattering wall beside him. "Like.. run and jump off the wall?"

"Yeah!" 

The floor cracked in the middle and the bottom half where the Crystal Gems were on shifted down. A part of the spiral staircase shattering with it.

"Oh boy.." Steven took a few steps back and ran towards the wall.

"And watch where you step!! A LOT of that ice is already weak like you!" Amethyst shouted.

He ignored that sly comment.. And looked at the wall. It all looked the same! All he saw were cracks!

He ran up and jumped, going for WHATever part of the wall he was going to land on. He made contact with the wall and his foot went right through. He tried to pull his leg out. He was stuck.

Amethyst shook her head. "I JUST told him to watch his step." she grumbled. Then she looked up at the two. "I told him to watch his step!" she shouted at them.

"Don't worry, Amethyst. We can just give him some pointers." said Garnet.

Amethyst thought about it, then gave Garnet a 'go ahead' chin up gesture. 

More pieces of the ceiling started falling down around them and pieces of the wall crumbled and fell. The view of the ice enclosure now seen.

"Talc! Just twist and pull! Try to go for the weakest spot!" Garnet shouted out.

"But which one is the weakest spot?!" he twisted and pulled his leg. Still stuck.

"Oh boy.." Amethyst groaned. "Whoa!" she and the other two jumped out the way as one of the walls caved in inward.

"Come. ON!" Steven twisted his near frostbitten leg the other way and pulled it through. Pieces of ice flew everywhere. He decided to just try and run towards the women instead and just try and climb over the piece of the ceiling. 

He ran just a few feet before his whole body fell through the floor, the ice cutting his limbs as he slowly started slipping through the hole. "I FELL THROUGH! I'M FALLING!!"

"Of course that freakin' happens.." said Amethyst. She turned to the two. "Alright, let's follow him."

Amethyst led the way down the shattering staircase, watching her step, being careful of any thinning ice. Garnet and Pearl were close by.

The hole broke off some more and Steven fell through, screaming. Amethyst rolled her eyes. "Here we go." she jumped off the staircase in a free fall, falling with Steven. Garnet and Pearl followed suit.

The boy flailed his arms around, screaming.

Amethyst just looked at him. Her arms folded and her wild, purple hair flying up and all around in the air.

Steven flipped in the air, still flailing his arms. "AAAAHHHH!!!! AH-" he stopped mid scream as he met eyes with Amethyst. She looked unamused. "Dude. You're gonna have to calm down." 

He looked at her some more before looking at Garnet and Pearl also sporting bored looks while they free fell.

A couple seconds of silence and then... "AAAAAHHHHH!!!!" He started screaming and flailing his arms again. 

"Oh, brother.. Alright, pay attention, noob." she grabbed a hold of him. His face going right to her chest. She took out one whip and threw it, the whip wrapping around a pillar. She used that swinging momentum to make a full circle around it. She yanked the whip away from the pillar. "Keep your head in." Steven held his head down, but that only made him squish his face on her chest even more. He was holding onto her torso tight, scared for his life now.

Amethyst covered his head with the arm with the whip in it and leaned forward, going for a tumbling land on the staircase. Steven felt his body go every which way during the roll down the stairs. Then she popped back up to her feet and started running down the stairs, with Steven trying to keep up pace. He looked back at the two women to see how they were doing. 

Garnet used her suit as a wingsuit again and glided towards the wall. She used her brace knuckles to pierce and get a hold of it, before ripping them back out the ice and falling down to the staircase to follow Amethyst. Pearl used the falling ceilings of ice to jump off on, hopping from piece to piece until she was close enough to the staircase. She jumped off of a block and landed right between Amethyst and Garnet.

The latina ran back into the rattlesnake room. "Get ready to jump." she told Steven and his eyebrows almost flew off his face. She turned around. "Got the life raft Garnet?" _Life raft?_ Steven turned around.

Garnet put her hands behind her back to put away her brass knuckles. Then she pulled up her shirt and Steven saw a glimpse of her wet abs as she pulled the folded boat from her shirt. "Got it." she said. Then she pulled the little lever and the boat started to inflate.

"Great! Now let's get out of here!" Amethyst started cackling. _Is she really laughing?!?! During a time like this?!?!_

She let Garnet get in front of her and she, Steven and Pearl were right on her heels. Otherwise, the timing wouldn't be right. They made their way towards the hole Steven had climbed out of earlier.

"Pearl! Spear!" Amethyst ordered.

Pearl through the spear and it pierced through the wall. The ice shattered and crumbled under the hole in the wall, making one giant hole.

Amethyst held on tighter to Steven as she, Garnet and Pearl jumped out of the building. Steven suppressed his scream, groaning instead.

Garnet held the raft out in front of her as Amethyst and Pearl held on to her legs. The water was coming up fast towards them. 

The raft crashed into the choppy waters as ice and slush splashed on them. The current pulled them quickly towards the falls.

"AAAAHHHHH!!!! WE'RE ABOUT TO GO OVER THE WATERFALL!!!"

Amethyst looked a him. An extremely bored expression on her face. "No dip, captain obvious. We're taking this bad boy down."

Steven looked at her wide eyed. Then he quickly turned around and held on to the edge of the boat, scared for his life.

The other three just sat there, relaxed.. as the raft shook, rocked and bounced up along the rapid waters. The falls just up ahead.

Steven held the edge tighter as they neared the top, quickly rushing down with the icy water. He let out a loud scream as they fell towards the mist. The rushing water and sharp rocks waiting for them below.

The other three continued to stay calm. They looked at each other and nodded. "See you guys at the rocks." said Amethyst over Steven's screaming. 

"See you there." they said and waited for the boat to reach it's rocky, watery fate.

"Aye, Talc. Stop screaming for a second!!" he stopped, but continued groaning. "Here's another tip in regards to his particular waterfall. Swim to the right of the current. There's less sharp rocks that'll gut you open." the face he made at that mad her laugh. Then the mist engulfed her. All of them. 

"See you on the other side Taaaaaaaaalc~~." she sounded so far away and ominous.

"Wait! Amethyst! Garnet!" he felt around the boat. Nobody was there. He screamed, holding on to the raft until it crashed into the water. He choked on some of the water. The force of the impact causing him to let go of the raft as he got taken away by the cold, blistering icy rapid waters. He choked more, not having taken a breath and still trying to recover from the water he'd breathed in just moments ago. He flailed his arms, trying to swim along the current. He freaked out, his mind going haywire as he tried desperately to go above water. He spun and twisted along the current. The waters pushing him into a few jagged rocks, one of them tearing through his shirt and across his stomach, just below the navel. The current pushing him further underground.

.....

"He hasn't resurfaced yet, Amethyst." said Garnet, sitting on a boulder. Pearl was sitting beside her, ringing out her hair. Garnet on the other hand, just let the water rain from her hair and onto her clothes.

Amethyst watched the rapid waters tower and crash over one another before her. "Let's just wait a bit longer.." she said lowly. "Let's see what he's capable of.."

.....

Steven sucked in more water, his vocal cords spasming and closing up to prevent any more water from entering his lungs. He shivered intensely as the hypothermia started setting in. His made fogged in confusion. He could feel himself slipping into a daze.. _This is it for me.._

.....

Steven lost consciousness. His body hitting the side of the damn as the icy water rolled over top of him.

Amethyst waited for him to reemerge. He didn't.. And as the minutes lingered on, Steven's body relaxed, the muscles of his vocal cords opening back up as his lungs started taking in water. Slowly suffocated him as he lay beneath the surface..

Amethyst was relaxing. Her back leaning against the cold boulder. She waited some more. Garnet looked at her from behind her. She wanted to say something.. But at the same time.. she knew her place..

She sat there on edge, terribly worried about Steven.. Then she started to wonder why she was worried for him in the first place? When they'd recruited people fifteen years ago, she didn't care about losing them. If they lost their life during training. Who cares. That only meant that they wouldn't had been strong enough for the real deal..And they would just go on to the other recruit, without any such remorse. But.. then they recruited Talc.. What was it about him that made her want to protect him so much? She looked down towards the damn. She just hoped he was okay.. But she also knew that there was an incredibly slim chance that he survive that fall- 

Amethyst gave an aggravated sigh, snapping Garnet out of her thoughts. Without looking back at the her and Pearl, she raised a hand up and snapped her fingers twice. "Garnet." the woman got up. "Get the boy."

"Right away." The woman wasted no time in diving straight into the rapid current, ignoring the icy waters stinging her body upon contact. She swam with the current down to the damn, looking under water. Rocks and slush. But no Steven.

She continued her way down, going closer towards the end of the falls. And then she saw a figure floating against the damn. She swam towards it. 

........

Steven felt himself choke. He gagged on the water as it came out of his mouth. His lungs hurt. His whole body hurt. And he felt so weak. He didn't even bother opening his eyes. He choked a few more times, trying to catch his breath. Then he just kept his mouth opened, trying to get in some air as he took in shallow breaths.

He felt cold, soft lips on him. _Connie?_ he tried to think.. Did he even make it home? He couldn't remember..But why were her lips so cold? And why couldn't he breath through his nose?

Their lips parted and he coughed up more water. A few moments later and the soft, plump lips came back down, breathing warm breath down his mouth. _Connie never breathed into my mouth.. well, not like this. Wait_ then he slowly started to realize.. _That doesn't feel like Connie's lips._

The lips broke away from his and he coughed up just a bit more water. He slowly cracked open his eyes to see Garnet in his bleary vision. "I think he's waking up." he heard her say. His brain couldn't quite register what was happening just yet. He tried to open his eyes up more as he took in more air. He just felt so weak. And he was so cold. And drenched. He was freezing. He could barely feel his feet or his hands.. Then he felt something let go of his nose, allowing him to breath through his nostrils again.

"Hey. Hey, Talc." Garnet's voice was so soothing. The woman gently pat his cheek. "Hey. Earth to Talc." 

His brain was finally catching up bit by bit.. The fact that he was drenched. The fact that he was cold.. And did Garnet kiss him? No.. CPR? Then it finally clicked. _I WAS DROWNING!!!_

"I.." he coughed. He moved a bit and he felt his stomach and his arms send pain signals throughout his body. He sucked in some air.

"Hey, take it easy there." Garnet soothed, rubbing the same cheek. 

"I.. almost drowned.." he whispered, looking up at her.

"Keyword. _Almost._" she whispered back to him. She was just so happy he was okay.

"Yeah! _Almost."_ he heard Amethyst say behind Garnet. Garnet turned to her side so Steven could see her. "Yeah, Talc. If it wasn't for me, you would've been done. Fini.to." 

"But" he struggled to a sit up position and Garnet was about to help him before Amethyst said. "Stop. Don't baby him." Garnet dropped her hands and watched as Steven sat up on his own. "But" his voice coming back and just above a whisper. "Garnet." the woman shot him a worried, warning glare. "helped me." the woman looked back at Amethyst, worried on what Amethyst was going to say to both her and Steven. She had to speak up. "No, Talc. It was Amethyst who-" Amethyst raised her hand and Garnet stopped taking.

Amethyst chuckled lowly. Putting her hands in her lap. "Yeaahhh, no, Talc. It was _I_ who saved you." he just stared at her. "You see. If it wasn't for _me_ giving _her_." she pointed at Garnet and he looked up at the sad expression on her face. "the order, she wouldn't had retrieved you from your watering tomb." 

"Garnet.." Steven trailed off.

The woman looked away.. And at that point, Steven couldn't help that she looked too much like an emotionally abused victim.. And she was such a muscular and fit woman, but in an instance, she looked frail .. and as fragile as glass._What has Amethyst been doing to them.._

"Garnet knows what's up." Steven looked back at Amethyst. "What can I say? She knows her place. Don't you Garnet?"

Garnet looked right at her boss in respect. "Yes, Amethyst." she nodded.

"Welp." Amethyst clapped her hands. "Now that everyone is on the same page here. Garnet, why don't ya head to the front of the truck and drive us to Talc's place to drop him off." 

"Yes, Amethyst." the woman got up and Steven lifted a hand, about to say something to her.. but he didn't.. And put his hand back down. 

"Heh." Amethyst scoffed. "She doesn't _need_ your sympathy, Pillsbury." Garnet opened one of the doors and paused. "None of us do." Garnet heard Amethyst say behind her. Then the woman sighed softly to herself and jumped out the truck, closing the door shut. She walked to the front of the van. 

"Oh and Talc?" Steven looked at her. They felt the van drive off. "Perhaps you haven't noticed. But me saving your life _did_ violate our 'every Crystal Gem for themselves' rule. Take that as a very, _very_ rare act of goodwill on my part." He nodded slowly and she narrowed her eyes at him. "Because that was your first _and_ your last. You slip up like that again, there will be no me ordering one of them to come and help you. You'll be in a life or death situation all by yourself.." she hissed out.

"R, right.." he swallowed. "I understand.."

She glared at him some more.. before a smile came to her face. "GREAT! Glad we had that talk."then she added with a scoff. "Oh and don't forget about your clothes over there." she pointed behind him. He turned around. Pearl was on her phone, in her usual corner. She'd been extremely quiet ever since Amethyst had got on her..

He slowly got up to his knees and started crawling on them, in pain and shivering as he got to the box. He quickly took his shirt off. The shirt making a wet thud as it hit the floor of the van. Then he went to take off his pants and felt an uncomfortable pain in his stomach. He looked down to see a long horizontal line across the bottom of it. A thin line of wet blood trailed along it. Mindful of his stomach, he slowly took his pants of, knee by knee. He slid them down and off his legs. 

He picked up the first piece of clothing from the box. His Crystal Gem shirt. He set the shirt down and bent down back into the box, picking up the shirt he'd put on at the house. He stiffly threw it on. His cold, numb fingers making it hard for him to put it on. The shirt was pretty cold, being in the cool van, but it was better than having on that ice cold, sopping hoodie shirt. He bent down and threw on his jacket. Then he reached down and picked up his jeans. 

He saw Amethyst come up to the side of him. She chuckled. "Wow, dude. You must be extremely cold. You're as small as my thumb now"

"Amethyst!" he covered himself up with his jeans, embarrassed.

"What? It's funny." she laughed. "It's just so cute and widdle" she teased. 

His cheeks heated up, but he didn't bother saying anything else. He just ignored her and sat down, quickly putting on his pants. She snickered beside him. Then he picked up his Crystal Gem shirt and sat back down.

His wet boxers didn't help much with the cold..And it just felt weird in his dry jeans.. but at least apart of his thighs on down weren't wet.. Though all of his body, in general were still extremely cold and numb.

Amethyst sat down beside them, still cackling. His face still felt hot but he just continued to ignore her.


	21. 5.5 weeks

The crew pulled up at the side of the complex. "We're here." said Garnet.

"Alright Talc." said Amethyst. "You heard the lady. Get up and get out." she said casually, smiling.

Steven picked up his shirt and got up slowly, groaning. His body stiff and sore. He took a breath, rubbing his back. "Okay." he said tiredly.

"Pearl." Amethyst snapped her fingers. The slim woman quickly got up and opened one of the doors and Steven walked towards the back. "Ayo, Talc." he suppressed a groan as he turned around. "Be here. At nine o'clock sharp." she ordered him. "We'll be here to pick you up."

_Oh no... Not another "exercise" routine already.._ He hesitated. "..Another.. exercise regime?" 

"Neh, breakfast."

That shocked him. "Huh?"

"You heard me right. A good 'ole, big breakfast with the three of us."

"Wow, Amethyst. That. That sounds pretty nice actually." he genuinely felt pretty excited for it. After all that he'd been through with them for the pass few days, the little outting sounded like a very nice change of pace. 

"Yeah, just don't forget to bring your shirt."

And with that, his expression dropped. _Yeah, I should've known that the WHOLE day wasn't going to be relaxing.._

"Oh! And I almost forgot. Here's your other flip-flop. Amethyst opened the duffle bag. "Garnet found it near the dam where she found you" she threw it and he caught it and put it on his feet. "Thanks." 

"Alright dude. Buenas noches." she waved.

"Uh.." _What did that mean again? 'Buenas noches'.. That sounds familiar.. Buena means.. good.. right? So.. Good day? _

"Goodnight, dude. It means goodnight. Yeah, you're going to have to learn Spanish too." _Freakin' great.._ He just nodded.

"Mmm, alright.. Welp, you're dismissed." she clapped her hands.

"Goodnight, Talc." 

"Goodnight, Garnet." he turned around and headed for the opened door. Pearl was still holding it open. He only took a quick glance of her sad face and quickly looked away keeping his head down as he passed her and jump out the truck. "Goodnight, Talc." he heard her strain out, in a whisper. 

He stopped._ Did she just?!_ he turned around. "Goodnight, Pe-" she'd already closed the door.

The van drove off and out the alley, turning left onto the main street. Steven stood there for a bit, before walking out the alley. He walked through the main door of the complex and up the stairs. And right before he approached their door, he remembered the shirt in his hand. He quickly folded it up, tucked only the back of his shirt in his pants and pulled back his shirt, sliding the folded shirt inside it. _Hopefully it's not noticeable.. Maybe if I just don't turn around.._

He took the key out, unlocked the door and opened it. Connie was sitting on the bed, reading something on the laptop. "Hey Connie." he took the flip flops off and immediately appreciated the warm doormat underneath his cold feet.

She looked up from the screen. "Hey, Steven." then she waited a few beats. "So, how did everything go? It definitely.. took you a long time to get back. It's heading on ten o'clock."

Steven had to quickly come up with something. "I got the job!" he blurred out.

"Huh?" she heard him, but she couldn't quite believe it.

"I. got the job." he lied. "That's why I was so late coming home." 

"Really?! Wow! I'm. I'm so proud of you, Steven!" she set the laptop down. "So you just got it just like that? When do you start?"

He quickly thought about the little breakfast meetup for the next day. "Tomorrow. Tomorrow morning." he walked over to her and she got off the bed. "I can't believe you got it!" she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him and he hugged her back, wrapping his arms around her very warm torso. She shivered, breaking away from the hug. "You're so cold." then she looked up at him. "And.. you're looking a bit red."

_Think quick, Universe!_ He looked over at the kitchen. "Uh, y, yeah. The freezer. Um. They had me. They were showing me uh, how to pack up meat products in the freezer. I stayed there for a few hours." 

"Ooooo, that freezer department is no joke.. Alright, just take those cold clothes off and put on some warm ones and hurry get under the covers." she walked back to the bed and pulled the covers up on his side, then she went back to the laptop, putting it back in her lap.

Steven quickly untucked the bottom of his shirt, pulling out the folded shirt. He threw it on the floor and took off his jacket, then his shirt. As he bent down to pick up the clothes, he quickly threw the shirt underneath of the bed and placed the jacket and shirt on the bed. Then he took off his pants and his boxers, quickly placing them underneath his jeans. He walked over to the dresser. He held his arms out a bit, as he neared the mirror of the dresser, not wanting her to see the cut on his stomach. Thankfully, the actual cut wasn't noticeable. He just needed to clean the blood off.

"Wow." Connie snorted, looking at his cute butt. "The underwear too?"

"Y, yeah. Yeah, they're pretty cold."

"Well I hope they give you a thick, warm uniform at that job."

"Neh. But it's okay. I can just buy some from the store later on this week." Steven opened the drawer and took out a pair of briefs, slipping them on. _Ahh.. So warm.. Now I can start warming up the boys and start going to my actual size now. ..Yeah, freakin' Amethyst talking about that._ He took out a shirt and closed the dresser drawer. Then he pulled out another drawer, pulling out some long johns. He slipped them on, closed the drawer, picked up the shirt and started heading for the bathroom, trying not to be obvious, holding the shirt right over his stomach. Connie looked at him. He pointed at his face. "Yeah, I'm just going to clean my bandage." he said. "and my ear."

"Oookay." she went back to the screen. _What was she so glued to reading over there?_

He went to the bathroom and threw the bedroom shirt around his neck. Then he pushed open the mirror to get the first aid kit out. He cleaned out the gash under his eye, then his ear and then the long line on his stomach just below an old scar over his navel. He bandaged up all three, put the kit back behind the mirror, washed his hands, threw on his shirt and left the bathroom. Connie was still glued to the laptop. And looking as sexy as ever. Then a thought came to his mind. _I wonder if she would.. tonight.._

He walked over to the bed and slid under the warm covers. "You look pretty into whatever you're reading." he said. He sat beside her, digging his feet under the bunch of covers by the foot of the bed to warm up his cold feet. 

"Yeah.." her eyes trailed down a few more sentences. "Yeah, I'm just..' she continued reading. "reading this information on SurpriseSurprise."

"Mm, that sounds interesting." _Okay, Universe.. See if you can work your charm._ He slowly dragged his butt from the covers and he slowly got behind her. "So, you've been reading that all day?" he just added for good measure as he gave her a hug from behind. He gave her a long kiss on the back of her neck.

She moved her neck away slightly. "Not tonight, Steven." 

He stopped the kiss on her neck. "Awww.." he drawled out. "But studies show that sex helps warm up the body."

"Studies _also_ show that laying under a layer of blankets work just as nice too." she gave him a side sly smile.

"But it doesn't _feel_ just as nice.. Eh? Riiiight?" he teased, nudging her back with his shoulder. 

She rolled her eyes, trying to keep from smiling. "Whaaaatever, Steven."

"Heheh, 'cause you know I'm riiiiiight." he stayed hugged up behind her. She managed a "Pfft." and went right back to reading again. He placed his chin on her shoulder to look at the screen. She was already at the bottom of the page and only saw little footnotes from the website. "So what's SurpriseSurprise? Some kind of prank show?"

"No, it's a baby website." his stomach churned and doubled over and he almost clenched tighter to her torso. "..Oh.. o, oh?"

"Yeah, it's chock full of information. It tells you how big your baby is, what your body is going through at that time, what your baby is doing and going through at that time and just interesting little tips and stuff. It's very well organized." 

Steven scrunched up his face, hearing about.. _baby stuff.._Nevertheless, he knew he had to say something to her, to keep the conversation going.. And who knows, maybe if he ends up saying the right thing, she'll change her mind and he could get a nice little treat tonight. "So" he started moving his thumbs up and down, gently rubbing her sides. She ignored it. "what kind of interesting stuff have you learned so far?"

"It says here that already, at five weeks, your baby's" his stomach made another flip at the horrid word. "circulatory system is already being made. The baby's heart is made up of two tiny channels called heart tubes. And then there are other organs forming as well, including the neural tube which is the precursor to the baby's brain and spinal cord. Sometime between week five and six the heart tubes will fuse and the neural tube will seal up."

He didn't really find that interesting.. but he still had to say something. "Really? Wow. That's.. quite something." then he wondered about something and he slid one of his hands further down her stomach. "Can you.. feel anything yet?"

"Tsh, of course not Steven." feeling a bit aggravated, _for whatever reason.. moody?_ at the dumb question he asked. Or at least to her it was a dumb, obvious question. But then she realized something and said. "Well, not like the _actual_ baby sort of way. I just feel a bit bloated. And that's it."

"Ah, okay." he dragged his hands up from her stomach and across her shoulders, massaging them. Her soft hair laying gently on the back of his hands. She ignored the "kind" gesture and kept reading from the website. "Yeah. And it also says that at this stage that I might start to experience that.. morning sickness, which apparently can happen any time throughout the day.." she shook her head. "Yeah, I'm definitely not looking forward to that."

"Mm, maybe you won't have to experience it?" he said with a rise in intonation to his voice.

She felt his hands slide down, still massaging her as his fingers slid just above her chest. "Mhm. Well, hopefully not." she said and closed the laptop, forcing it straight to automatic sleep mode and she got up from between his legs. "I should be getting to bed." she was about to place the laptop on the table, then stopped. "Oh, did you want to use this?"

Steven shook his head and she placed it on the table. Then she took her glasses off and placed them on top of the laptop. "Yeah, I gotta wake up early for this job interview." she pulled the covers over and slid into bed.

Steven slid over and gave her a nice, veeery long kiss. And the kiss kept going.. until she broke away, placing a hand on his chest. A small smile on her face. "Good_night,_ Steven." she laid down, pulling the blankets up to her face.

He chuckled. "Goodnight, Connie." he went to his side and pulled the covers down more and slid under, taking in all the warmth of the blankets against his cold skin. _Eh, guess I couldn't woo her tonight._

He turned over and turned the light off, then rolled back into bed. He heard Connie rustling in bed to get a more comfortable position. "Night, Connie." he said again. 

"Night, Steven." she whispered.

....................

It took Steven a fairly long time to go to sleep. Him thinking about what was going to become of him and his family now that he was officially apart of the Crystal Gems. A clan of people who are absolutely feared by everyone. He was apart of them now.. And he would only get in deeper ..And deeper.... And _deeper_ with the group..

There were so many things he didn't know. Would he be going on missions everyday with them? What kind of weapon will they give him? Will he ever be as strong and as powerful and as fearsome as them? Will he always be in the group until he either dies from a mission or when he starts to get too old for it or if something happens to his body during his young age? Would he have to live in constant fear knowing that he's a wanted criminal? What will happen once Connie has.. that thing.. How could he juggle both a father life and a criminal life at the same time? Would he and in extension, his family and friends be in danger for the rest of their lives because of him? And so many, many more questions..

But one thing he _DID_ know, was that Connie, under ANY circumstances, couldn't ever find out.. _EVER._


	22. Kiss and ride

When Steven woke up, Connie was already putting on her shoes by the door. He sat up and stretched, only to quickly get a pain in his stomach and he grunted.

Connie looked up, not realizing that he was awake. "Oh! You okay?" 

"Oh, uh, yeah. Just." he rolled his left shoulder to play it off. "stretched the wrong way." he lied.

"Oh, okay." she fixed the collar on her white blouse then opened the door. "Well, I'm off. The bus should be at the corner around a quarter after nine." 

"A quarter after nine? What time is it n-" he turned his head to look at the clock on the wall. _8:56_ "Eight fifty six?! Oh shoot! I have to go!" he jumped out of bed, ignoring the pain in his stomach and his arms and legs. He ran for the closet.

"Steven, what time are you supposed to be there?! You could've told me to call you at a certain time! You didn't take a shower or anything!"

He took his pants off and threw on his jeans. "Uh." he thought quickly. "I'm supposed to be there in about three hours. But I want to get there early." he took a shirt and a jacket off of the hanger.

She was about to say something more, but she decided against it. She _did_ have somewhere to go as well. "Alright well.. I'll just leave you to it then." she opened the door more. 

"Uh, yeah, uh huh." he closed the closet door. "See ya later, Connie."

"See ya, Steven." she left the apartment, closing the door behind her, keeping it unlocked for him. 

He quickly ran his hand under the bed and grabbed the Crystal Gem shirt, throwing it over his head. (He still couldn't believe he was one..) Then he threw the other shirt on. Then he remembered; _Oh crap._ He just realized. _I didn't give Connie a kiss!_ He was just so preoccupied. 

Maybe he could hurry up and catch her. He looked at the clock. _8:59_ He threw the jacket on, slipped on the flip flops, and ran out, quickly locking the door behind him before bolting down the hall. He turned the corner and saw Connie as she was just turning the corner to the second flight of steps. "Connie!"

She turned around as he ran down the steps towards her. "That was qui-" he cut her off, wrapping his arms around her waist as he gave her a big kiss. "Just wanted to give you a kiss." he smiled, then he darted pass her down the stairs. "And you look really beautiful! Hope you ace that interview!" he shouted. 

She stood there, with stars in her eyes. She adjusted her glasses that he'd pushed to the side in the process. "Thanks." _Wow, that Steven. Always so affectionate.._

_And a great kisser._

.....

The young man ran out the main door and dashed down the side of the building. There was a black, shiny Mercedes-Benz SUV parked. Tinted windows so he couldn't see anyone in the car. _Is that.. them? Did he.. did he make it on time? Or.. did someone figure him out already?_

He saw one of the back doors fly open. He stood there.. Waiting for someone to come out. But nobody did.

_Should I just.. walk to the back? Is that what they're expecting? (If it's even them)_ He took a few steps forward and stopped. Something didn't feel right. He kept his sight on the door of the SUV.. Just_ waiting_ for something to happen..

Suddenly he felt a big piece of fabric hit him on the top of his shoulders. He fell down, hitting his chin on the gravel as a shock of pain zapped through his neck and down his legs. And the pain in his cut up stomach doubled the pain. "Dumb Police!" shouted a low, gravelly voice. He felt his arms being pulled back and he felt a piece of rope being tied around his wrists.

His mind sped right pass the word _dumb_, only focusing on the word 'police'. _THIS IS IT FOR ME ALREADY!!_ "UH, OFFICER! IT WASN'T ME!! I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!! HONEST!!" he whined. "I WAS FRAMED. I-" he heard chuckling behind him. "I.." he looked up and saw Amethyst over top of him. She snorted. "Wow, dude. You can sure freak out like a chick." 

"Amethyst?!"

"Theeee one and only." she winked and blew a kiss at him.

He looked at her dumbfounded.

"Che, you need more situational awareness. Like, you really, _really_ lack it." she got off of him and pulled him up by his wrists. "Ha! And you didn't even _try_ to fight back. Even when I was tying up your hands!"

"I.. thought you were the police.."

"And what? You're telling me that you were going to let them take you like that?" she undid the knot in the whips and yanked them loose.

"Kinda.. yeah. They're like.. the law."

"Eff the law! Talc, really bro." she poked him in his forehead hard. _What is up with these ladies having hard fingers?! _ "You have to start thinking like us." she stopped her finger on his forehead and walked around from behind him to face him. "You're a Crystal Gem now. And so. You must _act_ like one. And that. includes. NOT." she poked him hard again and left her finger there. "being caught. by the police." she whispered, staring right into his eyes. "You got me?"

He nodded. "Under..stood." He really didn't like the fact that now he would have to run away from the cops.. or knowing them.. do something worse to the cops.. But as she said, he's a 'Crystal Gem' now. And well.. he had no other choice..

"Good." her eyes were still narrowed at him. She slowly lifted her finger off his forehead and stared at him. Then her expression changed to something of "pleased" and she gave him a peck on his cheek. Then she gave the same cheek a quick pinch. "That's my boy." he grunted, as she pinched his cheek harder. 

She let go and wrapped the whips around in such a fast, skillful manner as she condensed them into small wraps. She put her hands underneath of her brown jacket and he heard a click as she clipped them to her belt. Right then, he'd just realized that she wasn't wearing her jumpsuit or the jogging suit. She was wearing a cool looking brown jacket that stopped just at the middle of her thighs, a black baseball cap that was turned backwards and black sandals. Four black thin straps started from the base of her sandals and stopped just below her knees. The jacket was closed, so he couldn't see her shirt and he'd only saw her thighs on down. Assumably wearing very short shorts since he couldn't see them under her jacket. 

"Vámanos (Let's go)." she walked away and he followed her to the back of the SUV. He thought of something and looked back, trying to figure out where she'd hopped down from. 

"What are you looking at?"

He turned back around. "I. was just curious.. where you had jumped from." Unlike other buildings in the area, his building didn't have those side, pull down stairs that one would see in certain neighborhoods. So.. did she scale the building somehow?

"Yeah, I had Pearl to open the door to trick you. You know, as a decoy. I'd been on the roof the whole time. And to answer your question. I simply. _jumped_. from the roof." she pointed at the five story apartment complex.. A height that surely would've broken her bones.

"But.. how?" 

"Gadgets dude. Gadgets." she pointed at her sandals and the straps over her calves. "Also, wingsuits." she popped her jacket collar. "My shirt and shorts are wing equipped as well." 

"Wow. That must be some heavy duty stuff. They aren't even bulky.. And I still can't believe they can put gadgets in something like a pair of sandals." 

"Yup. We have the best of the best." 

"..Would I be able to meet them one day?"

"The techies?" 

"Yeah."

"Well yeah, duh. You're a Crystal Gem." those words still hit his heart like ice. "You'll start seeing more and more of us. Starting with the techies because you have to get fitted for your gadgets as well as get your own personal weapons soon." 

"Do I already have a weapon?!?!" he blurted out.

"Cálmate, che.(Calm down, dude.) We'll discuss all of that during breakfast." 

"I wonder what it'll be.."

"Like I said. We'll discuss all of that and more at the diner." she started walking to the back of the SUV again. She poked her head inside the door. "Got Pillsbury here. Now we can get our grub on!" she told Pearl. "Talc, get inside. Gotta talk to Garnet real quick." a beat. "Oh, and good job by the way for being on time. Proud of ya." 

"T, thanks." he turned to get in and he felt a smack on his butt. "Yeah, just keep it up, Pillsbury." he watched her as she walked up to the front of the SUV. She didn't look back at him..Why was he so shocked she done that? Of course she would. She already had grabbed him before.. in the front..

He raised his hand to wave to Pearl but she quickly looked away, staring out the window. He sat down on the tan, leather seat and closed the door. He took in the shiny black floor mats and the shiny black seat covers over the two seats in front of them. One t.v on the back of the driver's seat and the passenger's seat. Both turned off. And between the two seats and around them was a solid covering, blocking, dividing the front of the car from the back. And he couldn't help but notice two red, blinking dots near the right and the left back doors. He turned all the way around. There was another blinking light in the top corner of the window and just below the window was a dash came filming the outside of it. Inside of the hatchback of the truck was a black thick blanket assumably covering up.. whatever diabolical things they had in the car..

He turned back around to lock eyes with Pearl. She froze.. And Steven went straight to her attire. She had on sleek, tan baggy pants with a gold, shiny belt. She had a well ironed white button down blouse that tucked in neatly inside her belt and she wore an old navy jacket that draped just a bit pass her belt. (And Steven could only strongly assume that, like Amethyst, she too, was hiding her weapon near the back of her belt, behind her jacket.) And she had a navy blue clutch purse to match with the jacket and a pair of black heels. She looked so different in regular clothing. She looked even more stunning and very, _very_ sophisticated. She reminded him of that lady and her boss from a movie Connie had watched a few months ago. The one where the recent graduate gets a job under a prestigious fashion company.. The demon wears plaid? The Prada devil? He couldn't remember the name of it..

She continued to look at him.. but she finally wasn't glaring at him. Actually, she hadn't given him any evil glares since.. that talk with Amethyst.. But, it still looked like she was holding back _some_ kind of ill thoughts towards him. Nevertheless, he still decided to say something to her before she _did_ end up snapping at him.

"You look really nice today, Pearl." he complimented, with a genuine, friendly smile. "I like what you did with your hair too."

She gasped. She _literally_ gasped, moving away from him, her shoulder hitting the side of the car. Then she looked away, as she put her head down. She didn't say anything else.

Well that was.. something? What was that all about? ..Did he.. _somehow_ offend her with his compliment? Maybe it was something he said specifically? Mmm, the other two women were obviously not from the States. Soo, maybe she wasn't either? And.. maybe he'd just insulted her without knowing? Maybe he should just say sor-

"Thank you.." she whispered. Still not looking at him.

And just as Steven was about to say something, _what exactly, he didn't quite know himself, _ the divider in front of them started pulling up into the ceiling revealing Garnet in the driver's seat and Amethyst in the passengers seat. There were two blinking lights in the left and right side of the window and a dash cam recording the front of the car. And a huge tablet-like screen just underneath of the automotive head unit. That was off as well. 

"Good news! Garnet found their hideout!" Amethyst shouted.

Garnet waved at Steven and he waved back shyly, his face flushed under her beauty. 

"And get _this._ This place. has acid! I'm talking about that stuff that Centi had times ten!" she started rubbing her hands, greedily. "Aw man, guys. This. is going to be. awesome." with how Amethyst sounded right then, Steven thought she was going to do a 'mwahahahahaha' kind of laugh. But, she didn't. Of course she wasn't.. They weren't living in a cartoon.

Amethyst sat back in her seat. "Alright, Garnet. Put some pedal to the metal and let's get out of here." The woman shifted into drive and pulled off.

Amethyst looked up at Steven through the rearview mirror. "Aye, Talc. I also wanted to tell you. You need to wash your face."

"What?"

"Yeah man. You got all that drool on the side that I _didn't_ kiss you on." 

"Aw what? I didn't even know." he went to rub at his mouth, but she stopped his hand. "Ew, don't touch it. Just. wash your face when we get to the diner."

He put his arm back down. But now he was feeling self conscious. He hope he didn't smell either.. Since he _also_ didn't take a shower..

"I'm surprised your girl didn't say anything about it." 

She actually _did_ point out that he didn't take a shower and to get ready properly. And he did give her that quick kiss, but it was so quick, she most likely didn't notice. Otherwise Connie definitely would've said something about it if she'd seen it. She wouldn't dare let him leave out the house looking a mess. Running late or not. And he couldn't blame her. Especially since she _always_ looked nice.

"She didn't get a proper look at me." he said. "But she would've said something if she did."

"Ah, gotcha, gotcha. Well washing your face is going to be the first thing you do when we get to the place." she pulled out her phone and started playing on it.

"Well, yeah." he nodded. "Of course." Yeah, he definitely felt embarrassed.. And he wanted to quickly change the subject. Not only that, but he really did have a genuine question.

"So, uh.." he coughed. "I. Couldn't help but notice that we're riding.."

"In luxury?" she turned around to face him.

"Uh.. yeah."

"Well duh, dude. This is our _casual_ ride. We take this puppy out when we're _not_ training or going on any missions." then a beat later. "But of course if anything were to go down while we're riding in this thing, we're totally loaded in the back." she pointed to the blanket in the hatchback. _I knew it!!_

"But yeah. Apart from that, this SUV is only meant for two things. For driving to casual places and." she winked.

"To casual places and what?"

"You knooow. To casual places and." she winked again.

"And..?" he didn't understand.

"Boom chicka wah wah, chicka wah wah." she rocked her hips in the seat.

Okay, _now_ he understood. And felt his whole face get hot and he could only imagine how red in the face he was..

Garnet snorted, trying to hold in her laugh and Amethyst was belly up in laughter. And when Steven turned his head, he'd even saw Pearl covering her mouth as she chuckled to herself as well. More embarrassment washed over him.. But there was also one stray, curious thought that wondered.. if all three had actually used the vehicle a lot for.. that specific purpose.

"But no need to get grossed out by it." said Amethyst, finally coming down from her fits of laughter. He wasn't grossed out by it. "We get this car washed and sanitized after every use." 

"Oh, um.. That's. good to know." he felt his face heat up more.

Garnet looked back at the boy and that made her start laughing again. She returned her focus back on the road, laughing. "Poor thing. He's as red as a tomato."

Amethyst looked back at him. "HAHA! Aw man, dude. You get flustered so easily. Heck, maybe _you_ need a few rounds inside this car with us." 

That caught him off guard, but he had a feeling she was just joking around and not being serious at all. Heheh.. r, right? H, hopefully she was since he was with Connie.

"Oh, Amethyst. You're teasing him." Steven heard Garnet whisper to Amethyst.

"Eh, Garnet. He'll be fine. Shoot, he probably likes being teased anyway." And he honestly really did. Though he didn't say anything about that. He didn't say anything else after that actually.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to post the Crystal Gems attire for aaaanyone who's wondering.
> 
> This is what Pearl was wearing:  
https://images.app.goo.gl/ymsBCZ5XUr62NJqu6
> 
> This is what Amethyst was wearing: (Though Amethyst's shorts are much shorter than hers)  
https://images.app.goo.gl/F6QFNQJCCsStfhjw9
> 
> And Garnet is wearing a mixture of these two photos:  
She's wearing these, except she's wearing a yellow shirt instead of red.  
https://images.app.goo.gl/q1shki4c7HRxPuxUA
> 
> And the skirt is yellow with black polka dots like the one in the photo here.  
https://images.app.goo.gl/fmQxnPHNsdgpQGwh6
> 
> Also, the SUV that they're driving in is this one:  
https://images.app.goo.gl/cCn4QtLEXi5hvSqC9


	23. Together Breakfast

...........

Amethyst didn't say much throughout the car ride. It was kind of jarring to him. One second she's flirting with him or teasing him and then another, she's completely quiet and to herself on her phone.

That was probably a good thing that she wasn't bothering him too much though. That gave him the rest of the time to focus more on holding his bladder which, apparently he'd stupidly forgotten to use the bathroom after getting up and it had hit his bladder full on. At one point Amethyst had teased him, wondering if he was going to make another mess again, like that time in the van, except out the.. other _front_ end..

He told her that he wouldn't and just kept to keeping his legs twisted.. for the long two hours.. because apparently they were going to some place in Virginia, according to her.. 

They pulled up into a parking lot of a small diner. "Alright guys. We're here." said Garnet. She put the parking brake up, then shifted the gear in park before pressing the button on the car, shutting it off. 

Everyone except for Amethyst got out the car. Pearl walked around and Steven stepped out of her way for her to open the door for Amethyst. She got out and Pearl closed the door. Steven heard a _beep beep_ chirp from Garnet locking the doors. Amethyst, Pearl and Steven walked to the other side of the SUV and Steven literally stopped in his tracks.

The tall, toned beauty herself was wearing a long yellow skirt with black polka dots and yellow tights underneath. _Classy_. The top of her skirt was pulled to the middle of her stomach and she was wearing a bright yellow shirt and the yellow high heels she was wearing made her even taller. 

He looked up, taking in her outfit from the heels on up. She wore yellow earrings that draped along her strong shoulders. He looked at her face. Her whole attire was bright and beautiful. And those dimples. And the way the sun shone on her hazel eye, making them look lighter. And the roundness of her nose.. And the pattern of her freckles all peppered gently up and down her nose and across her cheeks. 

"Wow, Garnet. I think you broke him." Amethyst snickered beside him, she waved a hand in his face and he snapped out of it. And blushed. Garnet only shrugged. A small grin on her face. "I just have that effect on guys."

"Alright, folks. Let's get this show _off_ the road and into this diner. I wanna stuff my face." she started at the door across the parking lot and Pearl ran pass her to get to the door. She opened it.

Amethyst walked through. "And be sure to hold the door for Talc as well." she didn't look at Pearl.

The woman's mouth twitched, but she didn't say anything.

Garnet walked in and Steven jogged in, feeling his bladder hitting him again. Totally bypassing Pearl's look of contempt.

A host came up to them from her booth. "Good morning Amethyst! I have your table for three already set up by the window."

"Thanks chica, but you'll have to tack on another person." she pointed back at Steven who was shifting from leg to leg. "This lug will be joining us from now on."

She looked at him. "Oh." she whispered to Amethyst. "He's pretty cute." 

"Yup. Sure is. You can go talk to him if ya want."

"Amethyst, noooo." she smiled behind her notepad. "You're aaaalways trying to hook me up with random guys." 

"Whaaaat? It's fun." she flashed her a side smile. "Anyway, he's apart of our group now." the young woman's expression fell to a look of confusion. She leaned forward to Amethyst. "You mean?"

Amethyst gave her a minute nod.

"But.. we haven't recruited anyone in over fifteen years." she said in a hushed voice.

"Yeah, well.. plans have changed." Amethyst said casually.

"How long has he been one?"

"Only for a couple of days."

"Try not to go too hard on him."

She scoffed. "Now you know I will."

She gave her a small smile. "Yeah.. I know." Then she looked up at Steven again who was bouncing on the balls of his feet. "What's.. up with him?" 

"He has to.. _drain_ the eel. He's been holding it for about two hours."

"Oh!" she shouted back at him. "The bathroom's in the back!" Then she gestured for the group to follow her to their table. 

Steven caught up to Amethyst at the front. "Amethyst, where's the bathroom exactly?"

"El baño is to the right."

"Okay, I'll just meet everyone back at the table." he ran pass them and to the right, passing tables. People having a great time chatting it up and enjoying their food. 

Then he reached the end of the building. Only one door saying "Employees Only" that lead to the kitchens in the back. _What?_

"Excuse me, Sir. Can I help you with something?"

He turned around to see a waitress carrying a tray filled with dirty plates. An elbow balanced on her hip.

"Just looking for the bathroom."

"It's on the other side of the building. To the left."

_That damn Amethyst!! She did that on purpose!!_ He ran pass the woman. "Thanks!"

He ran the opposite way, all the way back down just to come all the way back up. He ended up passing them at their table. Amethyst shot him a sneaky smile. "I know you did that on purpose, Amethyst!" he said as he ran pass. 

"Eh, must've slipped my mind!" she yelled back.

He ran in the bathroom and went straight toward whatever stall he saw opened. He ran in one, barely closing the door back before relieving himself. Some of it getting on the floor and on the seat. "Ahhhh..." he stood there, his eyes closed as he let everything flow all out.

He shook a few times. Shook _another_ few times for good measure and zipped up. He went to the sink to wash his hands and throw some water on his face to rid him of the eye crust and dried up drool. He dried his face off and used the same napkin to open the door with. He walked out, throwing the napkin in a nearby trashcan by the bathrooms.

The waitress was just bringing in their drinks. Freshly squeezed orange juice. She was placing the last cup on the table when he approached them. "Hey there." she gave him a professional smile. 

"Hey." he looked at the table. All three women were sitting on the same side. They made it seem like they were going to be giving him a lecture..

He sat down, sliding in the middle. He also couldn't help but feel out of place.. All three women looked stunning and hot.. and beautiful in their attire. And then it was just him, in his washed out skinny jeans and a faded out shirt. Could barely see the graphic logo on the damn thing..

"Your food is almost ready." she told the group as she fished out the last straw. She placed each by their cups. Then she placed a few napkins in front of them.

"No problem." said Amethyst. 

The waitress left, going towards the kitchens.

Amethyst was the first to reach for her straw. She took the straw out and dipped it into the cool, refreshing juice. Taking huge gulps of it. The other two started doing the same and Steven ignored the straw and just went right to drinking from the glass. _WOW!_ He smacked his lips, looking into the cup. The ice cubes clinked together. "This is the best orange juice I've ever had!" he went back to drinking some more, taking in the fresh, citrus-y goodness.

"Yeah, they're known for that." said Amethyst. "I'm pretty glad Garnet found this diner. It's freakin amazing." she gave Garnet a thumbs up and the woman smiled, showing off those dimples.. And why did it seem like the rays from the sun was shining right on her?

He took a couple more swallows of the orange juice and placed the cup back on the table.

"Yeah, I guess it was a good thing that the truck broke down by the diner after all." said Garnet. She took a few sips of her drink and set the cup back down.

"Yeah, who would've known." said Amethyst. She took the napkin from in front of her and started unfolding it. Just then, Steven realized that she'd taken off her jacket. She had on a white blouse with blue crystal buttons. That said blouse having a very, veeery deep v-neck line. The side of her breast out in the open and touching. Absolutely no gap. Just two full cups spilling out of her shirt.

He quickly pulled his eyes away.

Amethyst had seen him and decided to flip her hair back and "fix" her shirt by pushing her chest up and pushing them together.

Still not bothering to look her way, he grabbed for the glass of orange juice and started chugging it down.

She leaned over the table, her boobs pressing up on the edge. "Wow. You sure are _thirsty_." she murmured.

He sucked on the straw until there was no more juice to drink. He swallowed the wrong way and choked.

"Uh oh. Are you okay?" the waitress was coming over with their food.

Steven coughed a few more times before clearing his throat. "Yeah, just uh" he coughed again. "swallowed the wrong way."

"Aw, but you're okay now?" 

"Yeah." he cleared his throat again. "Yes, I'm fine." 

"Okay." she then hoisted the tray towards them. Steven was surprised just how much stuff was on the tray and how she could balance everything so well. 

She placed two bowls of oatmeal on the table. Yogurt, blueberries and bananas were in one while the other had yogurt, strawberries and bananas.

Then she set down another bowl of oatmeal. Plain. She set a cup of yogurt and three different fruit bowls; bananas, strawberries and blueberries beside it.

Then it was four plates of scrambled eggs whites. Spinach, bell peppers, fried onions, kale was mixed in them. Two of them had cheese sprinkled across and one of them had cheese on the side. And there was a dalop of avacodo paste on each plate beside the eggs.

Then she placed four plates of egg-white oatmeal pancakes on the table. One of them had two scoops of peanut butter beside it. 

And last but not least, she placed four cute little glasses of quinoa honey and yogurt parfaits in front of them.

Steven couldn't believe all of this food was in front of them.. Would these ladies really be able to put it all away?! 

"This looks amazing as always." said Amethyst.

"Thank you." the girl curtsied. "Well, if any of you need anything else, you know where to find me." She was about to walk away before Steven stopped her with an arm raised up.

"Can I. get a refill please." he asked shyly.

"Sure." she left the table.

"Alright, time to dig in." said Amethyst. She went for the pancakes. Immediately pouring the syrup all over it. Then she went to cut her pancakes. When she took her bite, Garnet and Pearl started going for their food. Garnet went for the scrambled egg whites and Pearl went for the oatmeal with strawberries and bananas in it. 

Maybe it was because he'd been with Connie for so long.. but he couldn't help but feel just a bit taken aback that they didn't pray over their food. _Remember, Steven. Not everyone does it._

He inconspicuously prayed over his food then looked back at the many dishes. Then he looked up at them stuffing their faces. "So uh.. which ones are mine?"

Amethyst grunted. A few pieces of pancake in her mouth as she gestured at the food with her fork. "Eweyshing ish yoursh axshept da pancakesh wiff da peanut buttcher ahnd da oahtmeal wiff da frhuit awlready inshide. Oh ahnd da egsh wiff da cheesh on da shide is yorsh." she said between chews.

"Mm. Oookay then." he looked around. Everything just looked so healthy and natural. "Guess I'll go with.. this first?" he slid the egg-white oatmeal pancakes in front of him. He cut them up and poured syrup over them.

The waitress came back over setting his ice cold drink on the table. "Here you go, hun." she smiled at him.

"Thanks!" he went for the drink again. It was just toooo delicious and sooo refreshing. But then Connie's inner thoughts started screaming at him. _You're going to fill yourself up too quickly! You're going to spoil your appetite!_

But, then again. Connie wasn't _here_ now, was she? 

He took a few more thirst quenching sips before taking his first bite of the pancakes. And it was.. tasteful? Well, it had a taste. The texture was kinda gritty, but the pancakes weren't too bad. It kinda reminded him of that one time Connie tried to fix him whole wheat pancakes. The result.. didn't end up so well.. but the pancakes he was eating now was at least better than that.

........

The four of them ate for a good, twenty five, thirty minutes, completely devouring the food. Steven nearly wolfing down the scrambled egg whites. Now _they_ were delicious. And the avocado paste was amazing on the eggs! And the oatmeal was extremely delicious as well. He'd put strawberries and blueberries in his and Garnet took the cut up bananas. 

Now they were just about done. The waitress had came back again. After asking how everything was, she took away some more plates. Then she took out the check from her apron and slid it towards Amethyst before leaving again. 

"Wow, Talc. You sure ain't cheap." 

He put his fork down. "Oh, did you need me to-" he pat his pants and realized that.. he didn't have his wallet.. "Uh.."

"Neh, dude. I'm kidding, I'm kidding. I _was_ the one who ordered the specific food, after all." 

Well, she wasn't lying. Steven didn't have a say in what he wanted. He just, ate what was on the table.But he enjoyed it, so he couldn't complain. Heck, even the pancakes grew on him eventually.

"Yeah." Amethyst continued. "We're taking_ extra_ care of you." she purred. Though how she said it sounded pretty.. eerie.. 

"Okay, now that were almost done, we should start going over our schedule for the next couple of weeks." she looked to her side at the two ladies then at Steven.

Pearl raised her hand. 

"Yes, Pearl." 

She dipped her pancakes in the peanut butter. "Do we have our guy yet? The one who's having that party?" she ate the pieces off her fork. Steven couldn't help but wonder how pancakes and.. peanut butter tasted together..

"Yup. We sure do." Amethyst grabbed for the parfait. She took a spoon and started mixing the ingredients in. "Yeah, Dohn Joe. He's the guy that's supposed to be hosting his party in Atlanta. Heard it from a very reliable source that he'll use the party as a means to hand off the gems." 

"The gems that he stole from Chalcedony's group." said Garnet.

"Yup. And since they're across the States right now doing something else, we'll have to be the ones to take them back." said Amethyst. "But, we're going ahead of ourselves. That's not until later on, in the next two weeks." then she turned to Steven who was desperately trying to figure out what was going on. Who is Dohn Joe? Who's Chalcedony? How did they even steel the gems from her in the first place?

"See, every two weeks on a Monday, we come here to eat and to discuss missions and matters at hand." said Amethyst. "And this diner is one of the best spots. It's in a rural area in the country, good food and look." she gestured at the secluded area of their table. "this spot is great. It's not near a lot of people _soo_ we don't have to worry about people ease dropping." then a beat later. "Also, we have these devices in our ears to tell us if anyone is using any sound snooping equipment within the five mile radius." _These gadgets just keeps getting cooler and cooler.._

"Aaanyway." she proceeded. "Right now, we have a few things to talk about. First and foremost, to get this out of the way. We need to discuss when you'll be fitted for your gadgets." Steven resisted the urge to squeal in excitement. It was JUST like in those 007 movies! Or, or in those thriller fics he'd been reading with Connie! 

"And a few of our techies are already experimenting with a few weapons that could be of use to you as well." Another squeal he had to resist to make. 

Garnet raised her hand. Her elbow propped up on the table.

"Yes, Garnet?"

"Are one of the weapons the bubble that they'd been trying to make for the past few days? Or is it still as a prototype?" 

"Yeah, the bubble is one of them. And they're out of the prototype stage now. Though I'll have to call one of them to see if the real deal is officially finished. Last time we talked, she said that they were still working out a few bugs. That was a day before yesterday." Amethyst scooped up her parfait. "I'll have to give her a call tonight." she slurped it off her spoon.

"But what about the other weapon?"

Steven looked at them both. Wide eyed. _More than one weapon?!?!_

"Oh, that's still far in the months for that one." she scooped up more of her parfait.

"I get MORE than one weapon?!"

"Talc." Garnet warned. Her voice firm yet soft.

Amethyst waved a hand up. Then she looked back at Steven. "You have to raise your hand, che." she slurped her parfait.

"Oh..Sorry." he raised his hand.

"¿Qué es la pregunta?"

"Um.."

"What is your question?"

"You two were talking about two different weapons. I get more than one?"

Garnet didn't say anything. She looked at Amethyst.

"That's a possibility." she set the cup down. "See, I had this idea to give you a shield." _A shield?! Like.. in Medieval Times?!_ "I gave them the okay and they started sketching and working on prototypes. Then out of nowhere, I go to the lab to check on things and they're over there making something else. Claiming they want to build these sort of force fields for all of the Crystal Gems. Something so durable, so powerful that would withstand anything. Strong as a diamond. And possibly even stronger." _Wow.._ "They walked me through everything and I gave them the okay to start making it. Then right before that we started to discuss who our guinea pig would be. And well," she shrug. "you flopped into the picture. And I figured, aye, why not?" 

"So I'll just be a test subject before you start distributing them all to every Crystal Gem."

She nodded. "Precisely. So while this_ is _your second "weapon" and honestly kid, I do hesitate to use the word weapon because.. It's not necessarily one in my book. But while this is just a s second "item", it'll act more as a gadget than anything. Like how we can super jump and land from tall heights and such. Gadgets dude. And the forcefield ball will just be another one for us. However, the _shield_. Now _that's_ something that you would have to get better with. That will be your own, personal weapon. Like Garnet with her gauntlets and various brass knuckles and Pearl's various types of spears or my different whips. That shield is _your_ own. Your bread and butter. Your prize possession.. Your _power._ It'll be apart of you. Of who you are."

He felt chills listening to her speech. It just sounded so cool. And there were a lot of Crystal Gems in general, but, for some odd reason, he couldn't help but feel like he was the 'The chosen one', the hero who was set off on an adventure to fight off some super duper cool force wrecking havoc on society. It reminded him of those Saturday cartoons he used to watch when he was younger.

Despite how giddy he felt, he resisted the urge to laugh or smile. And with a straight face and a serious tone, he asked "So, when will I be fitted for them?"

"I'll give her a call tonight. She should have the information about your gadgets and the forcefield bubble by then." she picked up the parfait again. "But it shouldn't be no more than a couple of days." 

_Eeeeeeeeeeee!!! This is SO cool!_ He gave her another professional nod, keeping his true, giddy feelings in. "I look forward to it."

Amethyst took a few more spoonfuls of parfait before setting it back down. "Okay, well that's enough about you and your gadgets. Now back to the main stuff. _well ouch.. the 'main stuff' ?_

"Today we'll be going to the Acid Plant off of Route 04 in Maryland.The folks from the Red Eye are hauling over more of the gems that they stole back to that building. So, we'll pay them a little visit. We maneuver around, grab the stolen goods and bounce. Boom, bam. Get in, get out." 

Garnet put her now finished parfait down. She took a napkin and wiped her mouth off. She raised a hand. Amethyst nodded. "Whatever happened to Frybo? Are we still assigned to him or no?"

"We're going to deal with all of that tomorrow actually." she scraped the rest of her parfait and ate it before setting the cup back down. "Okay, so here's our run through. We visit the Acid Plant today. Tomorrow, we deal with that little shit Frybo." she counted on her fingers. "We have a rich lady's house to go to and the jewelry store in West VA for this week. Then we start out our second week at the Sky Spire and then we have that crazy party down in Atlanta. And we end the second week off with the trade with Onion that we have to do before he leaves."

Pearl took a few sips of her drink, raising her hand. Amethyst nodded. Pearl swallowed and set her cup back down. "So we're still dealing with Onion? Even after all of those times he's tricked other robbers and thugs? We're still going to deal with him?"

"Yup. Ya see, Pearl. He's never dealt with a Crystal Gem. Only those other wannabe, b list robbers. He'll be handing _us_ some stuff after we've given him our share of the bargain. And well, if he doesn't give us our stuff. Or he tries anything sneaky?" she gave a humorless laugh, raising her hand up, with her thumb pointing up, her index finger pointed out and the rest of the three fingers folded towards her palms, replicating a gun. She bent her index finger back and bent her wrist up, in a firing motion. "We'll cap his grimy ass between the eyes."

And just then Steven's blood ran cold and his heart skipped a few beats. All of those whimsical, high flying, superhero-like adventures that he had swirling through his mind completely vanished in existence. He was now back to reality. He wasn't in some fantasy cartoon. He was with a group of killer robbers.._Actual_ killers. _Actual_ robbers.. And he needs to keep reminding himself about that. There's no playing around and day dreaming.. This is real life.

He felt a terrible ice chilling weight at the pit of his stomach. He tried to somehow wash that feeling down with the rest of his orange juice.

Pearl nodded and sat back. "Okay, I like the sound of that." she gave her a mischievous smile. "It'll serve him right if we have to resort to that." she told Amethyst.

"Exactly. So that's why he's the least of my worries." then she looked at her watch. "Alright, we should start heading out soon. It'll be a three hour ride to where we have to go." she looked up at the group, at Steven, then down to the other two. "Okay, just two more things. That jewelry store up in West Virginia has two wings. An East wing and a West wing. Garnet, you and Talc will be going to the East wing" the lady nodded. "while Pearl and I go to the West one. And the second thing, Garnet, you'll be going solo for the Spire. Since you're the only one with a lava suit, you'll be going to the basement of it to retrieve the jewels while Pearl and I go ahead and give Talc a few pointers above the surface while we retrieve the other bag." the two women nodded and said some form of agreement to her. "Ooookay." Amethyst clapped her hands. "Good talk, good talk. Now let's get out of here." she dug into her jacket pocket and took out her wallet. And Steven raised his hand. She looked up at him, then looked back down at her wallet as she opened it. "¿Qué pasa, che? (What's up, dude?)"

"Uh.."_ maybe that means 'Ask your question?' or 'Proceed'?_ "I was wondering.." he said slowly. The whole entire talk had been about going on missions to either take back their stolen goods or to retrieve more jewels. But.. there was just one thing that kept coming to his mind every now and again throughout Amethyst's whole run through. And maybe it was because he was laid back.. or so much younger than them, but he couldn't help but ask.. "What.. do you three do for fun?"

Garnet and Pearl looked at Amethyst. The Latina pulled out three one hundred dollar bills and placed it on the table. "Ehh, there's not much of that. We don't have a lot of time for anything but our missions." she pulled out another one hundred dollar bill and put it underneath of an empty plate.

"But, there has to be a lull in the week, right? I mean, you can't really be doing missions _all_ the time? Where's your time to relax?"

Amethyst snorted. "Yeah, there's not much of that, dude. If we're not going on missions, then we're training or looking up other hotspots to steal jewels from." then she thought about it. "Although we _are_ going to the Wrestling tournament on the 27th. But as I've said before. It's not an everyday thing. And it's something that I like to do when they're in town so." she closed her wallet and put it back in her jacket pocket.

_Something that she likes to do? So they're only going for her? That doesn't seem fair._ "But.. if it's something that you like to do. What about them?" he gestured at the two women in front of him. They looked at him in shock and quickly turned to Amethyst. 

Her expression was unreadable. Kind of like a mixed look of confusion and.. complacency? and.. Coyness? She stayed like that for a few beats before a wide smile came across her face. "Ah, that just. never crossed my mind." she said lightly. The softness of her voice didn't quite sound right coming from her. And similar to when she told him that they were 'taking extra care' of him, it just.. sounded eery.. 

"Well.." he hesitated. Amethyst can be scary at times.. even when she's not fighting or making one of her faces. The aura just kind of poured from her. "..How about we do something together? You know, something that we all would like to do. Like, like best buds!" he squeaked.

Garnet was shaking her head slightly and Pearl took in a breath. 

"Kid, kid." Amethyst shook her head chuckling. She looked up slowly, titling her head back with a lopsided, smug smile. "We. Are not. "Best buds" nor will we ever will be. The term, 'Crystal Gems' don't mean buddies or friends or pals." then her smile started to falter to a thin line. "Having friends make you weak and dependent. And emotional. And we don't need that kind of baggage." Steven started chewing on his lip as he sat under her glare. "We're a unit. We're just a group of people who work together to get the job done. Nothing more." 

He wasn't entirely sure if he should say something else. But the warning looks on Garnet and Pearl's face made him stay quiet. 

The silence lingered on for a few long seconds until Amethyst spoke back up. "Though, I'm curious." they looked at her. "_If_ we were to have a little "friendly outing" she made air quotes. "What do you think would be a good place to go to?" she looked at him. Her expression plain.

_Is this a trick question?!_ "I.. don't know." he looked at all three of them. He felt a bit nervous being in the spotlight. Especially since Amethyst was the one holding that metaphorical light. "Yeah, I don't know." he said again. "I.. don't really know you guys. I don't know what any of you like or don't like." he was waiting for Garnet and Pearl to speak up, but of course they didn't..

"Then I guess you would have to think of something as close to universal as you can get." 

"Um.." he looked down at his half cup of parfait. He thought about it. He didn't really know what older women liked and he could only rely on stereotypes in movies that weren't the most _reliable_ sources at all.. Sewing? ..Baking?.. Watching Matha Stewart? .. Oh!.. What about watching the Antique Roadshow? Neh, they're not that old.. Maybe they like home improvement stuff? Or.. gardening or talking to their cats? Come on, think Universe.. And he couldn't. He had no idea what they would like.. And so, he just decided on something that teens and some young adults like to do. "Mmmm.. the arcade?" his voice lilted up.

Amethyst scoffed. "Really. An arcade. What are we, thirteen? Sixteen?" she snickered under her breath.

Steven inwardly sighed.

"Thooooough." she began and he ooked back up. "It _would_ be nice to have a nice little blast from the pass and be teens again." she looked back at the two. "What do you say guys? A nice little outing with Pillsbury here?"

"Um, if you want to!" he quickly blurted out. The three looked at him. "Um..Sorry.. I just.. don't want to make it seem like I was forcing them."

Amethyst turned to the other two. And Garnet nodded. "Yeah, that sounds nice actually." Steven just couldn't get enough of that accent of hers.. "It's been a looong, loooong time since I've been to an arcade. I wonder if they still have those 80's games that I used to play back in the 90's."

"I think they do!" Steven tried to brighten the mood up more. "Retro games are ALL the rage now! So that shouldn't be a problem!" 

"Yes!" she smiled. "Aw man. I'm totally going to beat everyone and get the highest score in Galaga and Centipede." 

Pearl thought, with a hand on her chin. "Hmm.. and it _has_ been a while since I've had arcade pizza.. and I did have a score to settle with a few games." she mumbled. Then she gave a minute nod. "Yeah, that doesn't sound half bad."

Amethyst turned to Steven. "Wow, dude. Looks like you've talked us all in having a "together outting." she chuckled, making air quotes again.

He definitely felt accomplished. "Awesome! You guys are going to love it!" 

Garnet chuckled at his enthusiasm and he blushed. He really couldn't get enough of her sweet laughter and her adorable dimples.

"Alrighty. _Now_ without any further ado. Let's vamoose." she got up and Steven finally got to see what she had on.. Which was.. nearly nothing. Her shorts were, as he expected, very short, but he didn't think they would be as high as the start of her thighs.

Amethyst put on her jacket and picked the money up from the table, leaving the tip under the plate.

"Hey, Amethyst. I'm going to head to the bathroom before we head back out." said Garnet.

"You know what, I should do that too." she put the money in her pocket. "Alright, so whoever has to go, go now." she eyed Steven as she said it. Then she walked to the back with Garnet and Pearl decided to go too.

_Eh.. she has a point. Might as well go too._ He went in, used the bathroom, then came back out. They weren't out yet. _Pffft. Women._ He leaned back on the wall near the restrooms. A couple minutes later he heard a "¡Lávate los manos! (Wash your hands!)" from Amethyst. Then a few seconds later the woman opened the door. 

She snorted. "What a creep. Standing by the woman's bathroom." she teased.

He threw his hands up. "It's not like that! I was just waiting for everyone!"

"Dude, I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Man, you sure can get worked up quickly."

"I mean.. I.." he trailed off.

Garnet and Pearl walked out after her.

"Alright, the crew's all here. Let's go." Amethyst led the way to the counter to pay for the food. She handed it to the hostess. "There ya go."

"Thank. You." the lady typed everything in and the bottom of the register popped out. She put the bills under the register then handed Amethyst her change. "Here you go, Amethyst."

"Thanks chica." she put the change in her high waist pocket. 

"No problem, Amethyst." then she looked at Steven and motioned for him to come over. 

He walked over to her and she leaned in, pating his back. "And congratulations on being an official Crystal Gem. I have a feeling you're going to do good out there." 

"Yeah, t, thanks."

She let go, smiling at him. "See ya...." she trailed off before asking, "What's your name?"

"St-Talc." _Phewf, that was close.._

"See ya, Talc." she waved.

The gems waved back to her and they left out the door, crossing the parking lot to the snazzy looking SUV. Garnet pressed the keypad, unlocking the doors. Pearl walked with Amethyst and opened the door for her just as Garnet and Steven hopped in. She closed the door back for her and walked to her side and got in. 

Garnet pressed the button to turn the car on, stepped on the brake pad and shifted the gear into drive. Then she pulled up the parking break. "Alright. Here we go everyone." she put the car in reverse. Stopped. Then shifted the gear to drive and drove off. 

"Hey, Amethyst?" Steven watched as they drove away from the diner.

"Yo." she looked at him in the rearview mirror.

"Is that hostess girl.. a Crystal Gem?"

"Yup."

"So she works at a diner as well?"

"Yeah. It's not uncommon for Crystal Gems to have other side jobs. Some of them have jobs to get a bit more money and some of them have jobs just to be around people and to stay in the know. They get to talk to people and interact with people at these jobs. Some of them meeting other under cover gems or getting bystanders to blab about different hotspots around the world and more. Like, take Pearl for instance." he looked at the slender, pale woman. "This chick can throw it back faster than you can say hot tamales." _..Really?_ The woman blushed at Amethyst telling him that and she looked away from him. 

"And because of that, she has a lot of connections throughout the Delmarva area. Heck, one time. We were looking for this dude that stole a whole chest full of gemstones from this group, right? And get this. Somehow, Pearl was giving _that_ guy's friend a bj. Of ALL people, it was his friend! And they got to talking about random stuff after she was done and he'd randomly brought up his friend who apparently didn't follow through with their plan and he'd taken all the gems for himself. The dude was pissed. And Pearl managed to casually get the information of his friend's whereabouts. We ended up raiding that fool's house so quick, man! Haha. Yeahhh, he got away though, but at least we got our jewels back!" Amethyst cackled. "Yeah, man. Stuff like that happens a lot." 

"Interesting.. uh, s, stuff.."

"Sure is. Heh, believe me, che. You'll be seeing a _lot_ of weird, crazy stuff with each and every mission."

Steven leaned back in his chair, watching the cars as Garnet drove on pass them on the highway. He pushed the button down on the door of the car, rolling down the window a crack to get some fresh air. "Welp." the wind fluttered in, bouncing the curls over his head. "Guess I'll have to be ready for it all then." a small smirk swept across his face. _Okay missions.. bring it on.._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The breakfast that they had at the diner are all from this website. I definitely couldn't had imagined it all up myself xD
> 
> https://activ8athleticism.com/blog/breakfast-champions-pro-athletes-eat/


	24. The C.G.B

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Told myself that I wasn't going to post anything, until I'd finish writing out the whole mission, but, as usual, I got too antsy and decided to post this one chapter today. But hey, at least it's not _too_ short of a read, soooo, I guess that's something? xP *shrugs*
> 
> And yeah, hopefully I'll finish the chapters on the mission sometime by the end of next week.

Throughout the car ride, Steven had dozen off a few times, either waking up to look out the window for a few minutes, waking up to the sound of the crew talking in Spanish (which he could only assume was because they didn't want him in on their conversation) and waking up to his aches and pains as a result from the past few days of being with them. 

He'd woken up again, drool on a small spot of his shirt. He wiped his mouth off with his sleeve and looked out the window. They looked to be near the mountains. Huge dirt cliffs loomed overhead. There was very little greenery with huge boulders stacked all around the area and they were driving on a flat, dirt plain as far as the eye could see. He sat up and rubbed at his eye. "Where are we? The Acid Plant is near some kind of.. rocky plains?" Steven asked the crew.

"Neh, dude. We're just heading back to our base to change vehicles and to get into uniform." said Amethyst.

"I'm going to see the base?!?!" 

"Well the _outside_ of it at least. We don't have time to go inside. We're just going park the SUV down in the separate garage unit, hurry and suit up and take the other vehicle and leave back out."

"Aww... I guess that's cool too."

The next few minutes and they were nearing a huge, lone mountain stretched higher than all of the other cliff sides in the area. It looked sturdy and rigid and when Steven looked at the mountain a bit closer, he realized that.. a rose had been chiseled in the huge, shiny brown face of the mountain. Below the gawdy rose were four diamonds. From left to right, the first diamond was a side view of a round cut diamond. The second one was shaped like a rhombus. The third one was shaped more like a diamond "tear drop" and the last one was shaped similar to the first one, except it was upside down, the round cut facing the bottom with the point facing up. And there was a diagonal crack from top to bottom of it, the crack going as far as pass the chisel of the diamond.

"Wow..Did you three.. carve all of that yourselves?"he was awestruck.

"No, there were two other people who helped us." said Amethyst.

"Oh, neat! Will I be meeting them too?"

"No and no."

How Amethyst said it made him look up at her through the rearview mirror. She was looking right at him. Her lips right in a line.

"Oh... okay.." something told him that he shouldn't pry into it. That he should just leave it at that. Especially with the face that Amethyst was making.. But, he couldn't help it. He was just too curious. "Um.." he said meekly. "May I.. ask why?" 

The car was quiet.. Say for the car's engine and the rocks rolling under the tires.

He looked at Pearl. She had a scowl on her face. He looked up at Garnet who looked.. sad. And then there was Amethyst eyeing him through the mirror again. Her expression unreadable. He shrunk in under her stare.

He must've opened another can of worms.. Like that time with Garnet when she fell silent when they were at the mountainside..

He looked away.. but he could practically feel her eyes on him..

"One..is not with us anymore and the other..hasn't been seen in years." she finally said.

"Oh.. I'm sorry..?" That was awkward.. and tense.. And he didn't know what else to say.. because he most definitely _definitely_ did open up a can he shouldn't had opened.

"You're not sorry." said Amethyst bluntly. "How could you be? You have nothing to do with the past." 

"Oh, I just-"

"You just _nothing_ kid." she cut him off. "Remember, we don't need your sympathy.. _or_ your pity for that matter." 

"Right." ..then he sighed. "Right.." he whispered. He leaned back in his seat.

The ride was quiet and tense for a few minutes until Amethyst spoke up again. "How are we looking with the time, Garnet? And what's their twenty?" 

Garnet looked at her smart watch. "We're approximately five point two minutes ahead of time." 

"Good." 

"And let's see where they are.." Garnet put her hand over the tablet-screen at the front of the car. "CGVU.. Zero, seven, one, seven, one, nine, eight nine." 

A bright red light shot out of the top corner of the tablet. The light starting from her fingertips and trailing down her hand in a scan. It blinked out. "Access Granted" said a male voice. The tablet turned on with a bright white opening page. Then words and graphics started zipping up and down and across the screen as it woke up.

The screen stopped on a black page. Various icons were scattered across the screen. Garnet clicked on one and the app opened up to a map. Red, blue and green lines indicating streets, rivers and dead ends zigzagged throughout the yellow background. 

"CGVU. Show me the location of vehicle three one zero two." said Garnet.

"Locating." said the male voice. A loading icon appeared in front of the screen for a few moments before the map scrolled to another far part of the map. A blue dot fell from the screen and pinned a certain area before it started slowly moving. Garnet looked at the coordinates that were displayed under the map, changing every second as the pin moved along the line.

"It appears that they too, have left early." said Garnet. "It looks like they're a quarter of the way there."

"Then we'll be getting there right along the time that they do." said Amethyst. She rubbed her chin. In thought. "Eh, no biggie. This'll still be a walk in the park."

Garnet was just a few yards away from the mountain. Steven was able to see just how huge the mountain really was. It'd looked huge awhile back, but now, up close? It looked even more impressive. Each sketch of the protruding diamonds were the size of a small truck. And that's not including the actual sketch of the rose, which was at least four times bigger than the diamonds. _Surely it's not just those three living in this colossal place? I wonder if they even see each other.. A mountain mansion hybrid that huge one wouldn't have to see the other person.. How lonely and isolated that could possibly be at times?.._

Garnet drove across the front of the mountain and he saw two huge, silver, sturdy doors in the middle. _But it must look sooo cool in there regardless.._

The woman drove pass the mountain, stopping just a few feet away from it. "CGVU. Scan area two zero one three." 

"Scanning." A red light shot out from the front of the car, scanning.. something. Steven didn't see anything. It was just.. dirt. Dirt and gravel.

The red light scanned the area left to right before blinking out. "Garage unit detected. Please verify."

A long pole with a tablet at the top, similar to the one at the shack sprouted up out the ground to driver's height. Garnet rolled down the window and put in a code. Then a small pole as big as a pen stemmed up from the tablet, then bent at an angle towards Garnet. She looked right at it as a red light shot out, scanning her hazel eye. "Approved." said the male voice. The pole went back inside the tablet and the device snapped back towards the pole as it sunk back down into the ground. 

Steven saw Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl dig into their pockets. They each took out a pair of glasses and put them on.

Then there was a low rumble in the ground as a square door opened in the ground in front of them. Garnet drove down into the opening, driving down the ramp into the tunnel.

The tunnel was made of shiny silver metal that seemed to sparkle in the sunlight behind them. Then the door behind them slid close and everything was pitch black. Garnet kept driving.

"Hey, uh.. Garnet?" he couldn't see her. Or anyone else. The area pitch black.

"Yes, Talc?" Goodness, that accent.. And for some reason it sounded even sexier in the dark. Sexier.. _and_ mysterious..

"How did you memorize this tunnel? I could understand if it was by steps, but I would assume it would be harder to measure when you're driving instead." 

Garnet chuckled. "I can see where I'm going. We all can with these night vision glasses." 

"Hmm.. so you purposely _don't_ have automatic lights that come on in the tunnel when you drive in."

"Right."

"Let me guess.. another tactic?"

"Ah, NOW you're getting it." he couldn't see her, but she sounded like she was smiling. 

After feeling the car turn a few corners, he felt the vehicle start to slow down to a stop. Then he heard Garnet put the window down. He heard a few typing sounds and then he saw a bright red light coming from, what he could assume was another one of those security pole, tablet thingys.

There was a low, sliding, whooshing sound in front of them. The sound lasted for a few seconds. Then he felt the SUV pull off again, this time, driving slowly only for a few moments to another stop. There was another low, sliding, whooshing sound from behind them. Then he felt the SUV turn off.

"Alright, Talc. Time to get out." said Amethyst.

He heard the driver's and Pearl's door open and shut. He opened his slowly, not wanting to hit anyone. He slid out the car and closed the door and placed his back on the car. 

He heard footsteps in front of him. Then he heard Amethyst's door open and the sound of someone getting out the car. The door closed back shut. Then he heard more footsteps, a pair walking away and the other walking towards him.

"Alright, dude." he heard Amethyst say in front of him. Like, _right_ in front of him. He could literally feel her breath on his lips. "Just hold tight. Garnet is about to turn the lights on." 

"O, okay.." he turned away slowly from her, hoping that she wouldn't try to kiss him. She'd already kissed him twice already.. the chin and the cheek..

"Oh and b.t.w." he felt her breath on his cheek. "These glasses will also be apart of the gadgets you'll be getting."

"Really?" he tried to keep his mouth to the side. "Uh, I can't wait."

They heard an, "Access Approved. Lights On."

The first row of lights came on with a loud click, accompanied by a buzzing sound. Then the second row, then the third row, until the rows trailed down across and pass them, down to the last row. Steven had to close his eyes, the lights being so bright. Then he cracked them open, letting them get adjusted to the lights. And then his jaw dropped. He spun around a couple times, taking in the garage. 

It was HUGE. The shiny, silver metal of the garage had matched with the tunnel and the room stretched far above and far away from him. But most importantly. What was all _in_ the garage he couldn't believe. Helicopters, jets, limousines and fancy cars were placed strategically throughout the whole area. "_THIS_. is you all's garage?!" he shouted. He heard his voice ricochet off the walls.

"Yup." Amethyst nodded, smiling. "Like what you see?" 

"Do I?!" he was just so overwhelmed. He started running towards the helicopters near the left back of the garage. 

"Talc!" Garnet warned him. 

He quickly stopped in his tracks and turned around. 

"Neh, it's cool, Garnet. It's cool." she told her. "Yeah Talc. You can look around for a bit." she gave him a thumbs up. 

The young man pivoted back around and ran straight for the first helicopter in the lineup. It was a military pattern green, with yellow markings along the door and a swiss cross logo at the tail. It was bulky and it looked strong and sturdy. The Eurocopter AS332. He ran to the second one. It was much smaller and slender than the first one. And it looked sleeker. It was white with blue at the top and bottom of it and a bit of blue at the tail. And what looked to be another propeller with red stripes and yellow tips protruding at the tail. The Agusta Westland AW-109 Grand. He ran to the third one. It was much bigger than the other two, with multiple windows along the side of it for its passengers. It was white, with a yellow line in the middle and through the windows. A blue stripe on either side of the yellow marking. The Sikorsky S-92. He ran to the fourth and last one. It was much, muuch smaller and thinner than the other three. And it was all red. The Bell 525 Relentless. He turned around to the three women who were walking up to him. "You guys really fly these?! Like, like on a daily basis?!?!" 

"Of course. Why wouldn't we?" said Amethyst. "We use them a lot on our missions and when we go out to scout. Especially that puppy over there." she pointed at the white and blue one. The Agusta Westland AW-109 Grand. "Actually, we used that one just like week to snipe this guy." 

That sent a chill down his back.. _Oh yeah.. That's right.. They do that.. _

That _almost_ killed the mood, but then a limo had caught his eye. "Is that?! ..IS THAT A ROLLS ROYCE PHANTUM?!?!" he ran towards the shiny, white expensive vehicle. 

"Yeah, che. VIP Edition."

He slowed his pace down when he got to the car. He stopped..and slowly raised his hand towards it with bated breath. He watched as his own, actual hand touched the door of the _very_ expensive car. "I've never touched a car.. so marvelous, so expensive, so cool, in my whole, entire life." he whispered. 

"Eh, it's okay." said Amethyst. "But I prefer the Maybach." 

"You have a-" he looked up to see the next limo. "YOU HAVE AN ARMORED MERCEDES-MAYBACH S600 PULLMAN GUARD LIMO!!!!!!" he ran fast to the car, quickly peppering his fingertips all along the black, shiny exterior of the vehicle. 

"Aye, watch the fingertips." Amethyst joked. "It costs me five grand to get that bad boy washed." 

"Oh!" he pulled his hands away. "Sorry, Amethyst." 

"I'm kidding, dude, I'm kidding.. Well, not the five grand part, but feel free to touch the cars. You'll most likely be riding in one or actually driving one soon anyway."

"Really?!?!" he walked around the limo, looking at it's aweseomness and extreme coolness. 

"Yup."

Then. He saw the third one. A bulletproof Inkas Mercedes G63 AMG Armored limo... He couldn't believe his eyes. "All of these MUST cost more than a couple or a few hundred gran to make." he said. Then he turned back to them. "You all can't be driving these to missions as well!!"

"Well doy. We also use the stretched hummer limousine." _A STRETCHED HUMMER?!_ he looked around, "Don't bother looking around. It's in the shop _because_ of one of our recent missions." 

In the mix of his looking around, he spotted six fast, luxury cars all in a row. And he thought his heart was going to jump out of his chest. "THESE ARE EVERY PERSON'S DREAM CARS HERE!!" He ran to the front, looking at all six, low to the ground, sleek, beautiful, fast, expensive cars. "Ferrari LaFerrari! W Motors Lykan Hypersport!" he gawked at the first two cars.

"Wow, kid knows his cars." Amethyst said to Garnet.

"Mansory Vivere Bugatti Veyron! THE Bugatti Divo!! The Koenigsegg One:1 AND... How on EARTH did you get the Koenigsegg CCXR Trevita!?!?!! They've only made like, a few of them!!" 

"Connections. And money dude. Lot's. and lot's. and _lot's_ of money."

He felt like he was dreaming, looking at the helicopters, the limos, the sports cars.. he really couldn't believe it.. Then he turned around to look at more of their transportation. And there they were, placed neatly before him.. Three beautiful, cool, and expensive ..private.. JETS!! 

"THOSE MUST COST LIKE, A FEW HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS!!!" he ran up to them, touching the nose of the first one. The Gulfstream G500.

"The actual jets, yeah. But we paid WELL over that for all the additions we needed to better accommodate us for our job. Everything in here has some kind of addition to them." said Amethyst.

Steven ran up and touched the second one. The Gulfstream G650ER. "I could only imagine what they look like inside.." he walked around to the other side. "I've heard that some private jets even have kitchens and a master bedroom." then he turned to Amethyst. "Do these have them?"

"Yup. All three of them have a master bedroom, a kitchen area and a little lounging area. And the one in front of you has a jaccuzi and that last one right there has a conference room."

"No way.." he took a few steps back, looking at the one in front of him. _A jacuzzi?!_ Then he looked to the last one in the row. The one with the conference room. The Bombardier Global 7000.

"This WHOLE room is just. One big, double oh seven fantasy!" then he saw something hidden in the far, faaar back of the garage. Something small, pointy.._intimidating_ Even the last few row of lights seemed to had dimmed. Making the area less brighter and even more creepy. His heart skipped a few beats, whether from fear or excitement, he couldn't tell..

He turned to Amethyst slowly. "Is that.."

She was leaning on the Koenigsegg One:1. Arms folded with her usual smug look. She nodded slowly. "Your eyes aren't deceiving you."

Steven walked pass the jets towards the back and as he got closer and with the tails of the jets not blocking the rest of his view, he noticed that it wasn't one, but four... _four_ fighter jets.. As in, the ones used.. in _wars_.. The ones with weapons and missiles.. and bombs.. 

He stopped a good distance from them. He had to admit, they were pretty.. alarming to say the least. They looked cool, but, a bit frightening no less. He was looking at death machines. Their only purpose to annihilate everything in their path. 

He looked to his left down to the first one. The silver, powerful, all-weather stealth tactical fighter. The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor. He walked cautiously, as if just his mere footsteps could set any of the four aircraft off..

The second one was long in the front and incredibly pointy. Like it could spear right through the hardest of materials. The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter. The third one was a military pattern but white and different shades of blue. The Sukhoi Su-27. Then it was the F-16 Fighter Falcon. He stood there, looking at it.

Then a hand grabbed his shoulder. "Beautiful." he jumped. "aren't they?" he can't believe he jumped..

"Uh, heheh, uh yeah.." he lied as he forced out nervous smile.

"Yeah." she pulled him closer to her in a side hug. "These bad boys have gotten a LOT and I mean, a LOT of stuff done." he swallowed. "It's incredible how powerful these little guys are."

"Uh, y, yeah.." then he looked at her. "How did you even get these? These are actual military machines."

"Yeah, it was a pain in the tushy trying to get these four. But eh, long story short. Connections, money and sacrifices go a long way." _What does she mean by that?! Like, they had to kill people?! Or does she mean she had to sacrifice something else in return?!_

"But yeah, that's enough sight seeing for one day. We really need to get going." she pulled him with her towards an opening to another room, passing the jets and the luxurious cars again. And Steven couldn't help but gawk at them again as they walked by, eyeing the Ferrari LaFerrari. 

As soon as they stepped foot into the opening, Steven's eyes didn't go to all of the fancy clothes and weapons of all sorts on walls and hanging on carts. No. His eyes went RIGHT to .. two more cars he thought he would NEVER see. EVER in his WHOLE entire life: A Mercedes Benz Maybach Exelero and right next to in a shiny black .. a Lamborghini Veneno Roadster. 

"Is that.." his legs went on autopilot, going straight for the two cars. He placed his hand on each hood of the cars. Then a huge thought came to his mind. He turned on his heels to Amethyst. "You have all of these cars!?! Why.. why use that old, plain work van?"

Amethyst was sifting through some jumpsuits in a rack. "Oh, that wasn't ours. We wouldn't dare actually ride in something like that." she took out a baggy jumpsuit. She looked at it, then shook her head, hanging it back up. "Yeah, we stole that joint from our rivals. We were just effin' around in it for a couple of days. Heck, we already sold that crap as scrap metal for a couple bucks yesterday." 

"So we won't be taking it?!"

Pearl walked over, handing Amethyst an ear piece. They placed it in their ears. Securing it tightly in the back of their ear. "Nope. We won't be taking it." 

"Ooooooo!!! Then can we PLEASE take one of these?! I've ALWAYS wanted to ride in a Lamborghini!!" he was practically bouncing on his feet.

She pulled another jumpsuit out. Looked at it, then nodded. She turned to him. "Yeah, sorry kid. But we ain't doing that."

"Awwww.." he whined.

Amethyst took the jumpsuit off the hanger and threw it over her shoulder. She put the hanger back. "Yeah, those two cars aren't Crystal Gem ready yet. Technically, only one of them is ready as an every_day_ car, but _not_ as our official CGVU's yet. That's why they're in this room and not out in the main garage unit area. The Maybach Exelero only has half the equipment in it. It doesn't even have it's injector seats built in yet." _Those are real?!..Hope I don't make a mistake and press the button.._ "And that Lamborghini doesn't even have an engine." 

"What?!" he looked at the nice looking car.

Amethyst took a thin band from her pocket and started wrapping her hair up in a ponytail. "Yup. We bought the thing, striped it off it's engine and all the rest of the parts and sold them and got a heckuva lot of money for it. And we put that money towards buying our own GemTech engine. Along with the other parts. The WHOLE thing under the hood will be GemTech, just like all of the other cars, the limousines, the helicopters and the jets." 

Garnet came over holding her dark purple jumpsuit. It looked even darker than her other jumpsuits. Pearl's and Amethyst's jumpsuits did too.

"Alright, ladies. Time to suit up. Talc, you have on your shirt, right?" Amethyst asked. She picked the jumpsuit off her shoulders and started to take off her jacket.

"Yeah, I have it on. I can ..just.." he trailed off.

Amethyst had taken her shirt off showing a black push-up bra "Yeah, you can just take that other shirt off." she threw hers on the floor.

He'd already looked away from her. "Uh huh." 

He heard a zipper being pulled and saw Garnet. Her skirt was already on the floor. She was pulling down her tights and right as he saw her light blue girl boxers, he lookd away from her as well. 

Pearl was hiding herself behind one of the carts. He saw her throw her blouse over it, then her pants.

Minutes later and everyone was suited up. 

"Alright, che." said Amethyst. "Vámanos."(Let's go). She walked pass him with Garnet right behind her.

Pearl walked pass him, but didn't even spare him a passing glance. He turned around to follow the three out the room, but not before taking a nice gander at the Mercedes Benz Maybach Exelero and the Lamborghini Veneno Roadster.

Amethyst and Pearl were going to the expensive cars again. Garnet had broken away from the group to put the security system on and to turn the lights off. Amethyst turned around. "Even though I _do_ prefer the Mercedes-Maybach S600 Pullman Guard, like I told you earlier, we _are_ just going to an Acid Plant. Nothing too fancy. So we'll just go simple and go with your little Rolls Royce Phantom that you like so much." she teased.

_EEEEEEEEE!!! I MUST BE DREAMING!!!_ "Niiiice." he said casually. 

She shot him a knowing look, reading him like a book. She turned back around and Pearl followed her to the passenger's side. She opened the door for Amethyst. The woman hopped in just as Steven opened his doors to see the bright orange seats. "Whoa." he looked up. Even the ceiling was orange and dotted with shiny sparkles. It reminded him of stars. He sat down and gawked more at the shiny black interior of the doors. Of the front of the car.. of the back of the car. And the few blinking dots scattered around the car indicated that they were being filmed. Like in the other truck they drove in. Security.

Pearl got in and popped open a compartment in the orange armrest beside them. The small compartment was actually a small refrigerator. A cool, refreshing looking mist blew out of the compartment and into the air. He heard the ice chatter around as she rummaged through, eventually taking out a can of Guacola. She cracked open the can and drunk from it. _Wow, even the way she drinks her soda is so graceful.. so elegant.. The way she holds her neck up proudly and with such great posture.._

A bit of soda dribbled pass her lip and she wiped it off with the back of her hand. She placed the can in a shiny, futuristic looking cup holder on the door. 

Steven was feeling pretty thirsty himself, but he didn't dare go into the cooler made armrest. Neither did he ask if he could go in it. He didn't want to start anything with her or aggravate her even more.

They heard a male voice outside of the car. "Security locks set. CGGU Lockdown in T-minues two minutes." Steven saw Pearl and Amethyst put on their glasses as the lights from the back started to shut off with a hard clack. The row trailing down and across them up to the last row. The room now pitch black. He heard the drivers door open and close. Then he heard a small click and the car roared to life. A bright shiny blue outlined the doors and the armrests and the seats in front of them. The blue lights being the only light on. He squinted around, now looking at the dimlit, blue tinted car. He could make out Garnet shifting the gear into drive. She drove off just as the blue lights blinked off. The area pitch black again. 

He felt her make two turns, him visualizing her making a U-turn, passing the jets, then the helicopters, then the truck they'd drove in and to the door they'd come from earlier. There was the sound of a window coming down, typing, then the red light scanning Garnet. He heard another loud whooshing sound and a few seconds later, the car drove off. He heard the low, whooshing sound again, as the doors came back down behind them. 

Just then, he started getting chills. He was driving in a ROLLS ROYCE PHANTOM!! And... And he was going on his first _official_ Crystal Gem mission!! He was so scared and excited, all at the same time.

"CGGU Lockdown in T-minus one minute."

With a few more turns he felt the car stop. Another security procedure of Garnet rolling down the window, putting the security code in and the red light scanning her. A few moments later and the ground floor started to open up ahead of them. The rays of the sun spilling into the tunnel area. Steven had to squint his eyes again until they got adjusted. The Gems put there glasses away and Garnet drove up the ramp. "CGGU Lockdown in T-minus twenty, nineteen, eighteen, seventeen, sixteen, fifteen.." Steven couldn't help but think about what would happen if they were to not get out before the lockdown.. Would their own base start attacking them? "ten, nine, eight.."

Garnet drove above surface. Steven turned back in his seat to see the door on the ground close up only moments later. He turned back around. _Wow that place was so cool.. I can't wait to start driving and flying in them._Then they started driving pass their base. _And I can only imagine how even cooler THAT place is inside.._

"Dude, you still have on that shirt. Take it off, before you forget." said Amethyst, eyeing him through the rearview mirror.

"Oh! Right." he'd forgotten. He was just so into being embarrassed as they undressed, it'd slipped his mind. 

He took off his shirt, revealing his tight, red GemTech shirt with the pink rose on it. 

Amethyst nodded. "There we go."

He tucked the shirt underneath of him and slid down farther in his seat a bit to stretch out his legs.

They continued to drive along the dirt plains of.. whatever city and state they were in. 

He closed his eyes, wondering how his first official mission was going to go with the Gems. It could go well, it could go horribly wrong.

He tried to focus on the good thoughts, the good vibes.

And he tried to ignore that bad.. gut feeling he had. He brushed it off quickly. Pfft. He's a Crystal Gem now. Driving in luxury. With three sexy, badass women. He was apart of a dangerous, deadly clan. Everyone feared them. And they, including him now, were at the top. He tried to psych himself up, trying to ignore more of that bad gut feeling.

A sense of pride swelled in him mixed with excitement and self-worth. He sunk back more in his seat, getting comfortable. He shouldn't be having this gut feeling. He's one of them now. 

And, he was going to show them just how amazing he could truly be as a Crystal Gem.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For any curious folks out there, here's the photos of what they all had, in order of appearance, from the helicopters all the way to the two unfinished cars in the side room of the garage.
> 
> The helicopters:  
The Eurocopter AS332  
https://images.app.goo.gl/NVnazKXW9TfPj4LT7  
The Augusta Westland AW-109 Grand  
https://images.app.goo.gl/HajsBdMBnAXmH3tD9  
Sikorsky S-92  
https://images.app.goo.gl/bsSEKvmRqBwaoA9r8  
The Bell 525 Relentless  
https://images.app.goo.gl/LESJJQHpt6ocbqRH7
> 
> The limos:  
Rolls Royce Phantom  
https://images.app.goo.gl/8ViEiu9HGCJ7cD3S6  
Armored Mercedes-Maybach S-600 Pullman Guard  
https://images.app.goo.gl/aA2wdPMxXySbKr8L9  
Inkas Mercedes G63 AMG Armored limo  
https://images.app.goo.gl/jVujZHGdWsqEJi1V8  
The Hummer stretch limo (mentioned) In the shop under repair  
https://images.app.goo.gl/xZaxnNDaoYRT8qPE7
> 
> The luxury cars  
Ferrari LaFerrari  
https://images.app.goo.gl/aBmwXXwFDdbTShFY8  
W Motors Lycan Hypersport  
https://images.app.goo.gl/B2MaLTUHbgb5hZvX9  
Mansory Vivere Bugatti Veyron  
https://images.app.goo.gl/ae6QiphkzY74MMfr5  
Bugatti Divo  
https://images.app.goo.gl/7hnst3xq4aNfQM3P9  
Koenigsegg One:1  
https://images.app.goo.gl/VWHh7knWcA69Pw9B6  
Koenigsegg CCXR Trevita  
https://images.app.goo.gl/Phu7zyLASX1DeEUUA
> 
> The jets  
Gulfstream G500  
https://images.app.goo.gl/kZBKLoY97jk8R85SA  
Gulfstream G650ER  
https://images.app.goo.gl/iYCdP1aFv7YD9yL29  
Bombardier Global 7000  
https://images.app.goo.gl/qQYDbtopb3hqz7um9
> 
> The fighter jets  
Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor  
https://images.app.goo.gl/yNEf64x7z775N78VA  
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter  
https://images.app.goo.gl/3SfE9iPcHtok123w5  
Sukhoi SU-27  
https://images.app.goo.gl/HwxfASQrXu5DNoP99  
F-16 Fighter Falcon  
https://images.app.goo.gl/ksq5zzW1WcFtcGrz7
> 
> The two cars in the side room that aren't "Crystal Gem" ready yet:  
Mercedes Benz Maybach Exelero  
https://images.app.goo.gl/MopPjyd2UnL4bnzS8  
Lamborghini Veneno Roadster  
https://images.app.goo.gl/TC6o7EMQkq1HKZYb8


	25. Acid Plant

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Definitely enjoyed writing these following two very long chapters. I just hope that y'all like them too :)

After what felt like another hour or so of driving, and watching the cars go by on the highway and Steven looking at the people in their cars as they gawked at their expensive ride, Garnet had taken an exit. Tall towers and domes of various electricity and sewage plants stood tall and sturdy ahead of them.

"Okay, guys. We're almost here." said Amethyst. She pulled down the glove compartment in front of her and pulled out their ski masks. Handing one to Garnet and one to Pearl. The three slipped theirs own, Garnet putting a pair of shades on before slipping hers on. 

"Do I get one too?" Steven asked.

"Of course. Your identity MUST remain secret." she dug into the compartment again.

_Woohoo!! I get an actual ski mission mask! I get an actual ski mission mask! I get an actual ski mission mask!! I get an-_

"Here ya go kid." she threw the mask behind her and it fell on his lap. He looked at it. And his expression dropped. 

He heard Amethyst cackle at the front of the car. "Yeaaaah, sorry dude. That's the only mask we have left."

He frowned even more, picking up the hot pink mask with hibiscus flowers on it. He looked up at Amethyst.

She snorted. "Aye, you have no other choice, che. You either wear that or your cover gets blown before you even know it."

He sighed and slid the mask over his thick, curly hair and down over his face. _Why couldn't one of the LADIES wear this? They're ladies.. And why was this one random pink ski mask in there in the first place if nobody wears it?_ He wanted to ask them those two burning questions, but he decided not to and to just shut up and sit back and wait for them to arrive at the plant.

He adjusted the ski mask, looking left and right to get a better feel for his peripheral vision limits. Then he moved his head to the right first, getting a feel of the mask on his face and neck. Then he looked left. Pearl was staring at him. Ooor.. more so the mask? Her eyes weren't looking at him. Instead, they were trailing across the fabric of the mask. Her mouth in a line as she resisted a scowl. She turned back around to look out the window.

_Hmm... Must be something about this mask.. But then again, Amethyst or even Garnet didn't seem to mind the mask at all. So.. maybe it's just her then? That Pearl is one.. interesting woman._

Garnet turned off the exit, into a narrow road. "We're just about there, Amethyst." then she looked at the tablet screen that she'd turned on just a half an hour prior. The blue tack had stopped. "And they're already there."

"Well let's just see if they've left their truck out like a bunch of idiots. We'll pimp their ride for them." she chuckled.

"Cut down through the fence?"

"You know it." 

Garnet turned the wheel hard, steering off the road into the grassy, bumpy terrain filled with thick mud and gravel. The car rocked and jumped over the uneven ground and Steven held onto the door and to the arm rest as his body rocked from side to side.

Amethyst turned to her two henchmen. "Garnet. Pearl. You two know what to do." 

They nodded and Garnet kept her eyes on the tall, thick foliage she was driving through. She shifted gears, the wheels holding close to the ground. Mud splattered on the windows.

Pearl took out a pair of what looked like five sticks protruding from a small circle in the middle. She placed one on each hand. The small circle laying in the middle of her palm and the five sticks stretching up on her thumbs and fingers, stopping right at the tips of them. She flexed her hands a few times. 

Amethyst turned around to Steven. "Talc, you're coming with me."

"Uhh.. okay." his voice shaky from the bumps. "What's the plan?"

"The plan." she cut Pearl the eye and nodded at her. The slim woman gave her a nod back and rolled down the window. Steven watched Pearl as she lifted her upper body out the window, ignoring the wild grass hitting her face and back. Her hands grasping the top of the hood without slipping. Amethyst climbed out her seat to the back. Steven waited for her to finish her sentence. The woman only stared at him with a grin. 

Pearl climbed all the way out and Garnet quickly rolled the window back up. A bit of mud and grass had managed to splotch the orange seats and a bit on Amethyst. Pearl crouched down on top of the car. Her hands placed in front of her as the grips held them steady.

Mud and wet leaves had covered the whole of the window. Garnet looked at the radar on the screen. Three silver dashes above the blue pin were blinking. She raised her hand to her ear. "How are we looking, Pearl?"

The woman scanned the area. Three thick horizontal bars of a fence crackled with electricity. The fence extending far beyond on each side. She let go one of her hands and pressed the button on the earpiece. "The electrict fence is just up ahead. There are two vans right between the fence and the building. Now.. let me just see something.." Pearl took her hand off the earpiece and pressed a button just on the temple of her mask. Two lenses slid down from the eye holes of the mask. She took another magnified look at the area. She looked back at the van that was parallel parked. She looked through it's windows. Nobody was in there. "And there's nobody in the front seat of the parallel parked van. But people could still be in the back of it. And the second one with it's back towards me.." she looked at the sideview mirror of the driver's side. She could see the reflection of one person in the seat. She looked at the passenger's side. Nobody was there. "It's one person on the driver's side. I can easily take him out." She let go of the earpiece again and pulled the canister from her belt. She flipped it counterclockwise and the spear flung out. 

"Copy that." Garnet floored it, the engine roared louder as she drove out of the foliage. Pearl watched through her glasses as the person looked at the sideview mirror at the noise. He leaned over in his seat then got out of the car. She pressed the botton on her mask again and the lenses slid back up. They were only a few yards away. 

Garnet used the window wiper fluid on the window and turned the wipers on, smearing the mud to the side. Brown smears still caked up some of the surface. She turned the wipers off. "Ready to make impact." she told the two in the back.

Amethyst turned to Steven. "Okay. So here's the plan." she climbed over him, throwing both legs around him in a straddle position. She unlocked the door. 

"CGVU frontal spikes." said Garnet.

"Frontal spikes activated." said the male voice. Five Gemtech plated spikes protruded from the front of the car. 

"Impact in twenty five.. twenty four.." Garnet gave them the countdown.

"The plan is.." Amethyst scooted closer towards him, just below his waist, sitting right on him. Steven swallowed. He tried scooting back. "The plan is.. what?" he didn't know where to put his hands. He just had them right over the front of his pants in a futile way to prevent her from doing any funny business.. 

She didn't say anything. She just leaned in towards him, wrapping her arm around his torso, her arm right under his as she pulled him close in a hug. Their faces just inches apart and she curled her lips up in a smile and he quickly looked away.

"nineteen.. eighteen."

Amethyst purposely blew out hot breath into his ear. "Keep..your head tucked down." she purred.

He didn't understand what she meant. Now, here he was losing all of that pride and confidence he once had when they were on their way here, but now that he _was_ there, he couldn't help but feel timid.. and nervous. "Um.." his voice wavered. "For.. for what?..Why?" 

She leaned back from his ear slightly to face him. "Because.." she murmured, squeezing him closer to her chest.

"twelve.. eleven.." Garnet pressed the button on the door and the drills started to spin.

".. we're jumping out the car." she whispered her hot breath on his lips.

"Wait. WHAT?!"

"Hold on tight, Pillsbury!" Amethyst tightened her grip on him and opened the door. She pulled her legs up on the seat and twisted them out the car. 

He screamed and he felt her hands pull his head down towards her chest. They hit the wet ground, slidding and rolling down the hill fast. When he looked out from her jumpsuit, all he could see was a mixture green and blue and dirt as they tumbled down.

He groaned into her chest, not knowing where the heck they were going to end up. What if there's sharp rocks down.. wherever the heck they were going?!

He heard a loud crash and the sound of electricity. Then a few gunshots. The two spun down a few more feet until they landed in a ditch field with guck and mud and a bit if swamp water. Amethyst got up. Caked in mud. Steven continued to lay on the filthy ground. Dizzy.

"Alright, dude. Come on. Chop chop." she clapped her hands and jumped over top of him and he covered his face as she did. He watched her start running towards a round, sewer head fitted into the side of a dirt mound.

He got up slowly, trying to keep the food down. He swallowed and took a few breaths, burping in the process. He took a few more deeper breaths and started jogging over to her. 

"Come on, man. We're losing precious daylight here." she waved for him to speed up. 

He picked the speed up only slightly, still a bit nauseous from that near deadly tumble out the car. 

Amethyst took out what _looked_ like an oversized pen. She jammed it into the sewer head and put the object back in her pocket. "Quick!" she grabbed onto him again.

"What's-AAAAHHHHHHHH-"

She jumped up, clearing fifty feet. The sewer head swelled, bursting into bits. "AAAAHHHH... aahhhhh?.... Whoa.. how did you do that?"

"Gemtech." was all she said.

Then Steven turned his head, to see that the vehicle above ground had crashed through the fence and drilled right through one of the trucks. The back doors were open on it. Pearl was was fighting two other guys with tasers right as Garnet grabbed a gun from someone sprawled out on the ground.

Right before they came back down, Steven saw Pearl throw a spear at one of the guy's chest and Garnet pulling open the doors of the second truck, immediately shooting inside. 

They started coming down fast. Amethyst held out her other arm and her legs as she glided sideways with the wing suit.

They landed and she put him back down. "Now come on. They should be coming after us any second now." she jumped into the sewer hole and ran down the pipe. Steven ran in after her and immediately started gagging. The putrid smell twisted his stomach and he double over, holding his nose.

"Oh NO you don't! Come on man! Ignore the smell!"

Steven held in his breath and ran down the pipe. Only to take a huge breath to accommodate the run, taking in the putrid smell of the sewers again. He stopped in his tracks and heaved. Everything coming back up.

"Effin' great.." she rolled her eyes. 

He heaved again.

"Alright dude. You can't take a little bit of smell. I'm outta here. I'm getting our damn jewels back." she turned away from him and started dashing down the pipes.

"Amethyst!" he burped. "Amethyst wait!" he dry heaved. And took a few breaths through his mouth.

She didn't answer him. Long gone.

He jumped over his mess and ran down the pipe. "Amethyst!" he shouted again. The smell was unbearable. He pulled his shirt up over his nose. 

"There she is!" he heard a person yell from behind him. He saw three guys running into the tunnel. Tasers crackling in their hands.

He screamed and ran faster, away from them.

He turned back after a few feet of running and saw the first guy running closer and closer to him. He slipped on what Steven had assumed was his own mess and the guy fell back. The second guy, falling over him and on his face. The third guy barely made it over the two, quickly jumping around them and down to Steven.

_Aw man, if only I had my gadgets or my weapon on me!! But I have nothing!! No Gemtech! No weapon! Nothing! Nothing but a wing suit that I don't even know how to use!!_ He was approaching three separate pipes. _Oh crap! Which one did Amethyst go in?!_He went for the first one to his left. It was on an incline.

He ran up the slippery pipe only to fall and slip down the pipe. He caught a old of the ridges of it. He heard footsteps coming his way and he stood _or laid_ still.

"You guys take those. I'll go in this one." he heard the same voice from before.

Steven bolted up, running hunched over as he half climbed half ran on all fours up the slimy, filthy smelling pipe. He could hear more gun shots ahead of him. _Aw man.. I really hope that's just one of the Gem's I hear with the gun.._

As he continued his ascend, the incline started to raise up more and he felt himself slipping down without a proper grip. He fell back and quickly caught himself again, each arm and leg on each side of the pipe. He started inching up the small pipe from it's side.

"There you go!" he heard the voice shout out.

He turned around. The guy was not too far from him. A taser in one hand and a knife in the other. He bolted up the pipe towards him.

Steven screamed, trying to scale the pipe faster and slipping in the process. He could hear the clink of the guy's footsteps coming closer.

He scaled the vertical pipe just slightly only to slide further down. He screamed. "Amethyst!!"

He scaled the pole up a bit more. He could hear the sound of the taser behind him. "Amethyst!!!" 

Then he remembered her 'Every Crystal Gem for themselves' rule. _That's right..I have to try and do this myself..But how?_

A thin whip shot down and wrapped around his torso. "Huh? OH NO!! THEY GOT ME!! THEY GOT ME!!!" he was pulled up through the pipe and he screamed as he saw the light of the opening. He screamed even more as he was flung out into a cluttered room filled with all kinds of damaged junk and destroyed electronics. He looked down to see Amethyst holding the other end of the whip. "Amethyst! Y, you saved me! Ahhhh!!!" he started falling back down. He opened his arms and tried to deploy the wing suit of his shirt. He fell flat on his face. He groaned on the floor. 

"I didn't save you." he heard Amethyst say through the voice box of her jumpsuit. She sounded different.. That was the exact same voice she had when he'd saw her those few times. Then it clicked. A voice Changing mic.. Then he wondered if he would be getting something like that too? If it's.. not already in his shirt, that is. 

He felt the whip loosen and snap away from him. He looked up to see her in mid super jump. She threw the whip back into the pipe, grabbing and pulling the guy up and out of it. She threw him down hard on the ground and came back down on him, kicking his face to the floor.

He tried to get up and she took out another whip, wrapping his arms to his torso. She kicked him in his gut and he bent over. She threw an elbow to his face and he fell to the floor. She took the knife from the stunned guy's hand and brought it down to the back of his head. Knocking him out conscious. 

She took the taser out his hand and clipped it to an empty clip on her belt. Then she pulled the whip from him and wrapped it up, putting it away.

Steven got up, but stood there. Not knowing what to do next.

"Come on. I've already finished trashing the place. Now we have to get down to the basement." she said. 

He followed her, looking around the broken pieces of technology and the sparks flickering out of wires along the walls and the floorboards. "Wow.. you did all of this? This place is a total wreck"

"Oh, thank you." she bat her eyes. "I try." she kicked a trashcan down as she walked over to the door. "Alright, here we go." she threw open the door, the gun out in her hand. The hall was.. empty. "Hm. Pearl and Garnet must have everyone occupied downstairs..Here, take this." she threw the gun to Steven. He fumbled with it before getting a grasp of it. He looked at the pistol. "That's yours for the time being." she said to him.

He really hoped he wouldn't have to use it.. He wouldn't dare want to kill anyone.. ever..

"We're going to another pipe." Amethyst walked in front of him, down the hall. Steven listened to all of the various factory noises; the grinding of gears, the low beeps and horns of machinery going off, the closing and shutting of doors on the machines and the low, whirling sound as steam blew out of the building's pipes and cooling towers.

They walked the remaining steps down to a dead end of the hall. A small vent was at the top. "Up there." she said. She swung her whip and threw it, the rope going around one of the bars. She pulled hard on it and the metal cap cracked from the frame of the wall and broke away. The vent being pulled into the floor. Amethyst pulled the whip from it and jumped up, clearing a good few feet and grabbing the edge. She pulled herself up. 

"But Amethyst, I.." he whined. She was already gone. "I can't do that super jump thing that you three can do.." No answer.

He sighed. He looked back up at the hole in the wall. "Maybe I can run and jump.." he took a few steps back and ran up. Right as he got to the wall, he jumped as high as he could! And face planted.. right on the wall. He slid down on the floor, groaning.

He lifted his head up, holding his nose and squinting his watery eyes. _Come on, Universe.. think of something.._

Maybe he could try running up the wall instead?

He took a few more steps back and started running again. He jumped off the floor and took his few steps off the wall, the fourth step had barely touched the wall and he jumped up on the fifth step up.

He grabbed ahold of the edge and slowly pulled himself up. He blew out some air once he got the upper part of his body to the top. Then he took a deep breath and nearly tossed his cookies again. The smell..

_What the hell is in this acid?!?!_ He swallowed back and pulled himself all the way up. He crawled on his hands and knees through the small, grimy pipes. He could hear what sounded like rushing water and clanking of metal on metal.

Thankfully the pipe that he was crawling in didn't go on an incline and he easily managed to crawl to the opening on the other side. He peered down to the room. A few pipes were broken from the ceiling and were pouring out water.._Or what he hoped was water._ He couldn't smell anything like gasoline or anything like that. 

The liquid was gushing down into the floor and on Amethyst and Pearl who were fighting three other people dressed in black. They had swords in their hands. Pearl was counteracting their every move as she dodged the sword of one guy. Her spear hitting and clanking the blade. The second guy was coming up behind her and Steven was about to blow his cover and warn her, but she'd already jumped up, back kicking him in the face. She brought her spear across his chest, cutting through his clothes and slicing his skin.

Amethyst had wrapped her whip around one of the broken pipes and pulled it down more, destroying more of the ceiling. The ceiling boards dropped and caved in more. Steven could see more pipes bending down and more of the ceiling paneling cracking under the weight.

The third guy was running up behind Amethyst. She pulled the whip away and threw it around another pipe, pulling herself up and around as more pipes dropped down from her added weight. Two more pipes snapped down, bringing in more "water?" and the ceiling panelling snapped, half of the ceiling falling down and in the water. Pearl jumped out the way, the paneling falling on one of the guys.

She threw her spear at the second guy and it hit him in the lower back. He grunted, falling on the ground. She ran up and twisted the spear in more in his back and he hollered. She pulled the spear out. Muscle and blood was on the tip of it. 

She quickly went to a screen at the back of the room. "Okay, one more try." she said. Steven watched as she pressed in another code, trying to break into the system. She pressed the enter button and the screen lit up and went to a few documents. "Amethyst! I'm in!" Pearl said through the voice changer. She took a small USB looking device out of a pocket in her arm sleeve and jammed it to the side of the screen. Her fingers were quick, pressing this key and that key and opening up files. "Hmmm.." she used her hand and swiped the screen left to another page of documents. "Nope.." she mumbled. She swiped the screen across again. More documents and icons littered the screen. She stopped again. "Ah, here we go." 

The second guy was getting up slowly. His clothes drenched in water and his own blood. His knife held loosely in his hands. Amethyst punched the third guy, knocking him out cold. She threw him in the knee deep water. Then she threw her whip, wrapping it around the second guy. He tried to cut through the whip with his knife, but couldn't. She yanked on the rope, hurdling him to the other side of the wall, smacking him into it. Then she threw him to the other side of the wall. She twisted and pulled on the whip to unravel it. 

Pearl took the USB cord out and put it back into her arm pocket, then went back to the touchscreen face of the screen, pressing numbers on the now, fully black screen. She typed in a code, as green digits printed on the screen. Then she took out a small black marble-looking device out of her other arm pocket. She put it inside a slot at the bottom of the screen and stepped away, treading through the water. The black screen wavered and gray lines filled the screen, the lines getting thicker and the black fading into a clouded gray. "Okay, Amethyst. Everything's fried and destroyed."

"Good. Now let's go." she trudged through the waist deep water. "Pearl, the window!" Amethyst shouted. The second guy she'd thrown into the wall was trudging through towards them. 

Pearl trudged though to the far wall on the opposite side. She threw her spear and it crashed through the window. Her and Amethyst trudged through the water one and the other on separate sides of the room. They started climbing up on the flat surface of the wall with their black grips under their fingers and thumb. Then Amethyst let go and lifted her legs up, running the wall and jumping through the window. Pearl followed behind with a front flip out the room.

_Wow, that was cool.. But.. how am I going to get out of here myself?!_ He inched closer to the edge of the vent, looking at the steady rising water. "Good thing I can swim.. I just hope this is water.." he crawled out the vent and fell through, belly-flopping into the water. It took him a few seconds to compose himself before he started swimming through the _water_ he was now sure of and started for the window, the water spilling over it in a form of a waterfall down to the ground.

He was just a couple feet from the edge when he felt someone grab his foot. He screamed, turning around to see the second guy grinning at him. "I got you now you little shit." 

Steven screamed more. He took his other foot and tried to kick the guy in his face. He managed to get two kicks in, but the guy was still holding on, laughing as the water filled up around his neck.

Steven tried to pull his leg away, still trying to kick with his other leg.

The rest of the ceiling caved in and more pipes dropped down, filling the room up with a sudden wave of water. The rippleling tide curved up and towards them, knocking them out the window.

"AAAAHHHHH!!! OOF!" he fell on his back. He groaned, opening his eyes slowly to see the two work trucks from earlier engulfed in flames. Black smoke filled the air above him.

Their car was nowhere to be found..

_Did they leave me?!?! Did they already get the jewels and leave?!?!_

The guy was still holding on to his ankle. He tucked his other arm under his pant leg and took out a large knife. 

"No!" he started shaking both his legs, trying to get out. He used his foot to step on his hand. The smooth, thin flip flop doing no damage at all. The guy brought the knife down towards his neck right as an object flew from the falls, hitting him in the shoulder. It was Pearl's spear. _So they are still here!!_ Relief washed over him. He still had a chance to escape with them. 

The guy's grip loosened from the blow and Steven used that time to turn his ankle and pull his foot out of his weak grasp. The guy stumbled towards him, yanking the bloody spear from his shoulder.

Steven tried to gather his thoughts, trying to figure out what to do next. The guy was coming after him and Steven just did what came to his mind first. He threw his leg up, striking the guy hard right between the legs. The guy knelt over, holding himself and Steven ran pass him. _Yeah, I know. A grimy and girlie move._ He told himself. _But whatever. That got me away from him._

Steven cautiously jogged through the "waterfall".The spear had came from it and he'd assumed that they were behind it.

There was a gaping hole in the building, the size of their car. He ran in and got the biggest whiff of what was making that awful, putrid smell. He retched and gagged before pulling his shirt up over housing nose. This time, it didn't work. The stench was too strong. He was actually _in_ the room where the acid was being made. He gagged some more. The stench and the steam of the acid started to burn his eyes. 

He couldn't ignore the smell or the fumes, but he jogged further in, looking at the steam floating up from the round, silver bins in the floor.

He heard a thump behind him and he turned around to see Garnet coming up from her jump. "Talc! You've managed to make it in alive." she sounded so happy.

"Yeah." he tried to play casual. "Of course. You know I would."

He heard the prettiest, gentle chuckle come from her.

"Garnet! Get the guy! Five o'clock! He's running with our jewels!" Amethyst yelled from a yellow beam in the ceiling.

"On it." then Garnet looked towards Steven's way and ran towards him. He stood still, not knowing what she was going to do. She ran pass him and kicked the guy he'd kicked just moments ago in the nads right in his face. Then she brought a gauntlet down, hitting his face, knocking him out.

Amethyst was swinging from a beam towards another guy. "Garnet! The guy! Talc needs to hold down his own!" 

She got up. "Sorry, Amethyst. I thought you were talking about him. I wasn't helping Talc." she lied. 

"Lying out your ass Garnet! You knew who I was talking about!" she wrapped the guy in her whip and pulled him towards her. She put him in a chokehold. "So if you don't catch that guy because of your insubordination.." she glared at the woman who was now running away and towards the guy with the obvious huge bag filled with jewels on his back. He was trying to pull his other leg out from the beam.

"I won't, Amethyst. I have him right where I want him." She raised her fists. Gauntlets on each hand and pointed towards the guy.

Steven saw another spear fly pass him, hitting another guy on the other side of the room. He turned to see Pearl holding another spear. _How many of them does she have?!_

The guy pulled out a gun and she and Steven, who's heart nearly jumped out of his chest, ran for cover. Pearl, hiding behind one of the acid bins and Steven, hiding behind a loud, rattling generator.

The guy stopped firing and ran towards Pearl. She held her spear out as she crouched behind the bin. Ready for him.

Garnet brought one of her gauntlets down, hitting the guy in the face. He slid across the floor.

Amethyst threw her unconscious guy from off the beams and she took her whip and wrapped it around the head of a furnace swinging once and yanking on the whip to let go of the machine. She landed on top of another beam. The turbine churning the water beneath her. She pulled a small red gooey pack from a pocket in her pant leg and threw it in the blades.

And Steven. Steven wasn't doing anything.. He wanted to prove he could be a Crystal Gem and he couldn't even do it right..Instead, he just sat there, crouched down, scared and not knowing what he could do to help.

"Got one!" Amethyst shouted. She jumped up and threw her whip, catching it on a beam far away from the turbine. She swung to the other side as a huge explosion erupted from the blades, erupting the mechanism and breaking the structured cement. Water burst and fell, from the now destroyed container, spilling and filling the room. Some of the water hitting the acid bins and causing sparks in the substance.

Garnet kicked the guy in his stomach and put one bloody gauntlet away. Her other hand now free to grab the bag. 

The guy got back up, taking a gun out of his back pocket. Garnet lounged out the way before he started firing. He stopped and went to the box she was hiding behind. 

Pearl speared her guy in his gut and he fell back. She twisted and pulled the spear out, ignoring his screams.

Amethyst was on top of another beam, just above another turbine. She threw another packet in. "Two out of six!" she shouted and threw her whip to another beam to escape the explosion. 

The guy pivoted to the box, firing until he noticed that.. she wasn't even there. "Where did you go.." he mumbled. Garnet ran up behind him, kicking him in the middle of his back. The gun sliding out of his hands and the bag sliding down his arm.

She ran pass him and ran for the gun, picking it up and aiming it towards him. She pulled the trigger and the guy winced, waiting for the blow. It never came. Blanks. The gun was empty.

The guy got up laughing, holding the bag in his hand. "Looks like you're out of bullets, sweet cheeks." he mumbled.

_Sweet cheeks.. I show you sweet cheeks.._She threw the pistol, hitting him right in his face. The gun bounced off and fell inside the acid waste. Melting instantly.

He groaned in his hands, dropping the bag. Pearl landed down next to Garnet and threw her spear at the bag, the head of the spear dragging it and pinning it neatly on the cemented casing of the container.

There was a chirp on the guys walkie talkie. "Jesse." the sound of static. "You still at the base?"

Steven got up from the generator. _Come ON, Universe! You HAVE to do something!!_ He watched Amethyst throw another packet in. She swung away. Another explosion. More water. More sparks. More steam. More of that horrid smell..

He walked out from behind the generator. He saw the guy get up and start running away from the women, not realizing he was running towards Steven, too busy trying to get away from the two. Garnet and Pearl was about to run after him but Amethyst stopped them. "Forget about him. Let's get the bag and bail!" she threw another bag in and swung away. "This whole place is going to blow soon." 

Pearl ran up and pulled the spear from the crack of the cement. She opened the bag. Painted rocks. "Amethyst! This isn't the bag!" 

She landed on a beam above another turbine. "WHAT?!" she shrieked.

"It's nothing but colored rocks! He must still have them somewhere on him!" 

"Well GET. HIM. He's getting away!" she threw a packet in the blades and took her whip, going for another beam. "I'll finish off this last turbine."

The two women ran after him.

Steven saw Jesse getting closer to him. _Maybe this is my chance!!_ He tried to time it right, finally running out from his hiding spot, using all of his strength and weight to tackle the guy hard onto the floor. He felt his shoulder ram into the hard jewels in the guy's vest. He tried to ignore the pain. 

"Yeah, Talc!" Amethyst shouted from the beam. She pulled another red gooey packet from her pant pocket.

Steven went for Jesse's vest, trying to pull it off. The guy took his fist and left hooked him. Steven's neck snapped to the side. His eyes watering. But he still held on to the vest. 

He heard Garnet and Pearl run up to him. "It's in his vest!" he shouted to them. He barely dodged another punch. The second one he didn't dodge. The man hitting him in his other cheek. He went for another punch.

Garnet ran up up, stopping his hand. She pulled both arms to the side of him, making him twist to the side. "Pearl, your spear!" 

They heard an explosion behind them.

Pearl held out her bloody spear to his back. His breath hitched as he started panting, yelling out his pleas as she... Simply cut his vest down the middle.of his back. Her spear going as far as cutting his shirt and giving him a paper cut size cut along his back. She spun the bloody spear clockwise into it's canister and she slid the vest off of him in two pieces. Garnet letting go each hand so she could slide the two pieces off. Garnet quickly grabbed each hand back.

Amethyst jumped down from one of the beams. "Alright! Let's go! It shouldn't be long for this whole place to go up in one huge. explosion!" 

Garnet brought a gauntlet down on the guy's bloody face and got up. 

Pearl threw on each sleeve of the vest on and walked with her. 

The three of them walked away and Steven followed behind. He took one more glance at the guy. 

The man spat out a yellow jewel he had harbored in his mouth and went for his walkie talkie.

"He has another jewel!" Steven shouted out. Without thinking twice he started running for the guy. 

The two waited for instructions to go and kill the guy, but Amethyst made them stay behind. Wanting to see how well the young man could really be on his own..

Jesse pulled the walkie away from his mouth and went for a fighting stance. The jewel clenched tightly in his other hand. 

Steven went for another tackle, getting punched in the process as he knocked the guy over to the side of the cemented container. The man slid up towards the top, away from Steven. He kicked Steven in the face and he slid down the cement. 

He ran up, standing just on the edge, right on the mouth of the container. Acid bubbled and popped underneath of him.

Steven got up just as a huge explosion erupted beside them. Half of the turbines were engulfed in flames in the back. 

Steven lunged for the man, trying to grab his hand. The smell of the acid seeping into his nose made him retch again, it got on the guy's pants and shoes. "Ueeeugh. Gross!" he hit Steven in the face and he fell back.

He lifted the walkie talkie back to his mouth and pressed the button. There was a chirp.

Another loud explosion. Jesse wobbled, holding his arms out to stable himself.

Steven heard the roaring of the truck as Garnet turned it on. "Come on, Talc!" Amethyst yelled. "Get that jewel and come on!" Then she said to Garnet. "Pull this car around. I'm going to give him to two more explosions. If he doesn't make it here by then. You floor it and get us out of here." 

Despite of her not liking the order, she nodded and started to turn the car around to face the crash hole of the building.

Steven lunged for the jewel in Jesse's hand. The man moved out the way.

Two beams snapped from the ceiling and slid towards them. Jesse turned and jumped on one of them. Pulling himself up. He turned back around. "Looks like you'll be one. gem. short." He cackled. The beams dropped down further suspended right above the bubbling acid. He held his balance.

Steven backed away. Then quickly thought about his mission at hand and took two steps forward. _This is it, Universe. Show them what you got._ He jumped into the other beam. "Whoaaa." the beam shook under him. He held on tight. 

Just as Jesse started to climb up, the main structure of the beam above them snapped, sending their two beams further towards the acid. He and Steven held on to their beams. Steven looking at the acid just a foot from them.

Jesse got up and Steven grabbed a hold of his pant leg, both trying to pull him back and helping his own self up to his feet. The man tried to hop away, nearly stumbling. He stopped to regain his balance just as Steven lounged and grabbed ahold of his arms. He tried to shake him off, but Steven kept his grip hard on his arms. The jewel right at Steven's face. Jesse shuffled left and right of his beam, twisting and turning his shoulders. Steven only tightened his grip.

There was another explosion.

Then they heard a cracking sound in the ceiling and they both looked up. A piece of fiery panel had cracked off and was falling towards them. They moved away from each other, the piece going right between them and Steven felt the heat of the paneling as it dropped down. The piece hit Jesse's beam before falling into the acid. Disintegrating instantly. The part of the panel where it'd touched started to burn through the beam. He ignored it, looking back up at Steven.

He tried to twist from his grip again, making a mistake of stepping on one of the burning, weakening part of the beam. The piece that he'd stepped on broke off and fell into the acid. Steven saw it. "Hey, wait! You're going to fall!"

"Like YOU care." he spat out.

"I. I just don't want you to fall!" He tried to push the guy away from the pieces steadily burning and breaking and falling into the acid. He just wanted to get the jewel.. He didn't want anyone to die because of him.. Even as a Crystal Gem he still couldn't wrap his head around him doing that to anyone..

Jesse stepped his body to the left, hitting the weakening part. His foot fell through and the jewel popped out of his hand as he, by instinct, went to grab on to Steven's arms to keep himself from falling. His shoe barely touching the acid. He lifted his foot back up, the acid slowly eating the front of his shoe. When he put his foot back down on the beam, half of his sock was shown.

They looked at the jewel beside them on Steven's side of the beam. It rolled and fell through one of the cracks of the beams and wedged itself in the bottom shelf of the beam. They each let out a breath they were holding and looked back at each other.

"Look, how about we just end this now. Just let us have our jewel back so we can be on our way. And you can just leave!"

"Wow, you MUST be new.. Don't you know how all this works?" Jesse snickered in his face. "Only one of us get the jewel, kid. And we'll die trying to get it."

"None of us has to die if you just take this as a lost and-"

"SHUT UP!" he shouted. "You talk too damn much. Where the hell did they get a henchmen like you! You're just some lame kid caring about your own rivals?! Pathetic!!!" More of the bean started to strip off. Jesse widened his stance as the beams were eaten away.

Steven let go, going for the man's torso. He shifted his weight to push Jesse back away from the hole. 

"Heh. And you're _still_ trying to help me." he let go of Steven and grabbed his back. "Huh? What's this now?" he saw the gun in his back pocket. "You had a gun and didn't even bother using it?!" _I completely forgot about the gun in my pocket.._ But even if he _had_ remembered, he wouldn't had used it.. 

Steven tried to bend and move his waist down, trying to shuffle his legs to the side, but without much room, he could barely shuffle. Jesse took the gun out of his pants pocket and Steven let go with one of his arms, grabbing and holding the man's wrist back, pinning the guy's hand to his own torso. Jesse tried to flick the gun towards Steven. His hand being wedged between Steven's waist and his elbow. He fired four shots anyway, hoping he would get him at least once.

......

"He shot him!" Garner made a mistake blurting out.

Amethyst raised a hand to silence Garnet. "Your task right now. is only. to leave. at the second. explosion. I don't. _need_ your commentary." 

"..Right.. Sorry, Amethyst.." she rested her hands on the steering wheel.

.....

All four shots missed him.

And all four shots hit the main fire engulfed beam above them. It broke apart. The steel started falling down on them in flaming pieces.

It hit Jesse's back and he winced. Steven tried to use that time to turn and get the gun out of his hand. Jesse used _that_ time to break away from him. He raised the gun right at Steven's face and just as he was about to pull the trigger, a melted piece from the beam fell on his shoulder, seering his shoulder and knocking the gun out his hand. The gun disintegrated in the acid as he started to fall back from the impact.

"No!" Steven jumped for him, grabbing his good arm and his burnt, bad arm, pulling him towards him, back onto the beam. 

"I don't NEED your help!" he grabbed Steven's wrists. "If I get out it will be because of ME. NOT because of YOU!" he kicked Steven in his stomach and he knelt over. The cut on Steven's stomach stinging.

He broke away from Steven's loose grip and jumped, in an attempt to tackle him off his beam.

Steven leaned to the side, barely dodging him and the guy ran off Steven's beam going towards the acid. Steven turned around, barely catching his good arm. Jesse was in mid fall, one leg on the edge of the beam and the other, dangling in the air. "I said. I DON'T need your help!" he pulled himself up and threw out his leg that'd been suspended in the air, clipping Steven. He lost his balance, letting go of the guy so he could catch his own self. Just realizing what he'd done. "No!!" he raised out his hand, watching the man fall into the acid. The man's screaming echoing throughout the area. And his bony, acid eaten arms as he tried to swim out of the acid.. And his melted face.. And the smell of the acid..

Steven stood there. Hyperventilating. For the first time.. he just witnessed someone dying right before his eyes.. And. It was because of him.

He let go..


	26. Egbula ákwá

Steven sat there. With his shaky breath. Watching the boiling acid under him.. Still hearing the guy's screams, even though he was long, long gone.

"...lc..." the screams roared in his mind.. "alc!" and the man's skin.. how it'd torn off his bones.. ". alc!" and the look of the man's skull under the peeling flesh. "Talc!" he heard someone behind him. He turned slowly. His mind cloudy. He wasn't really there.. Still stuck in the past as it replayed over and over again in his mind.

Amethyst was waving a hand at him. "Come on, man! Let's go!"

He got up slowly on numb, wobbly legs. It felt like his brain was on autopilot as he walked the beam the rest of the way down. His eyes straight at the car.

"Dude! Don't forget about the jewel!"

"Huh?" 

"The jewel!! Don't forget about the jewel!!"

_The jewel?_ Just then, he was having a hard time remembering what a jewel was until he followed where Amethyst was pointing at. He turned around and saw a yellow, oval shaped gem wedged between the bottom of the beam. He walked slowly over and knelt down. He lowered his hand between the top of the beam, going through to the bottom of it. He grabbed the gem and pulled his arm out and started his walk to the car, walking off of the beam and wobbling down the cement incline of the container and stumbling towards the floor.

He opened the door and got in. The car was a mess, with blood and dirt and grease and all sorts of gunk everywhere in the interior. And the smell of the acid just reaked on the seats and the mat. He started breathing through his mouth.

Garnet wasted no time in driving away, going through the hole. The waterfall gone. The water already used up. She passed the two piles of rubble of the remains of the two trucks and back out the fence and into the dirt meadow they had drove through earlier.

There was a huge explosion behind them.

Amethyst started laughing. "Man, I can't believe that happened! I thought for SURE you were going to bite it back there, Talc." she looked at the pale, sickly looking boy in the rearview mirror. His eyes spaced out and his mouth slightly agape. "But, you proved otherwise. Good on ya, dude!" she cheered, laughing more.

He looked up slowly at her and blinked even slower. His mind still foggy on the present and reliving the past..Again... The image of the man burning in the acid.. Because of him..

"AND you had your first kill! On your FIRST day too! I'm impressed. Very impressed. That guy THOUGHT he had you, but you moved out the way. Then you grabbed him ONLY for him to try and kick you and you let go! You just. Let. Go! Ha! Classic! HAHAHA!" 

He didn't think it was funny.. He didn't want that to happen.. And the guy didn't_try_ to kick him. He really did. And he didn't _let go_ on purpose. But he was falling and the first thing his mind told him to do was to hold on to something.. To not fall.. But he'd let go _so_ he could hold on to something. It was an accident.. One. Big. Accident.

"Hey, what time is it?" Amethyst looked at the built-in watch on her sleeve to answer her own question. "A little after four. Okay. Not bad folks, not bad. Aye, y'all feeling like grabbing a bite to eat?"

Garnet nodded. "Yeah." and Pearl looked up from the best of jewels. "Yeah, I can go for something."

Steven didn't say anything. He only looked at Amethyst. His pupils still dilated with shock. His bbreathing still shaky as he continued to breath through his mouth. She only laughed at that pitiful face he was making and looked away from the rearview mirror. "Dude, relax, will ya? So you saw a person burn up in a bit of acid. So what? You did it. Own up to it. And move on. Shoot, that's what we've been doing for over two decades. And now we feel absolutely nothing. You kill a person or you watch one get killed." she shrugged. "Eeeeh, who cares."

He cared.. But he didn't dare tell her that. He just looked away, looking out the window as Garnet took them up an exit to the highway. The yellow gem laying unnoticeably by him in his own grip.

..........

An hour and a half later they were nearing a small fast food place in just off the skirts of Empire City. Garnet drove into the parking lot to the drive-thru. The display screen showed delicious food items and the deals and promotions for that month.

She rolled down her window. A few seconds later and a voice came on. "Hello, welcome to my Wendeez. Would you like to try our strawberry icee today?"

"Em.. no." she said plainly. Then a beat later. "But I _would_ like three." she turned to Steven again. "Are you sure you don't want anything, Talc?" 

He nodded sadly. His eyes dim and sagging under her soft stare.

"Just hurry up and order Garnet. The chump doesn't want anything." said Amethyst. Her dirty, bloody feet on the dashboard.

"Right.." she turned back to the speaker. "Emm, yes. So just make that three number two's and that's it."

"And your drinks?"

"Just three water bottles."

A few seconds later and then. "Okay, that'll be seventeen eighty two. Please pull up to the next window."

Garnet pulled her mask off and rolled the window down. Amethyst did the same.

The lady slid open the door. "Hello, welcome to my Wendeez. Would you like to try our strawberry icee today? she said into her headset to the car behind them.

Garnet handed her the money and the girl handed her the change. Then she started handing out the bags of food. Garnet handed the bag to Amethyst, then turned around, handing the bag to Pearl.

The girl slid the door back, typing up the next order on her register.

"Wait, hold on. Let's check to see if everything is right." Amethyst looked through her bag. "Mhm.. mhm.. okay, looks like everything's in there."

"I have all of my stuff too." said Pearl.

Garnet looked inside her bag, then gave Amethyst a thumbs up.

Amethyst grabbed a fistful of fries. "Okay, now we can leave." she threw the fries in her mouth. 

Steven watched as the three tore through their food. He couldn't believe how unfazed they were about the mission. People got killed and they just.. brushed it off like nothing..How could they not have _some_ kind of remorse?..And why was he feeling like this now? He heard them shoot that one woman the night they met for the first time.. And then it was the time with the Red Eye.. Granted, he didn't know if those women had died or not.. but still..

Maybe he wasn't feeling this way before because _he_ wasn't the one that was doing the killing... Or maybe him looking at someone die before his eyes was what messed his head up.. Or maybe both.. Instead of them killing that guy. It was actually _him_ AND he'd seen the whole thing unfold.. _Everything._He could even smell his burning flesh.. And it seemed like he could _still_ smell it somehow..

He burped, holding his mouth. Pearl looked at him, putting her burger down. 

"Uh.. I'm fine." he mumbled. The smell of the burger, their fast food in the car in general and the stench of the car was getting to be too much now. He swallowed. Only to burp again.

Garnet and Amethyst looked at the rearview mirror. "Hey, man. What's going on back there?"

"Uh.. my stomach." he mumbled. He pressed the button, putting the window down and stuck his head out, taking a few deep breaths to get some fresh air.

"Take off the mask at least, man!" he slid the mask off slowly. "And watch the interior. We already have enough mess in this car. AND we're eating dude. Have some common courtesy, yeah?" she took the last bite of her burger.

"Yeah..Sorry Amethyst.." he mumbled out of his drooling mouth. He kept his head out the window, trying to take in as much air as he could. 

..........

Garnet stopped on the side of his apartment complex. Steven's mind was so focused on that guy that he didn't even realize where he was. 

"Dude. Hey. Dude." Amethyst snapped her fingers.

He looked up groggily at her. 

"Dude, you don't see where you are?"

"Huh?" he looked out the window at a building.

"Your place man. Time to get get out."

"Oh.." his brain was slowly processing. "Yeah. It. Is." how he said it sounded like he wasn't so sure.

"Yeah, we know. So yeah. Time to bounce, dude. Take a shower, get some sleep and eat. We'll be here tomorrow to pick you back up at eleven hundred hours." 

His brain wasn't registering. _Eleven hundred hours?_

"Eleven o'oclock in the morning." Amethyst's patience was wearing thin. "You need to be here. At eleven o'clock sharp. You got that?"

He nodded his head stiffly at her. _Still_ trying to catch up to the present.

"Good. Now get out. We gotta go back to our place and wash our assses."

Steven was having a hard time opening his door. Pressing the window button first. He pressed it down, then he pressed the button for it to go up. Then he locked the door.

Amethyst gave an aggravated sigh. "Pearl. Get the door for him."

Pearl got out the car and walked over. Opening the door for him. He got out on legs that felt like lead. He walked a few paces forward and she closed the door.

Amethyst rolled down the window. "And give Pearl back the mask." she rolled the window back up, leaving it a crack.

Steven's brain wasn't processing clearly.. He just stood there.

"The mask." Pearl said bluntly. 

"The.. 'mask'?" 

Pearl pinched the bridge of her nose and took a very, veeeery deep breath. Then she raised her hand, pulling the pink ski mask out of his hands. She looked at it, clenching it tightly in her fingers. Then she saw the gem still clenched unnoticeably in his hand. "And give me. that." she snatched the jewel out his grasp and walked away, going back to her side without saying anything else.

The young man stood there for a few moments before his brain slowly started to register what was happening. He'd just gotten dropped off and now he had to go back home. He took a few wobbly steps away from the car and turned around, turning the corner of the building to go to the main door.

"Aright, Garnet. Let's get out of here." 

"Yes, Amethyst." she shifted gears then remembered something. "Does Talc have his shirt?"

"Who cares if he does or not? As long as he have his Crystal Gem shirt, we have nothing to worry about."

"It just.. seems like he was hiding it. He had on another shirt over top of it like he was. Perhaps he's trying to hide it from his girlfriend."

"Or perhaps he's trying to keep it covered as to keep his identity secret, in general." then she thought about it. "Which, actually is what he needs to keep doing. Garnet, give him his shirt." 

Garnet shifted the car in park and leaned back, grabbing his shirt. She put her glasses back on, slid the mask over her face and got out the car and jogged into the apartment. She jogged up the second flight of steps and saw a figure standing halfway down the hall of the second floor. 

"Talc." she went up to him. "I have your shirt. You left it in-" she heard some sniffling from the boy. And she saw him wipe his face.

"Talc?" 

He didn't turn around.

She walked around to face him and he put his head down. "Talc." he didn't look up. Or say anything. The two stood in front of each other for a solid minute. Until Garnet spoke up again. "Are you still thinking about what happened earlier?" she asked softly.

And as if a damn had broke inside him, he started crying. Sobbing in front of her. She took a slight step back. A bit taken aback at the sudden outburst. She'd never saw anyone cry before in so long. Say for the random bystanders. But she didn't care about them.. But crying from a Crystal Gem member? And a guy at that? It almost seemed foreign to her. They shouldn't be showing emotion like this. He really needs to stop- 

"I didn't mean to kill him." he choked out. His eyes still looking down at the floor. "I never wanted to. I never wanted to kill anyone. ANYONE!"

"Shh, shh, shh.." Garnet looked around in the dimly lit hallway. He was slowly raising his voice. And a conversation like this shouldn't be heard from just anyone.. There were ears all around them..

"It's okay-"

"No it's not!" he looked up. His eyes were red and downcast. "It's NOT okay! Garnet I-"

"I know what you did." she tried to cut him off before he shouted out what he did.

"Talc. This. Just comes with the job." she said softly. "Whether by mistake or by accident, stuff like this happens. With just about every mission."

"But. BUT I was the one who did it this time! It was different when YOU three did it!" he started sobbing more. Falling back into the wall beside them. A bit hunched over.

She waited for him to let up. But he never did. More and more tears continued to pour from his eyes.

He would probably continue to cry if she didn't say anything to him soon..

She sighed. "You really value life don't you?"

He sniffled and rubbed at his eye. "Mhm." he nodded.

_Maybe this job isn't for him after all. He shouldn't be one of us. He's not too far gone like the rest of us.._But she knew that it was already too late for him. He was to be a Crystal Gem until the day he dies. She couldn't bring up the possibility of leaving.. because the result would only end bad. She knew all too well about that. She looked up at the sad, heartbroken, sorrowful boy in front of her. Teeth clenched, eyes squinted as more tears fell down his face.

Then she had a thought to do something. Something she thought she would never do. Ever. In the whole rest of her life. "Talc?"

He looked up at her, taking a few hiccupped breaths as he neared another outburst of a sob.

She took of her mask. Then her shades. Her expression looked just as sad as his. But also hurt. 

Steven saw her put the shades and the ski mask behind her._ Oh no! What is she going to do?! Is she going to take out her gauntlets and-?!_

"Come here." she grabbed his arms gently and pulled him towards her. She held him close.. in a hug. 

He was shocked at the sudden embrace at first, but quickly fell into it. The hug only made him sob more. He returned the hug, wrapping his arms around her and holding her torso. She let him cry it out. She pushed his head towards her to lay on her chest and she started rubbing his back.

He kept his head laying close to her. Ignoring the acid smell on her clothes. Ignoring the mud blotches he may get from the dirt on her jumpsuit. He pressed his head on more and he felt her arms tighten around him. He cried more. 

She laid her head on his hair. "It's okay." then she quickly corrected herself. "I mean, I _know_ it's not okay but.. It's just. We." she sighed, trailing off. She leaned her face down more, his curls obscuring her view of the hallway.

"Garnet." his voice was cracked and shaky. His breath hitched. "It was horrible. His face! His skin! His, his screaming. I can't stop thinking about it." he trembled in her arms.

"I know, I know.." she rested her hand on his neck, just at the bottom of his hair. Her other hand, still rubbing his back.

His breath hitched again. "I don't want to kill anyone else." he shook his head furiously on her shirt. "I don't want to kill any more people." he whined.

She didn't say anything. She just continued to caress his back. 

He lifted his head and she moved her head out the way to look at him. "Would I have to kill anymore people?" he whispered hoarsely. His lips quivered as he looked up at her. He knew the answer to that. It was obvious. But he figured that asking out loud would somehow make things better.. would somehow change fate.. but he knew that wouldn't work..

She looked at him. She knew that killings were just an everyday occurrence with the job they were doing. He would be killing people whether he liked it or not. And he would be witnessing a lot of gruesome deaths along the way.. But she didn't tell him that. That was the last thing he needed to hear.

She raised her hand up from his neck and smoothed out the front of his hair, brushing up his curls from his brows. "I once knew of a lady who was just like you." she told him. "Scared, defenseless. She too valued life just like you."

He blinked up at her. A few more tears rolling down his cheeks as he listened to her.

"She reacted the same way how you're reacting now when she killed someone for the first time."

"..What happened after that?"

"Well, over the months and over the years.. she got used to it. Started being second nature in a way." _And then some.._

"So she.. just got used to it? Even though she valued life?" Steven squeezed her harder. 

Garnet stood there in thought, closing her eyes. "Well.." _Choose your word's carefully, Adamma.._ "She.. did what she thought was necessary to help those around her." _'Those around her'..meaning us and only us.._ "However.. sometimes life was taken away in the process.. And. she unfortunately had to accept that." Those definitely weren't words of encouragement at all.. But... she didn't really know what to say.. Rose, at one point _was_ like this sweet, sympathetic boy in her arms. But.. then she changed. Got corrupted along the way with.. so many other close people she knew.. or _had_ gotten to know.. 

He sighed , looking back down. He laid his head back on her stomach. "Garnet.. I don't think I will ever get used to it like she did.."

Garnet took a breath. Unfortunately.. he had no other choice. He was a Crystal Gem now. He.. would be doing stuff like this whether he wanted to or not. "Hey." he looked up only slightly. He sniffed. "All of us were like this at one point. It may seem scary. And alarming to you now. But in time, you'll see." she took her hand and wiped his cheek of his tears. "It'll get." _It will never get better._ "easier." she whispered.

He sniffled again. Giving her a small, sad, hopeful smile. He nodded. "..Maybe.."

He placed his head back on her chest and gave her another hug and she hugged him back. "Everything will be alright." 

Garnet wanted to hug him longer but she couldn't help thinking.._Amethyst must be wondering where I am.._ She slowly broke away from the hug but Steven still had his arms around her. Not ready to let go. 

"Don't worry. I'll be here tomorrow to pick you up." she raised her hand to ruffle his hair. "But right now. You need some rest."

He chuckled sadly at the hair ruffling this time. "I think the first thing I need to do is take a shower." he tried to joke.

"Yeah." she looked at her clothes. "Yeah I think we all do." she chuckled.

Steven finally dropped his arms and the two stood there for a few moments. He looked away, scratching his head. After coming down from his emotional breakdown, he started feeling a bit embarrassed that he, as a grown man, actually broke down in tears like that.. But, Garnet didn't seem to mind.. And maybe he was focused on society saying that he couldn't.. or shouldn't cry.. And just man up.

The woman raised her hand, showing him his shirt. "Here you go."

"Oh. Thanks" he grabbed it from her and threw it on. Then he looked up and smiled at her. A small, yet genuine smile.

"See you tomorrow, Talc."

"See you, Garnet. And..thanks for the talk."

"It's no problem, Talc." she took a few steps forward, placing a hand on his shoulder and giving it one gentle squeeze as she walked away.

Steven watched as she turned the corner and heard the thud of her boots as she made her way down the stairs.

.........

Garnet put her glasses over her teary eye. Then she slid the mask back over her head. She took a few deep breaths going back to the car. The first couple of breaths being shaky, then gradually stabling itself to more stable, calm breaths. 

She stepped in front of the door and took one more deep breath before opening it.

"Why the hell did it take you so long to give him a damn shirt?" Amethyst growled out.

Garnet closed the door back slowly. "Talc.. and I were just having a short talk."

"And he was the one who initiated, right?" 

"No.. Actually.. it was me."

"And that's even worse." she spat out threw her teeth.

Garnet didn't say anything.

"Garnet. Look at me."

The lady turned to face her. 

"Look, I don't know what's going on with you now. But all this? It needs to stop. Talc can't handle things on his own? Who cares. He needs to _learn_ how to handle his own. And he _will_. And you need to stop checking up on him. He needs to grow up and be a Crystal Gem. We're not here to babysit. We're here to get shit done. You understand me?"

"Yes, Amethyst."

"Good." then she leaned back, throwing her arm in the air. "Now go ahead and drive off. Effin' stinks in here. I want to hurry up and go back to the base."

Garnet shifted gears and pulled out into the street.

Amethyst had to say one more thing before the moment was lost. "Garnet."

She swallowed. "Yes, Amethyst?"

"I don't know what this is all about. But I feel the need to tell you. To tell _both_ of you." Pearl looked up alarmed at her. Amethyst putting her into the conversation so suddenly. "Garnet. You need to get your feelings in check pronto. Similar to what I told Pearl yesterday about her own personal issues with him. You two have some kind of emotions. Some kind of feelings towards that boy. It's going to stop now. It's making you soft already, Garnet. And Pearl already made an incompetent mistake yesterday, based on her own.. whatever issues she's freakin' dealing with towards him." the slim woman slouched in her seat. "I don't want to have this conversation with either of you. ever. again.The boy is a Crystal Gem. Not some negative baggage." she eyed Pearl. "Or some kind of.." she looked Garnet up and down. Her mouth in a tight pout. "Best friends, pals kind of thing. We ain't doing that here you two.. ¿Comprenden? (You two understand?)

They both nodded with a "Yes, Amethyst." in unison.

Garnet put on her blinkers, turning onto the main Street.

................

Steven waited until he heard the main door close. And he waited when he heard the truck pull off from the side of the house. And he waited a bit longer after that.

He hadn't known how long he stood aimlessly at the middle of the hallway, but he thought it was more than enough quiet time and started his walk back to his apartment. He took the keys out of his pocket and put the key in the lock. He unlocked it and opened the door.

He saw Connie in the closet. And just the sideview of her he wanted to break down and cry, hugging her and cuddling her. He wanted her to comfort him. To soothe him. Like she'd done so many times before when he would have his dark moments..But this time, he couldn't.. because that would mean he would have to tell her what happened today.. blowing his cover.. And he never wanted her to know about this other life he was living in..

"Heh, hey there." he tried to sound calm. He walked in and took her flip flops off, closing the door behind him. 

"Hey, Steven!" she said from the closet. She sounded so bubbly and cheerful, it made him feel just a bit better.

"How was the interview?" he tried to make small talk to get his mind off of. He made a mental shake in his mind. _Stop thinking about what happened. He's gone and there's nothing you can do about it._

"It went great!!" she cheered. That earned a tired chuckle from her boyfriend. He walked slowly into the apartment, approaching her. Just stopping short of the bed between them.

"_You_ are looking at Kholeez's newest sale associate." she struck a proud pose with her head up.

"No way!" he tried to sound cheerful. "That's great to hear, Connie."

"I know! I'm SO excited!" The girl took out a pair of black slacks and a white buttoned down long sleeved shirt. She started sniffing the air. She turned around and gagged. "What is that smell? 

"Oh uh.. There was a septic tank that erupted in the building. Ended up getting all over some of us." 

"Uheeuugh." she covered her nose with her shirt and pants. "Yeah, you're going to have to take a shower. Like. Now. You're really messing with my stomach."

His mind went straight to the baby and it felt like she poured salt into his wounds.. or putting more fuel inside of his already burning mind.. He already wasn't well and then she says that. He didn't want to think about a baby he didn't even want.

He turned and walked away from her, feeling another outburst coming on. "Yeah, I'll do that right now." he strained out in the "calmest" way possible and went to the closet closest to the bathroom and opened it. He took out his washcloth and towel. And he just stood in front of the closet. Just. Stood there.

"And I made something light today. I didn't know how early or how late you were going to come back. I already ate, but your stuff is in the fridge." he heard Connie close the door and a light clank as she hung the clothes on the dresser.

"Oh, that's.. great, Connie. But." he swallowed a sob. "I'm not really hungry."

"Oh, you already ate?" he heard the creak of the bed.

"Y, yeah." he saw the guy falling in front of him. Into the acid below them..

He shook his head and closed the closet door. His legs on autopilot as he made his way to the dresser. He picked up his toiletries and turned around, catching Connie's eyes as she looked up from the laptop. "Steven! Your face!" 

It took every once of him to not break down.. but a tear managed to escape and slide down.

"Steven. What's wrong?" she tried to sound less frantic. But she couldn't keep the panic out of her voice. She was already making her way to him before she held her nose and gagged again. Holding her stomach.

"I'm fine, Connie." another damn tear fell down the same side. "I wasn't paying attention on the job and a few things fell down on my face."

"But you're crying."

"No, my eyes are watering." he counteracted. "The blow really did a number on my eyes and they've been tearing up every now and again."

That seemed to only calm her down slightly. "Did anybody see it happen? What did your boss say?"

"I just had to fill out these hurt on the job paper thingys. But they're handling everything up there."

"But what now? Do they still expect you to work like this?"

"Well, they wanted me to stay home. But I told them no."

"What?!"

"Yeah, I told them that I'd just gotten the job and that.. I didn't want to already start calling out. I told them that I would come to work anyway and just play it by ear and see how I feel throughout the rest of the day."

"But. Don't you need like, a doctor's note telling you that you could come back?"

_Crap! I didn't think about that.._ "I. Thought so too, but.. I guess in this case no? Because.. I didn't break or sprain anything? I don't know. I don't know how these things go."

"I guess I don't either.. But I just figured that.. Eh, I don't know. So are you feeling okay?" she looked at all of the bruises and cuts along his red, swollen face. 

"Yeah, my face is fine." and it was, for the most part. His heart was hurting more than a few minor cuts on his cheeks.. They would easily heal up on their own. Now the other one, he didn't quite know..

"Did you need me to fix them up for you?"

He was going to decline and just do it himself. But the sad, worried way she was looking at him made him change his mind. "Uh, s, sure. Let me just.. take my shower really quick."

"..Okay." she watched as he walked his way to the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

.......

Steven took his clothes off and put them in the hamper, except for his Crystal Gem shirt. He would have to wash that out by hand and cover it with the towel when he get out the bathroom and hide the shirt somewhere when Connie wasn't looking.

He unwrapped his ear and looked at it. It was crusted. But it apart from that, it seems to be healing well. Then he took the bandage from beneath his eye and the bandage along his stomach. The cut along his eye was healing well, but the cut on his stomach from yesterday was still very red and sore. 

He washed the shirt out first in the shower. Making sure that the smell and all of the gook was completely gone. He threw it on a hook in the wall and took his shower in lukewarm water, not wanting to scorch the cut on his stomach. Yet the pain was still there as the water hit the wound. His face didn't hurt as much. He continued with his shower, his mind constantly going back to the scene at the Acid Plant..

He got out the shower and bandaged his stomach up and wrapped up his ear. Then he brushed his teeth. He picked up the first aid kit, took the shirt off the hook and wrapped it inside the towel and left the bathroom. 

Connie turned around to look at him, then got up and put the laptop on the table. "Okay, patient Universe. Whenever you're ready, nurse Maheshawren will be in room 203 to see you." 

He chuckled. "Be there in a sec." he _casually_ dropped the towel right beside the bed as soon as she turned her head and he made his way back to the dresser. He put the toiletries back and opened the drawer, putting on his boxers, then a long, grey shirt. He picked up the first aid kit and sat down on the bed. He gave her a small smile. "I'm ready."

She returned the smile with a slightly bigger one and she started on his face being gentle and careful on his cuts and bruises.

She was done in no time. "There. Feel any better already?"

"Yeah."

Her expression dropped. "Are you sure you're okay? You just.. something just doesn't seem right."

He could already feel the tears rushing to the fore, but he blinked them back, forcing a smile. "What? Heheh, I'm fine Connie."

"Mhm.." she stood in front of him. Still a bit worried. And confused.

"Really."

"..Okay." she leaned up and took the kit from off the bed. Then she paused and gave him a somewhat stern look. She turned around a planted a kiss right on his cheek and she turned back and went right to the bathroom to put the kit back.

Then it dawned on him._ I NEVER GAVE HER A KISS!! NOT AFTER COMING HOME OR AFTER SHE BANDAGED ME UP!!_ He couldn't believe he did that. Or _didn't_ do that. His mind was just somewhere else.. He just wasn't acting like himself.. And it was probably other subtle things he did or didn't do that Connie picked up on as well. 

She came from the bathroom and Steven got up to meet her. She looked down. "Steven, your towel is on the floor-"

He kissed her a few good times. Not wanting to be too obvious, but not trying to fall short of his kissing either. 

He gave her one last kiss just below her lips, right on her chin. He looked at her. A deep blush on her face. She pushed up her glasses. "Well.. I didn't see that coming." It sounded like she was trying to hide a smile. 

"Yeah, well. Expect. The unexpected." he licked his bottom lip and went in for a few more soft kisses. Being sure to hug and squeeze her torso.

"Steven." she said through his lips. He gave her another kiss. "I." another kiss. "Really think you should." she kissed him. "get some rest." he gave her another kiss and leaned up slightly. "Hm?"

"Yeah. I. Think you should use this time to lay down and relax." 

He tried to play it off. "Aw...okay." he gave her a side smile. Then snuck in another kiss just under her neck and let go.

She started walking away slowly from him. The blush still on her face. "Okay, well.. I'll be staying up for a bit. I want to do some more research on this job." she picked up the laptop from the table. "I'll just sit down over here and put the brightness down." she sat on the small couch by the window.

"Okay. Well. Have fun." he pulled the sheets down and slid into bed. _Phewf. That was close. Almost blew my cover right there.. Looks like she thinks I'm okay now._ Though he didn't do it _just_ so she wouldn't expect anything. He liked kissing Connie. He _loved_ kissing her.

He heard her already typing away on the laptop. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, trying to be lulled by the rhythmic typing of the keys.

.......

About an hour an a half and he heard Connie close the laptop and place it on the table. Then he felt her crawl into bed. He could sense something close to his face and he felt Connie's soft lips on his temple. Then he felt her move back around in bed. The covers being pulled up and hitting his chin.

That whole hour and a half he was awake. Just listening to her typing and listening to the screams of the guy.

About twenty or so minutes later, he heard her soft snores.

An hour later, he was still awake.

An hour after that, he was still awake..

Then another hour went by...

And another hour....

And another.....

The minute hand went pass twelve as yet _another_ hour went by.....

He couldn't sleep. Just tossing and turning. His mind replaying those last couple of minutes with him and the guy. The man's face. His screaming. The man's skin. His screaming. The man's arms being striped into bones. His screaming. The man's bones burning and turning into dust. His screaming. He couldn't get the images and the guy's stomach churning screech from his mind.

He started hyperventilating again. He clenched his eyes tight, covering his ears, as if the screams were coming from outside. He curled up, getting into fetal position but stopped when his stomach warned him of his cut. He tried to calm himself down. He could feel the cold sweat just pouring down his back and forehead. One drop sliding down the bridge of his nose and stinging his eye. 

He opened his mouth, taking his shaky breaths under the covers. He felt hot under them and he pulled his head up slightly. His mouth still under the covers.

Another hour went pass and he was still stuck in the same position. Sweaty.. and cold at the same time. His mind fogged and dizzy. It felt like he wasn't really there.

He tried to bring himself back to reality. Feeling the dampness of the bed, the soft touches of the blanket..listening to Connie's snores that always seemed to comfort him. This time, they only calmed him down slightly.

He tried speaking to himself. Mentally psyching himself up. _It's okay, Universe.. It's.._Sigh_. It's NOT okay.. That guy is dead.. And it's all because of me.. I was the one who let him go.. It was all me.. And now he's gone. He fell into the acid.. He was burned up alive.. because of me.. _

He took a deep, shaky breath. _But you heard Garnet. This is just how they all felt when they first killed someone. She said that it'll get easier so.. maybe it will? You have to trust her on this. You HAVE to.. Do it for your sanity. Your sanity depends on it.. And who knows, maybe tomorrow will be different..Maybe tomorrow will be better.._

He turned over, pulling the covers down to his chin. "Maybe it will.." he whispered to himself, trying to calm his self down. "Maybe.. it will.."


	27. Night Terrors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's no action or anything with these next three chapters. Sorry guys. It's just Steven dealing with the aftermath of what happened at the Acid Plant. Still hope y'all will like these chapters though even if they're kinda chill and plain :P *shrugs*  
The next chapters I post will be them on their actual Frybo mission.  
Also, for those of you who've possibly read the Acid Plant chapter _before_ I made a few edits, Jesse is the name of the guy that got burned in the acid. A dear, fellow commenter of mine told me how saying the word 'guy' over and over again was kinda unusual x)  
So yeah, that's his name :P

Another hour passed with Steven tossing and turning in their bed. His mind not leaving the thoughts from the Acid Plant. 

He looked up at the clock on the wall. _3:24a.m.. _He'd been awake in bed for over six, seven hours now..

He breathed in through his nose and out through his mouth a few times. He laid there. Trying to go to bed.

Then a bit later, he'd finally dozen off, only to jolt awake five minutes later by the man's screams. 

He turned over again and flipped his pillow over to the nice, cool side. He laid his head back down and took a deep breath, keeping his eyes cracked open. He watched the lights and the shadows glide across the walls and the bed as cars went by. He listened to the dogs bark and yowl outside, listened to Connie's snores and listened to a police siren that went by.. Then the screams came back and Steven clenched his eyes tight, shaking his head as if that would shake the screams out of his head.

He laid there.. Another half an hour went by and he heard Connie get up to use the bathroom. She crawled back into bed and brushed his hair back giving him a kiss on the forehead. Then he felt her place her hand on his forehead. His sweat dripping down his temple. 

He started taking a few deep, slow breaths, trying to replicate sleeping. 

He felt her move her hand to the bottom of his chin. Then he felt her hand leave his face and felt the blanket being pulled back from him a little. 

She laid back down.

He'd dozen off again a bit after that. Awoken only ten minutes later from a nightmare. 

_Jesse's face was over dramatised in Steven's dream. His face was bleeding with puss coming out of his skin. And the bones of his arms were black and bumpy. He kept screaming louder and louder. He was trying to get out of the boiling, red acid. "You did this!!" he screamed out in pain. "It was you!!" _

_More screaming as he fell further into the boiling liquid. Then the screaming was accompanied by sobbing. The man's mouth was under the acid. But he was still screaming. And Steven could still hear the sobbing coming from somewhere. The screaming and the sobs grew louder. He heard the guy choke on the acid as his bones burst into flames._

Steven jolted awake, with tears streaming down his face. He touched his cheek._ It was all.. just a dream.._ He looked at Connie. His girlfriend having a peaceful night's sleep. Her mouth slightly agape and her eyes slightly cracked. He looked up at the clock again. _4:13a.m._

He turned over once more, bringing the sheets over his head as he took his deep breaths.. Then it started to get hot and stuffy under the blankets. He threw them back and pushed his head further back into the pillows, clenching his eyes tighter.

He laid there.

A few minutes later and he started to doze off again.

_"YOU'RE A KILLER!"_

_Steven turned around to see Jesse again. One part of his face had skin. Red blotches across his face and small holes showing blood and his skull underneath The other side, was just his skull. It was cracked along the eye socket and gray. He was inside of the acid. Screaming. Crying. Blood for tears falling from his face._

_"I didn't mean to!" Steven shouted out._

_"YOU LET ME GO! MURDERER! KILLER!!" He screamed out more in pain. _

_"I didn't mean to! I'm sorry! Please! It was an accident!!" He started crying. "I didn't want that to happen!" He ran towards him._

_"MURDERER!"_

_Steven stretched out his hand. "Please!! Just let me help you!! I didn't want you to die!!"_

_The man seemed to slowly stretch and loom over Steven and he fell back, looking up at the man. The skull half of his head breaking and cracking in more. His eye turned bloodshot and shot out of it's socket as acid poured out. The skin side of his face blistered more as the liquid poured down on it. "It's too late for me!" his voice was dark and coarse. _

_"But, but I-"_

_"Let's BOTH burn in this acid. TOGETHER!" he started spewing acid out of his mouth as he lounged for Steven's foot. _

_He scream. "NO!! I'm. I'm SORRY!! I'M SORRY!!" he tried to crawl away. But the figure now burning with fire and dripping with acid dragged him._

_Steven turned around, trying to crawl away on his stomach. The figure pulled him closer to the acid. "MURDERER!! KILLER!!"_

_"PLEASE!! I'M SORRY!!" he cried out. He tried to grasp the floor, his hands slipping on the bloody tiles. "PLEASE!" he sobbed. He kicked his legs. The guy sunk down into the acid, dragging Steven further in. Acid bubbled right behind him._

_"MEET YOUR FATE!!"_

_"NOOOO!!!" the man dragged him into the acid. Steven could feel the liquid burning him and he cried out. _

_He heard laughing underneath the acid.. as his skin burst and blistered. He tried to yell out. This time nothing came out._

_"Steven!!" he growled out, laughing. "Steven!! STEVEN!!!"_

_He was dragged all the way in. Red filled his vision. His skin peeled off his bones. Jesse appeared in front of him, laughing. His face a skeleton. Two black holes as eyes looking right at him. "Steven!!" he cackled. "Steven!!"_

_He tried to shout out again, but couldn't. Drowning in the boiling acid. The man took his face and pushed it further down in the acid with his skin tethered hands. The smell of the acid on his burning skin. Steven flailed, trying to get out of the guy's grip. "Steven!!" he laughed louder. "STEVEN!!!!!!!" he could feel himself suffocating under the figure's fingertips._

"Steven!!" 

The boy jolted up, panting. Waking up in a cold sweat.

Connie quickly went to console him. "It was only a dream." she pulled his head close to her chest.

He was shaking. Hyperventilating. He grabbed on to her.

"Don't worry. I'm here. I'm here." she rocked him, rubbing his back. "It was only a dream."

He could still feel the guy's hands on his face, pushing him deeper.. And the smell.. It felt so real.. The tethered, boiling skin of his blistered hands. The putrid smell.. His stomach churned and he pushed away from Connie, burping.

"Steven?"

"I need." he burped. "The bathroom." he ran out of bed and ran into the bathroom to the toilet.

Connie waited for him until he was done. Then she heard the water running and him gargling. He came out the bathroom moments later, walking sluggishly back to the bed. 

"Feeling any better?"

"Mm.." he mumbled and threw his body back down on the bed.

Connie reached over and touched his head again. Then the bottom of his chin. He just looked at her. His eyes red and sagging. He felt drained.

She pulled her hand back away. "You don't really feel hot." she whispered. "Think it's something that you ate?"

"Mm.." he mumbled and closed his eyes.

She took a breath. "Okay. I'll let you get some rest." she kissed his forehead and slid over a bit to give him some more room.

The following twenty minutes he laid there.. And he'd felt Connie's stare on him the whole time until she'd finally drifted back off into sleep.

He looked back at the clock. _4:52a.m._ He groaned and turned over. 

...........

He laid in bed for another two hours, staring at nothing in particular. And listening to Connie's soft snores and her occasionally moving under the blankets. He could see the room lighten up just ever so slightly as dawn approached.

He pulled the blanket over his shoulders, shivering off the cold chills. He closed his eyes back and finally, felt himself start to drift off again..

He slept undisturbed for thirty minutes and nodded awake. His bladder. He tried to ignore it and closed his eyes back. Wanting to get more of that sleep he just had. 

Then he heard someone's car alarm going off. Then the neighbor's dogs barking.. _Then_ he heard Connie start to stir awake from the noise.. She gave an aggravated sigh and he heard her turn over. Only to get up just a few minutes later. She clicked her teeth and slid off the bed.

Steven tried to ignore the noises. The car alarm still going off and the dogs still barking. 

He heard Connie come from the bathroom and he felt her feel his face again. Then he heard her start getting ready in the kitchen, quietly. Getting a pan out the cabinet and turning on the squeaky faucet slowly. Then the water running. More of the squeaky faucet as she turned it off. Then he heard the pan being laid on the burner. Then a click of a knob.

There was a slight sizzle of the pan as the rings heated up. He listened as the water made it's first signs of getting hot, as it rumbled softly. Then he felt himself start to size off as the water heated up more, nearing a rolling boil.

He woke up again just another forty minutes later. He couldn't ignore his bladder that time. He got up slowly and trudged towards the bathroom. 

Connie was putting on her clothes behind him. "How are you feeling?"

He turned around. "Huh?" she was buttoning up her shirt. "Oh, I'm just.. a bit tired." 

"How's your stomach?"

"Mm.. s'okay.." he mumbled. "Um.. I'm just going to head to the bathroom." he pointed behind himself.

"Oh. Yeah-." he'd already turned around, going for the bathroom.

Connie finished putting the rest of her clothes on just as Steven came back out the bathroom. She walked up to the dresser and started combing her hair as he sat down at one of the chairs in the kitchen. His head resting on his hand.

She put the brush back down and turned to face him. "I hope you're not thinking about going to work today." 

He shrugged. 

"You don't feel well.. I think you should stay home and rest."

"I don't know, Connie." he whispered out in a tired strain. "I still might.. I have until later to go there anyway."

"What time?"

He buried the side of his face in his hand. He took a tired breath. "Like, eleven, twelve."

"Well it's almost eight o'clock now so.." she walked over to Steven, leaning on the counter just a few inches in front of him.

Another tired breath from him. "Yeah, I know..But. I. should be fine."

She did not look convinced.

He quickly turned the tables before she could say anything else. "So what about you? You're leaving out now or..?" An obvious question. He _clearly_ saw her getting ready, but he just wanted to say something. Anything so the focus wouldn't be on him.

"Well.. I was.. But I could stay here with you for a bit." she reached out and grabbed his other hand in his lap. He squeezed her hand back and she rubbed on his knuckles. 

"I'm actually early. I was thinking about going there and just waiting there until I had to start work, but I wanted to make sure you were okay first." she looked at his tired eyes. "But.. I think I should stay a bit longer with you."

"I'll be fine Connie." he managed to give her a very small, tired smile. "I just. ate something bad. It's no big deal. I'll just have to ride it out."

She looked at him. Right in his eyes. And he looked back at her. Her eyes never wavered as she continued to stare at him. He tried to keep the stare, but ended up looking down to his left for a split second before meeting her gaze again. He forced out a plain, wan smile.

Her blank expression was unreadable.

She stood looking at his eyes for a few more moments before cutting the silence with a question.. "Did you want me to fix you anything? Maybe some soup and crackers?"

He didn't see that question coming.. But he preferred that over any other prying questions. And he didn't feel like eating. But with what he will do today with the gems.. He would have to put_ something_ in his stomach to give him some energy. 

"Um.. sure. I guess I could go for some soup." 

Connie met him with another stare and he swallowed. "..Okay.." she told him and while still keeping her stare, she let go of his hand and not looking away from him until she walked pass him.

His girlfriend walked over to the sink and washed and dried her hands off. She took a pan out of one cabinet and went to another cabinet, taking out a can of chicken noodle soup. Then she popped open the top and poured the contents in the pan. She turned the faucet on and poured a bit more water into the pan before setting it on top of the stove. She turned the nob to a low high.

The whole ten minutes was in silence. Say for the boiling of the soup and the spoon being stirred in the pan. 

Connie pulled the spoon up with a bit of soup in it. She fanned it off and tasted it. "Okay, it's done." she put the spoon in the sink and grabbed a bowl and another spoon from the dish holder. She rinsed them off and poured the soup inside. 

Then she turned the faucet water on and poured warm water in the pan and set it down in the sink. She took the bowl from off the counter and turned back around. "Here you go." she set the steaming broth of soup in front of him. Chunks of chicken, celery and carrots floating along the surface. "Just let it cool for a bit." His girlfriend turned back around and went for another cabinet, opening the cabinet of the pantry, and taking out a long wrapper of saltine crackers. She ripped a napkin of its holder and put a few crackers on it. Then she rolled the wrapper back up and put it back into the cabinet. She went back to the counter and set it down by his bowl before sitting down across from him.

"Thanks Connie." he looked at her. She didn't have to do this. But she did. And she didn't have to do a lot of other things, in general. But she has. Like sticking with him for all this time.. 

And just this little act of kindness made him well up. She was so kind.. so thoughtful.. He was so thankful he had someone like her. 

"It's no problem at all." she said. Then he saw her look up at the clock behind him.

"Connie, really. If you have to start leaving out soon, I'll be okay." 

Her expression tightened. 

"I don't want you to be late because of me."

She tapped her fingers on the counter, sighing deeply. Steven could only imagine what she was thinking..

"Okay." she said eventually. She got up from her chair and pushed it in. She put her hand gently behind his neck and pulled him in, giving him a kiss on the forehead. "Feel better soon." 

He tried not to break down right then.

"Thanks." he whispered out. Then he went to go pray over his food.

She waited for him to finish before walking away. She stopped right at the door and sniffed a few times before holding her nose. She looked down at the flip flops.

"Oh! Sorry. I guess I kinda forgot about cleaning off the flip flops too." said Steven.

"No. It's fine. Just. Get your rest. I'll clean them when I get back." 

Steven took a spoonful of his soup. Taking in a bit of celery with it. "When do you get off anyway? Do you know your schedule yet?"

"No, I don't know my schedule yet. These are just my training days. I won't get my actual schedule until next week." she started putting on her flats, starting with the right one. "And I should be back before 5." 

"Wow. So a whole 8 hours?"

"Yup." 

"Well, have fun." he tried to say it in a friendly way. Though it came out rather bored and tired.

Connie didn't say anything. Instead, she resorted to staring at him once more. It only took him a few moments before he looked away under her stare. He took a couple sips of his soup. Trying to play everything off.

He didn't want her to worry. And he also didn't want her to be late. Just like how.. he _didn't_ want the man to die.. 

Connie watched as Steven stared at the bowl in front of him. His hand lowering the spoon as he got lost in his thoughts.

_Why did I have to let go.._ He saw the guy falling back as his hand let go of his arm. _I could've done something else.. _ Jesse burning in the acid in front of him..

His eyes trailed down to his soup. The pieces of chicken.. the pieces of carrots.. the pieces of celery.. They all started to turn and mix in the broth. Forming into lumps. They somehow formed into the guy's face. He was drowning in the acid. The broth seeped into Steven's nose and he could smell the man's burning flesh. 

He turned his head, retching. Everything coming back up and onto the floor.

"Steven!" Connie ran to him. 

He held his mouth. "I'm fine." he mumbled through his hand.

"No. You're _not_." she said a bit sternly, holding onto his shoulder. "You really shouldn't go to work today."

He didn't counteract with a rebuttal.

"Now come on." she tugged on his arm to get up. "Let's get you back in bed."

He let her take him back to bed by his arm. He sat on the bed. "No. You need to lay down. Get some rest." he did what he was told. Laying his head back on the damp pillow of his own cold sweat. Then he looked at the mess on the floor. He sighed. "Sorry, Connie."

"Don't be." she waved him off. "It's fine." she pulled the blanket up to his chin. "Now try to get some rest."

She got up to put the food away and to clean up the spot.

She washed her hands thoroughly after she was done and walked out the bathroom. Steven was already fast asleep.

She put a trashcan by his side of the bed and tiptoed pass him, heading back to the door, taking out her keys out. She stopped and turned to Steven. His eyes were closed and his mouth was wide open. Snoring. Deep breathing and lost in his sleep.

She stood there. Debating on whether to leave him or not. She looked back at the clock. A quarter pass eight. She _could_ take the next bus. That would make her just getting to the store. She looked back down at him. She could wait another twenty, thirty minutes. See how everything goes with him.

She put the keys back in her pocket, took her flats off and went to sit down on the couch by the window. She took her phone out to pass the time. Looking at Steven every now and again. 

Fifteen, twenty minutes later she heard him rustling in the covers. Then she heard a tired breath from under the blankets as he turned over. His bleary eyes looking right at Connie. Then he realized.. He looked up at her. "Connie? You're still here?" he looked at the clock._ 8:34a.m_ "I just wanted to make sure if you were okay." she said, getting up from her spot. She pocketed her phone. "I didn't want to leave you without knowing if you were going to be okay by yourself or not."

He stifled a yawn. "Yeah, I'm okay Connie. I'm just.. really tired." he laid his head back on the soft, damp pillow.

"..Are you sure?" she walked pass the bed slowly and his eyes followed her. "Yes, Connie. I'll be fine by myself. I've.. I've done it before." he reminded her.

Her face froze for just a few seconds as she took to heart what he said. "Right." she cleared her throat. "But you don't have to do that anymore.."

"Connie, I'm fine." he didn't look at her. "Please don't be late for work.. I'll see you when you get home." he closed his eyes.

She stood there right at the foot of the bed. Much longer than he wanted her to be.. Then he heard her footsteps walking to the door. The sound of her putting her shoes on. The sound of her keys. And the door opening. "See you later, Steven." 

"See you, Connie." he mumbled.

He heard the door closing behind him.


	28. A morally gray area

Steven didn't go back to sleep. He'd tried to a few times, but he would either drift off slightly, only to nod back awake a few minutes later or he would fall into a deep sleep, only to have another nightmare.

He looked at the clock for the umpteenth time. _9:29a.m._ He wondered if Connie was on the bus and on her way to her job or not. He hoped that she would make it to work on time. And he hoped that she wasn't worrying about him too much.

He sat up, massaging his face. Stopped. And breathed deeply into his hands. Then he looked out the window. Clear skies. The sun shining down on the building in front of their apartment.

Maybe a little fresh air will help clear his mind?

He threw the covers off of him and threw his legs over the bed. Sitting there.. Then he got up and walked to the closet, opening the doors and looking at the wardrobe. 

He took out the first items he saw, not caring too much on what to wear. Just a pair of jeans, a red shirt and a black hoodie. He ripped them off the hanger and threw them on the bed. 

Then he quickly remembered about the shirt he had tucked in the towel. _Oh crap.._ He jogged over to the bed. The towel was still right where he left it. He unfolded it and picked up the shirt, immediately smelling that wet, mildew, wet dog smell from it.

_Too late to wash it now.. Guess I'll have to mask the odor.._ He walked over to the dresser and picked up one of his Axe colognes that Connie loves. He sprayed all around it and inside it, dousing it with that chick magnet fragrance. He fanned out the shirt and smelled it again. Much better. Not even a single hint of the stench. 

He threw the shirt that he had on on the bed, then put on his Crystal Gem shirt. Then the red shirt. Then his jacket. Then he slipped on his pants, cuffing them like he always did.

He put the towel in the hamper with the rest of the clothes and made his way to the door. The acid smell of the flip flops reminding him of the guy.. 

And reminding him that he needs to wash them.

He went back to the bathroom to scrub them down with soap. Then he doused them as well with the same cologne. 

He took his keys from off the hook on the wall and gave the clock one last look. _9:52a.m._

As long as he gets back here a bit before eleven, he should be fine.. But all he wants to do now, is take a nice little walk around the area before another.. "harrowing" adventure..

He slipped on the flip flops, opened the door and walked out the room.

..................

Steven decided to walk the opposite way of the Mayor's Hall. Ever since the explosions down at the subway, they'd been undergoing some serious maintenance with the subway systems, as well as the streets and the pipes along the city. With that being said, there were tons and tons of people who were not happy about that.. Especially after hearing that the maintenance will be for another two months.. But at least the shuttle bus services were free, so at least they had that. Though the delays were still inevitable. 

Steven looked back. He could still see the bulldozers and other construction vehicles and equipment. He turned back around, continuing his walk. Taking in the smoky air of Empire City. _So much for "fresh air"._

He walked a few blocks, passing a few people. People who were living their own lives, just laughing it up, not seeming to have a care in the world. Every single person he walked pass seemed happy.. Now any other day, he would see nothing but business men lugging their suitcases with sad, droopy faces or frantic parents with their wild, rambunctious kids, or teenagers getting high on street corners. But today? _Everyone_ seemed happy and in good spirits. Even the teens with their bongs. Everyone seemed happy.. and without regrets.. Everyone.. But him..

He stuffed his hands in his pockets, taking in another deep lungful of car fumes and weed.. Just another day in Empire City..

He stopped at a corner, watching the cars go by until the light turned red. He and a few other bystanders walked across to the other side.

A fellow older guy was trying to rack in customers to his pretzel stand. Welcoming passerby as they walked close to him. "Pretzels! Hot, tasty pretzels! Made fresh daily! Only two fifty! Try our new spicy cheese!"

Steven tried to drown out the thoughts of Jesse as Connie came into his mind. She loves those pretzel stands. He made a mental note to surprise her one day with a couple of them.

He gave the guy a small nod and quickly turned away, walking pass him.

He walked for another ten minutes, his thoughts constantly fading in and out of the past as he walked aimlessly up the cracked, cemented sidewalk, passing little clothing shops and eateries. More happy go lucky people walking amongst him.

He crossed the street, going towards more shops. Then he saw a familiar figure. He was twirling a sign that said **NEW PGP PHONES! ONLY $25 A MONTH!! PHONES AS CHEAP AS $60!!**

The guy twirled the sign around his hand, passing it to the other one then throwing it up in the air. He caught it in mid twirl and spun around as he flipped the sign around his back, rotating it back towards the front of him.

Just seeing his pal doing all of those cool tricks with the sign made him feel just a tad bit better. He ran up to him. "Hey, Pee Dee!" 

"Aye, Steven!" his friend caught the sign again and stood it up on the ground beside him. "Didn't think I would see you in this area." 

"Yeah." he hunched his shoulders up in his jacket. "Just. wanted a change of scenery. You know how that goes."

"Yeah. All too well." 

"So, when did you get this job? Do you still work down at the fry shop?" 

"Yeah, I just got this job not too long ago. And yeah, I still do. I'm only doing this part time. I'm actually heading down to the fry shack later on today. You should stop by and get some fries." 

Steven was about to take him up on that offer, but quickly remembered that he still had to meet up with the Crystal Gems soon. He slouched a bit. "I'm, kinda busy today. But I'll see if I can drop by some time this week." 

"Cool, cool." Pee Dee nodded. Then, without hesitation, he announced the elephant in the room. "So, you know I'm gonna ask, right?"

"Ask what?"

"What happened to your face? Don't tell me you got caught by a bunch of drug dealers again?"

"Just.. well a bunch of thugs got me yesterday. Thought I had something valuable on me. Guess they didn't realize they chose the wrong, broke dude in Empire City." he tried to laugh at his own lie.

"Damn, they really did a number on your face, man."

"Yeah, but I'm fine. Connie was the one who helped bandage me up."

"How's she doing anyway? Got her to change her mind yet?"

Steven made an aggravated sigh. "No, not yet.. But I gotta think of something quick to convince her before it's too late."

"You probably can. She _has_ made a lot of sacrifices for you so far-"

Something caught Steven's eye. It was a middle aged man dressed in all black in his suit. He reminded Steven of Jesse. He was walking up behind Pee Dee and towards him. Steven locked eyes with the guy as he walked on pass them.

"...or may not do this for you. But you can always try-" 

"Hey, Pee Dee?"

"Yeah."

"Could we.. find some place to talk real quick?"

Pee Dee looked at the shop beside them. He looked through the windows plastered in those promotion stickered signs. He didn't see his manager at the counter. "Uh.. sure. Yeah, sure. I don't see why not." Pee Dee walked off and Steven followed him.

They found a bench at an empty bus stop corner, not too far from Pee Dee's phone place. He laid the sign on his lap. "So, what's up? I had a feeling that something was going on with you."

Steven gave him a very dramatic breath. His chest going noticeably all they way up and deflating back down. He sat there for a few moments to collect his thoughts. Trying to figure out the right words to form into questions. 

Pee Dee waited for him. Looking at his best friend as he stared off into the street.

Then he blinked out his thoughts and turned to face him. "Pee Dee? Did you ever.." he swallowed. "witness anyone getting killed before?"

His friend sat up, leaning forward slowly on his sign. His expression a mixture of shock and disbelief. He opened his mouth slowly. "Is that.. what happened yesterday? Did you see someone get killed?"

Steven's eyes welled up, but this time he didn't let himself cry. It was different when it was just Garnet and Connie. They were females.. But Pee Dee? It just.. didn't seem right. Even if he knew Pee Dee wasn't the kind of guy to mind. It just.. seemed weird and sad ..and embarrassing. 

He swallowed again. "Yeah." he whispered.

Pee Dee leaned forward more to look at Steven. His friend having lowered his head to look at the ground. "Steven. You're looking at someone who, not only takes drugs, but also hosts parties and give drugs to people. I've witnessed so many people who have either overdosed.. or got into a fight when they were high or drunk and they ended up fighting with each other and ..You know. Things didn't always end well for them." 

"How did it change you?"

"Shit. I was overwhelmed, to say the least. The first person who I ever saw was killed by his own friend. He and I was just chilling at this corner store. Him and I just passing a blunt. Then, out of nowhere. Boom. A car came by. Capped him. Right there. Right beside me. And the car just. sped off. That scared the hell out of me. I thought, man. That could've been _me._ I was fortunate enough that the person in the car didn't just kill me because I was with him. Yeah man." Pee Dee shook his head as he relived the past in his mind. His face twisted in disgust. "I couldn't eat. Couldn't sleep. Couldn't think properly. For what felt like weeks. And, I think it took that long because I didn't have anyone to talk about it with. Jeff was in jail at the time, Ronaldo was.. well, you know he's neck deep in drugs.. And you were on the run at that time."

"You mean that happened two and a half years ago?!"

"Yup." he nodded solemnly.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Well, by the time you came back to Empire City, I was at the end of my depressed fits.." then Pee Dee managed a sly, humored smile. "And then you'd came back yapping about some sexy, fine, beautiful chick who you'd randomly met up at the beach in Atlantic City." 

"Oh.." Steven smiled bashingly. He remembered that all too clearly. He was done with his little "on the run" trip. And right as he was about to go back to Empire City, on his way to the train station, he'd bumped into Connie right on the boardwalk reading a book in a language he would later know it as Tamil. She was at an outside book event. And wow, did she look so beautiful sitting alone. It was windy that day and her hair blew gently and beautifully in the wind. She was sitting on the grass right in front of a bookshelf. Steven was walking up the boardwalk, only to slow his place down as he saw her. Then he saw the bookshelf rocking beside her from the gust of wind. She was so engrossed in her book, she hadn't noticed. Then another gust of wind blew and the bookshelf tipped over more. He ran towards her, just stopping the heavy shelf in time. A few books sliding out in the process. He remembered flexing his flabby arms as he pushed the bookcase back upright. "Hi. My name is Steven." He remembered her pushing her glasses up in the cutest way. "Connie." Then, it started from there. He sat down and worked his 'ole Universe charm on her, hooking her in instantly. 

"-and, I just didn't bother telling you after that. I also didn't want to dig up past scars."

Steven shook his head of the nice fluff of that sweet thought he had in his mind and turned his attention back to Pee Dee. "I.. know this is late to say but.. I _am_ sorry to hear that, Pee Dee."

"Neh, it's cool. Really. I. Got used to it actually."

"Really?"

"Yup. After that whole ordeal, I .." he looked away before going back to the board in his lap. "Well, I gave some heavy stuff to this one girl. I didn't know she wasn't used to taking those kind of drugs. She ended up OD-ing. Blamed myself for it. Counted that as one person that I killed." 

"And.. how did that make you feel?" Steven bit the inside of his cheek. "Knowing that.. someone died.. because of you.."

"I felt horrible. Like a murderous monster. I couldn't help blaming myself because, well. It really was my fault. Or, so that's what I was telling myself until.. I talked it out to a few other friends who are drug dealers. That happened to them as well. Whether it be bad batches or just someone doing too much of a substance. They ended up killing people through drugs as well. But you know what they said to me? The kind of advice that I had to swallow like a huge pill?" 

"What did they tell you?"

"Told me that the people that died.. it's all on them that they died. They knew what they were getting themselves into. They were the ones that wanted the drugs right? Okay. They use the drugs and ended up dying? Well, tough. That's the price they paid." 

"So they said it's their fault?" that came out a bit harsher than Steven wanted it to be.

Pee Dee lift up his arm to scratch his neck. His dirt blonde dreads rubbing his knuckles. "Well.." he shrugged. "Yeah. They.. knew that they were playing with their lives with stuff like that. We were just enabling them. So, we're both in the wrong. But they're pushing the blame towards them more because_ they_ are the ones actively seeking out their own potential death traps."

Steven didn't believe in that one bit. "But.. But that doesn't give the enablers any more right to treat them like some kind of useless, unimportant people." he felt himself getting defensive. "Who cares if they want their drugs. They're still people with their own lives. And it's still just as sad when they die versus any other person's death. They're all humans. With their own personal struggles, with their own personal paths they're taking." 

Pee Dee seemed to shrink in under Steven's voice. "I mean, I did too. But.." he trailed off before finding his voice again. "It's sort of true though. We can't be mad if they do drugs and then end up killing themselves over it. It's.. just with their lifestyle." he said meekly.

"So what about other people then? Those with other lifestyles?" he couldn't help but use his own personal experience. "Robbers, thieves and other guys that are deemed as bad?" 

Pee Dee looked at him confused. "Now they're the main people who know they could lose their lives at _any_ moment. They've chosen a reckless life. And a very unstable one. Those people have it coming for them." 

Steven shot up from his bench in such a forceful way, he'd started his friend to the side of the bench. The board falling off of his lap in the process.

Steven stood there. Breathing hard through his nose and his hands clenched to his sides.

Pee Dee got off the bench slowly, putting his hands in front of him. "Whoa man.. What's up with y-"

"HOW COULD YOU JUST SAY THEY HAVE IT COMING TO THEM!!" his voice cracked. "HOW!"

"...Steven. What's _really_ going on?"

_I KILLED SOMEONE! I'M A MURDERER!!_ "Nothing!! I just!! I just think that everyone's lives are valuable okay!! I value EVERYONE'S lives!!" he shouted out. A tear fell from his face. 

Pee Dee's eyes never left Steven's. "Okay, man." he said in a calm voice. "It's okay if you value people's lives. I respect that. I really do. But please. You _did_ ask about my opinion on the topic. And I gave you them. But.. I honestly think that this is something on a more personal level.. I know how emotional and how serious you can get with certain things." 

Another tear fell from the other eye as he tried to hold back more.

"And you don't have to tell me what's going on with you now. You can tell me when you're ready but.. Just. Try to take it easy, okay? I don't like seeing you like this. I know how you can be when-" 

"I'm not like that anymore." he sounded hoarse. Every word a touch of hurt and melancholy. "That's not me anymore." he wiped at his face.

They stood there. Across from one another. 

Then Pee Dee threw caution into the wind..

"Steven, what is it like being a drug dealer?"

He had a slight hunch as to where Pee Dee was getting at. "It's a job. It's easy. I just give you the stuff and you give me the money for it."

Pee Dee shook his head. "No, Steven. You know what I mean. You're a drug dealer. Therefore.." he took a breath. _He needs to hear this.. even though it may hurt him more.. _ "You're an enabler just like us."

"No. No I'm not." he shook his head.

"Steven, when you give me those drugs. I take them. And I give it to other people.. Haven't you even once thought about that maybe.. that any of us could do one step wrong or take something bad, ending our lives?"

Steven turned away from him, clenching his eyes. He didn't want to hear anymore 

"You continue to give us our drugs because that's the life you chose to do for whatever personal reason. And we, as your druggies or whatever people call us behind our backs, chose the life to keep damaging our bodies and take our lives down a spiral. Some of us do it to get away from the real life and some of us do it because, it's just fun. I'm one of those people who do it for both reasons." he saw Pee Dee's shadow stepping closer to him. "The Earth is ever turning, dude. People have chosen their own paths.. You have to admit that. And some things just have a cause and effect. Consequences to actions. And, who are we to try and force them out of their lives? They've." he felt Pee Dee's hand on his shoulder. "put it on their own selves, Steven." he whispered. "All of us put things on our own selves.." he felt his hand squeeze his shoulder tighter.

Steven choked out a sob and quickly tried to compose himself as more tears streamed down his face. "Honestly Pee Dee.." he choked out. "I..Guess I've must've been oblivious to all of that.. To my own job as a drug dealer." _To his own _new _job as a Crystal Gem._ So people dying really _did_ must come with his job.. And those people dying _did_ must come with the people's own personal paths that they take.. And, Steven was just like them. A drug enabler. And a Crystal Gem.. No matter how much in denial he was.. He'd been his own walking contradiction until Pee Dee pointed it out. He had a nerve to value people's lives yet he had two jobs that did just the opposite..

And maybe Pee Dee was right.. Everyone _was_ going their own paths whether right or wrong. And by extension, _has_ put some kind of cause or consequence on themselves.. But the truth still hurt though.. Steven refused to think that they're death was any less significant. Or that they simply "had it coming" .. And despite of hearing Pee Dee's own opinions and despite of him feeling that Pee Dee is somehow right.. He still couldn't wrap his head around it.. He still came to his own personal conclusion that, despite of everything. He still didn't want anyone to die on his own behalf. Druggies, robbers, rivals. They still mattered. Everyone did to him.

He sighed. "Thanks for the talk Pee Dee.. I do truly appreciate your take on the matter." he turned back to him. "Sorry for the outburst I just." he choked. _Don't start back up, Steven.._ "I just. have a lot going on right now." 

"Could I help with anything?"

_Not unless you could turn back time.._ "No." he whispered. He picked up the board and handed it to Pee Dee. "Sorry again."

"It's cool, Steven. Really, it is." he took the board from him. "I hope things start looking up for you."

"Thanks.. I hope so too." then he felt for his phone by impulse to check the time. He didn't have it.. That's right.. It got destroyed a few days ago. "What time is it?" 

Pee Dee took out his phone from its clip. "Ten forty two."

"WHAT?! Aw man, I gotta go Pee Dee!" without Pee Dee getting more than a 'See ya la-' Steven was already booking down the sidewalk. "And stay safe!" he shouted back at his friend.

"You do the same!" Pee Dee watched as his frantic friend ran across the street, almost getting hit by a car passing by. The horn blaring as a Chevrolet drove on pass. "Man I hope he's okay.." he whispered to himself. "That would be all we need for him to spiral back down again.." he sighed.. "Please don't do that to yourself again, Steven." he watched on until Steven disappeared down the block before heading back to the front of the phone store, twirling the sign around as he walked back to his spot. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually got the Tamil part from this AMAZING fic Connie Swap (where Connie is the hybrid and Steven is 100% human). 
> 
> But yeah, I couldn't wrap my head around which Indian based language I wanted Connie to know. I _was_ going to have her speak Hindi, but yeahh, I changed my mind ;)
> 
> Instead Nephry and her cousins are the folks who speak Hindi.


	29. The Crystal Gems are an enigma

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the car that they're driving in.  
And I've put in a few different touches with the interior, but this is kinda how it looks, though I did write a few different things about it.
> 
> https://images.app.goo.gl/QnmdwSnMQcmVRvyu6

Without a phone OR a watch this time, Steven had no way of knowing how many minutes he had left to get back to the apartment. There were no clocks on any of the buildings he was passing and he didn't have time to stop and ask anyone for the time. Every.second.counted.

After minutes upon minutes of running, he was nearing his neighborhood. He tried to pick up his pace, fearing that he was nearing the last few minutes until eleven. 

He cut down a small alley and ran down, cutting into someone's backyard as he hopped their gate. He ran down their front lawn to the street just two blocks from he and Connie's apartment. He kept his pace up, running across the street and down the sidewalk. 

One block down.

One more to go.

He could feel his legs getting stiff with cramps and his chest starting to burn as he got closer and closer to exhaustion. He started panting.. And slowing down his pace.

Then.. he heard the sound of a bell tolling. He'd completely forgotten about that bell over by the Mayor's Hall. The bell that struck every hour _on_ the hour. _Which_ meant..

He forced himself to at least stay the pace he was at now. Especially now that he could see the other side of the complex just up ahead.

He dashed across the parking lot in front of the building and turned the corner. The were already there. This time in an Inkas Mercedes G63 AMG Armored limo. 

The back doors opened. And nobody came out. Quickly remembering what happened yesterday, he turned around, looking up. No signs of Amethyst. _Hmm.._

He felt a coarse length of rope wrap around his midsection and he turned around right as the whip pulled him up towards the top of the building on the _other_ side of where he was looking. He screamed as he was flung up and over to the very top of the building. He saw Amethyst sporting her mask and a purple jumpsuit. One much lighter than the one she was wearing yesterday. She yanked down on the whip, sending him down hard on the asphalt of the roof. He groan. Pain shooting from the slow healing cut on his stomach and from his arms and knees that tried to break his fall.

She rolled him over on his back. "You're getting a _bit_ better with your situational awareness. You managed to look behind you this time." she tightened the whip on him and he winced grunted. Then she threw her leg around him and sat on his chest, just below his shoulders. Her legs out on either side of his head. She rested her elbows on her knees. "BUT. you didn't bother looking forward. Tsk..tsk.. tsk." she clicked her teeth. He looked at her, not looking down between her legs that was right in front of his face.

"Dude, you have to check ALL of your surroundings. Up, down, side to side, backwards, forwards. In...Out." she winked. 

She reached down to pat his face. "You gotta do better than that, che." 

She got off of him and yanked on the whip. The rope coming undone. "Alright, well, meet you at the car." Without turning around, she jumped up backwards, clearing a few feet up. Her eyes still on him. He got up, running to the edge of the roof as he watched her free fall, falling into the top of the truck. She got up and gave him a thumbs up. "Amethyst!! I still don't have my gadgets!" 

"I know!" Then she opened the door and swung herself off the top of the car and into the front seat. 

_Dag man.. How the heck am I going to get off this roof. _ He looked around to see.. asphalt.. an HVAC unit .. and nothing else.. Until a drain pipe caught his eye. "I can just use that." he said aloud. He walked to the front edge of the building. And without looking down, he turned around and wrapped his legs around the pipe. He scooched his self further down, being careful of his stomach. Then he slid down further, wrapping has hands around the drain. 

And slowly. He started inching further and further down. That is, until he heard a crack. He stopped. "Oh no.." he looked up to see the top of the drain pipe starting to snap off it's hinges. "Nooo.." the hinges popped down further. "Oh no, no, no, no, no." he tried to climb down faster. The drain bent down, sending him towards the ground. He tried slidding down. The hinges breaking down more and alongside him. In front of his face. "NO!" The drain curved more. "NO...NONONONO NOOOOO!!! AHHHHHH!!!!" the whole draining pipe came down fast towards the ground.

"OOF!!" he fell hard on his back. On top of the hood of the car. The pole still clenched tightly in his hands and his legs wrapped tightly around it. He froze. Stunned. 

"Yeaaah!! Woohooo! Work that pole!" he heard Amethyst. He looked at her through the tinted window. 

"You here all night?" she asked wiggling an eyebrow. He felt his face heat up. Feeling embarrassed. Then he looked over at Garnet. She had her mask on as well. He waved to her, smiling. She only gave him a nod and looked away. _Wow.. weird.._

"Alright man. Time to get inside. Hurry up." 

Steven turned over on his side and pushed the heavy drainage pipe off of him. Then he slid off the car. "Good. You didn't leave a dent, fatty." he heard Amethyst say. He opened the door and was absolutely awestruck at the interior. Shiny black leather seats. Shiny silver along the doors and the one big armrest in between the two back seats. A tablet device right at the top of the up tilted armrest. Hard wood floors. ACTUAL _hardwood_ floors! And an ACTUAL built-in in dresser! A huge flat screen laid above it on the cream colored connector wall. And two small, gray speakers were beside it. And on the two sides of the car was one small black door that resembled that of a safe. 

And there was just sooo much space in front of them. Someone could easily put a small cot in front of the dresser. 

He got in. Pearl was sitting on the other side with her mask on. They locked eyes. He closed the door behind him. _Should I say something?.._

The slim woman gave him an acknowledgement nod.

And he was taken aback, but quickly gave her one back, with a smile.

_That was also weird.._

"Alright, Garnet. You know what to do." said Amethyst.

Garnet shifted gears and drove from the side of the complex.

Amethyst pressed a button just slightly above the tablet screen in front of them. The connector with the built-in flatscreen started to slid down into the dresser. She looked at Steven in the rearview mirror. "Yo."

He looked up at her.

"Just wanted to tell you smell good. Even outside in the air I could smell your cologne." 

"Oh, uh.. Thank you. It's just this Axe spray I put on this morning." 

"It smells good. Like _really_ good. Like you should use it in the bedroom during sexy time, good."

"Oh..t, thanks." a beat and he said slowly in a mumble. "And.. I'll.. keep that in mind?" 

"But you look like shit though."

_Ouch.. well damn.._His expression dropped.

"Yeah and I'm not just talking about the scars on your face from that dude yesterday." _Why did she have to bring him up? I actually haven't thought about him in over a half an hour.._ "I'm talking about your eyes and your face in general. Like you didn't get any sleep." 

He leaned back in his huge, comfortable seat, still looking at her through the rearview mirror. "That's because I didn't." he said meekly. "I couldn't sleep."

"Ah. Thinking about what happened yesterday, aye?" she sounded like she was about to laugh.

Garnet looked at him through the mirror and he looked to the side at her. They instantly thought about their talk they had yesterday.. A small moment arced like electricity between them.. a connection-

"Hey! Keep your eyes on the damn road, Garnet!" she looked back at the street in front of her and Steven sagged more in his seat. He really needed another one of her hugs again..

Amethyst looked at his reaction, then looked back at Garnet. A sneaky grin swept across her face. 

She leaned back in her chair, folding her arms behind her head. "Aye, Talc."

He looked back at her through the mirror again.

"Killing people ain't no big deal. You know that right?"

He bit his lip, keeping in what he truly wanted to say to her.

"Take Garnet, for example." she pointed at the woman who only so much as glanced at Steven then refocused on the road. He managed to catch the glance.

"_She_ has killed a _lot_ of people. And I'm talking a _lot."_

Steven.. Could assume that. But how Amethyst was saying it and actually throwing it out there felt.. A bit alarming. And surreal. 

"Yup." Amethyst nodded over her crossed arms. "This lady right here?" she gestured with her chin. "A stone cold killer. Has killed more people than Pearl and I combined."

Steven's jaw slacked at that. He could believe that she killed people.. But he couldn't believe that she killed people.. like that.

"Yes sir. She has sure learned a lot from our late comrade. She learned from the VERY best from someone who's.. unfortunately, no longer with us." her mouth was curled in a smile.

Garnet seemed to slouch her shoulders, but otherwise, she didn't say anything. Her eyes staying on the road. 

Amethyst looked at Steven's reaction. Practically feeding off of the boy's shocked emotions. "Yuuuup." she nodded slowly. "This tank of a woman here." she took her arm, patting Garnet on the shoulder. "Has _quite_ an anger with her. Yup, mhmm. Wouldn't want to. piss her off or anything." she scoffed. "Less you want to get sent to an early grave, that is." she snorted, raising her arm back to lay on it again. 

She looked at Steven right in his eyes. "Why, why else do you think.. she's wanted in her own country?"

Steven's heart skipped a few beats at that revelation. _She's a wanted woman?!_

"Yeah and I don't mean like Pearl and I or the rest of the Crystal Gems who's wanted. I'm talking, high rewards, her country's president, chief or whatever the heck the top dog person they have down there is called, will be getting involved. This chick? Heh. This chick is one. scary, blood chilling woman." she trailed her eyes over at Garnet. "That's why she's the best at her job." she gave her a sneer, evil smile. "And she will _continue_ being the best. Isn't that right, Garnet?"

Garnet gave her one affirmative nod. "Of course, Amethyst. Always."

"Ya see that, Talc? Everyone is a Crystal Gem first and foremost. You think you know a person and. they turn out to have a lot of secrets.." she stretched to the side towards Garnet. "skeletons in their closets." she whispered out. Then she leaned back up. "Yeaaah, it's certainly best to watch out for us Crystal Gems. Some. _more so_ than others." she cut her eye at Garnet. "No matter how much you think you know a person or you think you have this trust, this, talkie talkie stuff.. Well, let's just say it's wise to stay away from such bonds as that and keep to your own work." she cut her eye one more time at Garnet before meeting Steven's scared, uncomfortable expression in the rearview mirror._ That should keep him away from her._

Steven kept looking at the mirror, hoping that Garnet would look back at him. She didn't.. And even if she had, what was he going to do then? 

He looked down at his hands, not wanting to make a mistake and lock eyes with Amethyst instead. 

And speaking about the latina.. He didn't think she wouldn't lie to him about Garnet. Sure, she was a brute, and crazy and egotistical and more.. but a liar? He doubted it. She just didn't seem like that kind of person. And all that could be true. He didn't _truly_ know Garnet. He didn't know her at all really. Same for the rest of the two. He didn't know them as well.

And, how did he feel about Garnet after learning about that? He was definitely way more scared of her.. And he was building sort of a trust issue already (though he didn't know why because they hadn't talked too much to get to know each other anyway) and he was definitely more cautious of her.. Yet, at the same time, there was still something about her. She seemed different than the rest of the two.. Though he still couldn't put his finger on why.. 

He shoved his hands in his jacket pockets, for no particular reason. This time staring down at his knees, still not wanting to look up.

........

The car ride was very tense.. and quiet for the following hour.

No comments or teasing remarks from Amethyst.

Nothing.

Until Garnet spoke up about their whereabouts. "We're about to head off Route 13. We should be there in another, twenty, thirty minutes." she more so told Amethyst, but everyone else was able to hear her as well. 

"Good." said Amethyst. She opened the glove compartment and took out the.. infamous pink, hibiscus flowered ski mask. "Put this on." she threw the mask overhead and he caught it. He slid it over his curls and leaned back in his seat.

"Alright, Talc. If I'm not mistaken, we actually _haven't_ told you anything about Frybo." said Amethyst.

They met eyes at the mirror once more. "Frybo is a nickname we gave this scrawny guy that works at this run down restaurant that we go to from time to time. Good fries. Anyway, his cover has been blown though. Without us even knowing, he's actually a rival of the Crystal Gems. Apparently he took a buttload of jewels from one of our members. And well, of course, we've assigned ourselves to getting them back. Just like all of the other jewels that've been stolen." 

"So.. It'll be just like..last time?" _hopefully not.._

"If you're referring to getting our jewels back from incompetent thugs, then yes. But. If you're referring to.. that little." she snorted. "_ordeal_ with you and that one tipo (dude). Eh, that may happen. At least _one_ person dies with these missions so." she shrugged. "Kind of inevitable." 

His expression twisted with that of shame and dread.

She gave him a very deep, aggravated sigh. "Talc, get yourself together, will ya? Stop that sulking crap. So you killed a guy. So what?" He could think of a _lot_ of reasons to that.. "We do it everyday and don't feel anything. Absolutely nothing." 

He tried to spare a glance at the other two. Garnet still had her eyes on the road and Pearl was looking out the window. Her chin resting in the palm of her hand. Their mask making it even more hard for him to see their expressions.

"It's still.. a lot to take in-"

"Dude, you'll be doing this on the regular. Point blank. Might as well get used to it. I don't have time, scratch that _we_ don't have time for any of that remorse crap. That's just how it is."

He could feel the tears coming on again. At the worse time ever. 

"Yo, I know you're not tearing up."

His breath hitched. "No." he hiccupped.

"Dude, grow a pair, yeah? You killed a guy? Who the hell cares!" he started crying. And Garnet turned her head. 

"I said eyes on the road!" she snapped her fingers.

Amethyst turned her seat to face the crying boy. He wiped at his eyes. 

"We're not having that crying shit here." 

He only cried more.

Even Pearl looked at him that time. A soft look on her face that she'd never given him before.

"Hey. Hey!"

He looked at her.

She nodded at him. "You know, I think I know _just_ a cure for your little "issue" here." she said softly.. _eerily.._

He wiped at his eye again. "Huh?"

She turned back around in her seat. "Operation Frybo is a go. That dreadlocks dude is going down. And you're going to be front row in center in helping us take him down." 

Steven's mind went right to the word 'dreadlocks', piecing the other three pieces of information together. Scrawny guy? Who works at a rundown restaurant? With good fries?!?! _Pee Dee_ He thought his heart stopped right then.

He truly hoped that he didn't have to do the unthinkable.. and kill off his best friend..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That little backwards jump that Amethyst did on the roof to the car was an homage to this part of the movie from Howl's moving castle xD  
And how the girl runs up to the banister is how Steven ran up to the edge of the roof.
> 
> https://youtu.be/iwROgK94zcM
> 
> From 35 seconds to 49 seconds


	30. Pearls of wisdom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now WAIT just a darn second now.. did I just write.. not one, not two, not three, not even four, but.. SIX new chapters?! AND a lot of them are pretty long reads?!?! Yup. Ya got dat right folks *thumbs up*
> 
> But uh.. don't y'all be getting TOO used to it now lols xD I might scale it back to posting between one to three chapters at once.
> 
> Aaaanywho.. let's proceed with the chapters!! :D

After fifteen minutes of babbling and ugly sobbing, Steven was starting to calm down. Fifteen minutes _prior_ to that, Amethyst had put up the connector. The cream colored wall sliding back up to divide the front seat from the back. _So she wouldn't have to hear him._

He wiped his face with both of his hands and kept them there. Covering his face. Taking in his shaky breaths._Not Pee Dee... Not him..._

"There's no use of crying.." her voice was low and weary. "You know that, right?"

Steven looked up from his hands. Pearl was looking right at him. A can of chilled Guacola wrapped around her slim fingers. The frost still at the bottom of it. 

He sniffed. "Huh?"

"All that crying is just going to get you targeted even more. By rivals _and_ by the Crystal Gems themselves." she popped open the can. "Showing emotions like that is not going to end well for you." she took a few elegant gulps of the soda.

_She's talking to me!! She's actually talking to me!! _ "I.. just don't know why it is.."

"Simple." her voice was dry and bitter. She took to looking out the window, staring at her own, dim reflection in the tinted glass. "Showing emotions just makes you weak.. Sadness, regret, remorse.." she sighed. "Sadness." she repeated. "Pointless emotions." she spat out. 

"But.. that's what makes us human."

She scoffed. A mixture of a puff and a cackle. "No, that's what makes you _soft. Vulnerable_. And being _soft _ and _vulnerable_ is _not_ like being a Crystal Gem." she took more sips of the soda, still looking at her reflection in the window.

He took a few seconds to think about what she said. Then a question came to mind.

"Is it.. _was_ it.. hard to mask or completely ignore your emotions?"

Her eyes quickly flickered to him in the reflection then back to herself. "It takes. A lot of control."

He came to the same conclusion that everyone else around him seemed to had made. "And.. you just. Get used to it..Right? Like..killing people.. and everything else that comes with this job." 

Pearl looked at him through the window again. This time, not looking away. She nodded slowly.

"So.." he took a defeated breath. "I.. need to start doing that too.. Just like everyone else.. Despite of how I feel. Ignore those emotions and.. carry on with my job." 

Her eyes were downcast as she looked down. The mask somehow making her look even more lonesome.. and mysterious. "It's. Easier that way." she finally said. 

"And.. things will start getting easier.. when I start thinking more like a Crystal Gem." 

A few moments passed by until she gave a small "Right."

Steven _tried_ to digest that. To tell himself that he should just shut up and be like everyone else. To continue with what he was doing without feeling any remorse and to simply live life day by day.. And to just assume it'll get easier since everyone else was constantly telling him that that was what was going to happen eventually.. But then those moral beliefs started coming to the fore again. 

"But..What about those innocent people.. and their loved ones? What of them?"

Pearl kept her gaze down. Not saying anything.

"How could we _not_ feel anything _knowing_ that we're taking a life away? ..Do the.. Do the Crystal Gems even have loved ones? Family members? Friends?" he leaned over towards her in his seat. His hands digging into the arm rest, scratching the material. "Anyone?"

Pearl closed her eyes. She waited a few moments and shook her head of a thought only she could see in her mind. "No." she spat out. "And believe me. It's better that way." 

"But how is it better? I can't imagine not having anyone to be there for me.. to have my back. To.. to love me." then he thought about Connie.. how he couldn't even think about not having her in his life. Just the _thought_ of Connie leaving him made his heart ache.

Pearl tried to compose herself, carefully trying to keep her aggravated sigh as calm and levelled as possible. She opened her sad eyes again. "Kid." she tried to keep from sounding _too_ irritated. "That's just. How it is. Why can't you wrap your head around that? If you have people that you love or those that love you. You'll be living for them! Without baggage like friends and family, you _have_ nothing to sacrifice. _Nothing_ to lose. There's no crying or whining when something happens to them or when they die. Because, they aren't there! You have no one and it's just you living with your own life without any one holding you back. You don't have them to fog up your own view of things or your own actions. It's. Easier. Especially with this kind of job. We steal, we kill. We still, we kill. We still some more and we kill." her voice raising with emotion. "We kill ALL of the time. For YEARS straight. We simply. don't feel anything. anymore. This is our lifestyle! AND-"she stopped abruptly. He watched as she swallowed. Then her voice went down to a whisper as she quickly composed herself. "We just have to deal with it.. There's.. no looking back." she went for another sip of her can but stopped herself. She sighed once more, putting the can in it's futuristic cup holder. 

"Pearl.. There's.. nothing wrong with being around those that love you.. or being around those you love.. It's them that also make you a stronger person. We. Need those that support and love us in our lives." he thought about his dear, sweet Connie again. "Loving someone-"

"Loving someone gets your heart broken! Loving someone gets you spiraling down your own, cold, depressed path when they choose someone supposedly better than you! Loving someone tears your mind, your heart in such a way you don't even know how to even think for yourself anymore! It's pointless! Pointless, unimportant feelings that people don't even reciprocate back! And. They just leave you in the dark.. to wallow in your own "self worth". Your own misery. To leave you behind.. And then!" she shook her head. Her eyes narrowing on a thought. "Then the person that they left you for dies.. And they end up fleeing themselves and leaving everyone in general.." she scoffed. "Yeah right.. These emotions? They can suck it.. Remorse after killing someone? Stupid. Loving your family members or.. _falling_ in love? Even more stupid..And pathetic." she growled out. "Just be smart and take it from everyone else who's been telling you. Leave those kind of emotions behind. And. You'll see how easier your life gets without those feelings.. Without.. people.. in your life." she sunk back in her seat. 

He sat there, fingernails digging more into the expensive, leather fabric of the armrest. He'd just heard.. what he could only safely assume was something that she'd personally been through. And though he didn't know heartbreak like she did, he _did_ know a thing or two about ..Being in his own depressed state. Before he met Connie. Before he came back to Empire City. 

"Pearl.." he stretched out his arm and she winced away. "Don't. touch me." 

He quickly drew his hand back. "Sorry." he cleared his throat lightly and tried again. "Pearl. We need our loved ones in our lives. We feel for each other in ways that. can't be put into words. They need us and. we need them. And.. sure I guess you can call that being "weak" or "dependent" but.. why does that have to be deemed as a bad thing? Because a baby" he couldn't believe he said that word.. "is dependent on his parents does that make it a bad thing? If you take care of someone who's sick.. is that a bad thing to do? When someone needs help with, I don't don't know.. moving furniture in their house or. if they need a bit of money to get them through the day or.." he looked up at Pearl. "If they simply need to talk.. or need a shoulder to cry on. Or.. just need a hug." he watched her close her eyes again. Clenching them. "Is all that.. a bad thing?" he leaned in closer. "Pearl.. When it all comes down to it.. By.. by the end of the day? Nobody _truly_ wants to be alone." 

She clenched her eyes tighter.

"There's even the Crystal Gems. It's not just _one_ of you. How Amethyst explains it, it seems like it's always more than one. So." he took a breath. "You guys even have each other.. in.. a way. So you three aren't truly alone."

Pearl kept her eyes clenched. She took a shaky breath and swallowed again. "Kid. The Crystal Gems are _nothing _like what you said. You're wrong." his heart dipped at that. "Babies being dependent on parents, people helping others when they're sick or need money or need to talk. All of them are burdens. The kids, the person who's sick or needs money or a hug.." she turned at him in such a way, it made him jump back. "Being dependent. Is being. a burden. And by extension. Having _feelings_ like those. is just going to end up eating you."

Steven shook his head slowly. "I'm sorry Pearl but I.. I.. don't think that's true. Being dependent can humble you.. and it can even make you into a better person."

"How?!" she snapped back.

"It. could make someone want to help others once they're back on their feet. Or. It could make them want to be an even better person than they were before."

"Wowww.. what a pay off." she mocked. 

"Pearl.. please don't be that way. Having others around you is-"

"The greatest, the best." she mocked him more. "Yes, yes, yes. You've already told me that."

"Because.. it's true."

She scoffed. Drumming her finger tips on her crossed arms.

He started to sit back down, leaning back in his seat. "I just.. feel that being emotionally attached to someone is okay.."

Pearl didn't say anything. Leaving the conversation one sided.

The car was quiet. A tense, chill of quiet between the two.

Then, Pearl turned to him. "If I'm not mistaken, you told us you have a girlfriend. Right?"

"Yeah, I have one." _If she so much as says just ONE thing wrong out of her mouth about my Connie.._ He tried to quickly calm himself down.

"You really like her. Right?"

_What kind of a question-_"Of course I really like her." _love_ her, actually.

Pearl nodded. "And you would do anything for her."

"Y, yeah.." he said immediately through impulse. Then, he thought more about it. And came back with the same conclusion. "Yeah, I would. Definitely.

Pearl nodded a few times. "Mm. I see." she opened her mouth with a smack of her palette. "So. Would you kill for her? And what would happen if.. something were to happen to her? What if.. she ends up leaving you? Then what?" her soft, gentle voice was a mixture of snark and ridicule. 

"I.. well.." he thought about it. "To answer your first question, I wouldn't have to worry about that because. Co-" he quickly stopped her name from coming out. "My girl wouldn't ever ask me to do anything like that. Ever. And, if she gets sick, I would be there for her. If she needs me in ANY way I could possibly help. I'll. I'll do it. And if she.. dies." he hated himself in that second for saying that word out loud. "Or, if she ends up leaving me.." his stomach doubled over at that. "I.." now he knew what Pearl was getting at.. He finally realized what she was going for.. 

"You. _wouldn't_ be able to function properly.. And you will end up spiraling down right along with.. some other people who've dedicated their whole life on someone." she blinked slowly. "Now do you see what I mean? You're too emotionally attached to her. It's not healthy. Just like how it's not healthy to show those kind of emotions. And be. with "loved. Ones." she made air quotes. 

"I mean.. but still.." he trailed off.

"Exactly. I'm right. There's literally nothing else you can counteract with."

Steven thought for a few moments. "But you _also_ wouldn't be able to function properly just being alone. There's even studies on it. People slowly losing their mind and getting deeper and deeper into their own dark path." 

"Kid, kid, kid, kid." she chuckled bitterly. "Those studies don't mean jack. And the fact that you had to resort to _studies_ just shows that you're digging in the bottom of the barrel." she snorted. Pleased with her win.

"No, I was just using that as an example. Pearl, being lonely also does something to your mindset.. without having anyone there with you."

"Eh, well.. I. simply don't believe you one bit honestly. I've been doing this lonesome schtick for well over twenty years and I've been fine." 

He looked at her. Right in those eyes.. Right in her blue eyes that seemed to be still. Too still while looking back at him. "And I simply don't believe that you mean that." he said.

She looked taken aback for a few moments before leaning forward towards him. "Now you listen here. I'M not going to have some chubby, twerpy kid tell me how he thinks _I'M_ feeling." she growled out. He leaned further back away from her. His expression now uncomfortable and worried. "If I say I'm fine. Then that means. I'm fine. I was fine before and I'm FINE NOW-"

She stopped right at mid shout as she heard the connector start sliding down. 

She closed her mouth and quickly sat back in her seat. Arms folded just at the top of her knees. Her mouth a thin line and her expression, motionless. As if she was a mannequin..she seemed to stop her emotions with just a snap of a finger. 

"Yo! We're almost- Talc, dude. You still have your jacket and your shirt on? Take them off! We're at the place."

Steven took off his jacket and his shirt and tucked them underneath of his thigh. He looked out the window. They were parked behind the restaurant. Two dirty, green dumpsters were on the far left of them by a fence. The black, metal door of the restaurant right in front of them.

"Okay, so this should be quick." said Amethyst. "Much quicker than the Acid Plant really." his stomach dipped at the name.

Garnet shifted the gear into park.

The back door opened and Steven saw Pee Dee opening the door. He was looking the other way, talking to someone behind him. "Pee Dee!" Steven quickly closed his mouth. Pearl was shaking his head at him. The boy letting his emotions get the best of him again.

"Pee Dee?" Amethyst asked looking at the dreadlock boy with his head still turned. He said a few more things to the person behind the door before giving an eye roll and what looked to be a sigh. He closed the door back. 

Amethyst snorted. "They should change his name from Pee _Dee_ to Pee _Wee."_ Amethyst looked at Pearl through the rearview mirror. The slim woman looked at her, feeling the secondhand embarrassment coming on. The mask covering her flushed face. 

"Ha! Looks like Pearl doesn't want to rat on him." she then looked to a confused looking Steven. "Dude, your friend is." she lifted her hand up, wiggling her pinky up in the air.

Steven caught on quick. He too, feeling the second hand embarrassment of finding out his friend wasn't.. fully equipped.. And he didn't even _want_ to know about his best friend's.._ johnson_ anyway.

Amethyst laughed in front of him. "Yeah, apparently he went down to where Pearl worked on Friday night and ended up with her! Needless to say.. when he dropped his pants, well." she chuckled.

Steven looked at Pearl uncomfortable.. both by hearing that his friend went down to a place like that (maybe he and his girl got into it?) _and_ from Pearl actually telling Amethyst about it.. Is that what she does? Talk about her clients like that?

And as if she read his mind. "Don't look at me like that. I wasn't even suppose to tell her that. I NEVER give details about my clients, I-"

"Except for this one." Amethyst chimed back in with another snort.

"Amethyst, I was drunk. You know that." she tried to plead her case. "I. You know I wouldn't talk about him if I wasn't.. I'm tight lipped about stuff like that.. It's just.. I had a bit too many and.. ended up telling you.."

"Yeah! And what a secret THAT was." she cackled.

"Amethyst.."

"Come on Pearl. YOU thought it was funny at the time!"

"Because I was wasted."

Steven was flushed deep in his serious secondhand embarrassment. "Aw, come on, Amethyst.. That's.. kind of embarrassing."

"What? It ain't MY fault Pearl told he he has a small winky."

As if on cue, Pee Dee opened the back door again, lugging a big bag of trash over his back. He looked up and waved at the car in front of him.

Both Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl rolled down their windows, waving their hands out. 

"Besides, why are _you_ so upset? Don't think I've forgotten that whole erection ordeal when you were putting on your clothes in the truck a few days ago. And you, sir." she bit her lip. "Have nothing to worry about. _You_ are more than average." she winked at him in the mirror.

"Oh, um, well..er.." he stuttered.

Amethyst laughed at him being flustered. She turned her attention back to the boy ahead of them. "Hey Pee Dee!" she shouted from the car. She kept her head in, being mindful of her mask. The car's illegally tinted windshield doing more than enough to shield their faces from the oblivious fry boy.

"Hey, Amethyst." he set the bag down. "You three getting your usual?" 

"Yeah! You know it!"

Steven _still_ couldn't believe that Pee Dee was apparently one of their rivals.. He couldn't believe that Pee Dee didn't tell him about that. And. Honestly, he was a bit upset that he didn't.. because he thought he would tell him everything. That_ they_ would tell each other everything.. But then he had another thought.. Maybe Pee Dee couldn't tell him? That's what _he_ was doing after all. Keeping hush hush about _him_ being a member of the Crystal Gems. So, maybe it was the same deal with Pee Dee.

"..and we have new grease, so the fries should be even BETTER!" said Pee Dee. He picked up the bag and threw it in one of the already flowing dumpsters. 

"Nice! I definitely can't wait! Hey, how's your dad, by the way?"

"He's doing great! He's out of town now. He just closed a deal for a new fry shop in Beach City!"

"Wow! He's stepping up in the world! Tell him to not forget us little guys!"

And HOW could Amethyst just.. just make small talk so easily with him?!?! _knowing_ what they came there to do?!?! But.. why was he so shocked at that? Again, this was Amethyst.. She was used to it..

"..ouldn't do that to you guys. You know he's not like that." he smiled. "But yeah, I gotta go. But I'll talk to you guys later!"

"We'll see ya then!"

The boy waved back to them and put the code in the door before opening it and heading back in.

"Hmm, nice kid." said Amethyst. "Too bad we may have to kill him. Pearl could've taken him around the world again." she joked.

Steven looked at Pearl. Then down at her thighs.. His mind couldn't help but wonder.. what kind of stuff she knew in bed. _Stop, Steven. This is NOT the time to think about that.. ESPECIALLY when your own best friend's life is at stake here!_

"Alright, Garnet. Pull up and turn the car off."

Garnet changed gears and stopped just on the side of the restaurant, away from the cameras. She pressed the button, turning the car off. 

"Now." said Amethyst. "Let's get the little shit."


	31. Frybo

Amethyst raised her hand in front of the tablet screen in front of them. "CGVU.. Zero, seven, one, seven, one, nine, eight nine." 

A bright red light shot out of the top corner of the tablet. The light starting from Amethyst's fingertips and down her hand in a scan. It blinked out. "Access Granted" said the male voice. The tablet turned on with a bright white opening page. Then words and graphics started zipping up and down and across the screen as it woke up. The screen stopped on a black page with various icons scattered across the screen. 

"CGVU. Location: Fry Shack. Open all hidden cameras" said Amethyst. 

"Opening cameras MO1, BOH1, BOH2 and FOH1." the screen of the tablet turned white. Red buttons plastered on the screen in a way that resembled that of a remote. Then there was a split second of white light across the windshield before the glass turned a dull gray, with four vertical lines down the window. Then an hourglass icon popped in the first box. The letters MO1 was typed in quickly by itself before blinking out as the hourglass rotated faster in the box. Then the hourglass itself blinked out and the screen came on, showing a slim guy with glasses. The temp manager. He was looking at a few papers in his hands. The old Dell desktop showing the images of their _own_ security cameras. 

An hour glass appeared in the second, rectangular box as the tablet manually typed in BOH1. The same process occurred for the third box, then the fourth. Each box blinking to life as it showed the footage from the other three hidden security cameras.

Facing towards the front of the building, the second box was viewing the right side of the kitchen, the third box was viewing the left side of it and the fourth, last box was viewing the whole dining area. A couple of employees were shown walking in and out of frame on the second and third boxes as they all took orders and cooked their guests' food. The fourth box showing guests scattered about the area at various tables. Talking, laughing, eating, having a good time and showing more guests coming in from the two side doors. 

"Pearl, you're going in first." said Amethyst. "Freeze the code on the door, get rid of their cameras and wait in the back." 

Pearl nodded and opened the door.

"We'll be keeping watch on our cameras in here." she told her.

Pearl nodded again and got out of the vehicle. She stopped _just_ as she approached the one _and only_ camera overseeing the back of the restaurant. She stood just behind the back corner of the building. She unzipped a pocket on her right thigh and took out a small, thin, rectangular mirror. She held it out sightly out the corner of the building, looking at the whole area on the one inch object. She moved it up, scanning the area above. She saw the camera on one of the light posts just behind the dumpsters.

Pearl pulled out a thin pen from another pocket in her thigh and held it up just above the mirror. She clicked the back of the "pen" and a red laser shot out. She held her finger down on the button, slowly raising it up. Her eyes still watching the one inch mirror as she trailed the red laser up the lamppost.

She stopped just as she landed the red laser on the camera. Then, carefully, with the hand holding the mirror, she twisted the top of the "pen" and went back to holding the mirror. She looked at the reflection again. Good. She hadn't moved her hand with the pen in it. The red laser still pointing at the camera. 

Then she pressed a side button just below the pen. A small, black pill shaped object flew out of the pen and hit the camera. The screen sparked as black goop spread across the lens. 

Pearl put the mirror away, twisted the pen back and put them both in their correct pockets. Then she raised two fingers to her ear. The other hand on the button of her jumpsuit to disguise her voice. "Camera 1B is down. I'm going for the door." 

........

Steven saw Amethyst press something in her ear. "Good. But we're still at Paso Uno (Step One). Don't open the door. Just freeze the code and wait on my command to get in."

......

"Okay." said Pearl. She brought her hand back down from her ear and held it up to the black square nob of the door. Blue numbers appeared on the screen.

Pearl rubbed her thumb and her four fingers together. A thick, blue substance oozed from her finger tips and she wiped it across the screen, smearing it on the box. The numbers blinked rapidly before going to a slow blink. Then, on the last blink, a green line started steming from the number one, down to the number four, up and across to the number two, and down crossing through five and stopping at eight. 

Pearl wiped the ooze on her pants and went for the mic. The other hand, back to her ear. "I froze the code. Now we have access." 

.........

Amethyst, Garnet and Steven watched the four screens on the windshield in front of them. Amethyst took deeper look at the second and third screen. "On my say, you go in and get behind one of the potato bins on your left."

.......

"Okay." Pearl grabbed the door handle, getting into position. Ready to dart inside the building as soon as Amethyst tells her. 

......

The temp manager started to move around in his chair and Amethyst looked back at the first screen. He was putting the stack of papers down on the desk. He went to grab for his Fry Shack cup, when his eyes glanced at the computer screen. He leaned in, looking at one of the boxes now pitch black. He set the cup down.

"Pearl, stand guard. The supervisor just noticed that something was wrong with the back camera. Take his ass out, hide his body and go back to the door."

The three of them watched as the slim guy shook his head and got up from his roller chair. He opened the door, closing it behind him as he walked out. The second, then the third screen showing him walking in and out of frame as he walked pass the employees and towards the security door.

.......

"I'm on it." said Pearl. She jogged to the side of the second dumpster and unzipped the first pocket on her thigh from earlier. She took out the one inch thin, rectangular mirror out, surverying the area in front of her. 

She watched through the mirror as the man walked out the security door. He walked on the other side, towards the first dumpster and to the lamp post. He looked up at the camera. The black goop had cooled and hardened into a thick clay substance. "Now how did that.." he felt something hard hit him in the back of the head. 

Pearl put her canister away, tucking it on her belt and picked the unconscious man up. Blood dripping from the back of the gash and on her jumpsuit. She threw him behind the two dumpsters, the prickly bushes just on the opposite side of him.

"Pearl, you took him out yet? Now's your chance! There's nobody in the back."

"Just took him out." said Pearl. She ran to the door and opened it, quickly going for the rolling bin of potatoes. 

"I'm in."

"I see you." said Amethyst. "Stay there. Three employees are coming."

Pearl waited. She saw the shadows of the employees.

.......

"We need some more fries in the back." said one employee. "We're about to get our rush." she started pouring the last two brown bags of fries into the fryer.

"I'm on it." said Pee Dee. He walked the opposite way from Pearl, going towards the freezer. He opened it and went in. A few moments later he came back out lugging three fry boxes, obscuring his view. 

He moved his head to the side, being careful of not running into anybody. He walked pass the bin of potatoes and towards the fryers, setting the three heavy boxes down. 

A tall, tanned employee was flipping a few patties across the grill. "Alright, these burgers are almost done guys." he told Pee Dee and his other coworker.

"Nice. So we have, three orders of the Burger Supreme and then we have two more orders of the Double chilli burger." the employee told the man on the grill. "And that's not including the other five riders that we _just_got." she added. She walked pass the two towards the washing station where the dishes were already piling up.

"Dag, well let me put some more burgers on here then." He started to pile the raw meet on the far side of the grill.

"Do you need me to get you some more burgers from the back?" Pee Dee asked. 

"Neh, it's cool. I got it." 

"Alright, I'm going to head back up to the front then." Pee Dee left the two in the back. 

"Pearl. There's only two more employees. Make a diversion and get to the office." 

"On it, Amethyst." she took the canister out and flipped it counterclockwise. She pointed the spear up just slightly over the potatoes, using that as a mirror and looking at the area around her. Both employees had their backs turned to her. One flipping burgers and the other, focused on the dishes in front of her. 

Then she looked further down, looking at a small, gray pipe about a few inches from the ceiling. She took a crouching stance and wound her arm back, throwing the spear into it. 

The tip of the spiral pierced the pipe, causing smoke to burst from the pipe. "What the crap?!" the girl and her employee looked at the direction of the smoke. "It's on fire!!" she screamed out. 

Pearl, still crouched, ran from behind them and towards the manager's door, pressing up on her wrist. A long, silver, wavy needle slid from the cuff of her sleeve. "Yo! I think something's in it." the boy said through the dense, gray smoke. Pearl ran to the door, jamming the piece into the lock. She moved her wrist around. 

The two employees ran away from the area, to the front of the restaurant, shouting out their cries of "The kitchen is on fire!" And "Fire extinguisher!"

There was a click and Pearl opened the door just as a crew chief was running towards the back. She ran in. "Da fuck was that?" Pearl shut the door behind her.

"What was what?" the girl and her co-worker came back, both carrying fire extinguishers. 

"It looked like someone went in the office. Looked like they had a mask on." he coughed over the smoke. "You two put out the fire. I'll go check out the office."

The two didn't wait long, quickly pouring the foam along the pipe, that actually _wasn't_ on fire.

The crew chief proceeded to walk up to the door.

.......

"Pearl. Got a guy coming up to the office. Take his ass out too." said Amethyst.

Pearl was on the computer, putting in the various codes to crash the system. The GemTech piece already tucked inside the bottom of the screen. She stood up from the table. "Okay." She walked backwards, pining her body close to the wall. She heard the door creaking open slowly. "...Hello?"

_What a complete dumbass.. Opening the door.. Hasn't he learned anything from scary movies?_ Pearl stood there as the door opened more. The smoke seeping into the room. He looked at the numerical codes on the screen. Then.. just as he took more steps in, turning his head towards Pearl, she took her two fingers on each hand, jamming them in his neck, shoulders, and two hits to the chest. 

He fell to the floor out cold. Pearl walked over his unconscious body and sat in the chair. She scooched it up, the back of the wheels hitting the guys face as she did. 

She ignored it and went to finishing up her codes. 

........

They watched Pearl back away from the computer as the screen fizzled with gray lines.

"That girl's really something." said Garnet.

They saw Pearl put her hand up to her ear and the other to the collar of her jumpsuit.

"The security cameras are fried. Step One is complete." the two heard Pearl say through her earpiece.

"Good. Now just stay there. I'll give you the next instructions once we find our guy." Amethyst said into the earpiece. 

"Okay."

Amethyst went back to the screen. "She damn sure is." she finally said back to Garnet. "That's why she's on our team." 

........

Pearl waited in the office. She could hear more employees coming into the back. "It wasn't a fire. One of the gas pipes broke." she heard one of them say. "With this?" 

"Is.. is that a spear?"

"Yeah."

"What the heck is that doing there? Is this some sort of prank?"

"I don't know."

"Come on, let's just air this place out." said a third voice. Pee Dee.

She heard the back door opening.

"Hey, guys. The fryers isn't working." 

"Most likely because of the pipe."

"Duuuude, we're going to get in sooo much trouble with your dad." 

"How so? It's not _our_ fault."

"But this happened while we were working!"

"Relax." said Pee Dee. He closed the door back. "You know my dad's not like that. And besides, he can just check the cameras anyway, when he comes back."

"Heck, or we can ask Mr. Lloyd to view the cameras."

"Where is he anyway? I haven't seen him in awhile." 

"Wasn't he in his office?"

"Byron just went in there." said the fry cook from earlier. 

"He didn't come back out though.."

.......

The three gems watched as the five employees tried to assume what was going on in the office. 

"Crap.. Looks like they're starting to expect something already!" said Amethyst through the earpiece. "And we haven't even found our guy yet!"

"Do you.. do you want me to take them out or?" Pearl asked.

Steven tried to not vocalize his distress..

"No. Keep the door closed. Don't let anyone else in." 

The three watched the four rectangular screens. The fourth one showing guests waiting in line. Others, getting rowdy as they continued to wait on their food. Then one guy wearing a black jacket with white, fire stripes along the sleeves came walking in. He walked pass everybody, ignoring their protests. He looked to be shouting out something.

........

"..o YOU check out the office."

"No way. I've seen how scary movies go! I'm not checking it out. He said he saw someone in a mask." said the dish washer girl.

"Should we.. call the cops?"

"Oi! I said, is anybody back there!" this time the five of them heard the man's voice. 

"Y, yes sir! We are!" Pee Dee shouted back. He turned to the crew. "Come on, we'll have to tell the customers that we can't cook any more fries or nuggets for the time being." 

.........

The second and third screen showed the employees walking out of frame and walking back into frame in the four screen. Customers looked to be upset and annoyed. Pee Dee and two other coworkers were trying to calm the ones down waiting on their food and the other two went to their cash registers. The two were saying something to the customers, their expression apologetic and some of the customers left out of line, stomping away. Others who were waiting for their food went back in line, assumably to get their refund. 

The two workers Pee Dee was with had left to go and work on the food orders. Pee Dee staying behind to talk to the.. leather jacket man. 

Pee Dee nodded and said something to the guy, pointing behind himself.

The man nodded and walked away, walking out the door.

........

Leather jacket, which Steven had nicknamed him, was coming out the store. "CGVU: Clear windshield." said Amethyst. 

"Clearing." The cameras winked out and they were able to see the area again. 

They watched as he walked pass the truck, not even giving them a glance with his light green eyes.

He pulled out his phone and pressed a few buttons before holding it up to his hooded ear. 

"Too bad he's not turned around.. I could've read his lips." said Garnet. 

"I know.." said Amethyst. She watched the guy intently. "But at least we know that's Frybo's little friend."

L.J put the phone back in his pocket and walked to the back of the building, turning the corner.

Amethyst tapped on her earpiece. "Pearl."

.............

"I'm here, Amethyst."

"The guy's here. Lay low for a little longer. We'll meet you at the back. I'll give the order to come out the office." 

"Copy that."

"And have your weapon out and ready."

"Copy." Pearl took out another canister, twisting it counterclockwise. The spear slinging out. 

..........

"Okay, guys. Let's just wait for just.. a few.. moments.." said Amethyst. "CGVU: Pull up camera screen." 

"Accessing cameras MO1, BOH1, BOH2 and FOH1." the four screens pulled up onto the glass of the windshield. The three looked at the four screens. The first one, showing Pearl now pined to the wall again. Spear in hand. The fourth, showing customers eating, coming in the building, leaving out or sitting down at their tables with their trays. The third one, showing two employees working on their food and the second one.. showing Pee Dee walking towards the closet door, not too far from the back door. He opened it, taking out a black, clothed bag. He closed the door.

"Okay, let's get out now. We'll stop them in their tracks." she told the crew. "CGVU: Deactivate the cameras and turn on the Auto Defense Mechanism." 

"Deactivating." Each screen winked out one by one, the windshield, now showing the trees in front of them.

"Code Verification for Defense Protocol."

"CGVU code: zero, seven, one, seven, nine, nine, eight, nine."

"Verifying.." said the voice. There was a _DING_ "Defense Mechanism on." 

Amethyst looked at Garnet and gestured at the car with her chin. The lady pressed the button, turning the car off. 

Garnet opened the door and Steven waited in the car. "Talc. You're getting out too. Don't think you're staying in here." 

Steven sighed. He couldn't help but take a few breaths before opening his own door. 

Amethyst was just getting out of the car and Garnet closed it back.

Amethyst looked at Steven. "Now. Let's get this done and over with, shall we?"

He had a really.. _really_ bad feeling about this.. He.. just wanted Pee Dee to live..

"Alright, guys. Let's see how well they comply. If they take the easy route, we grab the bag, go and get some lunch and be done for today. BUT. If they take the hard way? Heheh, well.. we'll just have to take it by force.." Amethyst took one of her whips from her belt, still coiled up in her fist and Garnet took out both of her brass knuckles. Her gauntlets hanging just behind her on her belt. 

And Steven.. Steven just walked behind them.. No weapon, no gadget.. And completely worried of Pee Dee's well being..

"But of course, we're gonna make this a quick mission." said Amethyst. She stopped just behind the corner. 

"..eir really going to be pleased that you managed to get this." the voice was deep and with an accent that Steven concluded was definitely Australian. 

"You really think so?" Pee Dee's voice was in awe.

"Think so? A new bloke like you already getting hands on jewels like this? You betcha." 

"So I get like.. promoted or something?" 

Amethyst gestured for Garnet and Steven to come closer. The former walking up quickly while the latter.. walked up slowly..

There was a snort. "Neh, it don't work like that with us mate. But they'll still be happy with your work, nonetheless." 

"Oh.." then a beat later. "Well, I'll take what I can get." 

Amethyst held her hand up beside her, holding up four fingers. The index finger went down first, then the middle finger, then the ring finger. She kept the pinky finger up for a few more moments as she moved her body to a lunging position. She held the position for a few seconds.

"I'll be sure to give this to her as SOON as I get back. I should be there in the arvo (afternoon.)" said L.J.

"Ripper!" (Really great!) Pee Dee tried to be "cool" with his Aussie slang. 

The young man only laughed at that.

Amethyst put her pinky finger down and jumped out. Garnet directly behind her. They landed in a fighting stance, holding whip and brass knuckles in hand. 

Steven shifted on his feet, before finally jogging up and joining them, sporting a.. not so proud stance. His shoulders slumped. He looked right at Pee Dee. 

LJ handed Pee Dee back the bag. "Hold this and get back inside."

Pee Dee did what he was told, opening the door.

"Oh NO you don't!!" Amethyst threw the wipe around him, pulling him bag down. He landed right on his butt.

LJ took out what looked to be a taser. 

"What. Think you can get us with that little bit of electricity?" Amethyst pulled on her jumpsuit as the man pressed a button on the side. The top of the taser shooting out of it's canister. "The suit's electricity proof, dipshi-AAAAHHHHH!!" The electricity crackled through her body and she fell down, letting go of the whip.

"Amethyst!!" Garnet and Steven went for her.

The guy was laughing in front of them. Amethyst looked up. A snarl on her face. Her body shaking as her arms tried to support her. He only laughed more. "Thought your suit was electric proof, luv." he bent down to unwrapped the rope from Pee Dee and the boy quickly ran back inside. 

Amethyst raised her trembling hand to her ears. Another to the button on her jumpsuit. "Pearl, get Frybo! And dn't worry about anybody else in the damn place! Just get the boy!" Amethyst was heard in their earpiece.

"Copy that, Amethyst." she said in her ear.

"What kind of electricity was that?" Garnet whispered.

Amethyst took a breath, putting her trembling arms back down to support her. "Doesn't matter. Let's just take his ass down." she got up on her shaky legs.

"Oh! Looks like _someone's_ getting back up." LJ took her whip and threw it away from them. 

"Think I only had one?" Amethyst growled out. She pulled out another whip from her belt. "Garnet. You and Talc meet up with Pearl. She should already have Pee Dee. I'll handle this douchebag."

Garnet nodded and Steven.. felt his legs start to shake.. _Come on, Pee Dee.. please be out the building by now.._

Amethyst dashed towards LJ and he pushed the top of the taser out again. She dodged it. The guy looked confused for a split second. "Huh?" she uppercut him in his face. He fell to the ground. 

"Come on, Talc. Now's our chance." said Garnet. She ran for the door, opening it for him. The boy took a few steps. Then he stopped. "Talc, we have to go." she said softly. 

"Garnet!" 

She looked over her shoulder. Amethyst gave her a mean, warning look. She had the guy's arms behind his back. The taser still in his hands. The top of the taser going back to it. Amethyst jumped off of him. Going into a stance. She shot Garnet another look.

Garnet clenched his eyes, her mouth in an uncomfortable clench as she hesitated before yelling out. "Talc! In the building now!" 

He jumped and quickly ran in. He could already feel the tears coming on.. Jesse at the acid plant.. Pee Dee's possible death.. Garnet yelling out at him.

Steven looked back to see LJ throwing the taser in a punch towards Amethyst. She stopped his hand with ease and pulled his arm towards her, hoisting him up and spinning around. She threw him into the wall. 

Steven was pulled by his arm hard as the door closed in front of him. "Talc!" Garnet shouted through her mic. "You need to start listening to Amethyst or else!" she waved her brass knuckle at him.

"But Garnet.. I-" he choked out.

"YOU are a Crystal Gem and." she clenched her teeth. Eyes closed before she opened them back up. "You need to start acting like it!" Then a beat later. "And start using the mic on your shirt! You need to disguise your voice!"

The two heard screams from the front of the building. Then.. gunshots? 

"Now, come on." she said harshly. "We need to meet up with Pearl like Amethyst ordered us to." she ran down the empty kitchen and down towards the counter. 

Customers were huddled with one another and under tables and chairs. Some had their tables tipped over to shield them from.. 

Pee Dee had a gun in his hand. And aiming it at Pearl who held now, two spears in her hands. 

The two were just a few feet apart from each other. "PEE-" Garnet quickly held Steven's mouth. "Talc!" she whisper shouted in his ear. "Where is your head! You don't go BLURTING out people's names!" 

Steven looked up at her with his teary eyes.. Why was she acting like this all of a sudden?

"keep you mouth. Shut." She peeled her hand off his mouth and stood back up.

Pee Dee was crying. Hyperventilating. The black bag in his trembling hands. "I.." he sobbed. "I've never used a gun before." the smoke was still coming from it. "But.. But.." he stuttered. "But YOU'LL be my practice target!" 

_Pee Dee_.. He'd never thought Pee Dee would have words like that..

Steven was so confused.. It was like living in another dimension where everyone was acting different. Pearl talking to him now.. Garnet acting mean to him.. And Pee Dee threatening people? What was becoming of his life?!

Pearl chuckled at his threat. "Oh? Well allow me to have a bit of fun as your target." She twisted both her spears clockwise, spinning them back into their canisters. Then she clipped them back to her belt next to two other canisters. "Now. Let's play." she ran for him, and she dodged to her right, _right_ as he shot his gun out. She ran towards his left and he kept firing, the bullets hitting the windows, the walls and the tables. Pearl lunging and rolling and jumping with agile ease around the boy. Then, after a certain point, she stopped and started running towards him.

Pee Dee pulled the trigger again. The gun was out of bullets. "Oh no!"

Pearl tackled him to the ground, the gun falling from his grip from the force. 

He fell on his back as Pearl straddled his stomach, holding both his arms up above his head. The bag still in his hands. 

"Talc, get the bag." Garnet's voice still sounded harsh. 

Steven nodded and walked towards the two. _At least I'm just getting the bag from him.. I'm not killing him.._

Pearl pinched a pressure point on Pee Dee's wrist and his hand opened up. Steven bent down and scooped up the bag.

"Good. We have the bag. Now we can leave." said Pearl. She got up just as they heard a "This douchebag called backup!" Amethyst ran and jumped over the counter. She was wearing LJ's jacket.. a now bloody jacket. And she had his taser in one of the clips of her belt. Her whip even more bloody than the jacket.

"What?!" Pearl looked out the window.

Two cars were driving right towards the building. They crashed into the doors and into the dining area. Glass shattered and rubbles of brick and cement scattered across the floor. Gray dust was settling back down on the cars.

"That's who he must've been on the phone with when we saw him earlier." Amethyst grounded out. "He knew we were coming."

Four guys dressed in black suits and white shades stepped out of each of the two vehicles at the same time. In unison, they each closed their doors and pulled out a knife from their belt with their left hand.


	32. Breaking and Molding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay guys, the rest of the half of this chapter gets pretty graphic~ish. And ..There's also some mental abuse going on with a certain character. 
> 
> So I've put @@@@@@@@@@ to indicate when it starts to happen. For those people who don't want to read stuff like that.

"Looks like we have to take these fuckers down too." Amethyst spat out. She threw her whip at one of them. And took out another whip, grabbing another guy. The two tried to cut through the role, but couldn't. She threw the whip up, slamming one into the ceiling. The knife immediately falling from his grip. And the other one, on the wall, on the other side of the room. He barely held the knife in his hands. 

Garnet and Pearl lunged for the other six suited men. 

The men ran towards them, meeting them half way into one big clash. 

Steven stood at Pee Dee's side. He turned to his best friend, holding a hand out and Pee Dee held his arms out in a.. karate chop sort of way. His hands up in front of his face with his fingers and thumbs held close together. And Steven stepped back to avoid any blows, pulling his arm back slightly, just as Pee Dee realized what Steven was trying to do.

Amethyst saw Steven's stupid, kind gesture. She held down the voice activator. "Dude! What the heck are you doing!" she dodged a fist.

Pee Dee was grabbing a hold of Steven's hand, pulling himself up. "Huh? I was just helping him up."

Pee Dee tackled him to the ground, ripping the bag from his hands. "No! The jewels!" Steven got back up to his feet, chasing after Pee Dee. 

"How the hell did you let him get it?!?!" Amethyst yelled at him. She was choking another guy with her rope. He tried grasping for it.. slowly leaving consciousness. "Pearl! Spear the little shit!" 

"NOOOO!" Steven yelled out.

Pearl jumped out of the way, just as Garnet had flung a guy towards her. She threw her spear right as one of the guys came after her with his knife. She knee'd him in the stomach and then raised her leg kicking him in his chin. He fell back.

The spear had hit Pee Dee's leg. He was on the floor as blood oozed from his cut, dampening his uniform pants. He screamed out, his hand hovering over the spear. Afraid to pull it out. 

Steven stopped just a foot away from him. _Oh no! He's injured!!_ He took a step. He whispered out. "Pee-" he stopped himself. 

He couldn't say his name. 

Not with his identity on the line..

He stopped in front of him. His best friend hollering in pain. He could feel himself coming undone again as tears welled up in his face. 

He looked away and saw.. Garnet picking up one of the guys. He flailed around, trying to grab at her hands to pull her off his face. And..

She snapped his neck.

She let go.

And he dropped to the floor. 

Lifeless.

"AAAAHHHHHH!!" he clenched his eyes. He couldn't bare to see any more deaths. 

Garnet looked at him before going for a serious look.

Then.. Jesse's screams came back to his mind and he covered his ears. "NOOOOO!!"

Amethyst looked around her. People started to stare. The cowering customers.. their rivals.. 

It was embarrassing.

_HE_ was embarrassing the Crystal Gems.. Putting their names to shame!

Amethyst pressed on the mic of her jumpsuit. "Talc. Shut up!" 

One of the guys tackled her while she wasn't looking. An embarrassing move on her part.. She was ALWAYS on high alert. But because of HIM she got tackled! 

She got up, running towards the man with a war scream, her whip in hand. She threw it, swiping the man in his face twice. She took the knife from him and cut his throat. She threw the body over towards one of the customers. The lady cowered back more under the table. Watching the blood spill from his throat. She started to cry. Which made Steven tear up more. His breath hitched in his first sob. 

_Oh fuck.. here we go again..I need to get his ass out of here. He's ruining our reputation!!_ She pressed the voice activator. "Talc. Grab the bag and go to the back of the building. NOW!" 

The boy babbled and sobbed as he nodded. He picked the bag off the floor, taking one more glance at Pee Dee. The boy had ripped the spear from his leg and was now holding his bloody pant leg, trying to keep some pressure on it.

Steven climbed over the counter, still sobbing. The bag held loosely in his hands.

Amethyst turned back to the two remaining men. "And we'll just take care of Tweedle dee and Tweedle dumb." she turned to the other two gems. "Let's just finish this."

..........

Steven was wiping his face off. He stood at the back of the building waiting for the gems to finish their.. murderous business..

He continued to sob. Loud.

There was a sound of a car pulling up from the back.

........

One person remained.

His face beaten and bloodied from his fight with the gems.

But he was smiling..

"Fuck you smiling at." Amethyst shouted out with her voice activator.

"You'll.." he coughed up blood. "See.." 

"What are you talking about.." she narrowed her eyes at him, bending down to his level.

He coughed up more blood. "There's.. there's.." he choked. 

Amethyst pulled him up by his drenched collar. "There's what!" 

The guy fell limp in her hands. She shouted, throwing him back on the ground. "What the hell was he going to say?!"

Suddenly, a blue light from the cuff of the wrist of their suits started blinking. 

Pearl quickly went to her arm. She pressed a palm over a white square of her sleeve and lifted her hand back up. A couple seconds later and a screen appeared on her arm, revealing the cars cameras. Six little small boxes each showing the different angles of the surveillance cameras. "Amethyst, I think he was trying to say.. there's more people!" 

"What?!" Amethyst opened the security camera footage on her arm and Garnet did the same.

Pearl swiped up underneath of the screen and a keyboard layout appeared under it. She typed in the code CGVU 0, 7, 1, 7, 1, 9, 8, 9. Then she whispered. "Activate 360 Defense Mechanism." into the small mic in her wrist. She looked back up. "There are five guys trying to get into our vehicle. But I just put the system on." 

"Code Verification." the three heard the car say back to them. 

Instead of saying it out loud. Pearl held her arm close to her as she quickly typed in the verification code. 

"Approved." they heard the voice. "Initiating 360 Defense protocol."

They watched the six small frames on the screen of their sleeve. A small horizontal line at the bottom of the front, back and two sides of the car pulled back into the car. And three rifles each, on all four sides popped out of their holes.

They saw the guys, alarmed now, starting to turn around and run away. 

The guns started firing out, hitting each of the five guys with at least ten to fifteen bullets behind them. They fell to the ground and the rifles continued to shoot.

Everyone could hear the shots from outside.

And then. The rep was finished. And the shooting stopped.

"360 Defense Protocol finished." they heard in their earpieces.

Amethyst nodded. A wicked grin on her face. She put her hand back on her sleeve to turn the surveillance footage off. Then she pulled her hand away, looking at the terrified customers. "There. _Much_ better." she whispered out into the voice activator.

"Now then. Let's check these fool's pockets and get outta here." she told her crew. She started sifting through the pockets of one of the guy's on the floor.

.......

Steven was now sitting on the floor. Still sobbing. The bag of jewels sitting beside him. What was he going to do? He didn't think that being a Crystal Gem would.. be like this..

The back door was thrown open, almost hitting him. A tall gentleman with a scar across his cheek ran in, bypassing Steven. 

The boy gasped, grabbing hold of the bag of gems and holding it close to his chest. He scooted back further behind the door, behind the bins of potatoes.

The man looked around. His left.. Then his right..Then Steven saw him walk towards the front of the building. 

Then a thought of warning the gems came across his mind.. Even in times like this.. For whatever reason, he still wanted _them_ to be safe as well.

But.. he _still_ didn't have his gadgets..

But at the same time.. they _are_ the Crystal Gems. So. They should definitely be okay.

He heard gunshots and then quickly hoped that Pee Dee was still alive. 

He got up.

He could only imagine what was going on up there.. but then again, he _didn't_ want to imagine it.

He stood there.

He had a bad, gut feeling that something was going to happen..

Maybe.. maybe he should just meet them at the car instead? Or.. meet them at the front of the building to see what's going on? Instead of staying here? He wondered why Amethyst wanted him to wait at the back instead of the car anyway.. and..He just didn't have a good feeling waiting in the back.. Like, someone was going to appear out of nowhere.. 

Yeah.. he'll just stay low and meet them just beyond the car..

He opened the heavy, black door and stepped out, closing the door behind him..

To see two hulking tall guys with black suits and white shades directly by him. They each took out a long sword from their backs. 

Steven screamed and ran just as one guy sporting a Mohawk slashed his sword down towards his back. The blade cutting from the top of his shirt to the bottom. Steven bolted around the corner 

"Get her!!" he shouted out. 

The two ran after him.

The shirt was sliding off Steven's shoulders. He took the shirt completely off and held it close to his chest along with the bag. He froze for a half second, looking at the dead bodies around the car. 

"We got you now!"

Steven jumped over two of the bodies, grabbing for the handle on the back door. "CGVU!!" he pulled on the door. "Open up!!"

They were gaining on him.

"CGVU!!! Uh, code one, seven!! Uh." the two men held out their swords. "One, nine!! Uh, open up!! Open up!!" Mohawk swiped at him again. "AAAHHHH!!!" he ran, the sword coming down and cutting his pants. 

Steven ran around the car and jumped up, grabbing the top of it. His pants falling down his waist. He pulled himself up as the sword came down from the second guy. It hit the back of his flip flop. It felt to the ground.

Steven pulled his pants up, turning back around. The men standing right below him.

"Look, woman. Just GIVE us the bag of jewels. And we'll be on our way." said Mohawk.

Steven didn't say anything. His brain trying to figure out what to do next..

A sword was thrown from the second guy and Steven tried to dodge it, the sword hitting his shoulder, cutting his skin. He hollered out.

"Just GIVE us the jewels!"

Steven hopped off the car, stumbling before he picked up his pace again, trying to keep his pants up. 

"I got you now, sweetums!" he felt the blade of Mohawk's sword as it came down again, ripping more of his pants. Tethers of the jeans dropped, tripping him up. He dropped the pants, running for the busted doors in just his underwear and one flip flop.

Amethyst, Garnet and Pearl were fighting two other new guys.. with guns in their hands.

Steven saw that another truck had drove up and crashed into another side of the building. 

The car having.. rolled over and killing two customers under its tires..

"Talc!" Amethyst growled out. She threw a whip around the first man.

Steven stepped on the pieces of glass, cutting his foot. He stopped, in pain, limping towards the counter. 

Mohawk threw his sword and it pinned Steven's underwear to the counter. He was stuck. "Hey, if you give me the jewels nice and easy, I might just take you up on a date." Mohawk teased, walking slowly up to him. His co-worker ran pass him, helping the other two men out and going for the three ladies.

_No! I can't let him get the jewels!!_ Steven jumped up, flipping up and out of his underwear. He ran and Mowhawk ran to the counter, ripping the sword out the wall. "You ain't going ANYwhere, girlie!" he threw the sword at an angle. The handle of the sword hitting Steven's ankles. He fell forward. "Alright, babe. Now-" Steven turned around. "What da. YOU'RE not a woman!" he picked up his sword throwing it down towards Steven's waist.

He screamed, holding himself as the spear came down between his legs. He got up and the guy tackled him hard on the ground. The shirt and the bag sliding out of hands.. Some of the jewels.. sliding out onto the bloody floor. "Looks like I don't have to go easy on you after all." he stepped his boot hard in the middle of his back and Steven hollered out in pain.

"Pearl! Get the jewels!" Amethyst said through the mic. She threw the man to the far wall with her whip. The gun popping out of his wrist.

Pearl speared the second guy wielding the gun. The spear hitting him in his chest. He fell to the floor and Pearl jumped over him, grabbing the black bag and picking up the jewels.

"Mikey! Don't let her get the jewels!" Mohawk shouted out. He took his foot off of Steven's back and pulled him up by his arms, pinning them behind him. He threw him into the the wall hard, knocking the wind out of him and he threw him down towards the side door. 

Steven groaned. His whole body in pain.. Then he looked up.. to see Pee Dee's limp body on the floor. Steven pulled his body up to sitting on his knees "NOOOO!!!" _No.. he.. he can't be.. He can't be dead!!_

Steven crawled towards him, then stopped.. He wanted to check to see if he was only unconscious or not but.. he wouldn't be able to bear it if.. he wasn't..

Pearl had all of the jewels in the bag. All.. except. for one.. which Mickey had in his hand. He handed it off to Mohawk.

The three gems stood right in front of them. The two guys. Smiling.

"Now." said Amethyst. She held the button on her jumpsuit. "I'll give you to the count of ONE to give us _back_ our jewel."

"Oh, this?" he held the brown colored jewel in between his fingers. He opened his mouth. And swallowed it. 

"Aye yo, did this shit just eat a jewel!" Amethyst yelled.

"I think he just did, Amethyst!" Pearl grounded out.

"GET HIM!!!!!!" Amethyst ran towards the guy, with Garnet and Pearl right beside her.

Steven sat there.. he felt himself beginning to cry again.. He couldn't take it anymore.. Everything started coming back times ten. That first night with them and Centi.. the ladies in the Red Eye.. the Acid Plant.. and now THIS!

He looked behind himself.. Looking at all of the dead bodies of customers and rivals.. looking at the scared faces of the customers who were still there.. 

Looking at Garnet as she punched Mikey in his jaw. Pearl ended him with a spear in his back. 

And Amethyst had the last.. living rival tied up in her whip. 

And.. he was most likely going to die too.

Everything came out in a mess of sobs.. Steven, shaking his head, his whole body trembling.

The whole restaurant was so quiet.. except for Steven's loud outbursts..

Amethyst stopped in her tracks towards Mowhak. She turned sround.

Garnet and Pearl looked at him. 

Amethyst snarled. _Fucking embarrassing us again!!_ She turned back from Mowhak and went to a random man. The guy screamed. "SHUT IT!!" she shouted at him. She pulled him into a headlock. A lady was looking right at her. "WHAT! FUCK you looking at!!" the lady quickly looked away. Tears down her face.

Amethyst pivoted back around. She began walking towards Talc, dragging the guy still in her headlock. She stopped again, only to pick up a gun. She stood back up and walked pass Pearl and Garnet. The two stepping back and away from her. "We're ending this little fit of his RIGHT now.. ONCE and for all." she grounded out.

@@@@@@@@@@

She stopped in front of him. "Yo, Talc!"

He looked up at her, sobbing. Sitting on his legs.

She crouched down to Steven's level. He and the guy looked at each other. 

"This. is an innocent bystander. Correct?" 

Steven was so caught up in the past.. and the present was flashing harshly into it. He didn't know if it was a trick question.. he looked at the guy's fearful eyes. Then looked back up at her. "Y, yeah." he nodded. 

Amethyst crouched there. In front of him.. Her eyes not wavering. Not leaving Steven's eyes for a second.

Then.. she turned the gun to the guy's temple, and pulled the trigger. Right. In front. Of Steven. 

The boy watched in intense shock as the guy's brains splattered across the floor. 

He screamed. 

"Shut it!!" she dropped the guy and raised the gun to his face. He started sobbing even more. 

"STOP crying!"

Steven didn't let up.

"Woman in red!" Amethyst called out. She turned the pistol and pulled the trigger. Between the eyes. Dead.

Steven couldn't believe it. Devasted. Overwhelemed. Sick..He tried to babble out something but it only came out in spit and sobs. 

She looked at Steven. "STOP CRYING!! Or I'll KILL another person!" She raised the gun up. 

" NO, I !" He continued sobbing. 

Those two died.. because of ME!! And they weren't even apart of it!! 

"Still crying, huh?" Amethyst turned her gun to another person. "Lady in the orange shirt." she pulled the gun on an older woman. Capped her in her chest. Dies. 

Steven held his mouth. A wave of emotion coming over him as he felt another outburst. He tried to hold it in. 

Amethyst looked at him. Right in his eyes. "You're gonna keep crying?" 

As if that was the fuel he felt himself beginning to cry again. He shook his head no, but a few fresh tears fell down as he felt himself welling back up. 

"You lying shit. You still are!" she yelled. "Guy in the back by the window." she turned around, pulling the trigger. Hitting the guy twice in his chest. 

Steven clenched his eyes.. And he felt a gun at the bottom of his chin. He opened his eyes back up to see Amethyst right in his face. "Keep your eyes open." she growled out. "You're _going_ to watch every bit of it." She pushed the gun up to his chin before lowering it back down. 

He held back this time. Swallowing every single emotion he had. He panted. Hard..But kept everything back.. 

"Yeah.." Amethyst nodded, with a smile on her face. She got up slowly. "There we go.. Now you're truly learning how to be a proper Crystal Gem." 

She put the gun in an empty clip on her belt. She clapped her hands together. "Now then. Now that we have _that_ accomplished. We just have ONE more thing to do. And then. We'll be on our merry, little way. Talc." she looked at the shaky, traumatized boy. "Get up. Now." 

He got up slowly. She looked down between his legs. A smirk on her face before turning back around and walking back towards Mohawk. "Now Talc. This dude. has swallowed. One of our jewels." she told him. "And we're _going_ to get it back from him." she stopped in front of the guy and snapped her fingers. "Garnet, hold the guy's hands." 

Garnet walked over, passing Steven. She crouched down behind the guy and Amethyst unwrapped the whip and Garnet quickly grabbed both of his hands, holding them back. 

"Pearl. Spear down his chest." 

The slim woman walked pass Steven. Spear in hand. Mohawk squirmed, screaming out. Amethyst wrapped the same whip around his head to shut him up. Then she backed away as Pearl came up to spear him. She cut him down from his color bone down and pass his stomach. He screamed out. 

"Talc." He held in his sobs . "Pry his chest cavity open.. And _get_ it." 

"I..but.." he tried to be rational. He wasn't crying anymore.. And.. maybe.. just maybe she would listen to him now that he wasn't... He _STILL_ had that slither of hope..

"But, we can just wait and.. maybe.. maybe he has some valuable information."

Amethyst scoffed. "Stop trying to stall, Talc."

"But, but really! What if he _does_ have some kind of valuable information! Like, like.." He thought of LJ. "Like that leather jacket guy! Aren't you.. curious as to where he got that weapon from. He hurt-"

She ran up to him, getting in his face. "LISTEN! That SHOULDN'T had happened!! _WE_ are the ONLY ones with the BEST equipment! Some stupid shit just happened with my suit!! I DON'T need ANY information about their shitty weapons!!" she stepped back. He could see LJ's taser on her belt. "Now.. DO what I ordered you to do. And take our jewel BACK from the guy.. He's already close to dead anyway." she whispered.

She took a few steps back as Steven slowly walked towards the near unconscious guy. Swallowing more of his emotions. He took a deep breath and knelt down, raising a hand above the man's bloody shirt. His hand, trembling. 

"I'm.. I'm sorry.." he whispered to the guy. He looked up at Garnet.. then realized that she was wearing her shades under her mask.. He looked back at the guy. His hand still right above the man's chest.

"DO IT NOW!" he heard Amethyst yell behind him.

"I.. but.." he didn't want to kill him.. He didn't want to kill anyone else..He couldn't.. He just couldn't allow that. He.. He WOULDN'T allow that. 

"I'm waiting!" 

"I.." he swallowed a shaky breath.. _What is she going to do if I tell her?.. _ "I'm not doing it.." he whispered. 

"What.. was that." she said lowly.

He turned to her. "NO!" he shouted out.

Garnet and Pearl looked at Amethyst. Absolute fear in her eyes. 

Amethyst's face was in utter shock. Bewildered. "No?" her face quickly contorted to a sneer, evil scowl. A wicked grin on her face. "Ohhhh.. I see how it is." Amethyst snickered.

Steven looked at her. Fear creeping into his skin. _Oh no.. Now what's going to happen.. Why did.. why did I say that?!_

Amethyst took her steps slowly towards him. "Looks like Talc is the boss, you guys." she leaned in towards his face. "Talc knows best. He's ALWAYS been a Crystal Gem. Giving people all of the right orders.. Yeah? It's not like he's a henchman.. doing my bidding because.. he doesn't have to listen to me." she whispered. Her lips curling up as she crouched down to his face. "Ah, Talc. You think you can just do whatever you want?" she snickered, parting the top of his head like some dog. Then her face dropped. The laughter gone from her voice. "Or at least that's what _you_ think.. But Talc, ya see? _I_ call the shots around here.." she looked at him in his eyes as she got up. "Now. I'll tell you. _Again._ Get. our jewel. _back_." she hissed out.__

The boy turned back around to look at the guy.. But he didn't raise his hand up to the man's chest.. 

Amethyst chuckled behind him. "Ah, so.. you're still not going to do it, aye? You're going to disobey me?" 

Steven turned back around. "P, please Amethyst.. Please don't make me." he felt another wave of emotion and he clenched his eyes tight, holding everything in again.. He panted a few times before the wave calmed back down. He opened his eyes at Amethyst.

Garnet was losing her patience.. Not wanting Talc to get hurt. "Talc, just do it!" she snapped. 

"Shut it, Garnet!"

Garnet shut her mouth. Her shades shielding the fear that she had in her eyes.

Amethyst looked at Garnet, then looked at Steven. A plain, unreadable expression on her face. She nodded a few times. Arms behind her back. Then she just.. walked away. 

_Is that it?! No.. it can't be.. it can't be that easy.._

"Garnet." she said gently. "Let the guy go.. and come here." her back was still towards them. "And Pearl. Hold the guys chest. Let's try to keep him alive for a little longer."

Garnet got up on her shaky legs and Pearl walked towards the guy. She looked back at Garnet.. with fear in her eyes as she watched her walk towards Amethyst.

"Nooo! Please don't hurt her!" Steven held back his tears. 

Amethyst turned around. Looking disgusted. "Stop. _WORRYING_ about people!" Then she unclipped something from her belt. "Besides. _She's_ not the one you should be worrying about.."

Steven looked at the gun from earlier in her hand. She handed it to Garnet. "He wants to be insubordinate? Heh, he wants to disobey _me?_ Garnet." she stepped away from her to give her a clear shot. "End his life." 

"Garnet!" she.. she wouldn't kill him.. would she? But.. what about the bond they had? Or.. he _thought_ they were bonding.. Now he wasn't so sure.. With what Amethyst said in the car about Garnet.. and with how Garnet was acting towards him all today. Maybe.. maybe it was just nothing after all..

She took a few steps in front of Amethyst and held the gun up. The brass knuckles still on her hands. Bloodied. 

"Garnet.. please.." he looked at her, holding his tears back.

"No use in doing that. _She_ listens to every. single. Command. I giver her." she put a hand on her shoulder and the woman jumped slightly. "Of course Amethyst." her voice was still. "I'm a Crystal Gem. First and foremost." 

Amethyst looked at Steven, sporting a smug look through her ski mask as she let go of Garnet's shoulder.. She brought the same hand up to her jumpsuit again to speak through the mic. "Now. Cap his ass."

"Garnet.." Steven whispered out.

In one swift moment, Garnet raised her other hand to click the revolver and she pulled the trigger four times. 

Blanks..

"Da fuck.. I could've sworn that gun had bullets in it.." Amethyst growled out. She looked around. Grabbing the other gun. "Here." she threw it at Garnet and she caught it. "Shoot him." 

Steven held his arms up, his face clenched as Garnet raised her arm again. She used her other hand again to click the revolver and she pulled the trigger. 

Blanks.

Amethyst growled out, grinding her teeth.

Steven slowly opened his eyes, looking at his body. Unharmed.

He looked at Amethyst and Garnet.

Amethyst blew out an aggravated breath. "..Looks like fate has other plans for you.." 

He started to put his arms down.

"_However,_ Talc." she began again. "I am your boss. Your _leader_.. When people disobey their boss for the Crystal Gems, they get killed.. or tortured.. But.. looks like you don't give a rat's ass about getting killed.. And, instead of torturing you.. just yet.. I'll give you _one_ more chance.. You take the jewel from his stomach killing him. _Or_ you get tortured." her eyes trailed over the terrified customers. She saw a young lady, assumably with her husband.. She got a thought. A smile plastered across her face. "No, scratch that. You take the jewel from his stomach, killing him.. _or_." she looked at him in his eye. "I give your sweet little girlfriend of yours a nice little. visit." 

He looked on in complete shock. _No.. _

"I wonder how she'll look.. six feet under."

"Please! No!"

"Then get the damn jewel! Pearl, let go." she let go. 

Steven felt another wave of emotion and he held his mouth and held his head up, clenching his eyes. He rode out the emotions again, keeping everything in. He took a few deep breaths and let go of his mouth. He felt so twisted. His emotions getting shoved further and further down in the pit of his stomach. 

Then.. he took his hand.. going right for the guy's stomach. Grimacing as he went inside his warm organ. Trying to ignore the guy's weak screams.

He pulled out the brown gem. 

Then looked down at the guy. Lifeless.

He'd killed another person..

He heard a laugh behind. "Wow! Looks like I found your weakness. Your _kryptonite."_ he turned around. Amethyst was walking up to him. "Thought it's a shame actually.. Having to resort to killing someone of yours instead of you truly fearing me, but aye. Soon you'll be broken down. And fear me. Just like. The other two." she stopped in front of him. "It's only a matter of time really." 

He looked at Pearl and Garnet. The two keeping their eyes intently on their boss.

He wanted to cry.. he felt so disgusting.. a monster.. he'd killed another person.. and he was the cause of four other deaths...

"Now. I want you to get a good look at the area." he kept his dilated stare at her. "I said DO it!" he jumped, looking around the restaurant.. All of the dead bodies.. all of those scared customers. "This. is your life now, Talc. Whether you like it or not.. And. There's absolutely no escape from us. You'll be a Crystal Gem until the day you die." he looked at the terrifying sight in front of him before looking back up at Amethyst. "Now. Get your ass up. We're getting out of here. Pearl, get the gem from him." she said through her mic. 

Steven took one last look at the Mohawk guy in front of him.

Suddenly.. in the rush of his drumming ears, he could hear Pearl's words rushing to the fore like a harsh echo crashing back into his head. "_Would you kill for her?"_ He never properly answered that question because.. he just _knew_ that Connie would never ask him to do that. Yet, he'd ended up answering Pearl's question anyway..

With the guy's bloodied chest pried open.. with his heart still and lifeless in his chest cavity.. With Steven's hand gloved in the man's blood and pieces of his flesh.. the answer was as clear as the white's of the man's upturned eyes. 

He _would_ kill someone for Connie..

In order to keep her safe.. from Amethyst.. and from anyone else.. Yes.. He would force himself to do it again.. and.. unfortunately again.. He needed Connie in his life.. He wouldn't know how to live with himself if he were to be the result of her death..

_So, Steven.._ Pearl's words came out of his own mind. 

_Would you kill someone for Connie?"_

_Yes, Pearl. I would... In a heartbeat._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who read it all the way through, that part where Steven tells Amethyst 'No' and she's like "No? Ooohhh. I see how it is." was definitely an homage to Tangled when Rapunzel tells Mother Grothel 'No'.
> 
> From the 30 second mark to the 40 second mark  
https://youtu.be/uJNvZRAmeqY
> 
> Aaaaand for those who didn't read pass the 
> 
> @@@@@@@@@@
> 
> Amethyst forced Steven to stop being emotional by threatening to kill off a person every time he cried. She ended up killing four innocent customers in the process and forced him to watch it all.
> 
> Then she threatened Connie's life, forcing him to kill a guy himself. (The guy had swallowed one of the jewels and she ordered Pearl to cut his chest open and forced Steven to take it out of his stomach.


	33. The car ride back..

Pearl lifted her hand down, waiting for the jewel. Steven had zoned out, looking at the body. 

With an aggravated, annoyed sigh, she ripped the gem out of his hand and that seemed to snap him out of it.. only slightly. He looked up at her. "Come on. We gotta go." 

He got up stiffly and went with her, walking and this time, not caring about the glass breaking into his foot. 

Garnet and Amethyst were almost at the car. Pearl jogged up to open the door for Amethyst as Garnet got in on the other side. Talc opened the door and slid in. The cold seat sending a chill on his butt and the back of his thighs. He didn't care. 

Amethyst got in and Pearl closed the door, then got in on her side.

Garnet pushed the button on the car, turning it on. She shifted gears and reversed the car, driving over a body. She stopped once she reached the parking lot and put the car in drive, driving off.

"We're taking him back home first." Amethyst said lowly.

Garnet put on her blinkers and changed lanes. She pulled the lever up again to turn the blinkers back on, on her way to turn to another street.

"You embarrassed us back there. You know that, Talc." Amethyst said to him. "Now WHAT do you think those customers are going to say! That there's a spineless weakling amongst the Crystal Gems! That we're getting soft!" every sentence she'd raise her voice higher and higher.

Steven closed his eyes. Clenching them.. He held everything down.. He wasn't going to cry.. He wouldn't allow that to happen.. 

He opened his eyes. 

She was shaking her head. "Had to kill off a few people JUST to _TRY_ and keep our reputation up! Because YOU couldn't handle a few dead bodies!"

He swallowed, clenching his teeth. A low panted growl came out as he tried to keep down his sob. He swallowed again. And opened his eyes back up.

Amethyst kept her stare. Her voice eerily quiet all of a sudden. "Well.. at least you're not fucking crying anymore.."

He nodded stiffly.

"Whatever, man.. Looks like you've learned your lesson.." she looked away. "That's it." she waved her hand up. "I'm done talking to you."

He nodded again, sadly.. In utter, emotional defeat.

..........

Amethyst had rolled the divider back up to block him off from the front.

Everything just seemed dead.. and quiet..

He looked out the tinted windows. Watching the cars go by..

Then he looked at Pearl through the window. The woman was leaned back in her seat. A foot rest popped up from the recliner seat. She had her ankles crossed. Eyes intently on the phone.. A cold can of Guacola held primly in her other hand.. Completely unphased with everything that had happened.

He leaned back in his seat. Turning his head to her.

She saw him from the corner of her eye, but didn't bother to acknowledge him.. What was she going to say? 

He turned back around.

That's just how life is as a Crystal Gem.. And now. He's probably just realizing that now.. finally..

He took a shaky breath, looking at his trembling, murderous hands. "I guess.. you may be right Pearl." he broke the silence.. "Intense emotions.. like.. like love.._can_ make you do.. irrational things."

Steven watched as she continued to type and scroll up and down on her phone. Not saying a word.

_I.. guess she doesn't want to talk to me anymore.. And.. I can understand.. she tried to warn me.._ He bent over and looked down at his foot. Blood had spilled on the mat from his foot.. that _still_ had glass in it.. He didn't care to take the pieces out. At that point.. he didn't care about doing _anything._

"She threatened you with a loved one." Pearl spoke up. 

Steven turned from looking at his bloody and _now_ painful foot, now that he was coming down from his adrenaline, and looked back at Pearl.

She pocketed her phone and put the can in the cup holder in the door. "See how she used that against you?" she asked him. "But no.. you didn't want to listen to me.. and what happened? She used your own girlfriend to have you kill that guy." she leaned her elbow on the armrest beside them. "And she's going to _keep_ using her as a means to get you to do her bidding.. Either that.. or she'll be forced to torture you.. just like everyone else who didn't get the memo in listening to their own bosses.."

He took in everything that she said to him just now.. And, in the moment.. he couldn't piece together anything logical.. ethical.. nothing.. His brain was.. too clouded, too drained.. It felt like his heart was even barely beating.. He just.. felt dead inside.

And he couldn't form a proper counter argument..

And.. in that moment.. to him.. she was absolutely right.. 

"I'm. Sorry Pearl." he said through his hoarse voice. "I.. guess I was.. just.." he trailed off. "I guess didn't think something like this would ever happen to me.." he felt himself coming undone again and he shook his head roughly as he clenched his eyes. He swallowed down his emotions again.. Riding it out once more. 

He took a deep breath and opened his eyes again.

Pearl looked at him. Her eyes staring intently at his sad, listless eyes through his mask. "She broke you."

Steven only looked at her. His mouth in a thin, loose line. 

She nodded at her own words. "Yeah.. Yeah, she broke you." she turned over in her seat, her body turned on it's side as she laid across the chair. Her hand propping her head up as she rested her elbow on the top of the chair. "She got you to stop crying." that hit hard and he wanted to burst out in sobs, but he pulled back his lips, biting down on them. "and she got you to kill someone. She's finally breaking you in. And molding you to be a proper Crystal Gem." she said lightly. Her foot just slightly off the foot rest, dangling gently along the edge. "She owns you now." 

Another wave of emotion and Steven closed his eyes, bending forward as he shook his head.. No more crying.. He has to hold it in.. He took a deep, grunted breath, straining his muscles as he clenched every part of his body. He rode it out again.. His teeth clenched as he took panted breaths..

Then.. the wave of emotion was gone and he opened his eyes back up. "I.." he swallowed dryly. "I guess.. you're right Pearl." 

He'd never thought anything like this would happen in his life.. yet, here he was.. And torn down.. and broken.. and feeling absolutely ill..

His mind wouldn't have ever thought about someone actually breaking him down mentally.. And.. just then.. he started to feel for those who were also mentally abused.. Was this the feelings that they felt? Or worse?.. And he'd only lived the torment once.. and not everyday like those people.. He truly felt for them.. 

A wave of sad, intense emotions he had for them came up and he closed his eyes again, grabbing his thighs and squeezing them. Tensing up his muscles..

He opened his eyes again, taking a deep breath. He leaned back in his seat. He needs to stop caring about people so much.. Why.. why was he so sympathetic! Empathetic! Why couldn't he just.. not have these emotions anymore..

And in time.. maybe he won't.. Amethyst was making sure of that after all.. 

And maybe he will be a stone cold thief.. a stone cold killer.. just like them.. And just like their rivals..

He closed his eyes. This was his life now. And. He needed to get used to it.. He has already learned that.. the hard way..

"It'll get easier." Pearl said to him.

He didn't say anything back to her, too focused on swallowing down another wave of emotion she'd just brought on. 

He took a deep breath.

Keeping his eyes closed.

He just wanted to wake up. And have everything back to normal.. Before he me the Crystal Gems.. and before Connie told him she was pregnant.. He wanted to open his eyes to Connie's beautiful, sleeping face and say. "Wow.. what a nightmare." and give her a kiss on the forehead before laying back down under the nice covers of the present.

He took another deep breath.

His eyes still closed.

He just wanted to wake up..


	34. Bottling up.. current percentage 43%

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another heads up, you guys. There are four.. pretty alarming dreams in this chapter. (Again, for those particular folks who don't like reading stuff like that)

Garnet parked near the side of the apartment complex. And the divider started to slide down. 

"We're here, man." Amethyst told him.

"O.. okay." he said.. "Uh.. what time do you.. want me to be out here tomorrow?"

Amethyst looked at him through the rearview mirror. She looked just a tad bit shocked, then quickly lowered her eyes. A satisfied smirk on her face. "You're good for tomorrow, dude. We have the day off tomorrow. There's nothing to do until the day after that and we'll be meeting up here later than we usually meet up. I want you here Thursday at nineteen hundred hours."

Steven shook his head, trying to muster up enough logical brain power to do the math.. "Uh.. Seven p.m?"

Amethyst nodded. "Correct."

"Okay." he opened the door. "Guess I'll... see everyone the day after tomorrow then." 

"Yup."

"Okay.." he looked at everyone in the car. Amethyst, Garnet, Pearl... Garnet again who hasn't once looked at him. "..Night."

Garnet didn't say anything.

Pearl nodded. "Night."

"Night. Oh, yo. Almost forgot." Amethyst picked up something on the floor in front of her. She threw his tethered clothes on his lap. "Another rule. Don't leave your clothes or your weapons _anywhere._ We can't have them picking up any kind of hair or dirt or anything of ours." She picked up his underwear and held it up in front of them. She snickered, pulling them at the waist line before throwing it over his tethered jeans. Then she picked up the last article of clothing, throwing his flip flop beside him. 

"And it's a shame that douchebag ripped your shirt." he thought about that Mohawk guy.. meeting his fate.. how he ripped the gem from his stomach. He clenched his eyes again, ignoring those sad, hurt feelings. 

He opened his eyes again.

"Looks like you'll have to sow it up, if you _can,_ that is." he couldn't.. and Connie knew how to sow. But.. she couldn't see his shirt so..

"..cause you're going to need it Wednesday night."

"Right.. Yeah, I'll.. have it done by then." _SOMEhow.._

Alright che. That's it." she dismissed him.

Steven put the flip flop on his dried bloodied foot and picked up his clothes.

There was a sound of piano playing eerily in the car. Amethyst took her phone out of her pocket. She looked at the name on the screen. "Aye, wait a minute, Talc." she swiped across her phone. "Yo." 

Amethyst listened to the person on the other side of the phone. "Oh yeah? Well it's about damn time." 

More silence as she listened to the person.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah.. You're busy and you have a lot to do and blah, blah, blah. I know. So, when can we stop by?"

More silence.

"Cool, cool. So tomorrow during lunchtime. Hope you'll have something for us to eat."

Silence.

Amethyst cackled. "Damn Perry! I was only kidding! Alright chica. We'll be there by then. With our _own_ food."

More silence as Amethyst listened more.

"Alright, see your nasally ass later." Amethyst hung up the phone and put it on her belt. She turned around in her seat. "Aye, good news, che. Looks like a free spot just opened up for you."

Steven still held the door open. "What do you mean?"

"Just got a call from Peridot. Said that the shipment for the jewels will be delayed in getting to the base. They'll be finishing their other projects by tomorrow morning and after that, she and the other techies will have a free day for a few hours in the afternoon until the truck comes in late tomorrow night. Which meeaaaans, she has some free time to finally get you fitted for your gadgets!"

If this had been a few days ago.. Before the events of today.. before the Acid Plant.. He would've been giddy with joy. But now? That only added more fuel to his anxiety..

Yet, he masked his worries.. his sorrow.. his sadness.. and everything else that he'd been bottling up for an hour now and he managed to stiffly crack a very wide, wan smile. "G, good. So uh.. I.. guess we'll be meeting up tomorrow anyway, huh? I.. kinda overheard a bit.." 

"Yup." she nodded. "We'll see ya hear at nine hundred hours." 

"Nine o'clock sharp." he nodded. "Got it."

"Right." then she turned back around. "Alright, che. Get some sleep and eat."

"Okay." he slid out the car and quickly put on his underwear.

"And bring your shirt. We'll have one of the techies patch it up for you."

"Okay.. Will do." that was a relief.. He honestly didn't know _what_ he was going to do about getting that shirt stitched up. "Night." he said again to the crew. 

Garnet again, didn't say anything.

Pearl nodded and gave him another soft "Night."

"Yeah, yeah, buenas niches dude. Now hurry up." she joked. "I'm trynna get to the nearest fast food place-" _and kill some more?!?!_ an impulse of his mind shouted out in an instant. "-and eat."

"Okay.." he said for the umpteenth time. He looked up at Garnet just one more time. The lady staring right out the driver's window. Hand resting on a propped up knee. The other arm, resting on the side of the door. The mask, still on her face. 

He closed the door and walked away.

Garnet looked back swiftly then quickly turned her attention back to the front of her. 

"Alright, Garnet. Take us to the nearest Micky D's. I've been thinking about them McNuggets the WHOLE car ride here."

Garnet put her leg down and put the car in drive, driving out the alley.

"Aye." Amethyst got their attention. "I dare one of you to sniff the seat where his balls were."

.........

Steven limped up the second flight of steps. Trying to not put as much weight on the bottom of his foot.

Then.. he finally realized where he was going. Well, he _knew_ that he was going back to the apartment, but he actually _realized_ realized that.. he was going home.. And possibly to Connie..And he just hoped that she wasn't there.. What was he going to say to her about coming into the house with a bloody foot, a bloody shoulder and with tethered clothes and with just his underwear on?

He walked up to the door and peeled through the clothes, feeling for his keys. He eventually found the pocket of his jeans and took them out.

He put the key in the locked and turned it. The lock clicked. 

He opened the door..

"Connie?" 

No answer.

He sighed a breath of relief. She wasn't home yet.. He looked at the clock. _5:56p.m._

But she would probably be home very soon..

He closed the door and locked it. He took his flip flops off, being careful to not put his foot back on the carpet. He hopped on one leg over to the bed and threw the torn up clothes under the bed. Then he heard the lock clicking. He quickly got up and sat on the bed, throwing the cover over his mid section to hide the bandage on his stomach right as Connie opened the door. She had a plastic bag in her hand.

"Hey.." she looked him up and down, not trying to show too much concern. "Steven." she closed the door behind her, still looking at him. "How are you feeling?"

Then everything came out to the fore._ LIKE A DISGUSTING MONSTER!!_ "I'm.. feeling a bit better." he said through a mask that was his small smile.

She took off her shoes and walked over, looking at him up and down again. "So uh.. you were feeling hot or..?"

_Crap!! My clothes!!_ "Yeah, I was.. feeling a little hot earlier." 

"And what happened to your shoulder?" she quickly asked him. She went to feel his face again. His temple, then trailing her hand down to his chin. "I.. fell.. and hit my shoulder on the dresser." She kept her hand under his chin for a few moments before pulling her hand away. "You're not feeling that hot now." she stood in front of him. "And.. how did you fall?" she looked down at the floor in front of the dresser.

"I don't know.. I think I just tripped over my feet or something."

"Oh, Steven.." she said softly. Worry in her voice. She went to inspect the cut. "That's a.. pretty deep gash.." he swallowed. _Oh no.._"Looks more like a.. knife wound or something. Steven, how in the world did you." she cut herself off. Sighing. "I'll just.. get that for you." she stood back up. "Did you eat anything yet?" 

He shook his head. "I've.. been in bed all day."

"Think you want to eat something now?" 

"Uh.. sure." he shrugged. 

"Okay." she got up and took a few steps before stopping. Then she turned back around and kissed him on his head. 

That made him feel just a bit better. Her kisses always had that effect.

But now her kiss was clashing hard with all of the other past memories, the incidents taking away the sweet feel of her kiss as he thought back on them. He shook his head, grabbing a hold of the edge of the bed. He rode out the emotions again and took a deep breath.

He opened his eyes again.

She was putting the bag on the table. "There's a store right by where I work." she opened the bag up. "So I just went in, grabbing a couple of things for yor stomach." she took out a case of organic ginger ale and a bottle of Pepto Bismol. She shook the bottle and placed it on the counter. "You can take that later on tonight if you want to." Then she opened the fridge and put the four bottles of ginger ale on the bottom shelf and put the plastic bag inside of the bag holder in the wall.

Steven sat there, trying to take in the present and pushing the past further.. and further away from his mind. 

He turned his attention to his throbbing foot. _That_ was better than thinking about _any_ of the past events..

Without even thinking, he lifted his foot up, looking at the blood and the small pieces of glass in it.

"You hurt your foot too!?"

_Crap! How did you forget she was even there?!!_ "I uh.. dropped one of the glasses in the cabinet and ended up stepping on the pieces, trying to clean it up."

Connie looked at him. Her expression only grew more worried. She looked at him right in his eyes again. He looked down to his left then back up at her.

She looked down at the trashcan beside them, but didn't see any remnants of the glass. She looked back at him. "You.." she sighed, trailing off.. "just have to try and be a bit more careful, Steven.." she said eventually.

"Y, yeah.. Definitely." he picked up his shirt that he'd taken off before he left that morning off the bed and put it on. Now he was free to move about with the bandage on his stomach now covered.

She looked at him.. but.. didn't say anything else..

...........

Connie had told him to lay down while she went to go prepare some food for them. While the contents were cooking on the stove top, she'd went to go get the first aid kit from the bathroom. She'd patched his shoulder up first. Giving it a nice kiss on the bandage. That warmed him up a bit and he felt himself welling up again. But. Again.. He swallowed his feelings down.

Now she was about to go for his foot and he held his leg up.

"No, you can lay down now. I can fix your foot on the bed." she knelt down as he swung his leg back over. He laid back in bed, staring up at the ceiling.

He felt her place a towel under his foot and heard her open the kit.Then he felt her soft, nimble hands touching his foot. "You _really_ did a number on your foot, Steven.. there's glass everywhere." she pushed on a small part of his foot and he twitched his foot. "I know, I know.. but I have to get all of this out.. Thankfully the pieces aren't that small." she squeezed his foot some more, taking out the glass with tweezers. 

The process didn't take _too_ long but still, long enough for his liking.. She wrapped his foot a few times and closed the kit. "Alrighty." she stood up. "Feeling a bit better now?"

Steven sat up and pushed his self off the bed to stand up. "Steven, you didn't have to get up.." he placed his foot gently on the ground. It still hurt of course. But it was definitely better than earlier. 

He _truly_ was a very fortunate person to have Connie in his life.. She was just, such an amazing person. So smart, so caring, so funny.. She truly was something special to his heart. Just looking at her always made his heart flutter and his stomach dance. He smiled at her. "Thanks, Connie." 

She smiled back at him. "No probl-"

And he wouldn't stand the thought of.. something happening to her.. especially because of him.. 

His facial expression started to drop slowly. 

And how Amethyst just used Connie like that.. Would she had.. really killed Connie?..

Of course she would've..

He just wanted Connie to be safe.. To _always_ be safe..Even.. even if it means.. 

".. ven.. are you okay?" he barely heard her voice as he came back to the present. "..Steven?"

He wrapped his arms around her, giving her a big hug.

"What's-"

He opened his eyes in mid hug, realizing what he was doing. "Just uh.. want to give you a thank you hug." he tried to play it off. He hugged her more, trying to get more of that taste of reality that she was still here.. and in his arms. 

He heard her give him the smallest of chuckles. "It's no problem. Really Steven." she hugged him back. "No need to be sooo emotional about it." she joked.

His heart stopped. And his jaw dropped with his frantic expression.. Just hearing those words come from her.. 'No need to be so emotional'..

She would always joke like that. He _was_ an emotional person. And over the years of being with him she got to experience that first hand.. And over those years, she would joke from time to time about him getting so mushy and emotional over little stuff. It was cute to her. And he would always laugh with her about it. 

But now.. those words hit him in the chest like daggers. She was right. He's _ALWAYS_ so emotional..And he just. couldn't. help it!!

_And now look at you, Universe. You're about to cry again.. STOP being so emotional! _ His inner Amethyst demanded.

He closed his eyes again, clenching his teeth. Tensing up his muscles as he tried to ignore every.single. emotion. he had running through his mind..

"Steven." she whispered. "You're squeezing me a bit too hard."

He quickly snapped back to his reality. "Oh!" he let go. "Guess uh.. went a bit too overboard with my bear hug, huh? Heheh.." he scratched the back of his head.

"Uh..yeah.." she looked away before looking right back at him. "Let me just see if.. dinner's ready." she walked away from him and he placed his arms limp, back down to his side. 

She picked up the first aid kit and out it back in the bathroom. Then she washed her hands and walked out, going to the kitchen to check on the food. She was stirring the soup in the pan. "Yeah, it's just about done. I'll go set up the table." 

............

Connie had made something very light. Due to her thinking he still had a stomach bug, she went to fixing soup instead. And instead of cooking two different dishes, she decided to just make herself some too. Though hers had more of those fancy Indian spices she liked to use from time to time.

She took some more crackers out of the bag, sprinkling it over her soup. "And that was only _before_ we clocked out on our break." she shook her head. "I'm telling you, Steven. Dealing with those wacky customers is just." she chuckled, shaking her head again. "Eh, but anyway. I like the job in general. And my co-workers are doing an awesome job of keeping me sane and entertained." she smiled.

"Wow, Connie." he strained out a laugh. "That's great. Man, I'm so glad you really like_your_ job." he implied. Though she didn't catch the nuance.. And he was glad that she didn't.

"Why did you say it like that?"

_Damn! She did catch it! Darn it, Connie, you just haaave to be so smart!_ "Oh, uh, well.."

"You don't like your job?"

He was also relieve that she actually _didn't_ catch the nuance.. And of course she wouldn't. She didn't know that he was a Crystal Gem.

"Oh no! I do!! It's just that uh.." _ I DON'T have that stocker job and I want to get OUT of my ACTUAL job being a Crystal Gem! And.. And I want to go BACK to the life I had before!_ "I'm just.. trying to get used to everything now.. Getting up early, working a certain way, always have the higher ups on my back." He thought about Amethyst and her constantly grounding out how to perfect his duties as a gem.. He swallowed and held the tears back again.

For the fourth time during their talk while having dinner.

"Yeah." she nodded. "I can see that with you." she took the spoon up to her mouth. "But I know you. And you're Steven Universe. The one who can easily mold himself to ANY situation and be the star of the show. I know you'll do that super power thing where you just get everyone to like you." she smiled. 

Those words.. they were all true.. and now he had to be the opposite of that. 

He could feel the emotions coming back. "Oh.." he strained out, biting his bottom lip. "You're being too kind, Connie." he blinked a few times. Refusing to let anything out.

She had her head down, stirring the contents of her bowl. "Yeah." she chuckled. "You just have that effect on people. Like I said before.. it's like.. some sort of a super power that you have or something." he chuckled warmly. "You always seem to have that charm, sympathetic effect, that pull on people." she took a few spoonfuls of soup in her mouth.

Of all days she had to compliment him like that.. Well, she always complimented him. But now every compliment seemed to hit him and leave a bittersweet feeling in his chest. He felt more tears coming and he held his eyes open, trying to not clench them this time as he tried to keep his gaze at Connie. He gave her a.. painful looking smile.

"..eally is a gift that you have." she looked up. Then her expression.. dropped. "Steven? What's wrong?"

That powerful question.. A question that people ask that gets you to break down right in front of them. And he could feel the intense emotions coming back, by double. He clenched his eyes shut this time. Clenching his eyelids tight. The emotions were still rolling in and he felt a potential sob trying to escape out of his throat and he grabbed his mouth hard with both of his hands. 

Connie scooted back in her chair. "Do you need the trashcan?"

He didn't hear her. His mind too focused on forcing everything down and into his stomach. He burped and quickly swallowed the bile back down. 

He shook his head, forcing the wave of emotions further down until..

The wave was over.. It was much more intense then the others.. But at least it was over now..

He opened his eyes to see Connie putting the trashcan beside him. She had her hand on his back, rubbing small circles on his shirt.

"I.. I'm fine Connie." he breathed out. 

She stared into his eyes, slowly stopping her massage to a stop. She looked like she wanted to say something.

He kept his mouth shut. He didn't know what to say to her. And honestly now, it seemed like so _many_ little things were setting him off now.. He just didn't feel like talking.. Which also wasn't like him.. he always talks things out..

She finally broke away her stare. Frowning. "I.. think you should get some more rest." she said softly. "At least you did manage to eat something.. but I think you should let your stomach have a bit of a break now." 

"Y, yeah.. Yeah, that's not a bad idea." he got up from his seat and she slowly lifted her hand away from his back. 

Steven took his steps towards the bed. He laid down on his side. 

"Wait, try to sit up for right now. Let your stomach digest right." he slid up in bed and she took the pillows, propping them up behind him. "Thanks, Connie." another bout of emotions he had to ignore and swallow down.

"It's no problem, Steven." she kissed his temple. "Now, try to get some sleep." she walked away and started clearing the table. 

"Night, Connie."

"Night, Steven." she made her way to the kitchen with the dishes. 

.............

_He could hear screams and gunshots all around him. He opened his eyes to see dead bodies scattered across the floor of the restaurant in front of him._

_The red hue of the restaurant seemed to grow a darker shade of red as he looked at the scene in front of them. He started crying. "Who did this?!"_

_"It was you!" said a voice._

Steven turned around. It was the Mohawk guy. His chest pried open. Blood steadily spilling out with every step. 

_"What?" Steven couldn't believe what he was hearing. He didn't believe him. _

_You heard me, murderer. It. was._you."

_Steven shook his head. "No it wasn't! It wasn't me! I, I would never do that! I-" he heard a sound of a bullet firing from below him. Mohawk looked at the bullet hole at the bottom of his stomach before falling down. There was another sound of a gun firing below him and he looked down. He was holding a gun in his hand. His finger still wrapped around the trigger."_

_"No.." he dropped the gun. "No.. no.. nonononono!!" he backed away from the guy and tripped over a dead body. He scream getting back up. He looked down to see the gun in his hand again. "NOOOO!!" he threw it and looked right at his hands. They slowly started to turn a rust color, as blood tainted his skin. The blood growing, coloring his whole hands in blood, then to his arms and up his body. He screamed as the thick substance covered his face. _

Steven woke up, covered in sweat. He was still sitting up. And in the dark room, say for the red and blue lights flickering on their walls from a police light in it's box outside of their apartment. He looked up at the clock. _10:02p.m_ He looked at Connie. Her back was facing him. Snoring softly under the covers. 

He took the pillows from his back and put them all at the foot of the bed but one. He laid his head down on it, laying down on his side. He took a breath, closing his eyes again.

_He could hear screaming and gunshots. He opened his eyes. He was back at the restaurant. This time, all of the bodies were around his feet. Some of them laying lifeless on his shoes._

_He tried to pull his feet out but couldn't._

_Then. The bodies started moving. Slowly getting up and showing their black holes for eyes, their dead skin flaking of their faces. Steven screamed, pushing his feet out of their grasps. He fell to the floor, over top of one of them. He got up and started running. And running.. And running.. The hall of the restaurant seemed to stretch on. _

_He looked back. They were still running after him. They were so close to him. He turned back around, trying to pick up his pace, but he couldn't._

_The red hue of the hallways only darkened to a deeper red as the hallways began to narrow in on him. More running. But without picking up more speed._

_Then. He saw the hallway curve around in a bin. He ran around the corner and bumped into someone. He fell back. And looked up._

_It was Amethyst._

_And she did_ not _look happy.._

_"Amethyst!"_

_"WHY are you running away! Kill them!"_

_"But-"_

_"Not listening to me?" she shrugged. "Okay." she took out a gun._

_He screamed, covering his face._

_He heard the gun fire and he screamed louder._

_Then. it was silent.. He opened his eyes to look down at his body. He didn't see anything. He.. didn't get hit._

_"Steven!" a voice screamed out behind him._

_It sounded. Like Connie!_

_He turned around.. To see her laying lifeless in a pool of her own blood.. Gunshot wounds to her chest._

_"CONNIE!!" he ran towards her, holding into her body. "NO, CONNIE!!" he shook her body, trying to wake her up. He could feel the tears start to come back. He clenched his eyes. Not letting them fall._

_"Get his ass too."_

_"Huh?!" he looked up from Connie's body and saw everyone running up to him. "NO!! NO, I'M SORRY!!" He screamed as they closed the gape between them. He bent forward, trying to cover Connie's body as they all started jumping on him. _

_He screamed._

Steven jolted awake. Deep breathing. He turned to Connie. She was now facing him. Still asleep. And snoring.

Just the look of her sleeping peacefully and the sound of her snores.. He felt so relieved that she was still alive. 

He scooted up to her, wrapping his arm around her. He gave her a kiss on her cheek and laid back down right in front of her face. He didn't want to be any further away from her. He wanted her close to him.. As if he could shield her from any harm.. As if she would leave and never come back if he were to let go..

He felt his emotions come back again and he quickly dismissed them through tensing his mouth and closing his eyes. Deep breathing. Even crying of relief he didn't want.. He needed to be stronger. He had to get used to not crying over every. little. thing..No matter _HOW_ relieved he was that she was still there.

He slid his face closer. Their noses touching. And he could feel her warm breath on his chin. He loved it. Gave him assurance that she was still here. And alive. And with him.. He took a deep breath after riding out his emotions.

"Goodnight, Connie." he whispered. And kept his eyes closed..

_It was a beautiful day._

_The sun was shining. The birds were chirping. And the breeze was blowing their locks of hair all around their face. They laughed._

_"Wow, Connie. It really is a beautiful day today." he told his girlfriend. She was sitting between his legs. Both of her legs draped over his thigh as she sat sideways. She had her arms around his neck._

_"Isn't it?!" she said. "It feels like summer already!!" _

_"Hey, if the weather stays like this, maybe we could go swimming!" then he had a thought. Wiggling his eyebrows. "Ooooor, better yet._ Skinny _dipping." he whispered in her ear. _

_"Oh, Steven." she laughed. And he leaned in nibbling on her earlobe._

_She chuckled some more and he went to her neck. Kissing her soft skin up and down. He heard her breathe out. He pulled away. "Then after the skinny dipping, we caaaaan." he leaned over giving her a kiss. She tightened her arms around him as they made out._

_He trailed his hands down to her waist and down her thighs. Then he pulled away again. "I love you, Connie." _

_"I love you too." she leaned in this time, continuing their kissing. _

_He pulled away from her soft lips. "You know.. maybe we can just skip the skinny dipping and go right to the fun part." he whispered. He leaned in more, going for her lips again._

_"But we can't.. I'm already dead."_

_He stopped and leaned back. "What-"_

_Connie's face was cracked.. and peeling. Her glasses showing black circles. Her mouth slightly agape._

_"Connie!!" he grabbed her arms._

_"You've already killed me, Steven." her voice was so calm and it sounded so far away._

_"No, no I didn't! I, I haven't! Y, you're right here! You're in my arms!!" he quickly hugged her. "See?! Y, you're right here. You're in my arms!" Another wave of emotions and he clenched his eyes. _

_"No, Steven.. look again.." he heard Connie say._

_He did. He opened his eyes and. she was gone. She wasn't there anymore. He looked around the flowered meadow. "Connie!!" the area started to slowly decay around him.. The grass, the flowers, the trees.. And the sky started to turn a murky red. "CONNIE!!" he went to push his self up and saw.. her tombstone underneath of his feet. He jumped back, looking at the gray plaque in the ground. "NO!!" _

_"It was your job, Steven.. it was you... And I suffered because of that.." he heard her voice in the air as the wind grew more forceful._

_"No!" he shouted into the wind. "I, I just want to keep you safe!!" he felt his tears coming. But he wouldn't let them fall._

_He held down his emotions again._

_"But you didn't.. And I'm dead.. because of you.."_

_"Connie, please!! I just wanted to keep you safe!!" _

_"AND WHAT GOOD DID THAT DO!" it didn't sound like her voice.. In a cold, shrill hiss._

_"Yeah, good riddance." he heard a voice behind him._

_He turned around to see Amethyst. Garnet and Pearl were on either side of her. And behind them were the customers and the rivals from both the Acid Plant and the restaurant. He could easily pick out Jesse and Mohawk._

_They were all standing in front of him, wearing black suits and white shades. _

_Even he was wearing the same exact attire._

_"Aye, don't look at me all sad like that. I told you it just comes with the job." she walked towards him slowly. Hands in her suit pants pocket._

_"But I need her!"_

_"And I NEED you to become a better Crystal Gem!" she pointed a finger at him. The other hand stayed in her pocket._

_"WHY CAN'T I JUST DO BOTH!! WHY CAN'T I HELP PEOPLE AND BE A CRYSTAL GEM!!"_

_She looked at him with such contempt and disgust. "Because.. it just doesn't work like that." she raised her other arm out of her pocket and gave the gun to Garnet. Then, without any other words spoken, Garnet raised her hand up and fired the gun. Hitting him. He tried to scream out, but couldn't. He felt every single bullet hit his chest._

He jolted awake again and turned his head. Connie wasn't there.

_CONNIE!! SHE'S NOT HERE!! SHE'S NOT HERE!! WHERE DID SHE GO?! SHE'S DEAD!! SHE'S-_ he heard the toilet flush in the bathroom and he felt instant relief.. And then he also felt a bit silly.. It was only a dream.. Why did he freak out like that..

He heard the faucet turn off and the door open. He closed his eyes, trying to feign sleep.

He felt a dip in the bed and a kiss on his forehead.

He was starting to come down from his wave of emotion again. And. with a slightly clear mind.. he started to come back to the present. The feel of the covers. The sound of cars driving outside. The feel of his cold sweat dripping down his chest. And.. 

The feel of his boxers hugging his erection.. Which was no doubt, caused by the beginning of the dream..

He ignored it and took a few breaths. His mind was still fogging in and out of the present.. 

He looked up at the clock. _12:36a.m._ He took another deep breath and closed his eyes.

_This time, he was back at the Acid Plant. He didn't see anyone there with him. Just the burning smell of the acid.. And the steam.. and the dark red hues of the basement. He stood there._

_"Well, well, well..Look what we got here, M."_

_Steven turned to his left. Jesse and Mohawk were walking from the hole in the wall that the Gems' car had made. The car. Or the gems. Nowhere to be found._

_"Looks like we have Mr. Murderer over here all by his self." said Jesse._

_"Guys!" Steven turned to face them fully. "I.. you're still alive!" _

_Jesse shook his head. Flakes of dead skin and meat fell from his skull. "Nope. Far from it. But eeeh,_ acid_ under the bridge." he "joked."_

_"So we're.. uh, you're.. okay with everything?" Steven said through his shaky voice. He had this bit of hope that Jesse had forgiven him._

_"Of course not." Mohawk chimed in. The two side pieces of chest wide opened and moving in and out like paper with his every breath. "We're gonna do you in." he took out his sword from behind his back._

_"What?!"_

_"Yeah, man. We're gonna torture your ass." _

_"NO!!" Steven screamed. He turned around and started running away from them. _

_"You can't outrun us!!" Mohawk shouted._

_Steven continued to run, bobbing and weaving pass the round containers of acid as the steam and liquid popped up from their containers and back in. _

_He was nearing a door.. He turned around. The two men were right behind him. He turned back around, arm out as he managed to reach the door. He opened it and a spout of hot acid spewed up in front of him. He fell back, not wanting to get hit with the liquid. Then he felt hands on his shoulders as they pressed him down on the ground. It was Jesse's hands. "Time. To pay. The price!" he hissed out. _

_Steven flailed under the man's weight._

.......

Connie woke up to the sound of whimpering and the covers rustling in beside her. She turned over.

Steven's face was glistening with sweat. His face contorted. Her was shaking his head and moving his arms and legs under the covers.

"Steven."

.........

_"Steven!" Mohawk came over with his sword, looking down at the boy. His opened chest showing his ribs and his organs. He pivoted towards him. "Looks like we're gonna have our little revenge." he lifted up his sword as Jesse held him down. "Let's see how YOU feel being cut open!" he brought his sword down. _

.........

"NO!!!" Steven shouted in his sleep. He failed his arms out of the covers.

"Steven! Wake up!"

He screamed.

..............

_Mohawk continued to slice at his chest and his stomach. Steven, feeling every hit of the blade._

_Jesse finally let go and turned to him. "Now it's MY turn." he took his hands and started ripping the skin off of him. "Steven!!"_

_He screamed, flailing under them as every slice of the blade came down and every sharp claws of Jesse's hand ripped pieces of him. _

_"Steven!!" they both cackled together. "There's no getting away from us, Steven!!" they cut and pulled at his body. More screaming from the boy. "Steven!!" they cackled. "Steven!!_

.........

"Steven!!"

He snapped open awake in a cold sweat. Hyperventilating. Eyes dilated as he stared up at the ceiling.

Connie pulled him in, quickly consoling him. "Shh, shhh. It was only a dream.." she laid her head on his. Rubbing his back.

Another terrifying dream. He just kept having them and having them.. He just felt guilty.. disgusting.. and

He had to ignore the thoughts and the emotions coming back out. He pushed his head more into Connie's chest, forcing everything back down. But the waves just kept coming. Every wave bigger than the last and he felt the sob rush to the top of his throat. He swallowed a couple times. Deep, panted breathing. He shook his head in her shirt. Getting another intense wave of guilt.. and sadness.. wrapped in a bundle of other emotions he had tried to push down before.. Every single thing was coming back up.. He clenched his hands. One hand on the sheet in front of him and the other, on the pillow. The wave only continued. 

But he couldn't cry. He wouldn't..

He wouldn't allow it to happen. Ever.

He heard mumbling from Connie. Incoherent and muffled. He was too focused on ignoring every single thing around him now as he used all of his energy and fragile mental state to shove everything back down. 

The wave was slowly started to calm down. And he started to calm his breathing down.

".. ven. Please.. say something." he could finally hear Connie's sweet voice again.

"I'm." he cleared his throat. "fine, Connie."

"Steven.. don't lie to me.." she said softly. The soft vibrations of her voice resonated through her chest. He kept his head there. 

"Steven." she hugged him tighter. "What's_ really_ wrong." 

_I'm a Crystal Gem!! A thief! A murderer! A monster! And.. I'm scared for everyone's life! And for YOUR life! And.. and I can't go back!! Connie, they've BROKE me and there's NO GOING BACK! _ Emotions.. emotions.. in waves.. again.. The sob immediately in his throat. He pulled his hands up to his mouth and Connie leaned back. "Steven!!" she gave him some room.. but he held back everything.. The emotions, the feelings.. the bile.. He swallowed them all down. And slowly.. he let his arms drop from his mouth. 

She was looking at his tired, red eyes. She took a breath.. "It wasn't the food.. was it? This has nothing to do with you eating anything bad.."

He didn't answer her verbally, but he threw his arms around her in a tight embrace, pushing his head up against her chest again. That gave her her answer..

She returned the hug. 

They stayed there in their hug in silence until Connie spoke back up. "I'm.. honestly worried about you, Steven.. You've been acting.. odd lately.. And you're night terrors are coming back." 

He wanted to tell her every single thing. He wanted to SO bad.. But.. he couldn't.. His life as a Crystal Gem was to always remain secret..

"Steven." she combed the top of his hair. Her other hand holding him close. "Is it.. was it about Andy again?" she whispered.

PLEASE!.. Why did she have to bring him up?! 

He shook his head in her shirt.

"Did you.. want to talk about it?"

_YES!!_ He shook his head in her shirt again.

"Okay..Maybe.. later.." she kissed his forehead and started rubbing his back again.

They laid there in silence.

Until Connie started singing a beautiful song that he still didn't know the translation to. She'd sung it the first time while he was still in his dark place.. And it seemed to calm him down. And, from then on out, they would either talk things out and or she would sing him that nice song.. Heh, a grown boy getting calmed and lulled by some song.. But.. it was nice.. really nice.. And it always seemed to do the trick.

And he could feel his nerves start to ease ad he listened more to her comforting voice..

He felt himself start to drift off to sleep..

.........

Throughout the rest of the night, Connie held him close. Rubbing his back, kissing his forehead. And singing that song to him. 

And every now and again he would wake up from another nightmare only to already be in her arms and quickly consoled by her hug and her comforting words and lulled by the same song. 

She could feel herself slowly nodding off to sleep, but she quickly woke herself back up.

She had to stay up for him. She had to make sure that he was okay..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song that Connie is singing to Steven is this one. 
> 
> https://youtu.be/c3Rah9hgseA
> 
> The only thing is that it's not in Tamil.. (which is what she speaks).. But my GOODNESS I love this little lullaby SO much, I had to have Connie sing it to him. It just sounds so calming and beautiful.
> 
> It's in Thai, by the way. For anyone who wants to know.


	35. Cocoon

Steven jolted awake fom another nightmare. And he felt Connie's arms around him and rubbing his back. He relaxed once more.. Just like all of the other times throughout the night. 

She was singing the last few words of the song. Holding the note as she caressed his back. She gave him another long kiss on his forehead. 

He took a deep breath.. 

"Are you okay?" she asked tiredly.

"Yeah." he whispered out the lie. He looked at her tired eyes. He leaned up slowly and she loosened her grip around him. "Did you.. get any sleep last night?" 

"No. I ..Stayed up all night."

"Connie."

"It's okay." she waved him off. "It's not like I have training today anyway. I can just take a nap later on today." 

"I.. still feel pretty bad.."

"Don't be. Don't worry about it. I'm more worried about _your_ well being than mine."

_And_ I'm_ more worried about_ your _ well being than mine_.. He looked at her. Giving her a sad look.

"Steven, please don't be like that. I _wanted_ to do it." she leaned up on her elbow. Her other arm still draped around his side and her eyes still on him. "So. Are you planning on going back to sleep? Or you're hungry?.. or..?"

"I'm fine, Connie." he shook his head. "You should really get some sleep. You look really tired."

He watched as her eyelids drooped down to a close as she fell slightly forward. Only to lean back up. "Huh? No.. I'm okay. I'm not that tired." 

"Connie, please get some rest." he saw her drift off again. Her mouth slowly opening. She nodded back awake. "But you-"

"You need your rest, Connie." he kissed her on her temple. "Get some sleep..Can you do that.. for me?..Please?"

He got her with the 'for me' part.. He'd used that a few times before and just like the other times.. She'd complied. 

"Okay.. But, if you _do_ need anything. To talk. Or anything. Please don't hesitate to wake me back up." she said in a tired breath.

"I'll.. keep that in mind." he definitely wouldn't wake her back up. He would let her get her rest. He slid of the bed. "Goodnight, Connie."

Her head was already on the pillow. Out like a light.

He looked at the clock. _7:43a.m._ He still had a little more than an hour until he was to meet up with the gems.

He went to the bathroom and came back out. Then he went to the closet to take out his clothes for the day. A pair of jeans, a plain gray shirt and a dark gray jacket. He put them on the bed and took his toiletries off the dresser. Then went into the bathroom and brushed his teeth, take his shower and bandaged and wrapped everything up again: his shoulder, the cut on his stomach, his foot and his acid bitten ear.. He left his face untouched. The cuts and gashes having healed for the most part. 

He stepped out the bathroom. Connie was still fast asleep. Snoring. 

He put the toiletries back on the dresser, put his clothes on and walked into the kitchen. 

As if on auto pilot, his body started preparing his breakfast: Putting bread in the toaster oven. Getting a butter knife out. Getting the butter and the jelly out the fridge. Getting the peanut butter out one of the cabinets. Waiting listlessly in front of the toaster oven for the bread to pop out..

He sat down at the counter with two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on a paper plate and a cup of milk. He nibbled at the crust. Taking the sandwich in bit by bit. And swallowing it dry.. and more so from his dry, tense throat instead of the dry sandwich itself.

It took him awhile to finish them. But he did. And now he had _some_ kind of food in his stomach to possibly get him through the day..

He picked up the cup of milk and drunk the rest of it down and wiped his mouth off with a napkin. He put it inside the paper plates, folded it up and threw it in the trashcan. 

Then he went back to sit down at the counter. Sitting. And sitting.. And sitting..

All night he was thinking about everything that had happened from the time he left the convenient store that particular night.. all the way up to where he was now.. Everything seemed to be going fine. Until the event at the Acid Plant happened a couple days ago.. and he was stuck in his emotional trance. Then yesterday he had to shut down that said, emotional trance. And then today he felt. Empty. He went from being extremely emotional to holding every single thing in to.. feeling absolutely nothing.

He was finally learning to hold down his emotions. No outbursts. Nothing. Even though throughout the whole morning he was in deep thought about everything. He still didn't feel the need to cry. Nothing. All of his emotions were being held down perfectly. He was to be stronger. To be. A proper Crystal Gem..

And, while he didn't care for this empty, cocoon-like state he was in (he didn't have any sadness persé _to_ truly care) he just shrugged it off and safely assumed that he would get used to it. Like everyone said he would. And today, he finally started to believe them. 

............

He looked back at the clock again. _8:49a.m._ "Alright, Universe. Time to get going." he said to himself. He got up out of this chair and walked pass the bed, catching another glimpse of Connie still sleeping soundly. 

Then he quickly remembered about the shirt that he was so close to leaving without.

He walked over. Standing right in front of his Connie. She just looked so peaceful, so at ease.. so beautiful in the afternoon light shining on her..

How did a guy like him end up with a girl like her..

And.. he just wants her to be safe.. That's all he wants.. For her to be safe.. Away from harms way.. 

Shockingly, his emotions came back. And he closed his eyes tightly again and shut his mouth. So tight that his front teeth was hitting into his bottom lip. He kept that going. His eyes, his mouth.. and now his hands clenching into fists. _I thought you were over these emotions! You were doing SO good all morning! DON'T mess it up!! You NEED to be strong! Remember.. it was YOUR stupid crying that got people killed yesterday! And it was YOUR love of life and not wanting to kill that guy that put Connie at the top of Amethyst's list!! Pull. Yourself. Together!_ The truth hurt. Hearing that from his own self. That he was the cause of more deaths and he was the cause of Connie's life on the line. And while he did feel a huge bout of emotion from those two revelations, he just.. did what he'd been doing since yesterday evening and that's.. 

He swallowed. Everything was being pushed back down again. Good. He'd quickly composed his self. 

He bent down and kissed Connie's soft cheek. "I love you, Connie." he cleared his throat. "I love you.. soo much." _DON'T start back up.._. Another swallow down of emotions and he went to the other side of the bed. He unwrapped the tethered clothes and pulled out his torn Crystal Gem shirt.

He made his way over to the door and just as he was about to slide his feet in, he saw the dried up blood on one of them. _Oh yeah.. that's right.._ He just picked both of them up instead of just that one and went to the bathroom. _Good thing Connie didn't see that.. she would've had more questions as to why the flip flop had blood on it.._

He turned the sink water on and quickly washed the flip flops with soap and water. He cleaned and wiped the counter off, threw tissue in the small garbage bin they had in the bathroom and walked to the door. He slipped the flip flops on and left out the house.

He opened the main door to see a father and his son, who looked to be about twelve or thirteen, playing in the parking lot. They were running around a white Winnebago van with water hoses in their hand. 

The chubby, curly headed kid was laughing it up in his husky, child-like laughter. He sprayed his dad in the face. "OOOOHHH!! Got you again dad!" 

"I let you do that, son!" his dad ran after him. His long brown mullet, flowing in the breeze and the top of his bald head shining in the morning sun. He sprayed the top of his son's head with the hose.

Steven watched as father and son alike, ran around, bonding and having fun in the parking lot.

He'd only wished that he had a bond like _that_ with his father..But alas..-

He turned around, ignoring the two, walking away from them.

Then he heard a "Hey, mister!"

He turned around and was met with a splash of water to his mid section. "Wh, what?" Steven was so appalled, he couldn't form his words correctly. He just narrowed his eyes at the happily grinning, rosey-cheeked boy, laughing and bouning on his toes. The water still flowing from the hose in his hands.

He saw the dad running over.

"Hey, man. You need to control that kid." Steven pointed at the oblivious, bouncing boy.

"Gregory!" his father came running to his side, taking the hose out the boy's hands. He looked up at Steven, chuckling nervously. "Heheh, sorry about that.. Shtu-ball here can get a bit carried away at times." he hugged his son from the side.

"Yeah.. I can see that." Steven said wringing out his shirt. 

"Hey uh.." his dad scratched the back of his head. "How about I give you a few free car wash premium cards? You know, for the inconvenience." 

"Neh, don't bother." Steven tried to not sound too aggravated as he rung the last bit of water out of his jacket. "I don't have a car."

"Oh." the father looked embarrassed. "Heheh, right.. Well, um..maybe.. you know someone else who do? I don't know.. I kinda feel bad about my son spraying you.""

The clock from the Mayor's Hall sounded. _Nine a.m.._

_I need to get going.._

"..or maybe giving the cards to someone you know won't be fair to _you_ because _you_ were the one that got sprayed not them." the farmer's-tanned man scratched his head in thought. "Hm, maybe I could do something else for y-"

"Yeah, uh, pops. I _really_ need to get going.. Gotta go to work."

"OH, yeah, yeah, yeah, sure." he held his hands up in a placating manner. "Wouldn't want to cause a young man to be late for his job."

Steven started walking away.

"But, but if you DO need something, please let me know!" the boy's dad yelled back. "And the offer for those free car wash cards is still on the table!"

Steven nodded and waved a hand, not bothering to look back.

He wound the bin to the alley, right on the side of his apartment. They were riding in the Inkas Mercedes G63 AMG Armored limo again. It was looking shinier than ever. _Hm. Must've gotten it cleaned up since yesterday._

The back doors flew open. And nobody came out.

He gave out an overly exaggerated, aggravated, tired sigh. _Looks like we're doing this once again.._He took a deep breath. He was just so emotionally exhausted. He was simply. done.. with everything.. BUT, he reminded himself. He has to stay calm, still and professional. And right now, he needed to focus on his early, pop quiz-esque training.

He took a stance. Looking around. Up ahead of him, behind him. Up, down. On each sides. He didn't see anyone. And he tried to strain his ears to hear anything.. Even a little scrap on something.. But he didn't. Nothing. And he waited. On alert.

And waited

And waited..

Then, he heard a slight creak of the dumpster just a few in front of him as a thick, purple rope wrapped around it. The whip threw the dumpster towards him and in a panic he gave a small squeal of shock before barely lunging away. He watched as the dumpster slid pass the building and out in the open. Trash scattered across in one filthy line. He heard laughing in front of him and he turned back around. Amethyst. With her mask and jumpsuit on.

He got up. A plain expression on his face. "Hello, Amethyst." he said professionally. At this point, he didn't care about almost getting hit with a dumpster or her finding it oh so funny.. He just felt.. numb.. But, at least he didn't have an inkling to cry anymore.

"You're getting better. I'm proud of you." she nodded with a smirk. Then she looked at his damp shirt. "Your shirt's wet." 

"Yeah.. my neighbor's annoying son thought it would be funny to spray me with the water hose." he said plainly. 

"Nice." she snickered. Then she looked him up and down and went back up, stopping at his face. "And you look.. better today. More serious. And cold." she nodded again. "That's nice."

"Thank you." he kept his plain expression as he walked towards the car. 

"Yeah. I think you may be a decent Crystal Gem after all." she watched as he opened the door. "Thank you." he said again and got in.

He sat down, taking in the fresh citrus smell of the clean car. He closed the door and gave each gem a nod. "Pearl." he nodded. She nodded back and got out the car. "Garnet." he nodded and immediately looked away, before she could even give him an acknowledgement nod back. And quite frankly, he didn't care. Didn't give a crap. If she nodded back, then she nodded back. If she didn't, she didn't. Who cares. Wasn't like they were friends from the get go. They're only henchmen under Amethyst's reign. And nothing more. And..he was accepting that. He seemed to be accepting a _lot_ of things he didn't think he would ever accept.

Amethyst got into the car and a few moments later Pearl got back in.

"Garnet." Amethyst gestured up with her chin towards the street in front of them.

Garnet shifted gears and drove off. Making sure to not hit the trash or the dumpsters. She pulled into the street.

"Alright, Talc." Amethyst began. "You'll be going to one of our five main buildings where our gadgets and weapons are built. You're going to see a lot of our techies running and zipping around everywhere. Or, actually. Then again, maybe not because today is a slow day.. Well, anyway, you'll be seeing them here and there. BUT. Our _main_ girl is Peridot. She's the boss of all of them. She's the one who we'll be talking to and she's the one who'll get you fitted and do different tests and whatnot on you." 

Steven took a double take in his mind. "Wait. Tests?" he tried to not sound like he was freaking out.. And just like all of the other emotions, he had to swallow down his fear and constantly being so frantic all of the time. He swallowed and cleared his throat. "Uh, you mean.. like I'll be getting stuck with needles and everything?" 

Amethyst snorted. "What? You think she's, some sort of an alien or something??" she laughed harder. "Yeah, if Perry was an alien, she would be some kind of sapient, space rock or something since she's _aaalways _ talking about meteorites and all that lame, scientific space ish." she laughed some more before calming back down. She met his eyes back at the rearview mirror again. "Neh, dude. To answer your question, she's just going to give you like, simple endurance tests and give you a physical." 

"A.. physical?" 

"Yup. So I hope you washed your balls last night because she's gonna touch them." 

"What?!"

Amethyst burst out laughing. "Dude, I'm kidding. She's not going to do that, relax." she shook her head. "Man, you really do fall for anything. No, but seriously though. She _is_ going to give you a physical. But she's not going to go as far as groping your hang down, dude." then a wry smile came across her face and she wiggled her eyebrows. "Though you _will_ have to drop your pants." 

He looked at her. A slight blush on his cheeks. 

She laughed some more, shaking her head. "Aw man, che. You are just too cute..and _so_ easy to tease." 

Then she looked at the tablet screen in front of her, looking at the map on the screen. "Alright, Talc. Sit back and relax. This is going to be a three hour ride." she pushed a button on the side of her armrest and the foot rest popped out. Then she leaned back in her seat and pressed another button. The top of the chair going back slowly. She let go of the button and got comfortable. Putting her arms back behind her head to lean on them. 

"Okay." he looked at his seat. There were a few buttons across the inside of the left arm rest. He pressed on one that indicated the foot rest and it popped up. He didn't bother putting the chair farther back and instead, laid back in his seat and looked over. Pearl was already laying down and relaxing in her chair. Her foot rest also up and her eyes glued to her phone. 

Actually, _he_ still needed a phone.. And he wondered if he would have to buy one himself or if the Gems have specific GemTech phones that he would need to have for himself. He made a mental note to ask about that later.. Maybe at that tech place since it seemed like the best place to ask.

He looked out the window, looking at the fluffy white clouds in the sky and feeling the smooth ride of the car. He felt himself drift off to sleep and he quickly snapped himself awake. He may be numb and okay. But sleeping was a different story. And he didn't feel like having a dream tap into his subconscious and forming into another nightmare. That would be all he needed.. _Especially_ in front of the gems..

In front of Amethyst..

Instead, to pass the time, he simply decided to look out the window.. and watch the cars go by..


	36. The Verification Process

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back guys!! :D  
Sorry, haven't been feeling well for the past couple of weeks but yeahh, I still managed to whip up some slop xP
> 
> Majority of these next seven chapters are pretty mental dialogue heavy with Steven still dealing with his issues and whatnot.
> 
> Aaaaaanywho, this is the building that they're in. Except, it's _black_ glass.
> 
> https://images.app.goo.gl/eyiSnSshohXqLJGN6
> 
> And this is how it looks when they're in the elevator/when they're at the top of the building:
> 
> https://images.app.goo.gl/wEkWBrGgZvcjUmWM6

Without his phone, without anyone talking, without so much as a radio playing the sports station, on _top_ of trying to stay awake and not be lulled to sleep by the soft vibrations of the car, the three hours that took for them to drive to the building felt like eight, nine hours to him..

In his half lidded stare out the window, right on the cusp of nodding off to sleep once more, he heard Amethyst's voice cut through the thick, still silence of the car and he quickly snapped out of his daydream. 

"Yo, you heard me, che?" he trailed his tired eyes up to the rearview mirror to meet her eyes as he slowly slid himself up in his seat. "I said we're here. Wake yourself up." 

"Mhm." he mumbled and picked at the corner of one of his eyes. 

Garnet was driving on a small strip only made for one lane. The sleek, silver, bridge-like road was arched in a curve, bending towards the silver, paved ground that was the front of the platform of the building. 

Steven looked out his window, pressing his forehead up against the glass to see more of the area. Underneath of the thin road they were on, a light blue body of water flowed underneath of them. It looked so clean, so clear. And when he looked closer, he could see salmon jumping out of the water and back in with a small, graceful splash. It was calming..

Then he saw a hawk fly from underneath of the bridge. _Oh, cool. This place have hawks too-_ the bird swooped down and took a fish that'd hopped up from the water. Its talons clamped down on its prey as it flew on pass and across the river. His mood dropped.. _Poor fish..Looks like he won't see another day.._ he shook his head. _Whatever. Nature is made up of a food chain.. Don't show pity to that fish, Universe.. man up!.._

He looked up. There was another futuristic-esque winding road much further down from them that also looked to be arching and ending at the dark green foliage of the platform. 

And then. Steven turned and looked forward. His cheek pressing against the window. There was a huge glass building in front of them. Glass. Black glass. And the shiny glass building gleamed and reflected the sun's light from all angles. It was breathtaking. And of course. Futuristic. 

"Wow.." he breathed out. 

"Pretty cool, huh?" he heard Amethyst say.

"The coolest." the more he looked at the shiny, ever looming building, his breath was being taken away more and more. "Did they make this too? The techies?" he was still staring out his window as Garnet drove down the road, the arch ending and reaching the platform ahead of them. They were nearing a parking lot filled with fancy trucks and sports cars. He'd even saw two helicopters just parked ever so casually in the lot.

"Duh, dude. These folks aren't techies slash engineers for nothing. They've made this building, this whole parking lot." she gestured with her arms out and spreading them. "That bridge back there." she jammed a thumb behind her. "Our jumpsuits and all of our other clothes, your shirt." he looked at the torn shirt in his hands. "and even the body of water that you were gawking at." 

"What?! No way!" he looked back, catching the last bit of a glimpse of the water as the edge of the platform slowly started to obscure it the further Garnet drove way from the bridge. He turned back around. "But. It looks so lifelike!" 

"Hologram, dude."

"What?! But.. but the fish jumping out! And I even saw a bird grab one out of the water!!"

Amethyst only chuckled. Her "secondhand narcissism" for the techies. She nodded. "GemTech hologram dude. These people are the _best_ at what they do."

"Wow.." he breathed out again. That was sure something.. Those techies must be some intelligent, brilliant people..

Then a slight, horrified part of his mind echoed out how they could definitely make (or most likely _have_ already made) some serious, dangerous mass destruction weapons.. and another mind told him that they could also (and have probably done so as well) hacked all kinds of technological systems throughout the States.. heck, maybe throughout the world! 

He swallowed a bit of fear and anxiety down.

_Maybe I shouldn't get on their nerves and try to stay on their good side.._ He looked over at Amethyst. _And my boss too.. I need to try and stay on_ her _good side as well._ He turned to look at Garnet, then at Pearl. _All three of them actually.. Heck, the Crystal Gems as a whole.._

Garnet was driving towards the connector of the two cylindrical buildings. She drove the car to the solid, black, GemTech gate. 

"CGVU. Scan GemTechCo base unit 141."

"Voice code verification to proceed." hummed the male voice. 

"Garnet." she said her name. "Code: zero, seven, one, seven, one, nine, eight, nine."

A few moments and then a "Voice code recognized." then a beat later. "Scanning." 

A red laser formed horizontally in front of the car. The light swept down in front of the gate before it winked out. 

They waited.

"I have been informed of one trying to verify this vehicle's information."

"Open up the line." said Garnet

"Answering the line." said the voice.

The tablet in front of them blinked from a plain, white screen to live video feed of a dark figure from the mid chest on up. The video, near dark. 

"State your purpose." the voice was deep and gravelly. No doubt from a voice changer. 

"Garnet. Code: zero, seven, one, seven, one, nine, eight, nine. I am here with Amethyst, Pearl and a plus one. He goes by Talc. We are here to have him fitted for his gadgets." 

Silence.

Then there was a click of a button in front of the shadowed, hooded figure. "I have proceeded with the next verification process." it said. 

A horizontal red light shot out from the gate, scanning the car. The figure turned slightly, looking at something. "The vehicle has been verified." it said. "Now for the next verification process." it clicked on another button.

Four small poles pulled up from the ground on each door of the car. The tablet right at the top of them. Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl rolled down their windows and started typing in their information. The figure waiting patiently on the screen of the tablet in front of the car. 

Steven looked at the screen of the tablet. And looked at it.. And.. looked at it..He didn't know what to put in it.. So he just gawked at the screen. It was the first time he'd saw it up close and personal. There were so many symbols and numbers scattered across the white screen. And he noticed that, under the symbol and numbers and icons was a closed flower of a rose as the background skin for the home screen. 

"Pearl, put the necessary information in for a plus one. Training code 995. Before that thing starts to alarm." Amethyst said, pointing at the tablet beside Steven.

Pearl nodded. She unbuckled her seatbelt and took her steps over to Steven. He leaned up as she leaned over him and to the window. He immediately got a huge wiff of her perfume. The scent immediately sending his hormones to sky rocket and go down between his legs. It was a mixture of some kind of citrus and cocoa.. It wasn't too strong. It was.. just a soft, fruity smell.

_What the heck is in that perfume?! If only he could ask her. He could've gotten Connie a few bottles of that._ He felt himself tingle, just thinking about her wearing that perfume in bed..

Pearl was putting in the last number into the tablet.

And.. he _should've_ been paying attention to what she had put in. But, he didn't. And it was too late now. She was already pulling away and pressing the button for the window to go up. 

"...an proceed now that all accounts have been verified." said the dark, mysterious voice in the tablet. "Drive down to the last door on the left." One square of the gate started to push up from the ground. It stopped just above the top of the tall squares on either side of it. A silver opening was shown in front of them.

"Thank you." said Garnet. She shifted the car in drive and drove through the small tunnel. 

Steven looked out his window to see square holes about a few inches apart from each other on each side of the tunnel. They all had miniature.. what looked to be like cannons inside of the holes. The neck of the cannons shifting and following the car.

Steven leaned back, pulling his face away from the tinted windows.

Garnet drove to the end of the tunnel, where two three feet tall cannons on either side of the car was posted in the two corners. Their necks bend down and pointed at the car. 

"We're here. Ready to proceed when you're ready." said Garnet.

"Yeees, yes, yes, yes.. I can clearly see that you're there, Garnet. I _do_ have my cameras watching your every move." 

There was a snort from Amethyst and Garnet surpressed a sigh. 

There were a few clicks from the tablet again from in front of the hooded figure. Then Steven felt the ground shaking underneath of them. "I have given you four access to the side of the lobby. Someone will be there to meet you." 

Garnet and Amethyst nodded to the tablet and Steven watched as the tablet blinked out, going back to a plain white screen as the floor below them started to ascend. 

The cannons shifted up and one of them Steven could've sworn had rotated, as if locking onto the car as its target. 

The floor ascended pass the first floor of the tunnel and into the sunshine of the outside. The black glass somehow bringing in the incredibly bright rays of the sun. 

And Steven watched as they went higher.. and higher.. and higher.. 

The floor steady rumbling underneath of them.

He started to feel uneasy.

His fear of heights kicking into full gear..

He leaned back in his seat and looked down at his knees. The floor still ascending towards the second to the top floor at 163 floors. 

The floor kept going..

And going..

He made a mistake and looked up. His eyes shifting to the right and looking out his window. He saw miles and miles of land.. and just beyond that he could see a city off in the distance. 

A duck flew pass his window and he closed his eyes, _hoping_ that _that_ bird, too, was only a hologram.. Though he strongly doubted it. 

"Aye, relajarte, gallina. (Relax, scaredy cat) " he heard Amethyst.

He cracked open his eyes.

"Yeah, I'm talking to _you_. Calm down, it's only a bit of height. Shoot, once you get your gadgets, you wouldn't have to mind falling from these kind of heights." he swallowed.

The floor finally reached it's peak at the 163rd floor and it stopped with a loud, metal clank. They were in the middle of the hallway. The three took their masks off and Garnet took her shades off and hung the arm of the glasses onto the front of her jumpsuit.

A tall, older gentleman that looked to be of Japanese descent with short, light blue hair and a light grayish, blue mustache was standing just a few feet from the car. He wore a tailor-maid, dark red butler-like suit. A bright yellow shirt underneath and an even brighter colored pair of yellow dress shoes. And a mottled red, yellow and lavender tie. 

He stepped towards them. His face plain and stone-faced. He went over to the wall, typing a code in on a tablet. Then he turned around to face them as the glass wall began to drop down, sliding into the floor. 

He gave one beckoning hand towards them and Pearl got out first. She stood up straight, legs and feet together. She raised one hand up to her forehead, with a two finger salute. Her thumb holding down the other two fingers. Her other arm held up, her fist clenched and at the middle of her chest. She said something softly in Japanese. The older gentleman said something back and she gave him a nod and spoke something softly to him again before putting both hands back down slowly and walking over to the other side of the car to Amethyst's door. She opened it. The woman got out and Pearl closed the door behind her. The two walked around the car and Pearl stopped right at the trunk of the vehicle as Amethyst kept walking towards the gentleman. 

She stopped just a few feet from him and made the same pose that Pearl had just done moments before. Standing straight up with her legs and feet together. Raising one hand up to her forehead, with a two finger salute with her thumb holding down the other two fingers and her other arm held up, with her fist clenched and at the middle of her chest. She kept her stance. 

Pearl walked up moments later, going for the same stance. 

Garnet turned the car off. "You'll need to keep your head down and stay _very_ close to us as you are still a high risk security." she told the boy in the back. "Once you are at _least_ registered in the system, your risk is lowered if only slightly." 

"Oh.. oka-"

"_Don't_ get out of the car. Wait until Mr. Wascoite opens the door for you. He'll be the one keeping an even _closer_ eye on you." then a beat later. "And he is ever vigilant. Do not let his age fool you."

"R, right.." he watched as Garnet got out the car. She stepped up, going between Amethyst and Pearl and going for the same stance.

The gentleman nodded and walked around them, going towards Steven's side of the car. The women did not move an inch. Keeping there faces forward.

He opened the door for the boy, stepping to the side. Staying still as ever. 

Steven slid out the car and the door closed behind him as the old timer grabbed his shoulder with his other hand. "それは何ですか?" (Sore wa nan desuka? What is this?) he ripped the shirt form the boy's hand and held it out. "Hmmm.." he turned the shirt over to see the back. Then he turned it inside out. He gave another "Hmm.." before handing the short forcefully back Steven. Then he went back to grabbing hold of Steven's shoulder. Giving him a bit of a push as he began walking. Steven following right beside him foot to foot.

Mr. Wascoite stopped just right in front of the three women. "Now. Let us proceed." he said and took to walking down the bright, reflecting hallways. The Gems waited a few moments before dropping their arms back down slowly and started to follow him. Steven took to giving a small peek out of the black windows as they walked on. Taking a quick glance at the grass and the cities far away..They were just.. so.. far.. up.. 

He quickly went back to looking in front of him.

The five of them reached an elevator door and Mr. Wascoite walked up to another tablet on the wall. He turned Steven around by his shoulders so the boy could face him. He pressed the button and Steven saw a red laser scan his face. Then he saw the man's arm reach up and pass him. He heard the clicking of keys behind him then a few moments later, heard the low whoosh of the doors as they slid open behind him.

The gentleman turned him back around, his hand still on his shoulder as they entered the elevators. The two turned back around as Amethyst, Garnet and Pearl walked in. 

The doors closed and Mr. Wascoite swiped his badge inside of a slot next to the buttons of the elevator. Then he pressed the the sky deck level. One floor up.

The 164th floor of the building..

Steven only prayed more as his fear of heights flare up again.. Praying that the ropes of the elevator wouldn't snap. 

And sending them hurdling back towards the ground..

_DING_

The doors opened to a lobby. A long black table was on the far right side. Two doors on either side of it on the wall behind it. And in the far opposite side of the room were two lounge chairs. In between the gray, sleek chairs was a long black table with two oddly shaped statues of some sort laying atop at the two ends and a thin, furry black rug which laid underneath of it.

And right in front of them, looking over the whole miles of the area were the wide, huge windows. Again, somehow taking in so much sunlight, making the room bright and futuristic. 

The three women stepped out the way for the gentleman and Steven to walk out. The two slowly approached the lobby table while the other three followed behind in a single file, horizontal line.

"Please hold. I'll connect you." the lady said over the mouthpiece of her headset. She clicked on a button in front of her as he and Steven stopped just in front of the table. She gave Mr. Wascoite an acknowledgement nod and went for another button on the side of her. "Yes, Topaz? Mhm, Period cut 6 XG said that she, Facet 3F4L and Periodt cut 4XG have already made the weapons and that once the next truck arrives, they'll pack them with the other shipment... Mhmm.. Mhmm, yes.. That is correct." 

More rings from various phones rung and chimed all around the purple dreaded woman. She pushed one of her dreads behind her ear as she shifted her headpiece. She clicked on another button. "Please state your purpose." she waited. Then nodded her head. "Ah, yes. Facet 2F5L has indeed informed me about that. I'll connect you to the correct department." 

More ringing and just as she was about to go for another button Mr. Wascoite cleared his throat. The "calm" impatience slowly seeping from him.

She stopped just as her slim, brown fingers had reached the surface of the blue button. She looked up slightly at the gentleman. "Ah, yes. Terribly sorry Mr. Wascoite. I'm just trying to get everything situated here. Just give me a few more moments please." she looked back down and pressed the button she was going for before. "Yes. I...... Uhuh, yes, I.... Uhuh, I know, sorry for keeping you on hold for so long I-.... Yes, yes I do.. She, uh huh.. she said that since the truck has been delayed until tonight, that those swords won't be coming in until another two business days and... H, hello?" the lady sighed shaking her head. More rings seemed to come up, but she didn't take any more calls. She looked back up at the two. Her round, green eye looking at them in an apologetic manner. "Yes, Mr. Wascoite?" she adjusted the purple eye patch over her left eye. 

"Can you please inform Peridot that I am here. Along with Amethyst, Garnet, Pearl and." he pushed the boy up and Steven almost stumbled. "the boy who needs to be fitted for his gadgets." 

"Of course sir. Right away." she went for a green button that seemed to be bigger and much shinier than all of the other buttons. "Hello, Miss Peridot?" The lady nodded. "Yes, Mr. Wascoite is here with your clients." another nod. "Yes, I'll see to it right away." 

More rings joined in with the other clashes of ringtones and chimes. The lady got up and went for the stance that he saw the Gems do earlier. She kept her stance for a few moments before bringing her arms back down slowly. "Please, come with me." she turned around and they followed her towards the back door to her left labeled.. in some kind of.. symbols..Of some sort..

Steven had no idea what the symbols meant..

A red laser scanned the woman's face. Then she typed in a code and opened the door to another long hallway. They reached a green door with a pink rose on it. She pressed a button, the tablet scanned her face and she pressed the numbers inside the keypad.

Unlike the first door they'd walked through, with her opening it herself, the rose rotated on the surface and the door slid open by itself. The door sliding into the wall.

And there, at the green table near the back middle of the room, was a green hooded figure crouching down in its chair as it typed away at the keyboard. Machines and various other electronics and technological systems were scattered about in the room. 

And it was so dimly lit.. Despite of the rest of the building being so vibrant and light, _this_ particular small, compact room was very.. gloomy... and dark. 

Even the song she was listening to seemed.. dragg~ish.. The ladies sounding bored with their own song and a bit sarcastic.

_La, la, la, la laaa.....This is my stop... Got to get off... I may go pop..._ they sung in a monotone voice. Electric guitars screeched in the room _Excuse me.._ screeching electric guitars. _Excuse me_

The six of them walked in and the door slid to a close.

_I've got to be direeeeect (la, la, la). If I'm off please correeeeeect (la, la, la). You're standing on my neck. _

The lady cleared her throat. "Umm.. Miss Peridot?" she said meekly.

The figure dug into a bowl full of sugar cubes and crammed them into her mouth. She wiped the remnants of her chin as she typed away with the other hand on her mechanical fingers. 

_Look right through me. Say I'm gloomy. Well so sue me-_

"Miss.. Peridot?" she said again. "Your clients are here to see you."

More sugar cubes were crammed into her face. She typed some more. The electric guitars blaring through the speakers of her laptop. A.. laptop that Steven had never seen before. _That definitely has GemTech written all over it.._

The figure swallowed the rest of the sugar cubes that was in her mouth and used one of her hands to swipe something across the screen. Then she finally looked at them. "Ah, yes. I _have_ been expecting them." she said to the receptionist. "Very well. You can leave Charoite. I'll take it all from here." she said. 

_...wreck (la, la, la). You're standing on my neck (la, la, la)._

She went for the stance. Her two finger salute and her arm up and her fist in the middle of her chest. "Thank you, Miss Peridot." she said over the music. _you're standing on my neeeeeck_. A few moments later, she turned to Wascoite, the stance still present. She gave him a nod. Then a few moments later, she turned to the crew, dropping the pose. "You all have a nice one." and with that, she left. _(..la) you're standing_ more electric guitars.

Steven watched as the figure went back to her laptop.

_.. othing is like I planned it.. So funny, I can't stand iiiiit.. Wish I was made of graaaaniiit._ Then in a sudden, spoken character voice. _I must be on another planet._

Screeching guitars.

_La, la, la, la, laaaa-_

Then. The lady turned the volume down on the speaker and used her hands to slid her away from the laptop. Her attention fully on the crew. Her elbows on the table, her fingertips pressed into each other.. Her ..Hood hiding majority her features. Nothing but the thin line of her mouth just slightly above the copper coiled fingers of hers.

"じいちゃん。Jiichan (Granddad). Thank you for bringing the boy." 

_What is up with these people in calling me 'kid' and 'boy'..?_He tried to swallow that annoyance down into his stomach full of other festering emotions that were already swimming in there .

"どういたしまして、孫娘." (Dou itashimashite, mogo musume. You're welcome, granddaughter.) he was about to walk away when he heard an "ねー." (Nee. Hey).

He turned back around.

The teen picked up the empty white bowl in front of her and waved it around. "角砂糖." (Kakuzatō. Sugar cubes).

"はい、私の孫娘." (Hai, watashi no mogo musume. Yes, my granddaughter.) he held out both hands. She placed the bowl in his hands and he nodded deeply before turning back around. "I will see you four later. The car will be parked on the one hundred and first floor of building B." 

The three women nodded and Amethyst was the one who spoke up. "I'll be sure to send Garnet down to retrieve it once everything is finished."

"Perfect." 

The three women went for the stance and Steven looked at them before catching on to the memo, quickly trying to replicate it. 

He watched as the older gentleman walked pass them. He heard keys being typed in and a door sliding. The bright light from the hallway filling the room, then the door closing.

The Gems started to put their arms back down and he did the same. 

There was silence in the room as the four of them and Peridot stared at one another.

Silence..

Silence....

Then Steven heard a holler from behind him that made him visibly jump. 

"YO WHAT IT DOOO, PERRRYYY!!!" Amethyst came running pass the group to a squealing, frantic looking Peridot who already had her arms out to stop Amethyst's big burly, bear of a hug. The short, tank of a woman crashed into the pale teen, overpowering her and giving her a hug, their cheeks pressing together. "Missed ya Pear-Bear!!"

"Grrrrrrr.... Amethyst!!" she growled out. The lady continued to rub their faces together. Peridot managed to slip one of her arms out of the hug and pressed her mechanical hand to Amethyst's face, trying to push her away from the embrace. She mumbled some more under her breath as her strength didn't do anything to stop the hug. "Aahhahdhdjskd.. Amethyst you KNOW how I feel about physical contact!!" she snapped.

"Yeahhhhh, that you just absolutely LOVE it when I do iiiiit!" she joked, squeezing her more.

"Amethyst, off! Now!" she barked.

Amethyst snickered, slowly leaning away from the hug. "Whatever ya say, Peeerryyy." 

The teen mumbled more under her breath. Her narrow eyed glare not leaving Amethyst. Even when the lady walked away to go back to the group.. She was still glaring at her.. 

The teen laid back in her chair. "...So... Now that.. _that's_ over with.." Steven couldn't help but wonder if she had a cold.. or if her voice naturally had faint rasp to it? He'd remembered Amethyst's little joke in the car about her sounding nasally.. So.. maybe it was her actual voice? Thought it was definitely still an improvement from that deep, gutteral voice she had as a disguise.. And, it sounded pretty cute.

"..e'll jump right into things and register you into our official computer base. Then we'll start with your physical and get you measured for your uniform and weapons and then have you practice with our gadget." she took a sip of.. whatever she had in her cup and stepped off the chair. She walked around the table and Steven noticed she was wearing a black skirt that stopped just a few inches from her ankles. He could see metal and wiring from her prosthetic legs. 

And he noticed that she was just as "tall" as Amethyst. Barely reaching the four foot eleven mark.

Then another thought came to mind.. And he thought.. if she was wearing prosthetics, why would she make them that short anyway? But then _another_ thought came to mind and he figured that.. perhaps it was easier to get around the building or into tight, computer spaces and wiring..Or that perhaps she just simply _liked_ being short.

Then _another_ thought came to mind to reprimand him asking his own self why being short was a "bad" thing anyway? And. It wasn't.

"Alright." she said. "Time to get to the fun stuff so we can get to the even _more_ fun stuff." she turned around. "Come. We'll go to my lab." 

The four followed her to a solid gray door. Out of condition, Steven thought there would be another tablet so she could put her code in it and so it could scan her eyes. But.. there was nothing by the door.

Peridot raised up her hand. Her other hand pressed a small button on the back of her wrist and a green light shot out from her index finger. She started from the foot of the door and trailed up, then to the left, then back down, tracing the frame of the door. Then she let go of the button. The green light winking out.

An outline of a rectangle formed just at the side of the door. Then it flipped, showing three small squares. She went to the second one in the middle, using her hand to press in a code. Then she went to the first one, placing her prosthetic hand on the screen for the machine to scan her hand, then she went to the third and last box, looking straight at it. Nothing shot out of the box. Not like the other ones, but Steven could safely assume that the box was still scanning her eyes. Just in a different way. 

Then a tall, slim pole shot out of the floor. She walked up to it. "Peridot Facet 2F5L cut 5XG, Amethyst, Garnet, Pearl and-" a ding from her watch made her look down at her wrist. "Oooo, looks like CPH is having another season." she looked at the alert message on the screen of her watch.

A square patch of the ceiling opened up and a huge machine gun came out and pointed right at Steven. He screamed.

"Huh?" she looked up from her screen. "Oh, that's right. What's your name. Talc, right?"

The gun clicked. "Yes!!!" he screamed.

"And Talc." she said into the mic and the machine gun went back into the ceiling. Steven held his chest, breathing a sigh of relief.

The door slid up (unlike the other door that simply slid to the side), _this_ one wanted to be fancy and slide _up._

They walked inside of the science lab-y type of room. It was bright. And shiny. Both the floor, the walls, the ceiling and even all of the various types of machines looking polished and buffered.

She took them to a desk with a computer covering most of the space. A high stepped lounging chair was right by it. "You can sit here." she gestured with her hand.

He did what he was told. Hopping up and sitting down on the comfortable seat. Then he looked at her, the hood still down on her head.

Amethyst smirked. And scoffed. "Perry, why don't you take that damn hood off your head." she pulled the hood of the teen and she gave her startled yelp, holding her messy, bed hair. 

"What, Perry? We're all Gems here. Just." she lunged over, giving her a noogie. "Leeet it all hang oouuut."

"Amethyst!" she pushed her away. Or better yet, Amethyst _let _her push her away.. 

And the girl preened her blond hair back towards her face. 

Amethyst laughed at her and she only grumbled more as she walked over to the desk. "Whatever." she mumbled. "Just, SIT over there." she fanned her hand at Amethyst towards the far end of the room.

Steven just looked on, confused at the two's odd interaction. _How could she just talk to Amethyst like that!?_

"Ha! As you wish, your majesty." Amethyst bowed, throwing one arm underneath her.

_And Amethyst is acting like it's nothing!?!?_

She walked over to the far end of the room, sitting on the edge of the Contessa couch by the windows. Only to get back up a second later to walk closer to the windows, looking at the view.

The other two followed her. Pearl sat down on the other end of the couch, immediately taking out her phone to pass the time and Garnet sat right next to the window. Her back actually leaning on the glass!! And Steven couldn't help but wonder HOW she wasn't afraid that a window paneling wasn't going to just.. PUSH out from her weight?! He guessed _with_ the gadgets on that she just didn't care? Still though.. it was still pretty alarming.. And there she was, looking content, sitting criss cross applesauce and with her hands in her jumpsuit pockets.

Peridot "sat" in her chair. Well, more so placed her feet on the chair as she "sat" in front of the laptop. Her knees just below her chin. _Why does she keep sitting like that?_ "Okay, just give me a few moments while I go to the right database" she said. She raised her hand up and started swiping across the screen before going back to her keyboard. 

Steven took that time to look at her features. Her green eyes, her frizzy blond hair that seemed to go every which way. Her cute little dotted freckles.. 

She looked cute. Plain, but.. still very cute. 

But she looked soo young to be a Crystal Gem. How old was she.. sixteen? Seventeen?

"Okayyy..." she mumbled to herself. "Talc." she typed out his name on the keys in front of her. "You've became an official Crystal Gem on the.." she mumbled out the date under her breath as she typed out. "Caucasian... male... brown eyes... Thick, curly black hair..." her mechanical fingers clicked away.

"Any allergies? Food allergies? Or are you allergic to any kind of medication?" she stopped her hands on the keys, but didn't look at him.

He thought about it.. "Noo..? No, not that I know of." 

She typed in some more. "Do you take any medication?" she stopped again. Still not looking at him.

"No." he shook his head, then thought about it. "I mean.. not anymore.." he looked at her, but her eyes were still glued to the screen. The light from the laptop's screen reflecting off her glasses. 

The light obscuring her eyes.. 

"Ah.." she said. "What kind of medication were you taking?"

"Um.." he scratched at his arm. "Just something small for my ..Anxiety.. and like..To calm my anger down a bit.." he didn't say anymore..

She never faltered. "Okay, don't act all shy. What were you taking? And what was the dosage? I need to know." she said to the screen.

He sighed and gave her the names of the three medications, the dosage and how strong they were and how he'd taken them until about a year ago when he stopped.

"And why _did_ you stop?" she asked while typing in the information into the database.

"Well the.." _psychiatrist._ "*doctor felt that I was getting better and.. eventually weened me off of them." 

"Really?" she didn't seem convinced. "Hmm.. so your _psychiatrist_ just took you off of them..Just like that."

"Yeah.. With.. me changing my lifestyle up a bit and then my girlfriend was helping me through things she.. saw an improvement.."

"Hm." Peridot nodded. Though she still didn't seem fully convinced. "Okay." she typed some more.

"Do you know your blood type?"

He was soo glad to be off of _that_ topic. "No."

"Mm, no big deal. We have to get a sample of your blood anyway."

He resisted a squeal.

She typed some more, then stopped. "What's your date of birth?"

"August 15, 1998."

Peridot froze in mid type. A shocked expression on her face and Steven heard something fall in the background. He turned to see Pearl's phone on the floor. Her, Garnet and even Amethyst sporting a surprised look as well. 

He started getting nervous. But didn't know what to say.. "Uh.." he looked from the Gems back to Peridot.

The teen looked at the Gems. Her mouth closing back slowly. They didn't say anything and after a few moments of silence, she cleared her throat. Slowly getting her composure back. "Yes, well.. Let me.." she looked at the Gems once more before looking back at her laptop. "just put that in our system." a few more clicks, then an "Okay, Talc. Now I'm going to have you sit there for a bit while I take a few samples from you. We're going to get you fingerprinted, then get your blood work done, and then get some eyes, hair and skin samples before we get to your measurements." _Did she just say EYE, HAIR AAAND SKIN samples!?! Freakin' SKIN samples?! What are they, trying to clone me?! That's.. That's.. not real.. right? That's only in those.. futuristic.. scientific.. fantasy type of movies... Right? _

He watched as she opened the two top drawers of the left side of the desk. She took a black kit out of the first one and a couple small, empty, round containers, a few empty tubes, some needles, a few Q-tips, s small, clear bottle, a scalpel and a pair of scissors out the second one. Then she placed a hand on a small handle on the armrest of her seat. She pressed it forward and the chair slowly glided towards Steven. She moved the handle around, rotating herself to face him forward on. Then she pressed another button. The chair started to lift up and she let go of the button once she was at eye level to him. She stared at him.. right in his eyes. "First, your fingerprints." She opened the box up, her eyes still on him. "Now. We'll be fingerprinting you three times. Each a different kind of ink for their own, separate purposes." _What _are_ the different purposes?_

"Uh.. okay." he nodded. He watched the girl take out a clear container with yellow paste. She twisted the top off. "Hold out your hands." he held them out and she put the warm, thick paste on his hands. Then she twisted the cap back on and took out a silver, tablet-like device out of the kit. She placed it on his lap. "Now, just press your hands down on the screen and hold them there until I tell you when." 

She raised her arm up to look at her watch as Steven pressed his hands down on the tablet. She watched the small, square screen on her watch. Steven heard the tablet, then a split second later, her watch dinging. She waited a few moments before bringing her arm back down. "Alright. So we'll just wash your hands off and do the next two the same way." 

She used _what Steven had been conditioned to assume_ was some kind of Gemtech cleaning wipe to clean his hands off. In just two swipes, his hands were sparkling clean. Then she wiped the tablet off. 

She did the same thing she'd done before for the other two fingerprints. The next paste was blue and a bit more watery. And it was very cool to the touch, unlike the warmth of the other yellow paste. 

He placed his hands on the screen for a few moments, there was the chime from both the tablet and the watch again and Peridot quickly cleaned his hands and the tablet off again before putting the third and last paste on his hands.

This one was white and much, muuuch thicker than the yellow paste. And it was both warm _and_ cold on his hands. Like those icy hot patches Connie would put on his back at times.

And again, he put his hands down on the screen, pressed hard and heard two more chimes from both machines. Peridot told him to let go moments later and he did. Then she cleaned his hands and tablet again and she set the third sheet of paper on the chair beside him, along with the other two. She put the code into the tablet, turned it off and placed it back into the kit and closed the box up. She set it down beside her in her chair. 

"Alright. And now for the eyes." she picked up a small visine looking bottle.. though there was no label.. absolutely no piece of paper wrapped around it.. It was just.. a small, naked bottle.. of whatEVER unkown, GemTech substance it was..

She shook it up and unscrewed the cap off. "Now this will just collect the substance from your eyes." 

Steven looked at the mysterious, small "Visine" bottle..An uneasy expression on his face. 

She rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Relax. It'll just make you produce a bit of tears."

"Nng..." he bit his lip.

She grabbed his chin. "Wow, you are such a baby.. it's only teardrops." then a beat later. "Well, _GemTech_ teardrops.. But, teardrops none the less." she held his face still and with the other hand, quickly and effortlessly squeezed two drops in his eyes. She let go as he pulled his head back. He blinked his eyes a few times, then looked at her. "Hey, that.. that wasn't so bad." he said, relieved. 

Then.. the burning started to happen..

"AAAAHHHHH!!!" he went to go grab at his eyes but she held onto his hands. "WHAT the heck do you think you're doing?!!! You don't just WIPE them away!! I NEED those tears!!" she threw his arms away and picked up four Q-tips, dabbing each red, watery eye with two each. The she placed each of the two in small, thin tubes. She set the pair of tubes beside her and pulled out a pair of plastic gloves from her jacket pocket. She slipped them on. 

Then she looked at him.

He was still blinking his red, irritated eyes.

She sighed. "You're _such_ a drama queen." then a split second later, she held up a needle. "Okay, time for the drawing of the blood."

"Okay."

Peridot looked at him. "Huh. I just _knew_ you were going to throw a fit over the needles." 

"Well" he shrugged. "I've been poked with needles a.._ lot_ of times.. so I'm pretty used to them."

"Hmm..Very well then.." she wrapped a blue, plastic ribbon over the top of his arm, cleaned the area in the crook of his elbow and held his arm down. She stuck him with a needle.

Then she picked up a few tubes, slowly drawing out the blood and filling them.

She put the tubes down beside her in their own little containers. Then she took a look back at the Gems, who weren't paying attention to her, and quickly hooked up another syringe to his arm, putting something into his veins. A pink coloring seeping out of the tube and into his arm. Steven could see the pink color tracing through his veins until they faded moments later. 

"Wait, what was that that you put into my arms?"

".. Because I took out some of your blood.." was what she quickly said, not answering his question. She untied the blue band from his arm and took out the empty syringe, quickly putting a piece of cloth over the pricked area in his arm and putting a piece of tape over it. She put the needles inside of a disposal box on the side of her chair. Then she took off her plastic gloves, putting them in the same box. 

"We're just about done." she said to him and picked up a pair of scissors. She pulled his head down towards her and she snipped off a bit of his hair. She pushed his head back up and put his black curly locks inside of one of the round containers.

He rubbed the back of his head. "I uh.. hope you didn't give me a bald spot. Heheh.." he tried to joke.

"Eh." was all she said and she took out two.. even longer cotton swabs? Or so that's what it looked like to Steven. He looked at them in her hand, then looked at her.

"Mouth swab." she said. "Now open up."

_What the heck?!_ "Wow.. y'all are.. pretty thorough."

"Yes, yes. Of course we are. Now open up, like I said." she held his chin. 

He opened his mouth. "Aahhh."

She rolled her eyes. "This isn't a dentist.. nor is this some kind of movie or sitcom. You don't _have_ to verbally say 'ah'." 

"Oh, heh, yah, sohrrey-" she put the swabs in his mouth, getting all around his gums, his cheek, and the bottom of his tongue and up his soft pallet. She took the stencils out of his mouth and put them in their case. "But you _do_ need to floss."

He pouted.

Then she picked up a scalpel. 

"And what are you going to do with that?!" he stared at the blade. 

"Did you _not_ hear me give you a whole run through? I'm just going to get a bit of your skin. We NEED to have you verified in the system. And. Getting a bit of your skin follicles. is one of them. Now. Hold out one of your arms so I can do this." 

_Wow, she's pretty fesity.. and demanding.. _

He raised his arm and she put the scalpel to one of his index fingers. She made a small cut and he winced. "Don't be a baby." she scraped the print from the tip of his finger, putting the follicles in the container.

Then she put the scalpel to his arm, putting the follicles into another container.

"Yo, Perry." Amethyst was walking over to them.

The teen quickly scraped a bit more of the follicles into the container then closed it, trying to quickly put the container away into the black box.

"Damn, Perry.. Did I see you just take some of his.. skin? We've never had to do that before." she stopped beside them.

"I know." she closed the box and moved it in towards her. "This is something new.. And, and I'm just doing proper protocol." she quickly told Amethyst. She pushed up on her glasses, quickly comparing herself. "I know there's no _problem_ with that, Amethyst.."

"No, not really.." she leaned on the teen. "It's just that.. I'm getting pretty bored aaaalready. And you haven't even started measuring him yet!"

"Protocol, Amethyst.." she said again. She moved her shoulder and Amethyst leaned off. Then she picked up the fingerprint papers off of Steven's chair and push the joystick on her armrest to move the chair back to the desk. She started swiping across the screen of her laptop. Then various slots started sliding out of the pieces of machinery surrounding it. "But _now_ that I have just about everything." she started to put every single thing into the slots. "All I would need to do now is just verify his eyes and get his weight and his height. Then he'll officially be in the system."

"Duuuuuuude, you're STILL verifying him!!"

Peridot typed in a few things in the keyboard and the slots slid back into the machinery. She looked up from the laptop. "Yes, Amethyst.. This security, verification process is NOT a joke.. I need to be extremely thorough with my work."

"I knoooow, I knoooooow. But . I'm. Just. Sooooo boooooored." she whined. 

Peridot looked at her, confused. Tilting her head. "Then.. why are you even here? I just need Talc. I don't even _need_ you three here with him."

Amethyst shot the other two women over by the windows a quick glance before looking back at Peridot. "Well.. actually we wanted you to check something out for us." she told her. 

"Check what out?"

"I'll tell you later. Just. Hurry up and do what you have to do with Talc." she quickly walked away and Peridot scoffed. "Very well then.. Even though I was _clearly_ already doing that before _you_ interrupted me.." she glared at Amethyst who didn't look back at her. 

She sat on the couch, sagging down into the seat. 

_Hm.. that's pretty un-Amethyst-like.._

"Alright, Talc. Come with me." said Peridot. She slid off the chair and walked to the wall filled with more.. technology.. and a GemTech weight, and a .. height measurer thingy.. and an.. eye thingy that he saw Peridot use to get into the lab they're in now.

He slid off the chair and followed her to the wall and she stopped him with a hand. "Stay right there." She pulled a lever on the wall down and the optical machine started to slide down from the ceiling. "I'll have this machine to scan your irises as well as a whole scan of your face." she disappeared behind the machine. "Now. Look right at the black dot in the middle. And try not to blink.. or move.. less you want your whole eyes to burn right off your face." 

"What?!?!"

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding.." she said in her monotone voice and raising a hand behind the machine before grabbing ahold of the side of the machine again. "But seriously. Hold still and look forward."

"Okay." he looked at the black dot on the machine and kept still.

_Will this hurt?!?!? Will this like...Burn my eyes or something like those eye drops from earlier?!-_

"Done." she said. "Now for your whole face.

_Oh.. well.. that wasn't bad.. I didn't feel a thing._

_Wait.. _

_ _Unless I'll start feeling the burn later like those drops!!!!_ _

"Alright. And now I'm done with the face recognition." 

_Huh.. And now we're done? That was it? And.. no delayed burning?? Wow.. I.. didn't feel a thing. _

"Okay.. And now that we're done with that." she pushed the machine upwards and gestured at the wall. "We'll get your height." 

He walked towards the wall. 

"Wait, take your flip flops off." 

Steven took them off and stood back up to the wall. 

Peridot looked at the measurements. She walked over, standing on her tippy toes. "Hmm.." 

He looked at her. 

She looked at the measurements some more..Then she pressed his hair down and he pouted. 

She looked at the measurements once more. "Ookay.." she stood back on the heels of her feet and typed down his height on her watch. "Kind of on the short side for a guy your age. But of course I already knew that just by looking at you." that earned an eye roll from the boy, though she wasn't looking at him and thus.. didn't see the gesture. "Okay, now for your weight." 

And with that.. he suddenly became both self aware _and_ self conscious of his weight.. 

He stepped up on the scale..

He wanted to look at the number on the screen.. but at the same time he didn't.. Then.. his curiosity finally got the best of him and he looked at the number. _95.254 kgs_.. Freakin' kilos... He wasn't able to find out how overweight he was.. Why was the weight in freakin KILOGRAMS anyway?! They were in America for crying out loud!! 

But then he remembered about American hospitals.. and how _their_ weights used kilos as well..

Stupid hospital weights..

And STUPID GemTech weights too since appaaaarrantly they _also_ used freakin' kilos..

Peridot walked up beside him and looked at the number. He felt even more self conscious as she hummed her thoughts. She typed down the number on her watch. "Okay, you can get off now." 

He wanted to ask her how much he weighed in pounds.. but he didn't want to seem like he was too.. into his weight.. After all, pfft.. "guys weren't suppose to care about that kind of stuff" .. That's what he'd been told of course..

He got off the scale and went towards his flip flops. "Don't put your shoes back on." He stopped at one of his flip flops and slid his foot back out. "After I officially verify you in our systems, I'm going to start measuring your whole body for your clothes, your gadgets and your weapons. Everything must be tailor made to a T. " she said as she walked back to the laptop. 

Without sitting back down, she started typing on the keyboard again. Then she looked at her watch, then back at the laptop screen. "Alrighty.." she nodded. "Your eyes... verified... your face.." she waited.. "verified..And yooourr weight and height....verified." she nodded again. "Okay, Talc. Every single thing has been put into the database. You have been officially verified into our systems. And you are ALSO now able to use our Gemtech tablets and other technological devices." 

"FINALLY!" they heard Amethyst say from the other side of the room.

Peridot ignored her and so, Steven did as well. "That's great..But.. I don't know the numbers to the tablets." he told her. "I can't even read those symbols." 

She looked at him confused before she realized what he was talking about. "Oohh, you mean those Gemglyphs?" 

"Huh? I.. think so.."

"Yeah, you must be talking about our Gem language. The ones that's on my doors, right?"

"Yeah!"

She nodded. "Yeah, those are Gemglyphs or _Gem language_ that we made up." she pulled open a third drawer from the table and took out a medium sized, brown box. "Perhaps we can arrange for someone to teach you the language."

_Oh greaaaaat... So I'm going to have to learn BOTH Spanish AND some freakin' made up, Crystal Gem language?!? Great.. just freakin' great..._

Peridot started to make her way back over to Steven. "Alright, take your shirt off for me. I'm going to check your pressure and give you an EKG."

"Wow.. it definitely feels like I'm at a hospital now.." he took off his shirt revealing his.. gut..

She opened the box and took out a hospital mixed Gemtech pressure arm band. She wrapped the cushioned band around his arm and held two fingers up to his wrist. She watched the screen on her watch as his pressure was measured. He could feel the band squeeze his arm. It held for a few moments before loosening. "Okay." was all she said. 

_Is my pressure bad?!?! Did she find anything just now?!?!_

She started placing very small, white square patches on his torso; a few near his chest and a few near his stomach. Then she put one on each arm and one on each leg. Steven looked around. "Where are the wires? You know.. to snap them to the patches." Then he _also_ realized that she didn't hook up anything to the arm band either, when she was measuring his pressure.

Peridot scoffed. "Talc, only old, untechinical hospital devices use _those_ kinds.._These_ are advanced, _wireless, GeeemTech_ EKG's.. There are HUGE differences where one is not superior AT all and the other, very much so is. And that's ours, by the way."

"Oh, right.. Heheh.. that makes sense.." he thought. "I..Guess?"

He waited until she brought her hand back down from looking at her watch. "Mhmm.." she typed something into her watch.

_Does that 'mhmm' mean good or bad?!?!_

Peridot started ripping the patches off of his skin and throwing it away into a trashcan not too far from them.

"So uh...?" he trailed off, wanting her to say something.

Peridot looked up, snatching the last piece off of his hairy legs. He winced. "What?" she asked.

"Sooo.." he shrugged. "What's.. up?"

"A lot of stuff.. the ceiling, the sky, my intelligence, your pulse because you're so nervous." she listed.

"Good ones.. heheh.. wait, my pulse?"

"Yes." she picked up a measuring tape from the box. "Your pulse started to increase slightly. You were getting worked up." she wrapped the tape around his forehead. "though I could see why. You were probably scared that I was going to find something." she unwrapped the tape and measured the side of his head.

Well.. she wasn't wrong. He _was_ worrying a bit on what she was going to find..

She measured the length of his neck. "Though you have nothing to worry about." she told him. "Apart from you having b cup man boobs and being seventy pounds overweight, your vitals came back good. Your oxygen levels are at 100 percent and well, you can't get any better than that. And your heart rate is also good. I don't even need to put you under a stress test.

_What's a stress test?_

Either way, he felt relieved to hear that he was simply overweight and that he hadn't damaged anything yet..

She put the three measurements in her watch before looking back up. "Though you still need to floss."

His expression dropped.

"Okay. So now you can be fitted for your hats, spy glasses and masks. I saw you in the car wearing that pink one.. I know you wouldn't want to keep wearing it especially since." she stopped herself. "Nevermind. Alright, let's just get the rest of you measured." Peridot took only a couple of minutes to measure the length of his torso, his stomach, which he also had to suck in so she could get a second measure of it, and his shoulders and his arms. She typed the measurements into her watch. "Okay. Now you have to drop your pants." they heard a snort on the other side of the room and Peridot ignored her again, but Steven looked up. Amethyst mouthed out "Told you so." he looked away from her, blushing. 

"Relax, I'm just going to do the same thing. Measure your waist, your legs and your nether regions." she said plainly. "That's it." 

"O..kay.." Steven took off his jeans and reached for his underwear to pull them down. "NO!" Peridot shrieked as she hid her face. A huge blush across her pale features. " I _meant_ just your jeans." she mumbled into her mechanical hands. 

"Oh.. sorry." he let go of the strap of his boxers. 

"Yeah, che." they heard Amethyst again. "You gotta take her out to dinner first." she joked. 

"What?!" Steven choked out. 

"Aye, don't worry. She's eighteen, so she's legal." she continued to joke. Then a beat later. "Also, she's a virgin." 

"Amethyst!!" Peridot squealed. Her whole face to the tips of her ears were red.

That earned a huge laugh from the latina herself. "Both you AND Talc can blush SO easily." she laughed louder.

Steven tried to keep his own face from.. getting too hot.. Feeling that secondhand embarrassment from Peridot. 

The teen sputtered something unintelligible as she held out the measuring tape again. She went to his waist. 

He was very close to telling her that it was okay to be a virgin but.. he figured that it would only get the girl even more embarrassed and that it would only make things even more awkward.. So he just left it at that. 

She went to the first thigh, then the second. Then she measured the length of his legs, then his ankles and his feet. She put the nine measurements into the system and looked at him. She took a deep breath. The blush still on her cheek and across her nose. "Now. without making this awkward." she took out the measuring tape again. "I'll just have to measure your.. er.. _nether regions_ for your cup."

"O..Okay..." he heard another snort from the other side of the room, but he ignored Amethyst. "But.. you _don't_ need me to take my boxers off for this?" he could see Amethyst approaching them again and he had to resist a sigh. He just didn't trust her.. when it came to stuff like this she _always_ had to do OR say something sexual..

"N, no.." her blush was coming back. She looked down at his shorts. "I don't need to."

Amethyst stepped up, leaning against Steven's shoulders. "Dude, she's trying to beat around the bush. She doesn't_ need_ you to take off your shorts because you naturally stick out any way." she pointed at his boxers. He looked down. And.. he could .. yeah, he could see _himself_ in his shorts. "Yeah." said Amethyst. "It's like.. you're _always_ sticking up. Whether you have an erection or not." she snickered. 

Aaaand there goes Steven's blush again.

"Amethyst, can you please stop.. harassing my client? We need to get a move on." 

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, sure P. Aaaanything for you." she laughed. "Though if I were you, I would get a cup that could both deflate _and_ inflate, since this dude's aaalways getting boners."

Peridot looked at him and he quickly dismissed the comment. "No, no! I, uh.. she's joking!" 

Peridot cleared her throat, trying to _look_ composed, though the blush was still there. "Either way, Talc. Amethyst." she looked at her before quickly looking away. "My team and I will not resort to such trivial matters such as that nor will we waste such material in regards to that, Amethyst." she said her name again. 

"Ah, gotcha." Amethyst smirked. 

"Um..yes.." Peridot shifted onto another foot. "So.. without further ado Amethyst.. I'm going to need you to step out the way." 

Amethyst held her hands up in a placating manner. her hand. "Okay, okay." she turned back to Steven. "So like Perry said, she's going to measure you."

He nodded. "Okay.."

Peridot had finished what she was doing on the laptop. "Looks like the new season of CPH has been pushed back to next week." she shook her head. She picked up the measuring tape. "Whatever.. stupid MLV network. They're ALWAYS changing dates to shows.." she turned around. "Okay. Now let's get started."

..........

Peridot had measured him quickly and it wasn't as embarrassing like he'd assumed was going to be and she'd put the numbers into the system. 

Then Steven heard a different noise chime and he saw Peridot swipe a few times at the screen. She looked to be reading something. 

"Alright, you can go ahead and put your clothes on now." she said as she typed something on the screen. She pressed a button to send something.

"Okay." he walked over to the GemTech weight machine and pulled the shirt down off of it. He slipped it on, then went for his pants. 

"After you do that, we'll head down to the Endurance Chamber so we can properly try out the new gadget." 

He slipped one of his legs in. "Endurance Chamber?" he tried to not sound too scared.. but the name itself sounded.. eery.. The 'chamber' in the name made it sound creepy.. and dangerous.

"Yeah, it's where the Crystal Gems come to work out. Think of it like a gym slash.. Soldier Academy slash computer simulation." she watched as Steven's eyebrows rose all the way up to the tuff's of his hair. "Yeah, it's pretty heavy duty stuff."

"That sounds.. soooo cool." he whispered.

"Mm, sure." she shrugged. "Anyway, hurry up. I want to officially try this gadget out."

Steven slipped on his flip flops. "You mean nobody has tried this out yet?" 

"No." she said plainly. Then she held up her watch to him, showing him that..Gem language that he didn't understand..

"It was literally finished just a few moments ago." she told him.

"Ah.. okay." _So_ that's _ what it says.._"So uh.. we're just going to try it out fresh out the oven, huh?"

"Yup." she put her arm back down. "We sure are." 

He thought about it.. The fact that he was actually going to try out an ACTUAL gadget! AND be the VERY first one to be TRYING OUT that sai gadget!! And. he couldn't help but smile a bit at that. "Cool." he cheesed. "Can't wait."

"Mhm." she gave him a minute nod. Then she turned towards the other gems. "Alright you three, time for us to go. We're heading to the Endurance Chamber."

"FINALLY!" Amethyst yelled as she shot out from the couch. "Now we can get to the interesting part." Pearl and Garnet got up and joined her. 

"Talc, grab your shirt. Just in case we don't come back here." said Peridot. 

Steven walked to the chair he'd sat in prior and grabbed the Crystal Gem shirt and followed the four towards the door of the lab. 

Peridot scanned the door again. The three squares came up, she pressed the code into the second one, pressed her hand against the first one and scanned her eyes on the third one. A mic came out from the ground. "Peridot Facet 2F5L cut 5XG, Amethyst, Garnet, Pearl and Talc." 

The door slid up to reveal the dark, dreary office of hers. They walked into the room, following her as they walked pass the desk.

Then she stopped. "Wait." 

"What, what's up Perry?" Amethyst asked her.

"We're missing something extremely crucial. We mustn't leave without it before going down to the chamber." she turned around, going back to the desk.

_Oooo... I wonder what it is.._

The teen cackled as she took her last two steps towards the front of the desk and..

Her expression dropped and there was a gasped, nasally squeal from her.

"No...I.. I know he didn't.. I _know_ he didn't.." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goodness!! I think that was the LONGEST chapter I've EVER posted for this fic!! XP
> 
> Anyway, Peridot is a mixture of three people. L from Death note(which is why I had her sitting down in her chairs like that amongst his other mannerisms xD).. Edna from the incredibles and Daria from the MTV show Daria.  
With a mixture of her just being a brat.  
ALSO also, just to clarify. Peridot isn't Japanese. She's Caucasian, but she was _adopted_ by the Japanese guy (Mr. Wascoite).  
And speaking of Peridot's Butler/assistant (Wascoite), the one who adopted her, he's an homage to Watari who is L's personal assistant, who, adopted him and owns an orphanage.
> 
> Also, that whole machine gun that almost took out Steven was DEFINITELY an homage to this:
> 
> https://youtu.be/0dFAyT4K0a4
> 
> OH! And the receptionist was an homage to Celia from Monsters Inc


	37. Generic chapter title: GemTech Building

Amethyst looked at Peridot. "Didn't what, Perry?"

Peridot didn't answer Amethyst and pressed a button on her desk. "じいちゃん ！！！！(Jiichan!! Grandad!!!!!)"

In a split second there was a "はい、私孫-." (Hai, watashi mogo-. Yes, my grand-) 

オビィス！早くしろ！(Obiisu! Hayaku shiro! Office! Quick!)"

The four looked at her, not daring to say anything else.

Just a mere few seconds later the door slid towards the wall. Wascoite ran into the room. As soon as he got close to the desk where Peridot was, he went to the stance. Still and silent. Not even blinking.

"You.." 

He kept his stance. "はい、私の孫娘。何があったの。(Hai, watashi no magomusume. Nani ga atta no? Yes, my granddaughter. What happened?")

She shook her head. Her arms folded and her expression tight lipped and cold. 

Then she looked at him with those piercing, green eyes. "じいちゃん (Jiichan. Granddad.)"

"はい、私の孫娘. (Hai, watashi was magomusum. Yes, my granddaughter.") he said again.

She took a breath to calm her nerves.. Then she said calmly. "なんなのこれ。(Nanna no kore? What the hell is this?)" she picked up the bowl of sugar cubes she'd told him to get right before they'd went into the lab.

He immediately knew what was wrong..

"それは.. (Sore wa.. That is).. the bowl of sugar cubes that you told me to get for you, 私の素敵な孫娘。 (Watashi no suteki na magomusume. my lovely granddaughter.)

"ううん。。。(Uun.. Hmm..)" she gave him a half nod. "These are, in fact, _sugar cubes._" she said. The eerily calmness still in her voice. "But. you and I _both_ know. that there's something different about _these_ sugar cubes."

He looked at the bowl in her robotic fingers. His expression apologetic and sad. "Those.. are of a different brand." 

"はい。(Hai. Yes.)" she nodded. "あんたはとても賢いだ。 (Anta wa totemo kashikoida. You are very smart.)" she set the bowl back on the desk with.. eery calmness. "You are well aware that this is the brand." she glared at him. "that I've never eaten before.."

Another deep bow of apology. "Yes, my granddaughter."

She gave him a very, very long dramatic sigh. She looked up at him. Her expression sad and lost. Steven couldn't help but see her as even younger.. The look on her face giving off that sad, lost, puppy dog look that he would make to Connie. But hers was much more dramatic.. and sad.. and girly..

She continued her sigh. The pout only growing deeper. "Do you not love me, granddad?" 

"Of course I do!"

"Then.." her sad eyes only deepened. Her lips in a strong puckered pout. "why give me the brand that I don't want?"

"I'm extremely sorry.. Ms. Charoite and I both went to the store to find them for you. And.. they were all out." 

"And.. you two thought it was okay to.. just buy me another.. brand?"

"Well.." he tried to keep his sad stare at the teen. "We wanted you to have _at least_ some kind of sugar cubes.. We figured.. perhaps this time you wouldn't mind-"

"Of course, I would mind!" she whined.

"Please, my granddaughter. Even though this is a completely different brand. Perhaps you would like-"

"いやだ！(Iya da! No!!!)) いやだ！いやだ！いやだ！いやだ！いやだ" she stomped her feet on the ground. Her arms flailing in the air. "I don't WANT this kind!! I want the ones that I want!!" she threw her tantrum. 

"Please, please calm down. If you let me leave now, I will promptly go find you the specific ones that you want. Perhaps there are some in stock now." 

She grit her teeth, hearing his proposal..

She watched him.. then picked up the bowl of sugar cubes and threw it on the ground. He didn't dare move. Or wince. The bowl rolled off to the side and fell, falling upside down.

"Clean up that mess and take it all with you.. I don't want to see it any longer." she pouted. 

Her assistant put the sugar cubes back in the bowl and got up. 

"Now, for the sugar cubes that _I_want.... 見つけて。(Mitsukete find them.") 

He went to the stance, this time, holding the bowl up to his chest. "Yes, my granddaughter. Please forgive me."

"I'll think about it." she stomped with almost every word. "_Once._ I get. my precious. sugar. cubes!"

"Of course." he kept the stance for a few moments and pivoted around. The gems immediately going for the stance as he walked towards the door. Steven quickly got the memo again and did the same. 

He watched as the gentleman put in the code, the tablet scanning his eyes and the door opening. The light from the hallway filling the room. Mr. Wascoite walked through and the door closed. The dreary darkness blanketing the room once more. 

"バカだ。。(Baka da..Idiot..)" he heard the teen say in front of them as they slowly leaned back up.

And all Steven could think about was how much of a brat she was just then.. And even though he couldn't understand her, he knew very well how a tantrum looked. And she was definitely doing that.

An intelligent, narcissistic, spoiled brat..

..........

Mr. Wascoite exited out the second door, and out into the bright office. 

"So. What did Peridot want?" Charoite asked from her desk. Phones of all sorts chimed and rung all around her.

He didn't look at her. He put the bowl of floor sugar cubes on the table. "She did NOT want it. Threw them on the floor and everything.."

She looked at the bowl. Then at him. "I'm.. sorry, Mr. Wascoite.. I thought that she wouldn't mind this time.. that she would've been just a tad bit more.." _mature_ "_understanding_ about it."

He paused by the elevator door. Then turned around. "How could she be 'understanding' when we gave her something that she didn't want! MY granddaughter deserves the best AND she deserves what she wants! And you and I should know that! And we have failed her for the umpteenth time!" he turned back to the elevator and started typing in the code. 

"I.. you're.. you're right.. And I'm sorry, Mr. Wascoite. I will.. do better."

The tablet scanned his eyes and the elevator doors opened. He walked in and turned around. "No. _We_ will do better." he locked eyes with her pitiful ones as the doors slid back to a close.

..............

Peridot sighed into her hands and mumbled something about being the only intelligent and competent person on the planet. 

"Perry, relax. So _what_ they got the wrong brand. It's not the end of the world."

Peridot glared at her through her fingers, then threw her hands down from her face, glaring daggers at Amethyst. Her mouth still out in a pout. "Amethyst!!" she growled through her teeth. "They know I have a preferred brand!!" she stomped. 

Amethyst laughed at her reaction. "Alright, alright. I get it." 

"No you don't." Then she blew out some air. "Pffft.. whatever, I'll just waiordowhtveruntthcmbak.." she mumbledd under her breath and walked away. 

The four of them looked at each other and Garnet shrugged. 

"Come on!" Peridot barked. "We're taking my elevator down.. I don't want to see that receptionist's face." she stopped in front of the silver plated double doors.

"Yeeeesh, Perry. It's only a few lumps of sugar cuuuubes." she cooed. "No need to have such a widdle tempa tantwum." she shoved her playfully and the teen stumbled, nearly falling into the wall. 

She growled under her breath, lunging for Amethyst and grabbing into her shoulders, trying to push her back. "Stop, playing around so much!" 

Amethyst met her strength with more of hers, quickly grabbing and tucking Peridot's arms in, pushing her into the wall. "I don't play around too much!" she smiled. "YOU'RE always acting like you have a stick up your ass." she pushed her more into the wall, laughing.

Peridot got even more mad. A tad bit of blush on her cheeks. She tried to twist her arms out. Amethyst let go and let Peridot punched her in her chest. "うるさい！(Urusai! Shut up!!)" 

_Oh crap!!!! She actually hit Amethyst!!!_

"Hey, watch it Perry." Amethyst pushed her into the wall. "Don't get mad at _me_ because you don't have your precious sweets." 

Peridot pushed off the wall with her feet, grabbing Amethyst's shoulder, pulling on her shirt. "I don't need you to rub it in!"

Amethyst grabbed the front of Peridot's shirt. "What, you wanna dance, P?" she twisted her shirt as she pulled the teen to the side, making her stumble.

Peridot found her footing and tried to push back, moving her hands from Amethyst's shoulder to her sides to get at a pressure point.

Amethyst clamped her arms down on Peridot's and the two continued to twist and tussle more, grabbing for each other's shirt and arms and shoulders and arms again.

_OH CRAP, OH CRAP, OH CRAP!!! WHETHER THEY'RE PLAYING OR NOT, I DON'T KNOW, BUT THIS IS GOING TO TURN INTO A FULL OUT BRAWL!!_ Steven took one huge step forward and immediately felt a strong hand pull him back, causing him to stumble back. That same hand, pushing him back up on his feet. "We do _not_ get involved in their little fights." he heard Garnet ground out. 

_Wait.. so is this another rule?! Do they.. do they get like this ALL the time?!_

More tussling and grabbing between the two until Amethyst grabbed at Peridot's hands, pulling them off of her. She spun the teen around into a headlock, laughing in her face. "Man, Perry. You sure act like a straight up drug head without your sugar!" she cackled in her ear.

"Amethyst, that's not funny!" she said into the crook of her elbow. She tried to scratch her way out of the hold.

"It is to me, P-Dot." she gave her another hard noogie right at the top of her head, causing more growls and warnings from the small teen in her arm.

"Ha! I think you learned your lesson." she let go and pushed her towards the wall and Peridot pivoted around, her arms out in another potential strike.

"What!" said Amethyst. She poked her chest out, widening her stance as she watched Peridot intently. "Want some more?"

Peridot looked at her.. And after a few moments she let her arms slump down to her sides as a long, tired sigh came out of her. "Whatever.. you're not worth it.." she grumble out and turned back to the elevator. "Let's just go down to the stupid chamber and get things started." she sounded so tired.. and bored.

Amethyst eased up on her stance. A smirk on her face. "Yes. Let's." she said.

Peridot let out another dramatic sigh as she raise her arm up. She pressed the button on her wrist and the light shot out of it. She trailed the light around the elevator and the three squares came back up. She went through all three squares again, and the microphone came out of the ground. "Peridot Facet 2F5L cut 5XG Amethyst, Garnet, Pearl and Talc. Destination: Endurance Chamber. Section: C.G.W.R" 

_Well that was different.._

Yeah he really needs to start getting with the lingo and the acronyms.. C.G.V.U.. and now the C.G.W.R? What's next?

The doors slid open and Peridot walked in, sitting down in the first seat in the front row. The other four joined her inside.

_What?!?! ..This elevator has seats in it?!?!_

Amethyst sat right next to Peridot and Garnet and Pearl took to the second row. Steven followed behind Pearl, sitting right next to her.

He noticed a seat belt hanging along the sides and heard everyone buckling up. He quickly did the same.

"Okay, everyone should be in their seats and buckled in." said the voice of the elevator, which.. sounded like Peridot's. "and if there's people who aren't buckled in well.. who cares, you should've been paying attention. The elevator is now in motion." 

There was a huge dip as the elevator started free falling down the floors. 

Steven screamed at the top of his lungs. His eyes watching the numbers as they rapidly left each floor of the 164th floor building..143, 142, 141, 140, 139.. the numbers blurred down to the double digits 98, 97, 96, 95-

_Don't pee my pants! Don't pee my pants! DON'T pee my pants!!_

More screaming from Steven as he grabbed the edge of the chair harder.

"Talc!" Peridot and Amethyst turned around. "Shut the hell up!" Amethyst added.

He tried to let up, slowly closing his mouth and holding in his screams. He shut his eyes. Feeling the fast motion of the elevator as it hurled down towards the ground.

It was just like he'd envisioned elevators to be when they snap and free fall.. And now.. he was living his own nightmare.

A cracked open an eye.

_15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9-_

_WE'RE GOING TO CRASH ANY SECOND!!!!!!_

The elevator stopped abruptly once it got to the first floor and zoomed forward. The force pushing Steven back into his chair. 

The coaster-like elevator took a sharp left, then a sharp right. Steven tried to hold on as his head banked left and right.

The elevator took another sharp left turn, another right, then another left, rushing forward once more before stopping abruptly with a low psssshhht of the air leaving the GemTech pistols in the tracks of the elevator. 

The voice of the elevator came back on. "Alright, we're here you clods,_ exceptforPeridot2F5L5XG because_she's_notaclod._ This is the C.G.W.R section of the chamber." the doors opened up as everyone started unbuckling their seatbelts.

Steven fumbled with his for a bit before finally unlatching the buckle. He wobbled up to his feet and out the elevator. The doors closed shut immediately behind him.

He looked at the room they were in. Everything looked metal and robotic. Every. Single. Thing. Even the floors, the walls and the ceilings. They all seemed to be plated with a kind of.. GemTech metal of some sort. And the whole room was filled with various weapons and gadgets. Weapons and gadgets that he'd never seen before. It reminded him of the shack he went to with the Crystal Gems. But this place? This place definitely took the cake.. It was chock FULL of all kinds of technological devices and weapons. Some even being behind glass on top of chrome tables. 

_Soooo coooooool._ He couldn't help but leave from the group to run up and gawk at certain weapons behind the glass. 

"Endurance Chamber C.G.W.R. Code: zero, seven, one seven, nine, nine, eight, nine. Send up the package." he heard Peridot say. 

"Sending up new gadget type C.G.B" said a female voice. 

A few moments later and an elongated, rectangular pole started to protrude from the floor. A small door, just a mere few inches popped out from the top of the four foot pole as a burst of nitrogen gas fled the entrance. Then, a small three inch conveyer belt-like stripe came out of the "door" and the petit gadget rolled out on top of it. Peridot picked up the new gadget. She looked at their new, beautiful, awesome, super cool invention in the palm of her mechanical hand. She started to snicker at the GemTech technology.

The three women came over to take a peek at the gadget in her hand. 

"What does it do?" Pearl asked.

"This new, fundamental gadget here, turns into a forcefield." said Peridot.

"So it's like.. indestructible?" Amethyst asked.

"Yup. This baby is made of the most toughest substances known to man."

"Oh, cool! Let me see!" Amethyst reached for the gadget. 

" No!" Peridot stepped back, balling the gadget up in her fist. "THIS is for Talc. I will NOT have you putting your grubby hands all over this!" 

"Oh, come on, P." she went for another grab at Peridot. "It's just a little gadget. 'Sides, didn't you say that we were going to get one of these spiffy things? We might as well try them out for ourselves too!"

"No!" she turned around at Steven who was looking at a small plaque just underneath of one of the glassed in weapons. It was in Gemglyphs. "Talc!" he turned around. "Get over here so I can give you this gadget." 

_The gadget!!!! My FIRST_ OFFICIAL_ gadget!!!!! Oooo, I wonder what it's going to be!! I wonder how it looks!!! Awe man, it probably looks SO cool!!_ He jogged up to them just as Period turned around, pushing Amethyst's face. The woman _still_ trying to get the gadget in her hand.

"Here you go, Talc. You'll be handling our first forcefield gadget ever made." she opened her hand and Steven's giddy expression dropped.. _Is.. that just a.._

Peridot held a small, thin ring between her thumb and index finger. A small pink jeweled ball was at the top. To Steven, it resembled something of a wedding ring. The pink band and the even pinker and shinier gem sparkled in the artificial lighting in the room. 

_It's.. just a little ring.._

"Mm.. not the expression that I thought you would make." deadpanned Peridot.

"Huh?" he looked up at her. "Oh! Well, I uh.. was kinda expecting something else."

"What, Ironman's suit? Wonder woman's lasso of truth? Batman's utility belt?"

"Well, not them specifically but.. something similar to that, yeah.."

"Pfft.. while those gadgets from those laaame super heroes _are_ esthetically pleasing to the simple human's eye, those little trinkets are NO match for this!" she held up the ring. It glinted.

And Steven only sighed.

Maybe it was everything that had been happening for the past few days.. but just that little glimmer of hope and then having it crushed sent his mood down times ten.. Which, wasn't like him at all.. Actually, if he'd been himself, he figured he actually would've _liked_ the ring. The cut of the jewel _did_ look pretty cool at least.

"Whatever, you ungrateful clod. Just put it on." 

Steven raised his hand, as Peridot slowly held the ring between her fingers. 

Steven could feel heat or.. a spark? coming from it as the ring inched further towards his finger..

And just as Peridot was about to slide the ring onto his ring finger, Steven saw the ring glow a bright flash of pink. The light coming and going in a snap of an eye and he wondered if it was the trick of the lights from the ceiling. 

Then there was a chime over Peridot's watch and she pulled the ring away. That.. odd feel of warmth.. and connection and.. that spark.. between him and the ring.. vanished.

He watched her swipe across the screen to read the incoming message. She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Alright.. looks like there's been a malfunction due to someone's stupidity over in Building B... And of course they need yours truly to help out with the even harder more advanced technical stuff." she typed out a message on the screen and sent it out. "Okay." she looked at Steven, then at the three ladies behind them. "I'll be back. And while I'm over there, I'll send all of Talc's measuring information so they can start making his uniform and his gadgets and weapons."

"Noice!" said Amethyst. "Man, Talc. I can't wait until you start swinging that shield like some kind of crazy axe person." she swung her arms around to imitate a person wielding an axe. "They way you threw that trashcan lid at Centi?!" She snorted. "Man, I just KNEW a shield would be the right choice for you!"

"Oh! So that's how you chose that weapon for me? Because of my.. arm throwing capabilities?"

"Dude, that wasn't just ANY throw. I saw you. You actually made a stance and twisted your body and spun your wrist a certain way. You didn't just _throw_ that lid." 

Steven thought about it. "Oh that.. makes sense actually. Now that I think about it.. Yeah, I used to play frisbee from elementary to late high school." 

"See? I knew it." she nodded. "It definitely shows. Well, you just keep it up. We're going to need all of that and more once we go on more missions!" 

His stomach churned at that.._More missions..More people...dying.._

Peridot was just turning around to head out the door when she spotted his shirt in his hand. "Ah, yes. The C.G.T.S. I might as well take that with me too." she swiped the shirt from him. "I'll have them take care of this too." she was walking pass them and towards the elevator doors when Steven called her name. She turned around. 

"Um.. I just had a quick question.." 

"And that is?" she raised an eyebrow. 

"Well I.. kinda messed up my phone and.. I was wondering. Can I just get a new phone myself? Or do you guys have your own Crystal Gem phones?" 

"Ah, yes." Peridot nodded. "Indeed we do have our own _GemTech_ phones, yes. And actually, it is very crucial as your position as a Crystal Gem TO have a GemTech powered phone. I'll see to it that you get one right away. Perhaps as early as tomorrow even or at least in a couple of days." she started to turn around to walk away again.

"Oh wait!" 

She growled. "What. is it nowww?" 

He rummaged through the pocket of his jeans "Um.. is there any way to fix this phone and put that fancy GemTech stuff in it instead of just making me another phone?" he pushed the keys and pieces of tissue out the way and pulled out the cracked phone. "I really like this phone and I have a lot of contacts and apps on here." he started jogging towards the irritated looking teen. 

"We don't usually do this, Talc." she mumbled as the boy stopped in front of her. "And THAT'S why we save contacts and other important stuff to our SD cards and Clouds and other departments.." 

"I knooow." he whined. "But I didn't.." he raised the phone up between them. "But can you pleaaase fix it? I figured that.. that. " he looked into her green eyes. "I figured that, of all people, that it would be you all who could easily fix this and make it better. There's no other techies out there better than everyone here." 

Just a hint of a smirk tried to form on her face. "Well.." she scratched at her chin. "That _is_ true.."

"So you'll have someone fix it?!?!?!" he pipped up, smiling from ear to ear. He held the phone for her to grab.

The smile broadened just a bit more. "Er, well.. This _would_ be an easy fix." she said. "And it _would_ save us on material since we already have the general bases of a phone.." 

"YES?!?!?!?" he leaned towards her.

"Yeeees." she gave him a small smile. She plucked the phone from his hand, holding the cellular device at the top with her thumb and index finger. "I'll fix the hobo phone.."

"YEAHHH!" he cheered.

She turned the phone towards her and looked at it. She scoffed. "How archaic.." she pocketed the phone in her jacket pocket. "Alright, this phone should be fixed and up and running and better than ever in about a day or two. I'll assign Peridot 4XG to do it." 

"Nice! Thanks Peridot!"

"Mhmm." she turned back around and went to the door. Then paused. "This shouldn't take too long." 

"Aye, wait up, Perry!" Amethyst came running towards her. "I want to come with you. I still want to talk to you about something.." she whispered to her. "And since you're going to all of the other Peridots, I think that all of y'all techies should know."

"..All of us?"

"Yes, Peridot." she said in a forceful, hushed tone. "This is important. And honestly.." Amethyst looked away for a split second before looking back at the teen. "It has me a bit.." she shook her head. "Look, we just need everybody there, okay?!" 

"Alright, calm down." she leaned away from Amethyst. "You four can come with me then."

Amethyst looked at the boy, then shook her head. "Neh, let's.. just leave him here."

"Why? Shouldn't he hear about this too?"

"If it turns out to be something that we should tell him, then I'll tell him." she quickly told her. "But right now, I think he should practice with that new gadget of his." 

"Er.." she looked at Amethyst's stoned face.. Her cold, demanding look. ".. ookay?" then she cleared her throat. "Okay, very well then. Let me just give this to him." she turned around and started walking back towards him.

"Yo! Garnet, Pearl! We're going with Peridot to Building B." 

Garnet was looking at a new pair of gauntlets hanging up on the wall and Pearl was twirling a black and red spear with spikes on it. The two both stopped what they were doing, Pearl spinning the spear clockwise for it to click back in its console and placing it back on the table, and they went over to their boss.

Peridot was holding the ring in her GemTech metal fingertips again. "Alright Talc. So the Gems and I are going to head out for a bit. It shouldn't be _too_ long." she held up her other hand in a placating manner, the shirt held snugged under her pinky and ring finger. "But, Amethyst would like for you to stay here and practice with the ring." there were multiple chimes from her watch and Steven looked down at it. She ignored the calls. "So the steps are pretty simply really." more chimes. "All you have to do is." more chimes and a loud toot of a car alarm sound echoed from her watch. "OH, COME ON!" she snapped and swiped across her watch. "What the?! How did they?! WHAT?!?!?!" she shrieked. "Okay, just. Here!" she shoved the ring in his hand. 

He looked at it. Feeling the warmth.. the spark again.. that.. connection. He looked back up at Peridot who was already jogging for the elevator. "Wait, but how-"

"We gotta go!" she shouted at the three women. The GemTech boots of her prosthetics clanking hard onto the floor. She started zapping the outline of the elevator with the light from her fingertip. "Talc, it's simple. You just have to throw the ring down while you're still holding onto the band." she jumbled with her information as the three squares popped up. 

He looked back down at the ring. "Wait.. you mean like, I just press the ring down on the ground while holding on to it?" 

Her eyes were just finished being scanned and the microphone came out the ground. "Peridot Facet 2F5L cut 5XG, Amethyst, Garnet and Pearl: Code zero, seven, one, seven, nine, nine, eight, nine. Location: Building B, Floor 43, room 5." the doors of the elevator slid open and she walked into it, her hands firing off a quick message as the three women walked pass her to their seats. Then she looked back up. "Huh? What was that?" she looked back at her watch.

"I said, do I just push or throw the ring down to the ground while holding it?" 

"Huh?" she looked back up. "Uh, yes, yes you do." the elevators started to slide back.

"Wait, but I still don't-" the doors buzzed close and he sighed. He turned around and started walking away from the elevator, holding the ring closer up to his face. He turned it around, taking a nice, good look at it. "Hmmm.." 

_So do I just.. slip this on and knuckle the floor with the jewel to activate it? Or do I just.. press the jewel down on the floor while holding the band between my fingers? Oooor.. do I just press on the ring then throw it on the floor.. allowing the ring to activate into the bubble? The last one kinda makes sense.. but.. so does the other two._

He looked back at the elevator. 

_ Peridot_ did_ say that they wouldn't be out for_ too_ long.. so.. maybe I should just wait for them until they come back?_

He stared at the still and quiet chrome plated doors of the elevator..

He turned back around, sighing again. "Man, who am I kidding? They're probably going to be awhile.. and Amethyst would probably be all mad that I didn't even try to practice with this." he looked at the pink, shiny ring. A flash of light glinted off of it again and he held the ring closer up to his eyes.. 

Was that all in his mind again?

He held the ring from top to bottom, the side of the band facing him and he held his other hand up. "Maybe I should..." he held the ring up, just a couple of centimeters right at his fingernail. The heat and spark felt to be seeping off of the gadget and nearly giving him a heat burn on his fingernail. He pushed the ring closer, hitting his nail. He felt a shock, like static cling after touching a balloon or a wool sweater.

He continued to feel the heat from the ring to his nail. He pushed the ring down further and was shocked again and he stopped as the heat flared, nearly burning his fingernail. He held the ring back up to his face.

It _looked_ like a regular ring.. But, then again, a lot of the stuff they made with the GemTech stuff looked to be like regular made objects.

He thought about it.. Should he put it on? Amethyst wanted him to practice with it, but, they'd been in so much of a hurry that Peridot couldn't tell him how to use it. And she also didn't seem to be paying attention when he was asking her questions about the ring. So.. maybe it's a certain way to put the ring on? All of the other gems, Amethyst, Garnet and Pearl.. they all seemed to summon their weapons differently. So perhaps.. there was a certain way for him to summon the gadget as well?

He stared at the ring..

He just.. had a feeling about it.. He didn't really have a _bad_ feeling, persé but a.. feeling about it.. Or maybe it was just paranoia? Everything seemed to be happening to him lately and then with the heat and the spark with the ring.. 

He dropped his hand.

Yeah, that would be all he needed for him to put the ring on his finger a certain way, incorrectly and then for his finger to get like.. blown off or suffer some kind of four degree burns or something.

Or his finger will get melted off-

_.. Just like Jesse when he fell into the acid. _

Steven shook his head instantly of the thoughts. He wasn't going to let himself go down that road again..

He kept the ring in his clenched hand and started walking over towards the gadgets. Deciding to pass the time looking at the ones held behind glass instead. And then, once the Gems come back, he figured they could just do it all together then.

He started from the back, going down the first row. Then he went up the second row slowly. Gawking and looking at the cool mechanisms behind their glass.

Then he turned for the third row, stopping at the first gadget. It looked to be a mixture of a spear and a whip and more GemTech-y. He took a few more moments to look at the interesting looking weapon, then leaned back up, thinking about Pearl and Amethyst now.. Mainly Amethyst.. And how she seemed to really, reaaally want him to practice with the gadget.. That and the fact that she just seemed a tad bit on edge about something. That in itself was a bit alarming since she seemed to be a person that wouldn't ever be phased by anything. 

He opened his hand up to look at the ring again.

Well.. maybe the least he could do would be to obey her one order and _try_ to practice a bit.. At least she wouldn't have to be on edge about that. 

He looked at the ominous, bright pink ring a bit more.

Yeah, he still didn't feel right putting it on..

But.. perhaps he could open the bubble another kind of way?

"Maybe I can just.. hold the ring and press it on the floor?" he said to himself. He held the band between his thumb and index finger and knelt down. He pressed the jewel to the ground.

Nothing happened.

He turned the ring, his thumb and index finger now holding the jewel with the band of the ring on the ground.

Still nothing happened.

"Hmm.." he held the ring up to his face again. "Maybe I need to.. throw it down to activate it?" He stood back up and pulled his arm back. _I just hope that it doesn't break.. Wait.. what am I talking about?.. This is GemTech stuff.. and it should be durable anyway because this will specifically be used for fights.._

He threw the ring on the ground and it clinked on the metal, computer generated, GemTech tiles.

And.. nothing happened.

He went over to pick the ring back up. "Maybe I have to ..Squeeze the jewel first?" he squeezed the small, pink ball of the ring and threw it again.

And again, it clinked on the tiles and rolled.

And again, nothing happened.

He picked the ring back up, looking at the jewel, then the band, then all of the ring. "Perhaps.. perhaps you work by some kind of code?" he said to the ring. "Like some kind of voice activation..?"

The ring laid still in his fingertips.

"Maybe I can try that." he held the ring close to his mouth. "Uh.. what did the room say again? Oh yeah, CGB .. Aw man.. I still don't know the code.. Um.. CGB zero, seven.......Two? No, there's no two.. Uh... Zero, seven,...... One, zero.., seven, eight, ..Nine.. eight? Um.. seven _nine_ eight, nine?" he looked at the ring. Nothing. "Awww.. I can't remember the number.." he slumped.. Only to have another thought and to perk back up. "Wait a minute! This is a prototype.. I think..? So.. maybe it doesn't go by numbers?" he said to the nonliving ring once more. "Eh, I could give it another try." then he thought about it and nodded. "Yeah.. yeah, that'll work. I know it will!" he struck a heroic pose. 

He turned around to face the wall and took a deep breath. He held the ring just a few centimeters from his face. "Crystal Gem Bubble!!! ...Forcefield mechanism Activate!!! H'YAH!!" he threw the ring straight down. He watched as the ring hit the floor hard, popping across the tiles and hitting tables in the process. "Come on, come on!" the ring popped off of the floor two more times before losing momentum and rolling on the floor. The ring curving and rolling pass one of the tables, and disappearing from Steven's line of sight. 

"Oh, shoot.." he walked to the fourth row, walking around the table. He knelt down and looked around the legs. The ring was laid unscathed laying right by what looked to be a glove.. a very thick glove. With four sharp claws protruding between the fingers. It reminded Steven of the Wolverine's knuckles, except in glove form and even bigger, thicker claws.

"Now what's this?" he raised his arm towards the glove and stopped. _Wait.. maybe I shouldn't touch this.. What if something happens to it.. or my hand?.. or both?_

He leaned back up, his eyes not leaving the glove. 

_Yeah, I really shouldn't touch it.. It's obviously some kind of weapon..Maybe I should just get up and walk away. Like I never even saw it. _ He put a foot up underneath of him, ready to push himself up to a stand. 

Then he stopped.

_But.. what if this is all a setup. There are most likely cameras here.. So.. what if they're watching me? What if all of that stuff that happened over at Building B didn't happen and it was all just a decoy to really go over to the camera room to watch me practice with the gadget? And.. and what if they're watching me now to see what I'm going to do? If I was just going to walk away and act like nothing happened? But then again, what if they want to see if I pick it up? Maybe they want to see if I would touch something that I shouldn't be touching.._

What was he going to do?

He stared at the glove..

And stared at it..

Then his mind went straight to berating himself. _Pfft, okay Steven.. it's only a glove. Heh, r, right? Y, yeah.. Just.. just a GemTech glove that could possibly.. kill you.. Just.., just stop being scared all of your life!! You think too much._ He picked up the glove. 

..leaving the pink ring on the floor.. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just for the record, Peridot _can_ fight. ALL of the Crystal Gems can. It's just that.. she preferred tussling with Amethyst over going for a full out brawl since she wasn't actually _that_ serious.


	38. Cat Fingers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More of Steven's inner turmoil and more mental dialogue like the two previous chapters.

Steven held the heavy, metal glove with both hands. _Got a bit of weight to it. Hmm.. I wonder what it does?_ He flipped the glove over to see the back of it. He went for one of the blades and stopped. _Come on, Steven. It's only a glove! And you're ALREADY touching it anyway!_ He pinched the blade, tracing his thumb and index finger down to the sharp tip of the claw. Then that slight twinge of fear was creeping up again. _Okay, Universe. You looked at the weapon. Now just put it back._

Then another thought just as he was about to put the glove on the table in front of him. _Yeah, that's right. PUT the glove back on the table because you're afraid.. Like you always are._ He looked at the knuckles of the glove. _Yup. Just put it on the table. Act like you never saw it on the floor, fraidy cat._

He shook his head.. Where was all of this coming from? Putting it back wouldn't mean that he's scared. It was just that, he should just put it back and leave that thing alone and just pick up his _own_ gadget and practice with it. Since that _was_ what he was supposed to be doing anyway. It shouldn't be about being scared.. or cautious.. 

_Or tough._ He kept his gaze on the weapon. _Tough._ He was already tough. That's why he wasn't showing any more emotion. Just like the Crystal Gems, nothing would phase him anymore either.. 

He shook his head again. What he was thinking about wasn't making any sense.. Why was he even thinking about this? "Steven, just put it back." he reached over, hovering the glove back over the table. _Or.. better yet.. Maybe.. Maybe he could.. try it out? This_ was _a weapon after all. And who knows.. maybe he would be so good at it that they would have the glove as his weapon instead of the ring? Or give him both? _ He pulled his arm back. _And besides, this glove right here seems way more powerful than that little ring._

_And who knows. Maybe I'll get to surprise them that I was able to handle this weapon instead! _ He smiled.

"Now.. I'll just.." he slowly lowered the glove. The cold metal touched his fingertips. No heat. No spark.. And no.. nagging connection..

He slipped the glove all the way on and turned his arm around, flexing his fingers. "Hm, not bad. It's kinda snugged and pretty comforta-"

The sound of a blaring siren echoed from the glove as red lights flashed like disco lights across the glove. Steven screamed, holding his ear with his other hand and holding the gloved hand away from him.

"Security breach" the male voice said in a calming voice. "To discontinue alarm please use code verification."

"But I don't know it!!" he whined.

The siren continued to sound.

"Ohhh!!! Come on Steven! Think! Think! Uh.. CG.. Darn, I don't even know what this is called!! Uh..CG weapon? CGW zero, seven,...One..." he tried to recall the numbers as the sirens started to blare louder.

_Oh man!!! Is this going to explode?!?_

The ceiling above him sounded one large beep before the metal coating of the ceiling blinked into a dark screen of a video camera. A hooded figure was right in the middle of the video. "WHO DARES-" the voice was dark and deep, until it quickly changed to a nasally annoyed voice. "What da.. Talc?!"

"Talc?!" he heard Amethyst yell in the background. 

Peridot pulled the hood off and ripped the mask from her face. "What the heck are you doing with Cat Fingers, you clod?!?!"

"I, I didn't mean for it to alarm! I was just, I don't know.. trying it out!! It looked cool!" he whined. 

Peridot smushed her face to the screen of her watch. Her one eye fuming with rage in the middle of the ceiling. "AHHH!!! You don't just PUT any weapon on because it looks cool!!" the voice echoed throughout the room. 

"I'm sorry! Peridot, how do you take it off?!" he panicked.

She growled. "CGCF code zero, seven-Amethyst!!'"

The woman had grabbed her arm and turned it so the watch faced her. 

And she.. looked.. pissed..

"TALC!" she shouted into the watch. "You SHOULDN'T had been messing around with those weapons!!"

"I know! I'm sorry, Amethyst. I-"

"I should've KNOWN you were going to do that!!" she hissed out. Her brown eyes were cutting deep into him. The anger was practically seeping from the ceiling and down to him. 

"Amethyst, I was just curious-" 

"Oh yeah? Heh, curious?" she leaned in more and shouted. "CURIOUS?!" Peridot was shown just slightly to the left of the screen, looking just slightly shocked at Amethyst. "Of COURSE you were curious!! Leaving your own weapon to try out other ones!! Trying to find the best ones, huh?!" 

"What? I," _Well not.. Necessarily.._ "I was just trying out some different things-."

"What you WERE doing was trying to find the best ones to use so you can use them on us!!"

"What?! NO!" _What the heck is she talking about?_ "That wasn't my intention. I wanted you three to be proud of me when-" 

"NO! You WANTED to try and take us down with new, stronger weapons!!" she pointed at the glove in his hand. "You WANT to destroy us so YOU can be the one on top like old times!!" Peridot's look of shock only grew.

"Wha... What? Amethyst, what are you talking about?! I was just trying this on-"

"Cat Fingers activate protocol method 071."

The glove clamped down on his fingers, bending them towards his palm. Replicating paws of a cat. Then the claws in between pushed back into the glove, scratching his arm as they drew themselves in. "AH!- Amethyst.. Amethyst what did you do?!!" 

She glared at him.

"Amethyst! Amethyst, please! Tell me what did you do?!" he could feel a slight burning in the glove.

"You want to take us down? Try getting out of that, _yourself."_

"Amethyst!"

She pressed something on the watch and the ceiling winked out, revealing the cold, metal tiles of the ceiling again. 

"Amethyst!! AMETHYST!!"

They were already gone.

He looked down at the clamped down glove on his hand. _Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap... What did she do?! What did she do?!?!_ he panicked. He could still feel the burning in his hand and a bit pass his wrist.

He looked around. Maybe he should use a gadget or another weapon to take the glove off?!

Then another thought came to mind.

But what if _those_ weapons and gadgets ask for a code too?? and then he doesn't put in the code and then something happens to those weapons as well and he starts ANOTHER alarm, only for Amethyst to answer and to get even MORE irate with him?!..Yeah, forget it. He would have to do something else..

He looked around the room. Apart from the gadgets and the weapons, there were only the tables that laid underneath of them and the artificial GemTech lighting from the ceiling lights.

_There has to be a way to get this off..-_

"AH!" he felt a sharp electric pulse zap him in his arm. He looked down at the glove. _Did it.. did it get bigger?_

The glove looked to had grew a few inches, almost at his elbow now.

He grabbed the end of the glove and pushed up, trying to slide the glove off his arm. 

It didn't budge.

He kept looking around. He still couldn't find anything. Another shock of the glove and he ran to the nearest wall and threw his arm up against it. Then again. Then another.

The hard metal clanked against the cool metal of the wall, but nothing happened. He tried to pull the glove back up, grunting as he did, using all of his energy and muscle to pull it off. 

"What the heck did she do!" he grunted.

The glove glowed and Steven watched as the glove grew down and pass his elbow and up his arm.

_IT'S GROWING!!!_ "I gotta get this off!!" he ran towards the weapons that weren't behind glass cases. Drastic times calls for drastic measures. And he was just going to have to throw caution into the wind and use one of these weapons, hoping that they didn't need a code to use. 

He ran down to the fifth row, going straight to the fourth table. It was a small knife. He picked it up quickly, not hesitating this time. 

Nothing happened. No voice code, no alarm. Nothing. 

He took the knife and brought it down on the glove, slashing it four times. He looked. It was unscathed.

"Of course it wouldn't be that easy!" he whined. He slammed the knife back down on the table and went to the next row to the second table. The weapon looked to be some sort of hair dryer. He picked it up. Again. No voice confirmation. No alarm.

Relieved once more, he started looking at the weapon. There were three buttons on the bottom of it. He lifted the weapon away from him and pressed the first button. "Whoa!" Fire blew out of it. "A hair dryer flame thrower?!?!" he turned the weapon onto the glove. Letting the flames engulf the metal for a few moments. Then he pressed the button again to turn it off just as the flames went out instantly on the glove. He looked. It was pristine. And without a single scorch mark. "What?!" he pressed the second button. "Whoa!" the dark red flames burst out with more force and he pulled the weapon back to the glove, engulfing it in flames once again.

He stopped and looked. 

No marks.

_What kind of material is this?!?!_

He clicked the last button and blue and white flames shot out of the hair dryer. Steven held his grip as he steadily moved the weapon over the glove.

A few moments of spraying the fire over the material and he pressed the button to stop it.

No marks.

"Is this indestructible?!?" he could feel his fear creeping in more. He laid the hair dryer on the table and ran down the row. He felt the blades of the glove dig into his skin, burning him as the glove grew, covering his shoulder blades and the right side of his stomach. He stopped in his tracks, in pain, kneeling over as what felt like flames spread on the right side of his body. The blades clamping more onto his skin.

He took a few deep breaths and took his few, weak steps to the next weapon without a glass case. It was a long sword. He took it and brought it down on the glove and started cutting at it. 

The metal showed no marks.

"Why isn't any if this working?!" he could feel his fear and now his hopelessness climbing up inside him. He tried to shake off the feeling and put the sword back down on the table. "I need to get this off!!" he ran towards the wall and tackled it, the glove turned armor surround his body not budging at all. He continued to tackle the wall again and again and again. He ran into the wall a forth time and stayed there, leaning on it and out of breath. Feeling more bottled emotions trying to come back up. He closed his eyes and tried to swallow everything back down.

He gave himself a few moments to compose himself before opening his eyes again. He went for another weapon on another table. It looked to be a small knife with a small button on the handle. He picked it up and pressed the button. Electricity arced around the blade of it. He swiped down, trying to stab through and shock the glove. The electricity only disappeared once it hit the glove and the point of the knife made no indent. 

Steven threw the knife back down. "None of these are working.." he clench his teeth, refusing to let the emotions come back. _What am I going to do?!?!_

The armored glove grew. The blades dragging across his chest as the material spread across his chest and down to his other arm and down to his waist. He couldn't move his upper body, say for his neck. He screamed. "HELP!!!!" 

No answer.

"HELP!!!" he started spinning and thrashing about, trying to move the suit of armor. Everything was locked. He ran towards the nearest wall and tried to tackle it again. He fell back onto the floor. "COME ON!!! HELP!! PLEASE!!! AMETHYST!! PERIDOT!!!" he screamed. He moved his legs and twisted and turned, trying to move the armor. And again. Nothing happened.

He grunted, flipping himself over to his knees. He pushed himself up slowly to his feet and ran towards the tables, hitting them and crashing into them. Just trying to do something to the suit. He continued to shout out. Hysterical. He ran about, thrashing and flailing his neck and legs and running more into the tables. Nothing.

In his fits, he saw the elevator out the corner of his eye. _I can try and find the gems!!! If they're not coming to me, then maybe I can go to them!!_ He ran to the elevator and stopped, imediately reminding himself on how the elevator works.. _I don't have Peridot's stupid plasma thing she uses!!_

He started running towards the elevator again anyway. He was going to try SOMETHING.

"CGE. Open!"

Nothing.

"CGE. Code zero, seven, one, seven..." _Damn! Peridot never finished the sequence that last time!_

He started shouting out random numbers at the elevator. Nothing happened and he turned towards the room, shouting out random sequence numbers. And still, nothing happened.

And.. the emotions were trying to come back up again..


	39. Bottling up.. current percentage 57.3%

Steven shook his head and took one step. The armored suit grew and shifted. He screamed as the armor shifted his back upwards, bending him. His arms bending outwards. He could feel the blades clamp down, sending more heat into his skin. The armor grew more, enclosing his legs down to his feet. The material shifted and bent his legs and as if a magnetic force was pulling the suit, he fell forward onto the floor.

He screamed out more, still trying to move but to no avail. The metal shifted around his feet, pushing his toes outwards and his feet back, like that of cat's feet.

"Please!!! Anybody!! Peridot! Pearl! Garnet!.. Amethyst!!!" 

The armor grew more, covering the top of his head. The blades of the glove gripped his forehead and pulled it up. He could feel his hair being pulled in two ways as the metal bent into cat-like ears. 

A glass-like material slide down in front of his eyes and two sticks, one at the top and one at the bottom came down from each side and pinned his eyes open. One horizontal line reminiscent of cat eyes was on each side of the shades. A puff of white powder burst from the "eyes" and started burning his own. He screamed out more. 

Then. He started hyperventilating. He couldn't look around. His eyes burning and watery. And his whole body was burning and stinging from the blades up and down on his skin. And his limbs were bent and locked inside the armor.

He felt hopeless.. scared.. sad..

Pathetic..

The waves of the emotions he was trying to keep down came back up, stinging his throat and his eyes. He clenched them and swallowed, only to open his mouth to take in some shallow breaths.

He could still feel everything coming up in waves and waves.. His fear, his sadness, his stupidity..

His guilt..

Hurt..

And more and more emotions came up, gripping his throat. Another swallow. And the emotions came back stronger.

But he wouldn't cry..

Crystal Gems don't cry. 

They _won't_ cry.. For anything.. or anyone.

He tensed his muscles, trying to ignore the burning and stinging around his body. The blades seemed to stretch, scratching his skin more.

If he just HADN'T put the glove on, he wouldn't BE in this predicament, but NO. He wantet to show how tough he was.. pathetic.. he wasn't tough.. 

He couldn't work the stupid ring and now he was going to slowly burn and suffocate inside the suit.

And. It was all his fault.. Like everything else was.. Everything was his fault.. Jesse.. Mohawk... him being in this stupid armored suit.. him being with the Crystal Gems.... him.. getting Connie pregnant..

The tense emotions only grew. And he grit his teeth, trying to not thinking about any of the emotions. Any thoughts. Emotions and thoughts weren't important. And they only weakened you. The Crystal Gems are not weak people. And by extension, he wasn't either. 

And.. he did not need those emotions coming back up. Despite of how the rest of the armor growing and burning his skin more and despite of how mentally drained and horrible he felt. He had to be numb. He shouldn't feel mentally drained and he shouldn't feel terrible and he shouldn't be screaming right now.. And he stopped. Just as the he saw the armor cover the rest of his face up.

He didn't open his mouth to his stupid, pathetic screaming. Instead, he tried to calm his breathing. Clamping his mouth shut and breathing hard through his nose. A poor breathing technique, but he didn't care.

The armor clamped onto his cheeks and he felt four or five little pricks on each side of his cheeks. The metal whiskers sending a shock down his body.

He didn't scream anymore.

And he damn sure didn't let one tear slide down.

He'd successfully swallowed down all of his emotions again and now he was back to feeling numb.

He was going to accept his fate.

His skin and his eyes were burning and the whiskers were constantly sending shockwaves down his body. 

He didn't care anymore..

He was accepting his fate..

On the outside of the armor, Steven was unaware that the armored suit had burst into flames, nearing its final level of protocol 071. 

The flames would soon burn through the armor itself, thus, burning anyone who was unfortunate enough to be inside it.

The flames from the armor flared up and grazed the ceiling. The sensors on the ceiling alarmed the room of a fire and the four walls and the part of the floor holding the tables flipped. The weapons now all on the other side, leaving Steven by himself in the room of fire.


	40. The plot thickens..

Peridot walked over, dusting off the grit and metal debiris from her jacket and finally took a seat in front of the Gems. Just a small piece of her hair still had a pinch of ember on the tip of it. She held out a finger and it sprayed foam over it, extinguishing the fire. She pat the stuff out of her hair and leaned back in her chair. "Okay.. Amethyst." she looked at the stern looking woman in the middle. "What is it that you wanted to see me and all of the other Peridots" she gestured at all of the women standing and sitting by them all in their lab coats. "about? Trying to build another super, mega fridge fused stove again?"

"Peridot. This is serious." 

"I _am_ being serious. A few Peridots and I were making a schematic plan for that-"

Amethyst got up, cutting her off. "I'm talking about this." she threw a long object on the table. The gadget clonked on the surface and rolled towards the teen.

Peridot looked at the object, then looked back at Amethyst, pushing her glasses up with one finger. "This. Is a destabilizer, Amethyst." she deadpanned.

Amethyst started walking up to the table. "It _looks_ like a normal destabilizer. But _this? This_ thing actually went _through_ my suit." she pinched her jumpsuit. 

Peridot looked at her. Scrunching up her face, confused. "How is that even possible, our GemTech uniform alone can withstand bolts up to-"

"It doesn't MATTER how many bolts" Amethyst slammed her hands on the table, causing one of the Peridots to jump. The teen, on the other hand, laid still. Her eyes looking intently at Amethyst. "Look. This stupid piece of shit gadget right here." she picked it up. "Must have more than that. Or something else in it, for it to actually get through my suit."

"Where.. did you even get that anyway?" Peridot was trying to look at the gadget in Amethyst's hands and the woman put it back on the table. "Some dude had it at that Fry Shack." 

Peridot picked up the destabilizer. "You mean yesterday on your Frybo mission?"

"Yes! And that little douchebag used it on me! And he could hecka back up! And I've NEVER even seen those guys before!! Or him!!" 

"Hmm..." Peridot scratched her brow while still looking at the gadget. Then she looked up and around at her employees. "Peridots. Do any of you have any clue as to who they were or what this could actually be?" she held the gadget up in her hands.

"As you and Amethyst said. That looks like a regular destabilizer. But it's obviously been constructed a certain way." said Peridot 4XG. "We should take it apart bit by bit, to see how it's structured on the inside."

"I was thinking the same thing."

Another Peridot raised her hand and her boss called on her. "Yes. Uh.. What. were the guys wearing?"

"They were wearing all black suits with white shades. And a few of them had on suits with white fire on the back of them. Which takes me to this piece as well." Amethyst pointed at Pearl and the woman pulled out a black jacket with red fire on the sleeves and back. She handed it to Amethyst and the woman threw it on the table in front of Peridot. She looked down at it. "The guy that used that gadget was wearing that jacket. Those flames resembles the ones on those suits." 

"You know.." the other Peridot spoke up again. Everyone looked up at her. All the attention making her a bit shy. She swallowed and tucked a piece of hair back. "Well.. a few Peridots and I have gotten reports on Crystal Gems who've actually came in contact with guys wearing those same suits and glasses.

"Really?" Amethyst leaned up, narrowing her eyes. "Where?"

"Two cases have been reported. One was last month in South of Britain. The Crystal Gems were trying to steel from a popular jewelry spot and ended up running into those guys. They lost against the men. Two died and three of the remaining gems were injured. The men fled the scene after obtaining the jewels." Peridot 3X stopped herself.

Amethyst nodded. "And the second one?"

"The second one was reported two weeks ago in North Dakota. Again, the gems were on their mission to rob a jewelry store. The men randomly showed up and beat them as well. They killed four and left two badly injured."

Amethyst grit her teeth. "They're taking our precious jewels.. And they're trying to overtake us." then she turned to the teen again. "Peridot. Perhaps we should go a bit further with this. These guys seem different. We're not talking about Centi, or the chicks in the Red Eye or any of those other rivals.. These men seem like real deals. We need to look more into it. Especially since they seem to have devices that can overpower our suits."

Peridot nodded. "Of course Amethyst. We can take it apart right now." 

Amethyst nodded back. "We'll follow you."

Peridot got up and turned around, passing a few other Peridots. "Everyone's coming with me." she told her henchmen. 

Peridot lead everyone down a hallway and to a solid white door. She used her plasma light to spray around it. The three squares flipped over, she put in the needed information and the microphone came out of the ground. Once she put the information into that as well, the door opened. She and everyone else walked into the science lab, passing all of the other equipment and tables filled with beakers and Bunsen burners and various other Chemistry tools and she walked over to an empty table off to the back of the wall. She sat down on a swivel chair. Everyone huddled around. Amethyst, Garnet and Pearl being the ones sitting right beside her.

Peridot set the destabilizer down on the table and at an angle. Then she pressed a button on the side of her glasses to magnify her lenses. "Okay." she rolled her sleeves up. Let's get to it."

..............

Just a mere few minutes later of everyone watching Peridot take apart the gadget with her half weapon/half prosthetic hands, she was finished. And she'd made a couple of.. alarming discoveries. And with the expressions on the other Peridots' faces while she'd been dissecting the gadget, Amethyst and her crew could only imagine what Peridot had found.

"Okay." Peridot held her hands up and all of the small pair of scissors, plyers and other small, tools went back to being fingers. She turned slightly away from the gadget to properly face the gems. She took a deep breath.

"What, Peridot?!" Amethyst leaned on the table.

"Well I.." she looked at the gadget, then at the Peridots, then back at Amethyst. "know what's finally in it-"

"AND?!"

"Amethyst, please." she held a hand up. "If I can continue." she took another deep breath and pushed a few pieces covered in light green material. "These.. are diamond essence."

"WHAT?!"

Peridot held her arm up again. "It appears that three different diamonds, white, yellow AND blue have been mixed to make this qadget. Though our suits could still easily repel their power, due to us having substances sturdier than a diamond's essence.." she trailed off, biting her lip.

"Peridot just SPIT it out already!!"

Another deep breath from the teen as she moved a few pieces away to uncover a gray, black substance. She pushed the thick, square mass towards the three. "I also found this inside." 

"What? Peridot, I don't know what that crap is. I'm not a scientist. It just looks like freakin' rock to me!"

Peridot swallowed. "Amethyst." she looked at the Peridots before looking back at her. "This is the exact substance that _we_ use for our clothes and our GemTech. We.. use this substance for everything. This is.. the second strongest substance in the world. Stronger than a diamond, stronger than steel, stronger than-"

Amethyst growled out, yanking the girl's shirt. "PERIDOT, WHAT ARE-"

"Nnnn, THIS ROCK IS MIXED WITH CHEMICAL Elle Ghee!!" 

Amethyst's expression broke, going from extremely irate to.. Something of utter shock. Her grip loosened and Peridot pulled her shirt away. Pearl held her mouth. A sad look on her face and Garnet stood to keeping her mouth a thin line. Her eyes strained on Peridot.

"What.." Amethyst whispered.

Peridot pressed her shirt down, unwrinkling it, then looked up at her. "It's..Chemical Elle Ghee.."

"Peridot how.. how is that even possible?!? Only WE know how to make that substance!!"

"I don't know, Amethyst!! It's near impossible!! Every single piece of information, every tid bit, every thing has been stored VERY well within the Crystal Gem empire for years!!" 

Amethyst took a few steps back, shaking her head. All of the heads turned to her. "No.." she shook her head. "No, no, no!" she yelled. "Peridot that means.. That means that-"

"...That the diamonds were still out there plotting.." Peridot whispered. "After all these years.. they actually _never_ gave up.. They were up to something all this time and now they're starting to strike back."

Amehtyst growled out, holding her hair. "But ...Even if they ARE coming back that.. that doesn't explain how the hell they know anything about our chemicals!!" 

The whole time Pearl kept listening.. and listening.. and then.. she just couldn't bare it.. she had to ask. "Amethyst, do you think they're still out there?!" she blurted out. 

Amethyst snapped around.

"I'm..I'm very sorry for talking out, Amethyst but.. I'm just wondering.. if you think they're still out there?"

Amethyst was about to yell out what she meant by 'they', thinking that she was playing the pronoun games with the diamonds, but then she quickly understood that she was actually playing the pronoun game with ..two other people..

"Pearl.. I know you're not referring to those two."

"I.. well.." she looked down, rubbing her hands. "It's just.. don't you think it's a tad bit weird that.. Once Rose Quartz was found dead that the other one bailed? Maybe.. she faked her death and the two of them went off to go fight with the diamonds."

"Pearl, what? Do you, do you even _hear_ yourself now? Rose is deaaaad. Finito. Finished. Buried SIX feet underground. Homicide Pearl. Both you, Garnet AND I were there. And that little looover man of yours fled! Left us to go fight off the diamonds and left _me_ in charge! And what happened to him? Some people said he died too but even if he didn't, Pearl? He wouldn't go to those old hags. You KNOW he was a die hard Crystal Gem!! He wouldn't EVER cop out and play a second agenda. Rose is gone and Lonny wouldn't go to the diamonds even if his life depended on it." 

Pearl bit her lip. "I.." she held back her tears.. her emotions that she thought she'd gotten rid of all of those years slowly creeping back. But then, she composed herself in a split second. "Right." she said bluntly. "You're absolutely right, Amethyst." her boss nodded at her. "But.. I still think _ someone_ must've told them."

"And not only that." Peridot interrupted. "But _we've_ stolen every single piece of those substances. There was only a few found in the world and you two and all of the other Crystal Gems stole all of them before I was even born. AND that they were all stored separately, away from all of the other jewels everyone stole and are still stealing. Now. That in itself gives us a clue because not everyone _knows_ where the one depart unit is."

Amethyst nodded. "Yeah, I see where you're going at, Peridot. Lonny only told Mr. Wascoite, Rose, Garnet, Pearl, Crazy Lace, Biggs, me and two or three other close Crystal Gems." she gasped. "Wait a minute!! You don't think.."

"What?"

"You don't think.. it was that bitch Kyanite.., do you?"

"Huh?"

"Crap.. right, that was long before your time."

"No, they've told me stories about her. Grandaddy and a lot of other people have filled me in on the whole Crystal Gem history. But my 'huh' was referring to her in particular.. I didn't think she was still alive." then Peridot's mouth dropped slightly. "That means.. Is she still-"

"Yes." Amethyst said bluntly. "She tried to escape the Crystal Gem authority. And you _know_ the repercussions on that."

"R, right.."

"Anyway.. she was very, very close to Lonny. He told her and a handful of us abut the whereabouts on the storage unit. But then, fast forward years later, during the time of the huge fight between the diamonds, she tried to leave." Amethyst nodded to herself. "And I think.. she must've stole them and gave the substances to the diamonds. And since she didn't know how to make it, it must've took the old hags' henchmen all these years of laying low and trying to figure out how to make Chemical Elle Ghee."

Peridot thought about it, scratching her chin. "Yes. Yes that very well does make sense..The diamonds could've gotten their own henchmen to mix up the Chemical Elle Ghee with their own diamond essence.." Peridot swallowed a thought, but it came back up to her mouth. "which..means.."

Amethyst glared at her. She shook her head. "You better not say it."

"Which means.. we are not the strongest anymore.." 

"Shut up, Peridot!" she took one of her whips out, holding it tightly in her hands.

"With the diamonds now holding one of the most hardest substances ever AND with their own diamond essence that we don't have.." Amethyst shook her head violently as Peridot continued. "that means that.. that the Diamond Authority is officially now the strongest gang authority in the world."

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO SAY IT!!" she unraveled her whip.

Peridot shot up from her seat. "Amethyst, you have to face the reality! The Diamonds are making a comeback!! AND-"

Amethyst threw the rope, wrapping Peridot tightly. "Listen here, Peridot. Those Diamonds will have ANOTHER thing coming! Even if they DID find out about our Chemical, we'll STILL take them down!" she tightened the hold on the whip. "You hear me!!" 

"Yes, Amethyst." she wheezed out. "But-"

"We're GOING to beat them. ONCE and for all!-"

"Security breech." Peridot's watch alarmed. "Weapon security breach." Her watch lit up red and black. "Somebody's trying to use one of the weapons!!" she shrieked. 

Amethyst unwrapped the whip off of her and Peridot took a few deep breaths from the lack of oxygen she was getting. Then she stepped away and put her mask on and put the hood over her head. She raised the watch up to her face to type something in. A few moments and she held the button on her mask. "WHO DARES!-" she let go of the button. "What da-Talc?"

Peridot put her hood down and ripped the mask off of her face. "What the heck are you doing with Cat Fingers, you clod?!?!"

"I, I didn't mean for it to alarm! I was just, I don't know.. trying it out!! It looked cool!" they heard the boy whine on the watch.

Peridot smushed her face to the screen of her watch. "AHHH!!! You don't just PUT any weapon on because it looks cool!!" 

"I'm sorry! Peridot, how do you take it off?!" they could hear the panick in his voice.

Amethyst started running over.

Peridot growled. "CGCF code zero, seven-Amethyst!!'"

The woman had grabbed her arm and turned it around to face her. TALC!" she shouted into the watch. "You SHOULDN'T had been messing around with those weapons!!"

"I know! I'm sorry, Amethyst. I-"

"I should've KNOWN you were going to do that!!" she hissed out. 

"Amethyst, I was just curious-" 

"Oh yeah? Heh, curious?" she leaned in more into Peridot's watch. "CURIOUS?!" she shouted. 

Peridot just looked at her, slightly shocked at Amethyst, but not knowing what to say. "Of COURSE you were curious!! Leaving your own weapon to try out other ones!! Trying to find the best ones, huh?!" 

"What? I..I was just trying out some different things-."

"What you WERE doing was trying to find the best ones to use so you can use them on us!!"

"What?! NO! That wasn't my intention. I wanted you three to be proud of me when-" 

"NO! You WANTED to try and take us down with new, stronger weapons!!" she pointed her finger at Peridot's watch. "You WANT to destroy us so YOU can be the one on top like old times!!" 

Peridot's look of shock only grew.

"Wha... What? Amethyst, what are you talking about?! I was just trying this on-"

Amethyst squeezed Peridot's wrist even tighter. "Cat Fingers activate protocol method 071."

She watched as the glove bent, clamping his fingers down, bending them towards his palm. Replicating claws of a cat. Then the claws in between pushed into the glove, scratching his arm as they drew themselves back into the gloves. "ACK!!" the boy looked up "Amethyst.. Amethyst what did you do?!!" 

She glared at him.

"Amethyst! Amethyst, please! Tell me what did you do?!" 

She looked at him with such contempt. "You want to take us down? Try getting out of that, _yourself."_

"Amethyst!"

She pressed the button on the watch and walked away. 

"Amethyst!" Peridot shrieked out. "You just set up his death trap!!" 

"Don't you think I _know_ that Peridot? That little shit SHOULDN'T had his grimy hands all over our stuff!!"

"Amethyst.. you need to calm down.. Okay? Sure he was a stupid clod to put it on but-"

"We don't need ANYONE getting ANY more of our substances or, or in this case WEAPONS!! We can't take another hit like that anymore!" 

"Amethyst, relax! Just breath. He's one of us, remember? He was just being curious."

"Yeah, his title says that he's "one of us".. But his heart isn't in it yet." she shook her head. Her eyes closed. "With this news, we need to be more careful. Even more so with each other.. Especially him." 

"Well, sure. But I have a feeling that the people here, are Crystal Gems." she cleared her throat. "till the very end."

Amethyst shot her a glare.

"BUT, BUT!" Peridot tried to correct herself. "Proper protocol _is_ important. We'll.. just have to keep a closer eye on every Crystal Gem's base and unit. Not only to keep a closer eye on our own people, but to keep a very close eye on any intruders as well."

"Good. Glad we're finally seeing eye to eye." she walked back over to the weapon on the table and a couple Peridots walked out of her way. "So. What are we going to do with this?" she stared at the pieces on the table.. then at the gray-black, rocky substance.

"We'll have to write all of the destabilzer's information down in our database." Peridot walked over to her. "And we'll also need to keep this in our labs. We'll see if we can somehow replicate strength and power like that of a diamond's essence. And the good thing about it is that we have all three."

"You mean we have the _rest_ of the three." Amethyst corrected.

"Oh, er, yes. That is correct.." she pushed the pieces into one pile. "We'll have to be extremely diligent in working with this one. We only have one. Also we need to be very careful in pieicng together every substance and every single piece of material on here." she looked up. "I'm assigning. You, you, you... you, you.. and you." she pointed at the Peridots. "You six and I will be handling this." then she had a quick thought. "And right now, I need you six to put this back together. Now." 

The six walked over, just a tinge of nervousness on their face.. The big task of helping Peridot out on the new project resting heavily on their shoulders now.

Amethyst and Peridot walked away from the table. "I can only hope that you all can replicate this, Peridot."

"I know." she whispered. "But in time, I believe we can. That's why I specifically picked out the top six ones." 

Amethyst nodded. Still in thought.

"Don't worry, Amethyst. Everything will be fine. The Crystal Gem Empire is still running and stabled. The Diamonds-"

"I don't even want to _hear_ their names." she hissed out.

"Yes.. Well, we don't have to worry about.._anyone_ trying to overtake us. We've defeated them and we can do it again." 

Amethyst scoffed. "Peridot.. Now that they're back, I don't even think we should be calling that one a defeat anymore." 

Peridot only looked at her.

"We tempted to kill all four of them, but ending up only killing one." Amethyst explained to her. "Then, once they used their "final" attack in using the freakin' corruption deal and after majority of us survived from that, they stopped. They stopped everything and they left and we thought that that was the last of them.. Peridot. We _thought_ we won.. but." she looked up at the ceiling, looking at nothing in particular. "They were up to something.. this whole entire time, P." she said softly.

Peridot looked up with her. "They may had been plotting something this whole time.. But as you said, we can take them down. We'll officially take them down."

"We'll have to train harder.. and you and the other Peridots will have to work harder in making better equipment and stronger clothing.

"We'll do so promptly. But that means that the gadgets that are currently being made and the new gadgets will take longer now, now that we have to put more into them. Hmm.. there's going to be a lot of angry calls coming, but they'll just have to deal with it and be patient. Charoite will be able to handle all of that." 

"And you can't tell anyone about the Dia-.. about them yet. We still don't know if there's a mole here yet.. And we've already probably ruined our security by talking to each other in the room just now.. One of them could've been moles.."

Peridot took a breath. "I still think that there are no moles here. Our security system is near indestructible-"

"Like our so-called suits?" she snapped back.

"That's.. that's different, Amethyst.."

"How so? We use the same Gemtech material that apparently they're using now as well.. Who's to say that they didn't hack into our systems?" 

"Well, _that_ is different, Amethyst. This is encryption and coding we're talking about. They may have been finally able to mix a few substances to make our chemicals, but they are _not_ smart enough for computer science."

"So you say.."

"Look Amethyst.. I know you may be a bit scared but-"

Amethyst pivoted to Peridot. Getting right in her face. "I'm NOT afraid.. AT all.."

"Okay, okay-"

"I'm not afraid of ANYONE!" she leaned back up, still glaring at Peridot. "I just want to take proper protocol, is all. That's the smart and logical thing to do. That way, we'll be ready for them."

"Yes.. I understand that completely."

"Well you act like you don't." 

Peridot opened her mouth to say something, but slowly closed it back. She stood there with Amethyst in silence.

"Peridot, we have reconstructed the destabilizer." said one of the Peridots.

Peridot's eyes stayed on Amethyst's. "Yes. Nice work, ladies. I knew that I could count you all. Now, if you'll just excuse me, Amethyst, I must take the destabilizer with me. I need to put it in the system before taking it back down to the lab." she walked away before Amethyst said anything.

"Peridots." she looked at the ones she'd picked out. "I'll be taking this back to my office to put it in our systems. Then I'll bring it back here where we'll start our process."

They gave her a nod. 

"Okay. You all can leave now." then she looked to the other Peridots. "Everyone can leave and proceed with what they were doing earlier." she told everyone.

One by one, her scientist henchmen started to walk to the door.

Peridot turned around as Amethyst was walking up to her. "Also, Amethyst. If I may, I would also like to keep the jacket. Perhaps we can find a piece of hair or maybe we can find some more information about it."

"Sounds good to me. But be careful when asking questions about the jacket."

"Yes. I'm very well aware. Now. Let us depart. I'm heading out and I don't want any non Peridots in my lab." 

"Ouch, P. You're sounding like a gemist." 

"More like _chemist._ I just don't feel safe in leaving anyone who isn't qualified to be in the lab." then a beat later. "Unless _accompanied_ by one who is, of course. Now, let's go. I'm going to my office to put the information into the system."

"Pfft.. whatever you say, Peridot."

.............

Peridot moved away from her computer. "Okay. That's that." she told the three women sitting down in front of her. "Now, I can go back down to the lab and give this to the other Peridots to start working on this and-"

"Attention: Fire Alarm: Floor 1 room b. Attention: Fire Alarm: Floor 1, room b. Defense protocol has been breached for C.G.W.R: Floor 1, room b." her watch flashed red and black.

"Oh, crap!! I can't believe I forgot about Talc!!"

"Oh damn. Forgot about him too." Amethyst snorted.

"I don't care about his life.. BUT WE HAVE TO SAVE MY PRECIOUS ROOM!!" she jumped out of her chair and ran towards the elevator. "The weapons may be on the other side of the room, but I STILL want to try and SAVE the actual room!" she traced the elevator and the three boxes flipped over on the wall. 

"You three are coming with me too!" she put the code in the second box. "The trucks should be coming soon anyway and I'll need to appoint the Peridots to their next assignments. So. With that being said, once I put out the fire, I'll have to ask you four to leave so we can get down to our tasks." she finished with the last box and the microphone came out of the floor. 

"Alrighty, Perry. That's fine with me." Amethyst and the other two got up and met Peridot inside of the elevator. The doors closed moments later.

.............

"Alright, we're here you clods, _exceptforPeridot 2F5L5XGbecause_she's_notaclod_. This is the C.G.W.R section of the chamber." the elevator said to them. 

Peridot held her hand up and pressed her fingers and thumb together. The whole wrist began to spin as the elevator doors opened. As soon as the crack of the doors were shown, she sprayed the foam as fire leaped towards them. She sprayed the foamy substance all around. 

"Cat Fingers Deactivate protocol 071. Code: zero, seven, one, seven, nine, nine, eight, nine." said Peridot. She walked into the fire engulfed room, spraying the foam with every step she took.

"Deactivating."

Amethyst, Garnet and Pearl stepped out of the elevators and the door closed behind them. They watched as Peridot ran to the other side of the room, putting out the rest of the fire as the armor started to glow. Then, the whiskers slid back inside of the mask from both sides and a small piece of metal slide inside, revealing Steven's red, irritated face from the top of the nose on down. His mouth, slightly opened as he laid there unconscious. 

Then the glass visor slid up into the armor and the top material inched back, revealing the rest of his face. His eyes were wide open. 

Amethyst walked up casually to him. Her hands in her pockets. "Damn.. is he still alive?" she nudged his head with her foot. 

No response.

Peridot was still putting out the fire. "AAAAHHH!!!! EAT extinguisher, YOU CLODS!!!" she sprayed all around her. 

The armor shrunk back, revealing his tarred shoes and scorched pants. 

Garnet knelt down beside him as the armor shrunk back, revealing his torso and one of his arms. She went to the arm and felt his wrist. 

Relief washed over her, though she didn't show it. "Yes. He's still here with us." 

"Wow. This dude must be tough as nails then." said Amethyst.

Peridot was finishing up the last bit of fire in one spot of the room. She let go of the button on her wrist to stop the foam. She scoffed. " 'Effin ember clods.." she blew the invisible "steam" from her fingers and her hands twisted around, turning back into fingers.

The rest of the armor went back to being a glove as the claws slid back out and the fingers straighten out. Garnet slid the glove gently off of his red, blistered arm as Peridot walked on over. 

"Here you go, Peridot." she handed the glove to the teen. 

"Wow.. thanks." she said plainly. Then she turned around and walked to the empty table. "I know exactly who did this too.. I know exactly which idiot, cloddy Apatite left this when she was assigned to cleaning this room.." she stepped in front of the table and noticed the ring on the floor. She placed the glove back on the table and typed in the code on the edge of the table. A glass sphere slid out of the table, sliding over to the other side, making a glass dome. Then she picked up the ring. 

"... better wake up soon." Peridot heard Amethyst say and she looked up. Garnet was carrying Steven in a bridal carry. His body slumped across her arms. "He needs to practice with that ring of his for our mission tomorrow night." 

"I don't know, Amethyst." Garnet looked down at the poor boy knocked out. Drool down his face. "He looks like he's going to be out for awhile." 

Amethyst sighed. "Whatever. Well, when he wakes up, whether it be tonight or tomorrow. He BETTA practice with it." she leaned up to his face. "You hear that, Talc!" she shouted. "When you wake up, you practice with that ring of yours!!"

"Amethyst, he can't hear you." said Peridot.

"Pfft, yeah, well. Thought I could talk to his subconscious or whatever you call it. Get into his head or something, I don't know, P." she growled. Then she turned back to the boy and looked at his hand.

No ring.

"Hmm.." she picked up his other hand.

No ring.

"Where _is_ his ring anyway.."

"You think he dropped it?" Garnet asked.

"It couldn't had melted in the armor.. could it?" Pearl asked.

Peridot pocketed the ring. "Alright, come on you two. What's the hold up?" she acted.

"Can't find his ring." said Amethyst.

"Eh, I'm pretty sure that clod put it somewhere. But I don't have enough time to care right now. I just got a message from my watch saying that the trucks are here. So you four need to leave. So we, prestigious Peridots can get started."

"Pfft.. a bunch of nerds." Amethyst rolled her eyes. "Alright, let's just hope this big lumax put it in one of his pockets or something." she checked one pocket. Nothing but tissue. 

"Come on! Come on! Git!" Peridot shooed them towards the elevators. "Y'all gotta go!"

"Geez, we're going P!! Calm down, will ya?" she took her steps towards the elevator with the crew.

........

Steven was put in the car and was buckled in. Then Garnet closed his door and went to the drivers side. She opened it and got in. 

Peridot, _with her mask on once more,_was still on Amethyst side, talking to her outside her door. "If anything suspicious comes up with... _you know_.. we'll inform you three immediately." 

"Good. Because we don't have a moment to spare." 

There was a chime in Peridot's jacket pocket and she pulled out Steven's phone by mistake, then tucked it back in and pulled out her phone that was right behind it. She swiped the screen and held the phone with her thumb and index finger, holding the phone up to her hood. "Yes?" she nodded a few times. "Yes... Yes, I'll be up there momentarily." she hung up the phone. "Alright Amethyst. Duty calls up with Headquarters." 

"Wait, P."

"What?"

"You just reminded me. You have Talc's phone. I need you to put a security camera in it. AND a tracker." 

Peridot blinked slowly. "Uh.. a tracker.. and a spy cam..?" 

"Security protocol. We can't take any chances remember? And don't worry." she held a hand up. "We won't be using it everyday or anything, but, it's good to have it when, time calls for it, ya know?"

".. Rrrrriiight... Yeah, I'll. I'll put those two things in the phone as well."

"Great! Well, see ya later, P-Dot. Keep us updated." 

"Yes. Will do, Amethyst." she gave her a thumbs up. Her face plain and bored. 

Amethyst gave her a nod and rolled the window up and Peridot backed away from the car. The woman turned to Garnet. "Alright, let's go. Time to drop off Talc." 

Garnet shifted the gears and backed the car away from the gate.

................

Steven felt his sore, burning face.. it was so sore.. and hurt... Like he'd just been slapped hard. His face was stinging.. assumably from the suited armor..

_Wait a minute.._ But was he _still_ in the armor? His body wasn't burning, except for his face that was now calming down. But he _did_ feel a bit of weight on top of his legs.

He decided to finally open his eyes slowly to see Amethyst bringing her hand down, back handing him on the other side of the face. "AH!!" 

"Oh, good. You're finally awake." she let go of his chin.

"What was that for?!"

"Had to wake you up, duuuuuuh."

He opened his eyes all the way. Amethyst was straddling his thighs. Though this time, he acted like he didn't care. "Um.. did I.. faint?"

"Yup. That Cat Fingers REALLY did a number on you, che. Just look at your arms."

He looked at his red, blistered arms. Four deep claw lines where the claws had dug into his skin went from his fingertips and all the way up to the sleeves of his shirt. "My arms!! _Aw man!! How am I going to explain THIS to Connie?! _

"Yeah, and your face took a real beating as well."

"WHAT?!?!"

"Yup. Your eyes and your skin, dude."

"MY FACE!!" he touched his face and immediately regretted it. "OW!"

"Yeahhhh... That's going to take a few days to heal." she snorted.

He didn't find it funny.

"Alright dude, well." she slid off of him. "You can get going." she gestured out his window. "You're back home." 

He looked out his window at the side of his apartment complex. "Oh.. okay.." he opened the door.

"Remember. We're meeting back here tomorrow at 1900 hours." 

He did the math in his head again. "Seven p.m sharp. Okay. I'll be there." he opened the door further and slide out the car.

"And DON'T forget the ring! And try to practice with it a bit before we pick you up!"

"Will do, Amethyst. Night guys." 

"Noches." (Night)

"Night, kid." said Pearl. _Still calling me a kid.._

Garnet didn't say anything. And frankly, he still didn't care.. And he definitely ignored that small little hurt voice of his in the back of his mind.. _because_ he didn't care. Yup. He still didn't care. At all. No emotions. That's why he looked at Garnet with such a plain, emotionless look.. Because he didn't care. Yup. He definitely. Definitely didn't care anymore. 

He closed the door and made his way to the apartment.

"Alright, Garnet. Let's get out of here." said Amethyst. She climbed to the front and slid back in the front seat.

Garnet shifted gears and exited out the side of the complex.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooooohhhh my good golly gosh!!! A bit of background info aaaaand TWO names have been dropped AND introducing the Diamonds already?!?!?!? :0  
Whoaaa, folks... Whoooaa nally..


	41. Bottling up.. current percentage 78.92%

Steven walked up the second flight of stairs and down the hallway, thinking about what he was going to say to Connie about his skin.. and his eyes..

He took his keys out his pocket and put it in the lock, unlocking the door. He opened it. He could already feel his heart racing. 

He could hear Connie off to the side in the kitchen.

"Hey, Connie. I'm home." he closed the door behind him and took her scorched flip flops off by the door.

"Hey, Steven." 

He couldn't help but always melt and feel so content when he heard her voice.. It was always so comforting and it made him have butterflies in his stomach. He loved her voice. He loved _her._

And just as he thought about running to the kitchen to give her a welcoming kiss, he quickly remembered about what happened to him today and was self conscious. He was definitely going to get an earful of questions once she saw his face..

Well, if he doesn't answer the questions _the right way_, that is, _then_ was he going to get an earful of questions.

"What's wrong? Something wrong with the door again?" 

"OH! Uh, no! Just uh.. Thought I saw another centipede. But.. it was just a piece of hair. Heheh." he started his walk _slowly_ to the kitchen.

"Yeah, I've been seeing a lot of them too, lately." he heard her open the stove and close it back.

"Smells good in here. As usual." he complimented. "And I just know it tastes even better." he turned the corner and laid his elbows on the counter. 

Connie was sprinkling some seasoning on a small duck she had in a pan. "You can be the judge. I got this from the supermarket by where I work. The same one I got the Pepto Bismol and the Ginger Ale from. This has been grass fed and is free of hormones and other harmful substances." she put the shaker down.

Steven stood there, on pins and needles.. just waiting for her to turn around.. And he just wanted to hurry up and get the questions over with already..

She opened the stove again and took out a small tray of homemade macaroni and cheese. She placed it beside the chicken. Then she took the oven mit off and turned around.

_Here it comes.._

"Steven! What happened to your face?!"

_Answer that correctly, Universe. You need to stop the questions right in their tracks before this goes too deep._

_But.. what can I say?_ He still had to think of something. "Another accident on the job." he stalled.

She walked over to him. "But _what_ happened? Steven, it looks like you've been burned.. and clawed? And your eyes.."

"The deep freezer." he tried to pull out the lie from somewhere.

"How did the cold deep freezer, where you stock at.. did this?"

_You haven't been answering her correctly!! And she's already going deep into the questions!! Just give her one good reason and stop it there!_ He thought for a few moments and acted out with a small sigh to stall more, before starting back up again. "I, uh.. well.. apparently." _Come on, Universe! Just think! Think!_ "the deep freezer can get jammed or.. compact or have some kind of electrical damage or something like that. I don't know, I forgot what they call it. Anyway, something went haywire with the electrical coils in the back of the freezer part, causing the front freezer to get warm. And we had to throw away all of those perishables out. But, anyway, back to the freezer. A few co-workers and I went to go fix it and well.. I.. thought I could prove myself by going in there first and fixing it some how-" 

"With_out_ knowing a thing about electricity.."

_CRAP! Come ON, Universe!_ "Yeahhh.. I know.. but you know me, Connie. I wanted to help them and I, kinda wanted to be the hero.. And how they were telling me, it sounded pretty easy to do. But." he looked down at his arms. "..It wasn't.."

She brought her hand up to her face and dragged it close to her mouth, shaking her head. "Stuff has been happening a lot to you lately.." she mumbled into her palm. 

"Huh?" he acted like he didn't hear her.

"Nothing.." she leaned off of the table. "Take a seat on the stool. I think I still have more of that cream stuff my mom gave me." 

Steven sat on the seat right beside him and watched as Connie walked away from him. "I thought you threw out everything that reminded you of your parents." 

She sighed as she opened the closet door. "No.. I was just mad when I said that.. I actually kept a few things from them." she opened the door and walked inside. A few moments later she came out with a small tube of lotion. It looked pretty old. The label looked faded and he couldn't make out the words written in Tamil. He could barely speak it, let alone, read it. 

"This is really good for burns." she said. 

He turned around in his seat and she looked him up and down. "Steven, did you just, run right into it? I mean, your WHOLE body is burned. Your shirt, your jeans.. your feet." 

"There were." he shrugged. "a lot of coils.. like, a lot.." and that's all he said.

She sighed again and stepped in front of him. She unscrewed the white top off and set it down on the counter. "This is going to sting a little," she said as she squirted the light brown cream on her hand. "but it works fast. Give me one of your arms."

He raised his right arm and she rolled up his short sleeved shirt. She put the cream gently on his skin and he immediately felt the burning sensation and he winced at it. "Told you it was going to sting. But I need to put this on you." she smoothed the cream out and down to his hands, getting between his fingers. She did the same for his other arm. Then she put the cream on his face, then went down to his ankles and his feet. 

Steven was about to joke about how _she_ was the one massaging his feet now and that it _could_ lead to something else. But, with what was going on and how she was acting.. he decided to keep that little inside joke to his self.

"Okay. I'm done." she put the top back on the bottle and walked back over to the closest, putting it up.. somewhere in there.. 

Steven wondered if she kept her parents' belongings in one little separate spot in the closet..

She walked pass him and back into the kitchen. "Dinner is ready, by the way." she said. 

"Great. I'll help you set up the table."

"Okay.. but just watch your hands on the plate. The stuff haven't dried yet." she finished washing her hands in the sink.

............

After setting up the table and praying over their food, they started piling the food on their plates.

And of course..They were having _another_ tense dinner like the couple other dinner's they'd had during the past week and a half.

The two were just eating their food. 

In silence.

More piling food on plates.

More eating in silence.

Forks scraping across plates.

More silence from the two.

A neighbor's dog started barking in the distance.

More silence from them.

Until Connie cut the silence with a sigh and Steven looked up from his plate. Though he didn't say anything.

"Steven." she trailed off.. Then she shook her head, going to a different topic she had previously in her mind. "How's your skin now? It's already looking much better."

"Yeah, it feels much better. I can't feel the burn at all."

"That's good to hear. I was hoping that it would still work. It's pretty old. That cream came out when my parents were little. It's hard to find those bottles now. Even online.. And then when I _do_ find it online, it's usually on some shady website, so I don't click on it."

"What about going to one of those international stores?"

"I did. I went to a few of them actually. And they all said the same thing. That they don't sell discontinued international items."

"Well that sucks."

"Yeahhh.. wish I could've gotten some more before I left but." she shrugged. "Too late now so.."

"Y, yeah.." Steven couldn't help but feel guilty about that since _he_ was the reason that she left..

_No! DON'T feel guilty. What's done has been done. You CAN'T show any guilty emotions to that.. or any emotions at all!_

"Well I'm just glad that you still have a bit of it left." he just said anything.

"Right. Otherwise, you would've been in pain.." she looked at him.

"Yeah. But I'm not anymore. Thanks to that amazing cream." he smiled.

"Steven.. are you okay?"

That caught him off guard.

_AND NO I'M NOT OKAY!!!_ "Of course, Connie. Why?" 

"You still seem.. off."

_Come on, Universe..Keep it together.. keep it together.._ He picked up his cup of soda, now feeling a bit parched. He took a few sips and swallowed it down hard and set the cup back down. "I don't know why. I'm feeling pretty good." he widened his pained smile.

Connie only looked at him. Then he saw her slowly shake her head.

"What?" _Calm down, Steven.. don't get paranoid._

"I'm.. sorry, Steven, but I.. I just don't buy it.."

Just a slither of paranoia and defensiveness was trying to slowly crawl up, but he cleared his throat, shoving them back down. "Connie, I'm fine." though his sightly irritated ton of voice said otherwise.

She shook her head once more. "You don't seem like it.. you're acting really different."

He sighed. "How so? Because I burnt myself a little bit? I'm still me, Connie. I've just gotten into a little accident. I'm still new to the job." _Swallow everything back down, Universe._

And he did.

Or he hoped he did.

"It's not JUST about your injuries! Steven you're still!-" she cut herself off and took a deep breath. "Nothing, never mind." she took another deep breath and went back to the last bit of food she had on the plate.

And Steven went back to his. He went for the last bit of macaroni and cheese. Chewing on it slowly.

_Good going, Steven.. you managed to give her a reason for your injuries.. but she's still suspecting you of something (WHICH IS UNDERSTANDABLE!) and all because you're not acting like yourself.. and you're not.. And you better change that. Now. Before she starts expecting anything more._

_But.. what can I say? Tell her that I'm okay, despite of killing people or people dying because of me.. and despite of me being in THE most deadly group ever? And having to be apart of them for the rest of my life? And despite of me having to meet up with them _tomorrow_ to do even MORE havoc and possibly kill even more.. innocent people?_

He could feel every thing coming back up again.

And at this point, he was just getting sick.. and tired off it.. Once he thought that the emotions and the feelings were long gone.. They would STILL always come back up.. and harder than the last. 

He bit the fork a bit too hard and hurt his gum and he pulled it out to touch his gum. There was a bit of blood on his fingertip and he wiped it on the napkin.

Connie saw the whole thing, but he pretended that he didn't see her. Instead, going to the piece of chicken. He tore a piece off and started chewing on it.

"..Steven.." Connie started up again.

Her voice seemed to push the emotions up more towards his throat. He swallowed the piece of chicken and coughed. He only looked up at her, but didn't say anything.

"Steven, what aren't you telling me?" And there went her signature stare. Directly at him.

Just that question.. he wanted to break down.. Of course she knew something was up._ Hold it in, Universe. You're a Crystal Gem.. Don't let those feelings manifest ._ He blinked for a long moment, clenching his eyes before opening them back up. "What do you mean, Connie? I'm-"

_"Why_ aren't you telling me?" she changed the question slightly.

Another wave was crashing back into the back of his throat as he answered her question in his mind. _What I'm not telling you is that.. I'm a Crystal Gem!! And that I killed people!! And that I'm a robber as well!! And.. I'm NOT telling you..because I have to keep this a secret!! I have to keep my identity a secret!!_

Connie watched as the boy looked in pain. His face contoured as he grabbed a hold of the table cloth beside him. The fork held tightly in the other hand.

_I'm sorry, Connie.. But I can never tell you about my second life as a murderous thief.. No matter how bad I really want to tell you.. _

Connie reached over and grabbed his hand that was clenching the cloth and he snapped open his eyes. How she was looking at him.. he wanted to break down and cry. He wanted to tell her. He hated to see her so upset.. 

The emotions were bubbling now. Trying to get out and he closed his eyes again, shaking his head. He took a few deep breaths. 

He could feel her warm, comforting hand squeeze his hand tighter. "Steven, ..Please.. I _want_ to help you.. but you _have_ to tell me. We can get through this together if you just tell me.. Please.."

He couldn't.

"I.." _Don't say it.. She doesn't need to know_. "I.. it's nothing. I have nothing to say Connie.." he managed to whisper out.

"Yes. ypu do. Steven, I can tell that something is going with you! And.. I've been _trying_ to give you chances. Really, I have. But this has been going on LONG enough. I.. I need you to tell me."

"Connie." he could feel his voice raising. "Connie, I-!" he quickly lowered it back down. "I told you already.. I, I have nothing to say. I'm fine."

"Steven, you can't even look at me without saying that." 

He tried to keep a steady stare, but he couldn't. "Connie. I'm.." he blinked back the tears. The emotions all stuck at one place just ready to come out. "Connie.. I'm fine. Everything's fine." he strained out and quickly looked away.

He felt her hand squeeze his hand even more. "Steven." she said. "Look at me."

He slowly.. turned his head back around and even slower, looked back at her. "Tell me what's wrong." she looked into his eyes. 

_I refuse to let the emotions OUT!!!_ He gave her an exaggerated sigh. "Connie.." he grit his teeth. _Don't tell her, Steven.._

_But maybe she can help you if you tell her-_ "Connie, I'm-"

_NO! DON'T DO IT!! SHE COULD NEVER KNOW!!_

"You're what?"

"I'm.."_ I SAID DON'T DON'T TELL HER!!_ He smacked his teeth. "Connie.. I can't tell you.."

"Can't tell me what? Steven." he could hear the worry in her voice. 

"Nothing it's.. it's comlicated.." 

"Steven, is someone after you? Is someone out to get you?"

"No."

"Then _what_ is it?"

"It's nothing. Everything is fine."

"Stop lying! _Don't_ lie to me anymore. Steven, you haven't been yourself, you've been getting all of these serious cuts and bruises and your night terrors are back." she leaned in. "Steven, please. If you're being targeted or if anything else is going on, I want to know. And.. I hate to play the girlfriend card but.. I think I, as your girlfriend need to know...Especially if.. Especially if it may come down to your friends or family.." she paused. "or me.." 

_SHE'S RIGHT!!! IT_ HAS_ ALREADY CAME DOWN TO LOVED ONES!! AMETHYST HAS ALREADY THREATENED HER LIFE!!_

_Don't cry.. Keep it in!! And don't tell her!!_

He closed his eyes, clenching them again. He laid his forehead on the table as huge waves of every single emotion tried to go over one another and come out.

But he wouldn't dare let any of them out..

Or at least he tried to not let that happen..

He could feel his self loathing coming up more through the rest of his emotions.

_Steven, why can't you do this ONE simple thing and STOP showing your emotions. All you need to do. Is stop. Just. STOP!_

Waves.. waves... and more waves.. that never seemed to go away..

He bit his lip hard. Harder.. And grunted, trying to keep any whimper of a sob back down. 

"Steven. WHAT is going on?"

He bit his lip harder, drawing blood. The waves never seemed to end. _Just.. STOP the emotions!!_ He could feel a bit off irritation towards himself.. as he began to berate himself over and over and over again the more the waves continued to come. He clenched his teeth, grinding them.

_Yeah, that's right. You're going to cry like a little punk._ he could hear Amethyst say. _Yeah, go on and cry ya little shit because you're no Crystal Gem._

"Steven."

_No, Amethyst.. I am NOT going to cry.._

_Yes you are.. you little punk.._

_No.. I'm NOT!_ He hit the table, making Connie jump back.

The waves kept coming. And he kept his eyes closed and his face in a snarl, shaking his head furiously. More grunting.. More deep breathing.. 

Yet.. he still felt the sobs trying to come out. 

He kept his face tense. Shaking his head some more as he dug his fingernails in the table. He could feel some of his fingernails bending back.

"Steven.. your anger.."

He tried to keep everything down. But the self loath and the irritation kept crawling up. "I'm NOT going back to it, Connie!" he shouted. His eyes narrowed towards her, but not _at_ her.. She was just in his line of sight..and he was simply trying hard not to cry..

"That's not what it looks like to me."

He was shocked at that and he most likely made a face that resulted in her expression looking more pitiful and downtrodden. "I said, I'm fine.." he forced his voice to a strained, coarse whisper. _"I'm_ doing fine."

She thought about it. "Then..did.. _I_ do something wrong?"

He was caught off guard again. "NO!" he shouted. "N, no.." he tried to say it softer.. He swallowed hard and "No.." whispered. 

He could feel the waves finally starting to settle down. "No.. It's not you." _Its.. it's _never_ you Connie... you're perfect to me.._

"Steven." her eyes were watery.

...And he thought he was going to cry watching her tear up. He cupped the side of his head with both his hands as he placed his elbows on the table as another wave came back up instantly. And it wouldn't let up. He clenched his eyes tighter. "It just won't go away!!" he grounded out.

She heard the last part. "Who won't?!"

"Connie, it's nothing!" He snapped. Hyperventilating. Dilated eyes. Shaking his head more as he grabbed at his hair. He clenched his toes underneath of him. _Don't cry.. Don't let it out.._

"Steven, I just don't understand.. Why is_ this_ situation that you're going through can't be talked out? I just.. don't understand why this is any different." 

He moved his head sharply left and then right, trying to keep the irritation in. 

"We've talked about everything else in our lives.."

An aggravated sigh once again from him. "Connieeee." he whined. "You just won't understand." his voice cracked as a sob tried to escape.

"How could you possibly know that?! Steven, are you forgetting ALL of those times I helped you with every single one of your.. episodes or your.. dark situations?! Steven how-" her voice cracked into a sob as a tear fell from her face. "How could you say I don't understand, when _I'm_ the ONLY one in your life who truly understands you?!" She started to cry.

_She's right. She's right, she's the only one who understands me!! And she was always there for me.._

_But.. I can't tell her this one.. I just can't._

_And I need to straighten up and be a proper Crystal Gem!! NO MORE EMOTIONS!! _

_Stop. Being. So. UPSET-_

"...teven. All of those things I've sacrificed. Lying to a lot of people at the very beginning and making excuses for you when we first started talking, staying with you despite of everything that was happening to us, leaving my parents, running off with you, moving to Empire City, lying some more" then she stopped.. then whispered. "making _more_ excuses for you and covering up for you, and comforting you.. and losing.. losing my virginity to you... and being with you through everything else up until this point! And, just SO much more.. And.. you're just going to.. say that I wouldn't understand.. How could you say that?!"

_DON'T LET ANYTHING OUT!_

_Don't be such a punk!!..Just hold it in!!_ He could hear Amethyst shout out. _You're just a sad, pathetic human being.. Wanting to cry all of the time.._

He took a breath as his rage towards himself latched on to what Connie said to him just now. The two fighting and twisting in his mind. He just needed to get out of this conversation before- "Connie." he just felt something snap. He didn't feel like himself. "All of those things you did? _You_ put that on yourself, not me! I didn't ask to have this life! And I KNOW I'm at fault with everything that happened in my life. But, but everything that _ YOU_ did. You did that to yourself! YOU put all of that on yourself to be with me!" 

And right then.. he regretted every single thing that he said to her..

But.. it was already out.

And the look on her face.

He'd never seen her look like that. 

Ever.

He took a breath. "Connie, I'm.. I'm _so_ sorry..I.. you know I didn't mean that."

She didn't say anything. Her face still a mixture of hurt.. shock.. sadness..

Betrayal..

"So everything's coming out now.." 

"No! Connie, didn't mean that!"

"That's how you truly feel about everything.. about our whole relationship.. about.. us.. about me.. and everything that I did that apparently meant nothing to you.."

"Connie! Please, I didn't mean that at all!" 

She got up from her table and walked away.

"Connie." he got up. "Connie, please. I didn't mean that. I didn't mean ANY of that." 

She ignored him, going to the bathroom.

He jogged a few feet up and stopped just a few steps from the door. "Connie. I.. That's not.." he took a breath. "I don't know where that came from. I didn't mean any of that that I said just now." 

No answer.

"Please come out, Connie.."

No answer.

He could feel everything again. Waves of regret, waves of sadness, waves of feeling pitiful, of feeling stupid, of feeling horrible and waves of guilt from his time with the Crystal Gems. Everything was coming back and he felt himself getting dizzy and lightheaded. He crouched down, holding his head. Taking deep breaths to ride out the emotional waves.. at the same time, trying to stay conscious of the present, just in case Connie came out.. But his thoughts were only tugged straight back to the past.

The episode lasted for ten minutes. The longest one yet within the last couple of days.. 

They were getting longer..

He took another deep breath and opened his eyes. Getting up slowly on his weak legs. 

The bathroom door was still closed. She was still in there..

"Connie?" 

Still no answer. 

He waited for a few more minutes, then looked back at the table they were eating at. "..Okay, Connie.. Guess I'll just uh.. clean the table off then? See you when you come out.." he said softly. He waited a bit more in front of the door.

Still no answer.

He sighed and walked away slowly. 

He cleaned the table off, scraped the food in the trashcan, washed the plates and slowly made his way back to the bed. He sat down at the edge and waited. Staring at the bathroom door. No light shining underneath of it.. 

He waited.. and waited.. and waited..

She never came out.

He laid down on his side. Not bothering to throw the covers over him. 

And waited..

The door never opened and he started to get worried.

But he continued to wait..

Connie stayed in the bathroom for a half an hour after that, opening the door slowly. 

"Connie." Steven sat back up. "Connie, I.." he trailed off as she walked pass him. He took a notice of her red, puffy eyes as she walked pass him to the other side of the bed. 

He felt another wave. _No!_ He shook the feeling off quickly and focused on the present. "Connie." he said softly. "Honestly Connie. I really didn't mean to say that.. None of that that I said was true. That's not how I feel." _That's.. moreseo how I feel about myself.._

She laid down and pulled the covers over her, not saying a word.

He slid over towards her and he saw her tense up. He stopped. "I.. really did. I really _do_ appreciate everything that you've done for me.. Really Connie. I appreciate. Every. Single.. thing.." _Don't start it.._ He held back his tears. "Connie, I, l-" _love you.._ "Connie.." he blinked a few rapid times. "I.." he sighed. "I really do love.." _you_ "and appreciate everything that you've done for me.. all of your sacrifices and everything." 

Still no answer.

He held in his intense emotions and let out one more soft sigh. "Okay.. Goodnight Connie.." he said gently.

She didn't say anything..

"I'm..so sorry.." he whispered and laid down.

And after that, he tried to calm himself down. He tried to ignore the past and everything that he did.. But one thing he couldn't ignore.. were the soft sobs he heard on the other side of the bed.


	42. Unraveling..

Despite of their fight, Connie was still very much receptive of his night terrors and was still consoling him every time he had one. Even though Steven could tell, that with each nightmare that she was getting more and more impatient (and more and more worried) and more and more frustrated.. especially with him not telling her what was going on.

Though this time she wasn't consoling him the whole night like last time.. most likely due to her still being pissed off about all the yelling and bottling up he was doing.. And with what he horribly said to her at the end of the argument..

.........

Steven woke up from another nightmare and did not feel or hear Connie consoling him this time. He opened his eyes and turned over. She was making some breakfast quitely in the kitchen. From the smell of it, Steven knew it was French toast. 

He sat up and slid himself to the edge of the bed. He hesitated for a few moments, but decided to speak up. 

"Good.. morning, Connie." 

She didn't answer him.. or perhaps she didn't hear him? She used the spatula and scraped the eggs out of the pan and into a plate. Then she scooped the rest onto another plate.

Steven cleared his throat. "Good morning, Connie." he said a bit louder. 

Surely she heard him that time.. 

But.. she didn't say anything.. And instead, took out an aluminum foil and started wrapping one plate up. She ripped the foil and tucked it around the plate and put the foil back in the cabinet.

Steven got up as Connie turned around to face the counter. She walked in front of him to get to the other side of it and unzipped her bag that was laying on the stool. 

"You.. look really beautiful today." he said to her. "Well, everyday you look beautiful really-" she shot him a glare out the corner of her eye and he paused in mid sentence, sputtering. "Uh, I just.." he trailed off as he saw her look away from him. She put the plate down in the bag, then she zipped it back up and put the strap over her shoulder. She made her way to the front door. 

Steven walked a few steps away from the bed and stopped. "I, uh.. guess you have an early shift? We.... usually eat breakfast together.." he mumbled. He looked innocent, twiddling his thumbs..

She looked at him and for a quick second, he saw his Connie. Her barrier broken down at seeing his soft, innocent, puppy dog face. She looked.. sad- then the moment was instantly lost and she went back to her glare. She went to putting her shoes on. Then she opened the door and paused. She took a deep breath and without looking at him she said, "Breakfast is on the counter. I'm eating breakfast at work. I should be back home around 5 or 6. Don't forget to put the cream on your skin. Especially if you're leaving out today." 

"Of course. Thank-"

She shut the door. "you.."

He felt horrible.

He took a breath. Swallowing the guilt down. _No.. no emotions.._

He walked sluggishly to the kitchen and, as if his brain was on autopilot, he walked towards the plate on the counter, picked it up, walked towards the divider/counter and sat down. And just as he was about to pray over his food, he realized that he didn't have his eating utensils..

He got up, got his utensils, sat down, prayed over his food and started nibbling on the French toast. He'd forgotten the syrup.. But at that point, he didn't care anymore.. 

It took him an extra twenty minutes just to finish the food and he got up and washed the plate and the fork. Then he grabbed a water bottle and took it back to the chair at the counter. He sat back down and untwisted the cap, drinking from it and washing down the dry non syrup bread. 

He put the cap on half way and set it down. 

He just couldn't stop thinking about Connie.. He was thankful that she still made him food.. and how she still consoled him at night during his night terrors.. and how she still reminded him about his skin.. Despite how mad or how sad she was..

He really didn't deserve anyone like her..

He ignored the potential wave he felt a twinge of and got up from his seat. He sat down on the bed and propped some pillows up and just.. sat up in bed doing nothing.. He didn't feel like doing anything.. 

.................

The next few hours passed by extremely slow.. he'd wasted his time searching for something to watch.. something that would get him out of his funk, but he couldn't. Then he'd stumbled upon a few compilation videos and had been watching them for the pass two hours. 

The last compilation video ended and he looked through his suggestions. There was one random video on How Jewelry Is Made.

_Why is this even in my recommendations? _

He clicked on it.

It was actually a video from a very prestigious Jewelry store just off the skirts of Empire City.

_I wonder if the Gems have ever stolen from there.._

As he was watching the video, the guy in the video showed the final product of what the ring looked like after the production. _Hmm.. that ring looks pretty cool. _

Then he finally thought about the ring that _HE_ had. The ring that Peridot had given him! 

Then he remembered how Amethyst told him, right before he got out the car, to practice with the gadget. "Oh no! Aw man, where did I put it?!" he looked at his fingers. It wasn't there. 

Then he jumped up and felt his pockets, digging into every one of them. It wasn't there. And then he remembered..

He'd never picked it up from the floor.. He picked up the Cat Fingers.. and had left.. the ring.. right.. on.. the floor..

He started freaking out. _Aw man, aw man, aw man!! I left the ring!! I left the ring RIGHT on the floor!! And now.. now I can't practice with it.. And I have my second mission with the gems tonight!!! Aw man, aw man, aw man!!!! Amethyst is going to be SO pissed!!! _

............................

A hooded figure was the last one in her lab. Everyone else had left for their quick, fifteen minute break.

But she stayed behind..

Told them that she was going to check up on some shipment on her watch before meeting up with them.

And now..

Now she was alone..

And she was now looking at the Diamond's destabilizer. Another gadget, Steven's phone, was laying slightly off to the side. Halfway finished with it's GemTech installments.

She would go back to finish the phone later, once the Peridots were back in after their break. But right now, she was more focused on the gadget in front of her.. The ominous, strong, Homeworld weapon in front of her..

She dug into her jacket pocket and took out the ring. She held the pink band in her hands, twirling it between her fingers as she looked at it. Then, she looked around. Nobody was there yet. She still had another four or five minutes left.

She set the ring on the table and picked up the destabilizer. She pressed the button to fire it up. She aimed it at the ring as the electricity shot out if it. The electricity crackled across the ring and she kept the destabilized going for a few more moments before stopping. It was unharmed. No marks. Nothing.

"Hmm..." she took out another ring she'd swiped from the weapon room some time after seeing the Crystal Gems off. She placed the ring on the table and fired up the destabilizer again.

Just a mere few seconds later and she could see smoke seeping up from the ring from the electricity. She stopped her fire and looked at the ring. It was near decinigrated.

"Hmmmm.." she hummed again. Then her hum turned to a snort, then a chuckle, until she started to laugh lowly to herself. She nodded, picking up the pink ring. "Well, well, well.. looks like we could actually beat them after all." she laughed lowly again. "Well isn't that just.. lovely." she smiled at the very powerful gadget in her fingertips.

She picked up the other, near crumbled ring and pressed on it, crumbling it into her fingertips. Then she went to her pocket and pulled out her phone, dialing someone. She put the phone in her ear, still holding on to one of the strongest gadgets in the world and still looking at it.

A few rings and Amethyst answered. " 'Sup P. Heard anything yet?"

"No, Amethyst. I'm calling about the ring. It turns out that Talc really did leave it here."

There was a sigh on the other end. "Of course he did.. I KNEW it."

"Yes. And I'll need someone to pick it up. Also, his shirt is ready and by the time someone gets here, his phone should be ready as well."

"Nice, we have all three. Now we don't have to make multiple stops. Okay, we'll be on our way. And I'll send Pearl to get it."

"Alright, Amethyst. I'll see you when you get here."

"Be there in four hours."

Peridot pocketed her phone. Still holding the ring in the other. "Looks like we may very well have a chance to stop them after all..To stop _everyone-_"

She heard the door slide open and inaudible chatter from the scientists coming back into the lab. She quickly pocketed the ring and moved the destabilizer out the way and slide Steven's phone towards her. Then she raised her arm to her face, "looking at her watch."

"Didn't see you out in the quad, Peridot." said one of them.

She looked up from her watch. "Huh? What was that? Oh yes, I just.. lost track of time." she pretended to press a few buttons on her watch and rolled down her sleeve. "I'll just go when we have our next break in the next .. eight or so hours.."

..................

Steven was just laying there in bed. The covers half off of him. He was just staring off into the distance. He'd been doing that ever since he got bored of watching compilation videos.

He just felt so bad for what he said to her.. He felt horrible.. rude.. grimey .. and horrible boyfriend.. a horrible person in _general.._

Something just snapped.. All the feelings came back in one bout, in one ball, in one spew. He tempered gritting his teeth. 

_He just needed to get out of this conversation-"Connie." he just felt something snap. He didn't feel like himself. "All of those things you did? _You_ put that on yourself, not me! I didn't ask to have this life! And I KNOW I'm at fault with everything that happened in my life. But, but everything that _ YOU_ did. You did that to yourself! YOU put all of that on yourself to be with me!" _

_He didn't mean to say any word of that.. _

_And her face.._

_"So everything's coming out now.."_

_"No, Connie! I didn't mean that!"_

_"If that's how you truly feel about everything.. about our whole relationship.. about.. us.. about me.. and everything that I did that apparently meant nothing to you.."_

_"Connie! Please, I didn't mean that!"_

Why did he say that..

Why..

He turned over on his side, grabbing the side of his head as he lifted his legs up in fetal position. He closed his eyes.

Why.. why did he say that..

He and Connie had been through _so_ much.. And she'd sacrificed _so_ much for him.. _Sooo_ much. And he truly appreciated every single one of them.. And now that he was looking back at every thing she did in her life for him, he only felt more and more.. and more ... AND even more guilty.

He loved her. 

He _loves_ her.

And he had nothing but love and compassion for her and everything that she did.

So why the hell did he say that?!

He was.. just tensed.. angry.. scared.. paranoid..

_See that Steven.. You let your emotions get the best of you again and you ended up saying something that you didn't mean AT all.. the COMPLETE opposite actually.._

_It's YOUR fault that she's hurt. YOU hurt her with your own selfish emotions.._

He felt those said emotions come back up and he tensed up his muscles. He wasn't going let them come up. He wasn't going to let them come out. Not again.

He shrunk in on himself even more, riding out the intense waves that only seemed to be more and more intense after each one.

He could feel his heart beating faster.

His stomach churning. His limps growing hot and weak.

But the emotions never came up as far as his throat. 

He wouldn't dare allow them to come out..

But.. that's what he said before..

But they came out..

And look where that got him..

_You NEED to calm down, Universe! STOP these feelings! You NEED to be more like the Crystal Gems!! Don't feel.. Don't fall into it.. Don't fall into your feelings.._

_You're Steven Universe.. A Crystal. Gem- _

He heard knocking at the door.

He didn't open his eyes. He barely even moved at the sound.

And he was going to ignore the door and just lay there in his own misery until a small part of his mind told him that it very well could be.. gem related..

He sighed and cracked open his eyes slowly, looking at the bleary kitchen in front of him. He straightened his body out just and slid off the bed, making his way to the door. 

Then he hesitated.

His hand right at the lock just above the doorknob.

He waited some more..

Before finally unlocking the two top locks and pulling the door open.

No one was there.

Just a medium sized box just a few inches from his feet. He picked it up.

_Very lightweight.._

He brought the box inside and closed and locked the door behind him.

He laid the box on the bed and stared at the plain, brown exterior. _Most likely from the gems.._

He went to go get scissors from out the first drawer of the table by the bed and cut the tape off. He peeled the tape back and opened the two lids of the box. 

There were four things. A piece of paper, a phone, a small pink box and a piece of clothing material underneath of them.

He picked up the letter and read it. It was written in purple, glossy ink. _Amethyst again.._

**Yo! You FORGOT your damn gadget at the building! I TOLD you about leaving ANY and ALL items behind! Better not happen again..**

**Anyway, hurry up and practice with it. You also have your phone turned GemTech phone now, as well as your C.G shirt. DON'T forget to take ALL three with you. I'll see you at 1900 hours.**

**Again. Practice with your gadget!!!**

He folded the paper and put it in his pant pocket and picked up his phone. It looked JUST like new! He turned it on and his expression dropped. The screen saver was changed to.. a background of a rose. Right in front of it, in a smaller size, was a hibiscus flower. Gemglyphs that said.. well, whatever it said.. was typed up at the top. 

He sighed and went to his photo album. Thankfully they didn't change anything there and he clicked the album labeled Best Memories and scrolled halfway down and clicked on a picture of he and Connie hugging underneath of a tree. Her arms were around his neck and he was kissing her on her cheek. One arm around her waist and the other, holding the camera up and above them. And wow.. did she have the most beautiful smile on her face..

She still does.

Just looking at the photo gave him a nice, warm feeling.

But he could also feel quilt coming up..

Quickly ignoring the feeling, he set the picture as his home screen photo again and locked his phone. He would have to go and check the rest of his phone out later.

He put the phone in the other pant pocket and picked up the pink box and opened it to see the ring laying gem up in the soft cushion of the box. He set the box on the bed and pulled the shirt out with both of his hands. Just like new.. just like the phone..

"Man they're good." He looked up at the clock._5:42p.m_ He might as well put the shirt on and something over top of it. That way, when Connie comes in (his stomach made flips at her name..) he could just leave out without having to worry about getting it. He took off the shirt he had on from yesterday and threw the Crystal Gem shirt on and threw the other shirt in the dirty clothes hamper.

He broke the box down, folding it up and he put it in the closet with all of the other folded up cardboard boxes they'd broke down from other various postage boxes from the postal office. Then he took another shirt off the hanger and threw it on over his shirt.

He looked up at the clock again. _5:56p.m._

Connie would be coming home any second now and that seemed to churn his stomach but he quickly dismissed the feeling in thinking about something else..

The ring maybe? 

That seemed to make his stomach churn even more.. Though, he couldn't just ignore _that.._ That was apart of his job. 

Well.. he couldn't just ignore Connie either. She _is_ his girlfriend.. But, for whatever reason.. solely thinking about just using the ring was just more bearable than his guilt trip with Connie..

He opened the box again and took the ring out. Looking at it like he's been doing every single time he picked it up.

He stared at it some more.

That connection.. again..

What.. was that indescribable feeling that he was feeling.. It was.. a pull of some sort.. like.. he and the ring were..-

He lowered his hand a bit. He still couldn't force himself to put it on.. They still hadn't shown him how to work the ring and.. he was still worried that.. what if he does something wrong and ends up destroying the apartment or something?! And then Connie comes in and sees the apartment like that?!?! 

_There's that fear again.. And, fear.. Like all of the other feelings you've been trying to keep down, is an emotion. _

_And you can't have that, Universe. You can not have any kind of emotions._

He nodded. "Right."

_But.._

He sighed.

That still doesn't mean that I should do this here.. What if something really does happen? I wouldn't want to mess up the house. Fear has nothing to do with that now. That's just being logical. I don't want to destroy our apartment. I've seen those weapons that the Crystal Gems have.. and they can be quite deadly..

He put the ring back in the box, the connection vanishing in an instant.

_I'll just take this outside and practice on the side of the complex until they come and pick me up.. And just hope that.. nobody sees me.._

Then another thought.

_Or just.. wait here until they come and show me.. _

Was that the laziness in him?

Not only had he swallowed the fear, along with all of the other emotions, but.. he just felt numb~ish and just.. didn't feel like doing anything really..

He laid the box down on the bed and sat down, propping his feet up on the bed frame as he laid his elbows on his knees. He preened his hair back and.

He just sat there.

And sat there.

Just like that. 

He didn't know how long he sat on the bed, but the whole time he was just sitting there in silence.. until he heard the lock turning. His heart skipped a few beats as he quickly picked up and threw the box under the bed.

Connie opened the door and he immediately hopped up from the edge of it. He may had been nervous.. but at the same time he was just.. so happy to see her face as well. 

"Connie!" he smiled.

She closed the door and took her shoes off and then.. walked right on pass him.

"Hey, Connie.." he said meekly.

She opened the drawer and took out her underclothes. Then she took a few toiletries from the dresser and walked into the bathroom.

He heard the shower turn on.

He sat back down and waited for her.

Twenty minutes later, he heard the water turn off. Then a few moments he heard the hair dryer. 

And he waited.

She walked out the bathroom with a long shirt on.

He got back up again as she placed the toiletries back on the dresser. "I was just thinking about you." 

She put her phone on the dresser, put the toiletries back and walked pass him, walking into the kitchen. She opened up one cabinet and took out a couple pans.

She placed two on the counter and closed the cabinet. Then she walked to the freezer and took out a bag of frozen greens.

Steven walked up to the counter and leaned on it. "Umm.. so uh.. How was your day today?"

She stopped and for just a quick second, it looked like she was about to say something, but she continued with taking more frozen food out of the freezer. She closed the door and walked back to the pans.

He sighed, watching her put together dinner. Putting food in the different pots and putting the stove and the oven on. Then, without anything to do now, to distract her from Steven, she just took the time to wash her hands for a few moments. Then she turned the faucet off. 

He couldn't bare the silence any longer..He couldn't take the cold shoulder from her.. He swallowed down the emotions he could already feel coming on. "Connie.." 

She placed her hands on the counter and tapped her fingers across the granite top. She took an irritated breath.. "Hello.. Steven."

He immediately perked up to that. "H, how was your day?"

She pressed the button on the stove for the light to come on and checked the food, knowing very well that it was nowhere near done. 

She still didn't give him an answer as she looked at the knob on the stove. "Making sure" it was at the right level for the greens.. _Though she'd already made sure before._

Then she walked pass him, out of the kitchen. Still never answering him.

More emotions he had to ignore in his mind. 

He turned around and watched her pick up the phone off the dresser and sit down on the bed. Her back facing him as she sat on the corner of the bed. 

He slowly made her way towards her and he could already see the expression of her face grow more sour. 

But he had to do something.. He couldn't take more of the silence from her.. He needed her..

"Connie.." he said in a shaky breath. "Please.. talk to me.."

He watched her type some more on her phone. Then she stopped. Her face slowly faltering. She closed her eyes.

He stood there.

She scoffed. "Now you want to talk.." she whispered. 

And he perked up again at her talking to him again. "I mean..I.. Connie, I've never seen you this mad at me before.. even when.. you know.. during those other times when I messed up. You've... I just never seen you like this." he looked up at her.

She opened her eyes to give him another hard glare from her.. before it wavered and she looked away from him. She gave a weak, wavy sigh. A slight hiccup at the end of it as she closed her eyes again, shaking her head. "Steven, I.." she sighed. "I'm not .. _mad_ at you.. per se..I'm just.. hurt.." she swallowed. She let out a shaky breath. "And I'm just.. sad.. and upset.." she looked at him. "Hurt." she said again and he could feel the guilt coming back up. "Confused.. and.. and worried about you." a choked sob came out. 

"Connie." he walked over with his arms opened to give her a hug, but she turned away. He put his arms back down but kept his close distance. _And just that alone.. Her refusing his hug, which she's never done before made him.._

_Don't let it out.. Just keep everything in.. It's understandable that she declined your hug.. You were being a real.. jerk to say the least.. a horrid person.. an inconsiderate person..So don't you dare cry because she doesn't want your hug. You put it on yourself, Universe. Just like everything else.._

"Steven..I've seen you act like this when we first started going together.. When you were.. still dealing with some things.." she shook her head of those past occurrences.. "I thought I had helped you get through it but now.. it seems like they're resurfacing."

"Connie, no that's.. That's not what's happening to me." 

She shot up from the bed. "Then what _is_ happening to you?!"

"I.." he closed his mouth shut.

She looked at him. Right in his eyes. "I know how your anger can be Steven.. Don't forget that you've shown that plenty of times before at the beginning of our relationship."

"Connie.. pleaaaase. That's.. that's not me anymore.." 

"I don't want you going back down that path." 

"I'm not."

"But it seems like you are. Look at you." she gestured at his tensed up body. "You've been acting so.." she took a few seconds.. "Maybe we need to give Mrs. Miller a call again.."

_She can't be suggesting.._ "No!" _Ignore the wave.._ His lips quivered as he composed himself. He took one, short breath and looked at her worried face. "Connie." he said steadily. He loosened up his hands. "I don't need to see her again. I don't_ ..need_ any of her "fancy" medicines again.. I don't need them ever again." 

"I want to believe that.. But..Steven, you have to see where I'm coming from with this. How you're acting.. It's definitely a parallel to how you've acted before.. I mean, even Pee Dee and I were talking about you a few days ago when we bumped into each other." she stopped when she saw Steven's pained reaction.

He clenched his eyes and his hands balled up into fists. 

_Pee Dee!! She HAD to bring him up.. He's gone now!! And.. she had to bring him up.._

He tried to relax himself.. She must've not heard about the restaurant yet.. Or she didn't know that it was _that_ particular restaurant?

Either way.. he needed to calm down. Pee Dee's gone and he has to live with that..

He took another breath and he relaxed just slightly, opening his hands as he did. He looked up at her. 

"This is exactly what I'm talking about." 

"What? No, I was just.. thinking about something." he took a few calm steps towards her. "Connie, I'm fine. I'm just.. simply.. going through a bit of things right now." 

"That means you're _not_ fine!" 

"Connie, that means I'm.."

"That means, whaaaat? Steven, I'm.. I'm just so worried about you." she finally broke down and started crying. "You're hiding _something_ from me! And with how you're acting.. you know how.. destructive you can be and-" 

He went up to her and gave her a hug and she broke down more. "Connie, please." he said into her cheek. "Please trust me on this.. This is something.. that's very _complicated_...And, for once.. Connie, for once, I just need to do this by _myself_..And" he squeezed her tighter. "I'll.. be able to make it out stronger that way."

"Stronger? What do you mean? Steven, I'm so confused-"

"Please, don't be." he started massaging her back and she only cried more. "Everything will be okay.. If you just let me do this for myself.. Please, Connie." 

She laid her head on his shoulder and cried it out. And.. he had to be strong. He couldn't cry with her. And even that was probably another indicator. Him not crying with her. He could only assume what was going on in her mind, but there was one thing he _did_ have to try and reassure of.. 

"Please trust me when I say this Connie.. that I'm not going down my dark path.." He ignored the wave and hugged her more, placing his head on hers. "I'm sorry if I let you think that.. And.. I'm not going to let my anger spiral out like in the past.. Please, you just have to believe me when I say that.. everything is okay. And that everything will _be_ okay.."

Or.. so he hoped..

.........

He let her cry it out and he never let up on the hug, until she herself, started pulling away. She looked at him and he gave her a small smile, wiping a tear away from her cheek.

She returned the gesture with a small, tired smile of her own. 

And he gave her a long kiss on the forehead and gave her another hug. "Are you.. feeling any better?"

"Just a bit.." she wiped under her eye and brought her arm back down in her hug. "But.. I _am_ still worried about you.."

"Don't be. Everything will be okay."

She didn't say anything.

"Soo.."he leaned up, thinking about changing the subject. "While dinner is getting ready.. did you.. want to watch the rest of the season of Laughing Dinner Enemies?"

She thought about it then shrugged. "I.. guess we could do that."

He lowered his arm down and grabbed her hand, taking her over to the bed. She sat down and he crawled into bed with her. The laptop was still on and opened to another Making Of Jewelry video he'd watched only halfway and Connie looked up at him, confused. 

"Yeahh.. it was in my recommendations and uh.. I just got curious." he clicked on another tab and typed in Nitphlicts. Then he scrolled down to the Continue Watching and clicked on the video. The video came on with the signature drums and the Nitphlicts logo right before the show's theme song started to play. 

Connie got a bit more comfortable and Steven slowly put his arm around her shoulder. And hesitated.. Then leaned over and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. She didn't seem to mind it too much.

Not a minute or two later with the dinner friends laughing at a joke that Chicken Leg had told mash potatoes, Steven and Connie heard a light humming sound very close by them. They looked at each other, then Connie leaned in into the computer. "I don't think it's from the show." 

A bright, whimsical sound of .. a piano or.. a harp? accompanied the instrumental humming.

"You sure?" Steven leaned in. "Maybe it's coming from another tab." he checked the first, then the second YouTube tab as a ukulele started strumming along. Then he checked the last two tabs. 

Then he felt a slight vibration on his thigh and he quickly remembered about his new phone. Which.. apparently has a new ringtone now? "Wait, I think it's my phone."

Right as the music started to swell in light, upbeat tunes with a mixture of what sounded like three different tunes in one, he took out his phone and without looking at the number, answered it. "Hello?"

"Ah, great! Just wanted to make sure if the phone was acting properly. Though I should've known that since Peridot worked on it." said Amethyst. "Alright then, see ya in cinco minutos (five minutes)." she hung up without him getting a single word in.

_Oh crap!! I COMPLETELY forgot about meeting up with them!!_

"Who was that? And, when did you even get a phone?" 

_Aw man!! I gotta go!_ He looked up at the clock. The clock changed from 6:55 to 6:56p.m. And he got up from the bed. "Huh?" he finally realized that Connie was talking to him. "Oh, uh. I had Jeff buy a phone for me. Told him that I was going to pay him back when I got paid." 

"I thought he was still trying to lay low?"

_Crap! _ "Uh, he is! But.. I told him how important it was for me to get a phone. You know, with you and the whole new job and everything."

"Oh.. okay. I'm just surprised that you asked Jeff and not your pal Pee Dee." 

The emotions rushed out. "Pee Dee's de-" he stopped and swallowed. "He uh.. couldn't do it for me.. But you know he would if he could Connie."

And he quickly ignored the sad feelings coming back up. "Anyway uh." he looked back at the clock. _6:57p.m_ "That was one of my coworkers. They're almost here to pick me up."

"Picking you up for what?"

"Yeah, I forgot to tell you. Someone who was supposed to come help with the stock called out, so they called me in to see if I wanted to train on overnight produce stock. And.. I said sure. Plus overnight shift gets like, a dollar or so extra so.." he trailed off before adding more to his lie. "Yeah, one of them will be picking me up and taking me to the store. Everyone pretty much knows that I take the bus, so the guy was kind enough to offer me a ride since he knows how buses can be at night and early in the morning." he tried to give her as much information as he could to try and sound more believable. 

"Mm.. so he's.. picking you up soon?"

Steven looked at the clock again. _6:58p.m._ "Yeah. He said that he was right around the corner. So he should be outside by now." he started walking backwards towards the door and caught sight of the packs of mini donuts she'd brought from the store a few days ago. "I'm gonna grab one of these.." he tried to lighten the mood up or cause a slight distraction. He put the wrapper in his pocket and walked to the door, stopping right on the mat.

Connie looked at him. Then a few moments later she said a soft. "Okay.."

He unlocked the door and immediately thought about the ring underneath of the bed. _OH , SHOOT!!_ Then he looked up at Connie who was still staring at him. "Heheh, I.. think I misplaced my keys." he ran towards the bed and acted like he was trying to find them. "I kept my jeans on the whole time, so they probably fell out." he lifted the sheets up. 

She moved the pillows for him. 

He looked at the clock again. The clock turned from 6:59p.m to 7:00. _NO! I have to do something now!_ "Hey, try your side of the blankets. I probably pushed them over there." 

She turned her head and lifted up her side of the covers and Steven quickly bent down and she looked back up right as he put something in his pocket. He saw her look at his hand leaving his pocket, then back up at him. "Uh, found it." he quickly said. 

"Okay-"

"Alright. I'll see you later, Connie!" he ran back, slipped the flip flops on and opened the door. "Can you lock the door for me please? Thanks, Connie!" he ran out. 

She got up, locked the door and turned around. Her eyes went straight to the bottom of the bed. Then.. for some reason.. she couldn't help but think that Steven had picked up something else.. or had hid something under the bed.. Not only did he seem flighty just now but.. she just had this.. inkling..

She quickly dismissed the thought. _No.. Don't jump to conclusions, Connie._ She walked over to the bed, her pace growing slower and slower as she reached his side of the bed. She ignored the hunch again and sat on the other side and put the laptop on her lap.

She went to the _Surprise!Surprise!_ website and started reading more on her six week of pregnancy. Then she clicked the arrow to go to the seventh week. 

Then..the gut feeling kept coming back and she couldn't focus on the website. She sighed and slid the laptop off of her lap. "Okay, Connie." she got up. "Just one look. And that's it. You know you shouldn't be assuming things." she walked over to his side and bent down, lifting the skirt of the bed up. She saw a brown box underneath. A brown box she didn't quite remember putting under the bed.. Unless it was Steven's.. 

_Then that would give her all the more to NOT be nosy. _ She leaned back up. 

But.. that feeling she had..

She leaned back down and slid the box out. She read the label.. But she thought he didn't collect those bags anymore?

She opened the box and saw a cheeseburger backpack. _See, Connie. It's_ just _a lovely backpack.. Nothing to grow suspicious about._

Yet.. she still picked it up and saw a letter in the box. She hesitated.. Not wanting to be too nosy.. But..

She opened the letter and read it. 

"Here's a little something something for helping us? And.. reconsider what?" _Okay.. now_ that_ might be something._ She put the letter back in the box and started unzippening the pockets, until she got to the lettuce. Stacks of money was inside. Just staring right up at her. 

Then.. her mood dropped even more..

"So this was what you've been hiding from me.." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeahhh, y'all thought I forgot about that Cheeseburger backpack, huh? NOPE! xP
> 
> It's been what, like over 20 chapters since it's been mentioned? XD


	43. The car ride to the mansion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright guys, pleaaaaase bare with me here. It's just a few more chapters of Steven sulking and bottling up. These chapters have been making my _own_ heart hurt. Like, seriously.
> 
> So yeah, don't worry. Just give me until like, I don't know.. no more than ten or so more chapters? If that? ~o~
> 
> Now, without any further ado. Hope y'all like these chapters :0 Like, two or three of them are pretty long reads.. so...-  
Eherm, anyway! Hope y'all enjoy xD

Steven bolted out the main door of the apartment complex and ran to the side of the building right as the last chimes from the bell ended. 

The Inkas Mercedes G63 AMG Armored limo truck was of course... already there.

He took a step towards the vehicle, then quickly thought about his situational awareness and how Amethyst could be out there somewhere, trying to go for a sneak attack. He held a stance, looking all around him. Keeping a close eye and ear out.

Then he heard and saw the passengers window sliding down. "Naw, we're not doing that today, yo. We really have to get out of here. It's crunch time." he heard Amethyst say.

"Oh.." he loosened his stance. "Okay." and he made his way to the car, opening his side of the door. "Hello, everyone."

Pearl nodded.

" 'Sup." Amethyst greeted from the front.

Garnet didn't say anything. Or even looked at him.

_What the heck is her deal?!?!-_

_No.. no.. Don't get mad. Who cares if she's still acting like that. I don't have time for it._

"Floor it, Garnet. We gotta get there as soon as possible." said Amethyst.

Garnet put the gear in drive and sped off.

Amethyst turned around in her seat. "Alright, so here's what's going on now, Talc. There's been a bit of a change in schedule. The woman's house that we were supposed to rob tonight? Well, she was _supposed_ to take a flight out the state. However, we just got a call with an update from one of the Peridots saying that the flight had been cancelled due to bad weather in the connecting city. So, apparently, she's on her way out the airport and back home. BUT, we still have just a tad more time to get what we're supposed to get and get out of there before she gets back. But we'll be cutting it close."

Steven, by instinct of watching the other Gems do it, raised his hand. 

"What?"

"But.. if we'll be cutting it close.. Why not just come back another night?"

"Four things." she gestured with her fingers, raising her index finger up first. "We don't have time to reschedule, because then that would hurt our scheduling for the other missions. Two, because she's planning on moving soon and we're not quite sure when. Three, this lady is ALWAYS in the house and we're not sure when we're going to have another opportunity like this where she's gone from the house. And four, we DON'T have time to reschedule, because that would hurt our scheduling for our other missions." she raised her pinky finger. 

"You already said that last one."

"Your point?"

Steven opened his mouth to say something, but closed it back.

Amethyst turned around, sitting back in her seat. "Anyway, dude, we have about a four hour ride there. And, before you say anything, _she_ also has a pretty long drive back to her house as well." she leaned over and took out a can of soda from a small cool underneath of the seat. She popped the tab. "But, if everything goes well, we should be bailing out of there right before or right as she gets there." she took a few refreshing sips of the strong fizz. She cleared her throat and drunk some more. A bit of soda slid from her lip and down her chin and she wiped it off. "And everything should go well indeed. Especially since." she looked up at the rearview mirror. "You finally have a gadget." 

Right as she said that, Steven had to try his best to not look worried. 

Or guilty..

Worried and guilty that he actually did _not_ practice with the gadget..

"Oh y, yeah.." he eventually said. "Of course."

Amethyst studied him with her eyes. "You _did_ practice with it.. right?"

"I..well.."

"You didn't.. did you?"

He looked at her in the mirror, before finally looking away. "No.."

"Taaalc.." he could already hear the irritation in her voice.

"Sorry Amethyst! It's just.. things have been going on lately and-"

"Talc!" he stopped. "Does it _look_ like I care?"

He didn't say anything. Didn't answer her.

"Look at me."

He looked up at her in the mirror.

"Do you not _remember?_ Did you _forget_ what I told you just a few days ago about letting your little weak emotions get to you?"

"N, no.. I didn't, Amethyst."

"I think you have. Otherwise, you would've practiced with it.. You're worrying about unimportant things."

"..I.. I mean.."

"Talc, Talc, Talc." she pinched the bridge of her nose. "You _need_ to stop all of this. It seems like I can _not_ stress enough about the rules of being a proper. Crystal. Gem." she grounded out through her teeth. 

"You have, Amethyst, it's just.. It's hard.. I'm really trying to get this new attitude. I really am."

"Well you NEED to try harder." 

He was just about to say something, but he couldn't exactly figure out what to say. Because.. she was right.. He'd been at fault sooo many times due to his pointless emotions..

"You listen here, Talc." he kept his stare at the mirror. "You _are_ going to be a proper Crystal Gem. And this mission, will be a piece of cake. Why? Because like I said before. _You_ have a gadget now." then she narrowed her eyes and whispered. "Also.. if you eff this up.. I'mma eff _you_ up. You got that? Do I make myself clear?" 

Steven took a breath to try and calm the emotions down that were coming up. Then he took another breath. 

"I said. Do I _make_. myself. clear?"

Pearl looked at the pained boy and Garnet took a quick glance at him through the rearview mirror before looking back at the road.

"Yes, Amethyst." he took another breath. The emotions were slowly going back down.

"Good." she looked away from the mirror. Then she looked at the speedometer on the dashboard. 

"Yo, G. Floor it more, will ya? We're trying to utilize as much time we have before this chick comes back home." 

Garnet pressed down on the gas, flooring the car from sixty to eighty.. to one hundred and five miles per hour. 

"Now. That's more like it." she leaned back. "Yeah, we should be there in no time." she closed her eyes.

.................

"..ethyst.. Amethyst.." the woman barely heard Garnet calling her name as she slowly started waking back up. She opened her eyes and slowly leaned up in her seat. "Yo.." she said groggily.

"We're about four blocks away from the house."

As if the words had hit her in the face like a bucket of cold water, she instantly snapped out of her sleep fluff. "Right!" she looked out the window. They were in a nice, rich looking neighborhood with huge mansions with swimming pools and strong, beautiful gates surrounding them. "Alright everyone." Amethyst clapped. "Time to get up, time to get up."

Steven was already awake, (not wanting to go to sleep and risking himself another night terror) and Pearl was slowly waking up. 

"Talc. Your uniform." said Amethyst.

"Doing it now." he said as he took his shirt off. He set it down beside him. 

"And here." she handed him the pink hibiscus flowered mask. 

He put it on.

"And here's your GemTech knapsack." she threw a thick backpack on his lap. "You're definitely going to need to put all of the jewels and expensive items in." 

He picked it up, feeling the strong material of the bag in his hands before putting it on his back. He began adjusting the straps.

Amethyst looked at both of his hands.

No ring.

"Talc, where's your ring? I thought you would have it on by now."

"Oh, I, uh... It's still in my pocket."

"Well HURRY up and put it on."

He dug into his pocket, feeling a bit uneasy..This would be his first time putting on the ring.. What would happen?

He popped open the case and took out the ring.

He held it steady.. as he slowly inched it towards his finger just as he thought he saw a flash of pink light engulf the jewel before vanishing instantly. He ignored it. Maybe that was in his mind.. _again_..

He felt that same spark as it hit his fingertip. He slid it down farther and the spark quickly vanished, heat now taking it's place around the ring. 

And the connection that he'd been feeling every time he would get close to putting the ring on.. It was stronger.. And right as he stopped the ring right at the bottom of his finger, his whole body felt warm.. And there was another spark again that spread throughout his whole body and down pass his limbs. "Whoa.." he looked at the ring. The connection was even stronger now and the heat and the spark continued to spread throughout his body.. 

Was.. this supposed to happen? He didn't know if he should be worried or not.. Maybe the other Gems feel that way as well when putting on _their_ gadgets and weapons?.. 

The heat and the spark slowly started to subside and he touched the ring, tracing his thumb over it.. It was.. just something about the ring all of a sudden.. It just.. felt as though he and the ring.. were .. were one.

"Alright guys, so here's the quick rundown." said Amethyst, cutting into his.. he didn't know what to call it.. some kind of state of mind and body he was in just now. "The lady is said to be holding the jewels in the spare room downstairs. The room is located right by the laundry room towards the back left of the mansion. So it's easy pickings. We had one of our Peridots to tell us which way would be easier to get in through and she said from the second floor, the four window from the back in the left side of the building." 

"That sounds easy." said Pearl.

"Exactly. So we should be in and out in no time." 

"And I'm approaching the mansion now." said Garnet. 

Steven leaned to his side to look out the front window. "Whoaa.." 

The building was huge and a golden brown with extravagant windows all around. And everything around the mansion looked so pristine and .. Extremely expensive. Like the pool that was directly in front of it. Two small waterfalls were on two sides of the pool and there were two huge slides twisted and turning into it. And.. on the side of the house and the pool, was a tennis court. A tennis court!! In the _FRONT_ of the mansion! 

Steven could only imagine that if a tennis court was in the front, then what all could possibly be in the back?!

He also thought about Connie, since she'd been taking tennis practice since she was seven and was still playing tennis every now and again.

And man was she good at it.

Garnet rolled up into the gold plated driveway and made a left turn, passing the gorgeous shrubbery. She stopped right on the side of the house.

"The three of us will get out and get into the building first while you put every single security lock on in the car." said Amethyst. 

Garnet nodded.

Amethyst turned around. "Alright. Pearl, Talc." she looked at the two and jammed a finger behind her. "Time to go." 


	44. Inside that said Mansion

Pearl got out of the car and Steven looked at Amethyst. She gestured with her chin at his door. "Vaya, che. (Go, dude). You heard me." 

He could only assume what 'Vaya' meant.. Heck, he _still_ didn't know what 'che' meant.. But he nodded anyway and assumed she meant for him to get out the car and he opened the door. 

Pearl was just opening the door for Amethyst. She got out and Pearl closed the door back.

"Alright, Pearl goes first." she looked at Talc. "She's good at picking windows."

He watched as Pear effortlessly made her super jump towards the four window on the second floor.

He may not like being apart of the Crystal Gems.. but he definitely couldn't deny how at awe and how much he wanted those gadgets they had.. And to finally be able to do the things they could do.. 

Like super jump..

Pearl grabbed hold of the window with those fancy hand gadgets that Steven had seen when they were going to the Acid Plant. The same ones she used to climb onto the car. 

She had both her legs just underneath of the window as she sat on the windowsill. Her other hand was unzipping a pocket on her thigh. 

She took out what looked to be lipstick. She popped the cap off with her mouth and kept the cap between her teeth. She pressed the button on the bottom of the lipstick and an orange light shot out of it. She moved her other hand to the brick just outside the window to keep her balance, then she started tracing the window, reminding Steven of what Peridot does with her doors in the GemTech building.

Pearl traced the light back to the corner, in one square and she pressed the button off and put the lipstick laser back in her pocket. Then she used her hand and slowly pressed forward on the glass, the whole window pane started to push back into the house as it slide through the bricks.

Pearl scooched over bit by bit until she was properly sitting on the bare brick that the window had once been on. She tipped the glass forward and grabbed ahold of the top once the opening of the house was there.

She scooched in some more and grabbed the top of the windowpane with her other hand. She slide over once more and slowly bent forward, slowly putting the whole windowpane on the floor of the house. She gave Amethyst a thumbs up before tipping her body over, flipping inside of the room. 

"Great. Looks like Pearl got us in."

"Umm.. Amethyst? That. wasn't picking a window."

"I know. I didn't say that she would pick _this_ window, now did I?"

"Ah, well.. no.."

"Exactly. I just simply said that she's good at picking windows and that she's going in first."

Steven opened his mouth to say something and again, he closed it back. _Whatever.._

"Now. Let's hurry up and steal some jewels!" she super jumped to the window and grabbed onto the edge and pulled herself up. 

"But. I _still_ can't super jump!"

A rope was thrown from inside the window and grabbed ahold of Steven. He was pulled up quickly, the hole of the window quickly rushing towards him. He made a small yelp as he grabbed onto the edge without face planting into the brick. He pulled himself up and into the room. He fell on the floor and felt the whip let go of him. Amethyst leaned in right in his face, holding the button on her mask. "Dude. You HAVE to keep your voice down!" 

"S, sorry."

"And just for the record. I _would've_ let you try to find your own way up here. But, since we don't have enough time, I helped you out, _just_ this once."

"Right. Gotcha." he nodded. "T, thanks."

They heard a light thud behind them and turned around to see Garnet leaning back up from her jump. She fixed her glasses behind her mask. Then pressed the button on her jumpsuit. "I've just been informed by Peridot 2X that the woman is approximately a half an hour away from the house."

"Shit, she's closer than I thought." said Amethyst. "Alright, Garnet hurry up and put the blocker on and let's get a move on." 

Garnet unzipped a small pocket in front of the knapsack and took out a small sphere. It was black at the top and the bottom with a silver band in between. She twisted it open and the sphere popped up, the gray band pushing up, connecting the two black sides. Red and black lights started blinking from the two ends. She placed it on the floor.

Steven looked at Amethyst. 

"It blocks all connection from cellular devices, _that aren't GemTech_, in a 200 foot radius. So, those nosy neighbors won't even be able to use their precious phones or tablets to call the cops. Now. Let's go." she ran towards the door of the room and everyone else followed behind.

"She told us to use this room because this room gives us a straight shot at the stairs that leads right to the basement." Amethyst opened the door. "Yup, there's the stairs." 

She ran out and Steven took the time to take in the scenery as he ran out the door and down the steps with the rest of the gems. The room they'd been moments ago was a spare bedroom with very minimal stuff. Just a bed and a few boxes, which Steven assumed was because she was moving, but _outside_ of the room, was as if she wasn't moving at all. Various landscape paintings filled both sides of the walls, the whole floor was either filled with red, shiny carpet or bright, shining floors. Four chandeliers dangled along the ceiling and furniture was laid around various parts of the house. Tiny sculptures of chrome flowers were displayed across the house and across the banister of the golden, spiralling stairs. And there was just.. so much more in the part of the house that he _could_ see. 

Everyone followed Amethyst down the spiral and Steven was able to see more of the house and it's expensive looking, golden and red furniture and more sculptures and paintings. And.. a golden water fountain towards the back of the house?! 

Right as Amethyst stepped onto the last step and onto the first floor, they heard the screen door in the front of the door open and two voices. 

"Somebody's coming!" Amethyst warned them. She looked around and saw the first room right by them. "In there!" she ran towards the door and opened it and they all ran one by one, inside.

The room was pink and filled with toys of all kinds and big, fluffy pillows. Steven wondered if this woman possibly has a daughter as well. Then he felt his stomach dip at the thought of a.. child..

The doorknob turned and the door swung open and the Gems heard the pitter latter of boots on the floor. "Mommy!" the girl shouted in delight.

"Cee Cee, she's not here yet." said another voice.

"Ohh.." there was a pause and the sound of boots squeaking as the girl turned around on the polished floor. "Then we can play until she comes back?!" 

The woman chuckled. "Sure, let me just close the door." they heard the door close and lock.

"Shoot.." Amethyst whispered behind a red polka dot rocking horse. "How did she NOT take into consideration the damn babysitter coming back with the kid!" she growled out a sigh. "I thought those Peridots covered EVERYTHING." 

"Looks like they glossed over that.." said Pearl.

"Well, nothing we can do now. We just have to try and stay clear of them and head downstairs and get the jewels." Amethyst looked at her watch. "I'm giving us twenty minutes." she put in 15 minutes on her stopwatch as a lead way. "Now, the stairs is just a few steps away from the first floor staircase. Once they leave, we'll run out then-" 

They heard giggling and two pairs of stomping feet towards them. "I'm gonna get ya, Cee Ceeee!"

The Gems laid quiet. Amethyst ran from the horse to a pile of stuffed animals, Garnet wedged herself behind the dresser and a lamp, Pearl stayed by the pile of pillows and Steven.. Steven panicked and hid behind.. the light pink curtains.. His feet showing just underneath of the fabric. 

Amethyst shook her head. "Of course he would do something like that.." she whispered.

Steven moved a bit, trying to hide a bit better as he pushed his feet up against the wall. The ring brushed across the curtains, getting caught in one of the sequence. He lifted his hand back and twisted the ring so the jewel could face the inside of his hand.

The door flung open and the small, petit girl laughed as she jumped into a pile of pillows, not too far from the pile of plushies Amethyst was laying under. 

"Safe!" the little girl shouted. Another bout of giggles from her. 

"Nuh uhhhh. You're not safe... From the tickle monster!! Haaaa!!"

"No!" the little girl laughed as her babysitter tickled her. "Okay! Okay!" she laughed some more.

"Hmm, _should_ the tickle monster stop?" 

"Yes! Yes!" she laughed.

"Okay." the teen let go of her. 

The little girl laid there, still laughing as she caught her breath. 

"Now then. What would the Queen in training like to do next?"

The little girl leaned up on her arm, still catching her breath, a bit of giggles still slipping out. "Umm.." she smiled, looking around the room, bypassing Amethyst's eyes amongst the teddy bear eyes in the pile and looking over to a kitchen set, not too far from the dresser Garnet was currently hiding behind. "Ooooo!! We can play house!" she got up and ran to the kitchen set, unfolding the doors open. "We can make some dinner with play doh!" 

"That sounds like a great idea." she walked over to her and knelt down. 

Cee Cee picked up a small, yellow, cylindrical container off of the "counter" by the "stove" and untwisted the red top. "Here. You can have the red one." she handed the plastic container to her babysitter. "Aaaaand I." she picked up another container and opened it. "can have the brown one." 

Her babysitter peeled a bit of play doh from the container. "So. What are we going to make?"

"Hmmm.." the little girl thought. Then she gasped. "I know! Steak and caviar!" 

The teen laughed and sat down to get comfortable in the floor. "Steak and caviar it is then." she started picking the play doh she had in her hands and making very small circles out of it for the caviar.

Amethyst glared at them.. gritting her teeth. She moved slightly, pulling her arm close to her face. She looked at the stop watch. They'd lost almost five minutes of their precious time. 

_Okay, THAT'S it.. we NEED to hurry up and get the jewels NOW and BAIL before it's too late. _

Amethyst looked at where Garnet was hiding, then to where Pearl was hiding. She pressed the front of her teeth on her bottom lip and let out one short, sharp whistle.

"What was that?" the babysitter asked. The two started to look around the room. "I don't know." said Cee Cee. The two glossed over Amethyst's eyes amongst the pile of plushies once more before looking back at each other. Then, a small, oblivious chuckle came out of the little girl. "I guess it was just a cricket or something."

The babysitter looked around the room once more before slowly getting into character again. "Oh yeahh? So crickets make that sound?"

"MAGICAL crickets do!"

"Really?" the babysitter started slipping into character more and more, putting less attention to surroundings again. "I've never heard of _magical_ crickets before."

"I can tell you about them!"

"Yes! I would LOVE to hear about them!"

Amethyst saw Garnet and Pearl peek over from their hiding spots. The two watched as Amethyst began blinking. Short, rapid blinks, long blinks, pauses. 

They watched on as they were fed their new plan through Morse code on how to possibly get down to the basement.

_Garnet will make a diversion. She'll throw the lamp beside her over towards the far side of the room towards the window. If they run out the room, then we'll ran out all together and I'll grab Talc. And if they be a bunch of dumb asses and go check it out, I'll hurry and jump up and rip the curtains and wrap them up and we'll make a dash towards the steps to the basement._ there was a pause and then a. _And if the babysitter is the only one who gets up to investigate, the plan still stands. I'll wrap her ass up and we just ignore the kid and run out the room._

The two nodded at Amethyst.

Amethyst blinked a few more times. _Okay, Garnet. Do it now._

"Hmm, now that sounds VERY interesting. And what do these magical grasshoppers eat?" 

"They eat.." the girl tried to imagine what to say.

Garnet picked the lamp up from the table and threw it, the lamp hit the wall right by Steven and he jumped. The lamp shattering beside him. He heard a loud, screeching scream from the girl and the babysitter gave a startled scream of her own.

"It's a ghost!" Cee Cee held on to her babysitter. Steven could hear her tearing up.

"No, no it's not." she tried to calm her down. "I think.. something just fell, is all." she acted. 

"Look, you just stay here and I'll check it out, okay?" she smoothed out the thick curls on the girl's head.

The small girl only nodded and she watched intently as the teen got up and approached the wall. 

She looked at the broken lamp on the wall. "Yeah, see? It looks like the lamp .. fell?" she didn't see a table by it and besides.._Wasn't that over.._ she looked over and thought she saw a figure or.. a shadow? that seemed to recede back behind the dresser. She looked back to the lamp, then noticed some movement in the curtains. She looked over and saw.. a pair of feet up against the wall. Her heart skipped a beat.

Someone was there with them..

Then.. she finally found her voice. "Cee Cee.."

She heard the girl scream behind her and she turned around to hear the curtain being pulled behind her as someone wearing a mask grabbed onto the light pink material. She screamed right as the figure wrapped her up in the curtain. "Come on." she heard the gravelly voice say. She could hear the girl still screaming. "Cee Cee!!" she shouted out her name.

Amethyst pulled Steven away from the window and ran pass the screaming girl. Pearl and Garnet ran out after them. 

"Cee Cee!!" they heard the babysitter scream out again.

The four of them ran down the stairs and into the basement. The luxurious, expensive looking basement that Steven kept gawking all around at. 

Gold carpet, shiny silver walls. More expensive looking furniture and fancy looking sculptors.

He also couldn't help but smell a bit of.. chlorine? for whatever reason.

"Back here." he heard Amethyst say. She was sprinting to the left of the mansion that seemed to stretch far back. The mansion was just so absolutely huge and Steven took even more time to look all around as he ran behind the other two. 

Then.. they passed an indoor pool! _I KNEW I smelled chlorine!_

The pool was shielded off by a see through wall, with a sliding door. He could see slides going into the pool and a few floaty toys floating above the surface.

Then, the glass walls gave way to marble wall and the two huge opened doors showed a laundromat.

"Looks like the room." said Amethyst.

Steven looked from the laundry room to ahead of him. There was a tinted glass door at the end of the hall.

"Pearl. Break the code." said Amethyst.

Pearl ran ahead of her, rubbing her hands together. Gray, foamy substance formed on her hands and she started spreading it on the whole door. The glass began to turn to static as a sequence of five numbers start to blink rapidly over and over again. Until, they froze.

"The alarm has been severed." said Pearl. 

"Good." said Amethyst. "Now we can proceed with the next step." she gestured to the door with her chin. Pearl opened it and Amethyst took out a small canister from clip and pressed down on it. Four mini propellers popped up from the top and started spinning. The small can whirled around, sprinkling the room with purple, sparkling powder. 

Nothing happened. 

"Hm. Guess she doesn't have that kind of security alarm." said Amethyst. The little canister exploded with a small pop. "Alright. Then let's try this one." she unzipped her back pocket and took out a small, blue sphere. She twisted the two halves of it and threw it in the room. The sphere bounced a couple times, before it exploded, unleashing a fog of blue smoke in the room. 

The three women looked in the room, with Talc trying to see over them, standing on his tippy toes. He could barely see in, but managed to see red lights sprouting from every wall, floor and ceiling of the room.

_It's like those red security lights I've seen in the movies!! thought they were only in jewelry stores.._

Amethyst snorted. "Wow. Amateur security lights. This'll be _too_ easy to go through." she walked in, being mindful of the red line of lights. "Garnet, Pearl. You're with me. Talc, you watch what we do. Take some mental notes." 

"Okay, Amethyst." said Steven. Garnet and Pearl ran inside and he stood by the door. 

He watched as the three of them twisted, jumped, bent forward, lunged, dove and and leapt through the lines gracefully and effortlessly. Especially Pearl. She seemed the most agile and flexible of them all. And a few times he'd even saw her do a few back flips and splits to bypass the lines.

_Graceful.._

The three of them made it over to the other side of the room and started feeling along the walls and the lamps to shut off the security lines. 

Garnet pressed in on one of the tile blocks. "I think this is it." she said through the speaker of her jumpsuit. She pressed the square in and the tile flipped to a small lever.

"Garnet, pull it now." said Amethyst.

The woman pulled down the lever and the red lines vanished.

Amethyst snorted again. "See? Amateur security lights like I said." then she looked over at Talc. "Stay put. There should be one more trick security line. Peridot 2X warned us of a trick lever that activats another security alarm. That could be the one that Garnet pulled."

Steven nodded and kept his stance right at the door.

"Now. Time for a little of _this_ powder again. See if this'll work this time." she took out another small canister from clip and presses down on it. Four mini propellers popped up from the top and started spinnig. The small can whirled around, sprinkling the room again with purple, sparkling powder. 

Gray horizontal lines appeared across the floor. 

Amethyst shook her head. "Too easy." then she turned to Garnet and Pearl. "Alright, I'm just going to swing pass and grab the vases. You two get the other ones." 

They nodded.

Steven was looking at the women. They were each looking around the room, getting a feel of where to go, which furniture to lunge on, which wall to jump off on and which directions to go, to prevent from touching the floors and getting to their prizes.

_They must_ really _know their physics as well..Hm, looks like I would have to learn a bit of that too.. On_ top_ of Spanish.. _. He sighed._ and Gemglyphs.._

"Alright." he heard Amethyst. "Don't mess this up ladies." she took out her whip. "I'm going for the main four vases in the middle." 

Steven watched as Amethyst started twirling the whip in the air. Garnet pulled out her gauntlets and Pearl took out her canister, flipping it counterclockwise, the spear snapping out.

It was like second nature to them. Everything was so precise, so agile, so ..easy... He wondered if things would start to come second nature to him as well.

And he wondered if _he_ would ever be like them or amount to their level in any way..

"There you are!!" he heard a high pitched voice shout behind him. He turned around to see the girl pointing at him.

_Oh crap!! The little girl found us!!_Without thinking twice he ran inside to warn the gems. "You guys!" he shouted. 

"Talc! No!" Amethyst shouted. She was standing on top of the silver table, putting the third vase inside of the cushioned sleeve of the knapsack.

"Huh?" he looked down. His feet had hit the blue lights. They started blinking. He looked up at Amethyst. "Oh no!"

"TALC!! LOOK WHAT YOU DID!"

There was a loud sound of a low beep that made Steven jump. "I'm sorry!" he said over the still blaring beep. "But I wanted to warn you about the girl!" he pointed behind himself. 

Amethyst looked up at her at the doorway. "I don't care about her!! She can't do anything!!"

"Cee Cee! Cee Cee, where are you!" the babysitter yelled. 

"OR the babysitter! SHE can't do anything either!!"

The floors and the walls started to shake around them. 

"Now you've done it again, Talc!" Amethyst growled. "Now we have to get these jewels while the house crumbles away!" she turned to the two. "Let's grab and go girls! Grab and go! We're going to try and get EVERY piece of jewel and expensive item in here." 

They nodded. And right as the three went for their separate items in the room, a gust of wind started to blow through the room. They swayed, but managed to catch their balance holding onto different furniture. Steven was blown over and he fell, trying to grab hold of the floor. He kept sliding further and further towards the wall. 

He watched as the three clicked their heels three times before putting their feet back on the ground. The wind didn't blow them over and they started jogging towards the various jewels and jewel encrusted items. He could see sharp, silver spikes on the bottom of their shoes. _Wow.. he _really _couldn't wait until he got all of his uniform so he could have gadgets like that.._

Another gust of wind blew over. "Whoaaaaa!!" he tried to grip the floor some more, but his fingers slipped off, and he instantly went airborne, flying smack into the back of the wall. The gust continued to blow around the room as the walls and floors shook all around them. He tried to get up, but couldn't. It reminded him of being in one of those anti gravity spaceship rides at Funland.

The Gems continued to take the rest of the lady's items, stuffing the items neatly and in a certain way in their bags.

"You're STEALING all of mommy's stuff!" the girl stomped.

"Freakin' rugrat." Amethyst spun her whip and threw it up, grabbing a hold of a bar. She pulled herself up on a nearby ledge, grabbing two fine China plates, encrusted with yellow jewels along the edge.

"STOP!" she yelled with another stomp of her fluffy red Elmo sock.

"Cee Cee!? Cee Cee?! You back there?!" theyheard the teen shout from the front of the basement.

Garnet jumped up, bumping from the dresser to the wall, all the way up with one last jump from the wall, lunging and grabbing hold of a chandelier. She climbed up and pressed a button on the side of one of her gauntlets. Three triangular spikes shot out of the knuckles and she gave the gold, thick chains of the chandelier two good swipes from the GemTech spikes. She, along with the chandelier free fell and she landed with ease, holding the huge piece in her hand. She flipped it over and started ripping the purple jewels from the inside of each shingle of the chandelier. Stuffing them all in her bag. 

A piece of the ceiling cracked and a small ledge fell. Pearl dodged it with a roll and got back up to her feet, spear in hand. She took a stance, being aware of the shakes of the floor and threw it. The head of the spear caught onto a small hole of the fourth and last marble pillar. She ran up to it, dug the spear in deeper and pulled on it, breaking the material open. A jeweled clock laid right inside it. She snatched it out and out it in her bag.

And... Steven was still being blown around. The wind getting into his eyes, making them burn and the window getting into his nostrils. He choked, moving his head to get at a better angle away from the gusts. 

It was no use.

"Alright, let's bail!" he heard Amethyst say through her speaker. "I got the last one! Time to go!" she said, putting the small, green glass jeweled cup in her bag.

The three zippened up their bags and swung it across their backs. Pearl looked back, which made Amethyst, then Garnet, _ hesitatant first_, then slowly looking back as well.

Steven had managed to climb on his side. He looked up at them, then shrunk under their stares.. "Uh.. Don't worry. I'm coming. I'll catch up to you guys!" his voice shook along with the vibrating wall. He slowly pulled one knee up, still laying on his side.

"Well, you BETTER. Because _now_ that we have our stuff, you're on your own now. We don't have to care about you falling behind now and ruining our plan. Because _our_ plan. is done and-" Steven managed to push himself up and she saw that he was laying on a square piece of glass wall, shielding a black and gold vase. "Wait, there's the Heise Gold vase!" she pointed. 

"Huh?" Steven looked down at his body, then down at the wall. The vase was rocking from side to side in it's glass container.

"Talc! Get it and let's get the hell out of here!" Amethyst shouted. A piece of furniture tumbled over and she jumped out the way. The heavy table falling over, and piercing through the cracked floor. It slid halfway down the floor and stopped, vibrating and shaking with the house. It began to inch farther and farther down.

"THERE you go Cee Cee!" the babysitter grabbed the little girl's shoulders. "Come on! We have to get out of here!" 

"But Kadie, mommy's stuff!" she pointed.

"Come on! We have to go!" she pulled the girl with her and away from the room.

Steven tried to hit the glass. "OW!!" he held his wrist. "I don't think that's glass!!" he winced.

Amethyst sighed. "Pearl, spear it!"

Pearl threw the spear and it bolted through the air. Steven yelped, barely moving his stomach out the way as the head of the spear smashed into the face of the compartment, the glass shattering underneath of him.

"Now get it, Talc!" Amethyst shouted. She turned around and ran out the door, with Garnet right behind her. 

Steven slowly slid down the wall as Pearl picked up her spear up. She ran away just as Steven slid more, leaning one hand towards the lip of the vase. It tipped over from another shake and the vase leaned into his finger tips. "Whoaaaa, come on, come on, come on! Don't... drop... iiit!" 

He slid down farther towards the floor, trying to catch his breath in the wind. He pulled on the vase, snapping it out of its holster and he slid the rest of the way down towards the floor.

He held the vase tightly to him as he half slid half crawled on his knee, foot and hand towards the opening of the room.

..................

The Gems were running up to the third floor as Cee Cee and her babysitter ran for the front door. 

Right as the Gems ran towards the wall to climb towards their window of escape and right as the teen and Cee Cee reached the door, the inside of the house started growing spikes. 

"What the-" Amethyst stopped, looking at purple liquid ooze from the spikes. "Poison." she growled. "Looks like this house has a couple more things up its sleeves." she shrugged. "Whatever. That'll be nothing for our suits." she grabbed hold of the spikes. They didn't poke through the suit. "See? Piece of cake." she and the Gems started to climb up. 

..........

"Don't touch that!" Kadie whispered to the child. "That could be extremely dangerous." 

Cee See brought her arm back and looked back up at her.

"Come on." she turned the girl around. "We have to try and find another way out." She started jogging away with her, the two tripping and falling with the shakes of the floor and falling with the gust of winds. 

...........

Steven was climbing up the steps. The vase still tightly held in his arm, practically attached to his side. He finally made it to the first floor and he turned around, going for the other staircase.

..........

The Gems continued their climb up the spikes, until a wave-like motion slid from the corner of the wall and towards them. The wall curving up like a tide of a wave on down. Amethyst and her crew held on. "What the hell? So it can do THAT too?!"

Another wave and they held on.

She scoffed. "Heh, so I guess she's one clever lady after all." 

Another wave was accompanied by a large crack along the interior of the wall. The wall slanted and so did the Gems. They stopped and held on, being careful to not let their faces touch the poisonous spikes.

.................

Steven was holding on to the top of the second flight of steps. He pulled himself up slowly to the second floor, crawling on his knees on the shaking _and now crumbling_ floor.

.............

Cee Cee and her babysitter were jogging and stumbling up the first flight of stairs. A silver pillar holding a sculpture of a tree began to sway. Another gust of wind blew and it began to tip over towards them.

"Cee Cee! Go! Go!" she pushed the girl up to the first floor just as the pillar smashed into the pristine, pearl staircase.

"Now we can't get down!" Cee Cee whined.

"It's okay, it's okay. We can get out through the fire escape." she got up as she helped the little girl up to her feet. 

.......................

Another wave and another crack. The wall snapped off diagonally and fell with the Gems still holding onto it. 

The wall had them pinned to the third floor.

"Okay, this is still easy." Amethyst grunted out. "We'll just climb on our backs, up to the edge of the wall." she started crawling up the spikes, her back dragging along the trembling floorboards.

The three of them climbed a few feet before the floor in front of them started to cave in.

"Whoa, wait a minute." said Amethyst. "You feel that?"

There was a low creaking sound of the boards of the floor and they could feel the floor bending underneath of them.

"I think the floor is about to give in!" said Pearl.

"Not to worry. Just gotta keep our heads down and stick the landing." Amethyst clenched onto her whip harder in one of her hands as she continued to hold onto the spikes. The three braced themselves as the creaking bellowed louder, the boards snapping and caving in. They fell through.

................

"Wha?" Steven heard some snapping above him. He looked to see the floor bulging down towards him. He screamed and half ran half wobbled away from the dip of the floor as it burst open. Floorboards, dirt, broken spikes and debris.. and three Gems fell through, landing on the second floor. Poison seeped down between the material and the Gems, who were already getting up and getting to their stance.

.............

Cee Cee and Kadie screamed when they saw one of the robbers crawling on the second floor with one of the vases in their arms and they screamed even more and went their two separate ways when they saw the floor start to cave in. And then it burst open.

The teen had ran back down, completely forgetting about the busted stairs and she managed to barely grab ahold of a part of the fallen pillar. 

Cee Cee ran behind a tall dresser filled with medals and rewards from her sport competitions. She poked her head out slightly, peeking out at the commotion in front of her.

"Talc! There you are! We finally have our opening." Amethyst gestured out the gaping hole of the floor and at the hole in the wall. The night sky was still and quiet. The clouds floating gently in front of the moon.

"Coming! Whoaaa." a hard shake of the floorboards again sent Steven stumbling and falling on his hand. He looked up. Amethyst did not look amused. "Uh, heheh. Y, yeah, uh. I got thiiiss." the floors continued to shake and crumble underneath of him.

The Gems and Steven tried to keep their balance as the tremors worsen. Then. 

A sudden wave of the floorboards started from the front door and was coming up in a high tide towards them. The wave hit the smashed up staircase and the pillar, just as another gust of wind blew, causing the pillar to push and tilt to the other side of the mansion, crashing into the far wall. They could hear Kadie scream as she tried desperately to hold onto the marbled pillar.

"Oh no!" Steven shrieked.

"Just hold on!" Amethyst shouted.

The "wave" continued to move up towards them. It slammed down, rippling underneath of them in one huge hit. The gems held on, but the wave of the flooring pushed Steven back into the wall. The wave richetting and bouncing of the wall, bouncing him in one harsh bump. The sudden impact on his back and arms causing the vase to push right out of his arm.

"No, no, no!! Get the vase, get the vase!!!" Amethyst shouted.

Steven bolted from his feet, running and stumbling across the crumbling floors and jumping over holes and passing the now falling dresser of medals. The vase nearing the floor fast. 

And.. right as the dresser fell.. and in what felt like one split second, with all of his power and strength and energy, he dove down, quickly turning to his back and falling hard, his elbows sharing some of the impact as he slid. The vase fell smack into his stomach right as he tried to slow his momentum. He clenched his eyes, using his strength to try and stop himself as he grabbed the floor hard with his fingers, the jewel of his ring scraping across the floor, turning slightly and popping off the band of the ring.. 


	45. Bottling up.. current percentage 91%

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I wrote Steven like this guys D:  
Just prepare/ brace y'all selves..

Steven finally stopped and took a deep breath amongst the trembles of the house. He opened his eyes to the now pink tint of the area around him. "Whoa, what?!" he looked at his hand. 

There was only the pink band around his ring finger. 

He looked at the bubble again. "Is.. this the jewel thing that was on my ring?" he asked himself. 

He thought he heard tapping, but he ignored it. Too at awe with FINALLY making the gadget work! .. _somehow_.. 

Though finding out could wait. Right now, he just wanted to bask in the awesomeness that was him, for finally summoning the bubble. 

"Yo! Talc, come on!" he heard Amethyst's voice. Her, Pearl and Garnet were still standing right underneath of the hole in the floor. 

The tapping became louder and he continued to ignore it. Way too happy with himself.

"Amethyst!!" He cheered. His voice filled with giddiness and awe. "I got the vase!" he held the vase up. "AND LOOK!" he pointed at the pink bubble around him. "I ACTUALLY GOT IT TO WORK!"

"Uh huh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Celebrate later, dude! Just hurry up and put it in the bag! We gotta get a move on, let's go!" she jabbed a thumb behind her.

"Right behind ya, guys!" he smiled. He threw the bag off his back and unzipped the pouch in the back. He slipped the vase in the incredibly cushioned interior of the bag and zipped it back up. He threw the bag back over his back.

There was more tapping, now accompanied by more harder tapping and thudding. _Okay, what the heck is that sou-_ then he heard some sniffling behind him. More frantic tapping behind him._ No way..._

He turned around slowly.. 

To see the little girl, face twisted in a scowl, hands balled and shoulders trembling. She was sniffling, ready for the initial outburst.

"Oh crap!" he pinned his back to the bubble.

Her breath became shaky as she opened her mouth wide. "LET ME OUT!!" her high pitched scream echoed through the bubble and into his ears that ..He actually jumped. 

He kept staring at the frightened girl, crying and shaking in front of him. 

And he continued to keep his distance, or as much as he could in the bubble, his back still pinned right to it.

There he was.. in his huge predicament..

He was there with Cee Cee.. The annoying little girl from earlier.. 

In the mix of running and ducking and dodging the debris and jumping over cracks.. and trying to catch the case and .._accidentally_ forming the bubble.. he'd gotten trapped in with her..

"What da f.." Amethyst let go of the ledge she'd just grabbed on to seconds ago, falling back down to the ground. Her eyes going from Steven and the girl.. to Garnet and Pearl. "Now.. this shit.. just happened.." she hissed out.

"Now what are we going to do, Amethyst?" Pearl asked. 

Amethyst shook her head furiously. "No.. no.. NO! Talc is NOT ruining our plan again!" she grounded out.

"Then what are we going to do?" more debris fell around them as the winds picked up more.

"Amethyst?" 

She looked up at Pearl, then at Garnet. A snarl on her face. "Eff it!" she said. "Either he knows how to turn the bubble off and we bail out of here with the jewels." she looked up at Steven in his bubble. The little girl crying right behind him. "or we're taking the girl with us." she said through her teeth. 

"I. Want. OUT" the girl yelled.

Steven tried to ignore her. He could already feel the nervousness trying to creep into his skin.

_Oh no.. How do I turn this off?!?!_

He looked around in the bubble, feeling behind him all on the interior of the bubble. 

_ And.. and of ALL things SHE gets trapped in with me!! It would've been okay if I was just stuck in the bubble! They could've squeezed me in the car! But no! SHE'S here!!!!_

"Out!!!" she screamed.

He tried to ignore her some more. He turned around and saw the Gems. 

"Come on!" she waved at him. "We're leaving. NOW." 

There was another sound of a crack as the first floor caved in with them, tumbling down towards the ground floor of the house. Steven held his screams in, but the girl behind him only screamed louder as they neared the rubble and broken bricks below them. 

They crashed down hard and rolled a bit before crashing into a marble pillar by the completely shattered steps. 

The Gems were popping up from the rubble, unfazed by the debris and rock. Not even bothering to dust off, allowing the debris, dust and dirt to decorate their uniform.

Amethyst moved her head to the sides, cracking her neck. She unraveled the whip in her hands. "Okay. Like I said before. We're leaving.NOW" she took a quick glance at Steven, now looking even more nervous and scared. "And we're taking the girl with us." then a beat later. "And WIPE that scared look off your face!" 

"THE GIRL?!" he couldn't believe what she was saying to him..

Amethyst didn't answer him. She turned around and started running up towards the far back of the house. Garnet and Pearl followed after and after a few seconds of hesitating Steven looked at the bubbled. "Uh.." He pressed his hands on it and watched it move slightly. _ Okay, so that may work.._he put more weight into the bubble, moving it along. He picked up his pace a bit more, trying to catch up with them.

Cee Cee screamed, now being forced to run with him in the bubble. She continued to cry and wail.

Amethyst was so far in front, but could still hear her. "Shut her up!!"

"Cee Cee!!" they could hear the babysitter somewhere.. but where?

They continued their run and Steven continued to follow them, until the ground floor started to cave in in front of him. "No!" he tried to pick up his pace as the floorboards whined, cracking and caving in underneath of them. 

The floor dipped, shattering and dipping underneath of them making a huge ramp. He watched as Amethyst, Garnet and Pearl jumped out with ease and he tried to follow them up the crater. 

He took a few jogs up and the bubble started sliding back down. "No!! No, no, no, no!!" he tried it again, running up. 

He slid back down again. "Amethyst!! Pearl!! Garnet!!" he shouted out over the girl's cries.

_Of course they're not coming back.._

_And.. I can't even escape.._

............

The Gems were nearing the back of the house. They could see the silver, heavy, double doors ahead of them. Gusts of winds blew all around them, picking up errant items and debris from the shattered floors and walls of the building. 

"We'll go out through those doors." said Amethyst. "Pearl, get ready to unlock them."

Pearl unzipped her pocket, taking out the "lipstick" again.

"Where's Cee Cee!!" they heard Kadie yell from the side of them. 

Amethyst looked back at the teen, then looked back at Pearl and Garnet. "Pearl, you get the door. Garnet. Handle my light work." she continued to run with Pearl and Garnet turned back around, approaching the teen. 

Suddenly, the sitter became aware of how much danger she was in.. looking at such a tall, built woman.. with gauntlets and a very stoic expression behind her mask.. She was slowly approaching her, her arms raised up. Kadie took her steps back, holding her hands above her head. "P, please. I.. I just want Cee Cee back.. Please don't hurt me." 

Garnet stopped, putting her arms down. And the teen just looked at her. 

Then a beat later and Garnet scoffed. "Sorry, but." she shrugged. "Boss' orders." she raised her gauntlets again.

"Please! No!" Kadie held her hands up to her face.

Garnet brought her gauntlets down and-

...............

Steven heard a scream from the back of the house. _Sounded like the babysitter._

"NO! They're going to leave me!!" he tried once more, running up the ramp.

Only for the same result.

"Nooooo!!!" he shouted as the bubble rolled back down. He panted, knees on the ground and his arms holding himself up.

_What am I going to do now?.. I.. I need to get out of here.._

_If.. if I can somehow get out of this bubble, I can just climb out and try to catch up to them.._ He looked up hopelessly at the looming ramp in front of him.

"Konni!!" he heard a voice of an older woman as the front doors slammed into the wall behind them.

Steven turned around to see a middle aged woman wearing khaki slacks and a pressed white shirt. Her thick, brown hair in tight curls.

The woman saw them in the pink bubble just a few yards in front of her. "Konni!!"

"Mom!!" the girl pressed her face and hands to the bubble.

_What?!? Her.. her name is Connie too?!?!_

Suddenly..He started to feel.. whoozy.. feeling sick to his stomach..And out of it.. 

He started to forget where he was or what he was doing..

He was deserving of all of this.. punishment..

How he treated _his_Connie.. lying to her.. how it was _his_ fault that she was having a child.. How he treated people.. and what he was doing in life before _and_ after meeting the Crystal Gems..

Fate had him stuck in a bubble.. with a child.. and a child named.. Connie... Someone who he hadn't been treating well for the past week..

He tried to calm his thoughts and the emotions that were trying to come up-

"Mommy! Mommy!"

He looked up at the shaky scene in front of him. The mom was trying to get into the bubble. Screaming and crying. Hitting the bubble with.. what looked to be a .. hammer?

Steven started to get more and more paranoid.

Where were the gems?! He would have to go find them.. If they weren't coming back for him, then maybe he could try and catch up to them.. and.. and maybe they would know how to turn it off!!

"Give. me. my. baby!!" her mom yelled, still hitting the bubble harder and harder with the hammer.

He could feel himself getting more paranoid.. more self loathing with his stupidity.. his helplessness.. Which.. with every hit from the hammer and every thudding sound, was slowly turning into agitation.. And this time.. he could feel himself getting mad.

No.. Don't do it..

_Maybe just.. try talking to her.._

"Look.." he tried to calm his tone with a breath. "This is all just a big mistake.. your daughter got caught in my bubble and-"

"THEN LET HER OUT!!" she screamed, hitting the bubble with her fist and the other, with the hammer.

"I." he smacked his teeth. With his pride.. and his rage steadily coming up, he didn't dare to tell her that he simply didn't know _how_ to.."look, it's just complicated." his voice raised a bit at the end.

"HOW is it?!?!" she tackled the bubble then hitting it again with the hammer.

_Because I don't know how to turn to off!!!!_

He tried to calm himself with a few deep, hard breaths. 

But with the girl beside him still hitting the bubble and crying.. 

And with the mother on the other side shouting and trying to get into the bubble.. 

He couldn't bare it any longer. And he could feel his face tightening, his teeth clenching. 

"There's no use!" he snapped. "This bubble is indestructible!!"

"No!!!" she screamed. Hysterical. "Just. let. her. go!!!" she cried more, still trying to hammer at the bubble.

But he didn't care anymore. "Whatever." he said to her. "I'm getting out of here!!" he could feel his blood boiling.. Something he haven't felt.. in a year..

He tried to calm himself down again.. That small, in denial part of him wanted to prove Connie wrong. 

No..

He wasn't going back to how he was before..

That wasn't him anymore.. 

He suddenly became aware of his surroundings and to the sounds of screaming. He opened his eyes to see the cracked ground below him.. 

When did he close his eyes? 

Whatever.. Like he told the mother before.. he had to go.. he couldn't bare to be there anymore.. He. just. wanted. to leave! And go find the Gems. 

_If_ they were still there. 

He looked up and saw the lady running back.

When did she leave?

She was holding a chair in her hand. 

_Heh.. like that's going to work.._

She brought the chair down on the bubble and the chair shattered upon impact. She was only holding two broken legs of the chair in her hands. 

He turned around, and started pushing the bubble the other way, running away from her and towards the ramp again. He ignored the mother screaming frantically. And ignored the wails from the daughter.

Once again, he could only go up a few feet before rolling back down. But this time, in a quick thought, he decided to use that momentum that he had going downhill to possibly crash into the window in the front of the house. 

Maybe he would have enough power and momentum to crash through. Or.. he and the girl would bounce back, getting whiplash. 

But he didn't care. He would take a crack at it. 

He kept his running down the ramp towards the mother. She jumped away, barely dodging them as they rolled quickly on by. 

Steven could see the tall glass windows ahead of him. _Okay, Universe.. Just give it all you got!_

Cee Cee screamed, holding her hands in her face as Steven ran into the window with as much strength as he could muster up. 

They crashed through the glass successfully. Shards of glass slid off of the bubble as Steven kept up with his run off porch and into the lawn. He turned, making a wide turn as he circledback, going towards the side of the house. 

He turned the corner. 

The car was gone.

His heart sunk right as his anxiety started to flare up. _Where are they?!_ He almost stopped in his bubble, but continued with a slow jog. 

_Maybe they're around back?? They.. they didn't leave me yet!! _ he ran to the back of the house to see four boats on a dock, two huge swimming pools and another tennis court. A soccer field was seen much farther down in the field behind the swimming pools. 

"Please!! I want to get out!" the girl whined. She coughed, extremely tired from all of the running and falling down, not being able to keep up with his pace.

_Shut up..shut up..shut up!!! SHUT UP!!_ he swallowed the nervousness and the anxiety down hard.

He didn't say anything to her and ran pass the boats and the swimming pools, currently running past the tennis field to get to the other side of the mansion. 

Then he looked.. and stopped in his tracks just behind the side of the building. 

The car wasn't there either. 

He started to become even _more_ nervous..

_Where do I go now?! What am I going_ TO_ do. I'm.. I'm still stuck in the bubble..WITH THE GIRL!_

He both heard and felt a loud, heavy thud behind them. And the girl screamed out more. 

They both turned around. 

The mom was on the deck, holding four harpoon guns in her hands. Two in each hand. She threw one of them down and held up a bigger one. She quickly fired it and both Steven and Konni leaned out the way on each side as the gun fired towards them. 

Right as it crashed into the bubble, it quickly disengaged. 

She dropped the second one, running off the deck and transferring the third one to her other hand. Steven ran down and she tried to quickly fire at him, miscalculating, the spear of the harpoon bouncing off of a thick, plastic statue and bouncing off, flying back towards the deck. It hit a boat. 

"Daddy's trawler!!" Konni whined.

The mother followed Steven down the side of the house, holding up the last harpoon gun. She quickly fired it and he jumped left of the bubble, pushing it out the way. The gun speared the wall, breaking the wall in. Chips of brick and debris scattered and littered the area.

"I have everything over here, Amethyst." he heard Garnet say from inside the house.

_They're still here!!!_

"-kay, just get the other ones over there and head on out. Pearl and I are right behind you."

Steven didn't think twice. Extremely relieved that they were still there. 

And JUST as he was about to lose hope too.

He ran through the hole in the wall from the harpoon gun and-

Immediately started falling right through a hole in the floor that must've caved in from one of the shakes. 

The girl screamed and the mother tried her best to catch up to them. 

There was another tremble and the wall snapped and crumbled outwards, blocking her path to them, as it filled the hole in the wall from the outside. "Konni!!" they heard her mother scream as they free fell all the way down to the basement. 

They fell hard on the floor. Cee Cee only cried and sobbed more. 

Steven got up and looked around. It looked to be.. a room decorated to be a.. train station of some sort? They were right on the train tracks. 

He saw Garnet put the last bit of jewels in the bag. Then she ran down towards Amethyst and jumped up, clearing a few feet and out of the hole in the ceiling. Amethyst and Pearl were still putting jewels and other expensive items in there bag. Then Amethyst looked over. A black and red jewel in her hand. "Ah, there you go Talc." she said. Then she saw the girl behind him and rolled her eyes. "And still with that little shit, I see.."

The little girl sobbed more at the name calling. She wiped at her eyes. 

"Anyway, look." she showed him the item in her hand before quickly putting it back in her bag. "Apparently this lady had more jewels." 

"Okay, that's the last of it on my end." said Pearl. 

"I got everything too." said Amethyst. She put an orange striped gem in her bag and zipped up the knapsack. "Alright, let's get out of here." 

The ground began to shake once more. 

"Man, this is similar to the Solar Ground Spire." said Amethyst. She threw the heavy, bulky bag over her shoulders and leapt up through the hole and Pearl followed after. 

Once again. Leaving Steven alone. 

"Wait up guys! I'm, I'm coming too!" he ran towards the hole, over the train tracks. 

He stopped just below the hole. _Now how the heck am I going to get up there? There's no way I can jump up in this bubble..Heck, there was no way I was going to jump up there _with_out the bubble._

A huge gust of wind was accompanied by more trembles and the bubble was half pushed from the wave of the ground and half blown away from the wind. The bubble roll across the tracks before hitting a corner of a make shift "platform" of the station. They bounced up. Cee Cee filling the bubble more with her cries as they came back down hard. The bubble hitting a lever, unnoticed by the two. 

They slowly started to get up. 

"Why can't you JUST let me go!!" she screamed. 

The whole entire time he tried to ignore her.. But the more she cried.. the more she wailed.. the more she screamed.. and kicked him.. He couldn't take it.. 

And he didn't know how much he could take.. 

"I DON'T want to be in this bubble!! You're a bad guy!!" 

_Shut up.. shut UP... SHUT UP! SHUT UP!_ "SHUT UP, I KNOW YOU DON'T!! JUST SHUT IT ALREADY!!" he yelled. 

This only made her cry more and he turned around, holding his hands tightly to his ears. He could feel himself trembling. Feeling even more agitated .. and angry..

And all he could think of that second was that he would have to deal with the exact same shit when Connie delivers her baby.. 

He couldn't take it..

His body was trembling.

He just wanted to leave.

And the girl was just not letting up..

He could hear ringing in his ears as he clenched his eyes tightly.

The trembling worsened. And it felt like the WHOLE bubble was shaking. 

And the screaming from the girl seemed to get louder and louder.

What was her problem?!.. What was _his_ problem?! Wha-

He felt someone run in front of him and he slowly opened his eyes. Cee Cee was pointing behind him, screaming.

He could see lights reflect off of her and the bubble and he turned around. A small train was chugging towards them, at high speed. He heard the ringing from the bells on the side of it. 

Steven yelped and pushed the bubble forward, just as the train rammed into them, sending them fast towards the wall. They crashed into it. There was another shake of the floorboards and the train derailed off the tracks, flying towards them. 

More screaming.. from the both of them this time as the train hit them hard, smashing them further into the wall.

It was too bright. The lights of the train shining brightly in their eyes. 

They could hear more whining from metal being bent and cracking from all around them and the howling of the wind.

And then, there was a loud sound of what sounded like thunder as the floor in front of them suddenly crashed inwards, the train falling down with it. 

Steven tried to place his back on the bubble, away from the opening. But the floor kept cracking and opening up more and more until finally-

They fell threw. 

And they kept falling.. And falling.. 

The light slowly diminishing.

Until finally they splashed into some water. 

And. slowly started sinking under. 

_Wait, are we underwater?! Are we underwater?!_ he looked at the bubbles along the surface of the bubble. 

_What the hell is going on!_

He turned around to the girl. "Where are we!?" he shouted. 

The girl cowered under his glare. Sniffling.

"Answer me!!!"

"In my mother's moat." she cried. "This is one of the traps for bad guys. 

"WHAT?!" he snapped.

She cowered, whimpering more as she hid her face.

And just as he was about to yell out more at the innocent girl, something swam out the corner of his eye. He quickly looked around at the dark blue water. 

Looking. 

He know he wasn't ..Seeing things..? ..Right? 

Then. He felt something huge hit the bubble and they rolled a few feet across the cement floor. 

He turned around to see a red, striped shark. His jagged, sharp teeth coming in for another bite.

The teeth slid off the bubble again. 

_A shark?!? Really?!? Come ON! WHAT'S next?!?!_

The shark seemed to had quickly gotten bored just after two tries and swam away. Steven hurried, pushing the bubble and looking around as he tried to possibly find somewhere where they could get out. 

And find the Gems. 

A few minutes of walking.. and _finally just a tad bit of "quiet" from the girl, if one would call soft sobs "being quiet",_ and he stumbled upon a few jagged rocks. 

"Wait, I think we're getting to somewhere." he didn't really know why he spoke out to her.. Maybe because the last glimmer of hope was slowly coming back? But he had to just say it aloud. 

She looked up at him, but didn't say anything. 

"Now maybe if I just walk a bit more we can get to some...where.." he trailed off, looking at the five striped red sharks in front of him. They all seemed to look at him at the same time. "Oh... no.." 

He pushed the bubble the opposite way as they darted for them. Then, one by one, they each started biting and hitting the bubble with their tails. The two rocked from side to side, getting bumped by the sharks. 

Steven growled under his breath. "How can I get these away?!" 

Then.. he suddenly had a cooky, random thought.

He turned around, making angry, wacky faces at the sharks, showing his teeth and flailing his arms close to his bubble. He went left to the bubble, right to the bubble, flailing his limbs and growling and making scary faces. Some of them, scaring Cee Cee a bit. She kept her distance. 

Just a few more faces and him flailing his arms and hitting the bubble, they fled. And he stopped. And took a breath. "Phewf." he looked up with a winner smile. "Now THAT'S how it's done. Got 'em to go away."

"Uh.." the girl was looking up. Her eyes wide. She pointed up pass him. "I think they left.. because of that." 

"Wha, what?" he turned around slowly.. to see a humongous shark. At least three times bigger.. more ferocious .. and with extra bright red stripes.. and even bigger, more shared teeth. 

It was looking right at them..

"I.. yeah, I should've known that making faces at sharks wasn't going to work.."

The shark charged at him and Steven didn't have enough time to push the bubble. RIGHT as he pushed his hands up against the interior to move it, the shark crashed into it hard on the side, sending them whirling around the moat. 

Then another tackle, a bite, another bite, then another tackle. 

And more screaming from the two as they got knocked all around. 

The shark swam away after a few more tackles. 

"Is it over?" Steven whispered. 

The two waited in silence. 

Then. 

The shark came back appearing right in front of them out of nowhere. They screamed as it crashed into the bubble one last time. The bubble shot across the floor, spinning and bumping into small boulders until it reached a dip in the moat, "free falling" as it sunk all the way to the bottom of it. 

Steven got back up slowly and looked around. "Oh no... oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no!!!" He grabbed at his hair. "We're farther down!!" 

The girl looked at the scared young man.

"And now we're going to either suffocate in here or starve!!" he didn't bother thinking positive. He went straight into negative thinking. 

The girl looked around her out the bubble, now getting scared by what Steven was saying. She started to cry again.

He felt hopeless..pathetic.

And he could already feel himself getting upset.. Those emotions coming back.. 

_Trying_ to come back..

Everything that he was doing.. He was making things worse.. Every single thing that he did had a bad result..

He was _always_ finding himself in a predicament.. 

Almost drowning at the Solar Sea Spire.. everything that happened at the Acid Plant, at the Fry shack.. Getting hit with tranquilizer dart and falling out when the Gems were going against the ladies in the Red Eye.. Following Pearl and getting caught up in the train accident.. and what started it all.. coming from the convinent store.. and there was just.. so much more he'd done with the Gems that resulted in him getting hurt or having other people get hurt.. or killed.. 

Everything was always happening to him.. 

No matter what he did in life.. No matter which path he took.. 

He grunted, holding back his emotions. All of those bottled up emotions.. that just.. wanted to come out.. 

But.. he still wouldn't let them.. 

And.. why.. was she still.. CRYING!!! 

He doesn't need a kid.. 

He doesn't WANT one.

He snapped his eyes open at her. "And YOU'RE not helping!!" he shouted at her. "If.. if it wasn't for YOU, I wouldn't even BE in this mess!!" he could feel the tears trying to come. 

She backed away from him. Crying more.

"THIS is what I'm talking about!! ALL of this!" he shouted. "It. NEEDS to STOP!!" he could feel his blood boiling.. for the second time.. And.. he didn't like it.. But he couldn't stop. "YOU need to GET yourself together, Talc!!" he shouted out his own Gem name at her.

She back away more, tripping over her own feet, crying. Sobbing. Holding her arms up to her face. 

He stared at the pathetic kid in the corner.. crying..

_Always crying in his corner.. for so many years.._

Cee Cee continued to tremble, her arms visibly shaking in front of her. She scooched back, looking at the angry man as he growled and pulled on his hair, his eyes looking ..wild.. and scary.. 

She moved her arm to the side to wipe at her eye again and her sleeve slid down slightly, revealing a red, glow bracelet. Her mood immediately brightened to that of hope and optimism. _My bracelet!_

Steven was still deep in the rabbit hole of his thoughts. Something that never happened.. in a year.. 

And now. His past was coming up.. Flashing one after the other in his mind. Him being being pathetic, him being scolded, him being.. stupid.. him being scolded again for no reason this time.. him being hurt physically.. him and his own crazy, wild actions ..

All of the memories were coming back up..

_Mommy gave me the bracelet to fight off the bad guys!! _ she looked at her bracelet once more before slowly getting up. A more determined look on her face. She took it off. _I can take him down! Now I'm safe!_

Steven was crouched down. Reliving a past in his mind. _You're just nothing, Steven.. just like all the rest of us." the drunkard said in front of him._

Konni threw the bracelet and it hit his face. 

His eyes snapped open and he looked at her..but all he could see was a drunk Andy holding a belt in his hand. 

To her, he only froze. _Maybe it's working.._ Ignoring his tense muscles, his snarl and labored breathing. 

She picked up the bracket and threw it hard again. It hit the other side of his face.

_Steven was holding the other side of his face as Andy wrung the belt in his hands, getting ready for another hit. "You're pathetic. Worthless. Just like the rest of your family.." his voice slurred. "And.. you're going to end up JUST like the rest of us... Dead... Missing.. or a freakin drunk.." he pointed at himself._

_No.. _he said in his mind.. He could feel himself crying in his own thoughts, but he clenched hard into reality. Not trying to cry in it. He was crying in his last thoughts.. but he would NOT do it in real life.. 

_I'm not!!_

Then he heard Amethyst voice. _Go ahead and cry, Che. _ she laughed at him.

Then he heard Garnet's voice cut through his past. _You are a Crystal Gem! And you need to start acting like it!"_ he remembered her shouting that out at the Fry Shack..

_"She broke you.."_ Pearl cut in as Andy tossed the belt to his other hand. _Yup.. she did.._

_And I'll CONTINUE on breaking him too! Until he LEARNS his lesson!! _he could hear Amethyst say. 

_Andy pulled the belt on both ends, the middle snapping in front of him._

The girl hit him again and again with the bracelet.

_Steven was on the floor, holding his face as Andy threw the belt on the ground. "Pathetic.." he walked away._

_Steven knelt there. Crying. Elbows on his thighs, hands still touching the traces of blood from his face. _

The Solar Ground Spire.. the women in the Red Eye and getting hit with dart, the Acid Plant, running into the Gems for the first time when they were fighting Centi. And most recently, almost getting killed with the Cat Fingers weapon.. And.. just everything else.. Even things that happened today.. not practicing the bubble and getting stuck in it with the child.. not being able to be with the Gems and missing the mission.. and just.. so.. so much.. And things that happened before _and_ after the meeting the Gems..

_I'm not.._ He felt himself trying to oppress those feelings of being useless.. unwanted.. stupid.. Amethyst wouldn't want to see him like this..And so he was DETERMINED to not feel that way. EVER. _ I need to keep my head up! I need to be stronger! I ned to be a Crystal Gem! I.. I, am not useless!_

"I am NOT useless!" he yelled at the girl. 

She picked up the bracelet, shaking.

"I'm NOT!"

"You're bad!" she shouted back. "You're not a good person at all! You do bad stuff!" 

_"-that's what you do." Andy slurred. He fell back to the wall, leaning on it for support. "Yoooou think you can help eeeeveryone around you and you think you're one big, huuuuge" he waved his arms around in an arc. "gift to everyone around you" he looked at Steven. "when you're not." _

"You don't know what you're talking about!!" he yelled at her. 

"I just want to leave!!" she shouted back at him.

_"I'm going to leave.. and come back in an hour.. as usual." he turned around and walked a few steps before stopping. He turned his head slowly. "And you're going to be the same useless, worthless person that not even your parents wanted." a short, drunk chuckle came out his mouth. _

"Shut up!! My parents not wanting me has nothing to do with who I am!!"

The girl was confused. "I.." she started to well up again. She sniffled. 

_Andy snorted. He turned back around once more to face him fully. "Look at you. Just scum. Just like me, just like your dad.. and definitely. just.like.. your mom.." he scoffed. "Hey, it's a good thing you killed _her _ at least anyway-"_

_And those words.. Like a block of immense guilt.. hit him full on. "NOOO!!! I.. I DIDN'T!!!"_

_"HA!! YOU DID!! AND SHE HAD IT COMING!!_

_"TAKE THAT BACK!!" _

_"Why?" he sounded so calm all of a sudden. "You never even knew her. Any of the two." _

_"It doesn't matter!!"_

_"They never wanted you, Steven!!!" he laughed. He burped and continued his laugh, hands on his knees. _

"I don't care!!" he shouted at the girl. 

_"Who are you getting smart with." Andy ran up to him, wrestling him to the wall. _

_Steven tried to push him off, but couldn't. And Andy tackled him more into the wall. _

Then.. just a slither of sanity managed to slip through-_Wait.. this is.. just a dream.._

Steven tried to snap out of his trance, but then-

More past memories of Andy and his mental and physical abuse towards Steven.. And Steven only ever taking it in.. Never retaliating.. He never did.. 

But he had it with him this time. 

He turned to the girl again. "What!! What are YOU looking at!! You think I'm some kind of pathetic, deadbeat, unimportant, mistake of a person too don't you!!" 

She stood there. Not knowing what to say. 

"Don't you!!!!" 

She still didn't answer him. 

"Well.. well, I don't care!!!" he screamed. Hyperventilating. He couldn't catch his breath. And found himself grabbing and pulling on his hair more. He just couldn't take it. He couldn't take it anymore. Every tense muscle in his body just ready to be released. 

Grunting..pulling his hair.. grinding his teeth.. clenching his eyes.. Until.. he just couldn't take it anymore..And he snapped, throwing a punch square into the interior of the bubble. Then another jab. And a third jab. He panted, looking into his pissed off reflection. He saw Andy, with his smug look right behind him in his reflection. His arms folded in triumph. 

Steven grabbed at the surface of the bubble. "This is what you thought I would become!! What you KNEW I would become!! This was what you wanted!! Are you happy now!!!! Well I HOPE you're laughing where you are now!!!!" he punched the bubble one good time again. He panted hard, putting both hands back on the bubble. He looked at the wild look in his eyes, his clenched teeth, his tense muscles.. 

He stood there.. panting it out for a few moments until.. 

As if a switch.. he found himself back in his own reality. In the present now. 

He looked at his reflection a new.. And gasped, leaning back off the bubble. The wild look in his eyes, his blotched skin.. 

He didn't like what he was seeing. He shook his head slowly..

No.. there was no way that just happened.. 

He started to calm down from another.. anger.. fit.. of his..something.. that he hadn't done.. in a year..

Was.. that it? Did he really have another one of his outbursts? Something that he thought he would.. never have again? Something he thought was long gone? Something that he thought.. was pass him? 

Was.. Connie right? Was he really going back to how he was before... 

And all that time.. within those two and a half years, he though he'd gotten better.. that he was beyond that.. but now.. 

_Hold it in.. don't cry..._

He felt stupid..

Worthless..

He felt tired.. 

Exhausted..

  
  


  
  


Defeated..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got a bit of back story from Steven's past ~o~


	46. Bubble Buddies

He crouched down slowly and tucked his head between his knees. He closed his eyes gently and started taking in a few deep, calming breaths. In through his nose. And out through his mouth. 

In through his nose.. and out through his mouth again.

_Don't cry about it.. Don't regret it.. It already happened. You're little outburst happened and you have to move on from it._ He tried to tell his self.. but-

"Oh.. my Connie.." he couldn't stop thinking about her.

Cee Cee looked at him, thinking that he was talking about her. 

"I'm so sorry, Connie.. I.." he swallowed. "I just need help.. I need help.. so bad.." he said in shaky voice. "Please forgive me Connie.." he kept thinking about his girlfriend. He loved her. He missed her. He just wanted to do right by her.. 

"I don't want to be like this.." he whispered into his knees. " I just want things to get better." 

He held back his tears. _No.. I just need to try harder.. like Amethyst said.._

_Don't worry, Universe, you can do this. You can be stronger. You can do this.._

_You can do this.._

_You.. can do this..You can-_

The little girl looked at Steven whispering to himself and rocking himself. He was shaking.. and breathing deeply.

She leaned over and looked at her bracket, putting it back on her arm. 

Then she hesitated, before taking a few cautious steps towards him. She stopped just on the side of him. "I.. thought bad guys weren't _supposed_ to cry." she said gently.

"What?!" he snapped his head around. _I wasn't crying!! She shouldn't had said that!!_

She jumped. And..he felt bad, slowly trying to calm himself down more.

"No, I.." whispered. "I'm just.. I'm not crying.. Crystal Gems don't do that.."

"Oh.." she looked away. 

Whether she knew what he meant or not, he really didn't care.

She then thinks about something and looks back up. "But.. you're still sad..and.. and bad guys are never sad."

"..What?" He tried not to sound agitated.. But he just _didn't_ care for kids.. especially with their wacky imaginations.. and _ especially_ not with how he's feeling now.. this was NOT the best time..

She poked her bottom lip with her finger, in thought. "I think I was aaaaall wrong about you." she whispered.

"What? Kid, what are you talking about?" 

She nodded. "I think you're actually a good guy _dressed_ like a bad guy and pretending to be a bad guy." she pointed her short, chubby fingers at his nose. And he lean away slowly. "Yeah, THATS what you're doing." 

He looked at her.. _Is that what she really thinks? Pfft.. childhood obliviousness.. Well, she's wrong.. I _AM_ a bad person! I... just simply suck at being one, is all.._

She looked at him with her innocent eyes. "Yeah." she nodded again, a small smile appearing on her face. "You're a good guy. You're only _playing_ pretend."

"Listen.. you have this all wrong." _Don't get agitated that a little kid even says that you're a horrible Crystal Gem.. Just calm down, Universe. She doesn't know what she's talking about._. "I _am_ bad." And he was.. All of the things he'd done to people.. Centi, Jesse.. Mohawk.... Connie.. his friends.. the innocent bystanders at the Fry Shack,-

"But you're sad." she tugged him out of another potential, mental hole he was just about to dig himself into.

"Bad guys can be sad too! Anyone can!" this girl wasn't making any sense. He had to shut her up. 

"But.. but.." she thought about what to say.

_Yeah, say something else, so I can prove you wrong._

"But.." she began again. "But you said sorry to me.. And.. and bad guys don't ever say sorry.

_When did I ever say-_

Then he thought about him saying sorry to _his_ Connie..

"Oh.." he whispered out.

She gave him a soft, childish giggle that almost lightened his mood up a tad bit. 

_Almost_

"Seeeee. Tooold youuu." she booped his nose.

Hm.. well.. just because he said sorry, that _STILL_ doesn't necessarily mean that he's not a bad guy.. he's STILL a bad guy.. a CRYSTAL GEM to be exact..!

But, at that point, he was just so mentally exhausted and didn't care about correcting her.. Whatever.. she would learn later on in life that "only good guys say sorry and bad guys don't" is a lie.. 

..right? Because one could say sorry and _still_ be a bad guy..Right? Or.. wrong? Or.. kinda?

He sighed.. he didn't quite know anymore..

And too exhausted to care.. and put more thought into it..

He felt someone sit beside him and he looked over. The girl was smiling all giddy at him. Giggling.

"Don't worry, Good Guy. You're secret is safe with me." she whispered. Her index finger pressed to her lips. 

_Well.. whatever.. looks like there was just no changing her mind about things.._

And.. if he just couldn't.. he might as well just take it how it was at that point. 

He smiled at her.

A small, tired, defeated smile. But, to her, it was still a smile, no less. 

"Seeee!! AND you're smiling!!"

"So, only good guys smile?"

"MmmHM!" she cheesed. "Villains smile scary with a scary laugh. But you have a hero smile." she pointed at his face. 

"Hero smile?" he snorted, raising an eyebrow.

"You have a kind smile." she pointed at his lips. "Good guys have hero smiles."

His smile faltered at that. _Well..I'm no hero...._ "Good guys wouldn't have anybody in danger." he looked out into the dark abyss of the dark blue water. "Like this.."

She looked out with them. 

They both looked on. 

Then.. a smile appeared on the girl's face. "But everything good happens to the good guys!" she bounced. "So, everything will be okay!" 

He sighed, trying not to sound too hopeless. "You sound so sure."

"Yeah!! I've seen this happen LOT'S of times with good guys and hero's!! They think that everything is done and then..and, and then JUST before they think about giving up something happens!" she threw her hands in the air. 

_Sounds like a cartoon show.._

She looked out to the dark blue water again. "Don't worry, Good Guy. Something good is going to happen." she whispered.

He thought about saying something, but decided not to. He didn't know if he was just tired.. or just didn't want to burst her bubble .. _no pun intended.. especially since it was _his_ bubble.._ But.. he just sat there beside her...Quietly.. and waiting... 

Waiting for something to happen..

.................

Two minutes later and Steven was feeling even more hopeless. "Yeah..Listen Connie, I don't think-" 

Something crashed down into the water right in front of them, startling them. 

It was the part of the house.

"Yay!!!" she jumped up. "Something just happened!"

"Wow.." he got up slowly. "That.. that really just happened!"

"I told you! I told you! I told you!" she jumped with every cheer. 

"Let's try to climb up this time!" he suggested. Then he had a slip of a nice thought. He smiled. "Together."

"Yeah!" 

The two of them stepped forward, taking gradual steps up the broken boards and metal paneling of the house. 

Slowly, but surely, they were rolling up and over the debris and the cracked cement and wood framing. Getting closer and closer, slowly, towards the top and towards the surface 

A few seconds later and the girl started humming, before giggling to herself and singing out what she'd been humming. "What's gonna work. TEAM work. What's gonna work? TEAM work." she looked at Steven. 

"Oh.. uh.." he felt.. awkward and.. a bit uncomfortable.. Still trying to get pass that he was still stuck inside the bubble with a kid. "I, uh.. don't know that tune.." 

"It's from my favorite show!!!!" she bellowed out with a huge smile. She continued pushing the bubble along with him. "WONDER Pets, WONDER Pets, we're on our way!! To help a friend and save the day!! We're NOT too big and we're NOT too tough, but when we WORK together we've GOT the RIGHT stuff! Goooooo wonder pets!! Yaaaaaay!!"

"Huh.. That's uh.. Quite an interesting tune?" 

"It's my favorite song!! And it makes you feel special! Like you can do anything!" she smiled. 

He didn't know exactly what to say to that. Still feeling exhausted (though not _as_ much as before), and still feeling uncomfortable and .. 

She started singing again. "WONDER Pets WONDER Pets, we're ON our way! To help a friend and save the day!" they neared a hole in a wall. Not seeing a couple of figures reflecting off in the distances. "We're NOT too big and we're NOT too tough." the figures jumped into the doorway. "But when we WORK together we-"

"What the?!" Steven stopped the bubble and she ran into it. "Ow." she rubbed her nose. 

Two heavy built, tall figures dressed in orange and light blue jumpsuits were staring right at them. And they were holding what looked to be.. a bazooka mixed with a leaf blower.

Without saying any words, the two held out their weapons. 

"Out the way!!" Steven yelled as the two women fired away. He pushed the bubble on it's side, just as a rush of water blown air shot out right at them. He managed to push the bubble off the rubble they were on, the gush of water barely missing them. 

They fell down one story and right on a deck.. or what _was_ the deck. Only half of the porch remained. The bubble falling into the crevice of the banister. _Good thing the bubble landed on the banister part and not the part where.. the banister had been destroyed.._

The two were getting up from their tumble. "What was that?!" Konni asked, looking around, then back up at him.

Steven's head was racing. "Uhh, bad guys!!" he blurted out. "Trying to come for us!" 

"Then we have to get them!" she balled her hands up.

They felt the bubble get hit with a rush of water from behind and they found themselves screaming as they spun about. Not knowing up from down and which direction of the water they were going in. Everything being a blur of brown and black from the house and dark blue and bubbles from the water.

Until they finally crashed, landing somewhere.

"Ow!! Konni yelped.

Steven slowly lifted himself up with his arms. "Uhg... Where _are_ we?" he looked up.

"Ow!! Ah!!"

"Huh?" he turned around to see his foot in the girl's face. He quickly lifted his foot up. "Oh! Sorry!! Sorry!!" 

"Owww.." she rubbed her face, frowning. 

"Really, really sorry." he helped her up. 

They looked around. "Looks like we're on one of the smaller porches on the second floor." said Konni. 

"Come on, maybe we can go inside and somehow climb up and into the surface." said Steven. He looked around once more. 

There was no signs of the two women anywhere. 

The two began pushing the bubble again, taking it easy as they rolled over rubble and broken furniture and wooden structures of the house, and rolling pass structures that were somehow still in tact. 

A few minutes later and they managed to crawl through every hole in the fallen part of the house. Then, they were finally looking up at the surface. "I see the surface! I see the surface!" she cheered. 

The two pushed on the bubble some more, climbing all the way up and out of a hole in the ceiling. They crawled along on a thin wooded plank of some sort that had snapped off somewhere from the house and they rolled back onto the wet ground. "Yay!! Yay!!" she jumped. "We made it!! We did it!!"

And.. he had to admit to himself just then.. that just her giddiness made him genuinely smile. And he felt just a tad bit of weight lift off his chest. 

"Heheheh, yeah, that.. That wasn't so bad after a-"

They heard a loud roaring sound and felt a gust of wind crashing right into the bubble. The two being blown away and hitting the hedges by the shrubbery.

They groaned, the girl slowly getting up. This time it was _her_ turn to have _her_foot in his face.

"Ooops!" she giggled. "Sorry." she slid off of him.

"Eh, s'okay." he mumbled, rubbing his nose. 

Another loud "whooshing" sound and the two looked up. Steven gasped. "The Gems!" 

The three were fighting three women also dressed in orange and light blue jumpsuits.. who.. apparently ALSO had those bazooka leaf blowers!! The tanks tied to their backs as they held into the handle of the bazooka part. They kept firing what looked to be hot steam at them.

Pearl went for a roundhouse kick, hitting her opponent in the gut, knocking her off her feet. The lady aimed the bazooka at her and just as she fired, Pearl lunged down, underneath of it and took out her spear, going right for the lady's chest.

Garnet was running towards her opponent. Gauntlets in hand. The woman swung the nozzle up at Garnet and she back flipped away. Just as the rival fired at her once more, Garnet jumped up, clearing a few feet to the side, then landed and went in for a tackle, tackling the lady in her side. 

Amethyst threw her whip. The rope caught and wrapped around the head of the lead blower. She pulled on the whip and the woman tried to dig her feet in the ground for stability. Amethyst pulled her in more and she tried to shift the bazooka towards her. She did only slightly and fired away anyway. Amethyst let go of the whip and dove away, front rolling for a few deet, and jumoing back up to her feet just as she pulled out another whip out. She threw it. The rope wrapping around the woman's torso, wrapping her arms close to her sides.

The two women that Steven and Konni had saw earlier crawled out the water. One went for Pearl and the other ran towards Amethyst. 

"I gotta go save them!!" he pushed on the bubble.

"But! They're bad guys!!"

He stopped. "I'm one too!

"No! You're not!! I can see it! I can see it in you!" she grabbed his star shirt, shaking her head. Her eyes looking up at him. Watery. Bu yet.. so filled with hope.. 

She held into his shirt more. "You're not like them. You're a _good_ guy.." she whispered.

"Well, I.." he turned his head slightly, looking over at the gems. Pearl had just taken down the second rival. Pulling her spear out of her chest. Garnet was breaking down the weapon of her opnenent and Amethyst and the second woman were running towards each other. 

Suddenly, another huge part of the house started collapsing down on them. Everyone looked up and Pearl ran out the way, Amethyst's rival ran away from her, dashing away from the falling walls and Amethyst ran after her, ignoring the building falling all around her, the three escaping the collapsing walls and Garnet just stood there. She threw the broken pieces of the weapon and dug into the woman's pockets. She picked up an orange gem traced with light blue. 

The quarter half of the building all came down in one huge heap, blanketing the area with dirt, debris, huge pieces of wood, metal and furniture. 

"Oh no! Garnet!" he found himself worrying about her instantly. 

The debris started to settle and he saw a few planks moving at the top of the pile of damaged structures. Then, a few planks shot up in the air as a hand busted through the rubble. 

Garnet climbed out. Completely unfazed by it all. 

She threw the bag off her shoulder, put the jewel in the bag, zipped it back up, threw the bag over her shoulder and jogged down, jumping off the pile and back onto the ground.

"Uh.." he continued to look at the Gems. 

He was a Crystal Gem. He _HAD_ to join them on their mission.. He'd already missed majority of it from being trapped in the bubble! He had to think of something..

Then, as if on cue, he had a sneaky thought. 

"Weeeell.." he looked down at the girl. "If you and I are _supposed_ to be 'good' guys.. then..shouldn't we help them?" The girl looked up at him. Listening to him and taking in everything like a sponge.

He crouched down in front of her. "Well, maybe if we help them, they could see the error of their ways and become good guys again!" 

She thought about that and nodded.. then nodded some more.. then even more as she bounced on her feet. "Yeah!! Yeah, that's gonna happen!!" 

"Yeah!" Steven popped back up, holding a heroic stance. His fists up in triumph. "There we go!" 

He looked up at the commotion. "Yeah.. yeah we can do this." he psyched himself up.

"Of course we can!" she raised her arm with the red bracelet on it. "Remember, Good Guy! We're not too big and we're not too tough. But when we work together we've got the right stuff!" she sung. "Gooooooooo BUBBLE BUDDIES, yaaaaay!"

He chuckled a bit at the change in the song. He nodded. "That's right." he told her. "The.._Bubble Buddies_ are here to help!" 

Okay, he felt extremely silly saying that and acting like that towards the girl.. but hey, that seemed to get her hyped up even more. "Let's gooo!!!" she shouted.

That seemed to pump him up as well and the two pushed on the bubble.

Then he remembered that.. she was just a little kid. And that this was definitely not something that she should be getting involved with.. 

_Oh, crap..._

He slowed his pace down, but she didn't seem to notice.

He tried thinking of something more safe to do..

Then they heard a "There you are!!" right behind them. 

"Huh?" they said over one another, turning around.

It was Konni's mother, wielding a huge hose in her hand. A huge, long rope was laid behind her. It looked to be a fire hose of some sort, except the line attached to the nozzle was much, much thicker. 

"Mommy!!" the girl shouted out with a smile.

"Let her go!! NOW!!" she yelled. 

Steven held his arms up in a placating manner. "Wait, let's not be too hasty here-" 

"Talc!!" he heard Amethyst's voice behind him and he turned around. "Talc, lets go!!" she dropped the woman in her hands and put a small piece of jewel in her pocket. She ran towards the hedges of the shrubbery. Garnet and Pearl followed after her. The three of them super jumping over the bushes and disappearing into the foliage. 

"Wait!" he yelled. Without even thinking, he began pushing the bubble, the girl falling back. 

He heard the mother screaming and he stopped, immediately realizing what he was doing. He turned back around to see the mother running. The spout held tightly in her hands. She held it up. 

Steven turned to run. "Whoa! Hold on a second!!" he yelled. "I'm not going to harm her!!" he wasn't sure if she heard him or not.

Steven and Konni ran in the bubble, trying to avoid.. whatever was going to come out of the nozzle if and once she uses it. 

The two ran around the last standing portion of the house. Just one more piece swayed in the concaved, still rumbling ground. They ran from the outside and back to the rubbled inside of where they'd been moments ago. Then they ran inside the rubble, underneath of the barely standing part of the house. "Let her go!!" Steven and Konni continued their run along the fallen pillars and crumbling structures of wood and marble. "Look... lady..." he panted.. "Just.. put down.. the weapon!!" 

She didn't listen, ready to fire away once she got close enough. 

Steven and the little girl barely made their way around the quarter portion of the mansion once more when she just couldn't run any longer. "I'm.. I'm getting tired." she whined. 

_Aw, come on! How?! _

But then again.. he was too.. 

He _was_ still pretty out of shape, after all..

Steven slowed his pace down to a stop. The two both catching their breaths. 

"NOW. I got you.." the woman growled behind them. 

"Oh, come on.. Give me a break.." he whispered. He and the girl turned around. The mom was only a few feet yards. She lifted up the hose. She turned it on and steam shot out. Steven pushed the bubble, barely dodging it. Though the steam didn't reach as far as where they were. 

She growled out more, taking a few more steps and they took their steps back. She took one more step and was pulled back. She looked behind her, tugging on the hose. "Come on.." she kept pulling on the rope and Steven noticed a bit of rubble falling off in the distance out the corner of his eye. He turned his head and saw the rope of the hose tightening around the last few structures barely keeping the rest of the house up. "Wait! Stop!" the woman narrowed her eyes at him, still pulling on the rope. "Anymore sudden movements and you're going to take everything down!"

"I'm not listening to you!! YOU can't trick me!!" 

"I'm not trying to trick you!! Please! Look around you!" he gestured at the ropes everywhere around the area.

She didn't look. Her eyes only on them.

He looked up at the swaying building as more debris and bricks fell. The rest of the house was going to come down soon.. 

She managed to pull the hose more and one of the structures fell behind her. "Come on, Connie!" Steven shouted. "We have to go save your mom!" 

"Yay!" 

They pushed on the bubble, going towards her. Steven, not having the slightest idea of what to do exactly if and when the house falls..

"Konnie and Good Guy too! We're BUBBLE BUDDIES and we'll help you!" he heard the girl sing. 

"Coming to me now, huh?" she gave the rope one last pull, the rope breaking the side of the second pillar. It came to a crumbling crash and everything started to break and fall all around them. Now realizing what was happening around her, she screamed, now in a panic.

"Come on, come on!" Steven pushed the bubble faster. 

"We are coming to save you mommy! Wheee!!" she giggled.

The final pillar fell and the mother screamed out, watching it all come tumbling down everywhere around her. "Konni!! No!!" she screamed out. 

Steven pushed through the falling planks and towards the woman just as a huge chunk of the floor snapped off, hurdling down towards her. The two pushed on, running and stopping right beside her as the floor came down. The floor hit the bubble, breaking into two medium sized pieces. The two pieces bouncing off and one hitting her back and the other hitting her in the back of her head. She fell hard on the floor. 

"Mommy?" Konni whispered.

_Did we.. did we save her?_

The debris finally started to settle and the three were finally able to see around them again. 

Her mother was slowly lifting up her head. Her expression going from stunned pain to a glare once she noticed the bubble beside her. She locked eyes with Steven. "What's going on with you?!?!" she choked out in a yell. She screamed in pain before using her arms to turn her around to face them. "What did you do?!"

Right as Steven was about to plead his case, the little girl cut him off. "He was incredible!!!" she gloated. "Mommy, he, he saved you!!" she threw her arms up, jumping up and down.

"He.. what?" she looked at him. His attire, the pink mask on his face, his stature. 

Steven backed away slowly.

"Yeah, mommy! He's a good guy in disguise!!" 

_Wow.. so much for "keeping his secret'_ he joked in his mind.

"See?" she held his hand.. and that felt..weird. It was like looking into the future of what it might be like with his own.. future child.. 

She held his hand tighter. "See, Good Guy. You _are _ a hero." 

He stomach did a few flips.. He's not a good guy.. and the physical contact was only making him even more uncomfortable.. 

He let go, slipping his hand up and out of her grip. "Oh, uh.., t, thanks?"

Her smile fell a bit at him being dismissive. Then a few moments later, her smile came back even wider and with a little giggle. "You're pretending again." she teased. "You saved my mom." she kept her awed stare at him. "Thank you, Good Guy."

Steven and the mother exchange glances.. And she still had a worried look on her face. And Steven was wondering why until she finally spoke up again. "So.. are you ever going to get out of that bubble?"

He sighed and scratched the back of his head. "Honestly I.. don't know how to get rid of it.. This is.. kinda new to me.."

Her eyes sunk in more, looking even more saddened. "Then it's only a matter of time before you'll be come one of them." 

Steven didn't answer her.. _Maybe she was right? He _was_ trying to be more like the Crystal Gems so.. maybe it'll become true one day?-_

"Of course not mommy!! He's a true hero! And.." she kept her bright smile on him. "And true hero's never change." 

His stomach flipped again.. Now he knew why he felt like this.. not just because she was a kid but..

Because she'd reminded him so much of himself.. or.. of his _past_ self.. and that hurt him so much..that he couldn't be that way anymore.. It was too emotional to be how that girl was now. He had to be cold. He had to harsh. Just like the Crystal Gems.

"Umm.. uh, well, I, uh.." he sputtered.

"Heroes also get tongue tied." she giggled. "See mommy. He's the real deal." she leaned in, giving him hug.

"Whoa." that took him aback and he leaned away, his hand gliding horizontally, in a small arc across the interior of the bubble, the bubble zapping and snapping back into its compact jewel. The small, pink gem laying neatly back in its band. 

The girl didn't notice. She she kept her hug tight on him. Her head resting on his stomach and rubbing her face on his shirt.

He and her mom noticed the bubble being gone and he looked at his ring finger. He flipped his hand over. The jewel was back on the band. He turned the ring around so the jewel was now facing on the outside of his hand. 

The little girl was still hugging and he looked at the mom. An uneasy expression on his face. He gave her a few pats on the shoulder.

That seemed to work and the little girl let go, still giggling. 

"So, you really _aren't_ going to hurt her.."

"No.." Steven shook his head. "I wouldn't."

Fresh tears stung her eyes. "Who are you.." she whispered. 

He thought about it. Then sighed. _Who am I really?_

With a few more moments of thinking, he simply went with what a few people have been wanting him to be..

"I'm a Crystal Gem." he couldn't stop there.. He didn't want to.. "I.." he looked down at the girl and quickly had to cover up. "I..fight bad guys." technically that was true.. His rivals _were_ bad giys. "and..I burrow pretty jewelry." okay, that was a lie.. 

"Wow.. That sounds sooo cool." she appeared to have stars in her eyes. "I want to be just like you." 

There was awkward silence between Steven and the mom. The girl not realizing the situation at hand. And she continued to smile. "Yeah, JUST like you."

_No.. no you don't.._

They heard her mother groaning. She looked a bit.. woozy. 

"Hey.. are you okay?" Steven turned to her. 

"I'm..." she looked up at him. Listless. Her head titled, before coming back up only slightly. She took a deep, shaky breath. "T, thank you... for.. keeping my daughter safe-" she fainted.

"Mom!!" the girl ran up to her, falling right by her mother's side. 

Steven knelt beside her and checked her pulse. He sighed a breath of relief. "Don't worry, Connie, she's just-" _unconscious_. "sleeping." he put her arm back down gently.

"Oh.." she looked at her. "Then she must be reaaally, reaaaaaally tired." 

Steven got up and saw a figure near the back of the house. 

_The babysitter!!!! How did I forget about her?!?! _ He ran to her. "Wait, where are you going?" he heard Cee Cee asked behind him.

"The babysitter!" he shouted out. He ran over and knelt down to her. He checked her pulse.

Another breath of relief.

She was still alive too.

He picked her up gently and carried her towards the mother and laid her back down on the ground beside her. Konni looked at her babysitter. "She's sleeping too." Steven told her. And she started sporting a more calmer expression. 

Steven stood there for awhile.. And then "Okay, well.. I have to go.. and-" something blinking caught his eye. "Um.. hold that thought." 

"Okay." she said innocently. And started rubbing her mother's back as she watched Steven go over to a blinking device a few yards in front of them.

It was the device that Garnet had turned on earlier that turned off all kind of non GemTech electronic devices.

Steven picked it up. And he quickly had another kind thought. _Okay.. but in order to do that, I'll have to turn it off.. Now. How do I turn this off?_ He turned the small device in his hand.

He remembered Garnet twisting it and popping it open. So.. maybe he just had to twist it and close it back? 

He hoped it was that easy..

He twisted the cap. It wouldn't twist.. Then he pushed the top, pushing it in. The two pieces clicked close, but the lights were still blinking. _Hmm.. Maybe this time.._ he twisted it and the top turned, clicking again to a stop. And the lights turned off. 

_Good. Now everyone else with_out_ GemTech devices will be able to use their phones now._

_Hopefully.._

He put the gadget in his pocket, then took out his phone, quickly remembering that he actually _could've_ called before turning off the device since his phone _was_ GemTech powered.. 

_Eh, oh well.. Aaaanway.._ He dialed the number he'd thought about calling and held it up to his ear. The phone rung two times and a lady with a very professional, calm voice answered. "Nine one one. What's your emergency?" 

................

Steven walked over to the little girl, putting his phone back in his pocket. "Alright, more good guys are on their way to help your mom and babysitter out." he gave her a small smile. "They're going to be just fine." 

"Yay!! More good guys!!" 

He nodded. "Alright, well.. I have to get going. Just uh.. Keep your head up. And.. stay out of trouble." he gave her a few parting words of "wisdom" he would always see heroes give to good Samaritans before they made their heroic leave. 

Though his leave wasn't heroic.. More like.. a walk of shame.. because he missed the WHOLE mission.. 

He turned around. 

"Wait." 

He turned back as she was getting up. "I want to help you now." she started walking up to him. "Let's go find _your_ family.."

In one, quick instant he felt the emotions coming back. He was touched.. tremendously from just that one, simple sentence.. _his_ family.. 

Ahh.. so innocent she was.. If only she knew.. 

He quickly snapped himself out of it. "Honestly.. Connie" it still felt odd calling her by her real name. "I'm.. going to see the bad guys.

"Huh?!"

"To.. uh...see if they've learned their lesson. I.. um.. need to check up on them." 

"Oh..." Then she thought. "Then.. can we see them together?" she looked up at him. 

He was _going_ to tell her no.. He wanted to.. He just wanted to leave her there and hurry up and get to the Gems _if they hadn't left yet.. _ But.. the pleading look on her face.. 

He couldn't bring himself to say no.. 

_Some Crystal Gem you ar-_

_Shut up!___

"Okay..S, sure.."

"Yay!" she grabbed his hand and he almost pulled his hand out of her grip, but she quickly tightened her grip. 

It just.. still felt weird.. And he still didn't like it.

The two of them walked out of the wreckage and into the bushes. The grass and twigs scratched and poked his feet and arms. But he didn't mind.. Though he wondered if the girl minded. 

He looked down. She had a huge, content smile on her face as she felt her hand across a few flowers and twigs along the way. 

Hm. Guess not. 

The more they walked into the woods, the more he felt his stomach bubble and flip.. He really did hope that the Gems were still there.. 

_Maybe they're already gone.. Maybe I was too slow.. too late.. and.. they left me.. _

_What would I do now? ..How would I get home?.. How would-_

"Hey, what's that over there." the girl snapped him out of his thoughts once more. "Looks like a car." 

Steven turned around. He'd been both looking the other way _and_ had been stuck in his trance. 

Just a bit down the hill, he could see a black vehicle. _The Inkas!!! _

And there were the Gems outside of it. And Steven's heart sighed a breath of relief.

They were still there. 

He saw Amethyst say something to Garnet and she nodded and started walking to the front of the car. She opened the drivers door and got inside. 

Amethyst and Pearl stayed outside, taking out the jewels out of one bag and looking at a few of them as they threw them in a crate. The other two knapsacks filled with the other jewels were playing in the back. 

He felt his hand get squeezed tighter and he looked down at the girl. She had a bit of a worried look on her face. 

He didn't know what compelled him to do this but..

"They're nobody to be afraid of." he reassured her. She looked up at him. "See." he pointed and she looked over. "The one in the purple, is Amethyst." They saw the woman pick up a golden statue of a snapping turtle and she looked like she gasped, holding it up in her hands. She pressed the tail of the turtle and the mouth opened. She tapped Pearl on the shoulder and the woman turned around. Amethyst was sporting a mischievous grin. "She's uh.. pretty headstrong. And the other one in the pastel jumpsuit is Pearl." they saw the woman open her mouth in a startled yell and she ran away from Amethyst, who looked to be laughing, running after her. Pearl tried to keep her distance, jumping over logs and bushes. "She's extremely athletic." Steven told the girl. "The two have been working together for years and years. They.. know a lot about each other." he gave her a very basic rundown of the two. 

They watched as Pearl continued to _try_ and run away from Amethyst. The woman stepping from side to side and Amethyst keeping close right beside her, her mouth wide open in a laugh. 

"Do they.. get along?" she asked Steven. 

Amethyst picked up her pace. She raised the gold snapping turtle and pressed on it's tail. The mouth opened and it snapped on to Pearl's butt. They heard the woman shriek out loudly and heard Amethyst laugh louder. Then they saw the latina lunge forward in a few front flips towards Pearl and jumping up in the last flip, her feet hitting the middle of Pearl's back. She bounced off in a back flip as the force of the kick sent Pearl falling forward and into her face. 

Right in the mud.

The gold turtle still snapping hold of her butt. 

Amethyst stuck the landing. Still laughing at her own antic. 

"Yeah, they have each other's backs." said Steven. 

"Oh.. so they're not so bad?" she asked him. 

Amethyst pulled on the snapping turtle, yanking it off. Pearl raised her face up off the mud as she yelled out.

"Y, yeah.." said Steven. They saw Amethyst jump up in the air, with her elbow out in a signature wrestling move. Right as she came down on Pearl's back, Steven stepped in front of the girl so she couldn't see anymore. "Uh, anyway.. I, uh, gotta go.." he trailed off, looking at the ominous woods and how far she would have to walk back. "You sure you would be okay walking back up?"

"Of course. I'm Konni." she jammed a finger to her chest.

His stomach flipped again. It was still very weird to hear the name "Connie" in reference to her.

"Well, uh.. o.. kay then.." just as he was about to turn away, she grabbed hold of his hand harder. "Wait. One more thing." 

"Hm? What is it?"

She let go of his hand and went to her wrist. She peeled her sleeve back a bit and took off her bracelet. "Um.. here." she raised the bracelet up to him. "It's a bracelet that my mommy got me at the Boardwalk Parade." she giggled. "I was a scrub brush. And I EVEN had bubbles in my hair!" she touched her pigtails before going back to the subject. "For being so good on the float, she bought me a very special bracelet from one of the vendors after the parade. She said it wards of evil and protects the good guys." she looked at the bracelet one last time, before looking back up at him. "But. I think you need it more than I do. Here." she said again. She raised the bracelet farther up to him. 

"Uh, I can't..I don't.. think I should..um-"

"Please?" she looked up at him with her big brown eyes. "Heroes need help warding of evil AND being happy.. And.. and this bracket will bring you just that." she smiled.

_Just take it, Universe. It'll make her feel happy. _ "Umm..Thanks." he took the glow bracelet from her. 

He had to admit though.. he _or_ Connie didn't believe in stuff like bracelets and stuff warding of evil, but he still put it on his arm anyway. And. the smile she gave him when he did that could light up a whole city. And he couldn't help but smile back at her. "Thanks." he said again, more genuine this time. 

"You're welcome." she cheesed. 

Then.. he started to feel a bit bad that _he_ didn't give her anything.

He tried to remember what all he had in his pocket. And then he quickly thought of something. _Oh, wait! Kids LOVE junk food!_

He took out the now smushed donut in the plastic wrapper. "Uh.." here comes the awkwardness again.. "For giving me the bracelet." he said. 

"Oh, is that a donut?" 

"Yeah." 

"Oh." she gave him an apologetic smile. "Sorry.. but I can't.. My mommy doesn't let me eat donuts." her smile faltered some more. "They have trans fats.." 

"Oh, oh.. sorry." he put the smashed pastry back in his pocket. "Well, uh.. Guess I'll be going then." 

"YuuuuuUP." she nodded, her smile coming back. 

He nodded back. "Okay." then he took a few steps away, then stopped. He turned around, holding his arm up. "And thanks for the bracelet again." 

"You're welcome." she waved to him. 

He waved back and turned around, going down the hill. 

"Ah, THERE you are, dude." Amethyst said getting into the car. "We were JUST about to leave your ass." 

"Oh, I was just uh.. Doing another sweep. Making sure we didn't leave any jewels behind." 

"Oh? Think we suck that you have to go and check behind us?" 

"Huh? No! That wasn't. I wasn't. I wasn't thinking like that-" 

"Ha! Duuuude, I'm kidding. I'm kidding." she waved him off. "It's good that you did a sweep. You're starting to think like a Crystal Gem." his stomach dipped at that. "And look." she pointed at him. "You even managed to get out of that bubble all on your own." she nodded. Then her smile fell. "Though you _did_ miss the whole mission." 

And just that look on her face.. 

He swallowed. "I know.." he whispered.

There was the sound of sirens in the background. 

"Let's just go." said Amethyst. And she turned around in her seat. Pearl closed the door and walked over, passing Steven, her hand rubbing the middle of her back. 

Steven got in the car and Amethyst gave Garnet the order to leave the area. 

The car effortlessly mowed through the wooded area and in a few minutes there were out on.. some back, dark road in the middle of.. somewhere.. 

"Yo, Talc. Before I forget, take that knapsack off. We're going to need that vase." said Amethyst. Then she mumbled with a scoff. "At least you managed to get _one_ thing." 

He didn't say anything to that and took off the bag and laid it on the side of his seat. Then he took of his mask, letting his face get a bit of air and he laid the pink mask on the arm rest.

..............

In what felt like an hour of driving down the ominous road with two patches of deep forests on each side of them, Amethyst shouted out. "Wait, Garnet!" the woman stopped the car abruptly and everyone, except for Steven, who didn't have his seatbelt on, jerked in their seat. 

"Back up." he heard Amethyst say as he slowly got up off the floor. He sat back down, _this time, buckling up_ as Garnet put the car in reverse. 

"What the heck is he doing all the way down here.." Amethyst asked. "And walking in this part of the road.. The heck is he doing?" 

Steven looked out his window to see a pale, short figure wearing red pants and a white polo shirt. A blue jacket was tied around his neck. The young man was eating.. a bag of popcorn?

Amethyst rolled down her window. "Yo, Onion! You're ONE creepy mofo, you know that?" 

Him grabbing up more popcorn and eating them was his answer. He chewed on them slowly. 

".... Aaanyway..." Amethyst looked at him, skeptically. "Just. BE ready with our stuff. You got that?" she pointed at him. 

He stopped mid chew and looked at her. Then turned his head slowly to see Pearl and the Steven in the back. He turned back to her, picked up some more popcorn and stuffed it in his mouth slowly. He started chewing once more and slowly gave her a thumbs up. Nodding. 

".....Good." she hissed out at him, giving her another one of her signature glares at him before putting the window back up. "Alright, let's go, Garnet." she whispered. "This dude is giving me the creeps" she looked at Onion who was still staring at her just as Garnet pulled off.

_Well that was.... some character._ Steven thought. _Wonder what's up with him? Seems like an interesting character._

Garnet eventually got off the ominous road and into another side street, nearing a highway. 

Yeah, this was going to be at least a two hour ride.. Might as well get comfortable.. BUTNOTTOOCOMFORTABLEBECAUSEYOU CAN'T FALL ASLEEP!! 

But then, he remembered that he had his preeeecious phone back and decided to just kick back and relax. He pulled his phone out and just as he unlocked it, he caught a glimpse of his ring. He set his phone down on his lap and looked at it. 

He really couldn't believe that the ring actually worked. But, at the same time, he wasn't quite sure _how_ he activated it.. OR how he managed to _de_activate it.

He touched the jewel with his thumb and turned the band slightly around his finger. 

He would have to figure that out as soon as possible.. he couldn't bare another mistake like that again.. He would need to learn how to activate and deactivate the bubble.. It was crucial in becoming a Crystal Gem.. and.. crucial in his missions _with_ the Gems.. 

......................

Steven opened the back door of the car. 

"And don't forget, Talc. We meet here at twenty-one hundred hours." said Amethyst. 

He did the math and nodded. "Nine p.m." _These missions are getting later.. and later.._

"This'll be your first time at an ACTUAL jewel store, dude. Try not to eff this one up." 

"Of course not, Amethyst. I'm a.. Crystal Gem." he couldn't believe he said that out of his own mouth. 

She looked at him through the rearview mirror. How she positioned her face, he could only see from her nose to her cold, brown eyes. "So you say." she said.

He wondered if she was in a good mood and joking a bit or not.. but he couldn't see the rest of her face. 

"Yeah, you can uh.. Count on me, Amethyst." he gave her a nervous smile and she stared at him.. 

..before looking away. "Alright." she said plainly. "Well. you can leave now." 

She still seemed a bit upset about him messing up and missing out on the mission.. 

"Okay.." he slid out the car. 

"And don't forget to practice with your gadget." 

"Right." he nodded. And waited for her to say something else. 

"That's it, dude. See you later on tonight." 

_Oh right.. It_ is_ the next day already._ He closed the door without saying good night to them this time and headed to the apartment. He heard the car drive off as he opened the main door. He closed it behind himself and walked up the two flights of stairs and down the hall to their door. 

He unlocked the door and walked in, taking the flip flops off and closing and locking the door behind him. 

Connie was fast asleep and her cute, heart warming snores brought him back to his reality and it soothed him. 

He'd made it out alive once again. And once again, he was able to see his sweet little Connie underneath of the warm blankets of their bed. 

He walked over to the bed and leaned in, planting a kiss on her temple. Then he walked away, trying to be as quiet as possible. Not wanting to wake her up. 

A red glow in the room caught his eye and he looked around to find the source. It was the glow bracelet. He'd already forgotten that he had it on. Just a small hint of a smile appeared on his face as he thought about the sweet girl that reminded him so much of his _past_ self. 

He rinsed the bracelet off-_can't be so sure on what all germs was on it and putting it with the food.._ and put it in the freezer. He figured that it would make the glow last longer. He closed the freezer door, the small smile still on his face. 

He walked out the kitchen, looking up at the clock. _3.22a.m. _ He slowly got into bed. Still not wanting to wake her up. He took his jeans off and put them at the foot of the bed, then got comfortable, laying right beside her under the covers. He looked up at the clock. He leaned in once more, giving her a kiss on her cheek. "Goodnight, Connie." he laid his head down on the pillow. "And. Goodnight, Connie." he said aloud to his bubble buddy. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who's wondering, Konni is 5 years old.
> 
> ALSO also, if you're wondering.. Yeah, I have Steven saying "Connie" when referring to Konni, because I'm writing for _him._ In his mind, he automatically assumed that that's how she spelled her name. Hope it didn't/ won't come as a distraction for y'all.. I also didn't have him so her name _too_ many times so.. :)


	47. Boku wa amerika no sūpāhīrō da!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can't believe I literally just wasted nearly a WHOLE chapter with a dream sequence but... I totally enjoyed writing it. That's why the chapter's so long! I almost couldn't stop myself xD

Throughout night Steven only had a few bad dreams. Though they weren't as frightening and as intense as his night terrors from before. For the past couple of days, he would have fifteen to twenty of them, back to back to back and he would find himself flailing his arms and in a panic. But this time, he only had three bad dreams. And he didn't wake up in a panic, but more so just in a disgusted, bleh kind if mood. 

Or maybe they _were_ still pretty bad and he was just getting used to them maybe? 

Steven awoken from another bad dream. The fourth one that night. The third one he'd woken up from was with both Jesse and Mohawk. But this time, it was only Jesse. And he was running away from the guy, only to get caught and dragged again into the acid. And again, Jesse continued to push him farther and farther down into the acid. 

Steven went to the bathroom and climbed back in bed. He looked at the clock._ 6:23a.m._

Not bad. So he'd gotten at least an hour and a half of sleep before he had a nightmare. That was a record.

He snuggled deeper into the cushions and tucked the blanket underneath of his chin. Getting comfortable once again. 

_There was a deafening scream of a lady behind him and Steven turned around to see all of the innocent bystanders. Behind them.. were Centi and her crew, the ladies from the Red Eye, Jessie, Mohawk and the new edition.. the five ladies the Gems were fighting yesterday. And all of them, except for the customers, had on black suits and white shades. White flames across the arm and back of their jackets._

_"GET HIM!!" Mohawk yelled out and his rivals all ran towards him, leaving the bystanders._

_Steven screamed, running the opposite way. He ran down the narrow, stretching hall, that seemed to go on.. and on.._

_More running.._

_The hall eventually wound in a turn and he braced himself for whatever was to come when he turn the corner._

_He picked up his pace, kicking up acid splotched dirt behind him. He turned the corner to see a tub from the acid plant. Acid bubbled and spewed out. He took a few steps back only to stop once he heard his rivals coming. "We got you now!!" Jesse yelled. "Mohawk, hand me your sword." Mohawk threw his arm behind his back and drew out a sharp bladed sword. He handed it to Jesse._

_Steven screamed and ran towards the tub. He was just going to have to jump in.._

_He braced himself again as he neared it. He jumped into the boiling liquid, feeling the acid burn through his skin and eyes. He tried to ignore the burning all around his body as he continued to dive down. _

_A sword shot on pass him, barely missing his arm and he almost opened his mouth to yelp. He picked up his pacing, swimming farther and farther down until... he saw light reflecting off the.. bottom? Though it looked more like the surface.._

_He swam towards it, the light getting brighter and brighter until.._

_He poked his head out the..pool?_

_He'd jumped into the tub of the Acid Plant and had swam up to the surface of a pool.._

_Why was the pool so familiar to him?_

_"Mommy!" he heard someone shout. "There's Good Guy again!" _

_He looked up and saw Konni a few feet from the pool. Her mom was standing right beside her._

_He swam towards them and the little girl ran towards him, helping him up as he lifted himself out of the edge of the pool. "Thanks, Connie." _

_"You're welcome!" she smiled._

_She let go of him and he looked around. There were four tables decked out with fancy dishes and cutlery. Light pink tablecloths flowed in the wind. _

_Pink flowers and pink leaves on the trees flowed and danced along with the tablecloths in the breeze._

_And Steven watched as four butlers all dressed in various shades of pink in their suits come up one by one to each table, putting food on the tables._

_"Wow.. What's all this?" _

_"The dinner party, silly billy! We're having steak and caviar!" _

_"Sounds good! I've never had caviar actually."_

_"Oh, then you absolutely _must_ taste it then." her mom said. The two of them walked over to one of the tables with a hibiscus flowered tablecloth. Steven followed them. _

_Konni hopped up on one of the chairs and scooped up a bowl of caviar from one of the bowls, dumping it on the plate while her mother picked up a piece of a steak with a pair of tongs. She placed it on the plate._

_Konni turned around in her chair, the plate stacked up high. "Here you go, Good Guy!"_

_"Thanks, Connie." he grabbed the plate. "This looks really good."_

_"Of course it look good. Cee Cee and I made it." said Kadie. She was walking down from the deck of the ships._

_"Well let's see if it tastes as good as it looks." said the mother. She grabbed an empty plate. "Good Guy, you go ahead and take a seat. We'll join you."_

_"Oh. Sure!" he took a few steps over towards the chair just at the end of the table when a huge gust of wind, blew pass, nearly knocking him over. He held onto the table, turning around. The pool was being pulled up in a huge wave, spinning around like a twister. The wave tilted back and threw it's "neck" forward. Another gust of wind, now accompanied by water, shout out of the top and Steven held his eyes halfway open, still trying to hold on. "They.. they can't be coming back!!" he shouted. _

_He heard Konni scream behind him and he turned around. The girl was no at the fourth table, barely holding on to the tablecloth. "Connie!" he threw the plate of food down and ran to her. "Don't worry, I got you!"_

_The girl screamed, slowly slipping from the tablecloth. There was another gust of wind, and the cloth began to slid up farther and farther off the table. Dishes and food started to fly around everywhere._

_Steven tried to pick up his pace, the tablecloth blowing up more and more. He held out his hand as another gust of wind blew, taking the whole table with it, sending Konni up in the air with it. The two disappearing in the red, dusty skies. "Connie!" Steven stopped, looking around. _

_She was already gone._

_But he still kept calling out for her, looking all around in the sky._

_Then he heard a scream and turned to his left._

_It was Kadie._

_"Come on, let's get out of here! We have to find Connie!" Steven shouted._

_He took only a few steps towards her and a sword came out from somewhere, stabbing her right in the side. She screamed out, falling to the ground. "No!" Steven ran towards her just as the wind picked her up, blowing her away into the red, dusty abyss in the sky._

_He looked around. No sign of Konni. Or the babysitter.. Or even the villains. Nobody._

_Then he heard another scream coming.. from inside the mansion._

_Konni's mother._

_He ran towards the sturdy, double doors, throwing them open._

_The mother was right in the middle of the dinning room. Her arms up. A look of terror on her face._

_A sword was pointed at her. Mohawk turned around. "Heh, there you go, Talc. Fancy meeting you here."_

_"Put the sword down!!" he yelled._

_"Why? But then I wouldn't be able to.. CUT her up!" he cackled, pushing the sword closer to her face and she jumped._

_"I said put the sword down!" he took a few steps towards them._

_"And what are_ you _going to do about it? You can'r even work that little gadget of yours." he pointed at Steven's hand._

_"I !" he stopped. Mohawk was right. He looked at his hand. The ring turning from bright pink to a dull gray color. He looked back up at Mohawkas smug look. "But.. I mean.." he faltered a bit. "I.. I don't have to know how to activate the bubble to beat you ..I.. no.." he shook his head. "I don't need it-"_

_"Yes you do!!!" he cut him off. "How can you be a proper gem without knowing how?!" he laughed._

_"I.." Steven looked up at him.. Helpless._

_Mohawk laughed at him. "Pathetic." he spat out._

_Steven could only look at him more._

_Maybe he's right?_

_The mother watched Mohawk as he cackled away. Using his own distraction, she stepped on his foot, hard, with her heeled boots._

_"YOW!!!" he dropped the sword, grabbing onto his foot. Hopping around in pain._

_She ran away from him, running down the hall and down the stairs._

_"Ooooooo!!! Why you little!!" he picked the sword back up and ran after her._

_Steven ran after them. "Just leave her alone!!" he ran down the steps and into the basement._

_The "basement" was actually a small, closed in room with two doors. He hesitated. Which one should he open? ..Should he even open any of them?_

_He heard Konni's scream from behind the walls and he opened the first door._

_It was the toy room that Konni and the babysitter were playing in. And it was empty. _

_He opened the last door and gasped._

_It was Andy. Dressed in a black, wrinkled suit and dirty white shades. The white flames on his jacket smudged with dirt and splotched with alcohol. He had a belt in one hand and a bottle of whisky in the other hand. His face flushed and a drunken grin on his face._

_"Ahhhhh, Steven!" he slurred. "The fuck up How are ya, man?"_

_His heart skipped a beat. He backed away slightly, looking at the belt in his hand. "What.. what are you doing here?.."_

_"Now what kind of a stupid question is that? I'm here tell you AND to show you." he held the belt up. "how much of a lowlife you are." he grinned._

_"You get away from me!" he screamed. _

_Andy narrowed his eyes at him, his smile turning into a snarl. He threw the bottle of whisky at Steven's head and he fell back into the wall. Andy stumbled out and threw the belt, wrapping it around his neck. He got in his face. "Yoooouuu can't do anything!!" he shouted in Steven's face._

_He tried to scream, but the belt was too tight around his throat._

_"Everyone's gone!! And it's ALL. BECAUSE. of. YOU!" _

_Steven squirmed around, managing to loosen the belt slightly. "No." he said in a horse voice._

_"It's true! EVERYONE'S gone because of you!! EVERYTHING is your fault! You're pathetic! You're useless! And.. no.body.wants.you." he looked right at Steven's sad, pitiful eyes. He chuckled. "Look at you.. Your time will come eventually. When you'll be ALL alone in life.. and a drunk like me.. or missing like my dumbass brother or..." he snorted. "six feet underground like your mom."_

_Those emotions were trying to come back up.. and he could feel his throat tighten.. He swallowed the feelings back down. "No.." he took a sharp breath. "Don't talk about my family like that.. Don't, don't talk to me like that!!" he could feel his blood boiling again._

_Andy slammed him into the wall. "You're nothing Steven. It runs in the family. YOU can't outrun it!! This is your fate!!" _

_"N, no!!" _

_"Yes!" he yelled. He leaned off him slightly. "You've been _born _into it. And. Now you have no.other. choice. You wanna prove me wrong?" he stepped away and ripped the belt off his neck and Steven held his throat, getting his air back. "then move." Andy challenged him. "Move if you wanna prove me wrong. _

_Steven tried taking a step, ready to run away from him. But.. he couldn't. His legs wouldn't move. He looked down and saw.. a metal armor wrapped around his legs. Then he felt something clamp down on his arm. He looked. It was the Cat Fingers glove. He screamed as the gloves and the armored shield around his legs start to grow, covering up his body in a black, silver metal guck. _

_The armor stopped right at his chin. He looked around. Andy was gone._

_He tried to move. But he still couldn't._

_He heard Konni scream again. It sounded far away._

_"Konni!!" he jerked back and forth, grunting. Trying to move in the armor._

_It moved slightly_

_He kept at it, moving back and forth as the armor moved slightly. Then. The ground below him shook and he fell backwards. Stuck. He tried to move again. The armor wouldn't budge. _

_He heard some cackling behind him from two male voices. He tried looking around. The armor making it more difficult now._

_Jesse and Mohawk were walking up on either side of him. "Look what we have here again, Mohawk." said Jessie. His skin peeled and flaked with every step. _

_"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Mohawk asked him. _

_"Slice his ass?" _

_"Slice his ass." Mohawk nodded. He took two swords out from his back and gave one to Jesse. The two turned to Steven. Mischievous smiles on their faces. _

_Steven screamed as they brought their swords down, cackling as sparks flew around their faces. _

_It took the three of them a few moments to realize that.. the armor was actually more dense than they thought. And Steven slowly stopped his screaming as the two guys slowly let up._

_"Huh?" they both stopped and looked at the armor. Blade marks were scattered across the metal. They looked at Steven who only looked up at them. Just as shocked as they were. _

_Then Jesse shook his head. "Whatever, let's just keep at it!! We'll break it apart eventually!!" They continued to bring down their swords and Steven started screaming again. Sparks flew as the blade grazed the metal. "Just keep cutting! We'll get to him!! We'll get to him!!" Jesse growled out, bringing his sword down harder._

_Then. The armor split in two. "We got it!! Mohawk you do the honors of the first cut!!" Jesse shouted out and Steven screamed as Jesse moved out the way for Mohawk. The man brought his sword down and cut Steven's chest. He screamed out._

_"Now. It's MY turn." Jesse looked at Steven as he lifted up the sword above his head. "Time to finish you." he said lowly. He brought the sword down and Steven screamed._

_Right before the blade got close, something pink and round bumped into the two men, pushing them far away from Steven. The two tumbled over each other, dropping their swords. _

__"What?" Steven squeezed between the armor, sliding out. He turned to the side to see.. the bubble. Right there in front of him. The two men were gone and now it was just him and the round, ominous, bright pink bubble.

"You.. you saved me." Steven got up, stepping out of the armored suit. He ran over towards the bubble that seemed to loom over him more and more the closer he got to it. 

_He stopped just one step in front of it and he held his hand out. And hesitated. He could feel the heat coming from it. "Umm.." _

_Maybe the bubble is okay.. It _did_ save him.. _

_He touched the bubble. It was really warm.. But not too hot to the touch.. And he could feel that connection.. _

_He pressed his hand on it, putting a little pressure on the surface. But.. nothing happened. "Huh?" he put both hands on the surface and pressed harder. "What the .?" he grunted, pressing more onto the bubble before leaning back up. "What? Why can't I get in?" _

_Suddenly, he heard screams from both Konni and her mom._

_"Oh no! Connie and her mom!!" he ran down the now formed hallway. "Come on! We have to save them!" he ran a few steps and noticed that the bubble wasn't following him. He turned around. "Let's go." he waved his hand at the bubble._

_It just stood there. Motionless._ E_motionless._

_Steven ran back to it. "Come on, bubble. We gotta go! What are you waiting for?" he whined. _

_The bubble didn't say anything. Just staying there..motionless._

_Steven sighed dramatically. "Fiiiiiine. Guess I'll carry you then." he picked the bubble, heave ho-ing it into his arms. He grunted. "MMMM!! You're heavy." He panted._

_He trudged down the hall, huffing and puffing with the bubble leaning heavily on him. He turned down the hall and saw the babysitter on the floor. He gasped. "Oh no!" he looked at her, then the bubble, then her again, then the bubble again. "S, sorry bubble." he said bashfully. He set it down. "I have to go see if she's alright." he ran towards her. ".. Hello?" he nudged her. _

_She didn't say anything._

_He hesitated.. Before turning her slowly.. and.._

_He placed her gently on his thighs. She looked at him. Her eyes listless. Barely breathing. He looked over and saw the sword still in her side. "Umm.. maybe I should try pulling that out?" then he thought. "Oooor.. maybe I shouldn't..?" then he whispered to himself. "What if she bleeds out.. I think they always tell people not to pull out any objects from anyone's body.." he looked at her side again. "But." he said aloud.. "Maybe this is different." he grabbed the sword. "Sorry." he whispered to her and.. yanked it out. There was no blood. "Huh.. well.. okay then..?" he dropped the sword. Then he looked over at the bubble, then to the weak teen again. "Now let's see if I can do this somehow.." he got up. "Hmm.." _

_He went over to the bubble and hoisted it up on his back. He panted a few times, grunting under it's weight. He scooched the bubble a bit more up his back. "Ooookay." he strained out and walked towards Kadie. Very carefully, he picked her up by her side, hoisting her up and under his other arm while the other arm struggled to keep the bubble up behind him on his back. "Okay... Okay, I think I got this." he wheezed. "Phew boy! Why are you so heavy, bubble?!"_

_He heard more screaming from down the end of the hall. "Oh no.." he grunted, hoisting the bubble up his back again and trudged down the hall, panting heavy. _

_There was a plain, white and black door at the end of the hall. He raised his foot up, quickly losing his balance from the weight of the bubble behind him and he set his foot back down. He leaned in more this time, pushing more weight forward as he lifted his leg up. He kicked the door and the door.. shattered to pieces. "Oh.. whoops.. Didn't mean to kick it _ that_ hard.. eeeheheh.." he jogged in, the bubble getting stuck in the doorway. "Oh, come oooon." he tried gripping onto the bubble, feeling it slipping through his hands. "Come on , come ooooon." he pulled. The bubble was slipping more. "Come ooooon! Just, just suck it in!" he strained out. He pulled more until suddenly, the bubble popped through the doorframe, causing Steven to tumble forward. "AH! EE! AH! OWCH! OOF!" he fell on his face. He groaned, lifting his head up just as the bubble, hit the back of his head, knocking his face back down on the ground. He groaned into the floor._

_Then he heard groaning beside him and quickly remembered about the babysitter. "Oh crap!" he lifted his head back up. The teen was a few feet from him, holding her side. "Oh! I am SO sorry!"_

_"You're ALWAYS sorry." he heard Jesse's voice._

_He looked up. "No.."_

_He saw Konni, her mother and... Connie?!?_

_Their hands and feet were tied up and they were sitting on a white platform._

_Beside them was Jesse and Mohawk. And behind the five of them were the customers from the Fry Shack, Centi and her crew, the men from the Acid Plant, the ladies from the Red Eye and all the other rival guys from the Fry Shack. _

_Every single one of them.. dressed in black suits with white flamed jackets and white shades. _

_Steven got up to his feet. "You leave them alone!!" he shouted. _

_"Well a 'hi' to you too." Mohawk mocked. _

_"SHUT UP!"_

_"Oh! Fiesty are we, now?" he laughed, walking pass the two and going towards Connie. He knelt down beside her and Connie screamed. He reached behind his back and took out another sword._

_"No!!!!!!! Don't touch my Connie!!" he growled. "You better not lay a damn finger on her."_

_"Oooo, getting serious, aye?" there was a sarcastic, condescending laugh behind him._

_Steven eyed Mohawk for a bit longer before turning around._

_It was Amethyst. _

_Pearl and Garnet on either side of her._

_"Dude, come on. We have all of the jewels! Lets just go already. Leave them!"_

_"No!I need to save them!" _

"Be a Crystal Gem, Talc!" she shouted at him. "No regrets! No personal baggage! CUT. the. ties!"

_"Why can't I do both?! Save them AND leave with the jewels?!"_

_"I keep telling you!! It does NOT work that way!" she yelled._

"But you're STILL not telling me _why!!!"_

_"Come on, let's go." Amethyst said to Garnet and Pearl. She turned around and ran down the hall._

_"Amethyst!!_

_He heard screams behind him._

_He turned around. "NOOOOO!!" _

_Everyone. Kadie, who had been dragged towards the platform, the customers.. Konni.. her mother...... _his _Connie.. All of them had been cut.. the sword laying there, with blood on it, right in front of Steven._

_He started screaming, hyperventilating. _

_But again.. He refused to cry.._

_Someone scoffed behind him. "Looks like you couldn't save him you pathetic piece is shit." he heard someone taking a few steps behind him._

_He leaned himself up on his wobbly arms and turned around. _

_It was Andy._

_He took a few more sips out of his beer can, crushed it in his hand and threw it behind himself. "Yeah, looks like you effed up again." he shrugged. "You know. As usual." _

_The sadness.. the feeling of hopelessness.. of mourning.. all started to quickly give way to bitterness and anger. He got up slowly, hands balled up into fists. His face contorted in a wild agitation. His breath, deep and panting hard._

_"What? It's true. Yeah, sure you can beat me up." he shrugged again. "kill me.. everything will still stand true.. That YOU you were the reason they were all killed._

_Steven stood there. Glaring at Andy. But he didn't say anything._

_He's right.. Everyone was gone.. because of him.. And.. there was nothing he could do about it.._

_Andy scoffed again and started walking away.. "Aways pathetic.. Always.." Steven watched as Andy disappeared around the corner of the red hallway... And he watched the corner some more, for a few moments before finally collapsing back to the ground. He held everything in. Trying to calm his breathing. He was defeated.. He knelt there. His head down.. his eyes closed..Keeping his tears in.. And sniffling.._

_A few moments of him kneeling their and drowning in his own self worth.. and guilt.. he felt something nudge his arm._

_He continued to sulk.. and sniffle.._

_Another nudge, more forceful on his arm._

_He opened his eyes and turned his head up slightly. _

_It was the bubble. _

_"Bubble.. what.." Steven sniffled. "what are you doing here?" _

_The bubble didn't say anything._

_Steven sighed. "Bubble.. it's too late.. _I. _ he said specifically. "was too late.." he swallowed. Breath shaky. "I wasn't strong enough.. physically.. or emotionally and... and everyone's gone.. And.. and it's all my fault." _

_The bubble only stood there._

_He sighed again, looking away. "You.. just don't get it.." he frowned. "You don't have any regrets.. or.. self loathing.. like I do.. I'm." he swallowed down his emotions. "I'm.. just nothing.."_

_The silence wore on between the two.. until the bubble moved, nudging him again._

_Steven clicked his teeth and pushed the bubble slightly away. "Bubble, didn't you hear me? IT'S OVER! IT'S DONE FOR IT'S.." he choked back.. whispering now. "It's.. it's the end.. I lost.. ." he sighed_ "again.._like I always do.."_

_The bubble nudged him again. "Bubble, please, just." he pushed the bubble and it rolled back, nudging him harder. "I said, 'it's over'." the bubble pushed him harder and he fell backwards onto his back. _

_The bubble rolled up to him._

_Steven sighed. He looked up at the bubble with tired eyes. "Are you.. trying to tell me something?"_

_The bubble moved up more, touching his side._

_"Are you.. trying to tell me that there's still hope?"_

_The bubble, shifted upwards, looking up and Steven lifted his neck up, looking behind him as he laid on the floor. The villains were all laughing and cackling and enjoying each other's company. They were celebrating._

_Steven titled his head back down. "Do we.. still have a fighting chance?" he whispered. Hope sprinkling into his voice. "Is.. that what you're telling me?"_

_The bubble stood there for a few moments.. Then it started to glow._

_Steven sat up quickly. "We still have a chance!!" he exclaimed. He gasped. "Then.. then that means.." he looked up at the glowing bubble in awe.. stars in his eyes._

_But would it let him do it?_

_Steven got up slowly, facing the bubble. He put his hand up and hesitated. _

_Maybe.. it'll work this time.._

_Steven closed his eyes and took a breath. "Come on.." he whispered to himself and opened his eyes back up. He placed his hand slowly onto the bubble. He pressed on it gently, his hand going right through this time. He took his steps, stepping in with one foot, inching his body through, phasing through the surface of the warm bubble. _

_And. He was inside._

_And already, he could feel the power of the bubble coursing through his veins._

_He felt.. powerful.._

_Wanted.._

_Important.._

_He cracked his neck and flexed the bulging muscles in his arms and legs. He took a stance. "Okay, bubble. It's you and I together. Hm." he nodded. "Let's do this." he ran towards the villains at breakneck speed, his eyes right on his first target. _

_"HAHAHAHAHAHA!! YEAH! And did you see when I took my sword and brought it down? Didja see when I did that?" Mohawk gloated with the villains. "The woman was all like." he mocked in a high pitched voice. "Oh noo! Please! Don't DO it!" he went back to his voice. "And I was all like WOMP! SHWNG!! WOMP! WOMP!!" he gestured, bringing his arms down with an invisible sword. He laughed some more, plucking a tear from the corner of his eye. The villains looked behind him. A look of extreme terror on their face. "Man, that sure was funny and-uh.. guys? You're not even paying attention." he stomped. "What are you looking at?" _

_Centi lifted her hand up slowly, her index finger slowly lifting up, pointing behind him. Mohawk turned around and made a high pitched scream._

_In front of them, now floating up in the air, was a super powered Steven. His curly brown hair, now up in wild spikes. His body chiselled in muscles. His shirt having been ripped off from the immense force of his ripped washboard abs and huge, glistering pecks and biceps. His irises a fieresome dark pink._

_And the bubble.. surrounded by a firey pink glow._

_"OH! Uh. Eherm." Mohawk cleared his throat. "Ayeeee, buddy 'ole friend, good pal of mine." he smiled nervously. "Heheh, hey uh.. You like different. Looking good." he kissed up. " Don't tell, don't tell me, did you uh, lose weight? No, you gotta haircut, tan or something, a-_

_Steven raised his arm up, his palm out towards Mohawk and he screamed in a high pitched voice again, covering his face. "What's a little torturing between friends? You, you know I was just playing around!" _

_Steven glared at him as thick, pink light shot out of his muscular hand. The light phasing through the bubble and shooting out of it towards a shrieking Mohawk. _

_The moment lasted for a few moments as the light completely engulfed Mohawk. They could still hear his screams until.._

_Steven stopped and the light vanished._

_All there was left now.. was a burnout mark on the ground._

_All of the villains gasped at the sight and looked up at a pissed off Steven. "Now." he said in a deep, heroic voice. "who's. next."_

_All of the villains shrieked and started running around the room._

_Steven scoffed. "Too easy."_

_He held his hand up again, unleashing the power of the pink light from his palms. He trailed his hand over the area, the beam of light taking in all of the villains, engulfing them in its power._

_In just a matter of seconds, everyone had been obliterated into nothingness. Burn marks from the aftermath._

_"Hm." he nodded. "Now. It's time to give the Gems. a little. visit." he turned and just as he started to levitate away he heard a "Hey, you lame-o." he looked down._

_It was.. none other than Andy himself._

_"Heh, yeahhh." he slurred. "You're like, a total looooser." he raised his hand to his forehead and mad an L shape with his thumb and index finger. He blew a raspberry. "Yeah, you're just a stupid head."_

_Steven levitated down. An extremely bored and unfazed expression on his face. _

_"What? Whatchuuu gonna do you dwwweeeb." _

_Steven sighed, rolling his eyes. He fanned his hand up just ever so slightly and the bottle of whisky in Andy's hand levitated out of his grip. "Huh? What?" Steven fanned his hand slightly to the left and the bottle flew in that direction, smashing into the wall. _

_"Oh noooo!!!" He grabbed his hair. "My boooooooze!!!" he ran towards the wall and started licking it up. "YOWCH!!!" he lifted his tongue up filled with the pieces of broken glass._

_"Here, let me help you with that." Steven stretched out his hand, his hand stretching in the bubble. He grabbed Andy's tongue and pulled it back as far as he could. "Ueeeeggh!!! Mah tooohng!" Steven let go and his tongue snapped back into his mouth, the force pushing him backwards, and sending him tumbling back towards the wall._

_Steven walked up to him slowly as Andy slowly pushed himself back up from the wall. He swayed back and forth, dizzy. _

_Steven raised his arm up and an arm grew out of the bubble. He lifted his hand all the way up fast and the arm on the bubble went up, giving Andy an uppercut. Then Steven raised his other arm up. The bubble grew out another arm and Steven threw a side punch. The other arm in the bubble gave Andy a left hook, spit flying out of his face in slow motion. Then, for the finishing touch, Steven turned around, in a spin kick. The bubble grew out a leg and swung it, the foot hitting the whole side of Andy's face, sending the guy flying all the way to the side of the room and into a trashcan. _

_Steven turned around, dusting off his hands. Pleased with himself. "Haha! I've been MEANING to take out the trash." he put his hands on his hips, sporting a proud stance. "Now bubble. Let us find those pesky Gems!" Steven flew through the room, crashing into the wall and out the house. He flew up into the air, looking around. _

_He saw the Inkas car driving fast down a road._

_"There they go!" he pointed and flew down towards them._

.............

_"Man, G. Can't believe we actually took the most EXPENSIVE jewels ever!" said Amethyst. "We're going to be filthy stinkin' rich!" _

_"I just prefer to be rich. I don't want to be 'flilthy'.. or 'stinkin''." said Pearl._

_"Uhhhhhhg, it's JUST a figure of speech, Pearl. Stop taking things so literal, will ya?"_

_"Ah, a figure of speech." she nodded. "But, who is this figure?"_

_Amethyst groaned, then turned her attention to their driver. "Garnet, what do you think?"_

_"I have VERY sexy, British Accent that everyone loves." she smiled with a wink and a thumbs up. _

_"What? No! I'm not." she smacked her teeth. "I'm talking about being the RICHEST people ever!!"_

_Something huge smacked into the van and they swerved to the side. "Whoa! What the hell?!" Amethyst looked out her window. _

_Steven was flying right beside them. He breathed out, fogging up the bubble, he traced out U 3 R GOING ↓_

_"You......three.......are.....going..." Amethyst tilted her head to the side, confused. "Down facing arrow?" she leaned her head back up. "Dude, what?!?! That doesn't even make any sense!!" _

_"You three are going down!!!" Steven shouted._

_"Uhhh, no we're not. We're going _up." _Pearl corrected him. _

_"Huh?" Steven looked at them. They were going uphill. He shook his head. "You knew what I meant!" _

_"No.." she raised an eyebrow. "I did not actually." _

_"Well maybe you will understand me, if I get close and. PERSONAL!" he rammed into the truck, causing them to tailspin out of control. The three screamed and hollered until the van crashed hard into a tree. _

_"Is everyone okay?" Amethyst asked. _

_"Hunky-Dory " said Garnet._

_"No, I'm Pearl."_

_Amethyst groaned. "That's NOT what I meant Pearl!!"_

_"British English, British English." Garnet looked around._

_Amethyst looked around with her. "Yeah, I don't see him either, Garnet. Think he left us alone?"_

_"No, not alone. We're still all together." said Pearl._

_There was a loud thump on the front of the truck as the front window shattered upon impact in front of them._

_"Bloody hell!" Garnet screamed out._

_Amethyst and Pearl screamed. All three of them shielding their faces._

_"STOP right there criminal scums." Steven bellowed out. "YOU three aren't stealing those jewels on MY watch."_

_"Let's get outta here!" Amethyst shouted out. She opened the car door, jumping out and Garnet did the same. Pearl just sat there. "Wait, 'on your watch'? Of course we're not going to steal the jewels ALL on your watch. That's impossible." _

_"Pearl, stop talking to him and just get out the car already!!"_

_"Oh, alright." she huffed, opening the door. "But he just wasn't making any sense, Amethyst."_

_Steven watched as she exited the car. He shook his head, then flew up, landing right on top of the car. "Alright you three." the three women were sporting their weapons. "surrender now.. or prepare to fight, fight, fight!"_

_"Why did he say it three times?" Pearl whispered to Garnet._

_Garnet shrugged. "Not sure.. But that mate is definitely not chuffed to bits."_

_"We choose the second option!" Amethyst yelled, raising her whip up._

_"Then." Steven went to a T-Pose, expressing his dominance as he levitated up. "you three leave me no choice." his eyes lit up a bright pink and his brown hair became even spikier. Pink glow formed around his hands. _

_Amethyst scoffed. "Bring it on." she threw out her whip, the rope hitting the bubble. "Pearl, spear!" _

_The woman took the canister and flipped it counterclockwise, the spear flinging out. She jumped up and started stabbing the bubble with it as Amethyst started running around underneath of the bubble, hitting every area with her whip. "It's not working! Garnet! Your gauntlets."_

_"Sexy ass British accent." she nodded and took out her gauntlets. She ran up and jumped, grabbing hold of the bubble. She started punching it. _

_The three continued their attempted assault, but to no avail._

_"Amethyst." Garnet called out. And the woman looked up at her. "Let's just bunk off. This mate ain't knackered and he's bloody cheeky, if you ask me." then a beat later. "Also, did you know that it's been a proven fact that I have one of the most sexiest accents ever?" _

_"You're right, Garnet. You _do_ have a sexy accent...." she said in thought, rubbing her chin. Then she looked back up. "But we'll talk about that later!! We need to somehow get him out of that bubble! Move out the way you two!" she waved her whip in the air. Garnet and Pearl jumped out the way right as Amethyst wrapped the whip around the bubble. She turned around, trying to pull it down. "Nnnnnnnnnnng!!! I need a little help!" _

_Garnet ran over, grabbing the rope. She pulled on the rope with her. "MMMM!! BLIMEY!!" she tried tugging on the rope harder. The bubble didn't move and Steven, still in a T pose, raised his hands up from the wrist. A gust of wind spread form the bubble, blowing out the rope and sending the two sliding across the ground. "Ahhh." they held their heads, wincing as they got up slowly. _

_Steven went from his T pose, slamming his pink engulfed fists together. The whip started to move by itself. It lunged for the two. They screamed as the rope grabbed onto them. The whip spun them around a few time and flung them. _

_Pearl was still busy throwing her spear at the bubble._

_"Pearl, duck!" Amethyst shouted as they flew towards her. _

_"Wait, you mean duck as in the bird or duck as in get out the-" the two crashed into Pearl and the three of them tumbled, hitting a tree. _

_Steven levitated towards them. His pink fired hands still together as the rope neared them again. They screamed, holding on to one another as the whip wrapped around them, tying them up together._

_Steven flew towards them and they screamed more. _

_"Please don't hurt us!" Amethyst yelled._

_"Please don't!" Pearl pleaded._

_"Not my lovely British English!" Garnet cried out._

_"Yeah!" Amethyst sniffled, holding onto Garnet. "What she said!"_

_"Soo.. you three learned your lesson?"_

_The three nodded enthusiastically._

_"Well, don't be too hard on yourselves. Maybe next time you three will best me." he clamped his hands down and started to spin around in the bubble. The rope lifted them up and started spinning them around. "After all, the sky's the." he opened his glowing bands, throwing his arms up and the rope threw them up in the air. "limit!"_

_"And I would've gotten away with it too if it wasn't for that meddling kid and that..bubble!" Amethyst yelled from far away._

_"Bubble?! Where?!" Pearl was heard in the distance._

_"..I have SUCH an amazing accent.." Garnet agreed with herself._

_"Now. That should do it." he smiled. The glow left from his eyes and hands. And he blinked his bright brown eyes and flexed his muscular hands. He levitated back down as his spiky hair fell down his face. He took a piece of his limp hair and moved it from his eyes, tucking it behind his ear. He looked up at the bubble. "Thanks, bubble. I.. couldn't had down it without you."_

_The bubble glowed bright before dimming back down. _

_Steven laughed. "Yeah, right back at ya, buddy." he slowly walked towards the interior of the bubble, stepping out slowly out it._

_He heard some clapping and whistling and cheering in the distance behind him and he turned around. A crowd of people was running up to him. When he looked closer he realized it was the customers at the Fry Shack, Konni, her mom, the babysitter and Connie!! Amongst them were other random people he'd saw from time to time in Empire._

_He could barely contain his joy._

_AND his surprise._

_"Y'all are all okay?!?!?!"_

_"Of course we are." said Konni._

_"You saved us!" her mother said behind her._

_"R, really?!"_

_"Yeah!" said Kadie. "You saved us with the bubble!"_

_"I did?! But.. I only got the villains and the jewels.. I.. I thought I lost you all."_

_"You didn't lose us." said Connie. "You defeated the villains, got the jewels AND saved us." she finally caught up to him, jumping into his muscular, bicept arms._

_He returned the hug, smiling. "I can't believe I really did that!" he kissed her on her cheek. "I.. saved the day.. I actually saved the day!!"_

_The crowd cheered louder and everyone started piling up on him. "Whoa, whoa!!" he felt the crowd pushing on him, Connie behind pushed from his arms as the crowd rushed to thank him and hug him, crying in happiness and screaming out cheers._

_"Steven! I love you!"_

_"Yo Steven! You're the man!"_

_"Steven! Steven! We went to High School together! I always knew you would be the city's hero!"_

_"Steven! You're SO handsome!"_

_"Steven, I want to have your babies!"_

_"Dude! I got your name tattooed to my chest!" one guy ripped his shirt open, buttons flying everywhere as he showed his shaven chest. A tattoo of a heart with an arrow going through. In front of the heart was a wavy banner. On the banner was Steven's name in pink._

_And more and more compliments and hugs and kisses on cheeks._

_He laughed. "Okay guys, okay. I get it." he smiled._

_"Steven!! Steven!! You have my vote! Kiss my baby!" Steven kissed the random woman's son on the forehead. _

_More compliments and even more kisses and smooches and hugs and high fives from people._

_"Hey guys!" one guy yelled out. "Three cheers for Steve-O right here! Come on! Hip hip!" the crowd all gathered together and they threw him up in the air. "Hooray!" the crowd cheered. "Hip hip!" the guy shouted out. They threw him up in the air again. "Hooray!" they cheered. "Hip hip!" they threw him up in the air once more. "Hooraaaaay!!" _

_They caught him and set him back down gently._

_"Wow guys. Thank you.. Thank you so much, really." he smiled at everyone. _

_"Good Guy!" Konni hopped from the crowd._

_"Hey Connie!"_

_"This is for you! A gift for saving us." she held up a red diamond encrusted bracelet._

_"No way, really?! But that's like.. EXTREMELY rare!!" _

_"I know." she smiled. "You deserve it."_

_"Awesome." he grabbed the ring from her and slid it on his wrist. "I'll treasure it aways. Hey! Whoa!" someone had pinched his butt and he turned around. "Nephry?"_

_"Heeeeeeyyy my cute little sweetummmss." she trailed her finger across his chiseled, butt chin. "Thanks again for saving us."_

_"Oh, heh. It was nothing really-" she kissed him. "Wait, no Nephry." He quickly thought about his girlfriend Connie. Nephry ignored him, going in for another kiss as she threw her arms around his toned shoulders._

_"Eherm."_

_Steven yanked away, disgusted from Nephry's kiss and he turned his head to see who that was that'd cleared their throat. Though.. to him it'd sounded like.. _

_His girlfriend was standing right beside him._

_"OH!! Connie!!" he pulled Nephry's arms from his shoulders. His heart was beating fast. "Connie, it's not what you think! Nephry-!" Connie threw her arms around him and pulled him in. He kissed him and instantly he kissed her back, loving her soft, gentle lips. She pulled away. "I'm not worrying about that homewrecker. I know she wants you. Every girl does." she smiled at him, stroking his soft, spikey hair out of his face. Then she stopped and turned her attention to the girl beside them. "Beat it, Nephry. He's mine." Nephry smacked her teeth with an eye roll and walked away. _

_"Now.." Connie looked at his lips before gazing back into his eyes. " Here's_ my_ little present for saving us.." she whispered and kissed him softly. He kissed her back, hugging her, squeezing her sides gently. _

_She broke away from the kiss and leaned up slightly from his face. "You just let me take care of you." she whispered and went back to his luscious lips, going deeper into the kiss.._


	48. Another day..

Steven woke up humping underneath of the covers. His mouth biting gently and sucking on a pillow in front of him. His other hand twisting and pinching the edge of the pillow. "..Huh?" he hummed into the pillow. He leaned up, looking at the huge saliva stain on the pillow. He wiped his mouth off and sat himself up.

Wow, that was some dream he had.... or half nightmare half dream?..... Wet dream?

That dream was just all over the place..He didn't know _what_ to make of it.

He looked over. Connie was already gone. 

Which was a good thing too.. that she didn't have to witness........what he was doing.

He looked up at the clock. _11:48a.m._

_Wow, that's pretty late.._

Though then again he _did_ get home pretty late.

Apart of him was also celebrating that he went for a full four, five hours of full sleep without having a nightmare.

He slid off the bed and got up, giving himself a couple tugs, pulling his shorts a bit from his erection. 

He was just about to make his way to the bathroom when a note caught his attention. He walked over to the divider and picked it up.

**Made breakfast. Wasn't sure when you would wake up, so I put it in the fridge. I know you had night shift last night, but if you're going to work this morning as well, I hope you have a nice day. And don't forget to put the cream on your skin. We'll talk when I get home. Should be no later than six or seven.**

**Xoxo Connie. **

Why did the letter just feel.. stiff to him.. he just.. had a bad feeling about it..Well, not a _bad_ feeling per se but.. an _odd_.. kind of feeling..

He tried to ignore that feeling, putting it in the back of his mind. 

He set the paper back on the table, trying to turn his attention to something else. Food maybe? He hadn't eaten anything since last night.. Oh wait.. maybe a shower instead? He hadn't taken a shower since the day before. Also..

He looked down at his boxers to see a huge wet stain.

Yeah, he should just take his shower and put on some _clean_ boxers.

.............

Steven walked out the bathroom feeling cleaner than ever. A towel thrown across his shoulders and his fresh cotton shirt, briefs and tube socks keeping him comfortable.

He hung up the wet Crystal Gem shirt he'd hand washed in the closet and walked into the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator door, and took out the plate of food. It was a veggie omelette with turkey meat and three pancakes. He put the plate in the microwave and grabbed his eating utensils.

The microwave beeped and he took the plate out and set it down on the counter. Then he went to grab the syrup, putting it on the counter next to the plate.

He prayed over his food and began eating, going for the pancakes first.

He felt.. pretty good today. He was still a bit giddy over helping Konni, her mother and her babysitter. It was a nice change of pace from everything else that'd been happening.

Yet..

He still couldn't help but feel that he had this nagging kind of feeling in his brain.. and in the pit of his stomach. Like, something was just there, trying to warn him about something..

He shook head. _ Whatever. Just don't think about it.. There's nothing wrong.. I'm just being paranoid.. Which, is an emotion I need to stop having._

Besides, he was borderline fine today. And he felt.. well, numbly better today.. it was.. hard to explain but it felt like he was being torn into two separate planes.. like he was being torn away from his bad thoughts and his good thoughts and kinda coasting right underneath of the good thoughts.. it felt odd.. but again, he tried to ignore the feeling.. and that pang of something being seriously wrong..

He finished up the delicious breakfast and washed the dishes before heading back into bed. Then he looked at the pillow.

_Yeah, it's best to get a clean pillowcase.. _

Sure, the saliva couldn't went to the actual pillow and he should actually _wash_ it.. but eh, changing the pillowcase was better than not doing anything at all with it.

He threw the old one in the hamper and slipped the new, lilac smelling one over the pillow. Then he wondered what he was going to do for the next five or six hours, until Connie comes back. 

He would have to meet up with the gems much later on tonight as well.. So.. perhaps he should practice with activating and deactivating his gadget? He looked at the ring on his finger. 

Though he had a pretty good dream with the bubble, he still wasn't so sure in using it in real life.. After all, it was a _dream._Doesn't mean that he could trust it. 

He put his arm back down.. He just.. still kinda had a funny feeling about the bubble. Maybe he was scarred already? Afraid that he wouldn't be able to turn it off? 

He grabbed the laptop from the table and climbed back into bed.

Yeah, he didn't want to take that chance in getting stuck this early on in the day. He would rather do it later.. just in case that _does_ happen again.. 

He decided he would practice right around the time the Gems come in. That way, if it _does_ happen again, they could help him.. well, hopefully they would know how.. But they're the Gems, so they most likely did.

Steven put the idea of the bubble to the back of his mind and opened the laptop up, putting the code in. He went right to TubeTube. 

Just two hours later of watching random videos, he was on the mouse pad of the laptop, scrolling the cursor up to click on another video. And just then, he heard a tweet and a notification bubble popped up at the corner of his scream, notifying him of a tweet from one of his favorite anime writers. The icon disappeared a few seconds later as he scrolled over to the tab. He typed in Tweeter and went to the site.

He read the woman's tweet, the post talking about how they were still in production for season seven and eight and how they couldn't wait to post the first few episodes of the fifth season. That got him excited. He couldn't WAIT for the next season to come out!

He retweetered it and started surfing the site for a few minutes. Then he got tired of it and went to his Instantgramz. He went to a few people's pages, mainly some of his female friends, so he could gawk at some sweet bikini photos.

Another twenty minutes of aimlessly looking at pages upon pages, he found himself getting a bit bored again.

Then he had a thought.

What about MyFaceSpace? He hadn't been on there in months. Hopefully he could still remember his password.

He went to the homepage and put in his username and password. He clicked the login button and was granted access. _Yes! I didn't have to bother with the whole "Did you forget your username or password?" process!_ He went right to all of his notifications that had accumulated, getting rid of all of them and only messaging back a few people who'd sent him a message. Then he went to his feed and started reading what people had posted that day. 

After just a mere five or so minutes of that, his mind wondered over to Pee Dee.. And a slight hint of sadness grabbed the pit of his stomach. 

_Don't do it, Steven.. You could get yourself worked up.. And you're not supposed to be showing your sad, guilt stricken emotions remember?_

His fingers ignored him and he found himself typing in Pee Dee's FaceSpace name. He just.. wanted to see his old posts again.. 

He couldn't find his name

_Okay don't freak out, don't freak out.._

Maybe he typed in the name incorrectly? 

He checked it. He didn't..

_Okay.. maybe he just changed his name?_

He went to his own page, going to his friends list. Pee Dee wasn't listed anywhere.

He could feel dread and anxiety coming up.

Did someone else delete his account after he died?! Or.. or did Pee Dee deactivate or delete the account a while ago?! 

Either way, he couldn't have those feelings that were trying to come back up. 

And now.. that odd, weird pang in his mind that he was feeling earlier was growing. And he felt him start drifting from the top, positive "plane" and start coasting along the negative thoughts. 

He had to get off of the website.. 

He had to get off of the _laptop._

He closed the laptop and took a few, calming, deep breaths.

That wasn't working as much.. And he soon felt extremely lonely.. and isolated from the world.. 

Then he remembered Mrs. Miller giving him a few suggestions on what he could do when he started feeling like this.

_Maybe I just need a walk.. Yeah, maybe that'll work.. I just need to get out of the house.. Perhaps that's all I need to calm my mind down.. _


	49. Just a not so casual walk around the neighborhood..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, this is just more of Steven's inner turmoil.  
And again, please bare with me. We only have a few more chapters, of this ~o~

Steven picked up the Tamil cream from off the table and untwisted the top. He poured a bit on his hand and wiped the lotion on his sore face. He did the same for his arms and his feet, all while trying to ignore the burning sensation on his skin from the cream. Then he put the bottle back on the table, took any jacket from off the hanger and went to the kitchen grabbing a water bottle from the fridge. _Eh.. hydration is important after all.._ and walked over to the mat. He zipped up his jacket and slid his feet in his girlfriend's flip flops. 

He left out the door, hands in his jean pockets as he made his way down the hall, down the steps and out the main door of the complex.

He smacked his teeth, shielding his eyes from the bright sun in the clear blue sky. _Why is it so damn bright outside?_

Why was he so upset _that_ it was so bright outside? It's a beautiful day! If he was his regular, normal, fun loving self, he would've had a huge smile on his face.

It was a beautiful, sunny day! How could someone POSSIBLY be in such a bad mood!!

Yet, here he was.. And the bright rays of the sun, the gentle, autumn breeze, the bystanders chattering from afar and the faint smell of the bakery a few blocks down all made him want to go back in the house, get under the covers and just curl up and stay there until he saw Connie's comforting face..

He stood by the doorway, his arm still holding the door open, actually contemplating on doing that instead..

Then he sighed and walked out the complex, closing the door behind him.

He would just have to _force_ himself to stay out for a little longer..

He didn't really have a game plan on where to go, just walking aimlessly away from the apartment, taking whatever street he'd had a split second of taking and just taking his steps every which way, about the city.

He crossed another street, walking pass a few small shops, some of them just opening up for their lunch rush.

A handful of people were sitting at the outside tables at two of the shops that had outdoor furniture to relax on.

He walked pass them, continueing his path down to..whereever he was to go next..

He turned a corner, passing a small, hole in the wall movie theater and some nice thoughts came to his mind of him and his friends Pee Dee and Jeff. Them sneaking in there to watch movies, them seeing who could get the most phone numbers from chicks. He even remembered that one time he and Pee Dee had dared Jeff to run around the theatre naked with a scream mask on. 

Ah, the teenage years..

To be a care free, rambunctious teenager again..

He walked pass the awning of the building, his thoughts now going towards Connie. Their very first date was there. And she'd told him that that was her first date ever.

It went EXTREMELY well and they had an AMAZING time! 

Then he remembered trying to get a kiss on the first date, which he didn't get. 

And he would soon find out that she wouldn't give him her first kiss until their eleventh date _after_ they started their relationship. 

A smile managed to come as he remembered kissing her for the first time on the beach, at night, during a fireworks show that was going on not too far from where they were having their date. 

And _he_ felt fireworks while kissing her that night.

Even after a couple of years later, he _still_ felt fireworks _every_ single time he kissed her.

He walked pass the building, still relishing in that nice warmth in his stomach from his thoughts.

He walked for a few minutes more down the street before coming to an intersection. Across the street and to his left was another pretzel stand.

He remembered before how he thought about surprising her with a couple pretzels, but now he made a mental note to actually come back down this street or the one closer to their place, so he could grab her a couple pretzels.

He crossed the street and continued his path down, passing a few more small, shopping stalls and eateries. A few blocks down and he was nearing the last bit of shops and coming up to a couple benches near a bus stop. Just a couple people standing there and waiting for their bus. He sat down with them, taking a little break. 

He was a little tired.. But it was more mental than physical.. 

Still, he needed his little break.

Ten minutes later and a bus was pulling up. The two people got on and he watch as the bus pulled off.

Then another bus came, the side of it advertising the wrestling match that would be held this coming Saturday._ Tomorrow_ he thought.

Hopefully he'll be in a better state of mind when he goes there with the Gems tomorrow..

He fanned the bus driver away and the bus kept going.

He sat there for a few more minutes, trying to live in the present and take it in, before a young an dressed in a Wendeez uniform walked pass. 

That reminded Steven of fast food places.

Which reminded him of Pee Dee _working_ at a fast food place..

Then his mind started to wonder..

Then a thought came to his mind.

Hmm..

Maybe he should.....?

_No! Don't even think about it, Steven.. Remember when I told you to not go on MyFaceSpace and you went on anyway and ended up freaking out because you didn't see Pee Dee's FaceSpace page? Heck that's why you're outside now!! Because you_ worked_ yourself up.. 'Going to the actual place of the Fry Shack would only ignite that anxiety.. Just.. don't do that to yourself._

_But what about closure?_

At least that's what he was telling himself.. Using so-called_ possible_ "closure" for himself..

But he knew that would hurt him more if he were to go along with his plan.

He sat there..

Debating..

What was he going to do? 

Go home..

Or follow out with his plan?

_What are you going to do, Universe?.._

...................

_"Deerco Center. Stand back. Doors opening."_ The automatic, robotic female voice said over the train speakers.

_No.. No this is a BAD idea! I shouldn't go! This will NOT end well for me!-_

Just like his hands typing on the computer earlier, his legs were now ignoring him, getting up from his seat. A young woman sat down in his seat as he found his own legs walking to the subway doors.

They opened.

_Come on.. don't do it! Don't do it!_ he stopped right by the doors.

People started to walk in and out of the train, some of them bumping into him as they did. 

"Damn, he can't move out the way?" he heard one person say as she and her friend walked pass him as they entered the train. 

_"This is the Eastbound train to Hopkins Court. " DING DONG "Stand back. Doors closing." _

The doors started to slide to a close and Steven quickly put his foot in-between them, then slid one of his hands through. 

"So he waited ALL that time and NOW he wants to get out. Too late now!" he heard the same woman say.

He put his other arm between the doors and leaned in, pushing his shoulder through. 

The doors jerked back and forth, trying to close.

Steven slid through more, his head and a bit more of his shoulder.

"Whoever's holding the door, please let go. People are trying to get to their destination." said a woman's voice on the train's speaker. 

Then, as if riled up now, everyone started to complain.

"Yeah, just get off at the next stop!" the woman kept on.

"We trynna get out of here, man. You're holding us up!" said another guy.

The two doors continued to jerk left and right from both sides of him as he slid out more, the door hitting his gut.

"Look at that. Fat ass can't even get out." he heard a few laughs from a few people and he ignored them, now halfway through the doors.

"Look, if you don't close the door, I'm going to call the cops." the train attendant said over the speaker.

"Just call 'em now!" said the lady (as if the attendant could hear her.)

Steven sucked in his stomach some more and pushed on the door and just a few more moments, he managed to slide out, the doors snapping shut behind him. He heard two low toots from the train as it pulled off.

Just then he couldn't help but think that, that just maybe.. that him trying and having a hard time getting through the door, was a sign that he shouldn't go..

Maybe he really _should_ go back..

He looked up at the time bar hanging from the ceiling. **SORRY FOR THE DELAY.** It blinked.** ONE TRACKING.** Blink. **DUE TO MAINTENANCE.** blink. **Westbound train.** Blink.** 43MIN**

_WHAT?!?! FOURTH THREE MINU-_ He sighed.

Yeah, he might as well go now..

Just go there so he can add even _more_ to his pain..

He walked down the platform and up the two escalators. He put the card through the machine and it slid threw. He plucked it from its slot and the triangular doors thud back inside themselves. He went through and proceeded up the next escalator. He leaned on it, being carried away by the steps as he stood there in though as he neared the outer entrance of the subway.

_Why am I even going.. Seriously.. why am I? ... I'm just going to see something that I don't want to see... I'm putting pain on my_ own _self this time... This isn't closure.. This is.. putting salt into my own mental wounds. This was suppose to be a walk to _calm_ myself down.. not make me feel worse than what I was already feeling.. This is a terrible idea.. I think I should just go ba- _ "Whoa." he tripped over the top of the elevator, not paying attention to when it ended.

"Come on, get yourself together, Steven.." he whispered to himself. He walked underneath of the dome of the building and exited out the subway. There was even more hustle and bustle in the streets, now that he was getting closer to the touristy areas.. _Oh great.. How did I forget that?.._

And it pained him just a bit that he didn't want to be around a lot of people.. He was Steven Universe! He LOVED people!

He put his hood over his head, as if _that_ was.. some kind of mechanism or forcefield or something that would shield him from any bystanders that wanted to talk to him. 

He stopped at the first corner and leaned on the enclosure of a bus stop, the benches having been filled up by other people.

"..so tell me why she left me because of that though!" Steven overhead one guy say to his friend.

"What?!" his friend opened his mouth in shock so wide he almost lost his cigarette, barely catching it back with his lips. He sucked it back up farther with his lips. "Dude, no way!"

"Yeah! Talking about 'that was a make or break' can you believe that? Man.." the guy shook his head. "That's crazy man.. I thought she was a ride or die.."

Steven knew he shouldn't be eavesdropping. He knew it was a bad thing to do.. but.. he couldn't help but think about his Connie.. 

Does she have her own 'make or break'?

Does she even feel the same way about him?

Does she.. love him?

What if she ever finds out about him being a Crystal Gem.. Would she.. leave him?

He put more weight on the enclosure as he leaned more into it, not finding his strength to stand now..

He wouldn't know _what_ he would do without her..

And he felt his heart fluttering in his chest and he took a few deep breaths to calm him down.

He tried to put that thought in the back of his mind._No she.. she wouldn't leave me.. she... I, I got her pregnant.. so.. so she can't leave me.._ won't_ leave me..Or... Or I hope she wouldn't-_

"Hey, I said 'you gettin' on'?" 

"Huh?" the bus driver barely snapped him out of his thoughts. He was just pulling the bus door back- "Yeah!" Steven shouted, waving his hand.

The bus driver shook his head and opened the door back. "Come on, man. You need to pay attention." _I know I do.. apparently I need to pay attention to a _LOT_ of things.._

He got on the bus, barely making eye contact with the guy as he slid his card through the machine. He walked away.

"Aye, don't get mad at me. I could've left you!" the bus driver said behind him. 

Steven didn't bother looking back. He sat in one of the back seats in the aisle and leaned his arm on the bar of the divider in front of him. He rested his head on his arm, looking at the dirty interior of the bus.

.............

Twenty minutes of the bumpy bus ride and Steven was approaching.. _the_ stop..

He pressed the button on the side bar in front of him and got up. 

The bus driver looked at him through the rearview mirror, just waiting for Steven to look up at him so he could make a face or say one last smart thing to him. 

But Steven didn't let him get the satisfaction.

He stepped off the bus, as two other people walked out behind him, the doors sliding back to a close behind them.

Steven only walked but a few feet when he made an audible "What?" 

He looked ahead of him. He only saw the busy restaurant and farther down the seafood place. 

In between them.. nothing.. 

Just land.. _dirt_.. that's it.

His brain was trying to process what was going on.. _Wait.. I'm in the right area, right?_

_Of course you are.. There are the other two shops right there!_

"But.."

He looked across the street for confirmation. 

The other shops were there as well. 

_See, you ARE in the right place!_

_But.. but that means!_

He ran down the sidewalk passing a few confused onlookers as he pushed pass him. 

He stopped right in front of the gap between the two eateries.

_It's gone!! The whole building's gone!! WHY!! WHY DID THEY-_

He felt his breath, right on the cusp of hyperventilating. He felt his heart start to flutter in his chest again.. 

Everything seemed to stop and it felt like he was in a parallel dimension.. and everything felt so surreal at the same time. And he felt sick and shocked and he could feel himself begin to panic.

_WHY DID THEY DESTROY THE BUILDING?!_

_WHY DID_I_ GET HERE SO LATE!! I COULD'VE... I COULD'VE GOTTEN A BRICK!! ANYTHING FROM THE STORE!! JUST SO I COULD HAVE SOMETHING, ANYTHING FROM PEE DEE!!_

_And.. and now I'm too late.. I'm.. I'm ALWAYS too late.._

_I'M ALWAYS TOO LATE!!!-_ He balled up his fists.. and clenched his eyes.. He wasn't going to cry..He would keep everything in like he's been doing for the past few days..

_I'm a Crystal Gem.. and Gems don't cry.._

_Everything has already happened.. and I can't dwell on the past.. Because Gems don't do that.._

_And.. and I have no regre-_ he felt a sob trying to come up and he held both hands to his mouth. He swallowed hard. _And I have no re..regrets.. because.. I'm a Crystal Gem-_ he swallowed more of the emotions down.. along with a bit of bile this time..

He kept his eyes closed and his hands over his mouth.

Everything seemed to want to come out.. The emotions, the food he had earlier.. They were all fighting to come up. He burped. Still keeping his hands over his mouth and his eyes clenched shut.

_What is wrong with me.. Why can't I stop these emotions.. It's like.. they're getting worse and worse.._

_How can I stop this?_

He took in shallow, deep breaths. 

_I just want to stop this.._

_I don't want to feel like this anymore!_

_I don't want to _feel_ anymore_

His throat burned as he held in a sob.

_I just want this all to end.._

_No.. no,..I.. I just need to train my brain more.. I WILL be a proper Crystal Gem.. I.. _ he faltered a bit. His legs feeling weak. 

He slowly slid down to a crouch, swaying slightly, still holding his mouth hard and clenching his eyes tightly.

"Whoa, hey. Hey, are you okay?" he heard a female voice right by him. 

Steven ignored her. His attention on ripping away his emotions. Focusing hard on getting rid of them once.. and for all..

The lady pulled the earphones out of her ears as she took a few more steps towards the crouching young man. She hesitated, not wanting to get _too_ close to him just yet.

Passerby walked on pass and she looked at them for any kind of help, trying to give them a look, but they wouldn't even look at her.. not wanting to be sucked into helping them out..

They didn't want to be apart of it.

She waited, watching other passerby ignore her look.

Then, she just took a leap of faith, walking closer to him. "Hey...Heya.." she didn't know exactly what to say to him. She didn't want to touch him.. That could be bad for the both of them.. 

The emotional waves were finally settling down in his stomach.. But he could tell that, if one thing were to happen, that the emotions.. or some _other_ stuff was going to come back up.

But.. at least he was back to the present.. for the time being..

The young blonde watched Steven as he took a deep breath, in through his nose and out onto his hands that were still holding his mouth. He took another deep breath and another..

After exhaling out the fifth breath he slowly opened his eyes as he lifted his hands from his drool stained mouth. 

He stayed crouched, in silence. Hands propped on his knees. And his downtrodden, hopeless eyes looking at the blank spot in front of him. His mouth an evident frown. 

To her, he looked absolutely defeated.

She bit her bottom lip, hesitating again. 

Now with how she saw him.. she didn't know whether she should approach him or not..

Steven watched on, slowly taking in the present.. But still not aware of the woman just a couple feet beside him..

She finally made up her mind. "Umm.." she leaned in.

And for a few moment, she stood there just like that, watching the boy as he seemed to slowly start to notice her out the corner of his eye.

_Wait.. is someone th-_ He turned around slightly to see a young woman with blonde hair tied into a ponytail. She had on a workout attire. A few strands of her hair stuck to the sweat on her neck and shoulders.

Any other time, he would've pipped up, welcoming a new, random person with a smile. Especially when that person was female.. And an _extremely_ beautiful one at that. 

He would've given her his own special, signature hi, with his own, special, signature smile and more! But now, all he could think of was.. _Oh great.. What does she want..Who _is_ she?_

"Umm.." she said again, slowly leaning back up under his icy stare. "Hey are.. you okay? I couldn't help but... see you sitting here all alone.. like this.."

He looked at her. His glare slowly faltering to more of a look of sadness and hopelessness.

Again.. any other time, if he was more himself, he would've told her.. Because he liked talking things out, but for a split second, he thought:

It wasn't any of her business..

And that he wanted her to leave before she flared up his anxiety again.

All he wanted to do now was just go home until Connie comes home to comfort him or to ease the mental pain he had..

"Uh.." she looked away for a few moments under his downtrodden stare before looking back. Giving him a nervous smile. "Are... you okay?"

Then, a part of him was coming back to his usual self.

Only slightly.

Maybe he _should_ say something.. Maybe that would make him feel slightly better..

Who was he kidding, of course it would.. because he was Steven Universe! He LOVES to talk things out!

And cry..

But at least he would be able to do _one_ of those things..

"S, sorry to bother you, I was just.." she started backing away from him.

"..N, no wait.." he whispered. He kept his sad stare at her.

"I.. " he sighed, going right into it. "I didn't know that they took the building down.." ..the emotions were coming back up already..

She looked at the empty spot in front of them. "Yeah.. Yeah apparently there was this really bad shooting a couple days ago." Steven's stomach clenched in itself.. reliving the moments personally.. "After the police cleaned up the mess, the owner of the Fry Shack wanted it to be taken down. The building was just.. so bad off." his stomach churned more..

He knew that all too well..The shooting.. those two vehicles driving into the building. "..would be just easier to take the whole thing down he'd told them."

He held everything down. But everything seemed to shoot back up, right at his throat.

The lady sighed. "Oh, those poor people.. I wonder how their families are coping with everything.. They're loved ones being caught in the crossfire." she shook her head sadly. "I can't even imagine that feeling.. All those gang people losing their lives.. They're somebody's sons.." she sighed. "but.. honestly I'm just more upset with those four innocent bystanders.. Oh, how their family and friends must feel.. That has to be terrible on them.. I.. couldn't even imagine.." 

The guilt was only rising more and more.. along with everything.. And no matter how hard he tried to keep them down, they felt like they were being pushed up more and more.

"It's.." he swallowed. "It's horrible.." he strained out. He burped, holding everything in.. Just.. so.. many.. emotions.. churning his stomach.. Making his heart thud in his chest.

"It is.." she frowned. "I mean, how could these people just, just _kill_ innocent people like that? How do they even sleep at night? Knowing what they've done and the job they do? That must be a rough life." SHE WAS RIGHT!! AND.. HE COULDN'T BARE TO HEAR HER ANY LONGER!! 

It was as if she was attacking him personally.. _I GET IT!!! I GET IT ALREADY!!! I KNOW!! I'M A HORRIBLE PERSON!! I KNOW THAT!! We're ALL horrible!!! Every last one of us!!!_ "I KNOW it's a horrible thing!! The Crystal Gems are all monsters!!" he shouted. He clenched his eyes to prevent the tears from coming. 

"Oh no! Are your okay!?" she crouched down to him.

"Why did they have to do that!!" thinking about the Gems shooting all of those guys.. thinking about Amethyst killing off those innocent people.. Thinking about ...Pearl.. killing Pee Dee.. "WHY!!" he shouted.

The shout startled her and she bent down to him, holding his shoulders as he shook in her hands. She now knew what he was going through.. Not personally, but she finally knew why he was so upset.. But just to be sure, she asked him anyway. "Oh, I'm sorry.." she whispered. "Did you.. know them?"

He held back the tears. Swallowing the bile again. "I.. one person." he held he emotions in.

"Oh, you poor thing." she pulled him in for a hug, wrapping her arms around him as she massaged his back. 

He wanted to cry. He wanted to cry in her arms so bad.. The hug was desperately pulling out so many _tempted_ suppress emotions that were so desperately trying to escape. 

But he didn't let them out..

And even when he wrapped his arms around her, reciprocating the hug, he still didn't let them out.

And when the hug and her rocking him continued on, he _still_ didn't let them out.

Because he was a Crystal Gem..

And Gems. DO not. cry.

He took a shaky, deep breath. Trying to calm himself down. "I.. just wish that I could see him again.." he sniffed. The tears were trying to come out.. But he held them in.. But he couldn't stop his nose from running slightly..

"Well.." she said in his ear. "This.. may not be the same to you but... They _are_ holding a funeral for the customers that lost their lives.. It'll be on the second."

"I..." he thought about it.. He'd been to a few funerals in his life.. And.. he'd managed to survive them.. "Yeah, I would love to go.. That's my only way to see him one last time." he whispered coarsly to her.

"It's.. going to be held at the Empire Funeral Home on Thursday. The big one downtown. The service starts at eleven thirty."

"T, thank you.."

Steven held on to her tighter, taking in another shaky breath as he swallowed more of his pent up emotions on down. "I just.. don't know what I'm going to do.. It's going to be so different without the Fry Shack being there.. without us hanging out.. without me talking to him.. And.. without him being at the Fry Shack.." a funny, now nostalgic thought came to his mind. "without him fixing me some off the menu food.. like fry bits. He knew just how to make them really well.." 

"Wait.. huh?" she leaned back only slightly. "Nobody worked.." then realization came over her. "Wait, are you talking about the little dreadlock boy?"

He could've cried right then.

But he still didn't..

"Yeah.." he whispered. He swallowed again.

She leaned off him more, slowly leaning away from the hug. "Hun, he's alive." 

"WHAT?! "Really?!" he shouted in her face. He felt bad for doing that, but he just couldn't help it, and she didn't seem to care anyway. 

A nice, small, gentle smile appeared on her face.

He couldn't believe what he was hearing! "Where is he?!" he continued to shout.

And she continued to smile at him. "In Uiverisy of Hopkins. It's not too much of a hike. You just have to take the train to the last stop at Hopkins Court-" 

"Yeah, and walk a few blocks to Empire Circle!!" he cut her off, nodding his head. "Yeah, I know how to get there."

"Oh, oka-"

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!!" he hugged her back.

"You're very welcome." she chuckled. "It was no problem at all."

He got up and she did the same. "Really. Thanks again." he smiled.

"No problem." she smiled back.

He waved her goodbye and ran back down from where he got off the bus. His WHOLE mood had changed. And now, still with that nagging pang in his heart, he found himself coasting up to the "positive" plane. And, he felt.. numbly good again.. If that made any sense.. 

But he was going to ignore the pang. He was going to go see his best friend!


	50. Bottling up.. current percentage 95.2%

Steven could see the tall, sophisticated, pricy looking, prestigious buildings of the huge, well known amazing hospital known in the States. He was standing right at the corner of Empire circle and Hopkins avenue, waiting for the light at the crosswalk.

The traffic lights turned red and the little green guy blinked on screen at the crosswalk, a low, slow beeping from the speaker for those who were blind or couldn't see very well, beeped on. 

He ran across the street, running past other pedestrians to the other side. He ran down, going straight to the emergency room. He wasn't sure _which_ building Pee Dee was in, but he was hoping he was going to the right building.

He slowed his pace down to a jog as he neared the sliding doors. He jogged inside, passing a few wheelchairs in the vestibule and the second sliding doors opened for him. He walked in to see a counter right in front of him. One guy was already at the front, giving the lady his information and what brought him in. He coughed into his mask a few times and told her. She clicked away, asking him a few more questions. He answered them and she clicked in a few more times on the computer. Then a few moments later, a white wristband slid out of one of the compartments from the computer. He rolled his sleeve up and she put the wristband on his arm and he was asked to sit down in the waiting area and wait for his name to be called. He gave her a 'thank you' and walked away to the waiting area, walking pass the podium where a security was posted, right in the corner of the building.

Steven looked at some of the other patients on the other side. One of them, catching his eye. It was a little brown skin girl with pigtails who was with her mother who had a mask over her face.

She kind of reminded him of Konni. And he wondered how her mother and her babysitter was doing. 

_I wonder if the two are here or at another hospital?_

"Yes?" 

Steven turned his attention back to the desk in front of him. The lady was looking right at him. "Oh! Sorry, sorry, I uh.." he trailed off, jogging up to her. "Sorry." he said again. 

"That's okay." she gave him a small, soft mile. "So, what brings you in?"

"Oh, I'm not trying to register. I'm looking for someone who's here." 

"Name please?"

Phillip Derek Fryman. And it's Phillip with two l's. And Derek with one r."

She typed in his name in the computer. "And what's your relationship with him?" 

"He's my best friend." his throat got a bit dry at the end. He couldn't believe he could still say that. It was just too emotional..

"Alright, I just need to see some I.D." 

Steven took out his wallet and opened it. He handed her his I.D. 

"Okay, you can come pick this up before you leave." she handed him a sticker that said VISITOR. "He's in room 312. Just press the button and go through those doors over there." she pointed at the automatic doors to her left. "Make a left and you'll see the elevators. Then when you get off you make another left down the hall." 

"Thank you so much!" he started peeling the back of the sticker. 

"You're very welcome." 

He walked pass her and pressed the silver button with a handicap icon on it. The doors opened in front of him and he gave her one more nod and a wave and walked on through, making a left towards the elevators.

Then.. it finally hit him. Watching the nurses and doctors walk around, looking at gurnies, stretchers, wheelchairs and hospital beds.. Hearing various beeps and sirens and chatter amongst the workers.. And taking in the smell of sanitize and other cleaning chemicals.. He was actually in a hospital.. And.. he felt just a tad bit uncomfortable.. 

The elevators weren't too far down and he got on the first one of the three. He pressed the button and the elevator started to chug up. 

_DING_

The doors opened and he walked out, making a left and walking down the hall. He passed another desk with a few people behind it he greeted them and gave them a head nod as he walked pass.

The room was the last one down the hall. Another pair of automatic doors were at the end. He stopped just at the door. _ROOM 312_ The bright, light blue numbers read on the plaque.

He took a breath. "Please let him be okay.." he whispered. 

He gave the door a few light knocks.

He listened.

Then he heard a "Yeah, you can come in."

His heart was already swelling with comfort and nostalgia.

He opened the door.

He could already see a few Get Well balloons floating in the corner of the room. The mid afternoon sun seeping into his window and cascading off the balloons and throughout the room.

He took his time, bracing himself for what he might see as he got closer to the bed. 

He walked a few more feet in as he heard a '..Hello?" from his best friend.

Steven walked up a bit more and looked right at the young boy laying down in bed.

He could've cried..

"Ayyee, Steven!" Pee Dee exclaimed with a toothy smile, his arms up in the air. "How ya doing man?!" 

_Hold it in.._ "H, hey Pee Dee." he said to him meekly.

His best friend was underneath a couple of blankets. His bed propped up in an upward position so he could sit up properly. His left leg had a white band around it and it was propped up by a few pillows. A pair of crunches by the bed. Along with a bed table of to the side. His lunch, now empty and laying on top of the table. He held a cup of ice water in his hand and the remote was right by his other. 

But otherwise, he looked fine.

Though he still couldn't help but feel guilty and also feel a bit of pity for him in the hospital bed..

"What's up?" he took a few tips of the soothing water. "Haven't heard from ya in a few days ever since um.." he stopped, realizing that he was already going to some emotional territory. "you know, when we had that talk." 

"Oh I've been.. good." he shrugged. "Just.. trying to take it day by day, you know." 

"Ah, yeah. I've been there done that a few times." he took some more sips from the styrofoam cup and set it down on the table. He pushed his himself up more, wincing as he moved his leg the wrong way. 

Steven came rushing over. "Here, let me get that for you." he moved the pillows down under his legs. "Yeah, that's good." said Pee Dee and Steven let go of the pillow. "Thanks." 

"Yeah, no problem." he stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Soo.." he looked at his bandaged leg. "How's your leg doing?" 

"Oh, this chick magnet right here?" he pointed at the wrapping around his shin. "Eh, it can get a bit itchy.. and a bit painful at times, like just now, when I move it a certain way, but otherwise it's okay." and he smiled mischievously. "Besides, I get to chill here while all the hot nurses wait on my beck and call." he snickered. 

Steven would've had a good chuckle at that, but he was worrying so much about Pee Dee.. "How's everything in general though?" 

"What do you mean? Everything's pretty good." 

"Like, the shop, your father." he gave some examples. "I heard about that shooting, Pee Dee.. And when I walked pass the restaurant today, it was already gone."

"Yeaaaahhh." he drawled out casually. "Yeah, some lowlifes came up to the place and totally trashed it. Apparently ended up killing a lot of the gang people. As well as four other bystanders, for whatever reason" he knew the reason... and it took every once of him to not hold his churning stomach..

"-ey man.. You feeling okay?"

"Huh, w, what? Oh, n, no, I'm fine. Just uh.. Yeah, I'm fine." he mumbled the last part out. 

"Are you sure?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Y, yeah, Pee Dee. I'm okay.. I'm good."

He didn't look convinced.

"Anyway." Steven cleared his throat, turning the subject away from him. "So uh, glad to see that you're doing fine with everything." he looked at his leg again.

"Yeah, I'm doing pretty good" he smiled. "Besides, chicks dig bandages and cuts. Makes them feel all sorry for guys." he winked. "Man, I can't tell you how many times I've "needed a hug" which required my head on _every_ nurses boobs." he snickered.

He seems to be in a great mood.

Like.. he _genuinly_, really did seem unfazed and good about everything. He was all in good spirits.

_If only I was like that.._

_STOP Steven!!!_

"Classic Pee Dee." Steven just said anything and tried to give him a smile.

"Haha, yeah.. Well anyway, it just kinda sucks that the restaurant's down though. Will be down for some time." his smile faltered a bit. "That's giving my dad a bit more work, now that he has to focus on building up the shop in Ocean Town as well as _re_build the shop in Empire now.. and well.." he looked at his leg. "I can't put any weight on my leg for a few weeks until the staples are healed and everything... Then apparently I have to go to some kind of leg therapy." he shrugged. "So I won't be able to really help him out with the labor."

_And it's all because of me!! He got the jewels from me.. and then I couldn't stop Pearl's spear from hitting him!! _

_It's all my fault!! _

_Just like how everything else is!! _

Without gradually coming up, everything seemed to be coming up at once and he started feeling dizzy.. 

_I.. I couldn't save Pee Dee from Pearl.. Ruining his time to help out with his dad.. I couldn't save Jesse.. I was forced to kill Mohawk.. And.. and I STILL didn't know if Centi was ever saved.. Then there were the customers that died.._

_ 'Oh, how their family and friends must feel.. That has to be terrible on them.. I.. couldn't even imagine'.._ he remembered hearing the woman say.

More.. and more memories were resurfacing.. Old ones, new ones.. Him with the Crystal Gems, him with Connie, him with his uncle Andy.. him with all of those times he sold drugs to people.. and so many more.

He couldn't catch his breath.

Everything looking blurry around him.

"Whoa, man. Are you okay?!" 

Steven didn't answer him, barely understanding him.. barely understanding what was around him in general. He lost his balance, stumbling a bit, barely grabbing hold of the edge of the bed to keep his balance. 

"Steven!!" the boy was looking everywhere and Pee Dee managed to see his dilated eyes as he looked pass him to the other side of the room. "Steven!" 

He couldn't catch his breath. His heart racing in his chest. He held the edge of the bed even harder as he felt his legs giving out on him more.

"NURSE! NURSE!" Pee Dee yelled. He looked around for the remote on the hospital bed. He found it underneath of the pillow. He looked at Steven, out of it. "See, I KNEW something was wrong man!" he pressed the emergency button. "Hang tight, buddy." he kept his eye on him.

_It's all your fault! It's all your fault! It's all your fault!_ All of the voices from various people he knew were shouting at him. 

And his stomach doubled over. Fighting with the emotions and the food in his stomach.

The nurse ran in. "What's wrong Pee Dee? Oh!" she saw Steven ralphing all over the floor. He held his stomach as more came up. 

"I think he's having another one of his panic attacks!!" Pee Dee shouted at the nurse. 

The nurse shouted out the room for some help and ran to Steven's side. The boy hyperventilating. 

She tried to help him to the small cot into the room until he collapsed, falling on the floor. "Stay, with me, stay with me." she moved his face. 

Shallow breathing from him. 

"Is he going to be okay?!" Pee Dee panicked behind them. 

"Don't worry, someone's on there way, just stay with us.. Stay with us." his eyes trailed around and pass her, looking at the room fogged and spinning around him. He closed his eyes. He heard muffled pair of footsteps stopping right at him. Then he felt someone lift up his eyelid and he could see the blurry room and the blurrier figure in white. A white light was flashed into his eyes. 

He heard muffled voices from the doctors.. Unable to process what they were saying.. 

Then he heard a muffling sound of wheels rolling into the room. 

He felt someone grab hold of his wrist and someone else holding up his eye again.. The area being incomprehensible and blurred out in near blackness. 

More muffled voices and one sounding more high pitched and panicked than the others.

Then he felt his conscious slipping away from him 

....................

When Steven woke up, he was in a gurney, in a plain white hallway. 

He laid there, not knowing where he was or what happened.. Then a few moments later things started to slowly come together.. as he slowly started to get his barrens. 

He passed out..

In one of his panick attacks that.. hadn't happen in over a year.. he'd gotten himself a panic attack so bad that he actually lost consciousness..

He looked down the hall. He could see a desk and a few workers working diligently around it. 

He tried sitting up, getting up slowly..And he winced. He looked down at his arm. There was a needle in it. He'd been hooked up to an I.V bag that was placed right by the gurney. 

He groaned.. he was just soo.. exhausted. Not really in pain just.. extremely, extreeemely lethargic. 

He turned around sluggishly. There were more gurneys and other hospital equipment. He turned back around and fell back onto the pillow. He blinked his dry eyes few times and took a few deep breaths. 

_Okay, _THAT_ was bad.. That was really, REALLY bad.. And that happened in just a few moments!_

He closed his eyes..

He was getting worse.. The anger.. and now him passing out..

It was getting worse..

And what would Connie say?

That's all he could think about was her..

What would she say..

She could never find out.. ever..

About ANY of my outbursts..

He opened his eyes and caught one of the nurse's eyes as she turned her head to look down at the hall. She said something to the people at the desk and started walking his way.

Dread started to fill his gut. _What was the going to do?! What was she going to say to him?!_

Why was he so worked up on that?!

Right.. from his panic attack..

He was still coming down from it..

"Hello" she stopped just on the edge of the gurney right beside him.

_Please don't ask me if I'm okay.. please don't ask me that!! THAT'S ONLY GOING TO MAKE IT WORSE!_

"I'm glad that see you up."

"Oh.. uh..y, yeah.." he bit his lip. _Just take deep breaths.._

"Hopefully the bed is not too rough for you." 

_What?_ "Uh.. n, no. It's okay."

"That's great to hear. I didn't know if you wanted something more comfortable like a couple pillows or blankets." she was looking slightly away from him.

"Um.." he thought about it. "No.. no, I'm fine like this.. I don't need any."

She nodded with a smile. "Alright. I just wanted to make sure if you were comfortable or not."

He didn't quite understand what she was doing.. And he felt himself getting worked up again.

She noticed.

She gave him an apologetic smile. "My.. it looks like I'm doing a bad job at calming you down, huh?" she said softly. 

"Huh?"

"If I may ask, what are some of the things that calm _you_ down, personally?"

_Oh.. those methods.._

_ She was trying to calm me down but couldn't quite figure me out! _

He felt pretty bad.. she was only trying to help out.. Even if it didn't work out for him personally, he at least appreciated the effort and the approach she'd taken. 

"I.." he felt a bit silly saying this.. because of what society constantly would view as so-called "feminine" 

"I kinda.. prefer hugs.. eherm.. hugging stuff out." _like that sounded more "manly".._

"Of course." she leaned over towards him slowly, being careful to not hit the I.V in his arm as she hugged him.

He leaned more into it, putting his head on her neck. He took a few more deep, calming breaths.

That started to calm him down. Just the physical contact, that affection.

He hugged her more and she reciprocated, gently.

Then his mind wondered and he started thinking about Connie. He wanted to be hugging her instead..

He started missing her..

He disguised his sigh as a deep breath. "Okay." he whispered to her. He leaned up slowly, slowly parting from the hug.

"I should've asked you first, on what methods help you to calm down."

"It's.. fine." he scratched the back of his neck. "I do appreciate you taking the approach though." he manage to give her a small smile of his own. 

But his smile fell once he saw Pee Dee being wheeled out of his room just down the hall from him. And already he could feel the guilt and emotions coming back. "Honey?" the nurse laid a hand on his back as she turned her head, looking over to where he was looking. "Where are they taking him?!" he shouted.

"Whoa, whoa, don't worry man." Pee Dee raised his hands up, trying to calm him down. "I told them to wheel me out here so I could check up on you." another nurse was pushing him down in a smaller bed. The nurse Steven had been talking to moved out the way as Pee Dee's nurse stopped the bed right beside him. "Hey, how are ya holding up?

Steven grimaced. 

"Oops.. guess ya don't feel like hearing that question right now, huh? Sorry I'm.. I'm just worried about ya, buddy." _Don't cry at the word 'buddy'.. and that he's so worried about you._

_And you just have to calm down, Steven, he's just really worried about your well being.. That's all._

Another sigh from the young man. "Sorry, Pee Dee.. I usually don't mind being asked that, but.." he stopped. _I can't really talk about what I'm going through.._ Then he started back up "Anyway, I'll be fine. It was just a lot that came at me all at once.."

Pee Dee looked at him. Worried. "Steven." he sighed.. _This is most likely a terrible, teeerrible time to ask this.. but.. I need to ask.._ "Steven." he said his name again. "Are you.." he took a glance around him. The nurses had walked off a few feet to give them some private time to talk. "You're not.. I mean.." he couldn't find the proper words as he looked at the downtrodden boy.. He didn't know how to address Steven's past.. "You're not... erm.. Everything's okay with you? Like.. you're not.." he trailed off before finding his voice once more. "You're not going down the same path like how you were before..?"

Steven tried to give him what he hoped was a reassuring smile. _Yes, I AM going down the same path and it's getting worse!!! _ "Pee Dee, everything's fine. I'm not.. doing anything drastic or.. you know.. anything like _that.." he told him. "The past is behind me.. I'm never going back to it." _

_Pee Dee didn't look convinced, taking in another look at the slight burn and scratch marks on his face._

As well as his ear that was still bandaged up since the last time they talked to each other..

"Don't worry about me. You need to get _your_ rest." Steven just said anything, though he still meant every word. "Wish you a fast recovery, Pee Dee." he said with a faked smile.

Pee Dee didn't smile back. "Hey, do me a favor? Think you could check in with me? Give me a call from time or time?" 

Of course Pee Dee didn't believe him.. Of course he saw right through him.. 

Like he does EVERY time.. 

"I.." he dropped the facade, frowning. "Okay, I will." 

"Good. Still have that old number right? The 9313 number?"

"Yeah." he said on impulse. But.. did he? Or does he have a new GemTech number? Well, he couldn't tell Pee Dee about that..

"Alright, man. Well, I'll let you get some rest. Say hi to Connie for me."

"Will do. And that reminds me, some lady that I ran into today told me to tell you she said hi."

"You didn't catch her name?"

"No, but she seems to know you pretty well. She's blonde, kinda tall? She was wearing a joggers outfit."

"Oh! I know who you're talking about! Yeah, she would come to the Fry Shack every morning for one of her protein shakes. Man, I wonder what she's up to now? I deleted my FaceSpace page, so I don't know what ANYONE is doing know."

_So he_ did_ delete his account!_ "Why'd you delete your account?"

"Eh, you know.. Things were getting a little bit complicated with the ladies and stuff." he lied. "Had to lay low. Didn't want anyone tracking me and all that." he told the truth. 

"Classic Pee Dee." he said, genuinely this time with a chuckle. "That's why you have to stick with one like _I_ am."

"Hey, _you're_ one to talk." he laughed with a mischievous grin on his face. He nudged Steven's arm playfully. "All of the girls that _you_ had?" 

"Whaaaa?" he grinned. "That doesn't count, I was single to mingle." he smiled.

Pee Dee scoffed. "Doesn't mean you get to pick up chicks like candy."

Steven tried to keep a straight face.. until a short chuckle came out. He stopped himself. Then he started snickering.

"See! You KNOW I'm right!" though at the same time, he was glad that his pal was laughing and being more himself.. even if it _was_ towards something grimey.

"That still doesn't count. I was testing the waters." he smirked. "Besides, I ended up finding my mermaid eventually." 

Pee Dee mocked a retching sound. "That's soo lame and cheesy, man."

"I can't help it. It's true." 

The two guys continued to laugh for a few moments until things started to die down a bit. 

And Steven could feel the "plane" and that nagging pang. He was coasting towards the positive "plane" once more. "Man, Pee Dee. I really am glad you're okay though." he smiled. "I was worried about you."

"Ehhh, I'm as strong as a diamond." he grabbed the muscle of his arm. "It's gonna take a lot more than a.." he started laughing. "spear to the shin to take me down." he laughed more.

"Was that suppose to be homage to that "arrow to the knee" meme?" 

Pee Dee snorted. "Yeah."

"Aaaaaaand that's my cue to leave. Alright, see ya, Pee Dee." Steven pretended to get out the gurney. Then stooped, sitting back down laughing with Pee Dee. 

"Alright fine, no more memes then." a beat later. "For _now_ that is." 

"Umm.. excuse me." the two best friends, one turning around and the other one looking up to see Pee Dee's nurse. 

"Sorry for cutting in to you two's conversation.. But we got a call for you Pee Dee. Someone named I, as in just the letter" Pee Dee's mouth became a thin line for a split second until he relaxed his face once more. "wanted to speak with you. She'd been calling your room a few times but we kept telling her that you were busy. Awweee, she just sounded SO cute." she chuckled. "And then she called back again, just now, saying that it was very important. Maybe you want to speak to her now? Is that your daughter?" 

"Uh.. n, no. She's not.." then he quickly composed himself. "But aaalrighty. I'll talk to her. See what's going on." He turned to Steven. "Alright man. Pffft, let me just talk to this girl, since apparently it's "soooo important"." he acted with an eye roll. "But I'll catch up with ya later?" he suggested.

"Yeah, of course."

"Stay safe, Steven. And remember to give me a call." he reminded him. 

He waved at Pee Dee as the nurse started to pull the bed backwards. "You do the same. And don't worry. I will." 

"I'll catch you around."

"Yeah." Steven nodded with a smile. "I'll.. I'll see you around."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeahhh, I couldn't just kill off my manz Pee Dee like that :0
> 
> Especially since.. I'm not quite done with his character yet........... >;D
> 
> Buuuuut of course y'all already knew that from that lil convo with the nurse ;)


	51. Scapegoat

Steven was discharged a couple hours later after a bit more time with the doctors and the nurses. He was given his discharged papers with four copies talking about anxiety and coping methods and he'd been prescribed two different medicines that he, actually, will _not_ be getting from the pharmacy.

He'd said his goodbyes to everyone and they all wished him well before he left.

Then he exited out the hospital and took two different subway trains down towards his and Connie's place and started walking back up to the complex.

He took his phone out his pocket and checked the time. _7:43p.m._ He wondered if Connie was already back home. Most likely since she said that she would be back home by either six or seven.

Then he instantly remembered about the pretzel stand. _Darn!! Forgot to buy some for her!!_ He sighed.. 

It was most likely too late now.. The pretzel stand guys were probably closing up for the night. IF they hadn't already left.. And even if they _were_ still out, it was no tellling how long the pretzels were out for.. And he wanted Connie to have the BEST of the best.

That's okay.. Maybe he would get them for her another time.

He put his phone back in his pocket and walked up the three steps to the main door. He oprned it and made his way up the steps, down the hall and at their door. He unlocked it and walked in, immediately getting a huge waft of something that smelled sooooo delicious. 

He closed the door and slid her flip flops off by her shoes. He could hear the pans rumbling on the stovetop.

"I'm home, Connie." he walked in some more. 

"I'm in the kitchen." she didn't greet him back.

He made his way to the divider, pivoting around to face the kitchen.

She was setting down the plates on the counter. She turned around, not smiling at him. And that made him nervous.

Then a very small smile came across her face and that made him even _more_ nervous because she didn't smile at him at the very beginning..

Especially now that he was thinking about that note from this morning..

"Hey." she finally greeted him.

"Hey." he smiled nervously. And he just _knew_ that she could see through it.. 

Just like Pee Dee could..

"That cream really is doing a good job on your skin." she said.

"Yeah? I put some on this morning before I left."

"When was that?"

"I don't know. Like.. twelve thirty or one o'clock?"

"Ah, okay." she nodded. "You should put some on before you go to bed."

He was about to agree with her, but then he thought about how he had to leave in another hour or so later.. "Or maybe I'll put it on before I leave the house."

"Wait.. you're leaving out the house.. again?" her smile fell. 

"Yeahhh.. another night shift.." he bit the inside of his cheek.

"Right.. For your _job."_

She did _not_ sound convinced.. _at_ all..

"Yeah.. The uh.. guy called out again.."

"Mm, well _maybe_ they need to find themselves a new employee." 

"Aw.. come on, Connie. It's only been two days.. Maybe it's something serious?"

She looked at him. "Maybe.. or. Maybe not.. But I like how they called _you_ again to do it." 

"Don't get mad at them." he said softly. "I told them that if they need me that they could call on me."

"Heh, good 'ole Steven. Always helping people out."

"Uhh.." Yeah, she's definitely making it known that's she's pretty miffed about something.. "Maybe I could.. talk to them..? Tell them that I actually can't do it.. all the time?" he voice lilted up.

_And I would just have to tell her another, totally_ different_ excuse so I can leave out at night._

"Yeah. Yeah, I think that would be better."

_Well damn, Connie.._

She was quiet after that. Turning back around and pulling the lid of the oven down. The delicious, savory smell hit his nose and grabbed at his stomach. 

He was trying so hard to pinpoint what she was cooking. It smelled familiar..

A few moments later, the heat from the oven wafted over, warming up his skin as she took out the pan from inside. Something was wrapped up in a cooking bag inside of it. 

"So, uh..What are you cooking?" he changed the subject. "It smells really good. And it smells familiar."

She opened the bag up and puff of steam wafted out of it. "It's goat." she said. "Thought I would make something I haven't made in awhile." she shrugged. "You know, a change of.. pace."

"You made one of my favorites?!"

It became one of his favorites since she made it right around the time he was getting better with his anxiety.. So in a way, he correlated it to that.. The good, changing times of him getting to be a better, healthier person. 

And the last time she made goat was when they'd celebrated his one year anniversary of no outbursts and fainting spells..

That was also a good memory.

So.. should he take that as a good sign?... or....?

She _did_ fix him something that he liked.. And something that resembled change.. a good change.. Unless this was the opposite?

"I figured why not.. You trying to better yourself and everything." how she said it was like.. she was in a way, mocking him or being a bit sarcastic. 

Okay, he had to get to the bottom of it.. He couldn't take how Connie was acting towards him.. If he could do anything about it, he might as well hurry up and ask so he could diffuse the situation before it gets any worse. 

And he had a feeling it had something to do about that 'we'll talk when we get home' letter.. 

"Hey.. Connie?" 

"Hm?" she turned around. A ladle of a few steamed baked potatoes in her hand. 

"I, uh.. can't help but think about that letter from earlier and.. Did you... want to talk about it now? I can't help but feel that.. that's why you're.. you just seem a bit tense.." 

"Heh, ah, yes..The letter." she turned back around and put the baked potatoes on the first plate. Then she put the ladle back in the pan, taking out a few more potatoes. She placed them on the other plate. "Yeah, I want to talk about that a bit later. I don't want any distractions." _or to lose my appetite.._

Okay, now that scared him. "Um." he swallowed. "Well that sounds.. reassuring." he tried to joke with a dry chuckle.

"Oh.." she said plainly.

She picked up one of the plates with one hand and the salt and pepper shakers up with the other. "You can help me set up the table now." 

"Oh!" he leaned off the divider. "Of course!" he jogged over, grabbing the other plate and the utensils.

As they put the other dishes on the table, Steven tried to not think too much about what she wanted to talk about..

Maybe it was something small and she was just throwing it all out of proportion with her.. _pregnancy hormones_... That was a thing, right? If he could remember correctly, it was.

He helped her set up the table, then went to the bathroom, _then_ quickly brushed his teeth from that whole.. ordeal at the hospital. Sure, the food might taste a bit odd for a couple of minutes, but he wouldn't mind it too much.. 

The two sat down and prayed over their food and started eating.

Steven, trying to lighten the mood, tried going for a casual conversation. As well as give compliments to Connie. After a few minutes of tasting both toothpaste and food, the minty remnants had finally left his taste buds and he was actually tasting the food and _only_ the scrumptious food. "Man, Connie. You really have outdone yourself. This goat is delicious!" and he meant every word of it. He was already thinking about going for seconds and he wasn't even finished with what he had on his plate yet. The seasoning, how the meat fell off the bone. It was absolutely delicious. 

She watched him as he devoured the goat, stuffing his face with a piece of steamed potato. That made her chuckle a bit. "Thanks." she dug her fork inside of the macaroni and cheese. "But the food isn't going anywhere.. you can slow down a bit." she took the bite off her fork. 

He swallowed, chewed for a few more moments and swallowed again. "But it's hard to when your girlfriend is such a great cook." he went for more of the goat.

She snorted.

And there he was, still hanging in between those two "planes" again, still drifting up towards the "positive" plane. He was digging in some delicious food and he'd heard one of the most beautiful sounds of all time. Connie laughing with a short. 

"Well, too bad you don't like spicy stuff.. It tastes even better like that." she took a piece of the spicy goat off her plate and ate it.

"I meaaan." he thought, with a devious grin on his face. "I _do_ like my women spicy." he winked.

Aaaand there goes the blush on her face.

She cleared her throat. "Ha Ha.." she rolled her eyes.

Throughout their dinner, they were having a nice time talking. About different shows that were coming out, and Steven talking about a new game coming out and Connie talking about the book she'd been reading coming out with another saga.

Everything was going great. They were laughing, they were smiling, Steven trying to lighten the mood up even more with a little flirting and Connie playfully dismissing it. All was good.

Until they were nearing the end of their food and the conversations started to go into a lull as they both seemed to think about the incoming topic at hand that Connie wanted to talk about..

"Anyway, Connie." he tried to start another conversation back up with a topic they'd already talked about earlier. "I have a feeling that the guy will come back in the next season. And it'll probably turn out to be like.. his long lost uncle or something obvious like that." he put the rest of the dishes in the sink while Connie was wiping the table off. She shrugged. "I don't know. I mean, it would be _too_ painfully obvious." then a beat later in thought as she stopped wiping, only to continue directly after. "and a bit of lazy writing in my opinion." 

"Mmm, I don't know." he lathered up the sponge. "I mean, if they do it right.." he tried to stick up for the writers, giving them the benefit of the doubt.

She came over, putting the rag on the edge of the sink. "You're just taking up for them because you love the story so much." she nudged him playfully.

"Ohhhh, it's true! It's aaaall true!" he mocked whined. "I'm just WAY too heavily invested in the plotline!" 

She chuckled at his acting. "Well we'll see if you like it once that ends up happening in the show." she leaned on the counter as he picked up the next dish.

"I think I'll still like it. I practically _feel_ like I'm apart of the characters and their lives! I MUST see the show to the very end." he held the sponge up in mock triumph.

"Heh, have fun with that.. I'm already getting kinda bored with the storyline." she looked over in front of her as she laughed and something must've caught her eye. Her laugh slowly diminishing as she realized something. Her smile slowly faltering to a thin line. "Yeah.. it's.. just the same thing.. over.. and over.. and over again.." she whispered airily. 

The show _had_ in fact used the same schtick over and over again, but he could tell that this time, she wasn't referring to the show anymore..

"Um, I'll be back over at the table. We'll.. finally talk about what I've been meaning to discuss once you're done washing the dishes." she leaned off the counter and walked to the "dining area" of the studio.

_Okay,... Try not panic too much.. try not to panic.. Maybe it won't be too bad of an issue.._

For whatever reason it took the dishes an extra five minutes to be washed.. 

Hmm.. must've been some dirty dishes then..

He walked over, taking his time as he slowly grabbed the chair, sliding it out. He watched Connie, watching him move so slowly, her face unreadable.

He sat down. 

And.. actually folded his hands..?!

Connie looked at him, cocking an eyebrow.

"Heh.." he unfolded his hands._Why did I do that?! _

There was just a short amount of silence until Connie spoke up, clearing her throat. "Okay, I'm not going to beat around the bush. I'm just going to head straight to the point with all of this." 

His heart skipped multiple beats. 

What was she going to say?!?! Does she know what I've really been doing?!?!

"Steven are you still a drug dealer?" he looked at her. Her stare never wavered. "And don't lie to me."

He tried to keep a straight face. Then he couldn't look at her any longer, looking down at his hands. "N, no.."

"Oh, so you're not?"

He waited, still looking at his hands. He shook his head.

"Any.. _side_ jobs that I should know about then?"

_She's just toying around with me!! Of course she knows!! Of COURSE she knows!!!_

"No.." he whispered. He looked over to his left, finding the edge of the table to be interesting..

"Mm.. okay." she nodded. An unpleased expression on her face. 

She leaned back in her chair, folding her arms. "Sooo.. nothing at all?" 

"N, no Connie." he tried looking at her again.

She kept at the stare down before she got up from her chair. His eyes followed her as she walked pass him.

_I'm just waiting for it!!! She knows I'm a Crystal Gem!!! She's going to go right out and say it!! And then she's going to leave me!!!! AND WHAT AM I GOING TO DO WHEN SHE DOES THAT?! I WON'T BE ABLE TO FUNCTION WITHOUT HER?! WHY DIDN'T I JUST TELL HER FROM THE START-!! _

"Steven." she narrowed her eyes at him. "What. do you call." she bent down, picking something from underneath the bed. She pulled out the Cheeseburger Backpack. "_this?_

_Crap?!?! I forgot ALL about that!!_ "Uh.."

"Steven.. this bag." she threw it on the bed. "Has four. grand in it!!" 

_Damn! That's a lot!!_

He looked at her awestruck and dumfounded all at once. "Uh, well, I, uh.." he stammered.

She folded her arms. Her glare still on him. "Steven." she was very serious..

"I.." _Then he quickly thought.._

_Wait.. This could probably work.._

He looked down, sighing. "Yes.." he whispered. "I've.. been... Yeah.. I'm still a drug dealer.."

Moments of silence between the two, until..

"And.. this was what you've been all worked up about, isn't it?"

_Just take the lie and go with it Universe!!_

"Y, yeah.."

A humorless chuckle came from her as she shook her head. "Wow.. _now_ I understand.." she scoffed. "_Me_ not "understanding" the situation and you "needing to see through it yourself".." she shook her head again before looking back at him. "It wasn't those two things at all.. You simply didn't want me to find out because you _knew_ I told you to stop.. That I didn't want that kind of job for you anymore.."

He didn't say anything, just looking at her with sad eyes.

"Is that it? Am I in the ballpark here?"

"Y, yes Connie.. I'm, I'm sorry."

Well, he might as well did a bigger hole. He might as well milk the lie for what it was worth..

He acted out a fake sigh. "Connie.. I'm still a drug dealer.. And, the truth is.." his stomach knotted at his words. No the _lie_ is that.. "The truth is that.." he said again. "I ended up finding these new clients.. I got in more drugs and all of that money accumulated over the last few days.. and they old drug dealers that they dealt with before.. didn't like that I took their clients away which resulted them.." 

"Resulting them hurting you.." she nodded knowingly, and he saw her eyes tearing up. _No.. please don't start it Connie..Then you're going to start me up.._ "So your ear, your face.. your shoulder....your skin now.."

"And my stomach." he raised his shirt up to show her the long red, crusted cut across his abdomen from the rock cutting him at the Solar Ground Spire.

"Steven!"

"I'm okay." He held his hands up in a placating manner, the shirt falling back down.

"They.. ended up getting me a few times but.. I still did it.. I still continued to sell the drugs to them.. and the night terrors well.. I.. felt guilty for doing all of that.."

A tear fell from her eye. "This was exactly what I was talking about Steven.. how you told me a week ago about Jeff laying low and now.. you getting all beat up.. I told you about this.. And now it's actually happening."

"I know, Connie. I knoow.. I just can't stop cold turkey." 

"But Steven.." she took her steps over to him. "You _need_ to. This is very, very bad."

"I knooow." He rubbed at his hair. "It's just.. Connie, it's hard to get rid of bad habits, okay?" he said softly to her. "And, now I'm just so far into it now with these new guys." he grimaced.

She leaned on the table beside him. "I would ask 'now what', but I think it's pretty obvious that you're just going to continue with this, regardless if I tell you not to.." 

"Connie, I'll stop.."

She looked at him, shocked.

"E.. eventually.." 

Her expression fell.

"Please just.. can I at _least_.. wean them out? Instead of cutting cold turkey?" he thought more about what to say. "I mean.. if I stop randomly now.. I would get the clients angry and.. I would be a bigger target. They would be out to get me if I do that! But.. if I slowly, start dealing with them less and less.. then perhaps I can cut ties with them like that?" 

"Steven, I think whether you cut ties with them now or you give them less and less stuff and _then_ you cut ties, I think the same result will happen.. That they're still going to be pissed off and target you.." another tear. "it's a never-ending cycle.." 

He got up from his chair, grabbing her shoulders gently. "But it doesn't have to be like that." she looked at him and he gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "Maybe I can find someone else they can get the drugs from. Then I can get off Scott's free. Tell them that I can't do it anymore but tell them where they can get their drugs from with some other guys." 

"Steven, do you hear yourself? Then you'll have to go looking around for other drug dealers and.. if and when word comes out that you have potential clients, they're ALL going to come sworming over to you.. And whichever one you don't pick, THEY'LL be the ones after you.. And say if you choose the wrong ones and they end up giving your clients bad stuff? Then THOSE clients will be after you." wow.. guess he never thought that.. And.. she was pretty much right.. "And weren't you always saying that you have to keep a tight lip on being a drug dealer and everything anyway? That you have to be careful with what you say and do around people? This would be the complete opposite of what you told me." 

"I.." he had nothing to say. She was right. Her logical thinking.. Seeing the whole picture.. 

He slid his hands down and wrapped his arms around her in a hug and she immediately hugged him back. She placed her head on his shoulder. "What do you propose I do?" he whispered to her. 

She took a breath. "I'm not sure.. but we really need to think of a safer method.. But I'm afraid that.. until then.." she leaned up from his shoulder. "you may have to keep this up for the time being.. Since they most likely _will_ come after you if you end up stopping.. And we can't have both them AND the other dealers coming after you." 

"Don't worry. We'll think of something, Connie." he wiped off her cheek and that only brought in more tears from his girlfriend. She leaned in, giving him another hug and he returned it. "Don't worry. I'll think of something. Soon." he quickly added. 

He felt her hug him tighter and he started rubbing her back. "We always get through things. You and I." he said in her ear.

That reassure her slightly.. It _did_ seem that they were always barely making it out alive with so many things in life.. And.. she wanted to believe him. "Yeah." she nodded into his shoulder. "We'll get through this. We'll figure this out. Together." 

"Like we always do." he hummed into her ear.

She hoped that that would be the case just like all of the other times..

They hugged for a few moments before Connie leaned back up. "Well.. I have to say.. I _am_ glad that that's out in the open now."

"Yeah. Yeah, me too." 

"Now.." she tried giving him a little smile. "Don't you feel better?" 

"Of.. of course." he faked a smile. "Of course I do. And.. telling you was easier than I thought."

"See? You just have to talk to me.. Despite of me yelling at you for a few seconds or whatever.. It's just, best to just get it all out and over with." 

"Yeah, I know. I know that now."

"You should've_ already_ known that." she looked into his brown eyes.

"I know.. And I'm sorry that I didn't say anything about it.. I should've been honest with you from the start." 

"Well.. Like I said before. Everything's all out now.. So now we can just move on from here on out."

"Definitely." and with all of this staring into her eyes and his arms still around her in a hug, he couldn't resist anymore.

He gave her a kiss.

And she kissed him back.

He gave her another long kiss before pulling back. "I know thing's will go fine. They always do. We'll see through this Connie." 

She nodded with a genuine smile. "Of course."

He leaned in giving her another heartfelt kiss. 

He really loved her.. soo much..

He broke away slowly from the kiss. "And.. now that the cat's out of the bag.. I can safely use the money and splurge a bit." he gave her a sly smile.

"Y..yeah. I mean.. We already have the money now so.." she looked over at the bag on her bed.. her mouth a thin line. "I guess we can start using it."

"Heyy." he nudged her shoulder with his. "No need to look at the bag like that, Connie. At least you'll be able to get all of those books that you've been wanting to get." A few moments later and he saw a hint of a smile. "Aaaahh, I'm getting a smiiile."

"Still doesn't mean that I care for what you're doing." she tried to hide her smile, now thinking about all those books she'd been wanting to get for quite some time.

"I know. But can't we st least enjoy the money though?" his smile widened.

And he could see that she was trying to not smile even more. Looking away from him now.

Then a nice thought came to his mind. "Oooo!! And maybe we can go to Funland with the money!! We haven't been there in awhile!!" he suggested.

She looked back at him, a huge blush spreading throughout her face. "We're banned from Funland forever, Steven. Remember?"

"Huh?" then he quickly remembered how Mr. Smiley had caught them in one of the water rides having-

_Steven fumbled with his fly, trying to pull the zipper of his jeans up over the bulge of his briefs while Connie was slipping on her underwear under her sundress. The two sporting their blush as Mr. Smiley screamed more into their faces. _

_Then the guy started laughing nervously. Just a step away from being hysterical. "Steven! YOU and your GIRLFRIEND are banned from all the rides!!!" he shouted out. "FOREVER!!" _

It was his turn to blush from ear to ear. "Oh.... right...." he cleared his throat. "Do you even think he still remembers that? That was like six, seven months ago." 

"Honestly, I think that's an image he would never get out of his mind" she pinched the bridge of her nose, even more embarrassed the more she recalled the whole ordeal of them being in a very.. compromising position.. and at an even _more_ compromising _angle_ from where Mr. Smiley was when he walked in through one of the side doors of the ride.. The man seeing.. _everything_...

"...ust saying, the last thing he could do is lift the penalty off so we can go back.. I mean, he didn't even let us finish-"

She shook her head. "Anyway!" she cut him off. "there's plenty of other stuff that we can do with the money, that doesn't involve causing flashbacks for the poor old guy." she huffed.

"Heheh, yeah.. Yeah I guess you're right." he scratched at his flushed cheek. "Well, we can think more about it later. We have four grand, so that should open up a LOT of opportunities for us to do a lot more stuff."

"Yeah. And I even think that new Dogcooter movie is coming out. AND there's a book signing by Rebekahs in two weeks."

"See! That's the spirit Connie."

"BUT, this is still bad." she still had a pleased look on her face, trying to put on a serious look. "Remember that." 

"Yeah, yeah, yeaaaah. I know." he cheesed. 

Then, as if there was a switch, he thought about the time. He craned his neck to the left to look at the clock. _8:46p.m_

_Aw man.. And I wanted more time with her.. _

"Looks.. like I'll need to get going soon.. The guy should be picking me up in his car like last time."

"The client, you mean?"

"No, I mean my co-worker. I'm not _just_ a drug dealer.. I still have the stocker job." _Hey I might as well keep up with this lie too, so I can always fall back on this one. That way, if I just so happen to "stop being a drug dealer" whenever I have to leave out late like this, I can always fall back on this job. And just hope that I don't keep getting hurt so much on the missions.. But I'll just try to get better at them, so I should be fine.._

"Oh, so you weren't just saying that? You really do have a stocker job?" 

"Yup." 

"Oh, well uh.. I guess I take that whole "maybe they should call other people to do the night stocking" back. I.. said that because I thought it was all just talk and that you were really doing something else.." 

"So that means they can call on me anytime to do the night stocking?" 

"Yeah. I mean, not _everyday_ but.." 

Steven snorted. "Don't worry, I'll be there to tuck you in and give you a kiss goodnight at least a feeeew times a weeeeek." he cooed, in her neck. 

"Pfft, I wasn't worried about that." she pushed him off gently. 

He wiggled his eyebrows. "Suuuuure you weren't." 

Scoffed. "Whatever. Don't you have to get ready?" 

"Oh! Yeah, I do actually. But don't try to play that off, Connie. You know you want me there at night to keep you warm." he gave her light Eskimos kisses on her nose. "And to give you a few of these." he stopped brushing his nose along hers and went for her lips, giving her a few soft pecks.

And he could tell she loved them. And that made him laugh to his self, sending a nice vibration along her lips.

He leaned back up.

"I can make do with that too." though the tone of her voice said otherwise.

He gave her a wink. "Sure, Connie. Suuuuure." he said with a sly smile. "Any, you're right. I should be getting ready."

"Wait, let me put the cream on your skin again. It's about that time to put some more on your skin _and_ you'll be in that cold freezer for hours too." she walked pass him.

"Thanks for being so thoughtful." he gave her a kiss on the cheek.

As Connie was making her way to the table, by the bed, the red shirt she'd put on to sleep in had reminded him of his Crystal Gem shirt.. that he needed to put on! 

He would have to think about how he was going to get it.. 

He would _also_ need to find a spot for his shirt.. What if she'd opened the closet door today and saw the shirt?! He though would be home before her and then the whole Pee Dee thing happened. (Though he was still EXTREMELY thankful that he found out that he was still alive.) So he definitely didn't regret that happening.

And then the whole fainting thing happened and well.. Yeah, that was another story..

She picked up the bottle and walked back towards him. She started untwisting the top. He sat down in the dining room chair again as she put the cream on her hand. She started with his face, then down to his arms. Then his feet.

He took another look at the clock just as she was putting the cap back on the bottle. _8:58p.m_

_I need to think of something quick!_

"Hey, Connie? Do we still have some of those ace bandages?" 

"Yeah, I think so. Why?" 

"My hand has been cramping up. Thought I could wrap it up a certain way to lesson the pain."

"Already aching and paining?" she snorted. "And I'm not sure how well that'll do since you'll still be using your hands.. But I'll go get it." she walked over, put the bottle on the table and went towards the bathroom.

Steven ran to the closet, making quick glances back.

Right as she stepped into the bathroom he opened the door and pulled the still damp shirt off the hanger. He put it behind his shirt and tucked his shirt in and turned around right as she was walking back out. "Uh, guess I'm just going to keep what I have on." he quickly told her and closed the door back. 

"Ookay? ..Fine with me." she held up the ace bandage. "Did you need me to wrap your hand up for you?"

He looked up at the clock. _9:00p.m_ "NO, I'M FINE, I THINK HE'S ALREADY OUTSIDE!" he quickly blurted out. He took the ace bandage from her and brought his other hand right to the nape of her neck, pulling her in for a quick kiss. "Goodnight, Connie! See you when I get back!"

"See you." she watched as he slipped on her flip flops and opened the door. "Canyougetthedoorforme againplease? Thankyou!" he ran out, closing the door behind him.

Then he thought about something and quickly ran back, opening the door just as Connie was just a couple feet away from it. She jumped. "Oops, sorry. Didn't mean to scare you. Just wanted to say thanks again for the talk. I'm really glad I got all of that out of my ststem." he smiled. "Okay bye!" he ran back out, sprinting down the hall and down the steps. 

Sure he didn't have to bring it up to rub more salt on the lie wound, but aye.. he had to make it that much more convincing.

Even if he actually _didn't_ get anything out of his system.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woohoo!! I made it to 50 chapters!!!! =D
> 
> Also, darn it, Connie!! You were SO close! ~o~


	52. Snap Decisions

Steven bolted out the main door and around the side of the apartment. The Inkas armored limo was already there. 

They must really, reaaaally love that car. They're _ still _using it.. 

The passengers window slid down and Steven started to walk towards the car. 

Suddenly he was tackled into the ground. He and the figure rolling on the ground for a few feet. _Freakin' Amethyst getting me again with a decoy-_ Something was held to his throat. 

_That's not her!!_ He turned, right on the cusp of screaming his head off._ What the?!_ "Pearl?!" 

She got off of him. "Yup." she said under her black mask. "Amethyst wanted to trick you, thinking that she was just going to tell you to get in the car. And she had me to wait in ambush." she shook her head, chuckling. "You didn't even look around this time." she turned the canister clockwise, the spear snapping back in. She clipped it onto her belt. 

"Yeah.. I just thought.." he sighed.. "Yeah, I thought wrong.. I need to get better at that." 

"Alright, come on you two. Talc failed his little test. Time to get in the car and go." Amethyst told them on the passengers seat. 

The two obeyed her orders, walking back to the car. They got in and closed their doors. 

Steven took a small glimpse at Garnet who was staring out the window. 

"Sup." he heard Amethyst say. 

He looked away from Garnet, _definitely still not caring that she still wasn't paying any attention to him.._ and looked at the rearview mirror at Amethyst. "Hey." he simply said. 

"We're going to the jewelry store in West Virginia. Yo Garnet. Drive off." the woman did and Amethyst went back to looking at Steven through the rearview mirror. "It's going to be another four hour drive again, so get comfortable." 

"Why do y'all always go for places so far away?" he asked her.

"Why does New York have two freakin' baseball teams?"

"Uh..."

"Exactly. Who knows and who cares? But one thing is that we don't _complain_ about it."

"Right, right.. No complaining." _No anything!!_

Where did that come from?

_Just calm down, Universe. It's not that serious.. It is actually _not_ serious, at all.._

Amethyst looked at his hands and her expression hardened. "Dude.. I _know_ you didn't forget your gadget at home."

"Huh?" he looked at his hands. "Oh, no. It's in my pocket." he took the ring out. He put it on his ring finger, immediately feeling the spark and warmth of the ring like he'd felt the first time he put the ring on.

He would still have to ask the Gems if they ever felt that kind of stuff whenever_ they_ use their weapons-

"Have you been practicing with it?"

_I completely forgot!!!_

"I.." and there goes his heart dipping into his stomach. 

She growled out a sigh. "Pleaaaase don't tell me.. That even _after_ that talk I had with you.. That you _still._ didn't. practice. with. your weapon.." 

"Amethyst, I'm sorry it's just.." he couldn't tell her he forgot due to.. personal problems.. 

"You better not tell me it had anything to do with any of your baggage like last time." 

He looked up at her. "I just.. forgot." and he did.. but he didn't dare tell her why.. 

Amethyst scoffed. "Yeah, you forgot alright.. Personal things making you forget." she said with snarl in her voice. 

He didn't say anything to her.

"Great.." she shook her head. "Talc. We _gave_ you that gadget to practice with it. _Not_ as some piece of costume jewelry or some paper weight.. Hooow do you think you're suppose to get better at it?" She hissed out.

"I.. I don't know.. I just didn't think about it. I'm sorry. I.. something just.. came up and I forgo-."

" I don't care!!! There are NO excuses!"

"I know I-"

"You _need_ to practice with activating and deactivating that gadget!! You NEED to know how to use it properly! You NEED to be a proper.Crystal.Gem! How do you think you'll ever be a proper Gem if you don't even know how to work your gadgets, huh? Or do you just want to keep effing up on all of our missions?!"

He sat there, holding everything in.

..He was _trying_ to hold everything in.. 

The sadness, the guilt, feeling stupid, feeling pitiful.. And he felt more and more emotions trying to come up..

He grabbed hold of the armrests on both sides, taking a deep breath to calm himself.

But she just kept _going_..

".. eems like that's what you rather do! Eff things up left and right!" she yelled. "What happened at the ladies house shouldn't had happened because you _should've_ practiced with your weapon but yu didn't! Then that little shit had to get into the bubble and YOU didn't know how to turn it off!! And then you had a damn nerve of having her BRACELET on!!!" he looked up, shocked. "YEAH! Don't think I didn't see that!! What, you and the girl are friends now or some pathetic crap like that?! Was SHE the one who helped you get out the bubble?! A little girl!!!" she shouted. "Talc, Talc, Talc, Talc. What. is going. on with you?! Why can't you JUST get yourself together already?!" You HAVEN'T been getting any better and it's like you're getting worse!" 

"I know... I know, I know.." he said through his teeth. "I knoooww." he whined. He clenched his teeth harder. Grabbing hold of the armrest even more as he rode out the huge waves of emotions for the fourth time since Amethyst started berating him. Pearl looked at him. She looked both uncomfortable.. and worried at the same time. And Garnet.. was ever stoic and unreadable..

"And THEN you go home WITH the gadget and STILL don't practice it KNOWING that you're going on ANOTHER mission! Your _FIRST_ mission on stealing from an ACTUAL jewelry store!"

He tried to keep it in.. but the sadness.. the feeling of being pathetic.. and being useless.. And _knowing_ that you were.. 

..Just like people have told him over the years.. 

The mental abuse from Amethyst.. the physical abuse from people.. Connie being pregnant, the convenient store, Centi and her crew, the ladies in the Red Eye, what happened at the Solar Ground Spire, the guys at the Acid Plant, Jesse, L.J and every one else at the Fry Shack, Pee Dee, the innocent bystanders, Cat Fingers, getting caught up in the bubble with Konni and missing the mission.. 

Everything came back FULL blast..

He really _was_ pathetic..

And pitiful..

AND she kept going..

Did she like fussing at him? Was that it?

Making him feel even MORE horrible than what he was already feeling..

"...and it's like, you don't even care! Yeah, I'm Talc and I like to eff things up because I don't think!" she mocked. Then she shook her head. "_How_ can you be in the league of the Crystal Gems, Talc?! How?!" 

He took one steady growl of a breath out, trying to calm himself down. 

It didn't work..

He opened his downtrodden eyes. "I know.." he said sadly. "I know." he panted, his eyes turning to a narrow eyed stare. "I know.. I know.. I KNOW." he could feel the sadness subside and his creeping up anger. "I know.. I know!! I KNOW AMETHYST, I KNOW!!!" he yelled. Fists clenched and his eyes burned but he didn't dare let any tears out.

Pearl and Garnet looked at him. Absolute fear in their eyes as to what was going to happen next to the boy. 

"WHO! Are you talking to like that!!" she turned all the way around in her seat. The whip taken out and held tightly in her hands.

The whip reminded him of the belt in Andy's hand and he shut his eyes tight. Continuing with his heavy breathing, taking deep, shaky breaths. "I'm sorry!! Don't hurt me!!" he pleaded with Andy. "I'm sorry!!" he clenched his eyes tighter, grabbing at his hair. "I." he swallowed. _Don't cry._ "I'm sorry! I'm just.." he told Andy what he, his own uncle had told him many times before.. "I'm just a stupid, pathetic, pitiful excuse of a person. And I'm NOT worthy as a person at all!!" The three watched, Garnet splitting her attention between him and the road in front of them. 

A few moments of silence later and he was quickly coming down from a his suppressed thought, realizing what had happened.. 

It was just like that time with Konni.. 

He was finally back in the present.. "I'm.. I'm a horrible excuse of a _Crystal Gem_." he said specifically before adding "And I'm a horrible excuse of a person.." 

He finally cracked opened his eyes, ignoring Pearl's worried stare and Garnet's.. stare and looking right at Amethyst's snarling, disgusted expression. "And.. and I didn't mean to yell at you.." he felt himself calming down. His voice now a whisper. "I'm sorry.. I won't ever do it again.."

"I _know_ you won't."

He kept his despondent stare at her. 

"Because if you _do_.. that'll be the _last_ day you live.." then a beat later.. "_after_ I torture your ass."

_Swallow the waves, Universe.._ "Yes, Amethyst. I understand completely. And it will never, ever happen again. I'll get better at taming my emotions."

She clenched harder onto the whip. "Good." she turned back around slowly, still glaring at him before she fully turned back around. "It's about time you're knowing your place. Just. like. the other. two." 

He nodded, even though she wasn't looking at him. 

"Of course." he whispered, emotionality and physically drained. "I'll know my pathetic place, for the rest of my life."

"Heh." a pleased, smug look swept across her face. "Now you're finally thinking properly." 

....................

The four hour care ride was incredibly tense.. and quiet.. And the near empty highway was even _more_ ominous and still.. 

"Alright, Amethyst. We're almost here." said Garnet. 

The woman nodded. "Alright Crystal. Gems." she took a quick glare at Steven through the rearview mirror before looking away. "Wake up and get ready. We're just about here." 

She, Garnet and Pearl started putting on their knapsacks and Steven took off his shirt, the Crystal Gem shirt falling behind him in the seat. Just as he picked it up and started putting it over his head, he felt something light hit his thigh, then a heavy material hit his stomach. _The knapsack.._

He pulled the shirt down and picked up the bag, noticing the pink mask across his thigh. He threw the bag over his back and picked up the mask in his hand, feeling the cotton, GemTech material of the mask between his thumb and fingers. He took one slow, deep breath. _Okay, Universe.. You got this.. You got this.._

_And remember.. NO freaking OUTBURSTS!!!_

He pulled the mask over his head. _It's time.. for Serious Steven.._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do y'all hate Amethyst yet? If not then.. Guess I'm doing a horrible job of writing her then ;)  
But don't worry, I'm not quite done with her yet... I'm nooowhere near done. This chick has pleeenty more horrible things to say and do >:)
> 
> Well, stay tuned for the Serious Steven chapters!! 
> 
> Then we finally have our more relaxing, playful Tiger Millionaire chapters! :D


	53. Breaking and entering.. Entering and breaking..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was what I am referring to with Pearl's futurist, hologram keyboard:  
https://trendingpoint.shop/products/laser-projection-keyboard?variant=29281416085609&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google%20Shopping&gclid=Cj0KCQiAqNPyBRCjARIsAKA-WFz3xl4DCqlT2EbsOpWpo1Rn8dMOBKNpNpwAFv8Z1kzWCYfqVW4CVEwaArccEALw_wcB
> 
> https://www.google.com/search?q=futuristic+keyboard&tbm=isch&chips=q:futuristic+keyboard,g_1:hologram:DzBlFT4McSQ%3D&client=ms-android-metropcs-us&prmd=sivn&hl=en&ved=2ahUKEwjBmYX8me3nAhVIbFkKHXG_CTgQ4lYoAnoECAEQDg&biw=360&bih=514#imgrc=MUu9hQBRVj_boM

Steven was too busy looking at the ring on his finger, wondering how he'd activated it the first time. His eyes settling on the small, pink jewel on the ring.. until he felt the truck ride up on something and start shaking underneath him. _Whoaa, are we riding over rocks?_

He looked out the window to see thick, dark green foliage of the forest. The trees were so condensed and the bushes surrounded the whole area and around the car and Steven could feel the front of the car hitting and knocking down some of the trees. _So much for not leaving a trace... Though it may be a reason they're along this route even though someone could easily follow the trail.._

He pressed his face up against the glass, looking at more of the heavily dense forest. He could see something red on the bushes and the trees, but with how fast the car was going, he couldn't make out what they were.. 

Something red splattered on the window and he almost squealed in shock as he jumped from the glass. _BLOOD!!!! WE HIT SOMEONE!!!!_ he though of instantly, trying to calm his breathing down.

_..Wait a minute._ He looked closer and saw small pieces of leaves and yellow seeds on the glass with small specks of red goop. _Is that.. strawberry?-_

"Okay, Gems." he heard Amethyst say from the front. "What I said at the diner still stands. Pearl and I will take the West wing of the place while Garnet and Talc take the East one." 

_Crap.. I forgot about her pairing us up together when we were at that diner.._

If he and Garnet had been buddy, buddy like before and if they were still on good terms, he would've been celebrating that he and Garnet finally had some alone time together to bond and to talk and to get a stronger bond.

But now he absolutely dreaded it. He was going to be tagged along with someone who didn't even want him to be there.. 

Or.. whatever heck she was thinking about in that brain of hers..

Garnet stopped just behind a steel plated gate, parts of the trees had wrapped around and through the bars.

"Garnet, put all security systems on in the truck." the woman nodded to her. "Talc. You stay in the car until she's done." _just great.._ "And keep your situational awareness up. And.LISTEN.to her." she commanded with a glare. She turned to Pearl. "Pearl." she snapped her fingers. "Let's go." she turned back around in the seat.

Pearl got out of the car and closed the door.

"CGVU: Code zero, seven, one, seven, one, nine, eight, nine." Garnet began. "Activate all security systems-" Pearl opened the door for Amethyst and she got out. Then Pearl closed the door back behind them. "include every protocol and defense mechanism." she finished.

"Please verify with code and eye and hand scan." said the male voice.

"Code zero, seven, one seven, one, nine, eight, nine " said Garnet. Then the woman leaned to the side to face the black screen of the tablet. She poked her finger through the eyehole of the mask and pushed her glasses down. He watched as a red light shot out of it and scanned her eyes. It blinked out.

A few moments later the tablet screen turned gray and an outline of a hand plastered onto the screen. Garnet took her glove off and placed her hand on the screen. 

Another few moments later and there was an "Access Approved. Activating all security systems of the Inkas. Protocol: All. Defense Mechanism: All. Synchronizing." 

"Okay, quickly Talc. We need to get out of the car-"

"Huh!?"

"Lockdown in T-minus five, four." said the voice.

Garnet and a split second later, Steven, in mid fumble, got out the car. "two, one." he slammed the door and he heard what sounded like the doors of the car locking.

But he could only imagine what else happened at the end of the countdown with that security system.. And just looking at the car and how.. Nothing looked out of the ordinary made it even more mysterious and ominous..

..And alarming..

Garnet was walking over from the front of the car towards Steven when she saw a long handle sticking out of the ground. He looked down with her. 

She pulled on it, the thing being wedged deep into the ground. She pulled on it more and it budged slightly. She used her other hand, pulling on the object, the handle sliding farther out until it was pulled from the wet soil of the ground. It looked to be..

_That looks like a battle axe!_

_What is that doing here?!?! And.. and why would she just pick it up like that?! What if it had been a trap?!?!_

She flipped the Dane axe in her hand, studying it. "Hmmm.."

"Umm.." he still didn't know how to feel about actually talking to Garnet.. Though at least she_ did_ talk to him. 

Even if it _was_ just to warn him about getting out of the car..

"...Is.. that a battle axe?" he whispered, meekly.

She kept her glasses on the weapon in her hands before giving a small, low. "Yes."

He waited to see if she was going to say anything more.

She didn't..

"....Do... you think it's from one of our rivals?...."

She held the axe up to her face, looking at the handle of it now. "..Highly unlikely.." was all she said.

"Is... that a good thing?" 

He waited for her to answer him.

She didn't.

He was getting more and more uncomfortable with being around her.. Not just due to her randomly picking up a huge, bladed weapon in her hands.. But also due to her randomly acting so.. different around him.

What did he do wrong?

Of course he did.. he was ALWAYS doing something wrong.

What did he do _this_ time.. since he's _always_ doing _something_ wrong..

He took a few steps away from her as she started looking around on the ground. 

He leaned up on a tree, feeling the squishy moss against the back of his shirt. A small breeze blew through the forest and the ripped strawberries danced and bobbled in the bushes.

Then, something caught his eye and he turned to his side. 

It was Amethyst and Pearl talking to each other.

Suddenly, he felt that just waiting over by them.. would be better than standing there while Garnet.. did.. whatever she was doing. 

He turned to her. The woman was running her gloved hand across the soil.

"Umm.. Garnet?" she stopped, but didn't look up. She started running her hand across the soil again. "I'm.. just going to wait over by the fence with Amethyst and Pearl." 

He waited for a response.. And eventually she gave him a very small, nod. So small, he wasn't one hundred percent sure if that was even a nod at all.

But he left anyway, leaning off the sticky tree and walking over towards the two women who now had their back towards him. 

Cold soil and both spoiled and fresh strawberries squished underneath of the flip flops. Some of the pieces of the fruit getting between his toes. _Ueeghhh_

But he ignored it..

He also ignored the branches and the leaves hitting and rubbing against his arms, smearing sticky jam across his skin.

He was just a few feet from them now.

"... ill can't believe that the Mayor actually had the city put up this jewelry shop AS well as other huge shops on an actual BATTLE field." said Amethyst, scoffing. Steven stopped and hid just behind a tree filled with huge strawberries. _A battle what?!_

Pearl was stretching, holding one leg up in the air in a full split."Maybe because he wanted everyone to forget the whole thing?" 

"Pfft.. Like a lot of people will just "magically forget" in a span of decades. Get real Pearl."

She stretched a few more times before putting her leg back down. "I'm not saying that people will. I was just talking about the the _mayor_ in particular. Maybe that's what he was trying to do. Build up shops and pay people to be quiet about everything." 

"Yeah, well," Amethyst shrugged. "he can't just _ act_ like nothing happened down here.." then a beat later. "Or any of those other places for that matter. He can continue trying to "change the past" but they'll resurface.. Besides, there are _still_ people like us who knows about it very well and who don't necessarily have to keep a tight lip about it like him and those lackies that he paid off." 

Pearl took a breath. "Yeah. And it wouldn't surprise me either if he was working for those crummy Diamonds." she joked with a scoff of her own.

"Hey." she snapped. "Don't joke like that."

"S, sorry Amethyst.."

"Stupid ass Diamonds." Amethyst growled out. "If only we could've killed all four of them that day, instead of just one.. We almost HAD them, Pearl. We were _so_ close to being the biggest gang authority in the world.." she shook her head. "I _still_ don't know how they managed to escape. We had a fool proof plan!" 

"Maybe someone told them how to escape?" 

Amethyst turned around to glare at Pearl and Steven ducked back more behind the tree. Pearl swallwoed. "Amethyst.. do you.. think that perhaps it was the same person who told them about Chemical Elle Ghee?" 

Steven felt a hand on his shoulder and he yelped. Amethyst and Pearl stopped in mid conversation, looking at the boy, with Garnet right behind him as the woman kneed him in his leg to move forward. 

"You do _not_ ease.drop." she whispered, her grip on his shoulder tightening. The tone of her voice made him swallow hard in fear.

The two made it out the strawberry bushes and towards the gate. "What took you two?" Amethyst asked Garnet specifically.

Steven looked up at the tall woman behind him. Her stoic, plain expression behind her mask.. and glasses..

She unclipped the weapon from her belt. "I found this wedged in the ground." she showed the battle axe and Pearl looked on in shock.

Amethyst went to a look of contempt. "Don't tell me that's new.." 

"The weapon _itself_ is not new, no." said Garnet. "But this have definitely been used recently. I can tell by the way these edges are." she traced her finger along the blade.

Amethyst quirked an eyebrow, face in thought. "But the only Gems known to have that.. were the ones that were in Britain."

"You mean the ones that were ambushed by.. the guys with the suits?" Pearl asked.

_The black suits and white shades??!?!_ Steven resisted the urge to squeal again. _But..But what are they talking about? Who's battle axe is that?! WHO got ambushed in Britain?!?!_

"So that means that.. those same guys that were once in the UK a few months ago, have been here recently." said Amethyst. "They could've been the ones also accountable for the ambush in North Dakota."

They've been here at least two, three weeks ago." said Garnet. "Judging from how it molded into the ground." 

Amethyst narrowed her eyes, both in thought and anxious about the situation at hand. "Okay." she nodded. "Then we'll have to keep our eyes peeled even more." she looked around them at the thick, creepy strawberry field post war zone. "not just for this mission.. But in general.. Things have been.. weird lately.. And I believe it'll only get weirder.. I can sense it." 

The two nodded and Garnet pressed the bottom on the stem of the axe, the blades going inwards into the top of the handle. Then she used both hands, puhing the stick inwards, the stem shrinking, collapsing in on itself to a smaller size. She clipped it to her belt. 

"And I'll be sure to give Peridot a call about our new.. findings.." said Amethyst. 

Finally, Steven's curiosity got the best of him. He raised his hand.

"Talc?"

"Uh, yes.." he lowered his hand slowly. "What are you guys.. talking about? I mean, I saw the guys with the suits at the Fry Shack but.. I'm not following the other stuff.. Who got ambushed?" he looked at each woman. "Are those guys.. trying to ambush us too?" he was about to ask them if they should be worried.. but he knew what kind of answer Amethyst would've given him if he'd asked that stupid, obvious question..

Amethyst gave a small shrug of her shoulders. "Nothing to worry about, Talc. Just more rivals we have to deal with." Pearl and Garnet looked at her, but didn't say anything.

If that was all Amethyst wanted to tell him, then they would have to go with it.. It wasn't their place to add anything more..

"..Oh.. okay... So we're okay here?"

"Of course. Now, enough with the questions. We go in, hack into the systems, go in two different wings, give each other the call, pull the levers down, sending us to the basement part of the jewelry store and we dodge the pyramid spikes and grab the jewel." she gave the run through.

He swallowed. That sounded like a lot.."Okay, Amethyst." he said professionally with a nod.

"Now. First thing's first. Pearl." she looked at the woman. "You know what to do."

She nodded. "The main panel is on the left, by the HVAC Unit, right?" she made sure once more.

"Correct. Just fry the whole system and give us the okay once you're done."

"Affirmative." 

They watched as Pearl jumped, easily clearing the 20ft tall gate in one graceful leap. She landed on the grass and immediately lunged behind a bush.

She unzipped a pocket on the side of her and took out her compact mirror. She opened it and held it up only slightly, looking behind her.

Six cameras.

Three on the building, two on two separate trees and one in one of the bushes.

She unzipped another pocket in her jumpsuit and took out the same pen from the Fry Shack. 

The four of them watched as she aimed it to the first camera on the building. She pressed a side button, just below the pen and a small, black, pill shaped object shot out of it. The screen sparked as black goop spread across the lens. She did the same for the second camera right next to it.

Four more to go.

She took a step away from the bush, looking for any other cameras or possible guards or guard dogs.

There weren't any.

She took a few steps, leaving the bush and towards a nearby tree. She hid behind it, peering just behind the branch. 

One of the cameras on the trees were facing just pass her. She turned around, keeping her back towards the tree as she scaled it on to the other side. She peered her neck around. She could see the slight side of the camera. The light reflecting of its lense. 

She took the pen and pressed down on it. The pill-like object shot out of it, smacking into the lens. The camera started to fry. 

Staying low to the ground and body centered she darted to the other side of the yard, being extra vigilant and on alert for any more cameras she may had missed from the two sweeps. 

Steven gawked as she dove behind another tree. Pen in hand and eyeing the second camera in the tree in front of her.

It was absolutely amazing how fast and agile.. and graceful she was..

It was like, she was of another species, the way her back turned and twisted and how effortlessly she made it look and how she leapt and sprinted from spot to spot in the area. 

She was out of this world..

Then he wondered if anyone has ever even beaten them before? Well _now,_ they were unstoppable and he couldn't see _anyone_ laying a finger on them.. But at least when they were just starting out? Did anyone get them then? 

Garnet _did_ have that glass blue eye, but that could've been from anything.. For all he knew, she could've very well been born with just one eye.. Or that she could've lost it in some accident unrelated to missions.. Or something else could've happened..

Pearl had just taken down the second camera and was going for the one in the bushes. 

Then a morbid thought came to his mind.. 

When will they _stop_ being.. the best.. and unstoppable? It's not like this is a job you can retire from. 

_They'll just keep at this.. and keep at this.. until-_

The last camera on the wall was in smoke. 

"Good. She got all the back cameras." said Amethyst. 

They watched as Pearl jumped up, clearing the height of the building with ease. She ran down and disappeared as she moved away from the edge of the roof. 

The woman ran towards the HVAC unit. The panel was on the other side of it. She took out her canister and flipped it counterclockwise, the spear flinging out. She raised the point of the spear to the corner of the panel, slicing just a bit of it off. Wires sprung out of the hole. She cut all four of them with the spear.

She flipped the canister counter clockwise, the spear snapping back in and she clipped the canister back on her belt and knelt down. She unzipped another pocket and took out a small, black, marble-looking object. She took the four small, sparking wires and wrapped them around the small, circular gadget. She twisted the two halves of the marble and waited. The black liquid started seeping from the marble to the wires, frying the cords as the black liquid grew along the wires. She watched as the black covered and grew over the wiring and into the box. The face of the panel started to crack and sizzle as the edges sparked around and out the hole. Then the marble-like device exploded.

She waited a few moments before getting up and walking back to the edge of the roof. She held the compact mirror up and opened it. She pressed the back of it, light flashing from slightly above the mirror. 

_Destroyed all security systems. Coming down now._

Steven looked at the random flashing of lights from her gadget. _Was that..morse code? ..Like... like with the lights?! _

"..Pearl destroyed the system, now we can go!" Amethyst jumped up, clearing the fence. Garnet followed after her. 

"You guys!-" he cut his self off. He was used to it by now.. He would have to just try to keep up with them.. 

He jumped up as high as he could, barely making it a foot off the ground and snagging hold of the gate and the vines of the trees. He climbed his way up and over the fence and jogged his way up to the front of the building. 

Pearl was already there with them by the front of the door as Garnet was pulling out a block of a triangle out of her knapsack. She flipped it over, the point facing her as she placed the magnet side of the base on the door, right in the middle.

The pyramid started to glow and four glowing lines protruded from it corners, growing towards the four corners of the door. And then. 

The metal door started to crack and crumble, until, it crumbled to fine pieces in front of them. The pyramid popping in a small explosion.

Garnet and Pearl stepped to the side, then Steven a beat later, on Pearl's side. 

Amethyst walked in and Garnet, Pearl and Steven walked in with her, Steven closing the door behind them. 

"Wooow.." Steven said under his breath. He'd been to one or two jewelry stores before and had assumed that just like all of the other jewelry stores, that the place would just have a few tables with jewelry here and there. But _this_ place had numerous tables lined up around the room and four round tables near the back. All of them holding various jewelry of all sorts. The items sparkled enticingly under the ceiling lights. Even the gray specks on the black, marbled floor seemed to shine and twinkle, commending the black walls and ceilings that were decorated in what looked like rhombus shaped gemstones. 

The whole building was as if they were in space. The black background room, with specks across the floor, walls and ceiling and the colorful jewelry spread all throughout the area. It was like a galaxy.

And it was breathtaking..

And ominous..

And.. and cool! And-

"Talc, what are you doing all gawking around man!! Get some of these jewels!!" he heard Amethyst yell in the back and he jumped, quickly going for some of the jewelry that weren't behind the case as he slid the knapsack off his shoulders. He began popping the rings off of the fingers of a manaquin hand. "Neh, forgot about that cheap, costume jewelry! Get the ones here!" she yelled through the mic of her jumpsuit. 

_These are cheap?! _ he threw the handful of bracelets he had in his hand in the knapsack. They _ looked_ expensive.. 

He ran over to them. 

The glass had already been broken on the tables and the three were halfway through grabbing all of the pricey items from the four circular tables. 

Talc jogged over to Amethyst's side. "Just grab and put in the bag." she told him, still throwing jewelry into the cushioned knapsack.

He did what he was told, grabbing whatever he could and putting it in the bag; necklaces, rings, earrings, more necklaces, bracelets, even more necklaces.

They'd cleaned out in just a couple minutes, Steven being the last one to zippen his bag. He placed the knapsack over his back.

"Okay. So far, so good." said Amethyst. "Now, let's get to the big prize that we came here for." she jogged over towards a pedestal towards the back corner of the room and everyone followed after her. She stopped, the three running over and stopping on the side of her. There was a solid silver pyramid in the middle of the pedestal in front of them. 

"Pearl." Amethyst gestured with her chin. "Do what you do best." 

The woman nodded and unzipped a zipper from her shoulder. She took out a square circuit chip. She jammed it into the table. A few moments later a holographic keyboard lit up in red lights on the table, she started typing need on it.

"Talc. We all need to get to this small, compact room that separates between the East wing." she raised her arm to the side. "and the West wing." she raised the other. "Unfortunately, this place has a security mechanism where it rotates you ALL around the building. You end up in a never-ending circle. Therefore, one can _not_ go into the room without turning the security mechanism off." Amethyst smiled, deviously. 

_Why is she smiling? She's talking about something that's keeping us away from the two wings._

He waited for her to continue. He knew she had something up her sleeve..

Talc looked back down as everyone watched as Pearl continued to type, the red lights on the tip of her gloves phasing through the keys.

"Now, don't get me wrong, we _can_ go through the mechanisms. We _are_ capable of going through that _to_ get to the wings. BUT." Amethyst stopped, watching Pearl now as the woman hit the enter key. The pyramid started to glow in front of them.

"We don't have to go through all of that." Amethyst started back up. "Why? Because how this place is designed, so fugly and stupid, there's a glitch you can put in the system where this area of the building will actually break down on its own self and make a vortex, a push so strong it pushes you up through the ceiling to the vent and caterpaults you straight towards the small compact room, where you enter it from the top, completely bypassing the trick security mechanisms if one were to do it the normal way by just going down the hall."

The pyramid flipped up, the point facing the table a beat later the room around them started to shake immediately. Almost instantly.

"Oh.." Steven nodded at what she was saying.. Until his brain registered the word 'caterpult'. "Wait, caterput us?!" 

"Yup." she nodded. A pleased look on her face. "Aaand don't forget crashing up through the crumbling ceiling." 

"WHAT?!"

The walls started to shake and crack around them. And the floor began to crack and uproot itself, the ceiling crackling and bits of ceiling started to fall. 

The gems took out their weapons and started deflecting the debris.

While Steven was getting hit; his head, his shoulder, his head again, his back, his shoulder, his head again.

"Dude, just summon your bubble!" Amethyst shouted.

But... But he couldn't. He still didn't know how..

The floor pushed up from underneath of them as more of the ceiling came tumbling down on them, hitting Steven more and more on his head, back and arms.

The floorboards pushed them up against the hole in the ceiling, sending them straight to the vents as the front of the building pushed inwards towards them, falling in on itself and catuerpulting them, sending them flying towards their destination through the long, winding vents. 

Steven had managed to hold in his scream for this long. 

... up until he saw the glass window coming up fast in front of them. "AAAHHHHHH!!!" he flailed his arms.

Amethyst snorted. Her arms crossed casually. "Oh, yeah." she said in a bored tone. "We'll be crashing through glass too."

"AAAHHHHH!!! NONONONO!!!! NOOOO!!" he held his arms above his head, bending his neck down and waiting for the severe impact-

He heard the window crash a few times before he went through the already made hole through the glass, the falling pieces of glass showering his skin.

Amethyst landed on the porcelain ground, breaking her fall and keeping her knee on the floor, her other up. One hand on the propped up knee, the other on the ground.

Garnet landed right behind her on the other side. One leg out and the other just below her to hold her position in the landing. One hand distributing some of the weight of the fall.

Pearl landed, keeping both feet plastered on the ground, keeping her stability with both hands on the ground. 

And Steven.

..landed flat on his stomach.. 

The three women got up, completely unfazed by the fall. 

Steven groaned, crawling up slowly to his knees first before shakily getting up on one, using one of his arms to push him up to the other. He slowly slid his his self up to a stand. 

Slowly getting his bearings back, he looked around. 

They were in a small, plain, white room, with one door on the left side of the room and one door directly across from it. 

"Now." Amethyst turned to Garnet. "We'll give one another a call once we get to the end of our respective wings." 

Garnet nodded. 

And Steven felt.. uneasy..

This was it.. This was the part where he would have to be with Garnet..

..Alone.. 

With someone who didn't like him.. For.. whatever reason.. 

He watched Amethyst and Pearl run towards their door on the other side of the room. 

And.. he watched them as they left.. Pearl opening the door for Amethyst, the woman taking out her whip and running in. Pearl, taking out her canister from her belt and running in behind her, shutting the door behind them-

"Talc!" he jumped, turning around slowly. 

Garnet was holding the door. "Come on." she said harshly. "We have to go." she ran in, leaving the door wide open. 

He ran in after her, closing the door behind them and trying to catch up to her in the white, narrow hallway. 

He turned the corner and ran right into something hard. "Ow!" he fell back from the force, falling back on his hands. He looked up. Garnet was turning around. "You _need_ to pay more attention to your surroundings." she turned back around. "We're going to walk from here on out. There could be booby traps set the closer we get to the door of the first room." she walked off. 

He felt just a tad bit hurt that she didn't help him up.. 

_Of COURSE she wouldn't help me up!! She's Garnet!! A Crystal Gem!! And apparently someone who could just.. just ACT like they're your "friend" one minute, but then TURN on you a second later! _

He made a mental shake of his head, getting up off the floor and jogging over towards her. _Whatever.. I shouldn't feel hurt.. because if that's how it's going to be from now on, then that's just how it's going to be.. _

_Also, I _shouldn't_ be feeling "hurt" anyway.. I shouldn't be feeling ANYTHING. _

He felt his eyes narrow.. in concentration? .. Because it couldn't had been due to how he was feeling.. Because he _shouldn't_ be feeling anything.. 

The two walked in silence. Walking down the quiet hallway, say for the clunk of Garnet's GemTech boots and the squishy, squeaky flops of his flip flops on the ceramic tiles. 

As the long walk continued, he grew more and more uncertain of the mission at hand.. moreso.. _him_ and his mental and physical state.. 

He couldn't afford another eff up like all of the other times.. He would really _really_ have to get his stuff together.. He could NOT have another outburst OR another fainting spell.. He COULDN'T. 

More steps were taken down the hall and his demeterminatiom started to slip again..

What if something_ does_ happen? What if something sets him off again like all of those other times? 

He could feel his self start to worry.. 

_No! Don't do that! It's.. it's all in your mind.._

_It's.._ He took a breath. _It's going to be okay.. everything is going to be okay. it's.. It's all in your mind.._

_It's all in your mind.. _

He took a few more breaths and.. did something that Connie would do to help calm him down. 

He started humming the song she would sing to him. He didn't know the words, but at least he knew the soothing beat to it. 

"HM hmm, HM, hmm HM hmmmm. Hm, hm, hmmmmm~" he bobbed his head, slighty, his mind listening to Connie's beautiful voice singing it to him as he hummed to himself. 

And already, he felt himself calming down. 

"HM, hm, HM, hm, HM hmmmmm. Hmmmmmm, hm, HM, hm, HM, hmmmmmm. HM hmm, HM, hmm, HM hmmm-" he heard a cough. A sort of clearing cough that one would do to get another's attention. He stopped mid hum, looking at Garnet's mouth. A tight, thin line as the mask and glasses covered the rest of her features. 

He shrunk under her glare. "Uh.., " he cleared his voice. "S, sorry.." he whispered, hoarsely. A mixture of being scared and embarrassed.. the light tint of blush on his cheeks and ducking his chin low between his shoulders. 

Garnet stared at the boy's apologetic.. innocent eyes behind her glasses.. 

Before looking forward again. 

A few minutes of walking in silence and they were approaching a door. "Brace yourself." was all she said before she walked a few more steps up. The door slid down by itself. 

They walked in and the door slammed upwards, shutting them in and Steven visibly jumped, making a small, squeal just as four bars came down. 

They were officially locked in.. 

And it took evey once of him to not scream in horror. 

He turned back around to see Garnet standing just behind rows and rows of squares. Only some of them were lit up in a bright white light. He walked up and stood beside Garnet. "Stay on the highlighted ones." she said bluntly and started jumping from square to highlighted square. 

"Oh, that should be.." he looked at the squares so far apart. "easy.." 

He looked at Garnet, effortlessly going from square to square. 

He sighed. _I have no choice.._

He took a few steps back and gave himself a running start, dashing towards the first lit square. He jumped, falling hard on it. He wobbled a bit. "Whoaa." and held his arms out as he tried to regain stability. He put his other foot down, officially having successfully hoped onto the block. "Phewwff.." 

Then he looked up. 

Garnet was already on the other side. Her arms folded and looking right at him. 

His heart skipped a beat. 

He was using up her precious time!! 

He would have to hurry up. 

"Uh, I'm coming Garnet!" he took a few steps inside of the square and ran for the second one and jumped, going to the square, wobbling, keeping himself stabled. The running, jumping again to another one, wobbling until he was stabled again. 

He did the same for the next nine squares. And everything was going fine, until he approached the last square that was the farthest away. 

"Whoaaa!!" he landed on of his feet right on the edge of the square, his other foot, the flip flop bending at the top, made him lose his balance. "What, no!" He grunted, in mid fall as he tried to keep himself upright at the last second and -

He fell to the side. 

There was no loud alarm that he'd _assumed_ was going to sound.. 

But the rest of the squares around him, say for the lit ones that were still stationary in the air, started to crumble around him and free fall.

Including the one that he was on-

He shouted, jumping off the falling square and barely grabbing hold of the edge of the last one. And that, too, started to slowly crumble. A bit of the edge broke off and his hand slipped of the edge. The pieces of stone falling into the ... body of fire underneath of him.

"Ahhhh!!!" he swung his hand back around to grab hold of the edge once more. "Garnet!! Garnet!!" he shouted her name. He could see the woman just beyond the edge on the other side. Her mask facing him.

But she said nothing..

And did nothing..

"Garnet!!" he pleaded. The heat of the flames nipped at his feet. And more and more of the stone started to crumble away at his finger tips. He had to continue to move his hands to compensate for the lost of material. "Garnet!!" he knew that it was most likely pointless.. but.. he still had this hope.. this small silver of hope that she would.. at least rescue him from the fire below.. 

She turned around, looking at the next door in front of her. She took a few steps. "Garnet!!" his fingers slipped and he grabbed onto another part of the edge. She stopped. "Garnet please!! I'm going to fall!!" he looked at the woman.. not daring to look back at him. "Please Garnet!!" more of the material broke off and he screamed, knowing that he was going to fall. 

Until his hand barely caught a groove right at the bottom of the square. He started panting hard, scared for his life. The fire heating more of his skin.. The bottom of the square started cracking beneath his fingers and he screamed. 

Garnet perked up, taking a quick glance back before snapping back around in front of her. Her body facing back to the second door.

Her eyes clenched behind her shades and her muscles tight around her. 

She stood there..

"Garnet!!" he heard the boy whine behind her. 

She didn't look back..

She stood there.. torn..

She could feel herself starting to shake..

..torn..

Steven watched her as she stood there. He body posture, stiff and rigid. Unable to see her contemplation..

He could feel his hope start to slip further and further away. 

Right then and there.. he wondered something.. that'd been trying to come to the fore with.. all of his _other_ emotions..

The woman stood there. Frozen in time. 

_..torn.._

"Garnet!" she heard him say her name again. More frantic this time.. and desperate. "Garnet, please! What did I do to you?! Please tell me!!" he yelled out. The bottom of the square broke away in a huge chunk and he swung away, barely hanging on with one arm. He grunted, trying to hang on, looking at the fire below him. He could feel the tears and the emotions trying to come back up. He looked up, blinking back the tears. "Garnet, I don't know what I did wrong!" _Don't cry_ "It seems like I'm ALWAYS doing something to people even when I DON'T mean it!!" his arm started to shake. He tried to lift his other arm up. Grunting.. heavy breathing.. 

"Garnet, my intention was never to hurt you!" he screamed behind her. She started shaking more, her body moving.. forward..

_..away_ from him..

"Garnet!! I.. I'm going to fall!!" 

She clenched her teeth harder, slowly bringing her hands into fists as she tried to fight between two sides.. 

"Garnet, please help me!!"

She finally made up her mind.

"Garnet!!" he yelled frantically. She ran towards the second door. "Garnet!!! Garnet wait!! Garnet!! 

The second door slid down and she ran inside. The door sliding back up. 

_What_.... 

He couldn't believe it. She just, left him.. Just like that.. Discarded him, left him to die.. 

She left him.. 

..just like how a lot of people had done in his life.. 

And right then. He couldn't help the sharp emotions that were coming out. He felt.. heartbroken.. discarded.. pitiful..

She doesn't care about him.. 

Even after their "bonding" when they'd talked that one time in his apartment.. 

It was all an act.. 

She really _didn't_ care about him.. 

And.. of course she didn't care about him.. 

Nobody else seemed to did either.. 

He _was_ a useless, poor excuse of a person after all.. 

So.. he couldn't blame them..

..He couldn't at all..


	54. Bottling up.. current percentage 100.2% warning. Overload

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaand now we're finally at the last chapter for all of this ~o~ Fiiiiiinallyyyyy

Steven had managed to find another edge for his other hand. But he was steadily losing more and more space as the square slowly crumbled more under his finger tips. 

..If.. he could just somehow activate the bubble, he could at _least_ not get hurt in the fire.. 

But.. how would he get out? Just wait until the fire goes out?

If they _would_ even go out.. 

And if they do, how was he going to escape? From the looks of it, there were no ladders and he couldn't super jump like the _other_ gems.. And even if there _were_ ladders or some kind of secret passageway out to leave, how was he going to get back home? ..Maybe.. call Lars..? If he would even pick up.. and that's IF he had service.. where.. where _ever_ he was in West VA.. 

More rocks crumbled under him and he yelped, barely grabbing hold of another groove. 

The square was only half way gone.. 

And.. it would only be a matter of time-

The square broke apart in half. He screamed. One hand on each broken piece of the square. He lifted his hand out slowly, his fingers still on the edge of the other piece of square as fumbled with the band on his finger, trying to twist the ring around with his thumb. _Maybe, _this_ is how you use it.. It was like this before when it happened..___

He managed to twist the ring around and he shakily brought his hand back down, scraping the ring across the material of the square. 

Nothing happened. 

_Come on, come on!! How does this work?!?! _

_Come on! Please bubble! Come on! Work! _ He tried scraping the jewel the other way.

Nothing happened.

He tried to move his hand, to scrape the gem across the material a bit more and he slipped, his hole body swinging from the momentum and he screamed. 

He watched the fire below him. 

Activating the bubble was pointless.. 

And the two squares were crumbling more and more. 

_Okay.. okay..I have no choice.. I.. I just need to.. be more careful when I grab hold on these.. _ he swung up slightly, grabbing a crumbling piece. He immediately swung back down, holding on with one hand again. 

This was it. He was going to die.. The square will crumble up and he would fall in.. and he would-

_Che, just find your hold! _ A quick thought from a week old memory resurfacing to berate him.

And she wasn't even there and he could STILL hear her harsh voice..

He sighed. "Maybe.. maybe that'll work.. _If_ there are any good hand holds without anything more crumbling down.." he sighed again. "But, I have no choice." he said to himself. 

He took a breath and went for it. He looked around, looking at the material around him, trying to see what looked sturdy and what didn't. 

The whole second half of the square crumbled and he had to hurry and grab at any crease on the one piece of square. _Okay, forget about looking around. Just grab and pull, grab and pull! And, and just HOPE that I grab the right holds._

He started scrambling up grappling at the first piece he thought wouldn't crumble. It took and he went for another crease. It crumbled and he swung down, only to use that momentum to _just like the bubble _ he thought, to swing back up. 

He grabbed at another crevice. It held. He went for another with his other hand. It held. Another grab and more rocks crumbled and he swung down, swinging back up for another hold. The crevice crumbled underneath and he quickly went for the next hold before he could swing back down, then he went for a sharp edge. It started to crumble under his finger tips and he moved his hand slightly down and went for the other edge with the other. He grunted, pulling himself up. Right as he pulled himself halfway, the edge cracked underneath him. He quickly hoisted himself up. The piece falling underneath of him, taking his knee back down. "No!" he rolled more towards the other knee as he used his hands in front of him to push himself up. The rest of the square started to fall with the weight and everything crumbled underneath of him. He jumped, barely grabbing hold of the edge of the platform on the other side. He took a few breaths, resting his arms for a few moments before pulling himself up again, grunting more as he did. 

He crawled onto his knees and turned around, plopping hard onto his back. He took a few deep, relieving breaths. 

_I... I did it.. _ he panted. Then a sad.. tinged with scorn thought came to his mind _without Garnet.. _

He took a few more breaths and got up on his noddle like legs. He took another breath and leaned all the way up. _Now.. what does the other room have in store. _

He walked towards the door-

Garnet was on the other side of the room, having surpassed the downpressing spikes in the room. She stood by the wall, leaning on it.. right by the side of the door to the third and last room. 

She was shaking even more. Unable to move. Immobile. Frozen. Holding her head with her other hand as she kept down her low heavy breaths through her clenched teeth. 

_Why.. did I do that? _ she swallowed.

_If he's gone I would never forgi-_

The door opened and she turned around quickly. A mixture of hope and then surprise and relief once she saw who had came from behind it. 

She stood up straight, going to her stoic look, the tremors going away in an instant. 

The door slid up and the four bars slammed down to the ground. 

"Steven." she said, not trying to sound _too_ relieved. 

He sighed inwardly._ So now she says something.. _

He could feel the hurt and the feel of being abandoned creeping up to the fore as he looked at her. Then. 

He looked away. He couldn't bare to look at her right now.. Too upset.. to even keep his look on her.. 

That took Garnet aback. Steven just.. simply looked away. Like he didn't even care.. She guessed he was done with her.. 

So why was she so taken aback? She wanted this to happen. So that was good thing that he was done with her. 

But.. she was worried about him seemingly bottling up his emotions.. Now _that_ wasn't good.. 

Steven stared on at the spikes ahead of him. Five huge pillars from the ceiling filled with spikes at the end were pounding down on the floor. Fast. 

He sighed. _If I had my _bubble,_ I wouldn't even have to worry about those spikes..The spikes would simply shatter upon impact with the bubble. _

But, he couldn't activate it.. 

And Garnet wouldn't help him so.. 

He had no other choice but to try to get through these himself.. 

He managed to barely get pass the _frst_ room.. 

He took a breath.. 

And went for it. 

He ran and quickly stopped right at the first one. The spikes chopping down on the floor in front of him. He groaned, trying to see a clear spot. He wavered his body, keeping it low as he swayed left to right. 

Then, he saw what he hoped was an opening and ran under, crossing diagonally. One of the spikes scratching his arm, just under his wrist that'd been out too far behind him. He winced, still running to the second one. 

He went towards it, planning on going under it immediately, until the teeth of the spikes came down and he yelped, backpedaling just a split second out the way, the spike getting his shirt and the hem of his jeans. 

_Oh great.. now I'll have to hear Amethyst's voice about this.. _

_He picked up the piece of the bottom half of his shirt and put it in his pocket and looked up at the spikes coming down. It was a bit faster than the first one. _

He crouched down and looked at the amount of time the spikes came down. 

A few moments later he _hoped_ that he found his opening and lunged, running on his hands and feet, letting his legs push him off with enough force to slide to the other side just as the spikes came down.

He didn't wait to catch his breath. He just wanted to be over with it. He ran towards the third falling spikes and he picked up his speed, watching the time that it took for the spikes to come down and, in a leap of faith, he lunged for the other side, dashing underneath of the spikes just as they were coming down fast. 

He landed with one foot just as the last row of the spikes came down, just missing his heel on the other leg and pinning the flip flop down. 

He tripped and fell hard on the floor. He turned around. Connie's flip flop was underneath of the spikes. The sharp teeth smashing down on the styrofoam. "Oh no! Connie's flip flop!" he turned for it, stepping just at the edge of where the spikes were coming down. The flip flop was just a few inches away. He raised an arm. "Talc!" he jumped again and turned around. Garnet was right in front of the door. "Now, isn't the good time." she strained out. "We have to go." He kept his stare on her. "We're almost there. We just have one more to go." she pointed at the door behind her.

"But I need to!! It's Connie's flip flop!!" he whined. 

"Talc." 

He turned back around, the loud banging of the spikes filling his ears and sliding pass his face just a few inches away. 

He raised his arm again, going closer and closer to the spikes.

Slowly, bobbing his arm in and out until he felt comfortable, slowly tensing up his muscles for his moments strike.. 

The spikes came down and were lifting right back up. He threw his arm forward, barely grabbing the flip flop right as the spikes came back down. 

"Phewf.. I got it." he looked at the punctured marks that went through the flip flop. He could see to the other side..

"It's not too bad." he slipped the flip flop back on and got back up and turned around.

..To see the fourth moving spikes.. 

..he wasn't going to make that.. 

He'd _barely_ made it pass the _third_ one and the fourth one was even faster. 

As much as he didn't want to talk to her.. because he felt that it would be of no use and that he would probably just have to do it hinself..There was still apart of him that still wanted to try again. He looked up at the woman. "I.. I don't think I can do it, Garnet! The spikes are WAY too fast!" he watched her between the spikes. 

"I..." a few beats later. "I.. can't help you Talc.." she looked away from him. 

And there she goes with this again..

"Why?! _Why_ can't you just help me!!" He tensed his face and his eyes. 

He can't cry..

She didn't look back at him. "I... I just can't Talc!" she snapped. Though.. she didn't necessarily sound.. mad? 

He didn't catch it, too upset with not getting helped from her.. upset at his self at being such a poor excuse of a person that ALWAYS needed help in the first damn place.. Every. Single.. Time.. 

At least _she_ was being a Crystal Gem.. That _had_ to be the most possible reason why she couldn't help him out.. Like Amethyst had said.. 'Every Gem for themselves'.. so.. how could he possibly be upset with her at not helping him? With or without that little talk they had, she was still a cold blooded, unremorseful Gem.. 

And he.. was a stupid, pathetic, poor, disgusting excuse of a human.. who couldn't even get across the last two spikes.. who'd failed every mission.. who'd failed his own parents who never even wanted him in the first place.. who failed at life.. and... who couldn't even activate the stupid bubble.. 

He turned his hand over, looking at the gem on the band.. 

Without much hope in himself left, he swiped vertically on the floor. 

Nothing.

He swiped again. Horizontally. 

He swiped a third time, feeling his breath in a grunt. Getting frustrated. 

Nothing. 

He swiped at the floor again, quicker, everywhere on the floor, growling out, feeling his hope slipping away and his bottled emotions and memories coming back. The tears trying to come to his eyes. He growled out louder, swiping the gem one last time across the floor. 

Nothing. 

He panted out. Feeling completely hopeless now. 

"NO!" he slammed his fists on the ground. Keeping his eyes clenched tightly. His breath, shaky. 

And that was it. 

He officially gave up. 

Right there. 

He was done with everything. 

If Garnet was going to leave him there.. then she could..

He didn't care anymore. 

And.. if he were to stay there for the rest of his life and die there .. then so be it..

He didn't care anymore..

Or if he were to get locked up when the cops eventually come.. then so be it.. 

He didn't care. 

He'd officially had it..

He was done. 

So many things he regretted doing before he met the Gems.. and he was regretting so much more now that he was with them. 

And Connie. His sweet Connie. She didn't need him anyway. She deserved someone much better than him.. she deserved sooo much more in life.. This would be a good thing for her.. For him to die here or go to jail. She was a very bright and sweet girl. She would go further in life without him holding her back.. 

Garnet watched the boy. His head down.. in utter defeat.. Deep in his thoughts as he knelt there.

Steven crouched there. Sulking. Going after regret after regret after regret after sad memory in his mind. 

"Talc.." he ignored the voice. _She can just leave him. She did all of those other times.. who cares.._

He was so upset. Downtrodden. He had no more will to do anything. He couldn't amount to the gems.. he couldn't amount to anyone.. And.. he would just have to accept that..

"Talc" the voice was louder. But he wasn't paying attention anymore.. feeling himself slip away from the present.. 

_You're nothing.. you're pathetic.. you're stupid.. you're pathetic.. you're pitiful. _ Various voices from Amethyst, from Andy and from so many other people rang in his head. But, Andy's stuck out the most.. 

_You're pathetic, you're an idiot, you will never be anything in life, you're pitiful.. you're a poor excuse of a human, you're pitiful, you'll never be anything in life, you're pitiful, you'll end up dead, missing or a drunk, like me, you're pitiful, you're stupid, you're pathetic, you're a shame, you're pitiful,..pitiful..Just a pitiful human being.. pitiful.. ___

_ __ _

_ __ _

He started slipping back into the present, if only slightly..

He could here the sound of the spikes pummeling down on the ceramic floors between him.

He clenched his hands and his face tighter. _Don't cry.._

And he tried not to feel.. But, with all of the voices in his head, he slowly felt his sadness bringing in his self loathing and.. a bit of irritation. 

He could here the spikes slamming down on the floor. 

Irrigation creeping up faster, taking over his self loath, his sadness. 

".. alc.." he shook his head. Panting hard. He was trying harder not to feel.. but the irritation stayed there. Not leaving. 

The spikes continued to fall in between him, on both sides of him. _Maybe if I had some peace and quiet.. I can finally relax.. But.. these damn spikes!_ He clenched his teeth, snarling.

"Talc!"

_No! Be quiet! I.. I just want everything around me.. to be still and quiet. _ He clamped his hands to his ears. Panting hard. He could hear his heart thumping. 

_Everything needs to be quiet!_

"Talc!!" she yelled out. 

He snapped his eyes open and a feral growl came out of his throat. "Shut UP, Garnet!!" he screamed. She stared at him. Her mouth open in absolute shock. "I JUST need. some peace.and QUIET!!" his eyes were narrowed only on her. His finger pointing out at her. He could feel his blood boilng again.. The same when he was dealing with Connie's mother when they'd first met.. and when he was underwater with Konni.. 

"..Talc.." she said quietly. Her voice still filled with shock and unbelief. 

But.. she couldn't help him.. She.. she had to stay by Amethyst..

She shook her head. "Talc.." she strained out gently, ignoring the emotionally hurt boy right in front of her. "We.. need to get out of here."

He stood up, his face in a snarl behind his mask. Garnet looking right at his clenched teeth. "Garnet, why don't you just leave then!! You've done it before!! Just leave!! Leave like EVERYONE else in my life!!" 

She stood there. 

And he kept going..

He couldn't stop. 

"I don't need you!!" he felt the tears coming. He swallowed. 

He had to stop these emotions. He growled, taking in fistfuls of hair. Panting. Clenching his muscles. 

He felt himself getting dizzy.. he snarled, feeding off of the memories in his mind, slowly coming back to the fore again, his conscious fading back in again. 

And.. this time. He kept it there. He kept his irritation turned anger.. It seemed to keep him from slipping into his fainting spell. He held on to his anger..Trying to keep his consciousness just a bit longer. 

Garnet was getting even more worried about him.. This wasn't the Talc that she knew.. "Talc.. please.. I think you need to calm dow-" 

"Don't tell me what to do!! I'm sick and tired of EVERYONE telling me what to!!!" he shouted. "It's MY life!! I don't need you to tell me anything!! I don't need you at all!!" in his own mind.. Garnet was now Andy for but a few moments, soon switching to his psychiatrist, and turning to a portrait picture of his dad as a teenager, back to Andy, then Mrs. Miller again, his dad, then back to Andy.. 

He was shaking. His teeth scraping across one another as his muscles clenched more. Then a few moments later. He got his voice back.. "I don't need any of you!! Never did!! Never will!!" his voice was shaky, cracking.

"I didn't.." Garnet shook her head. "Talc, I-" 

"I'm perfectly fine!!" he screamed. "Just.the way. I am!!" he slammed his first on the wall, pieces of the ceramic splitting. He stood there. Panting deeply. His fist covered in blood. 

Steven opened his eyes and saw.. _Pee Dee outside, at night.. on the ground. His nose broken. Blood coming from both nostrils._

_Steven looked down at his bloodied fist and gasped. "Pee Dee!! I..No! I didn't mean it!!" ___

_Pee Dee got up, an apologetic, warm smile on his face. He held his hands up in a placating manner. "Dude, it's fine, it's fine. I was just in the way. Seriously, you didn't know I was behind you." _

_"No! It's all my fault!! If I wasn't so angry-"_

_"Buddy, I was literally-"_

_"How can I be your buddy if I did that to you!!"_

_Pee Dee placed a hand on his best friend's shoulder. "I was literally behind you when you turned around for the wall. Dude, I was literally at the wrong place at the wrong time."_

_Steven didn't want to hear that.. It was HIS fault that he hit Pee Dee.. _

_"Come on, man. Don't be like that." _

_Steven closed his eyes, holding his hands up to his head as he shook his head furiously. _

_He didn't want to hear it.. He DESERVED no excuse..HE was at fault!!_

Steven opened his eyes. The area around him bleary. He started to hyperventilate. _What is going on with me?! Why.. can't I just not feel anymore?! _

Garnet stood there, watching the boy.. in pain.. 

She stood her ground. In serious debate.. Physically shaking, clenching her own teeth.

..Torn..

She heard Steven shout out. Hysterical as he leaned his head into the wall. 

That was it. 

She couldn't take watching him in pain anymore. 

She had made up her mind.

For good. 

She ran towards him, swiftly and without much effort as she dove under the two separate spikes. 

Steven was back down to a crouch. His head and hands still on the wall as he relived more of his life. 

"Talc." she placed a hand on his back and he snapped around, pushing her arm away. "DON'T touch me!!" he yelled at Andy.. Looking right at the man. 

_"Talc!" Andy yelled. "Talc!" Steven closed his eyes as he flailed his arms out. Andy still kept him in a headlock. _

"Talc!" Garnet had him in a firm hug as he tried to flail more in her arms. "Talc, please. Listen to me." 

"Get off of me!!" he cracked open his eyes, looking up at Andy. The man clamped down on his head hard, laughing. "Andy." he choked out. 

He started choking in Garnet's arms. Her arms, nowhere near his neck. "It's Garnet." she said to him. "Please, Talc. You have to come back to the present. Come back."

_"And did he come back!?! Haha!! No!! Your dad NEVER came back!!" _

"Talc, this is all just a memory." Garnet started rubbing his arms a bit, still trying to hold him in as she held him close. She sighed. "Please come back to me."

_"All just a memory.." Andy yelled. Steven snapped his eyes open, looking at the area. Him in the living room, right by the front door of the house. Was this..? Wait. He wasn't living with Andy anymore.. This was all just a memory.. _

_Like the time he was underwater.._

_He was living with Connie.. not Andy.._

He stopped flailing in Garnet's arms. 

"That's it.. " she said gently. Looking at his dilated eyes. "Come back to me, Talc. You're okay." 

_Connie was standing in front of Steven. The two were underneath of the awning of the movie theater. The blush evident as ever on her face. "It was okay." she tried to play bored._

_"Okay?" Steven quirked up an eye, smiling smugly at her. "Offer, just 'okay'? " _

_"MmmHM." a side smile came across her face. _

_"So.." he looked at her in her beautiful eyes. "Since this first date was so-called "okay" guess that means I can't ask you out for another one?" then a beat later as he thought. A wry smile coming to his fsce. "You know, perhaps the second one could be better. And if not, weeeeeeell." he wiggled his eyebrows. "Theeeen we can keep on having these "okay" dates until we have one that's really, reaaaally great." _

_Connie thought about it, still trying to feign boredom and hard to get, which he liked as he loved a good challenge, and a short chuckle left her beautiful lips. And he blushed at such a beautiful, calming sound. "I mean.. I _guess_ we could go on..another one.." a coy smile still on her face. _

"This is just a memory." Garnet said to Steven's relaxed face. His eyes closed, reliving his nice memory. 

_"..is just a memory anyway." Connie shrugged. _

_"Huh?" he looked at her smiling face. "Wait.." then he remembered. "This has already happened. We're.. we're already together." then another thought and his face twisted. "And.. we're having a .. child.. together.."_

_Connie cheesed harder. "You're absolutely right! And now" Connie's voice changed to.. Garnet's voice. "you have to come back to the present." _

_"Huh?" _

_"I said." she continued in Garnet's voice. A huge smile still on her face. "Come back." she beckoned him with her hand. "to the present."_

_The area around her started to fill with light._

Steven opened his eyes to see.. Garnet.. of all people..

Maybe it was because he was still a bit riled up from his anger episode.. or maybe it was being in complete denial that she was there.. or him thinking that she had the crude audacity to finally come back after all that time, but the moment he saw her and realised that she was holding him, he got off her lap quickly, with a cold, low "Get off me." pushing her arms out and away from him and she allowed him, placing her arms to her side. Her legs slightly bent as she sat down in front of him. "Talc." she had a frown on her face.

Despite of him trying to get rid of his emotions, anger and sadness were still fighting to get out of him as he stared at her. He was just mad.. and upset.. at _everything.._ Not just her. But she WAS a byproduct of it all. 

"What!! Do YOU want!!" he growled out at her. 

"Talc." she scooched up closer to him, raising an arm towards him. 

"No!!" he leaned away. "Don't touch me." he glared at her. 

Her frown only grew. The whole expression on her face still covered by the mask and the glasses. "Come on, Talc. This isn't you.." 

"Good!! I don't WANT to be me!! I, I.. I just need to be a Crystal Gem!!" he grabbed at his hair, looking away from her. "Why can't I just STOP being me!! Why can't I just _not_ have all of these stupid emotions!!!!" He screamed. 

"Talc. You have to calm down." she went for his arm again. 

He pushed her arm again. "I don't need you! Or ANYBODY! I just need to DO THIS ON MY OWN!!"

The emotional waves never let up. And they just kept growing and growing and he felt himself groaning, holding his head tighter. 

_That's it.._ "You need to let everything out." she said gently. "You're going to end up .. in your meltdown again. Just. Let it out."

He clenched his eyes. "NO!!! I'm, I'm a Crystal Gem and... AND we do NOT cry!! Or show ANY remorse or don't need ANY one!!"

"Talc, you're only SAYING those words!! That's NOT who you truly are and you know that!!"

"This is who I am!!" he held the tears in. "Like EVERYONE said, 'THERE'S NO GOING BACK'!! THIS IS MY LIFE NOW!!"

"Talc, listen to yourself!!" she raised her voice. Her own emotions coming up. "You're sounding just like Amethyst!! Just like Pearl!! Just like me!! Just like Ro-!!" she held both hands to her mouth.

Steven didn't notice, still fuming with his self loath and anger. "It's GOOD that I'm sounding like them!!"

She took a few deep, calming breaths. Something she'd done many times before, before letting go of her mouth. "It's NOT the same when it's coming from _you!!_ Talc.. you're not.. you're not like us!! _We_ have no problem with being by yourselves, without showing remorse, what have you. We don't MIND going by that Crystal Gem code. But, but you're different. YOU'RE not like us!" she could feel herself getting emotional.

"I KNOW!! And I'm SICK and tired of EVERYONE saying that!!!" He shouted, panting. "I'm trying, okay!!" 

"No, Talc!! I wasn't saying it like that!! I _don't_ want you to be like us!!" she grabbed his shoulders and he jumped, stunned this time from the sudden touch. She was looking right at him through her glasses. "I DON'T want you to be like us!! I never did!! And I NEVER will!!" 

He stood there for a few moments until he went back to his feelings. He pushed her hands off of his shoulders. "Well I. NEED TO!" he screamed. 

"Talc, please.." her voice was quite. "Please listen to me.. Do you see what you are doing to yourself?! You are breaking down you are losing yourself _because_ of our motto.. You need to let it out. You need to be yourself."

"I can't!! I must.. I, I _NEED_ to be a Crystal Gem!!"

"But you're losing yourself!!!"

"I'm finding a new way to improve who I am!!"

"You're going about this all wrong! This is NOT who you are!!"

"IT IS!!

"DON'T GO DOWN THE SAME PATH THAT I DID!!" her voice cracked.

Was she crying? With the mask.. and the glasses.. he couldn't tell...

Nor did he notice or cared at that particular point... still riding out his own waves..

"Why!! If THIS this is the path that EVERYONE seems to want me to take, then I'M doing it!!" 

"YOURE ONLY SPEAKING FOR AMETHYST!! AND PEARL!! NOBODY ELSE WANTS YOU TO DO IT!'"

"BUT THEY'RE BOTH RIGHT!!" 

Garnet sat there, until she opened her mouth again. "NO!! They're NOT right!! PEARL IS ONLY SPEAKING FROM HEARTBREAK! AND AMETHYST IS TOO FAR GONE FOR HER OWN GOOD!" she covered her mouth after that last part. Scared.. What if Amethyst had heard her somehow..

"They just seem so sure.. about everything!!" his voice lowered, tired. "And.. and I need to do right by them." 

_ 'I need to do right by them'.. _ Garnet shook her head. "Talc stop thinking about them!!! Think about _yourself_ and _your_ well being!!"

"But I _don't_ care about myself!!" feeling more of the waves.. and still holding back his tears. "My family didn't!! My mom, my dad!! Those two didn't!!" Everything was coming out of his mouth but he still refused to have the rest of the emotions come out. But the anger was still there.. the vexation.. 

He continued. 

"And Connie's probably still with me.. because I got her pregnant. And Pee Dee probably doesn't care either, despite of him acting like he does.." he looked up at Garnet, glaring at her. "Why SHOULD I care about myself!! And, and what about you!! Even YOU tried to kill me!! Just like that!" 

She was looking at him. Her mouth twitching.

"And I thought we were bonding!!! And then.." he held his tears in. Then he said quietly, looking away from her. "And then..you almost ended my life." then he found more of his voice again, turning back to her. "Nobody cares about me!! BUT YET, I STILL CARE ABOUT PEOPLE!! EVERYONE!! EVEN YOU! I, I STILL CARE ABOUT YOU!! I WORRY ABOUT EVERYONE!! AND I CAN'T HELP IT!! I NEED TO CHANGE THAT!" 

"Talc." she said in a calm manner.

He was still holding everything in. Deep breathing, shallow breaths. His eyes now wide with worry. 

"Please look at me.." 

He didn't. Biting his lip as he took his shallow breaths.

She raised her hand and hesitated, before rising her hand more, grabbing his chin gently. She raised his head up and he didn't take his chin away, but never brought his eyes to look at her. 

She sighed.. "I didn't want to kill you."

His chin sunk in more in her hand, but he still refused to look at her. "But.. you.."

"Please, Talc.. If I can finish.." she took a breath. "I know what I did.. but." she shook her head. "Talc. What we had at the apartment.. with our little talk.. All of that was real. And I only crave more of it."

His eyes were still looking away from her.. But.. with every word. He could feel his eyes wanting to look at her..

"Amethyst told me to kill you..But.. I didn't want to." she took a breath. "I can't explain it but.. there's something about you.. It's like you bring peace to our group whenever you're there with us.. Even during these past few days.. despite of how you were acting.. you still had this .. presence with you.."

He could feel his eyes going towards her, but he stopped. Only seeing Garnet's mouth and a part of her mask from his peripheral vision.

"And Talc.. I know I've been acting different around you.. but, that's what it was.. I've _acted_ like that.. to spare you from Amethyst.. Not acknowledging you in the car.. yelling at you all of those times in the restaurant.." she sighed. "Pointing those guns at you only for them to shoot blanks.."

He remembered that last part all too clearly.. And it took him every bit to not let himself cry.. Feeling the abandonment.. And he held everything else in with that feeling..

"But, Talc.. you _truly_ are a special person to the group. No. To _everyone_in general. You're one in a million. You're funny, you're sweet, you're emotional, you're sympathetic. But all of this? What you're doing? It's the complete opposite of you.. of you're aura."

He lost the battle and his eyes went up to look at her. "But.. Garnet..I need to be a Crystal Gem.."

"_We're_ the cold-blooded Crystal Gems. But you?

"Just like a Crystal G-" 

"_You_ are someone different..who brings a whole different sense of reality, of serenity and happiness to people. You have that effect on everyone that you come across." 

He'd calmed down half way.. But he still couldn't dare to let anything out.. Though shouting out his feelings and actually letting that slip out made him feel a bit better.. Maybe this was all he needed.. 

He _was_ feeling a bit better so.. maybe they should start leaving? 

Garnet looked around, then turned back around to Steven's eyes. His eyes.. so full of emotion.. That all wanted to be let out.. 

She sighed, dropping his hand gently from his chin. "Talc.." she whispered. 

He swallowed more emotion down. "Y..yes?"

She took a few moments to say anything more.. Looking around them one more time before turning back to him once again. "I only wanted to protect.. not only my name.. but you as well.. showing Amethyst that I would do her every command by trying to kill you.. would save my name.. and for you.. well.." she trailed off before starting back up a beat later. "Showing you that I _would_ kill you ..would push you away from me, which was what I wanted... I.. wanted you to hate me so you wouldn't have any emotional attachments to me. and so you wouldn't have any emotional bonds to _me_.. We.. needed to be strong without each other.. And I just needed to uphold my name.." she paused before starting back up again. "And I was able to do that with the two guns.. and.." she stopped.

"..Garnet.. I.. don't really understand.."

Garnet was quiet once more and just as Steven thought she wouldn't say anymore and was about to ask her more, she said. "I want to show you something." 

She reached on the side of her, taking out one brass knuckle.

"Feigning.. imitating... it's something that not everyone can do.." Garnet began. "Playing pretend.. double agent, what have you.. or just trying to do a trick of the eyes.."

He stared at the brass knuckle as she held it out in front of him with one hand. 

"Amethyst told me to kill you." she repeated herself. Then she raised her index finger up. "I needed to uphold my name." she raised her middle finger up. "And I wanted to burn my bridges with you so you wouldn't hold any emotional attachments..To save you from Amethyst." she brought the same hand down to the one holding the brass knuckle. "And. I was able to do both.." she popped open the brass knuckle and she poured out six bullets into her palm.

Steven looked at the bullets.. in complete shock. He looked back up at her, mouth slightly agaped. "You.. you tricked us.."

"I _did_.. what I had to do.."

"By _tricking_ us." He gasped as a thought came to mind. "By tricking _Amethyst._

Garnet grimaced, looking away. Her mouth twitching to a tight frown. 

"You.. spared my life.. you.. you didn't want to kill me after all.."

A few moments later and she looked back at him "Of course not Talc. I told you. You.. you hold a special place in my heart.. for reasons I don't know, but, you do..And.. I couldn't let that happen.."

The emotions were coming right back up to him, barely being caught right at his throat and just behind his eyes. 

"So.. right before I pulled the trigger, I managed to take the bullets out."

And Steven vaguely remembered Garnet using the other hand to turn the revolver.. but..

All along he thought she was doing that because the brass knuckles were blocking her mobility and she had to use two hands.

But no...

She..

She liked him..

She liked him enough to actually go behind her boss' _orders_, her boss' _back_.. to trick her.. and.. to let him see another day.. to.. let him see another day with his Connie.. to.. let him have another day to share the night with her before he left for this mission.. 

Garnet liked him..

They _did_ bond..

Maybe he.. _wasn't_ so alone..

Maybe he _was_ worth being saved over..

Maybe his life _did_ matter..

And.. if he'd acted like the Crystal Gems.. brutal, unremorseful, mean, evil.. maybe she wouldn't had that feeling towards him and maybe she _would've_ ended his life.

But, because of how he was.. she felt differently towards him. 

It was because of _who_ he was..

And. who he was, was an emotional baby who cares for other people and loves having fun and hanging out with his friends and worrying about other people's problems and loving his girlfriend and wanting to see the world a better place despite of his own personal wrongdoings.. And.. and who never loses hope or gives up because of his immense passion for life in itself be it his or someone else's. He was, Steven Universe. And he was one of a kind.

Tears started streaming down his face as the damn broke. The overwhelming feel of every single emotion he had locked up inside him for those last few days. Everything was being let out all at once. 

He fell into Garnet, ugly sobbing, crying into her chest as he squeezed her tightly into a hug. 

And.. it just felt so good to let every bottled up emotion just roll over him and having them spill out outwardly. He sobbed he babbled, he choked a bit, he wheezed, he did everything. Ever single act of remorse and sadness as he continued to cry..

And it wouldn't let up and he didn't care. And he continued to let everything out.

And when Garnet started stroking his hair, he cried more. 

And he started shaking and he felt her arms hold him tighter in the embrace and he loved it. And..he cried more.

And she rubbed his back as he choked out and cough out more sobs. Snot rubbing all on her shirt. And he only hoped that she wouldn't care.. becaude he didn't care to let up. Not until EVRY single feeling and emotion was out.

And he continued to cry.. and cry more..

The two sat there in a tight embrace for what felt like a few minutes, Steven feeling like things were finally letting up. "Now.. don't you feel better." he heard Garnet whisper in his ear. 

Fresh tears started to fall at the question. "So much better." he sobbed into her shirt, smiling as he hugged her more. 

And he heard her laugh, the chuckle vibrating through her chest. The laugh sounded so calming, so beautiful.. Oh.. if only he could have this with Connie. He could really use her hugs and her smiles and her laughter right now..

And he cried more, his thoughts going on how he couldn't ever tell her. He cried and sobbed at that.

"It.. just sucks that I wouldn't be able to tell Connie about this.." he talked it out. He was going to get _EVERYTHING_ out.

Garnet never let up on rubbing his back. "Being a Crystal Gem means to keep your identity secret..But.. I honestly believe your girlfriend would definitely understand that. I don't know her. Never met her or anything. But.. I have a feeling that she would be very understanding of all of this, if you couldn't ever tell her." 

"I really hope so." he sobbed. "She's my everything."

Garnet chuckled again and he loved it. "And I have a feeling that she feels the same way." she smiled. "I don't think you have anything to worry about. 

Steven sighed as more tears fell from his red, snot filled face. "Yeah." he sobbed, his breath shaky. "I hope you're right." 

The boy cried some more as more thoughts came to his mind. And Garnet sat there, caressing his back.

Then he had to ask Garnet something personal.. 

"Garnet?" 

"Hm?" she looked down at him. 

"I hope I'm not.. asking anything personal but.." and she felt just a quick skip of her heart and a dip in her stomach. "do you.. or.. _did_ you.. ever felt guilty killing people?" 

A few deeply rooted memories of her family from decades prior uprooted only slightly before she quickly closed the box in that vault. She took a deep, meditated breath. "Garnet?" she heard him say her name again. She nodded. "Yes. I did regret killing people..Certain people." she quickly added. Then she took another deep breath, shrinking into Steven. "Still do.." she whispered sadly.. "But." she added. "I.. try not to linger on it too much.. It's.. in the past." 

Steven nodded.. "So it still bothers you.." Garnet looked away, her jaws clenched. "So you _do_ have remorse.." she didn't look back at him. 

"You don't like killing people.... Do you Garnet?"

The woman was silent for a few long moments, until she gave a small shake of her head. 

That just made him even more confused.. He loved that she was like him.. or at least in a way that the two didn't like killing people, but were forced to do it.. But he was still confused.. How did she even get into being a Crystal Gem? And.. how did someone who didn't like killing people have a body count bigger than both Amethyst AND Pearl combined? 

_ 'Dont want to make her angry.. this girl have QUIT a temper on her..'_ Amethyst voice rung out in his head.

_ 'DONT GO DOWN THE SAME PATH I DID!!_ he remembered Garnet yelling out just moments earlier.. 

..Did he piece those two together correctly? Or was that a stretch? Maybe it was another reason why she killed so many people? 

And it wasn't because of her anger..

Still.. to _think_ that she killed so many people due to her anger.. 

He shivered a bit in her arms, but not from the cold..

He suddenly became hyperaware that he was actually hugging.. a literal murderer.. 

But.. at the same time.. it was still Garnet.. 

..How _should_ he go about this? 

One wouldn't even be able to tell what she did and who she was, just talking to her and being with her.. it was as if she was a totally different person..

Still.. he hugged her more, despite of what she'd done in her life.. And he heard a shaky breath from her and felt her arms hug him tighter. 

They needed each other. And they were going to help each other.. He really believed that and he felt that this was a turning point in their relationship.

"I have so many regrets, Talc." he was snapped out of his thoughts as she started again with a shaky voice. "I still have nightmares about it.. but there's nothing I can do about it now.." she sighed. "Talc, if only you knew just half of what I did, you would.. want to stay away from me for the rest of your life.."

He had to admit that that sent chills down his spine, though he never let up on the hug. Because he wouldn't leave her.. No matter what she did in life.. "I wouldn't ever leave you, Garnet.."

She shook her head on his. "You really have no idea Talc, I-" she stopped and swallowed. This time it was Steven's turn to rub her back. "..Like Amethyst said.. there's a reason why.. I can't go back to my own country.." 

Another chill down his spine, but he continued massaging her back. "..Then there's the stuff I've done here and that I'm _still_ doing.." another shaky breath from her. Then he heard a sniffle.

"Garnet?"

She sighed. "And then I saw how Amethyst killed those people in front of you and.. the look on your face, Talc.." her voice cracked. "I really did feel bad for you.. especially when you had to kill that guy right aftwrwards." and hearing that again.. and the memory replaying in his mind, he felt his tears come back and he let them fall again with his shuttering breaths. 

".. I'm.. sorry Talc.. I didn't mean to start you back up again.." 

"That's okay Garnet." he smiled sadly into her shoulder. "I need to get this all out." he choked up. "And I needed to hear that.. that you actually cared about my well being that day.." 

"I care about your well being _all_ the time, Talc.. Despite of how I've been acting these past few days and.. "she swallowed. "Despite of leaving you back in the other room.. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself.. even more.." she added. Then she sighed again. "If something had happened to you.." 

"But nothing happened.."

They two hugged it out more. Steven pouring out more tears on her shirt. 

"I'm glad we did this" he sniffled. 

"I'm.. glad we did this too." 

Then a though came to his mind and his mood faltered slightly. He sighed. 

"What's wrong?"

"It just.. sucks that.. even after all of this.. that we would have to still go out and kill people." a few fresh came down. "and some of them.. being innocent people.."

Garnet nodded. "Yeah." she said sadly. "Yeah, I know.. And that too, took me a while to.." she trailed of. 

"Get used to it?" That's what everyone had been telling _him_.. that he would just "get used to it" even Garnet herself said that during their first talk. 

"I mean.. in a way.. Though to be completely honest, I hesitate to use the phrase "used to it".. but I try to think of the rivals as someone who went to the battlefield _knowing_ what they may be getting into."

He thought about what Pee Dee had told them when they were sitting on the bench.. 

He sighed as more tears fell. "They.. put it on themselves.. right?" 

"Well.. that's a blunt way of saying it, sure." he was taken aback at that. "But yes. There are many, many paths to take and they've chosen the path that we've taken Talc. A dangerous one." 

_That's.. yeah, that's actually true.. Both the rivals_and _them were both in gangs.. The Crystal Gems AND all of the rivals.. They were all on dangerous paths.._

"That's the war path that _I have_ chosen.. And so, if I win against them, then I win against them and.. if I lose then.." she was silent for a few moments and Steven got the memo quick. "Well.. then I had a good run.." 

He trailed his arms up to her shoulders, pulling her in. "I don't want anything to happen to you Garnet.." he cried. "To anyone.. including our rivals.." he sobbed. 

"I know.. me too.. but. We're an opposing team. And.. some opposing teams do fancy gymnastic flips to beat each other at tournaments to win, some people fight to win and.. some people.. kill to win.. that's what _we_ do.. And does it make it fair or right?" she shrugged, her shoulders brushing against his shirt. "And whether we like it or not, we also have to take into consideration very rare reasons why would would have to actually go out our way to kill our rivals sometimes. If a rival was coming at your family member, you can't bother thinking about sparing their life.. If you were up against a tyrannical ruler and you only had one shot at them then and even asking them one last time if they would stop their evil doing and they don't then.. ..You get what I'm saying?" 

"Yeah." he sighed sadly.. 

He had to sadly agree. 

"Now.. that is _not_ to say that those people's lives are any less than anyone else's." _That's what I've been saying!!_ "However.." _sighs.._ "They've paid their price. And, just like you and I and everyone else who have taken this path.. But.. we both signed the waiver, Talc. And.. everything and anything goes.. anything." 

And it took him to here..with what Garnet was saying to him, to add to what Pee Dee was saying.. That he finally started to see the bigger picture and agree with both of the two. "Yeah.." he said again, whispering. 

Then another thought came to his mind and he had to ask as more tears streamed down his face. 

"And what about the inncoent people?" _Sighs.. what is she going to say about that-_

"We mourn for them." 

That took him aback.

"I mean.. that's what I do.. Though nobody else knows about this.. Well, except for you.."

"What do you do exactly?" 

"Every time they hold a public funeral, I go to them. But, if I have a mission during that time, then I try my best to go back to the cemetery and go to every grave and say a small prayer for each of them. And..." she sighed. "This might sound silly, but I also tell them that I'm sorry.." she shrugged again. "I'm not sure if that does much but I hope that my personal prayers for them at least does something.. anything.." 

Steven could only cry more at that..

"And.. sometimes they hold donations for certain families or buildings that we've destroyed and I put some of my money to those foundations.. And sometimes they even have the donators actually go help and rebuilt and I try to do a bit of that too." 

More ugly sobbing from Steven. 

It was so beautiful. 

The fact that Garnet goes out of her way to do all of that truly does speak about her character.. 

And he could only wonder more how a character such as that truly did have such bad anger? Unless she had that kind of anger in the past and that wasn't her anymore? Nevertheless, those acts were beautiful.. 

"..So.. you're going to the one downtown this week?" 

"Unfortunately I can't.. I've found out our schedule for this week." his stomach dipped at that. "So I don't have time to go to this one." 

He frowned. "Oh.. I.. had wanted to come with you.." 

"It's okay.. we can still mourn for them."

More tears and more tighter hugging from Steven.

The two hugged more until Garnet slowly started to lean up. "As much as I would like to keep this up" she said to him. "..we do need to leave before Amethyst calls us. 

Steven shook his head solemnly. "Yeah.. you're right Garnet." then a small smile, sad smile start to come. "But we can always have more talks like this." 

She nodded. "Definitely." she let go of him and he started to do the same, the two getting up. Garnet putting the bullets back in the brass knuckle and clipping the weapon back on her belt. 

"Also." Garnet got his attention and he looked up. "Hm?" A small smile was on her face. "I can't speak on behalf of the rest of the Crystal Gems but.. perhaps.. you and I could try our best _not_ to kill our rivals.. And who knows, maybe it'll catch on.." she had a sly smile on her face. 

A huge grin spread across Steven's face. He was actually getting to them!! Well, to her. But that was a start!!! 

"Definitely!!!!" he shouted. 

"But." then her mouth faltered to a loose thin line, the mask blocking the ful apologetic look. "If it unfortunately resorts to the alternative.." 

Steven's smile fell, but quickly turned to a look of understanding. He gave a professional nod. "Don't worry. I understand completely." then he managed a very small smile. "And we can always pay our respects afterwards." 

Garnet smiled at him and nodded. "To rivals _and _ to the innocent bystanders."

Steven's smile grew and he nodded enthusiastically which made Garnet chuckle. 

And wow.. did he love that laugh..

"Now, let's get to the other end of the wing, shall we?" 

He nodded, still smiling. Then.. another tear fell and he started up again. He lunged forward, giving her another hug. And she quickly returned it. 

She grazed her arm across his back in a massage. "It's going to be a long road to recovery for you." she said gently. "but I know you'll be able to handle it." 

"Of course Garnet.. as long as I have you, Connie and every one else who cares about me by my side, then I know everything will be fine." then a beat later. "Also, crying. Crying always works." he sniffled into a snorted laugh. 

"Yeah, that's the truth." she laughed with him. 

The two broke away and Garnet unzipped a pocket on the waist of her jumpsuit. She handed Steven a cleanex and he wiped his face, wiping all of the days worth of tears and wiping off the lovely, beautiful mucus he had all down his face. Then he blew his nose. 

She handed him a few more tissues and he used one to put the dirty one in. He put it in his back pocket. And put the clean ones in his front pocket. 

He took a loud breath of relief with a huge smile on his face. 

He genuinely felt better. The nagging pang of something bad was gone.. Maybe because it was telling him.. that he actually _wasn't_ fine and that he was ultimately a ticking time bomb.. 

And he didn't feel like he was split between two planes. He felt whole again. He was back in the present and he felt like hitting the ground running. Be it towards something positive or negative in life, he didn't mind, he would overcome it. 

He was looking forward to the journey of recovery.. A lot of bottled up memories had resurfaced that apparently he really _hadn't_ gotten over.. and.. he would have to deal with them eventually, starting with Andy. And, he honestly didn't mind that. He would get better.. mentally, emotionally. He would get better. 

And he was truly ready for it. 

This was his first step to a _new_ journey in life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looks like we learned a small bit about Garnet's past as well as what she does with some of her time.
> 
> Yet.. there's still so much confusion with her and there's still more to know about her very dark past..
> 
> And we've also learn more about _Steven's_ past as well with Andy and Pee Dee.  
And don't worry guys, I'm not writing Steven as someone who lashes out at people physically when he's mad. Pee Dee literally_ was_ just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Though of course that's not how Steven sees it. But it's good that Pee Dee was being such a good sport about it.  
But yeah, don't get me wrong, I _also_ don't want to downplay what Steven did either with him throwing punches at times when he's extremely irate.  

> 
> Also, yay more bonding with Garnet!! And yay healing!! :D


	55. Serious Steven

Steven couldn't help but have that nagging thought in his mind.. and he just wanted to know.. "So.." he said meekly.. "Does.. this mean that we're okay.. or.."

A sly smile came over her face. "Now what kind of a question is that? Of course we are." then she thought. "And I should start showing that more often." _I just need to watch out with Amethyst.._

"It's just.." he looked away, scratching the back of his head. He sighed. "Sorry for yelling at you.. and.. for what all I've said.." 

"Is that what you're worried about? It's no problem.. If anything, I actually deserved all that anyway." she said with a smug look. 

"But.." 

"It's okay, Talc. Really." she smiled. "Now. Let's get out of here." 

He looked at her for a few moments and let go of the guilt.. She'd forgiven him and he had to continue on. Put the past behind him. He smiled and gave her a nod. "Okay. Let's do this." 

The two turned around.

To see the fourth square of spikes coming down fast in front of them.

Steven looked up at her. "Umm.." he looked at her, smiling nervously. 

A chuckle and a smile came to her face. "I'll help you across." 

"Heheh, thanks- whoa!" she swept him up in her arms in a bridal carry. She crouched down, watching the spikes until she lunged out, springing underneath the spikes, her body still crouched low. 

The fifth, last one was coming down even faster. 

She crouched down lower, bringing Steven closer to her. She waited.. and waited.. 

And waited..

Until she lunged again, running under. The spikes already coming down. She dove down on her side, quickly taking a gauntlet out just as the spikes were coming towards Steven's face. He scream, holding his hands up. The spikes grazing Garnet's gauntlet, sparks flying as the two barely slid to the other side of the spikes. The two laid there, sighing a breath of relief. 

"That was way too close." said Steven. 

"Very. But at least we made it." she let go of him and clipped the gauntlet back on her belt.

"Yeah." he looked at the spikes for a few moments. 

"Talc?" 

"Huh?" 

She looked at him, still sitting on her. 

"Oh! Oh, uh." he slid off of her. "Sorry." he got up and she got up after him. 

Right as they started walking towards the door, it slid down. They walked through to see.. 

Nine tall pillars in one horizontal line going towards to the other side of the room to the other platform. A single pendulum blade swung back and forth between them. The same spikes, similar to the ones from the room they'd just been in smashed down on the pillars. A couple seconds later lava fell from the ceiling onto the pillars. 

And below everything, was a bed of fire. 

Steven stood there. Wide eyed. 

Garnet turned around. A smirk on her face. "Get ready, Steven. This is going to be intense." 

He swallowed. "U, uh.. uh huh.." he couldn't form any words. Completely in shock of all of the stuff that was going on in the room. 

She stepped in front of him, blocking the view of the room. And with a friendly smile she said. "Don't worry. We got this. Together." 

He gave her a nervous smile. "Y, yeah.." 

They walked over to the edge, getting a better look at the.. terrifying room in front of them. 

"Alright, now let's do this." Garnet took her gauntlets out, spinning them onto her hand. 

Steven sighed and she looked down at him, dropping her arms back to her side. "I.. I still can't activate the bubble." he felt the tears sting his eyes as he let them fall down his face. 

And it just felt good to let it all out. To cry that out as well.. 

"Hmm.." Garnet hummed to herself. She clipped the gauntlets back on her belt. "Maybe we can check it out, just the two of us. Now that there's no other people here." 

_Pfft.. "people" being 'Amethyst' is what she's probably referring to.._ Steven scoffed in his mind.

Garnet leaned forward, grabbing his hand. "Oh, it's on the other side." he turned his hand around. "The gem was facing downward when it happened. That's why I put it like that." 

"Can you tell me anything else? What happened exactly when this happened?" 

"Um.. I mean.. I just remember falling and sliding on the floor.. and that the little jewel part was facing downwards when it slid across the floor." 

Garnet held his hand up, looking at the small pink jewel. And at that angle.. Steven's heart skipped a small beat, taken aback once again.. 

With how Garnet was leaning close to the ring.. and in the bright light of the room, he could get a good look of her shades behind her mask. 

They looked to have water droplets on them..

_So she really was cr_-

"Let's try to replicate that again." she leaned back up.

"Huh?" he was so busy looking at her glasses. 

"Let's replicate that scene. Pretend to fall and try to hold your hands out like how they was last time." 

Steven gave her a confused look. 

"Eh, it sounds silly, but it's worth a try." 

"Right.." he wiped at his eye. "Okay..? So I just.." he felt so silly with what he was about to do.. 

He jogged a few feet and spun around, "falling".. awkwardly.. to the floor, being mindful of his hands as he slid them across the floor. 

Nothing happened. 

Steven frowned. 

"Maybe you just need to out more pressure on it." she tried to boost him up.

He looked at the ring. "Mmm, maybe?" he shrugged. He got up and did it again, falling even more awkwardly on the floor as he put more pressure on the tiles, the gem scraping across the floor. 

Nothing happened. 

He sighed. "See Garnet? I just can't do it.." he sat there on the floor. 

"No, wait. I think I know what's going on." he looked up at her. "You're body is too stiff.. Usually, when someone tries to break their fall, they widen their arms _out_. But, since you're purposly making yourself slide, you're just using your hands to slide you across. So you've been keeping them straight to your sides." 

He looked at his other arm that _was_ by his side. Then he looked back up at her. "Yeah, that makes sense." he was about to get up when Garnet stopped him with a hand up. "No, stay there. Just try sliding your arms in an arc." 

_I hope this works.._

He took his arm and swung it around in an arc, keeping a bit of pressure on it. It didn't look like it was working. "No, do it faster. When you fall, by instinct you throw your arms out quickly." 

He tried once more, throwing his arm swiftly and this time, in a sharp arc, putting down a bit more pressure on the ring.

The jewel shifted under the band, twisting slightly with the pressure, rotating and popping off the band..

"You did it Talc!!" Garnet cheered. 

Steven was all teeth. Grinning from ear to ear. "Garnet!! You were right!!" he cheered with her. "I think I got it now!! And.. and maybe it's the same way I turn it off!!" he remembered how he got spooked a bit when Konni hugged him and he remembered flailing his hands up. So maybe that's what happened as well? 

He raised his arm, throwing it to the side of him in a swift, tight arc. The surface of the band sparking and snapping back into the band. 

The bubble was gone. 

"It worked!!" he cheered some more. "I, I think I officially know how to activate and deactivate the bubble!!" he ran towards Garnet, giving her a hug. Then, he quickly leaned back away, striking a hero pose, with his fists on his hips and his chest out. "Now. Let's do this thing, Garnet!"

Garnet chuckled, ruffling his hair.

"Mmmm.." he pouted. 

She lifted her hand back up. "Sorry, couldn't resisit. You were just so cute when you did that." 

He blushed clearing his throat. "Alright! Let's try this!" his voice cracked. And he felt his face flush even more.

He cleared his throat again. "Garnet, stay close to me." he kept his voice heroically low. She had a pleased smile on her face. Her arms folded as she took a full step closer to him. "Oookay." He continued. "I know what we can do.. The plan is for you to leap me across the pillars. As soon as we get on one, I activate the bubble. The spikes will drop and break under the bubble." he pointed at the spikes coming down. "Sounds good." Garnet nodded. "Yes. And then the lava will come down." they watched as the lava started pouring down. "and once it stops, I deactivate the bubble and we do the same, for the others. You jump me over and I activate the bubble." 

"Yeah." she nodded. "Yeah, that sounds good. Though... since we're pretty pressed on time.." she tried to let him down lightly, scratching at her chin "in thought". "perhaps it'll just be a bit quicker to just activate the bubble and I jump us across while in the bubble." 

Steven thought about it, giving himself a face palm. His voice going back to unheroic voice Steven. "Oh.. WHY didn't I think of that!" he said, overly dramatically. "Yeah, your plan is much better." he stepped forward. "Okay. Here I go! Crystal Gem ring bubble forcefield power activate!!" he slid his arm in an arc sharply in front of them. 

The bubble formed in one second around them.

Steven looked up at Garnet, smiling giddily.

Garnet gave him a thumbs up, smiling. "I knew you had it in you. Now. Let's get to the other side." he nodded in agreement.

The two turned around. "Alright. Hold on." she jumped. 

But.. the bubble didn't budge. 

"Hm?" she tried once more. 

"Okay then. Looks like the bubble doesn't work like that. Looks like we have to go with your plan after all." 

"Hm." he gave her a minute, professional nod. He swiped his hand in a sharp arc and the bubble disappeared. 

If he wasn't trying to be so serious and focused on their plan, he would be squealing with joy on how he could activate and deactivate his bubble now! But.. he was Serious Steven now. He had to pay attention to the obstacles in front of them. 

She picked him up by his torso with one arm. "Get ready." he gave her two thumbs up. "Ready." 

She jumped and he kept his body downwards, ready to strike the pillar as soon as she landed on it. They barely missed the swinging blade.

She let him go just as her boots hit the ceramic tiles. He wasted no time in raking the ring across. The bubble formed just as the spikes came down. The teeth breaking and shattering upon impact. Then the lava flowed down, covering the surface of the bubble. Garnet looked at the hot liquid flowing down. "This is _some_ bubble." 

"I know, right?! That's what I was thinking!!" 

The lava stopped and Steven swiped across the bubble and landed on the lava filled pillar. "Oh no! Connie's flip flops!" he backpedaled. Garnet picked him up and jumped. 

Eight pillars later and they landed on the platform. "Whooooo!! Yeaaahhhhhh!!!" he cheered. "We made it across!!" 

"And we couldn't had done it, without that amazing bubble of yours." 

"Awww, shucks." he mumbled, feeling his face heating up again. 

"Now. Let's get out of here." she smiled. 

The two walked towards the door and it slide down for them. They walked through, entering a hallway. "The lever is just up ahead." said Garnet. 

"Hm." he gave her another minute, professional nod. He just felt really good about himself. He let out all of his emotions, him and Garnet bonded even more, he knew how to activate and deactivate his bubble. He was just in a genuinely amazing mood and he couldn't help but put a little more pep and skip in his step with every stride along Garnet. 

A few minutes later and they saw the end of the hallway. A single silver lever right in the middle of it. 

Suddenly, they heard a funky beat kind of tune and Garnet picked up her phone and swiped it across, putting her boss on speaker phone. "Yes, Amethyst." she held the phone in between her and Steven. He was a Crystal Gem too, after all. 

"MAN!! She shouted in the phone. They could hear her running. "Just made it across this stupid wing!!! I know you two have been waiting a long time. Even WITH Talc." the boy rolled his eyes and Garnet suppressed a laugh. "Anyway. Got the lever ready, Garnet?" 

She'd just taken the last steps towards it. She put her hand on it. "Yup." 

They heard Amethyst run for a few more moments before stopping. "Good." she panted. "Now, on the count of three, we pull the lever down." 

"Copy that." 

"One, two, three-" Garnet pulled down the lever and the floor crumbled underneath of them and caved in. The two falling through. Steven started screaming. 

"Alright, meet you down there." Garnet said casually to the phone. 

"Luego. (Later)." 

Garnet pressed the button on her home and put it back in her pocket. All while Steven was still screaming. 

Garnet snickered, grabbing him. "Relax. I got you." 

He looked down to see small pyramids, as big as basketballs zipping and flying everywhere about the room. And one plane, white pedestal. In the middle of it, a shiny, sleek looking pyramid wedged in the middle.

Garnet landed and quickly let him go, looking around as she went to dodge the small, flying pyramids. Pieces from the floor they were on came falling down with them. 

Amethy and Pearl free fell down moments later, landing gracefully. The two got up, already sporting their weapons as they ducked and dodged the flying security debris. 

"Gotta get that pyramid!" Amethyst shouted. She ducked out of the way of an incoming sharp point of a pyramid and used her whip to take another one out of mid air. She threw it towards the wall and it exploded. 

"Looks like these pyramids aren't letting up either." said Pearl. She blocked three pyramids in seconds with her spear and leaned back, matrix style as two more flew towards her. She leaned back up. "Did Peridot give us the information on how to turn them off?" 

Amethyst jumped, one trying to hit her legs. "The lever is on the pedestal itself." Amethyst scoffed. "Freakin' smart alecs.. Think they got us beat." she grabbed another pyramid with her whip and through it to the floor. It exploded.

Steven watched as the women each tried to worm their way up towards the pedestal at the far back of the room. The pyramids getting more and more hectic the closer to the pedestal. 

Amethyst and her whip, Pearl and her sword and Garnet and her gauntlets. The three using their weapons and dodging the debris. 

He continued trying to dodge them, getting hit with a few. "Ow!, Ow, Oof! Ow!" he looked at Garnet and the two spared a couple seconds look before Garnet had to dodge two more pyramids. Then she nodded at him and went back to fighting the pyramids off.

_Wait.. what am I doing? I can activate my shield now! I have my gadget.. Just like they have their weapons! I can help them!_"OWCH!" he got socked in the stomach and he fell over. He groaned, getting up slowly. He still had a small, side smile. He looked at his hand. "Alright ring. Looks like it's you and me." he swiped across the floor, the bubble forming around him. 

The three women continued to fight the pyramids off, Pearl catching a glimpse of Steven first. "He activated the bubble." she said, in shock. A pyramid was coming at her and she sliced through it, right in the middle.

Amethyst looked away slightly, her attention still mainly on the flying pyramids. Her expression unreadable. 

Steven walked on, making his way towards the pedestal. The three women staring at him as the boy, head held high and making his triumphant, slow paced walk towards the jewel. More and more pyramids started flying toward him the closer he got to it. Each and every pyramid exploding and crumbling under the bubble, the bubble, barely making a ripple as the pyramid like missiles flew into it. 

He stood just a foot away away from the pedestal now. The sound of the thudding and exploding pyramids and smoke and fire surrounded the bubble as they continued pummeling the bubble. 

The bubble, still unfazed. 

The three stood there, looking at him, still getting attacked by the pyramids. 

_Now, how can I get it? _

Then he remembered what Amethyst said. _Oh right! The lever to stop the pyramids is on the back! _

_ He jogged towards it. The silver level was just a half a foot above him. _Aw jeez.. How am I going to get it? If I could just stretch the bubble out with me hand.._ He placed his hand on the bubble, pushing on it. _

The bubble didn't budge. _Okay.. so it's not stretchable.._ More pyramids darted right into the bubble, disenagrating upon impact. _But.. I can't just deactivate the bubble either.. Then I'd get hit with all of them.. _

"What's taking him so long.." Amethyst asked lowly.. "Can't he just.. jump up?" Her expression.. still unreadable.. She dodged four more pyramids and grabbed a fifth and sixth one with her whip at one time. 

The other two women continued to dodge and destroy the flying pyramids. 

_If only I could just jump _up _with the bubble, but.. apparently that doesn't work either.. _ He looked at the lever again.. _Maybe.. certain parts of the bubble stretches? I don't know.. _ He put his hands above him, pressing on the bubble as he reached for the lever. _Come on, come on.. you have to stretch or do something else somehow... right bubble? _ the lever was just above his hands and he continued to feel around the bubble, pressing up. Still, nothing happened. 

_Come on, come on..If I..can just.. reach up.. and get it!! _ subconsciously, he took a jump, trying to stretch out the bubble more. 

The bubble bounced up with him, hitting the lever up. All of the pyramids fell to the ground immediately as Steven dropped back down. 

"What?!" _Wait.. so it _can _bounce up? But.. but why couldn't Garnet do it when she tried to?-_

"Don't just stand there! Go ahead and grab the jewel!" Amethyst shouted. She was beginning to have a smile on her face. 

"Oh! Yeah!" He ran his hand across the bubble and it went back into its band. He ran to the other side and stood on his toes, reaching for the jewel. He grabbed it and pulled it out slowly from its slot. 

The jewel slid out in his hand. It had a bit of weight to it. 

He turned to her. "Got it, Amethyst." he smiled. 

"Doy. I can _see_ that." 

Suddenly, the building started to crack and crumble around them. "Self destruct mode in ten, nine, eight." said the robotic voice. 

"Huh?!" Steven yelped out. 

Amethyst snickered. "Yup dude. This place _also_ has a mechanism where, when you take that expensive jewelry out of its container, the whole building explo-" 

The walls crackled and exploded and the floorboards burst up, launching them up as the ceilings cracked open in front of them. They flew out as the building started to self destruct and engulf into sparks and fire. 

Steven screamed as he flew up in the air, the gems being thrown away from him in different areas.

He flew up high. 

..And over the trees.. 

..This wasn't going to end well.. 

_Aw man! Aw man! Aw man!! I'm falling!! And I can't fly!! Or land firm a tall height like the gems!! Or, or have any floaty powers!!l _ He screamed more, as he neared the trees. _And there's no floor for me to scrap the ring on!! I can't activate it!!! _"AAAHHH! OOF!! AH!! OW!!!" he hit the first tree, hitting a bunch of leaves and strawberries. He bounced off, hitting another tree right beside it. Its branch hitting Steven's chest, knocking the wind out of him as he bounced off towards another tree. Then the next branch of another tree, then more leaves. 

Branches, leaves, strawberries, branch, branch, leaves. And the journey down continued until. 

"OOF!" Having fallen on a small bush of ripped strawberries. He groaned, rolling over, squishing more of the strawberries in the bush and plopped back down on his back, catching his breath from that branch earlier as he gazed up dizzily at the night sky seeing..Diamonds? _Wha? Did I get _that _knocked out that I'm seeing.. diamonds now?_ He shook his head and laid there, taking in some deep breaths. 

_Well.. at least I still have the gem. I didn't drop it with the fall. _ He held the gem up a bit and held his head down slightly to see it. He turned it around in his strawberry stained hands. 

He heard Amethyst sighing loudly._ Dramatically. _ "Where the heck is Talc?"

Pearl flipped the canister clockwise and the spear snapped back inside. She clipped it onto her belt. "I saw him get catapulted over there somewhere." Steven heard her say. 

"Eh, I'll give him four minutes to get his tail back here. CGVU Protocol.." 

He laid his head back down and laid the pyrid back down, relaxing. He didn't bother telling them where he was.. It wasn't like Amethyst and Pearl would help him anyway.. And he didn't really _need_ help.. He just. needed. a. nice. little.. breather..-

"Hey, Talc." a figure appeared in front of his face upside down.

"Ah!" he jumped back more into the bush, feeling more strawberries get squished under his back.

"It's just me... with strawberries on my mask." Garnet took her hand, wiping away half of the pieces of strawberries from the bottom of the mask on down. 

"Y, yeah... Heheh I know.." he slid off just as Garnet grabbed one arm, helping him back to his feet. She let go.

"Thanks Garnet." 

"No problem."

They heard some movement in the bushes and Steven jumped again. "AH!" _Is that the rivals?! _

"It's just bunny rabbits." she said casually." 

Four bunnies rabbits jumped out the bushes, covered in strawberry juice. Two of them holding strawberries in their mouths.

"Oh..Heheh..I.. thought they were someone else.."

Without warning, a swarm of something that he couldn't quite catch flew to his face, covering his eyes. "Ah!!!! Something's got me!! Something's got me!!" 

Garnet waved them away and slowly, Steven was able to see again. "They're just butterflies, Talc." 

"Oh.." he felt his face heating up again.. actually getting freaked out again. "Oh.." he coughed. "Well,..they looked a lot bigger when they were on my eye balls." 

"On your eyeballs?" Garnet chuckled. "Okay, _now_ you're just over exaggerating." she smiled, walking away from him. 

He chuckled with her. "Heheh.. maybe just a little.."

The two walked in silence only but for a few moments until Steven spoke back up. "Hey, Garnet?" 

She didn't look down, keeping a stoic posture and a professional look as they neared the truck ahead of them. "Mm?"

"Thanks for the talk again. And.." his smile went to a frown. "Again..I'm.. really.. really sorry for yelling at you and for what I said.."

"It's okay Talc... You needed to get that out." then a beat later. "And I enjoyed our talk too.. It always gives me that extra pep that I always need to make it through another week."

That made the smile come back. And he was so close to giving her another hug, but quickly noticed where he was. 

Right. There's a time and place for everything. 

And that includes _not_ hugging Garnet while being a foot away from the car where Amethyst was currently in.. 

The two got into their respective seats. Steven getting into the car and feeling his clothes stick to the seat while he tried to get comfortable and Garnet sliding into the car and turning it on. 

He put his seat belt on and looked at the expensive gem that they'd came here to get. Without any scuffs. Just a bit of strawberry juice. But apart from that, it was fine. And. he was the one that got it. 

And he couldn't had done it without.. 

He looked up at Garnet. The woman shifting gears and backing out of the woods. The two caught each other's eyes and Steven quickly lost the smile, barely holding it in. Garnet was a better actor. Giving him a stoic nod of her head and looking back out in front of her as she put the car in drive. 

Overall, it was a pretty good day. He got a lot of stuff out, he has new opinions and different perspectives and outlooks in life, he knows how to use his bubble now and.. he was able to get the pyramid. 

AND. He finally felt like himself again. 

He couldn't resist anymore and he smiled again as he stared out the window, watching the trees go by as Garnet drove the car back out into the side street. 

Overall: Mission. Accomplished. 

Now it's time to go home.

He took the mask off, plopping it on the sticky arm rest beside him.

_ And be with my Connie. _

The car passed a directory sign as Garnet drove on the highway and Steven immediately got an idea. 

He couldn't get Connie those pretzels.. so maybe he could get her a McFlurry instead from McKee Dees? 

But what would Amethyst say.. or do..? 

Eh, who cares.. He was just TOO much in a good mood. 

"Hey, Amethyst?" 

She looked up from her phone. "Yo." 

"Ya know.. I was just thinking.. 

"Thinking about what, Talc? Spit it out." 

Don't get repelled by that.. Don't worry.. Just stand your ground. You got this. 

He shrugged casually. "Eh, I was just wondering if.. we could go to McKee Dees?"

Garnet and Pearl looked at him in shock. Then looked at their boss.

She locked her phone. "Pfft, what?" 

" Yeah, I mean.. I think we're all pretty hungry." 

Amethyst cut her eye at the two women and they quickly looked away. 

"And I don't know.. Just thought we could.. celebrate a bit for getting the jewel?" 

She looked down at the pyramid in his strawberry stained lap. Then looked back at him. Narrowing her eyes at him.. 

He swallowed. 

And the other two could feel their hair stick up on the back of their necks.. Scared at what she was possibly going to do next.. 

Then. 

Amethyst turned back around, slouching back into the chair. She shrugged, her look going to something calm and casual. "Eh, why not? You _did_ manage to not eff up and give us the ancient pyramid stone." 

The two continued to look on in shock and Steven didn't catch it, too busy cheering in his seat. "Yeaaahh!!" 

"Hey!" she snapped and he quickly stopped in mid cheer. "DON'T get used to this.." she looked away.. yet a hint of a smile was slightly forming on her face. 

Steven kept his smile, seeing that she wasn't_ too_ serious. "Ba da ba ba baaah, I'm luvin' it." he song the restaurant's slogan. 

Okay, _don't_ push it, Pillsbury."

Steven chuckled more. Garnet looking back at him through the rearview mirror. Watching him smiling, in cheer and in such a vibrant mood. 

Yeah. _That_ was the Talc that she missed. And.. she was so glad that he was back. 

She looked back at the street ahead before casting another glance at the happy looking boy, laughing it up in the back. A smile came across her face and a little chuckle managed to escape her. _Please don't ever change, Talc._ she chuckled. _Please don't ever change._

Then her eyes caught sight of the pink, hibiscus mask beside him and her smile dropped immediately.. _Please... Don't ever change.. _


	56. McKee Dees!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I know. It's a very short chapter *shrugs* but I didn't want to put it with the previous chapter.. or the next chapter. So yeah, please enjoy this little outting of the Gems going to McKee Dees :)

"Welcome to Mckee Dees. What would you like to order?" 

"Yes, can we have three number two's and-" 

They heard a gasp and some talking in the background. "And your drink with that? And what size?" more talking in the background.

"Three cokes. Medium." 

"Dude, that _does_ sound like Este-" more incomprehensible chatter and they heard a couple people giggling in the background.

"Okay, so three medium number twos with a coke. Anything else?" 

"Yes, I want a-" Amethyst silenced Steven with a hand. She turned to Garnet. "Just give the little twerp a" she snorted. "a happy meal." 

"Aw, what?" he whined. 

"Give him that Garnet." 

The woman turned back to the screen to give the rest of the order. 

"Hey." Amethyst looked at him. "You gotta know your place, Talc, when speaking out." she said with a bit of authority, with a smidge of casualness. "Remember next time and perhaps you would actually get what want to order.. _perhaps."_

Steven pouted in his seat. Though he wasn't _too_ mad.

_Whatever.. Jokes on her.. Happy meals come with a drink AND a McFlury._ a beat later. _AND a cool collectables toy._

"... drink?" he caught the last end of the question.

Garnet looked at Amethyst again. 

"Give him a.. Durian juice box." 

He saw Pearl make a disgusted face and Garnet turned her head to order. 

_Whatever.. jokes on her again. I actually _love_ Durian juice. _

"....will be twenty four eighty. Pull up to the next window." more giggling in the background. 

"Riley, why didn't you tell her she sounded like that celebrity-" 

The microphone turned off and Garnet drove to the next window. 

The young woman slid the window open. "Hello." 

"Hey there." Garnet handed her a fifty. 

They lady grabbed the money, poked a few buttons on the cash register and handed her back her change. 

Then they were handed four bags and Garnet put it all in the front and turned back around, the lady handing her a tray with three medium cokes and a kid size McFlurry. The Durian juice box wedged in the middle.

"Thanks." she told the woman and she gave her a 'no problem' and Garnet set the drinks down and rolled the window up. 

Garnet drove up for a bit before stopping. The two made sure the food was correct, Amethyst ignoring the other bags. "Okay. At least _my_ order is right." she took her back and dug her hand in, shoving a mouthful of fries in her mouth. 

Garnet handed Pearl her bag and drink, then handed Steven his. He was just about to say a 'thanks Garnet' but figured that, too, would be pushing the boundaries between them with Amethyst being there.. And maybe even Pearl as well, for that matter.. 

Garnet snuck three fries in from her bag and drove off. 

Steven opened the compartment between he and Pearl and placed the McFlurry inside the ice along with Guacola and other various drinks. He closed it back and popped open the box, taking out a small colorful box. He popped it open. _Like four nuggets is going to fill me up.. Eh, whatev's I don't want to eat too much anyway.. Don't want to spoil my appetite for breakfast.._

He took one nugget and threw the whole thing in his mouth and looked back into the back for the barbecue sauce and gasped, almost choking on his nugget. The three women looked at him and he coughed a few times, clearing his throat. He swallowed the dry nugget down and blew out a breath. Not realizing he was being stared at, he dug into the bag and pulled out a plastic toy. "I finally got a kangaroo!!" 

The three looked unamused. Amethyst snorting. "So you almost choked on your food.. over a plastic little toy." 

"It's not just some 'plastic little toy', Amethyst." he pouted. "THIS is a collectibles item. And this puppy right here." he held up the kangaroo. "is one of the RAREST! Aw man you guys, my collection is finally complete! I finally have all ten!! I have the dingo, the platypus, the kaola, the wallaby, the sugar glider, the wombat, the-" 

"Yeeeees, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. We get it, we get it." Amethyst waved him off. 

He stopped. But still couldn't contain his smile. He finally had Kenny Kangaroo!! His collection was finally complete! 

"Let me see that stupid toy." Steven handed her the little toy in the plastic. "We could probably replicate this back at the lab." 

"Aw, but that would be cheating Amethyst." he handed her the toy as what he said to her made Pearl and Garnet make another glance at him. Both looking uneasy. 

Amethyst scoffed. "Like I care about cheating." she turned the toy around in her hand. Then she pressed the button on it's stomach. The kangaroo's leg pushed up, in a kicking motion, the plastic stopping it's legs in mid kick. "Hm, not bad." she stared at the toy.

"Um.. Amethyst? Could I.. have it back now? I.. don't want it to get messed up." 

"Mmmmmmmm.... nope." 

"What?!"

"Yup." she put the toy in her pocket. "I collect these too. Been waiting to get this little bugger for awhile and we've hit a lot of Mckee Dees spots to buy one of them. Couldn't ever find this guy though." she pat the toy in her pocket. "But, thankfully you were so kind to give me one." 

"That's no what I.. I didn't.. That's not.. Awwwww maaaaan!! My search is still on for Kenny the Kangaroooo!!" he whined dramatically. 

Amethyst snickered. "Suck it up, kid. It ain't that serious." she took a few fries and ate them. 

He pouted for a few moments, then sighed, defeated.. He took out the barbecue sauce from the box and peeled it open. Then he took out the small bag of fries and dipped a couple into the sauce. He threw them in his mouth, chewing sadly. 


	57. Metamorphosis

The car pulled up to their usually spot and Steven was taking off his Crystal Gem shirt.

"Still can't believe you ruined that shirt." Amethyst shook her head in disappointment. "Well, whatever. Looks like you'll have to just sow it up." 

Last time it was perfect timing because they just so _happened_ to need him fitted during the time he ripped up his shirt.. but _now_ they're not going back there!! What was he going to do now?! He STILL didn't know how to sow!! 

He nodded. "Of course." 

Amethyst snorted. "You probably don't even _know_ how to sow." Steven frowned. "Eh, whatever. You better think of something fast, dude, just in case you need it for tomorrow." 

He looked up at her.

"Don't tell me you forgot about the most awesome matches ever?!" 

_Ohhhh, right. Wrestleman-_

"Wrestlemania!!!" She shouted with her fists up in the air. Then she lowered her tone a bit. "Yeah dude. Just in case something were to pop off there or if we have a random mission that's sprung on us, we have to be ready. And that's _any_ day really. Even when we're _not_ on an outting like tomorrow together. You need to _always_ have your GemTech clothes on AND your gadgets and weapons on you. You just never know what's going to go off and you're called for a mission." 

_Yeah,_that's_ going to suck when it starts getting warmer out. Having GemTech clothes on AS well as the other clothes.._

Steven nodded. "So, what time does the match start?"

"The match starts at nineteen hundred hours. But, of course, we'll have to take in consideration the commute." 

_And knowing them it's probably another four or FIVE hour ride or something there.._

"It'll take about two hours to get there." _Eh, not _that_ bad actually _

"But just in case there'll be a bit of traffic on the highway, not including finding parking spots _and_ getting some refreshments and all that jazz, we'll tack on an extra hour and a half." _Aaaaaand, there we go.. A whopping three and a half hours. _

Though at the same time he was.. kinda getting used to it actually. Especially now that he's rid himself of a lot of mental baggage and he's slowly getting better as a Crystal Gem, the car rides should be even more calming now. 

He put his other shirt on, some of the strawberry juice getting on it. Then he opened the compartment and took out the McFlurry. He closed the lid back. "Sooo, see you guys here at three." he quickly corrected himself. "Uh.." _twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen._ "Fifteen thirty?" there was some belittling snickering in the car from Pearl beside him.

"Fifteen _three zero_" Amethyst corrected. "Yes."

_Eh, I was close.._ "Okay, see you guys later." he smiled, opening the door. "Night guys. And, thanks for the food, Amethyst."

Amethyst gave him a nod with her usual smug look.

Pearl waved with a "Night, kid." _Still calling me kid.._

And Garnet..

Garnet turned around and gave him a small nod with a smile. "Night, Talc." 

And his smile grew and he quickly had to go back to a casual, professional smile. He nodded back to her and closed the door. 

It took him every bit to not skip or do a fancy little trot on the way to the main door. He _did_ have his Crystal Gem persona to uphold. 

But he just couldn't help it!

All those days of feeling so bad and now he felt like he could literally jump up into the air and float on down.

He heard the car drive off as he opened the main door to the complex. He ran just a few steps then had a thought, looking at the ring on his hand. "Hmm.."

With a huge smile on his face, he swiped the ground and the bubble formed around him. 

He leaned back up, giddiness in his veins as he looked around the pink tinted area. He ran towards the steps and jumped up, landing on the third step. _Nailed it!_ He jumped up again!

And his foot didn't quit catch with the next step, too far away from a particular part of the bubble and miscalculating the roundness of the bubble. 

He slid and fell straight to his face. The ball rolling back to the floor and hitting the main door. "Ow.."_Okay, well _ that_ needs some work._ He swiped in an arc across and the bubble was still there. "Hm? Maybe I.." he swiped the bubble in a sharper arc and the bubble disappeared. "Ah, there we go." he said with a chipper in his tone. 

He got up and jumped up the steps, one by one. _Guess I'll just work on the steps later._ He jumped off the second to last step and landed, swiping his hand across the floor in a sharp angle, continuing making his mental notes of how his hand and fingers are while he swipes across the floor. The bubble appeared around him and he started running down the hall, in all smiles. Doing a few jumps along the way, the ball lifting up with him. 

Their door was approaching and he wondered if he would be able to stop right in front of it if he..

He made a small summersault and laid flat on his back as he let the bubble roll him down the rest of the hall. Ceiling, floor, ceiling, floor, ceiling, floor, he continued to roll with the ball as he flipped a few times before the bubble finally came to a rest. Steven, not quite making it all the way across and just at the top of the bubble. "Huh? Oof!" he fell on his back. And snorted. The snorting turning into hearty guffaws, his belly going up and down as he did. He leaned up and looked to his left. 

He was four doors down from their place. 

"Uh oh. Looks like I came in too hot." he wiped his hand across and the bubble disappeared. He turned back around and headed for the door again. 

He dug into his pockets, all while still looking at the ring in his hand. He couldn't help but smile more. Tonight really _had_ been great. And with how he felt now, so bubbly _no pun intended_, cheery and in such a good mood, he couldn't wait to go to the wrestling match! 

But most importantly, he couldn't wait to see his Connie.

He walked into the room and closed and locked the door behind him. Then he took the flip flops off. He could already hear Connie's soft snores and that warmed him up in ways that he couldn't explain. 

He placed the McFlurry in the freezer, _the red bracelet still sitting quietly in the corner by the bag of frozen peas_ and walked over towards the bed, passing his collectibles on the dresser. 

Which made him pout a little. _Pfffftt.. Amethyst taking Kenny the Kangaroo.._

He put that trivial thought away as he neared the bed. 

And there his queen was, sleeping peacefully under the covers and his heart swelled with so much love and compassion. That nice, warm feeling in his gut. And he couldn't help smiling wide.

"Connie~~~" he cooed. 

He couldn't wait for her to wake up on her own. He _had_ to wake her up now. He had to tell her now! 

"Hey, hey Connie." he whispered, nudging her. 

"Mm..." she groaned, moving slightly.

"Connie." He moved her shoulder. "Connie, wake up." 

He continued moving her shoulder, she made a few restless noises, before opening her eyes. "Hmph..whua?" 

"Connie! You're an amazing person!!" he cheered and bent down to give her a kiss on the cheek. 

Her brain didn't register, still fighting off the sleep fluff. "Wha.. Steven, ..What?" her eyes finally refocused, settling on the red splotches across his arms and jeans. She snapped out of the rest of the grogginess. She sat up in bed, turning to him. "Steven, what happened to you?!" 

"Huh?" he looked down at where she was looking. "Oh! N, no, this is just fruit stuff, Connie." he held his arms out. 

"How did you...What happened?" she quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Eh, some coworkers and I got a bit bored and had a bit of a jam fight with the jars of jelly that were going to be discarded. See?" he leaned over, stealing a smooch on her lips. 

She huffed, breaking away from him. "Steven what!....." she smacked her lips. "...strawberry?" 

He nodded enthusiastically. "We had a few rounds of jelly fighting and I won!" he cheered.

She _was_ a bit upset with him for waking her up so early.. But wow, does the boy's charm and charisma make it hard for her to stay mad at him for too long. 

She shook her head, trying to hide a smile that was steadily creeping up on her face from Steven's giddiness. "And ..you felt the need to tell me that.." she looked up at the clock. "At five forty in the morning?" then a beat later. "Also, I tasted salt." 

"Victory fries because I won." he said quickly. "Anyway!" he wrapped his arms around her, the two both ignoring the strawberry juice now getting on her clothes. "That's not not why I woke you up.. I.." he felt the tears already coming and this time, he didn't bother keeping them in. "Connie.. I woke you up to give you a deep and sincere apology." the first tear ran down his cheek. "I.. Connie, I'm so, _so_ sorry for what I've said to you a couple nights ago. I'm sorry for how I've been acting and for how I've been treating you. Not just lately, but in general. Throughout our WHOLE relationship." 

She looked at him, her mouth opened slightly, in thought as to what she would say to him. Then.. "Steven, where is all of this coming from?"

More tears fell as he thought about everything that he and Garnet talked about. "I just.. had a nice little talk with my co worker about a few things, not the whole drug dealing of course, but.. just some stuff.. and..things really opened up for me."

Her face twisted slightly. "Soooo, our talk didn't do much? Didn't get _this_ reaction from you.." 

"Oh, don't be like that, Connie." he rubbed her back. "I.. just needed to hear it from my coworker's point of view. 

She scoffed. "You mean from a _guy's_ point of view." 

_No._ "Well, yeah. Heheh.. you know.. bro stuff.. It's.. kinda different when you're seeing it from different sides." 

"Yeah.. I can see that." 

Steven leaned up slightly to look at her. "Connie." more tears fell. "I'm sorry for what I've said. Knocking down what all you did for me. Leaving your parents, lying to everyone to save me from things that I've done, for losing your virginity to me, for taking me back all of those times I.. did stupid stuff.. and just sticking by my side during everything. And that's not even the half of what you've done for me. And, I shouldn't had belittled any of that." he could see tears welling up in her eyes. "I was in a dark place when I told you that, but even THAT doesn't excuse it AT all. I shouldn't had said ANY of that to you and.." he swallowed as more tears came down. "And I don't want a day to go by without you thinking that I'm not appreciative of every single thing, of every single sacrifice that you've done for me." tears started falling from her face. "And.. while I've done nothing for you but.." he sighed. "get you pregnant.." 

She trembled in his arms as the tears fell down more. A sad, appreciative smile came across her face as she laid her head down on his shoulder. "Thanks for the apology, Steven." she sobbed. "And.. despite of you regretting what you said.. I _did_.. put it on myself.. In a way, it's pretty true.. and, honestly.. I'm perfectly fine with that." she felt her face heat up. "If I could do everything again, I would." she cuddled into his neck. "Because I love... doing things for you. That's just.. who I am.. I love helping you out and.. I love being with you, Steven." she choked out as more tears rolled down her face. "And don't downplay yourself like that. You've done a lot of stuff for me too." she kissed him just below the ear and that sent a pleasing spark throughout his body. "And that _includes _getting me pregnant."

He chuckled, slightly embarrassed at that and both relieved, all at the same time. She didn't hold any grudges towards him. And he was so thankful for that. He was thankful to have _her_. 

He held onto her more. Taking in her warm, soft arms wrapped around his shoulders. Taking in the beautiful smell of her shampoo and her soft, brown hair massaging his face. 

He held her close to him, bringing her into him more. He wanted to be closer to her. As if they could enjoin and fuse to be one person. He chuckled slighy at that absurd, cartoony thought.

But.. on a more serious note..what _would_ he honestly do without her?

He wouldn't be able to live..

He wanted to be with her forever.. for the rest of his life. He loved her so much. 

He let out a few sobs as tears rolled down his face and he felt her rub his back. And he cried more. He loved it. He loved _her.._

He took a shaky breath, sniffling. 

"Steven?" 

He swallowed, sobbing.. voice cracking.. "You truly are something special to me Connie." he whispered. He squeezed her tighter, closing his eyes, pushing down more tears out of their ducts.

"You're special to me too, Steven." she took in a sob. "More than.. you would ever know."

He was so happy she said that. And he laid his head on hers, tightening the hug. _No Connie.. You're special to me more than _you_ would ever know.. And I want to do right by you.. I want to always be there for you, to protect you, to support you.. I.. I want to be with you for the rest of my life..and_ "I love you.." he felt more tears slid down his face. 

"Huh?"

_..Wait.._

_Did I just say that out loud?!?!?!?_

He leaned up. "Uh uh.. I said I, uh, and I _HAVE_ something for you!!" he broke away from the hug and ran towards the freezer and opened it. "McFlurry! Heehee, see?" he tried his best to keep his nervous look from showing.

Connie looked at him. A bit taken a back, a bit disappointed, not knowing if she heard him correctly.. Maybe she didn't? Maybe her mind was just playing tricks on her and she _wanted_ to hear him say that since.. since that's how she felt about _him_.

He came over and stopped just as he was about to sit on the bed. "Whu oh... almost forgot. Um, here." he handed her the McFlurry and he started taking his jeans off. He threw them in the bin, along with his shirt, the Crystal Gem shirt still stuck inside it. 

He could only _hope_ that he wouldn't forget about it later..

He washed his arms and his face off and left out the bathroom, jogging back over to the bed. "You didn't give me a spoon." 

He stopped. "Huh? Oh! Yeah." he jogged over to the kitchen, rinsed off a spoon and jogged back over, Connie, just giving him one simple glance over at his body and he immediately thought of something. He stopped again, and smiled deviously. "Checking me out, Connie?" he flexed his thick arms and started flexing his man boobs. "Sexy, yeah?" he winked at her, lips up in a pouted, kissy face. 

She swept the sad thought out of her mind, taking in the present of her beau doing a nice little chest dance. She snorted. 

So kooky.. so Steven..

He did a few more poses and flex dances before sliding into bed, getting as close as he could to her. "Here. Let me get that." he took the cup from her. "I want to feed it to you." 

"Pfft, feed it to me?"

"Yeah." He dipped the spoon into the ice cream. "I can't feed my queen once in awhile? You can just relax while I do all of the work." 

"Fiiine, I guess." she rolled her eyes with a smile.

"..Besides, it wouldn't be the _first_ time you just relaxed while I did all the work."

Connie gasped, blushing. She shoved him and he fell back. "Whoa." he broke his fall on the pillow beside them. "Hey, you almost made me drop the ice cream." he laughed.

"Pfft, would've served you right."

"How so? It's_ your_ McFlurry." 

"I.. well.. whatever. You're going to feed me the ice cream or not?"

"Heheh, as you wish, my dear." 

He couldn't resist and gave her a quick kiss on her lips and went for the McFlurry, picking up the spoon. 

She opened her mouth.

"Oookay, here comes the airplane." he started swirling the spoon in the air making propeller noises. 

She looked at him. "Really Steven?" 

"Heheheh, sorry. Couldn't resist." he fed her the ice cream. "How is it?" 

She swallowed. "Not bad. You didn't want any?"

"No, I'm fine. This is for you." he smiled, scooping another spoonful of ice cream out of the cup. He fed it to her.

He kept it going, until another sly thought came to his mind. He scooped up another spoonful of ice cream and went for her lips, "missing her mouth" the spoon, grazing over her lips with the ice cream. She gave him a look. He chuckled. "Whoops, silly me. Made a little mistake there." he set the spoon in the half empty cup. "Here, let me get that for you." he leaned over, sticking out his tongue and giving her soft lips one gentle lick, getting the ice cream off. "Hm. Sweet. Like _you._" he saw the blush on her face and he leaned over for a kiss, giving her a few long kisses before leaning back up. "There, I think I got it all." 

"I.. think you got it off the first time." she breathed out. 

"Well." he shrugged. "Just wanted to be sure." he picked up the spoonfull of ice cream again and fed it to her. Then he gave her another spoonful and his thoughts started going towards something .._more_ explicit.. 

Like how he did with the ice cream on Connie's lips.. Maybe he could "mistakenly" slide the spoon across her collar bone. And he would have to lick it off.. And maybe miss again, the spoon going for somewhere lower.. towards her chest..

He shook his head mentally of the thought as he fed her another spoonful. 

Yeah, he should just keep to the fluff.. They'd just had a nice, heartfelt conversation. No need to ruin it with something X rated. 

Besides, love isn't all about sex anyway.

Even.. if he hadn't gotten any in the past few days.. 

He shook his head mentally again. 

Nope. Focus Steven. 

He gave her a couple more spoonfuls and gave her a kiss on the cheek. 

Then he gave her the last spoonfuls and gave her another long kiss, wrapping his arms around her.

The kiss lasted a for a few beautiful moments until Connie leaned away. "Thanks.. for the ice cream." she smiled shyly. 

"It was no problem at all, Connie." he looked into her eyes. _Wow.. she really is a special one.._

The two heard a garbage truck outside and Steven looked at the clock. _6:35a.m_ He turned back around, one of his arms still around her waist. "So.. are you thinking about going back to sleep or...? I might take a nap myself.. I'm pretty tired." 

"No, I'll just stay up. But I'll let you get your rest." she slid away from him, grabbing the empty ice cream cup in his hand. "Then later on we can leave around one thirty to get to the appointment. It's at three o'clock, but you know how those buses can be."

"What do you mean? I didn't know we were going anywhere." 

"Yeah, I never told you? But I thought." she remembered back when she was on the phone with Yellowtail while Steven was sipping the tea.. But, she actually_ didn't_ tell him all the details after she got off the phone with him. "Oh, sorry, Steven. I guess I never _did_ tell you. Yeah, I made an appointment with Dr. Yellowtail a couple weeks ago for my sonogram today." 

Steven's stomach dipped at the word ..'sonogram'.. but he tried his best not to show his queasiness. 

"Oh okay Connie.. Then uh.." he swallowed. "Guess.. we could go there then..? You said we're leaving at one thirty, right?" 

"Yeah." she threw the cup in the trash. 

"Mm, okay." he laid down, getting comfortable on the pillows and under the blankets. "I guess just wake me up around twelve or so, so I can take my shower." 

"Okay." she walked over and leaned over the bed, planting a kiss right on his lips. Her hair falling down and hitting his forehead and tickling his neck. He chuckled under her face and she laughed with him, tucking both sides of her hair behind her ears as she continued giving him sweet kisses that continued to send spark after spark throughout his whole body every time their lips touched. 

And he continued caressing and rubbing her sides, feeling the soft fabric of her shirt under his fingertips. 

_Well.. on a second thought, maybe we actually could-_

She gave him one last kiss before leaning off of him. And he craved so much more just then, sitting back up immediately. His face flushed. And ..that tingling feeling between his legs..

"Okay, I'll let you get your rest." she looked at him. A sly smile on her face.

He cleared his throat. "I mean, well.. you know, I could.. always take a nap a little later." he could feel his face heat up more.

"No, I think you should get some rest now. I don't want you to mess up your sleep pattern." 

"I.. I mean, well.." he tried to form a coherent sentence, still feeling his body getting riled up. "I....okay.." he said eventually with a sad smile. He looked at her as she opened the fridge door, getting a water bottle out. 

He laid back down, turning to his side. The soft rays of the sun seeping through the curtains in front of him. He closed his eyes and dipped his chin under the sheets, taking a deep breath as he calmed his body. "Night, Connie." he mumbled underneath of the covers. He heard the chair behind him creak as she sat down at the chair at the divider. "Night, Steven." he heard the top of the bottle being twisted off. 

Steven took another deep breath, getting more relaxed.

Overall, everything turned out great. The mission, his mentality, him being able to use the bubble and he and Connie. Everything went well and he was sitting on cloud nine. It was amazing. 

Despite of what all happened for the past few days, things started looking up for him. Despite of what all Amethyst had said and done to him and despite of what Pearl had said to him in the car about Amethyst breaking him. 

_Maybe I can get through to you too, Amethyst.. if you let me.. _

_And Pearl.. you're right.. She did break me.._ He watched as Connie came over and slid the curtains over a bit more, trying to shield more of the sun away from his eyes. _But the thing about being broken into pieces, is that you can either put the pieces back together and be just about the same, just a bit rougher and with noticeable or hidden cracks of trauma.. or take the broken pieces and making something else entirely new out of the wreckage. Something better, more extravagant, more beautiful. Something different and more improved. _

He watched as Connie picked up the laptop from the table and walked away. Then a few moments later felt her kiss him on the side of his head, just above his ear. 

_And guess which one _I_ am._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MAN I love me some of dat gudd Steven and Connie ish. I need MORE of dat! >:D
> 
> And it's a good thing that Steven is practicing with his bubble. He just have to keep on practicing is all. That way.. he'll learn more about it ;D
> 
> Also Steven, I think you're forgetting something.. What about that wrestling match ya gotta go to? xD  

> 
> Anyway, hope y'all enjoyed these few chapters. Please stay tuned for the next ones! (Though I have to think of what to write now. So yeah, it might be awhile xD)


	58. Foolin' around

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FIRST let me say that I know NOTHING about Wrestling.. So for those particular wrestling chapters, yeaaaaahh,...... they're probably going to be pretty inaccurate xD  
So please don't hurt me xP

Steven woke up to Connie calling his name softly. Her hand gently nudging his shoulder. 

He opened his eyes to see the most beautiful scenery right before him. Connie. 

And she was wrapped up in a towel.

He leaned up slightly, resting on his arm. "Good morning." he smiled at her. 

"You mean good _afternoon._" she corrected him with a side smile "And I let you sleep in a bit longer. It's twelve forty now." she continued drying her hair with a second towel on her head. "The heat is already on in the bathroom." 

"Okay." he leaned up more on both hands and a sharp pain shot up from one of his wrists and up his arm. He winced and fell back down on his elbow. 

"Steven, are you okay?" she let go of the towel to lean on the edge of the bed. 

_My hand!!!! OW!! My hand!!! My hand!!!!_

He tried to remember, think back on what had happened the night before.. 

The fall from when they were catapulted outside when the building exploded? No.. What about when he ran into all of those branches going down? No.. Maybe when he fell the first time when they crashed through the window? No.. no that can't be it either..

He thought about it and thought.. then he started going over what happened in those three rooms and then..

He remembered that.. _memory_ he had with Pee Dee.. when he'd hit him.. 

He still yet to forgive himself for that..

He tried to ignore that thought for now, going deeper into what happened in the room.. slowly remembering vaguely before that..

That he'd hit.. that wall!

He remembered now! And man.. was he feeling it.

"Steven?"

He looked up at her through the low throbbing pain, the pain slowly subsiding. _Slowly_

"It's.. just my hand Connie." he grunted. "I, uh.. hit it on one of the machines last night. Heh, guess I'm just feeling it now."

She gave him a shake of her head, a small, sad smile on her face. "My Steven.. another night of getting hurt." she looked back up at him, holding out her hands. "Let me see your hand."

He was _just_ about to lift his hand up when he realized that the ring was still on it. He quickly tried prying the ring off his swollen finger, under the covers, causing him more pain in his hand and up his arm. He winced some more, grunting. And she looked at him. "Is it _really_ that bad?"

"Um, no, it's just uh." he tried to stall, slowly pulling off the ring, his finger and wrist screaming at him. "I just hope that it's uh.. not that bad.."

"Well, I won't knooow unless I see it." she gave him an apologetic, gentle smile.

"R, right.. Yeah, you're right." _come ON! Let GO ring!_ "Yeah, I'll show you.." the ring was slowly sliding off until finally.. it popped off and he winced some more and Connie's face turned to worry. He tried to give her a reassuring smile as he lifted up his.. red, swollen hand. The ring being slid under his thigh with the other.

She grabbed his hand gently in hers, looking at it. She touched his cut up knuckles and he winced again, jerking his hand back a bit. "Sorry." she whispered and went to touching his knuckles and the back of his hand more gently. Then bending his hand slightly, looking at his wrist. A few moments of looking his hand over, she sighed a breath of relief. "Don't worry, it's just a minor sprain." she kept his hand in hers.

"Are you sure? Feels like I broke something."

"Awww, you big baby." she cooed with a chuckle and he blushed.. more so in embarrassment. "Yeah, I'm sure" she caressed the side of his hand with her thumb. "Being in tennis for so long, I know a thing or two about hand and shoulder sprains."

"And.. you sure it's not broken? Or that I tore a ligament or something?" 

She snorted some more and he felt his face heat up more. "Yes, Steven. I'm sure." she laid his hand back down over the covers. "But you're definitely going to have to wrap your hand up. I have an ace bandage in the kit." she gestured at the bathroom. 

"I can take my shower first, then you can bandage my hand up for me." he was just _so_ used to her taking care of him and doing everything involving medical stuff that it was almost a given.

"Okay." she said and made her way to the dresser. "And I already made breakfast. It's in the fridge." 

"Niceeee!" he already couldn't wait. 

He picked up the ring in his other hand and slid off the bed and took a few steps towards the dresser with her. He pulled a drawer out and started taking out his underclothes. 

Connie took the towel off her head and placed it on top of the dresser. Her damp, shiny, dark brown hair falling to her shoulders. She went for the deodorant and went for her under arms. "Afterwards, I was thinking we could head up to the store not too far from the hospital. We need some more bread and milk." she set the deodorant down.

Steven closed the drawer. "Fine with me. I might get a few snacks while we're there too." 

Connie took her towel off and placed it with the other one. And Steven couldn't help but blush. 

Looking at her beautiful body..

He couldn't believe that he was still blushing, even after a year of being intimate with her.. 

And.. they were just _so_ close too..

And it took every bit of him to not kiss her neck and gently caress her side up towards her chest.. 

She opened the drawer, taking out her clothes and he started to pick up his toiletries as she slipped on her underwear. 

"Okay, well uh.." he got a nice look at her chest right as she was putting on her bra. He swallowed. "I'll be out in a sec. 

"Okay." she gave him.. a look of some sort.. mixed with a tinge of mischievousness and coy.. at the same time..

If that made any sense..

He could feel his stomach heat up from the close proximity and how.. she was looking at him.. 

Then.. a few moments later, he leaned in slowly, giving her a long kiss on the lips and she followed with it, kissing him deeply. 

The two shared a few long, deep kisses before Connie broke away. "Come on, we have to get going." 

_There's that sly smile on her face again..Like from earlier this morning.._

"Yeah, I don't want to miss the bus." 

"Pfft.." was his articulate answer with a side smile. Too busy filled with hormones coursing through his body and down his.. genitals.. to form a coherent sentence. He picked up his stuff and made his way to the bathroom. 

He closed the door behind him as he felt the warm, toasty feeling of the heater in the bathroom. Now that felt really nice.

He took his briefs off and threw it in the hamper, quickly remembering the Crystal Gem shirt that was _also_ in there.. _OH CRAP!!!! WRESTLMANIA IS TODAY, THAT'S RIGHT!! Aw man.. I gotta tell Connie that I actually _won't_ be able to go to the sonogram after all.. Amethyst _DEFINITELY_ won't let me go.. _

And a huge part of him was actually _relieved_ at that since he actually didn't _want_ to go in the _first_ place. 

But he _also_ hoped that she wouldn't be _too_ upset about it either that he wouldn't be able to go..

Picking up his jeans to take out the other piece of his shirt, he saw the lump from his phone in his pocket. _AND I forgot about my phone!! Wait.. are.. are GemTech phones even waterproof?_ He slowly started to calm down. _Yeah, they most likely are.. _

_Then_ he remembered about the tissues in his pocket.

Yeah, good thing he remembered _that_ or that would've ended up a lint mess..__

He put the ring on the counter of the sink and took the phone out of the jean pocket, setting it right beside it. Then he took out the tissues out of his pockets. Forgetting which ones were clean and which ones were dirty, since they were both all crinkles up and folded within each other, he threw them both into the toilet. Then he used that time to.. use the facilities himself. With a few shakes, he flushed the toilet and grabbed the Crystal Gem shirt and the other piece of the shirt and stepped in the shower with his toilet tries and turned the shower on. 

Then he remembered about his ear, still wrapped up. He took the bandage off, threw it in the small bin by the tub and went on to washing the two pieces of his shirt. Then he hung them up by the heater, hoping that the bigger piece would be at least a _little_ less damp when he put it on. 

Twenty minutes later, he was stepping out the shower, looking and feeling like a _billion_ bucks. 

He went to the sink and checked out his half melted off ear, now fully healed, for the most part.. Including the cut on his stomach. The cut on his shoulder was healing nicely as well and the cuts along his feet, arms and face from the Cat Fingers glove were also healing very well. 

He took his toothbrush and toothpaste, squeezing a bit of it on the brush. He started brushing his teeth and a few moments later, heard a snark voice of Peridot saying that he 'needs to floss'. He rolled his eyes in the mirror, toothpaste foam around his mouth as he continued to brush. 

Then he stopped. "Hmph.. YoU NeEd To fLosS." he mocked in a gargled grumble and spat out the minty foam into the sink. "My teeth are perfectly _fine_, thank you very much" he started brushing his tongue for a few moments before spitting more foam out. He looked in the mirror. "Pfft..I need to floss.. What is she talking about.." he looked away, dipping his head back down and turning the faucet on. He gargled a few times and spat out. Then he rinsed his toothbrush off and set it back in its thin, oblong container. He clamped it shut. "..need to floss.. whatever.. I take _good_ care of my teeth."

He went for his briefs, slipping them on and went for the _more than half of a_ Crystal Gem shirt on. His stomach sticking out of it. It was warm and toasty in some places and still very damp in majority of the other. 

Yeah, he would just have to ignore that..

He felt the low throb of his sprained hand..

Yeah, he would have to try and ignore that too..

He put the other shirt on over top of it. A plain black one. 

Then he turned the little knob on the heater off, picked up his toiletries, the ring and his phone and opened the door, immediately feeling the cool air of the room on his his arms and legs. He shivered a bit. It wasn't that it was _cold_, but rather, coming from the hot bathroom, compared to the studio, any air slightly cooler from the heat felt cold against his warm skin.

Connie was sitting at the chair at the divider on the laptop. 

He placed the toiletries back on the dresser and went for the closet, taking out a pair of jeans. He put them on, and jammed the piece of shirt in his pocket along with his phone and putting the ring in another pocket.

He made his steps towards the kitchen, catching a glimpse of Connie's attire. Black slacks with a sleek looking belt and a nice, teal colored blouse. Her hair up in a bun. 

_Absolutely GORGEOUS_

_Well, like always._

"You look really beautiful, Connie." he gave her a peck on the cheek. He took a peak at the screen and looked at the familiar website. 

"Thanks." she was reading that.._ baby_ website.. 

His stomach dipped as he leaned back up. He made his way to the fridge and opened the door. 

He took the plate of food out and took the foil off. _Homemade blueberry waffles! My favorite!_ He put the plate in the microwave and grabbed the bottle of syrup. Then he grabbed a cup out of the cupboard, rinsed it off and went back to the fridge. By the time he poured the orange juice into the cup, put the container back in the fridge and set the cup by the syrup, the microwave was signaling him with a few beeps. He took the plate out, smelling the sweet scent of blueberries and warm dough. His mouth was already watering..

Connie slid the laptop of the table and put it on her lap for his plate. "You didn't have to do that Connie. I had room." he sat down on the chair opposite the divider. 

"No, it's fine. I was almost done reading anyway." and there goes his stomach.. in regards to her reading that.. baby stuff..

He watched her close the laptop and leave from the divider. "When you're done, I want to put that cream on your skin again and wrap your hand up." she put the laptop on the table by the bed and walked over to the bathroom, taking out the first aid kit. 

"Okay." he prayed over his food and starting pouring the syrup on the waffles, the sweet substance seeping underneath the scrambled eggs.

It didn't take him long to devour the food and he got up and washed the dishes. 

Connie already had the bottle of cream, squirting it in her hand when he was walking over to her. She gestured at the bed and he sat on the edge.

She spread the cream on his face, then his arms and hands, being extremely careful of his other hand, going over his swollen knuckles gently. Then she went to his feet. "Alright, now for the ace bandage." 

Steven held out his hand and she started wrapping his hand up as gently as possible, while also trying to keep the bandage firm around his hand. He winced a few times until she was done. And she held his hand between hers. "There, done." she kissed the wrapping and massaged it. 

Steven chuckled at her.

"What?" she smiled.

"It's.. nothing important really.. Heheh, I was just thinking about how cool it would be if my hand just, magically got better. Like you had, some kind of healing powers with your lips."

She snorted. "What?" 

"Yeah, like healing spit or something." 

"Umm..or maybe something less.. personal.. like, tears or something. I would prefer to have that instead." 

He shrugged. "I don't know Connie. I would take either one. I wouldn't mind. As long as I could help people." 

"Aaaand there's Steven being Steven again." she smiled. 

"Whaaaat? I can't help it." 

"Don't worry." she brushed his wet hair down. "I find that side of you cute." 

"And I find _every_ side of you cute, Connie." 

She scoffed. "Whatever." 

"Heheheh.." he looked at her. "And.. uh.. thanks again.. for putting the cream on me and for wrapping my hand up." he raised his bandaged hand.

"It's no problem, Steven." she looked at him.

He made a short chuckle, but didn't say anything more.

There was a lull in the conversation.. as they stared into each other's eyes..

Something seemed there.. 

It was there _earlier_ before he took his nap.. 

And it was there when they kissed over by the dresser..

And it was definitely here now..

And.. he wondered if she felt it too.. all of those times.. including now..

His eyes trailed down to her lips and he licked his.

And he saw her swallow. 

He hesitated for a split second, before leaning. She leaned in slightly and he took that as an invitation and went in, going for a long kiss. 

He wrapped his arms around her and a few moments later he felt her arms around his neck. And they continued to kiss each other. 

He went in more, going for deeper kisses, squeezing her waist. He let out a breath as he licked her bottom lip. He went in more, making out with her, his hand groping at her soft, warm side, his other wrapped hand, laying gently on her hip.

Maybe it was the lack of sex for the past few days or maybe it was because he was finally feeling a thousand times better..

And maybe it was that smell of her shampoo, the smell of the soap she used in the shower or the smell of the perfume she sprayed on earlier, but his hormones were going through the roof and.. all he wanted.. was her.. right then.. right now..

He breathed in, taking in more of those scents and that only riled him up more.. the feeling going between his legs.

"Steven." she breathed out. And that was it for him. 

He leaned back, pulling her down gently with him. He laid his back on the bed. The sheets feeling extra soft and extra warm under his skin.

And Connie.. feeling extra soft and extra warm under his fingertips and between his legs.

His hand went to the buckle of her belt-

"Steven." she panted out. 

"..hn?" he continued sucking on her lips, his mind solely filled with thoughts on what they could do, once they got their clothes off-

"Now." he cut her off, kissing her deeply a couple more times as he lifted her shirt up to her bra. "isn't the time." he went for a few more deep, hard kisses. "We.. have to leave." she said over his panting lips.

"Hm?" his brain was half registering what she was saying and half thinking about pulling himself out of his pants. 

"I said." he cut her off again, giving her a long kiss. "we have to go.." 

".. Connie.." he grunted out. He squeezed her some more and she gave him a soft chuckle, giving him one last long kiss on the lips. She leaned back up and he pulled towards her for a half second. His mouth agaped and his eyes completely filled with lust. 

"Yeah, Steven.." she was slowly getting her voice back. Her face as flushed as his. "We.. have to go.. now isn't the time for that.." she fixed the bra strap back over her shoulder and pulled her shirt back down. And fixed the hem of her pants, pulling them up a bit. 

"Mhm.." he continued feeling the throb in his pants. "I mean.. we could.." he looked up at the clock._1:25p.m_

It was _only_ 1:25..They could still do something in five minutes..

_Come on Connie.._ He looked at her with half lustful half pleading eyes. 

And..

She started making her way by the door.

He turned around. "Connie?" he grunted out in hoarse voice. 

"Steven." she started putting on her black slides. "Sorry but.. we _really_ have to go. It's almost one thirty." she took the jacket off the hook by the door and put it on.

He groaned inwardly as he got up. He started walking over to her. 

She turned to pick up her purse on the side counter by the door and caught a glance down at his jeans. "Steven, you don't.. feel that?" 

"Huh?" he looked down. 

"You're going to have to.. tuck yourself in or something.. People will easily see that."

"Oh.." put his hand back in his pants, moving his.. erection from across his thigh and tucking it in.

Not.. the _most_ ideal feeling ever but.. he had no choice..

He took his hand back out and looked up. Connie scoffed and gave him another shrug. "Well, it's not _as_ noticeable." she stepped out the door. "Alright, let's get a move on." 

He walked out and she closed and locked the door behind them. She put the keys back in her purse and he didn't wait one more second to lace their hands together as they walked down the hall. 

The two made their way down the first flight of steps. "Hey, Connie?" 

"Hm?" 

He gave her a long kiss on her neck. 

"Steeeeveeeen." she lifted her shoulders up, her neck still tingling and already craving for more of his soft kisses. 

"Sorry, I thought I saw something." he cooed, nuzzling into her shoulder, just by the front of her neck. 

She snorted. "With your lips?" 

"Weeeell.." he suggested. "I _could_ do it with my tongue." he stuck his tongue out giving the front of her neck, not protected by her shrugged shoulders one lick, his tongue going from her collar bone to the bottom of her chin and she took a sharp breath at the sensual feeling that coursed through her just then. She quickly tried to compose herself. "Steeeven." she shoved his face out the way playfully. The blush coming back to her cheeks. "We're about to head outside.." 

He chuckled. "Okay, I'll stop." and she really didn't want him to stop..- and he gave her a small peck on the temple as he opened the main door, sunlight spilling in and filling up the hall. 

They walked across the parking lot, the two both not trying to think about what they _could_ be doing now.. in their home..

..in their bed..

..and....under the covers..-

They turned down the street and waited at a crosswalk. A few passerby was right by them. A couple sporting wrestling shirts. Which..

Reminded him of the wrestling match today with the Gems!!!! 

_OH CRAP, HOW DID I FORGET THAT_ THAT _QUICK?!?!_

He remembered leaving the bathroom, then Connie putting the cream on him, _then_ Connie wrapping up his hand and _then_-

Oh.. yeah.. and then the lust got into him and he just wanted to get a little.. _tension_ out..

He felt the tucked, bulge in his pants twitch at the thought again. And he swallowed.. 

_Okay, just_ clear_ your mind of that, Universe. Also, you have to tell Connie that you can't go. _

The crosswalk signalled them as a slow beep accompanied them through a speaker above a pole. They, as well as the passerby started walking across. "Oh!" he acted, throwing his wrapped hand to his forehead. _That hurt his wrist a bit._

Connie was snapped out of her.... _thoughts.._ "Hm?..Uh, what, what did you forget?"

"No, it's just that.. the people with those shirts on." he gestured at the the two people with their wrestling shirts. "reminded me about that Wrestlmania thing that's happening today." 

"What about it? Don't you hate Wrestling?" 

"I mean.. well, yeah.. kinda.." he mumbled before looking back at her. "They're all fake and rigged and it's just.. stupid." 

They made it over to the other side of the street. "So, what's the big deal?" 

"Well, I uh.." he went to reach up to scratch the back of his head, as he usually did when he was nervous, but.. was just reminded again of the wrapping over his hand..

He brought his hand back down. "A few coworkers invited me to go see it with them. One of them already bought me the ticket and we'd already made plans and everything." she started to look disappointed. "Which means.. that you _can't_ come with me or.." 

He squeezed her hand tighter. "I'm.. sorry, Connie but.. I.." he could see the frown on her face. "Connie I'm_ really_ really sorry. I forgot and-"__

_ __ _

_ __ _

"No.." she shook her head. "No, it's okay. I _did_ just tell you about the sonogram earlier today. _And_ you _were_ pretty tired so.." she shrugged. "It's fine." 

"I mean, I could make it up to you? Get you a souvenir? Or.. I don't know.. some kind of food from there?" 

"No, that's okay." she tried not to sound _too_ disappointed.

"Connie, I'm reaaaaally sorry." he took his hand from out of hers and wrapped it around her waist, pulling her in. He leaned his head on hers. "I'm sorry I can't go with you." 

She sighed. "It's not your fault, Steven. I can't get mad at you." 

He learned in more, squishing his cheek on her face. "But you still seem upset." he mumbled. He wrapped his other hand around her, trying to walk with both arms around her now.

"Steven, I'm-"

"Mm?" he rolled his face over more, covering up her eye. 

She gave an exasperated breath. "I said, I'm-" 

"Hm?" he covered more of her face up, half of her face covered in his snuggles. Both arms still wrapped around her. 

That earned a very short snort from her. "I saaaid, I'm fi-"

"Mm?" he covered up her whole face and she started chuckling. "Steven, I can't see!" and they started slowing down to a stop and he leaned in ."Om, om, om, om, om." he started "biting" her nose and her cheeks and all over her face with his lips and that earned more chuckles out of her. "Steven, quit it. People are probably looking at us, wondering what the heck we're doing." 

"Om, om, om, om." he continued to "bite" her, until finally planting a nice, sweet kiss on her lips. "Mwaaaaaah!" he leaned back up and she could finally see the bright, sunny area in front of her. People walking by, looking at them, some with nostalgic, knowing looks and some with odd looks, raising an eyebrow at them. She blushed. "See, Steven, you play too much." she gave him a shove and he quickly lunged away from her, her arm missing his back. He laughed and walked back up to her. "Sorry, Connie. Just wanted to get a laugh out of you." 

"MHmmm.." 

"Doooon't be like that Connie." he started tickling her side. 

She started laughing, trying to get away from him. "Alright, alright, quit it already." 

He chuckled. "There we go." he stopped and went back to interlacing their hands. 

"Only _you."_ she mumbled under her breath. 

The two made their way to the bus stop and decided on a nice little spot away from everyone at the bus stop so they can have their little alone time, talking and giving each other kisses every now and again. 

The bus came later, _twenty_ minutes late and everyone started to crowd on. "I gotta go Steven. This is the bus." 

He brought her in, giving her a few kisses. The last one much, much deeper. 

Connie broke away first from the sensual kiss. "I gotta go." he could see the blush on her face as she walked away. He waved to her. "See you Connie." still feeling the throb more after those lovely kisses.. especially since he.. actually never.. went _down_ since their little action over back at the apartment.. 

He looked around. The bus had pulled off and nobody was around. He gave his self two quick little tugs, pulling his pants from the bulge and he started walking back to the apartment. 

He made his way back in no time and with a little more than an extra hour on his hands, he decided to use that time for....

He smirked, looking down.... 

And took the ring out of his hand. 

_Hmm, might as well. I have all of _this_ time on my hands._

He closed the door behind him with a content smile. He locked the door and took the flip flops off. "Alright little buddy. Now let's see how you work well with carpet." he whispered to the ring. He carefully put the ring in his sprained hand, two fingers poking slightly out of the wrapping and barely holding the ring. He used the hand to place it on the other. "Well, looks like I should start trying to be ambidextrous just in case something like _this_ happens again." 

He felt that spark and that warmth again as the ring laid snug on his finger. He flexed his fingers. "Now. Let's get this practice started." he turned the ring and had a quick thought of trying out the mat first that he was still on and _then_ the carpet. He swiped at the black mat, swiping his hand, _that he wasn't use to using in that way_ in an awkward, sloppy arc. The bubble didn't appear. 

"Yeah, even _I_ knew that wasn't going to work that time." he crouched down and did a few arm swings behind him, stretching his arm a bit. Then he went for it again, being a bit more careful as he swiped the mat with a bit more pressure and in a sharper, much tighter arc. 

The jewel twisted, popping off the band and turning into the bubble that had engulfed him. "Aaaalrighty. NOW we're talking." he smiled. "Good. So looks like you can work on these kind of mats too." he looked to the side, talking to the bubble. 

Then he started his jog , stopping at the foot of the bed. The bubble shifted slightly a few inches. "Okay.. so it looks like you're not very good at stopping on point." he looked around the round interior. "Which, I guess makes sense since you're a round bubble." he turned to the kitchen. "But if _that's_ how far you slid on carpet.. Let's see how far you slide on ceramic floor." he jogged a bit and once he got to the kitchen he tried stopping, the bubble slidding twice as much on the tile. "Okay, so my thought was correct. You _do_ slide more on slippery material." then he had a thought. "So.. do you slide if I were to try and push off in a run?" he crouched down, making his first step in mid dash towards the bed again. He felt the bubble slip slightly as he pushed off, but he quickly gained momentum. He tried stopping again, the bubble, once more, rolling him a few inches from where he'd stopped initially. "Now." he pivoted back around. "how about on carpet? You should have a better hold on there." he stepped off again, the bubble gripping the carpet more, not sliding back as he pushed off towards the kitchen. Then he had another though, wanting to _jump up_ and land into a stop instead.

He jumped just as he neared the kitchen, the bubble lifting up with him. He landed to a stop, the bubble stopping instantly. "Huh? Wait a minute." he looked down at the bubble, then back up. "So you _can_ stop instantly. Wow, you really _are_ some bubble." then he nodded. "Okay, let's see if I can replicate that." he ran back towards the bed, slowed down slightly, (then immediately getting yet _another_ thought that he should_ also_ work on his turns) and ran back down. He jumped again and bubble lifted up and he landed on the tiles, slidding slightly. "Okay, so you moved _that_ time.. Now why?" he put his _non wrapped_ arm to his chin in thought. Then he looked down at his foot which were about asix inches apart. "Is it.. because of how I had my legs? Is it.. a certain length I'm supposed to hold my legs? Darn it, I can't remember how they were the first time.. Okay, let me do it again." 

He ran back to the bed, slowed down his pace for the turn and ran back. He jumped up, a bit higher this time and landed with the bubble, his legs farther apart. The bubble rocked left to a stop, but didn't slide. "Okay, now you _tipped_ a bit, _that_ time.. Okay, just one more time.." he ran, turned once he got to the bed and dashed a bit faster on down. He jumped and landed with his legs much closer together. The bubble slid much further with the momentum of the run. He bumped into the counter. "Ah, okay. I think I'm slowly getting it here.. It seems like there _is_ some kind of correlation between how far I have my legs. If I have them close together, then you can't stop instantly." he told the bubble. "Now, let's try the carpet." 

He jogged to the bed and right as he got to the foot of it, he jumped up as high as he could and landed with his legs spread a foot apart. The bubble tipped to the right, not sliding. "Looks like you tipped again." He looked down at his feet much farther apart. "Okay, I think I'm done here, for right now. Time to see if I can activate you on the carpet." he swiped his hand as sharp as he could, the bubble sparked and flashed in front of him, but didn't disappear. "Whoops, looks like I have to get a feel on how to swipe back with this particular hand as well. Okay, let me do that again." he twisted his hand slightly then threw his arm back fast, in an arc, trying to replicate how he felt with his other hand. Their was a bright light with the akward arc he did and then, the bubble disappeared. "Ah huh.. So now I know how you look when you're trying to connect back to the band." he looked at the jewel on the band. "Okay, now for the carpet." 

He swiped his hand on the carpet in a sharp arc. Nothing happened. "Hmm.." he put more weight on it and swiped it in an arc beside him again. Nothing. "Ooookayy.." he wondered.. He put even _more_ weight down, throwing his hand in a small, sharp arc. He thought he saw a spark of light. "Ah, I guess the carpet is too soft, huh?" He held his fingers down and pressed down hard all the way on the ring. Then, he did it once more, making a small, sharp, tight arc, this time in front of him, for more pressure. The ring twisted and snapped off in front of him. He looked up with a huge smile on his face as he looked at the pink tinted area. "I did it!! Hey, maybe you can activate on any surface." he got up. "But, we'll try that out later. Now, let's see how well you bounce up." he took a few steps back and ran for the bed, jumping up. 

He landed on the soft mattress with his hands first, the bubble stopping instantly as he landed on his knees. "Waaaait, now you stopped immediately.. Like that one time! Maybe.. maybe it's _not_ how far I have my legs apart but.. where I have my feet instead?" he got up and jogged down the bed and jumped off, swiping the bubble in as sharp in an arc as he could. There was another spark of light that immediately vanished right as the bubble did. He landed back down. "Okay, one more time." he crouched down and ran his hand on the carpet, trying to replicate the pressure and the arc. The bubble formed around him and he jumped on the bed again, watching his arm as it landed towards the left bottom half of the bubble. The bubble stopped immediately once more. "Okay, I think I just found the sweet spot." he got up and jumped again, swiping his hand, quickly and sharply at an angle. The bubble disappeared instantly. He landed back down. "Oooh yeahhhh. NOW we're cooking." he looked at the gem in the band. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Steven is practicing more with his bubble! And he's getting more and more confident with it :3


	59. Getting ready for Wrestlemania

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The car that they're riding in is this one:  
https://www.google.com/search?q=rolls+royce+phantom+limousine&client=ms-android-metropcs-us&prmd=isvn&sxsrf=ACYBGNQM2o8HnF5UK3jXTywCbm08Zvmx4w:1583010438183&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiLqt-21ffnAhUagnIEHSXCCz0Q_AUoAXoECBAQAQ&biw=360&bih=514&dpr=2#imgrc=Sj0Uu-zJQkHxDM
> 
> And the interior is like a Detroit Rolls Royce:  
https://images.app.goo.gl/jNTTeHeyW7jdWDeT8

Steven continued with his trials and errors for the next fifty minutes; him running back and forth and stopping, him jumping up and down on the bed and trying to get more feel of the bubble. He'd worked out a few conclusions. Or _possible_ conclusions. Mainly as far as stopping. That yes, he actually did _not_ need to keep his legs far apart and that there_ was_ a certain sweet spot on the bubble to stop it instantly and to make it slide across the surface if he let it slide by itself. And that the carpet, while tricky, is not impossible to activate it on. 

Oh _and_ that he had to start being more ambidextrous.

Yes _definitely_ that.. 

He was on the bed one last time before he left out the house. The clock had just struck three twenty seven. 

He leapt off and this time, he got a bit cocky, a bit whimsical with it and he did a little twirl, spinning in one full circle in the bubble, swiping his hand in a sharp, fast arc in mid spin. The bubble disappeared instantly and he completed the rest of the half of the spin and landed just a tad bit rough on the carpet, losing balance only slightly. But still. Not bad for his first time doing that. 

With a smile and a pep to his step, he stepped over to the door. He slipped the flip flops on and left out, closing and locking the door behind him. 

He made his way down the hall and slid down the banister down the two flights of steps and leaned off the rail and down to the floor. He threw the main door open, his face getting hit with the nice, late afternoon sunshine. A nice breeze flew pass, flowing his curly hair behind him. He took a deep breath in and a deep breath out. "Ooookay, Universe. Time for a good day today." he psyched himself up. He turned around, making his way down the side of the building. He turned the corner. 

And saw a different car. 

It was the white Rolls Royce that he'd seen back at the C.G.V.U.

"Oh, cool. Looks like we'll be riding in style for today." he took a few steps then stopped. "Wait a minute." he planted his feet firmly on the ground.

_Remember, Universe.. Situational Awareness.._

He looked around. Everywhere in front of him. To the left, to the right, far down into the alley, above him, to the left on the ceiling of his building and to the right of the ceiling of the other building. Then he turned around quickly, before looking right back ahead of him. 

He kept looking around him, keeping an ear out. 

He thought he saw a top of a figures head as it ducked down on the roof of the other building on the right of him. But then he heard a snap behind him. Like that of a stick and he turned around. Nothing was there. 

_That sound could _very_ well be a diversion, Universe.. Keep your eyes peeled.._ He looked back in front of him just as a figure seemed to slid behind the dumpster just a few feet ahead of him. 

He braced himself. Getting ready to lunge away just in case it was Amethyst and she tries throwing the dumpster at him again.. 

Then he heard another snap and he turned around just as another figure seemed to hid behind the next building. He turned to the side, looking left and right. Left at the dumpster and right, at the corner of the front of the building. Then he did one quick look around his whole surroundings again and went back to looking left, then the right of him again. He did that a few times until he looked to his left once more. And. right as he was just looking back to his right, he saw a spear coming right at him. "Whoa!" he leaned back, the blade of the spear, cutting the top of his nose as the head pierced the wall beside him. He fell back, then quickly thought in half a second, to use his self in mid stumble to form his bubble, to shield him of any other spears that may come. 

Right before he fell back, he slid the ring fast on the ground, the bubble winking around him in an instance just as another spear flew towards him. It hit the surface of the bubble, crumbling into pieces. He watched the crumbs fall on the ground and in utter awe, that that was _Pearl's_ own spear that crumbled like glass like that, before quickly going back to serious, stealth mode, looking back around. He got up slowly, feeling more confident. He'd activated his bubble. He had a full defense around him now. 

Though.. he would _still_ have to watch his back.. 

He started looking around himself again, looking up and down and around the pink tinted area. Then, just at the corner of his eye, he saw a figure jump down from... _somewhere.._

He pivoted around, legs out in a wide stance and arms out and hands up, at the wrist, quickly wincing at the pain that shot from his wrist when he did that, but he kept both hands up in a kung fu kind of way. 

It was. none other than.. Amethyst herself. 

"Sup, Talc." she said casually, with her, ever so famous smug. 

The woman was sporting tight black jeans and a dark purple shirt with.. an extreme v neck cut showing her pushed up chest together.. 

He quickly looked back up at her face. "Amethyst." he tried to sound as professional and as serious as possible with his hands still up. 

She gave him a wink as she sauntered over towards the bubble. 

He looked around and saw a figure go back behind the building, this time, _his_ building, right behind him. He kept looking until he heard a thud right beside him and he turned to see Amethyst with both of her hands on the bubble. "Ah, looks like you know how to activate this 'ole bubble." she knocked on the bubble for emphasis. "Yeah, not bad. Not bad at all." she leaned in, still sporting that smug look as she pressed her chest on the bubble. 

He kept his eyes in her face. "Yes. For the most part." he said in a levelled tone. "I've been practicing."

"Hmmm.." she pressed down more, her chest pressed up on the bubble. "Well, that's good. Can't have you effing up on anything. Right or wrong?" 

He didn't dare look down. "Uh huh. R, right." 

She looked down at his wrapped up hand. She snorted. "What happened to your hand? Been wacking off too much, huh?" 

_What?!? I don't.. I don't do that!!_ He felt his face heat up more. He shook his head. "No, I messed it up at the mission last night." 

"Ah.. gotcha." she nodded slowly. Then she looked at the bubble again. "And looks like you've managed to work the bubble, _with_ the other hand. Hm. Good. Really good. It's good to be ambidextrous. You never know when you're going to need to use the other hand." she looked at him. "On _any_ occasion." then there was a wink.

"Well.. I, uh.." he trailed off.

She looked at him.. and he looked at her..

And she looked at him.. 

And he looked at her.. 

She kept the smug stare until she leaned back off, two hot prints from her chest on the bubble. "Well, you _may_ have a way to protect yourself, but you _need_ to start working on your _offense."_

...Yeaaaaaah, she _did_ have a point. He _would_ have to get better at _actually_ fighting.. And actually, he would need to work on his actual defense as well and not just solely rely on his bubble. He would need to actually know how to block and deflect attacks..

"Alright, dude. You can deactivate the bubble now. Let's go." she turned and started walking to the car.

He swiped in front of him _also having learned that he didn't have to swipe from the sides but that he could swipe all around him_ and the bubble disappeared. 

Once he took a step he felt something hard hit his throat and he almost yelped. He saw Pearl's spear right at his throat. 

Amethyst turned back around, tsking. "Looks like you forgot all about Pearl." she shook her head, yet.. there was that smug grin. "Remember man. You gotta keep your eyes and ears peeled." then a beat later. "We Crystal Gems do. Why, we can even hear and see people that like to hide by strawberry trees and listen in on conversations as well." she cut an eye at Steven, that smug smile still evident as she turned back around. 

_Wait so they.. They KNEW I was there the whole time?!?!_ Pearl took the spear from his neck and spun the canister clockwise, snapping the spear back into its container. She put the canister behind her.. cool looking jacket.. 

Steven got a nice glimpse of her outfit as well. Bright red pants and a white pressed shirt. The sleek, black biker jacket over top of it.

_Wow.. so elegant..And cool.. _

Pearl opened the door for Amethyst and the woman got in as Steven opened the door on his side. "Whoa.." 

There were two huge leather seats in front of him, but when he turned his head, he saw a full leather couch _that Pearl was now laying on_ on one side and an entertainment center on the other. There were two flat screens above the table and three speakers. Various items laid behind the glass underneath of the table. He stepped inside, checking out the dark blue carpet. He sat in the seat nearest the door.

Then he finally realized that he didn't even speak to Garnet! He was just so at awe with the interior of the car..

He looked towards the front. "Oh, uh, sorry, Garnet. Good... uh,.. afternoon." 

She didn't have her mask on.. And he'd almost forgotten how absolutely stunning and beautiful she was.. And he especially missed those freckles.. 

"Hello, Talc." she gave him a small nod with a small, content smile. 

...And those dimples. He'd almost forgotten about them too..

She hid in a chuckle as she looked away, not trying to draw to much attention from Amethyst. 

"Alright, let's get out of here already." their boss snapped her fingers. "I wanna grab some merch and a bite to eat before the event starts."

Garnet shifted gears and drove off. 

The drive was silent, but a calm, comfortable silent and Steven found himself slowly beginning to fall back to sleep, watching the vehicles on the highway. 

He blinked a few times before feeling himself start to drift off into a slumber.. 

Then he heard a small click..

AND THE SOUND OF GUNSHOTS! 

He snapped open his eyes and started looking around. Being hyperaware of the ring on his finger. Ready to use it at a moment's notice and!-

He heard maniacal laughing, accompanied with blow horns and sirens and the sound of fire crackling. 

From the radio..

He calmed back down, mentally.. though his heart was still thudding in his chest. He leaned back in his seat as the announcer continued on hyping up the event.

"..AT'S RIGHT!! RIGHT HERE AT THE GRAND CIVIC DOME!! WE HAVE STONEY ICE STEPHEN TEXAS!! DA HULKING H!! THE BOULDER!! FLAIRN RICKY!! "MACHO MACHO HOMBRE" RAN SAV!! SHAWNNY MIKES!! HART BRETTY!! JOHNNY C!!!" then the voice growled out. "AND MORE!!" sirens and blow horns were played. "SEVEN P.M!!! BE THERE!!! AND WITNESS THE BEST YET!!" gunshots and blow horns. "MORE INSANE! MORE FIGHTS!! MORE CHAIRS!!" the last clash of sirens, air horns, gun shots and maniacal laughing. "BE THERE!!" 

There was a beat of silence then a pizzazzy, upbeat tune. "If ya in quite of pickle or in a jam, we'll give ya hand with Jack's-." Amethyst turned the radio down. "Looks like they're _really_ trying to fire it up this year." she cackled. "But we'll see if it's ANYTHING like five years ago." Amethyst turned to the back seat. "Remember Pearl? That was when you and I beat those two wrestlers. And you gave him the MEANEST piledriver I've EVER seen."

_Really?!?!_ He turned to Pearl. She tried to hide that mischievous smile. "What? He shouldn't had underestimated us." 

_Wow.. maybe I should start taking more notes from her.._

"Yeah, Talc. Same thing happened with Garnet and I." he looked at the woman in the driver's seat. "They underestimated her too. Heh. She showed _them_ a thing or two about wrestling." 

"Wow.. so.. it's.. real then? It's not just some list where they tell you who beats who?" Steven asked. 

Amethyst snorted loud. "What?" 

"..I.. kinda thought that that's what wrestling was. Just some rigged, fake event with drama and men and women wearing revealing clothing." 

Garnet and Pearl looked on in shock. They looked at Amethyst.

"Who told you THAT! Man, the one that _we_ go to? Yeah, ain't _nothing_ rigged or fake in there. These are real. life. wrestlers. whiping each others. asses." 

"I.. didn't know that."

Amethyst scoffed. "Yeah, well you're going to know today." she had a thought as she scoffed some more. He looked at her, confused. "Think this is fake? I'll_ show_ you fake." she nodded. "Yeah, when they have their audience v.s the finalist round, _you'll_ be the one joining me." his stomach did a flip. "..since you think it's "so fake"."

"I, I didn't say it was! I said I _thought_ it was!"

"And good thing for you, _you'll_ be seeing it personally that it's not fake." 

"But Amethyst, I don't even KNOW how to wrestle! I don't even know the rules!" 

"Tough, kid. I _said_ you're going. And that's final. Ain't no getting out of it."

"I.. but.." he trailed off.. _I just _had_ to open my big mouth..Now what am I going to do.._

_Wait.. I have my phone!_

He pulled his GemTech phone out of his pocket, a piece of his shirt coming out with it. He tucked the short back in his pocket and unlocked his phone. He smiled at his photo of he and Connie in all smiles. That warmed his heart. 

_Hmm.. when was the last time we hung out? It seems like for the past three or so weeks we'd been seeing each other at home.. _

Yeah, he would have to try and change that.. especially now that they have a few gran at their place _and_ since they were talking about hanging out soon anyway..

After looking lovingly at their photo for a few more moments he went to the internet and typed in. _Wrestling for dummies_.

Various websites and videos popped up on the screen. 

He scrolled down, reading the titles, then scrolled back up, clicking on the first one. A video titled _Wrestling tips. Beginners 101 part 1. _

.................

A little over three hours later, _Amethyst seemingly right about the traffic, the delay adding an extra hour to their travel _, they were nearing a dome up ahead. 

"We're just about here, Amethyst." said Garnet. She pulled the car into a narrow alley, going towards the back of the dome. 

"Then let's all get our passes out." she picked up a small blue bag and put it between her and Garnet. She took hers out of the bag and put it around her neck.

Steven was on part seven of the video when he paused it. He looked out the window. "Whoa.." he had to admit, even though he didn't really care bout wrestling.. for some reason he was getting pretty excited to go.. The cool looking esthetics of the dome building, the camera crew that they were passing and all of the fancy cars and trailers. It was just, doing something different. He liked it. 

He was just.. a bit weary about actually _being_ part of the match, is all.. 

He pocketed his phone, looking around some more. More fancy cars, trucks, and small trailers laid all around them. "What is this? Some kind of backstage stuff?" he asked Amethyst. 

The woman was fixing up her hair in the mirror. Pins in her mouth. "Mhm." she ran her hands up and down her hair, grabbing her hair and twisting it to a messy ponytail. "We have V.I.P, bro." she mumbled.

He was about to ask how they got that, having it being pretty hard to get V.I.P cards to anywhere, but then again, these are people that have ACTUAL fighter jet planes like the ones in the MILITARY.. So of _course_ they would have something like some simple, VIP cards..

"Let me guess.. Connections?" 

Amethyst put the rest of the pins in her hair. "You know it." she winked at him in the mirror. The beautiful mole, just by her eye. "And we get to chill with the big dogs." she turned to her left. "Garnet, the passes."

Garnet put her foot on the break and took out the three passes from the bag. She handed one to Pearl and the other to Steven. Then she threw hers over her head. 

Steven looked at the laminated pass in his hand. **WWE: V. I.P ** He put the necklace over his head as Garnet neared a parking lot entrance. Three guards were in the front. One of them started walking up towards the car and she rolled down the window for the guy. 

He had voluptuous, dirt blonde hair that stopped just at his waist and burn marks across his face and arms. And.. what looked to be a fractured nose. Like his nose had been broken numerous times and each time, healing worse than the last. His expression as serious and stoic as ever. "Badges." he grunted.

"Well hello to you too, Jasper." Garnet smiled. The man never smiled back. 

"Pfft." was all he said.. then a few moments there was a hint of a smile and he coughed into his hand, going back to being stoic. "So, let me see them." 

"Uhhhhhg, come _on_, Jasper. You know who we are and you can CLEARLY see the badges around our necks." she flipped up the pass in her hand, waving it around. 

The tall, buff man groaned, rolling his eyes. "Fine." he growled out. "Just go. Before I change my mind." 

"See? Now was that so hard?" Amethyst asked. The guy didn't say anything, just looking stoic. And Steven wondered if that's what he was only there for? To look fierce and scary.. because he clearly wasn't doing his job correctly.. "Thanks, man." Amethyst waved him off and he stood back away from the car.

Garnet drove up a few inches before stopping. She stopped the window half way up. She put it back down. "Oh, and say hello to the mrs for me." he nodded at that and with a calm, raspy voice he said. "Will do. Also, Malachite wants a rematch. Says that you three cheated at that archery event last summer." 

"What?! Jasper YOU aaaaand Lapis were there! We TOTALLY destroyed her in that game. Fair and square and she knows it." 

He shrugged, his muscles flexing under the movement. "Not the way she sees it." 

"Well we'll make _sure_ she sees it next time this coming summer." 

Jasper nodded. "Rematch." he grunted. "Understood. I'll tell her." he gestured his chiselled chin towards the garage door.

Garnet put the window up and drove up. The other two guards with hair just as messy and long as Jasper's moved out of the way. The tall, metal garage door slid up and she drove in. 

"Oh and Talc? _Don't_ refer to us by our Gem names. Just call us by the _first_ letter. Alright, _T"_

"Okay, Am-.. A."

"Yeah, can't have our covers blown or anything while we're here." 

"Right." he nodded. 

"So _don't_ forget. 

"O, of course." 

Garnet drove into a parking spot and turned the car off and everyone started unbuckling their seatbelts.

Steven waited for Pearl to get out his side of the door and got out after her. He closed the door behind him as Pearl opened Amethyst's door. 

Steven stood right at the end of the car. Garnet was plucking up her afro in the rear view mirror. She put the comb back in her purse and met the three by the end of the car. 

The woman sporting loose fitting gray and black gaucho pants and a white blouse. A nice long, black jacket draped pass her waist.

The three women started walking away and he followed them down towards the vestibule of the building. More and more cars with VIP passes drove pass them. 

The doors slide open and they walked in, smelling the nice scent of lilacs and expensive carpet.

Pearl jogged over, pressing the button for them and instantly an elevator dinged open. The three of them, then Steven, stepped aside and Amethyst walked in. Then Garnet, Pearl and Steven right behind her. The doors closed and the elevator started going up. 

A few moments later and the elevator dinged for the eleventh floor. 

The doors slid open and Amethyst walked out first. The three following directly behind her. 

They were in another hallway. She started walking down and they followed her. Steven's mind going to the bubble and how cool it would be to practice with the bubble on the shagged carpet they were on.. and how cool it would be to run as fast as he could down the hall and to jump into a sudden stop with the bubble. He looked at the ring on his finger. _Man.. if only I could do that now._ He had fun practicing with the bubble and he had a feeling that there was a bit more with the gadget.. 

A couple minutes later of walking down the hallway and they neared two big, red doors. Amethyst picked up her badge and scanned it on a square machine just off to the left of the doors. It turned green and there was a click. She opened the door and they could hear the loud, noises and inaudible chatter outside. The door closed back and it was silent once more. 

Garnet did the same with her pass, then Pearl. And Steven went up to swipe his pass. It returned green. _Thankfully, because he thought something was going to happen just then_ and he opened the door.

Concession stands and various shops and eateries crowded the whole floor and tons of people were hurrying along to get their food and merchandise. Including Amethyst who was already making her way down the hall. The other gems walking right behind her and Steven jogged after them.

"..ooks like we have time to go to one store and one food stand." he heard Amethyst as he approached them. " So we'll just go to the main merch store."

"Steven!" he heard a voice shout out. He turned around, looking around at the heavily crowded area. He didn't see anyone. 

_Hmmm.. maybe I'm just hearing things or... maybe it was another Steven?_ Not trying to lose the Gems in the crowd, he stopped looking after a few seconds and picked up his pace behind them.

They came across a dimlit store that seemed to be trying to pack as many people in it. It was heaaavily crowded with folks carrying bags of merchandise and food. The gems squeezed their way in and Steven did the same, bumping people and getting bumped.. It was like being on a subway during rush hour..

Amethyst was over by the shirts section at the wall. "Looks like they improved the graphics on the shirts for this year." she told Garnet and Pearl.

The three of them were looking at various shirts on the wall of various names of wrestlers in cool, aesthetically pleasing graffiti writing. 

But there was one that _really_ stood out. 

A dark purple shirt with dark black tiger stripes along the chest and the short sleeves. The name Purple Puma in dark purple writing. 

Steven finally caught up to them, looking at the shirt on the walls. _Maybe Connie would want one? _

"Yo, bro." Amethyst called at one of the sales guys. "You got one of those shirt stick thingys? I want to see that shirt up there." she pointed up to the top rack.

Steven pulled out his phone and pressed one button, the phone automatically calling her. It rung a few times before she picked up. "Hello?" 

His heart fluttered like butterflies hearing her sweet voice. And he couldn't help but have a huge, doughy smile on his face. "Hey, Connie. Quick question. I'm at the merchandise store and-." he heard a snort. "-what?" 

_"You_ are getting merch?"

"Well, not me. I just followed my coworker in.."

"Ah, okay." 

"And.. I was wondering if you wanted anything from here? Some kind of shirt or souvenir or something." he watched as a lanky employee came over. He took the shirt down with the pole in his hand.

"Not really, I mean.. I don't even know any of the wrestlers." he could here background noise. "I guess.. if you really want to give me something, then maybe just a regular shirt that says Wrestlmania? I don't know."

"Are you outside?" 

"Huh? Yeah, traffic has been pretty bad down here." he heard the robot voice of the bus and the sound of her walking. "But I'm almost home. I just got off the bus." 

"Okay, be safe Connie. And, I'll just get you a shirt." 

"Okay." he heard a sound of a bag rustling. "Well, I assume you'll be back once I'm fast asleep, so I'll just speak to you tomorrow morning about everything." 

_Huh?.....Oh... About ..the ......sonogram._ "Okay, Connie." he smiled over the phone. "I'll see you later."

"See you, Steven. Goodnight."

"Night, Connie." he hung up the phone, pocketing it and already longing to be with her. Just to be in her arms.. 

He looked back up to take a look back at the shirts and the gems were gone. 

__Oh crap! Where did they go?!_ He looked around, passing people as he paced across the store._

_  
_

"What did you find Pearl?" Amethyst asked as the slim woman made her way back to her. 

"A snow globe." she raised her hand up, showing the globe that had the Dome building and a bit of the city surrounding it. 

"Eh, lame." she shrugged. "What about you, Garnet?" 

The woman held up a black gauntlet. The letters WWE written in yellow, lighting marked graphics. "Now _that's_ cool." she nodded. 

Pearl slouched a bit. 

"Alright girls. Let's bag our stuff up so we can bounce." she went to the counter with the other two, passing other people in the store.

After five minutes of searching for them in the packed area, Steven finally found them, waiting in line. They were next. 

He half walked half bumped into people to get to the front. "Ah, there you go, T." Amethyst was handing the cashier three one hundred dollar bills. 

"I was looking for you three." 

"Should've been paying attention." and there goes the smug look again. "_You_ were the one all into your little smoochy smoochy conversation."

"What? But I wasn't-"

"Pfft." she cut him off. The cashier handed her the change and three bags. Amethyst grabbed hers. "You had that big stupid grin on your face and you were as red as a teacher's apple." 

"I, I mean.." 

Amethyst started walking away. "Yeah, it must've been your girlfriend or something." she chuckled. 

"It was.." he walked with them towards the front of the store. "I wanted to give her something from the store." 

"Mm. Well, tough now, dude. We don't have time for you to go looking around. We gotta go get our food and get to our seats." 

A huge fown came to his face. 

He _really_ wanted to give her something..

They left out the store and everyone followed Amethyst to a nearby stand named Aunt Annabelle's. The four got in line and Steven looked up at the menu. Hot dogs, pretzels, shakes. He continued reading. 

A couple minutes of waiting and Amethyst ordered her food, then Garnet and Pearl. 

"And you?" the lady at the cashier asked. 

Steven was about to open his mouth, but closed it back. Looking at Amethyst. 

She gave a pleased nod. _He's learning.._ she gestured with her chin. "Go ahead dude. Order what you want." the four ignored the cashier giving them a questioning look at the ordeal. Steven looking back at her. "Can I get just one hotdog pretzel and a medium coke, please?" 

He didn't want to eat _too_ much since he was going to be wrestling with Amethyst. He didn't want to upset his stomach..

That would be all he needed.. 

The cashier typed his order into the system and looked back up. "Okay, that'll be forty three eighty eight." _WOW that's pricey!_

Garnet handed the cashier the money and she gave her the change. 

The four of them made their way to the crowd of people who were also waiting for their food, right by the condiment stand. 

Steven kept up with them, just on the side of them towards the far end of the table until a pair of hands came down on his face, covering his eyes. He held a yelp in but he still took a breath. "Guess whooooo~" a feminine voice said behind him. 

He knew that voice from anywhere. "Chloe?" he heard a snicker behind him and felt a pair of boobs as they pressed against their back. "Maaaaaybe." she cooed behind him, her hot breath tickling the hairs on his neck. "I called you earlier, but you didn't see me."

"Chloe." he tried to sound casual, but he couldn't help but feel paranoid with the Gems there.. or what if someone else who knew about Connie was there?!? "Heheh, I know it's you." he faked a laugh.

"Fiiiiine, you got me." he felt her hands lift off his face and he saw the world blurry for a few seconds and he blinked his eyes a few times. A beach tanned girl with fire red hair walked into view. Her piercing blue eyes were staring happily at him. "Hey, Stevey!" 

"H, hey Chloe." he took a glance at the Gems. 

And sure enough. They were looking at him.

"I missed you! Where have you been?"

"Oh I've been.." he scratched the back of his neck. "out and about." 

"Oh.. you mean with that girlfriend of yours?" she gave him a raise of her pierced eyebrow. 

"Um.. yes..actually.."

"Ah, so you're still with her."

"Yeah." he took a couple steps to the side of her. "We.. live together and everything." he was hoping she would get the message..

"Ooooohh, must be serious then." she said giddily, wiggling her eyebrows. 

He started walking pass her "Yeah, it is. We've been living together for awhile now. And she's even-" he wanted the girl to get the message, but quickly decided that she didn't need to know that Connie was pregnant.. Actually, he and Connie didn't really talk about who all to tell yet. "uh, she even.. has a job and everything. And, so do I now." she followed him, keeping up with every step. 

"Mhm, mhm. Glad to hear that. So, is she here?" _Oh no..This is just one of her traps.._ "No.." the red head gave him a smirk. "BUT, I _am_ with my coworkers over there." he quickly told her.

She looked at the Gems. "Oh, you mean those beautifully, stunning women over there?" she scoffed. " "Co-workers" huh?"

"Yes" was all he said. He had to try harder. He couldn't let the girl take him down that path..

She stepped in front of him, holding his arms. "Aw, come on, Steven. Why are you acting so cold towards me?" he tried to get out of her way, but she kept stepping to either side. "I'm not. It's just.. well, you know.. I'm with Connie now." then he added to emphasize, "I already have a girlfriend." 

"Aaand? Your pooooint?" she cooed, softly. "Just pretend that you're single for today." he felt a shard of grimace, a feeling like ice hit his stomach at that.. "She doesn't even have to know." she leaned in to him and she whispered. "I even know of a place where we could do it." 

"Sorry, Chloe.. I, I'm not going to do this. I'm not like that."

"Ya sure about that?" a mischievous smile swept across her face. 

"Yes." he stated bluntly. He tried pulling his arms gently away, but she never let go. "I'm with Connie. I'm not single anymore."

Her mood dropped to something of annoyance and disgust, before it quickly changed to something of mischevious and cunning. A wide grin appearing on her face. She gave him a casual shrug. "If you say so, Steven." she leaned in fast, giving him a quick peck on the chin and he leaned back and grimaced "Chloe.." he was getting annoyed. Why couldn't she just leave him alone?!

She gave him a satisfied look. "I'll see _you_ later, Steven. I'll make you feel .._good._" she gave him a wink and as she walked pass him, she went to reach for the front of his jeans when he stepped away from her.

She chuckled as she walked away and his eyes followed her. She turned her head back to him and licked her lips. She gave him another wink before she turned and walked away. 

He sighed, shaking his head and turned back around and saw that the Gems were just a few steps in front of him. He yelped that time, jumping.

"So who was that?" Amethyst asked with a side smile.

"Oh she's just.. someone.. who I uh.. used to talk to.."

"You mean bang?"

He clenched his mouth shut and she started laughing. The blush appearing on his face. "Wow, and then you had her kiss you AND I saw her hand reach for you." she shook her head. 

"She just doesn't care that I have a girlfriend." they could hear the irritation in his voice. "And I didn't let her kiss me. I didn't even know she was going to do that! She just, doesn't care-!"

"Well, whatever. It's not like I care." she cut him off. "Now come on. The event is about to start." she walked off with Pearl behind her. Garnet stayed in front of him.

"Uh..." _Oh no.. What is she going to say?!_

"Here." she said gently with a smile. Her dimples showing nicely. "You almost forgot your food." she handed him the bag. "and your drink." she handed him the cup. "Thanks." 

"And I already put the straw and some napkins in the bag for you. "

"Oh. Thanks Gar.. G." he smiled at her. 

She gave him a nod and turned around, going towards the doors of the main event. 

Minutes later and he'd followed her to four, huge auditorium metal doors. He could already hear the loud chatter from inside.

She opened the door. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! We got to see Jasper!  
And Lapis and Malachite were mentioned! :D


	60. Wrestlemania

A burst of loudness filled his ears as the speakers blared what was playing on the four, huge, flat screen t.v's suspended from the ceiling. The t.v's playing highlights of last year's matches. They were playing one guy who was jumping off the ropes. A wild look in his eye as he came down on one guy, knocking him in the back of his neck. The man falling straight to the floor. The video replayed once more. This time, Steven seeing the muscular, sweaty guy climb on all three ropes and turning around. He swayed forward and back on the ropes before leaping off, his elbow going right for the man's neck. He fell down on his stomach as the muscular guy pinned him down to the ground. The referee ran up to the two, slamming his hand on the mat, counting. 

He was so busy watching the screen that he almost didn't notice Garnet waving at him from a few rows down. He ran down towards her, passing the many, many, maaaaany rows down the nearly full and _still_ getting full arena.

He followed her farther down from where she'd got his attention. And he continued to follow her. And _continued_ to follow her, until the two were.. right.by. the ropes.. The ring RIGHT in front of them. "Whoa.." it was so surreal to him. He'd always seen it in movies and shows or in their promos but _now_ he was actually there. Front and center. 

Garnet looked at the boy and looked at the ring, then back at him. "Pretty cool, huh?" 

"Yeah." he nodded. "I've never been this close to a ring before. Well, I've never been to a wresting match, in general." 

"Yeah, it sure is something." she said casually. "Though I'm not much into wrestling." 

Suddenly, the lights went out, and there was the sound of sirens as red, green and blue lights started flashing about the arena. Ballons and confetti fell from the ceiling and hollers, whistles and screams filled the dome from the audience. Then they finally heard the announcer who sounded pretty familiar to Steven. "ARE YOU READYYYYYYY!!!!!" the guy yelled out into the microphone. Steven couldn't see him, he could barely see in front of him, say for the flashing lights lighting a bit of his way. The hollering and the whistling and the closing grew louder. 

"Come on, T. We have to get to our spots." she grabbed his hand. -Her hands were so soft..- and she took him down where Amethyst and Pearl were sitting. Amethyst hollering out deeply. "Woo, woo, woo, woo, woo!" she pumped her fist up.

Right as Steven sat down next to Pearl and Garnet sat right by him, bright white lights flashed on stage and a tall, hefty dark brown skin guy was standing at the front of the ropes. 

_OH CRAP IT'S HIM!!!! MR. SMILEY!!!! Awwww man, I hope he doesn't see me.._

He tried leaning further back in his chair as the man made his way towards him to face the other side of the crowd. "I WANT TO WELCOME EVERYONE BACK FOR ANOTHER, INSANE MATCH THIS YEAR!!" more hollering and screaming in the dome. 

"NOW WITHOUT ANY FURTHER ADO!! WE'RE JUST GOING TO GO RIGHT AHEAD AND START OUR MATCH!! WE'RE BRINGING OUT THE BIG DOGS ALREADY FOLKS!! the man left to go shout out to another side of the crowd and Steven relaxed in his seat a bit, opening his bag and taking one of the hotdog pretzels out. The paper doily wrapped nearly around it. He bit into it.

".. WEIGHING TWO HUNDRED AND THREE POUNDS OF PURE MUSCLE!! AND ALL GOOD LOOKS!! THE HEARTBREAKER!! THE SCULPTED TANK HIMSELF!! SHAWNNY MIKES!!!!" 

People started getting up and clapping. Some holding up signs that they made and posters they'd brought. Whistles and boos filled the air with screams and the sounds of stomping feet.

A few blasts of rapid lights filled a corner of the ceiling as fire and smoke filled the area above the crowd. A tall, thick man with a bald head and just side burns was coming down on a single wire. Below him, just a small step to keep his black and gray wrestling boots on.

The guy turned around, addressing the crowd with a roar. Spit flying out of his mouth as he shook his head in a savage growl. 

That got the people going more. They clapped, they hollered, they shouted, they whistled. While some booed and threw out insults at him.

The four t.v's showed the highlights of his moves from last year as he was lowered onto the mat of the ring. He ran from side to side, shouting and getting the people pumped up. 

"AND WEIGHTING ONLY ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY POUNDS!! HE LIKES TO EAT TROUT!! GIVE HIM A SHOUT!!! GIVE IT UP FOR HIS RIVAL!!! RRRRRAMÓNES BLAAAADE!!!!"

An array of various colors of flashing lights filled the dome as red and white lights and fire spilled and flared around the entrance as a hulking guy with long, greasy hair and sweaty biceps ran out, growling and snarling at the audience. Pumping his arms up, beckoning the crowd to scream for him more. 

Steven thought he felt something light hit is neck, but he ignored it, thinking that it was just his hair. He continued watching the man as he ran down, giving hard hi fives to people, while others tried to snap photos at the guy. He ran up on stage pumping his arms up, giving a snarled smile to the audience. The dome continued to holler, shout, boo and whistle at the wrestler.

He cracked his neck a few times and rolled his muscular shoulders. The toothpick flipping up and down between his teeth.

The two wrestlers riled up the crowd for a few more loud, heart thudding moments until the referee stepped up on the mat. He gave Mr. Smiley a head nod and a thumbs up.

Mr. Smiley nodded back at him and turned back to the audience, going for another side of the ring to address the crowd. "NOW WITHOUT FURTHER ADO!!! LET'S GET OOOOON WITH IIIIIIIITTT!!!! LEEET'S. GEEEET. REAAADYYY. TOOO. RUUUUUUMBLLEEEEEEEEEE!!!!" 

_He said it!! He actually said it!! This is JUST like on t.v!!!_ Steven watched on in awe at the flashing lights and the raving crowd around him and the two guys who were about to go at it.

He felt another small touch of something light hitting his neck and he scratched his neck. 

There was a sharp whistle and the two hulking, sweaty men ran towards each other. Ramónes taking the guy by the thick side burns and bringing his leg up, kneeing him in the face, the audience shouting out their "Oh's" every time his knees collided with his chin. 

He kneed him a fourth time, "OH!" and a fifth time. "OH!" then, still holding on to his side burns, started spinning the man around. "oooooOOOOHHHHH!!" the crowd fed off of the spin. Ramónes took the momentum of the spin and threw the guy into one of the corner poles of the ring. "OHH!!!" and the guy kicked him in his back, pushing him more into the pole. "OOOOH!!!" the crowd roared as Shawnny grunted out in pain. 

Ramónes turned to the crowd. An angry smile on his face. He posed and flexed as flashes from all around captured him. Shawnny was slowly getting his bearings together, getting his limp body from off the ropes. He turned and lunged for him. 

The crowd started shouting out warnings and Ramónes turned around. Shawnny had already grabbed him by the arms and the audience squealed. Shawnny picked the the man up, throwing him over his shoulder as he fell back. Ramónes hit his head on the mat as his rival fell on top of him. 

Steven watched on and on. He didn't really know why hitting each other was an event to be held.. but he was actually enjoying it. It was pretty interesting. 

The match held on for a few minutes until Ramónes elbowed Shawnny in the chest. The man doubling over, over dramatically and Ramónes put him in a headlock. He flipped backwards, taking the man with him hard down to the mat. The guy wincing in pain. Ramónes turned over, pinning the guy down. The referee slid back into the ring and towards the men. He lunged fast to the mat, hitting it with his hand. Smacking the mat three times. 

Ramónes jumped back up with his hands up. The crowd shouted and booed and whistled. 

"GIVE IT UP!!! FOR RRRRRAMÓNESSSS BLAAAAAAADE!!!!!" Steven heard Mr. Smiley shout from somewhere. The man absent in the ring. 

The noise escalated more as Ramónes was crowned winner and bumped up to the next match. 

A few moments of glory and victory and the man flipped off of the stage in style, landing hard on his feet. The crowd loved it, shouting out his name and screaming for him. 

"'AAAAANNNNDDDDD NOWWWW INTRODUUUCIIING!!! THE ONE WITH MUSCLE UPON MUSCLE, HE'S TANNED, HE'S ANGRY!!! HE'S.. DA STONE!!!" the crowd roared as a tanned guy with glistening biceps came running and jumping up and down the aisle. Fireworks shot up from either side of the entrance as fire bursted up into the air. The four t.v's showing highlights of him from last year.

After his hyped up walk to the ring, Mr. Smiley was bringing in the next person. "AND HERE WE HAVE THE COLD DRINK OF WATER!! THE SPICY, SPAGHETTI!!!! HART BRETTY!!!" 

The toned guy ran a few feet and stopped to pose. His arms crossed. Flashes of cameras sparkled everywhere throughout the dome. Then he went running again, spinning and giving people high fives as fireworks shot up behind him.

Steven felt something hit his neck again and this time he turned around to look down. A handful of peanuts were behind him. "What?" 

"LLLLLLLET'S GET READY TO RUUUMBLEEEEEEE!!!!" 

Steven turned back around, not wanting to miss the match in front of him. He scratched his neck from the .. peanuts? ..And started watching the game again, the two guys running towards each other-

He felt a handful of peanuts hit the back of his neck, one even flying pass his shoulder and rolling down his shirt. _Okay, THAT'S it.. WHO IS THAT-!_ he turned around, eyes narrowed at the area around him. ..until he looked up to see.. 

His expression dropped and he sighed. _Chloe.._

The girl was just a few rows back and towards the left of him. She blew him a kiss. And in as serious a look as he could give her, he shook his head and mouthed out. 'No.' 

She leaned over, her face in a smug expression as she nodded slowly, matter of factly to him. 

He shook his head slower. 

She chuckled and pointed at him, mouthing out the word 'you', then pointed at herself, 'me'. Then she brought her arms bent to her sides and moved her hips in a grinding motion, biting her bottom lip. 

Steven narrowed his eyes at her.

The girl was just.... not getting the message at all.. 

He looked away.

Only to feel a full small bag of peanuts hit him in his shoulder. He snapped back around, hoping he was giving her a stern look. 

The girl had a hot dog in her hand now. She gave him a wink and started licking around the hot dog, then took the hotdog and the bun in her mouth. 

'NO!' he mouthed out harshly.

What could he say to her? She just wasn't letting up.. 

"WHOOOAAAA!!!!!" Steven heard the crowd shout out in surprise. 

"Huh?!" he turned around to see Da Stone raising his arms in triumph. Hart Pretty entangled in the ropes. _Wait, how did that happen?! How.. how was that possible?!?! What did he do?!?! Aw man, Chloe!!! You made me miss it!!!!_

"WHOAA, HE IS NOOOT GETTING OUT OF THAAAT ONE FOLKS!! OH! LOOKS LIKE THE REFEREE IS GOING TO TRY TO UNTANGLE HIM!!" 

Steven slumped a little, miffed that he missed what had happened.. 

..................

An hour and a half later and they were nearing the end of another match. Flairn Ricky was shouting out to the crowd, pumping his arms up in the air. His rival still laying flat on the floor. 

Whistles, clapping, stomping, cheering, booing and shouting bounced off the dome walls. 

Just a few moments later, the wrestler was jumping off the stage just as Mr. Smiley was being helped onto it. He turned to the audience. "ALRIGHT FOLKS, WE ARE GOING TO TAKE A BRIEF INTERMISSION. TAKE THIS TIME TO USE THE FACILITIES, GRAB SOME MERCH, EAT, GRAB SOME PICS WITH THE WRESTLERS, WHAT HAVE YOU AND WEEEEE'LL BE RIIIIGHT BACK FOR MOOOORE!! INSANE. WRESTLIIIIING!!"

The crowd cheered as the lights flicked on, lighting up the area and Steven had to close his eyes a bit until they got adjusted again.

"You know I'mma use _this_ time to talk smack at the wrestlers." said Amethyst. She got up and started making her way down farther towards the ropes. 

"I'll use this time to go to the restroom." said Pearl. She got up from her seat. 

"And wash your hands!" Amethyst pointed at her. 

Steven, Garnet and the rest of the people moved slightly for Pearl to walk by them. 

There was a huge burst of noise as various wrestlers started circling the arena.

Amethyst was already front in center, heckling at one guy with bulging muscles and a thick mustache. Others hi fived the men, took pictures with them, filmed them or had them autograph various items they had. 

Steven looked at Garnet. She was watching the wrestlers as they hyped up the crowd. The lights sparkling off her hazel eye in such a beautiful way. He looked over at the arena and watched the wrestlers with her.

Moments later she turned her head away. "So how are you liking the event so far, T?" 

"Huh?" he looked back at her. "Oh, uh, I like it. It's interesting. And I think I also see why Amethyst likes it too." he looked over, then Garnet did the same. They saw Amethyst in the same guy's face, angry. The short woman on top of the fence to be at eye level to him. She was saying something to him and poking his hairy chest hard. 

"Yeah, she comes here to blow off some steam too." said Garnet. "She likes to watch people get hurt _and_ she gets to fight them. It's a win win for her." 

Steven nodded. "Yeah. I can see that." he looked at Garnet and.

The conversation had went to a lull and the two of them went to looking back out in front of them. The wrestlers striking poses and shouting out their signature war shouts. 

"How much longer do we still have of the intermission?" Steven spoke up again. 

"Mmmm, about another ten minutes or so." Garnet answered him. 

"I have time. I'm just going to hurry and use the bathroom." he got up from his seat and immediately saw Chloe get up from her seat. A hungry look in her eyes. 

"Um.. on a.. second thought.." he swallowed. He went back to his seat, sitting back down slowly. "I think I can hold it." 

Garnet watched the girl sit back down. A mischievous smile still on her face. Then Garnet looked at a very uncomfortable looking Steven beside her. She scoffed. "She sure is.. something." she frowned.

"Yeah.. she just doesn't know when to stop. She's not really getting the hint that I _have_ a girlfriend." 

"Maybe because you're not putting your foot down, T." he looked at her. "If you're_ really_ not interested, then you need to tell her. You need to really put it in her head that you and her are officially done." 

"Nng.. I.. thought I did back at the pretzel stand! I mean.. I _tried_.. I guess?" 

Garnet shook her head. "That's not enough for a girl like her. You need to be firm with your decisions." 

"You're.. right Gar- G.. But it's just.. I didn't want to hurt her feelings.." 

"Well." Garnet shrugged. "It's either you do that or.." she looked up and Steven did the same. Chloe blew a kiss at him. "she's going to keep acting like that towards you."

Pearl was coming back down the row. "The line was huge." she grumbled out. She sat back down in her chair. 

People started hurrying back in and a few other snapped a few more photos and had the last few wrestlers sign a few items before running back to their seats. 

Amethyst was coming back, hands balled into fists. She sat back down hard in her chair. She leaned back. "Yeah, that guy is going _down."_ she growled out. 

The lights turned off and people started shouting and screaming. A handful of spotlights flashed inside the ring as Mr. Smiley climbed back up to the mat with his huge signature smile on his face. "HOW IS EVERYBODY HOLDING UP SO FAR!?!?!" the crowd roared out their response. "I SAID.. HOOOWW IS EEEEVERYBODY HOLDING UP SO FAR?!?!" the crowd cheered louder. "YEAAAHHH!!! THAAAAT'S WHAT I LIKE TO HEAR!!" he turned to another side of the audience. "NOW, WE'RE GOING TO GET THINGS STARTED RIIIIGHT BACK UP AGAIN!!" more cheers and whistles. 

Steven tried to put his thoughts in the back of his mind as he leaned back. He got comfortable in his chair as he began to watch the match. 

.....................

"OOOOKAY FOLKS, WE'RE RIGHT AT THE NITTY GRITTY!! WE HAVE OUR FINALIST AAAAAND." he wiggled his eyebrows. "YOU KNOW WHAT THAAAAT MEANS!!" the crowd roared out "FINALIST VERSUS SPECIAL GUEST!!!" 

Amethyst leaned up, looking down the row at Steven. "Yo! That's us, T." she gave him a thumbs up and a sly smile.

_Oh man... Here it comes.. That hour and a half went by TOO fast.. and now.. Instead of enjoying the show by the sidelines, I'm going to _be_ apart of it.._

"..AND EEEEVERYONE KNOWS WHO OUR SPECIAL GUEST IS!!!!!" cheers and boos and whistles ricocheted off the walls. "PUUUURPLE PUUUUUMAAAAAA!!!!!" 

The crowd screamed and whistled and booed. 

Amethyst got up from her seat and took Steven by the arm, the boy getting pulled up forcefully. "Come on. This is our cue." she ran with him down the row, then ran the steps to the first floor. They ran down halfway of the dome and she opened a black door that said "Employees Only." 

Steven kept up with her as they ran down a silver hallway filled with various wrestling items. A few co workers on their phones. "Yo, Purple Puma!" they greeted her with a wave and a smile. 

"Yo." she nodded at them. 

"Hey, who is that? That's not the Guileful Gaur or the Prim Panda." 

"Nope." she continued with her run to another black door. "Gotta break this one in." she raised Steven's hand. "This little bugger think wrestling's fake." 

Gasps filled the halls. 

"No! I, never said that! I-" Amethyst closed the door behind them. The two were in a small room filled with costumes. 

"Alright, time to suit up." Amethyst went for a dark purple box. She opened it and pulled out a black wrestling jumpsuit. 

"But.. I don't even know what to wear.. Do I.. really even _need_ to wear anything." she looked back up from the box. White wig in her hand. She contorted her face. "Duh. Of course you do." she put it on over her hair.

"But.. I don't even-"

"Think of something." she said bluntly and started putting on the jumpsuit over top of her clothes. Then she picked up a dark purple mask and put it over her face.

"..Okay." he looked around. There were a few boxes filled to the brim with props and costumes. He went to one of them, taking out a black tuxedo. He threw it on the ground. He took out a wedding dress, a cane, a boomerang and a shirt with a Union Jack sign . He rummaged more through the box.

There was a knock at the door.

"Yo." Amethyst fixed the mask on her face. 

The door flew open and Mr. Smiley came in. "Heeeeyyyy, well if it isn't my favorite special guest! Puuuurple Pumaaaaa!!" 

_Wow, does this guy_ always_ shout?_

He and Amethyst gave each other a cool looking handshake.

" 'Sup Mr. Smiley. Glad to see that you're still Mceeing." 

"Of course!! I LOVE this job!" then a beat later. "I love ALL of my jobs."

Amethyst snickered. "Yeah, man. I can see that."

"So, are we ready yet? The crowd is waiting for you two!"

"Yeah, man, relax. Just waiting on this lug, right here." she gestured at the boy on the side of them across the room. 

Mr. Smiley raised an eyebrow. "Who's that?" 

"Someone new. He'll be the one accompanying me at the match." Mr. Smiley looked at her confused. "He says that wrestling is fake, so I'm showing him otherwise." 

Steven was about to object, but decided to just continue with his search. 

Mr. Smiley gave her a knowing nod. "Ah, trying to break him in, huh?"

"You know it."

"Well, don't let him get TOO hurt out there, Purple Puma." he cheesed. 

"Hey man, Purple Puma doesn't make ANY promises."

He raised his hands up, cheesing. "Riiiight, gotcha, gotcha, gotcha." then he turned around. "Well I guess I'll give our new guest a warm welcome." he walked over to him. "Hey there, fella. So I heard that you were going to be the one to-" Steven turned around and his expression dropped immediately. 

_Uh oh..._

_Okay, Steven.. Don't make things any more awkward than what it is.._

He gave the older guy a meekly wave and a nervous smile. "H, hey there. Mr. Smiley.. H, how are ya?" 

Mr. Smiley's eyes narrowed at him. A look of disgust on his frowned lips then.. he opened his mouth in a snarl. "YOU!!!!" 

Steven felt the embarrassment rising fast to his cheeks. 

The details still fresh in his mind and he could only hope that Mr. Smiley had forgotten too.. But he.. just knew that he didn't..

_"Hey, Mr. Smiley. Where are you going?" _

_"I'll be back. I'm just going to check on this panel for a quick second. I thought I heard something." the middle aged man walked up the creaky steps, on his way to the back platform of the water ride. "It's probably those squirrels getting into the panel again." he told his crew member. He proceeded up the old, creaky steps and opened the door.._

_At first, it took his brain to process what he was seeing in front of him. And after that split second and he realized what was actually going on, his heart almost jumped from his chest in absolute disgust._

_Two horny, disgusting teens.. As they..-_

_"Steven.." she moaned out. _

_And this seemed to rile the boy up more. He gave a smug snicker, cuddling into her neck full of hickeys. "That's right. Say my name again." he grunted out. He gave her neck a firm bite and picked up his pace, faster and harder. And she moaned louder into her arm. "S..s Steven.." _

_Mr. Smiley, getting the whole view. _

_ _Of everything._ _

__

__

_"WHAT do you TWO think you are doing?!?!?!?!!!" he yelled!!" Filled with absolute disgust._

_"Mr. Smiley?!" Steven shouted and his girlfriend shouted something in shock. He pulled out._

_"WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE BOTH OF YOU!!_

_"Sorry, Mr. Smiley!! I, uh.." he looked around for his boxers as his girlfriend kept quiet, too embarrassed to say anything else as she pulled her dress back over her chest. _

_Steven pulled the boxers over him, his erection making a full print underneath of it. _

_"Of ALL the places!!! HAVE YOU NO DECENCY FOR YOURSELVES!!"_

_The boy grabbed his jeans. "I mean.. we just.. I don't know!" he whined. Embarrassed. He tried to quickly throw his jeans on, tripping over the pants leg. He got back up as his girlfriend finally found her underwear. _

_Steven fumbled with his fly, trying to pull the zipper of his jeans up over the bulge of his briefs while Connie was slipping on her underwear under her sundress. The two sporting their blush as Mr. Smiley screamed more into their faces. _

_Then the guy started laughing nervously. Just a step away from being hysterical. "Steven! YOU and your GIRLFRIEND are banned from all the rides!!!" he shouted out. "FOREVER!!"_

Mr. Smiley got in Steven's face. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!!" 

"I'm accompanying her to the-"

"NO you are NOT!!!" 

"M, Mr. Smiley, I-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. What's going on here?" Amethyst walked over between the two. 

"_This_." he gestured at the boy. He made a disgusted noise before turning to Amethyst. "Purple Puma _YOU_ are amazing. But I just CAN'T have this filthy dog at the Wrestling event while _I'm_ Mceeing!!" 

"Whoa, man. I don't know _what_ happened between you two. But he's with me." 

"But.. but Purple Pumaaaa." he whined. _"THIS_ little weasle." he said through his teeth.

She held a hand up. "Mr. Smiley, relax, relax. Here, I know JUST what you need." she took out a picture of herself as the Purple Puma from a hidden pocket in the jumpsuit and took his marker out the front of his own shirt pocket. She took the the cap off with her mouth and wrote her name on the paper. "Here." she mumbled with the cap between her teeth. "My signature. You can get some pretttty good bucks with that."

He took the autograph. His face a mixture of shock, confusion and sadness. Until he sighed in defeated. "Oookay. Oookay." he said in a calming breath. "I'll.. just.. let him play... Mr. Smiley here has a lotta bills and.. well.. this'll help him." he tucked the photo neatly in his jacket. "Okay, come on you two. The crowd's waiting on ya." 

"But I still don't have a costume."

Amethyst growled, rolling her eyes. "T, just GRAB a handful of something and LET'S get a move on!" 

He frowned, grabbing just a bunch of random stuff, stacking them on his arm. He kept the miscellaneous items together, laying his hand over top of them as he followed the two out the door.

The three of them walked along the dark, loud halls of behind the dome. Steven could hear the crowd screaming and whistling outside the walls. 

And the feeling of stage fright and doing thing's for the first time gripped at his stomach. He swallowed.. and looked at Amethyst.

She was shaking out her limbs and cracking her neck, chuckling to herself. "Yeah, we're gonna get this son of bitch." 

"Okay, you two. I'm heading up." Mr. Smiley broke away from them. He stepped on a silver, circular piece of metal on the floor. "I want a good match out there!" he cheesed with a thumbs up. He pressed a button on the side of him and the circular metal pushed up, sending him towards the ceiling. 

Steven heard the crowd go wild, presumably for what was to come once they saw Mr. Smiley..

"ARE YOU REAAAAADYYYY!!!!" the crowd shrieked and cheered. "IT'S THE MOMENT THAT WE HAVE AAAAAALL BEEEEN WAAAITING FOOOOOORRRRR!!! I'M TALKING MORE-"

"Hey, Ame?"he cleared his throat. "A?"

"Yeah, yo."

"Um.. I still don't know how all of this works exactly.. I mean, I tried watching some videos in the car but.." he trailed off. 

She was still waving out and stretching her limbs. She went for a stance, holding her arms up and at the elbows as she leaned right, stretching. "Chill it, dude. Will ya? It's just wrestling. And it's just one little match." she went to the other side. "You have no choice but to try and not get pulverized out there." he swallowed at that. "You better do a lot of ducking and dodging and throwing in some good kicks." she let go of her arms and looked at him. "'Cause you're going to need a lot of that." 

He looked at her, trying to hide the nervousness with a blank expression. 

"And where's your costume dude?! You need to find something in that little stash of yours in your arm there!" 

"Oh! Uh, yeah." he went for a pink shirt when the floor shifted up underneath of them. "Whoa." he looked around. The platform was pushing up. _UH oh!!! This is it!!! This is it!!!_

He tried to calm his breathing as he fumbled with the items in his hand. A few of them fell down by his feet. He picked them back up clumsily.

"..SHE'S WON EVERY, SINGLE FINALIST V.S SPECIAL GUEST!! THE PUUUUUURPLE PUUUMMAAAAAAAA!!!!!!" the crowd roared and booed simultaneously. "AND WE HAVE A NEEWW SPECIAL GUEST THAT'S GOING TO BE ACCOMPANYING HER TO WIN THE TAG TEAM BELT-!!" 

The ceiling opened up and the platform brought them up just a few feet of the entrance. 

"Here we go, T!!" 

"..RUMBLEEEEEE!!!!!"

The entrance opened up and the sound of fireworks and the crowd burst through the tunnel they were in. And Steven could feel his heart fluttering in his chest. He swallowed again, trying to calm his breath.


	61. Tiger Millionaire

Amethyst ran through the smokey entrance and he could hear the crowd screaming, booing and whistling.

Steven took a shaky breath. _Come on, Universe.. It's just._ He took another breath.. _One little game. You got this. You.. got this.._

He ran out, running through the smoke.. and immediately got hit with the bright lights in the ceiling. He shielded his eyes eyes with his hand, dropping a few items. And the crowd of people.. They were just..everywhere.. around him..

He suddenly felt like he had to.. lie down..

Everyone was staring at him.. and.. everything seemed much brighter and MUCH louder at the ring..

He could hear Mr. Smiley saying something and the crowd cheering, booing and.. laughing.

He looked around the bleary white lights and across the thousands of people.. surrounding him..

And.. hearing his heart in his ears..

He felt someone grab him and he forced himself to strain an ear. He could make out Amethyst as she slowly came into view from the blur. She had a forced smile on her face. _Uh oh.._

She threw an arm around him. "HAHA! Look at this maroon right here. Acting all scared and shit." she laughed and the crowd laughed with her.

Then she craned her neck down to him and whispered harshly. "Dude, what the heck is your problem! You look like you're about to pass out!"

"I'm.. uh.. I'm.. just having a.. tad bit.. of stage fright.."

"Looks more than a "little stage fright to me". Pull yourself together! You see that belt." she lifted his chin up roughly, pointing his head to the huge wrestler's belt now in Mr. Smiley's hand. 

Steven nodded. His face squished between Amethyst's hand.

"And do you see those jewels?"

He looked at the belt again. Colorful jewels were encrusted all in the belt. He nodded again.

"Those are _real_ jewels. Expensive too. And." she said in his face. "we're going to get them. You _and_ I.. are going to get. them." she threw his face down. "Now. Quit the stage fright act and let's get a move on." she walked away. "Aaaalright. They're about to go doowwwnnnn!!!" Amethyst shouted out.

And the crowd roared at the confrontation.

Steven was still trying to keep his heart out of his ears.

_Don't worry, Universe.. It's okay.. It's only.. a wrestling match.. with a lot of wild, scary people in the audience and.. I .._

His eyes trailed across the dome and landed..

On Garnet. 

She had.. this calmness about her..

And then..

She gave him a nice, wide smile that reached her eyes. She gave him a nod and right as she gave him a thumbs up, she gave him a thousand watt smile. Then.. it looked like she mouthed out, "You got this." 

_Y,.. yeah.... Yeah, maybe.. maybe I do.._

Amethyst was sliding into the ring.

He looked to Garnet again.

She was still in all smiles. Then. She cupped her hands to her mouth. "Wooohooo!!" then she put her thumb and index finger in her mouth, blowing out a loud whistle. She started clapping.

_Yeah.. of course I can do this! I'm.. I'm Steven Universe! And.. I can do this! I've gotten through a LOT of things and.. I can get through this too. Besides.. I've seen up to part seven of those TubeTube videos, so I pretty much have the basics down._

He smiled up at her and her smile grew bigger. 

He walked triumphantly towards the ring. Head held high and chest out. Then. he got to the ring!

And realized that he was going to need some help getting into the ring..

The crowd started laughing at him.. But he didn't care.. For he was going to show and prove to ALL of them that he was a force to be reckon with!

He slid the miscellaneous stuff on the mat first and jumped up, being extremely careful how he had his wrapped hand on the mat. He used his other hand to pull himself up, leaning more weight towards that side.

He pushed himself up on the mat and got up, still holding his chin up and his chest out. His wrapped up hand laying proudly at his side.

"AAAALRIGHTY, AAAAAAALRIGHTY FOLKS!!! LOOKS LIKE WE'RE FINALLY GONNA GET OUR GAME GOOOIIIING!!!!!" the crowd cheered loud.

Mr. Smiley went over to him, the man _still_ not looking directly at him. A huge, fake smile on his face. "SOOOO YOUNG LAD. WHAT ARE _YOU_ SUPPOSED TO BE? DOESN'T LOOK LIKE YOU'RE IN MUCH OF A COSTUME."

"OH! I, I.. uh.." he looked back at the stuff on the floor, then turned back to Mr. Smiley. "Give me a sec." the microphone picking up the boys voice.

Steven ran back, crouching down to the items. _Oh shoot.. what am I going to be? Hmmm.._ he looked at each and every item.. until.. _Aha! I know!_ He grabbed a few props and ran back over, putting them on one by one.

"AND WHAT ARE YOOOU SUPOOSE TO BE. AHAHAHA, WHAT, SOME KIND OF GEEKY CUB?" everyone started laughing and that only fueled him up. 

Steven was sporting a pink collared shirt, a tie, suspenders, and a small tiger mask that he put just below his nose.

He smiled up at the audience. "Presenting Tiger Millionaire! Rich feline industrialist from Jungle Island. Once the single child of the wealthy Tiger Family, he clawed out his own destiny, making money in the coconut mines!"

There was silence.. 

Until a burst of laughter erupted from the dome, including Mr. Smiley himself. "OH, THAT IS THE MOST _ STUPIDEST_ BACKSTORY I'VE EVER HEARD!"

"That little guy's going to get creamed out there!!" yelled out one guy. The audience erupted more in laughter. 

Steven's expression faltered only slightly. Then he got his voice back, sticking his chest back up. "Yeah, well, well, we'll just SEE who has the last laugh once this match is over!!"

Gasps and oooooo's came over the crowd.

"UH OH. LOOKS LIKE THIS LIL CUB HAS A BIT OF BITE TO HIM."

"You darn skippy!! And I'm READY to sink my teeth.. into that tag team belt!! Yeah! It's _ours!"_

"HAHA!" Mr. Smiley turned to the audience. "WELL YOU ALL HEARD IT FROM HIM FOLKS! LOOKS LIKE HE REALLY WANTS THAT BELT! SO SHOULD WE GIVE IT TO HIM?!" screams, boos, shouts, compliments and insults mixed together. "YOU'RE AAABSOLUTELY RIGHT!!! NOT WITHOUT A FIIIIGHT HE WON'T!!" the man turned once more, facing opposite of the ring. "BESIDES, I THINK SOMEONE ELSE WANTS IT A BIIIT MORE THAN YOU!!" 

A tall guy with the BIGGEST muscles Steven has EVER seen in his WHOLE entire life climbed up, sliding his body through the second and third rope. He stretched up, showing his hairy underarms and flexed his pecks. Then scratched at his thick, brown mustache.

The guy that Amethyst was arguing with earlier..

Then, another guy climbed into the ring. A blonde, curly afro and ripped, wash board abs.

Steven swallowed.

"YEAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!! LOOKS LIKE STONEY ICE STEPHEN TEXAS AND "MACHO MACHO HOMBRE" RAN SAV WANTS THAT BELT MORE!!!"

"They'll have to go through us!!!" Amethyst yelled and the crowd went wild, while some of them booed. "They'll have to go through Purple Puma and Tiger Millionaire!!!!!" the audience cheered and booed more.

"YOU KNOW THE DRILL FOLKS!!! LEEET'S GEEET READY TO RRRRUUMMBLLLLLEEE!!!!" Mr. Smiley left the stage and there was a sharp whistle from somewhere, the two hulking guys instantly going at them. Stoney Ice going straight for Amethyst.

Steven resisted a squeal, trying his best not to temble as Ran Sav ran over to him. A wild look in his eye.

Right as Ran came towards him, Stoney Ice was thrown into him, the two guys sliding away from the boy. 

Steven looked over. Amethyst was dusting her palms off. 

Stoney was already getting up, going straight for Steven and the boy tried standing his ground.. But quickly figured that getting tackled by him would probably feel like getting hit with bricks.. And he ran away. The crowd laughed at the cowardly boy as he jumped and scrambled up the ropes.

Amethyst ran over to Ran Sav just as he started to get up. She put him in a headlock. He tried to get out of it, failing miserably.

Amethyst heard a squeal from the other side of the ring. Steven was holding onto the top rope, while Stoney Ice was laughing, having the boy by the legs and flinging them up and down. The boy going up and down, trying hard to keep his one arm on the rope. 

"Pfft, figures." Amethyst scoffed with an eye roll. She pulled Ran Sav forward in the headlock and threw her feet out, clipping the guy down to the ground. She fell down on him, keeping her weight on him. Then she twisted her body as she pulled on his neck more, pulling his shoulders towards her.

"AAAHHH!!" everyone heard Steven scream out.

Amethyst looked up again. Stoney Ice had Steven in his own headlock now.

Amethyst growled out a sigh. She got to her feet, Ran Save still in a headlock. She started spinning around, Steven never seeing anyone spin around that fast before..

The woman spun around rapidly a few more times before taking her arms and pulling the guy forward with his head. She threw him forward, the guy running into the two and Stoney Ice fell into the ropes with him, letting go of Steven. The boy falling to the floor. He got up quickly, half crawling, half stumbling away as he ran away and towards Amethyst.

"Dude, get on the ropes."

"Huh?!" he squeaked.

"I said 'get on the ropes'." she pointed the corner pole. "over there. You're going body slam one of 'em." 

"What?! But, how am I going to do that?!"

"Look, I got all this, alright? Just, stand up there and wait on my cue." she ran away from him, charging at the two guys who wetr already in mid run towards them.

Steven did what he was told, going up to the ropes. He went to the corner of the ring and climbed up the first one, then the second, then the third and last one. He turned around. His back to the corner pole and each foot on either side of the dividing ropes. He barely kept his balance with one arm. His wrapped arm, still laying by his side. 

Amethyst kicked Stoney Ice in his chest and the crowd cheered and booed as he fell back into the ropes again. Ran Sav tried to use that time to run up on Amethyst, the woman, lunging down and tackling his legs. He stumbled for a second before falling back. Then he tried scrambling back to his feet. Amethyst kept her hold on his legs. She got up and started swinging him around. The guy in mid air by his ankles and he screamed. The crow went wild at that.

She let go, the guy being flung into Stoney Ice once again. She ran towards the men and picked up Ran Sav again, picking him up from the back, bringing his arms behind him as she placed her hands on the back of his head, pushing his head down and his arms back behind him. He winced out in pain. "Yo, Tiger Millionaire! Here's your prey!" she threw the man to the corner pole before dragging him back towards the middle of the mat. She threw the pained man towards Steven. "Go get him!" The man fell right to the floor and laid there flat on the mat. 

He looked up at Amethyst.

"Go Tiger Millionaire! Do it now!" Stoney Ice started raising back to his feet from the ropes. She turned around, holding her stance.

"Nnng.... Ooookayyy..." he shifted his footing a bit. "Heeeereee, I...." he rocked back and forth on the ropes. "gooooo!!!" he rocked back once more before jumping off. Gravity already pulling him down as he turned his back to the guy, trying replicate that one move he'd seen on part four of that TubeTube video.

He held his elbow up, remembering the guy doing the same. Then.. 

He gave his own feral shout of his own, like the guy did. Though it.... sounded more high pitched and... less intimidating.

He came down on the wrestler, landing hard on his chest. Knocking the wind out the guy. His elbow coming down on the man's face. His head fell back into the mat. 

The crowd started cheering and Steven couldn't help but feed into it, feeling more confident _and perhaps just a taaaad bit more conceited._

He'd actually landed a hit!! And, and the crowd liked it!! They liked _him!!_

He got up and pivoted around, placing his foot on the man's chest and the crowd seemed to love that. Screaming and cheering even more.

Steven poked out his chest, throwing his arms and quickly wincing at the pain his wrist had sent down his arm. He quickly ignored it, keeping both arms in the air as he cheered with the crowd. "Yeaaaahhhh!!! That's right everybody!!! They call ME the Tiger Millionaaaaaiire!!!" he pumped his one hand up, being mindful of the other.

The crowd hoot, hollered and whistled.

Then Steven looked down at the man. A mischievous grin on his face. "Yeah!! And as for YOU-ah" the man started to get up, "Hey! Whoaa." Ran Sav leaned up, sending Steven on a one leg stumble before he put his other leg back down. He looked at the tall, hulking guy that... loomed over him.. _Uh oh.._ "AAHHH!!" he went for a run, but the guy grabbed him. He threw him over his shoulder and fell backwards with Steven. "Ahck!" the boy falling hard on his back. His head still being held in the guy's muscular arms. He grunted, trying to get out of it. But it was like being surrounded by boulders.. Huge, smooth.. sweaty boulders. He screamed out, flailing his body around.

The guy cackled in his ears.

Steven screamed out louder, flailing around even more.

Suddenly, Amethyst landed over by them, putting Ran Sav in a beafy headlock, pulling the man's neck back. He choked, letting go of Steven to grab at Amethyst's arms.

Steven took a breath and held his throat. He looked over on the other side of the ring. Stoney Ice was on his back. _He's down! Maybe I can do the same move!_ He got up to his legs and just as he started running towards the man, he started getting up. _Oh no!_ Stoney Ice grabbed at his ankle and Steven barely skipped to the side, running straight for the pole. _Maybe I can do one of those moves where.. I lunge at him while he's coming at me! I can try and knee him in his chest! Yeah,.. yeah that'll work!_ He jumped up and climbed and right as he got to the third and last rope, he felt a boot to his back and he yelped. Stoney Ice had already caught up to him. 

The man turned him went for a grab. Steven screamed. The man's arms being pulled back by Amethyst who'd just gotten there in the nick of time. Steven tried to position himself up more on the ropes for his next move and Stoney Ice growled out. The man throwing his head in a headbutt right between Steven's legs and the whole crowd of guy's went "oooooooo" knowing the painful feeling. 

Steven squealed, trying hard to not buckle his knees as the pain flared from his genitals to his stomach. Amethyst tried pulling him back and Stoney brought his head back down one more time, harder before Amethyst pulled him away, throwing the guy to the other side of the ring. 

More "ooooooo's" fell around the crowd as Steven held his hand down in front of him. He dropped from the ropes and to the mat, crouching in fetal position, in pain.

Amethyst ran to Stoney, lunging for him. She brought her body down on him, elbowing him in his face. She got up and did it once more, Stoney Ice wincing and grunting at the pain.

Amethyst got back up, passing the two guys who were still on the ground and going towards Steven, _who was_ also_ still on the ground._

The woman pulled the boy up to his knees, the boy's hand still between his legs. "Alright, Tiger Millionaire. This is it! Let's finish them off!"

The boy got up slowly to his feet "Nhnn." he mumbled.

The crowd cheered at Steven getting back up to his feet after two mighty blows below the belt.

"Now. I'm going to take you and swing you into them and you're going to kick them hard in the face! Then I'll give the final blows!"

The men started getting up.

"What?! Swinging me around?!" Steven squealed.

The guys started charging at them.

"Come on, man! Do it for your balls!" 

The men were almost face to face with them.

"Uhhh... Okay!" he said in a shaky voice. And right as the men started in a lunge towards them, Amethyst picked him up by the arms, swinging him. The men stepped back, trying not to get hit. 

Amethyst picked up momentum, swinging Steven. "Alright, T.M, lay a good one on 'em!" she moved towards Ran Save, picking up her pace, Steven swinging in mid air by his wrist _and arm of the bandaged one_ respectively. He held his legs tightly and at an angle, ready to unleash his most deadly kicks!

Ran Sav tried to duck out the way, but Amethyst ducked down with him, leaning in more and lifting her arms up more and throwing Steven higher, the boy throwing his leg back and kicking him as hard as he could in the man's jaw.

His neck jerked back and he fell hard on the floor. "Got him!"

Amethyst didn't lose momentum, spinning Steven around faster and higher as she made her way towards Stoney Ice.

He ran back. Every time they would get close, he would run back.

And he kept running back.. and back..

Then Amethyst got an idea. 

The woman started spinning around him, keeping to his left, pushing him further towards Ran Sav who was still down on the ground. 

Steven tried his best to stay alert.. _How is she... not feeling.. dizzy yet..._

Stoney Ice backpedaled once more, nearly tripping over his ally. He jumped over him and backed up once more. 

..towards the ropes..

He was now cornered. 

And he noticed that right before it was too late.

He looked up at the spinning duo.

He tried ducking in a pointless effort to not get hit and Amethyst lunged one last time. "T.M, now!"

Steven waited for the spin to come around right as Amethyst threw out her arms as far as she could as she leaned forward.

Quickly, thinking, instead of giving him a kick with one of his legs, he though it would be more efficient to use both. He held his legs and pulled them back. Right as he got near Stoney's face he pushed his legs forward. Both feet colliding with his face. The guy grunted out in pain as his head and his body twisted to the side. 

He fell hard on the floor. "I got him too!"

"Good!" she continued spinning him.

_Wait.. why is she still spinning me?_

"Try not to get dizzy." she cackled.

"Huh?! What do you mean?!"

Amethyst spun even faster, Steven seeing a blur of lights around him. He didn't know it was humanly possible to spin around that fast.

A few moments of rapid spins and Amethyst used all of that force, all of that momentum to fling herself. Steven double over backwards at the forceful push off and he fell back as Amethyst shot out towards Stoney Ice. In a narrow shot, bringing both elbows together, she rockotted her body towards him, throwing down her elbows deep into his stomach. He grunted and as she popped up she turned, using the weight of her body as she landed back down on him with her left elbow, right on the guy's face. 

She was back up in an instant, climbing onto the guys stomach, she pressed her weight down on him and he grunted as she pushed off in a back flip. The woman lifting up and towards Ran Sav who was only a few feet away. 

The guy was just moving his hand away from his face, a serious bruise on his skin, his eye swollen from the kick, when she came down on him, bringing her leg down on his chest as she landed on the mat. He cried out. 

The woman got up and put him in another headlock. 

Stoney Ice stayed on the ground.

And Ran Sav was stuck. Face red from the strain. And in pain. Not moving from her arms.

The referee jumped and slid onto the mat. He crouched in between the two guys. He smacked his hand hard on the mat. One. Two. Three. 

They were both out.

And people cheered and whistled and got up and clapped.

And others booed and threw insults at them.

"LOOOOOKS LIKE WE HAVE OUR WINNNERRRRRRS!!!!" Mr. Smiley was getting back in the ring. 

The crowd cheered and booed and Steven groggily watched as the second serving of balloons and confetti came down. The pieces of shiny paper landing with the other confetti that had fallen in hishair from earlier. 

_We woooon!!! We won, we won, we won!!!_

A few moments later and he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see Amethyst. She was holding the huge belt in her hands and what looked to be two shirts in the other. "Hey." she said casually, with a sly smile. 

".. Amethyst.." he said, still trying to get his bearings.

"Not bad dude. You didn't pass out." she threw the shirt and it hit a part of his face and his shoulder.

He pulled the shirt from him and held it up. It was black and silver and had the words Wrestlamania Final Showdown Winner! In lightning graffiti writing. 

He took a breath, slowly coming from resting on his knees, slowly getting back up to his feet, wobbling and holding on to the rope for support. "T, thanks.. for the compliment, A." and a beat letter. "And, thanks for the shirt." 

"Eh." she shrugged. "Well, you did manage to survive so." 

The wrestlers were finally getting up. Glaring at them. Their faces swollen and red.

"What you want a rematch or something! You two lost! Get over it!" she shouted. "The belt's ours! You know the rules!" 

The men glared at the two for a few more moments before slowly walking away from them, the two leaving the ring.

Amethyst put the belt on around her stomach and the crowed began to cheer, whistle and boo louder.

Balloons and confetti continued to drop around them and the lights danced and zapped throughout the ring.

A few minutes later and the crowd started to die down as they started exiting out of the dome. Food, wrappers, torn up merchandise, balloons, _both inflated and popped_ and confetti and more littered the area.

"Alright man. Show's over." she told the still starstruck boy. "Time to go back home." she started taking the costume off and Steven did the same. "So, we just.. leave them here? In the ring?" he laid the tiger mask down with her jumpsuit. 

"Yup, that's what I always do. And it's always right back at the room when I go back." she threw the wig on the floor and started walking towards the edge of the ring and slid down. Steven followed her. 

Pearl and Garnet were still at their seats. They got up as the winners approached them. "Good game out there you guys." said Garnet, though her attention seemed to be solely on Steven when she said that.

"Yeah, thanks G. Looks like another win for us." she tapped on the belt.

"And it looks like they have better jewels this time too." said Pearl. 

"That's what I was thinking." said Amethyst. "These jewels don't look cheap. And just look at the cuts on these. We'll definitely need to give these to Peridot."

Pearl and Garnet nodded.

_Wait, Peridot?! As in.. they're going back there again!?!? Can I have her repair the shirt again?!?!_

"Alright, no use in sitting in this dump any longer." said Amethyst. "Let's get a move on. Traffic is probably already killer out there." she started walking up the row of steps and they followed her up.

Amethyst slowed her pace and Pearl jogged up in front of them, opening the door. The three walked through and Pearl closed the door behind them. 

The area was near empty. Trash littered the area and only a few shops were still open. Very few people still walking around in the building.

The four of them continued with their walk. At first they'd been chatting a bit about the game, but then.. the conversation started to quiet down and Steven couldn't help but wonder why they'd just stopped their conversation quite forcefully.. 

But he didn't dare say anything about it. Instead, he continued to walk with the three women as they strolled down the hall, unreadable expressions on their faces. 

The silence lingered on for a couple minutes until Amethyst stopped. She sighed. "Look, you know that we can see you all.."

Steven circled around himself. _Who was she talking to?_

Garnet and Pearl stood on either side of the boy. The three Gems staring slightly to their left. Steven did the same, looking harder down the deserted part of the building. He _thought_ he may had seen a figure or two? duck behind a closed concession stand.. But it was so far away.. and with the dim lighting in that area, he couldn't really tell. 

Amethyst scoffed. "Looks like they don't want to answer me!" she shouted. "Okay, let's play a little game then, shall we? G. You get one first." Amethyst picked up a nearby chair by them. And Garnet grabbed a small, square table by it. She folded the table legs up. 

"Okay. So two is down the hall and the other two.." Amethyst threw the chair up in the air right as Garnet threw the table fast behind her to her left. The chair hitting Shawnny in the face and the table smacking into Flairn Ricky. The man falling down from the beam in the ceiling, holding his face and the other, flat on his back. The table right on top of him.

Steven heard some quick footsteps behind him and he turned around to see the two figures from before running up _fast_ towards them. "There's two more!!" he shouted 

Ran Sav was just behind them when Pearl threw out a quick, hard back kick to his chest. The guy heaved, getting the breath knocked out of him. He fell to the ground just as Stoney Ice grabbed onto her arms. In one second, Pearl took her arms and brought them back hard, her elbows jamming down on the pressure points of his chest and jerked his body in pain, letting go of her. She brought her arms up and took his head, pulling it forward and he grunted out in pain. She bent her body forward, bringing her arms back down, flipping the guy hard, flat on his back and Steven couldn't believe that such a slim, dainty lady like that could flip that body builder, tank built guy.

She front flipped away, landing by Steven and the rest of the gems. Stoney Ice and Ran Sav were slowly getting back to their feet as Shawnny and Flairn Ricky were walking towards the two wrestlers.

The eight of them, looking at each other. The Crystal Gems and the wrestlers. On opposite sides of each other..

The two groups were quiet..Until Amethyst stepped up to the front of the line. 

"Coming back for this?" she said slyly, tapping on the belt in front of her.

The four men growled out.

Amethyst scoffed. "Okay. I like a little cool down with my workout anyway." a beat later, her lips curled. "Though it wasn't_ much_ of a workout."

The _articulate_ men growled out louder at her, going to a lunge.

"Heh, okay. Come and get it." 

The four men ran after them. 

Amethyst looked to Garnet and Pearl. "You two know what to do."

They nodded and ran towards the men. Amethyst stood there. She turned to Steven. "I wanna have a little fun. Here." she took off her belt. "Huh?" Steven looked at her. She threw the belt and caught it. "But Amethyst."

"Eh, don't worry dude. There's no way I'm going to let these weaklings get the belt. I'm simply playing a nice little game of cat and mouse. I mean look at them? Those two can take them down by themselves." he looked to see Pearl swinging Shawnny into Stoney Ice and Garnet took a dive off of the table, elbowing Flairn Ricky. Ran Sav was running up and she got up, kneeing him in his stomach. 

...Yeah, those guys _were_ pretty pathetic..

Though he's one to talk..

"Alright, T. You're the mouse." she pushed him. "Now get on, get outta he'a." she snickered. 

He turned back. "But.. where am I go-"

"Go meet us at the car!" she cheesed.

"Uh, but I don't know where-"

"GO!"

He ran, not sure where to exactly.. but he ran, passing the wrestling fight. He heard a sharp whistle. He took a glance back. Garnet and Pearl had stopped. And the men were slowly getting up. "Yo! Aren't you four looking for the belt? Well, looks like it's getting away." 

Everyone looked at Steven. _Oh crap!!_

He turned and started booking down the building. The men got up and ran after him. "We'll let them get a nice little head start." she told Pearl and Garnet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The part where Steven gets headbutt in the nads was homage to Dragon Ball. If I'm not mistaken (unless it was from another anime? I don't know, it's been soooo long since I've seen that particular episode..) but anyway, in the anime Dragon Ball, Kid Goku is fighting this guy and the dude tackled him or headbutt him in the balls or in the stomach.. (again, can't remember which.. it's been almost 20 years since I've seen that episode) xD  
Aaaanywho, just wanted to add that part in xD


	62. Cat and Mouse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW for stalker behavior and attempt at a sexual act.

Steven was running pass all of the closed shops and eateries, trying to figure out where exactly to go.. Until he passed the merchandise shop they'd went to earlier. _Oh yeah! That's right. We went through those double doors somewhere down here._ He started scouring the area for the doors.

And in just a few moments time, he saw the two double doors where they'd entered from. He went towards them and saw the little box on the wall. He swiped his badge and the light turned green. He opened the door and quickly closed it back. The doors clicked behind him. "Pheeeeewf." 

_Hopefully they didn't see me go in here.._ He decided that it was best to make his way down the hall and to _not_ wait and find out.

Just a few seconds of running and looking down at the shagged carpet, he remembered how he wanted to try the ring out on it. 

Well.. not for _fun_ of course.. but.. for practice purposes.. Yeah, for that. Aaaand who knows? Maybe they have some kind of wrestling gadgets or weapons? The bubble would be able to protect him from it. Yeah, that made sense.. and he definitely_ wasn't_ doing that for fun and curiosity.

He took his hand- the ring, still rolled down towards his palm and with what he'd learned about the carpet in his home and what he could only assume what kind of pressure he would have to do for even softer carpet and with the various angles he'd practice in with his hand- and ran his hand as hard as he could at an angle, his fingers pressed down as he lifted his hand upwards. The hand swiping across the shagged carpet in a sharp, pressured arc. The ring twisted at the pressure and the angle, the jewel popping off and- 

The bubble formed around Steven in mid run. "Nice! You can also activate while I'm running! That's a check off of the list." he smiled at the bubble.

The elevators were approaching and he picked up his pace until he got in front of one of them. He stepped one foot on the bottom side of the bubble, the bubble stopping instantly. _Sweeeeeet. I'm tooootally getting the hang of this already!_

Then he realized.. that he can't can't press the button.. He swiped across the bubble and it disappeared. He pressed the down button and the elevator dinged open a few moments later. He walked inside it and the doors closed shut. He pressed the lobby floor and as the elevator started to go down he _ for practice purposes and not.. for fun.._ swiped the metal flooring. The bubble forming around him.

The elevator opened with a ding and he walked out. The sliding doors were right in front of him. He jogged towards them, the doors sliding open. Then he jogged through the second set of sliding doors and into the parking lot.

He jogged up a few rows and stopped. And stood there, looking around. _I think the car is somewhere.. down here..._

"Talc."

He screamed, turning around.

It was Garnet.

He took a breath. "You scared me Garnet.. How did you get down here so fast?"

"Talc, quick, deactivate your bubble."

"Huh?" he swiped anyway and the bubble disappeared.

"You need to be careful when activating your bubble without your proper attire.. You can be found out that way." she said softly.

"Oh... Eheheh.. guess I didn't.. think of it that way."

"Buuuut, I _am_ glad that you're able to use it." she smiled. "I also like how you used your fall and used that as a way to activate your bubble. That was quick thinking." 

"Thanks." he smiled.

There was a loud sound of something heavy thumping into metal, than the sound of a car alarm. Garnet ran towards the sound and Steven followed her.

Shanny was slowly getting to his feet, the car right beside him dented in the front. Amethyst jumped from beside another car and tackled him to the ground then put him in a headlock.

There was the sound of people running and the two turned around. Stoney Ice and Flairn Ricky were running up on them. Steven threw the belt on his shoulder and getting into a stance. 

Ran Sav flew from the side, crashing into Stoney Ice, the two tumbling to the ground. They saw Pearl going for the two guys.

Flairn Ricky was still running up and Garnet held out her hands, grabbing his and stopping him in his tracks. He grunted, trying to overpower her. 

He couldn't.

With everyone fighting he was.. kinda feeling left out and that he wasn't doing anything.

Well.. because he _wasn't.._

And.. maybe it was the new confidence coursing through him. But he wanted to help out! Even if it's just a little bit.

Amethyst had her person.. and so did Garnet.. and even though Pearl was _easily_ fighting off the other two, he could _still_ go for one of them so she would only have to focus on one. 

He ran pass Garnet towards the two men who were getting up once more. Pearl right in front of them. Ran Save ran towards her once more as Stoney Ice made a potential run for her.

Steven ran in between him and Pearl. "Hey! Tough guy!" he antagonized. "Iiiiii got the belt!" he waved the prize in the air. "Now, come and get it." Stoney growled, running for him fast. _..Uh oh.._ Steven stumbled before running away, _away_from the gems as he cleared a few rows of the garage.

Stoney Ice was gaining on him. Fast. 

_Oh man, oh man! What am I going to do?! Oooooohh, I should've thought this through! Come on, Universe. Think of something!_

Steven saw a set of double doors farther down in the building and wondered if his badge worked for them too. 

Maybe he could lose him somewhere in the building.. And then call up the Gems to come and get him and the belt once the close was clear..

He tried going for the door and Stoney jumped to his side, blocking him. The boy backpedaled and turned around, going for the long row of cars._Okay, new plan.._

_But what am I going to do?! I have this huge belt in my hand making it difficult for me and-_

He gasped. _Wait.. the belt! That's it!_

Steven ran between two random cars and hid between them. And used that time to catch his breath for a few moments, listening to the fast run of the wrestler as he held the belt firmly in his hand.

Stone Ice stopped right in front of him and right as he lunged for him, Steven threw his arm forward hard, smacking him in the face with the jewels on the belt. The guy hollered out, grabbing his face. Steven didn't stop there. He climbed up on one of the cars and took a few steps up and over the top of the car, then ran back towards the guy. "And thiiiis.. is for headbutting me!" he jumped up from the trunk of the car. "in the balls!" he kicked the man in his face. The guy falling down to the asphalt. Steven landed right by him. 

He gave a minute nod to his self. "I have avenged thee." he said to his self and walked away, throwing the belt proudly over his shoulder.

His walk of victory however, was cut short..

When he didn't see or hear the gems once he walked back up to the area where they were fighting the wrestlers.. Even the wrestlers themselves, were gone..

_Ooooooh, WHY am I always losing them!_

He looked around the garage, going up one row. He didn't see them. He went down a second row. He didn't see them. "Where are they.."

"Hey there, Steeeeven."

_Oh no..._

He new that voice from anywhere..

"Chloe.." he turned around.

"That was a good match out there." she said. Her voice low.. sultry..

"Um.. thanks.." he backed away from her.

"So.. whatcha doing here all.. _aloooone?"_ she made her way closer towards him. Sauntering over slowly.

"Just um.. waiting for someone to pick me up.." 

"Oh? ..So.... you're just sitting here by your lonesome to pass the time?" 

"Y,." he tripped over a rock and almost stumbled back. "Yeah.. I'm just.. taking the time to uh.. clear my head.. and relax.." he continued to walk back.

"I mean.. I could think of a few things that we could do to pass the time.." a sly smile appeared on her face.

"No, I'm uh.. I'm fine.. Really." he backed into a small minivan. And he stood there. Frozen under her eyes as she made her slow walk up to him.

"You sure?" the grin grew more mischievous the closer she got to him. "I think you're.. just saying that.."

"Chloe, really.. I.." he trailed off as she closed the space in between him, her breast pressing up against his chest. "Come on, Steveeeen.." she stood on her toes, getting close to his lips-

He turned away. "Chloe, I'm not going to do it." 

"..And why not?" she bit her lip.

"I told you already. I'm with Connie."

She looked at him. Eyes half lidded.. "..who?" she leaned forward and right as her lips brushed his cheek, he pushed her off and took a few steps back from her. 

She didn't look happy. "So.. we're doing that now, Steven?" 

He took a few more steps back, despite of her not walking towards him. "I told you, Chloe, I'm with Connie. There's nothing happening between us."

"There _could_ be something between us." she said through her pout. She narrowed her eyes at him. "All I want is to make you feel good, Steven. I want _you_ to make _me_ feel good." she started her walk towards him. "Just like old times." she steadily closed the distance between them. 

Steven began to walk back. "Well.. it can't be like old times anymore. That's in the past."

"All I'm asking is a few minutes, Steven." she unbuttoned her pants and unzipped it, showing a bit of her underwear.

"Chloe, this isn't right." he said sternly.

"OH, like you would know what's right." she had a craze look in her eyes. "Just forget about Connie for a moment and remember the times _we_ had fun. In the car, at my place, at my friend's place, at the school" she scoffed. "Behind a dumpster." 

He felt embarrassed.

He steadily moved back, looking behind his self every now and again. "I'm not going to do it." he stated bluntly. "I'm with Connie and I'm happy and, you should just, leave me alone already!"

She glared at him.. before she said a coarse. "No."

"Chloe-!" 

There was a sound of a vehicle speeding up the lot. 

The two turned around to see..

Steven's eyes went wide.

_The Crystal Gems.._

The slick, intimidating vehicle sped up and both Steven and Chloe ran opposite ways to avoid it.

The truck swerved on its side as the breaks screeched to a halt. The vehicle was on two legs before it fell back down on all fours.

Steven was already running for the truck just a few feet in front of him. 

He hoped they'd unlocked the doors-

He grabbed hold of the handle and yanked the door open.

And a huge relief washed over him.

He dove inside and slammed the door behind him.

"Damn, che. You trying to break the door down o qué (or what?)

Through the windshield, Steven could see Chloe keeping her distance from the unknown vehicle. "Uh, s, sorry.. Amethyst." 

She snapped her fingers. "Garnet."

The woman shifted gears and turned the vehicle around and floored it up the lot.

Steven looked out the back window. He saw Chloe walking across and to the other side where he was.

He turned back around and sunk down in his seat with a relieved sigh.

For the first time, he was actually happy to see the Gems-

"Should've left you there with her." Amethyst cackled. "I should've went for another wrestling match. You win, you get to go home. She wins, you get to bang her."

She was laughing.. but he didn't think it was funny at all..

Amethyst went on to laugh for a few more moments before she stopped the laugh short and stated bluntly, "Alright, let me get that from you." she pointed to the belt in his hand. 

He got up while the car was still moving and handed her the belt-

She snatched it from him.

He said nothing about the gesture and sat back down..

"Man, that was a good game." Amethyst spoke back up immediately. "Definitely can't wait until the event comes back again in another couple of months for the final championship matches. Yo, Talc. I'm planning on using you again for the tag team belt. Hopefully by then, you'll be better." she scoffed.

"Oh.. uh.. of course, Amethyst. As long, uh.. as I have you and the Gems to train me, I should... be strong in no time!" 

"Yeahh!! THAT'S what I like to hear!"

"Heh, uh, yeah." 

Garnet drove off, exiting the garage. She, Amethyst and Pearl waved to Jasper as Garnet drove the car out and into the road.

And just like that, as if the energy had been drained from him, all of the excitement and adrenaline having been used and with the lack of sleeping he'd been getting for the past few days.. and with the mixture of the smooth, comforting shakes of the vehicle, Steven dropped into a deep sleep just fifteen minutes of leaving the building.

.....................

Steven woke up to Amethyst calling his name. ".. ere you go! It's about time! Called you like, eight, nine times, man. You were OUT." 

He blinked his dry eyes a few times, still feeling extremely tired from having been woken up so abruptly. 

He leaned back up in his seat. "Yeah, I'm just.. really tired." 

"Yeah, well. Thankfully for you, you get a full three days off." 

It took his tired brain a full four seconds to register what she's said. "Wait, what?"

"Yup." she nodded. "Well, of course unless something random happens or some idiot tries to steal something and we have to go get the jewels back." she shrugged. "But if nothing happens? Yup, we're going for a full three days, dude. Then we go to our next mission at the Sky Spire." 

_Uh no.. Another 'Spire'.._

Flashbacks of him crashing into the ice cold water and hitting that rock that could've cut him open.. and then almost dying.. filled his thoughts.

He pushed those thoughts back.

_Who knows maybe it'll be.. different this time?_

He nodded. "What time should I be out here?"

"This is going to be one of those morning missions. We'll pick you up at nine hundred hours."

_9:00a.m._ "Okay. I'll be there bright and early."

"Good." she gave him a casual thumbs up. "Well, see ya, che. Hasta luego (See you later)."

"Uh... you... too?"

He looked up. "Night, Garnet." 

She gave him a smile and a wave. "Night, Talc."

"Night Pearl." he smiled.

The lady looked at him, giving him a levelled stare.. until she shook her head as if snapping out of a thought. "Goodnight, Talc." her expression.. a mixture of being apologetic and.. still in thought.

He kept his look on her-

"Hey, come on, come on, come on." Amethyst snapped. "I'm trying to get back to the base and start my three day vaca." 

"Oh! Sorry, Amethyst." Pearl watched as the boy slid from his seat and opened the car door. The two locked eyes once more and a smile came across his face. He nodded again. "Enjoy your night, Pearl." 

_Get yourself together, Pearl. Know your place. And remember.. he's not- _She let a smile fall on her face. "Same to you, Talc."

His smile grew wider and she felt a mix of emotions..

He closed the door.

....................

_Guess it was nothing after all and it was all in my mind._ He thought as he walked away from the car. _Unless..It.. really was something? Hmmmm.._

If he hadnt been so exhausted, perhaps he would've thought more about it.. But now, he was just thinking about his bed..

He walked through the main doors of the building and made his way up the stairs and down the hall to the door. He took out his keys and put it in the lock, opening it.

He walked in, closed and locked the the door behind him and took the flip flops off. 

He could already hear Connie sleeping underneath of the blankets and he couldn't help but smile like he always did. He walked over to the dresser and folded the Wrestlemania shirt and laid it on top of the dresser. 

_Looks like I managed to get her a shirt after all!_

He took a few steps over to the bed, taking off his jacket and ready to plop down on the soft mattress..

He threw the jacket on the bed, put the ring in his pant pocket and took his jeans off, throwing them at the foot of the bed with the jacket. Then he slid into bed, getting underneath of the warm, soft covers.

He planted a kiss on Connie's temple. "Night Connie." he whispered and laid down on his side.

It'd been another good day. Going to Wrestlemania for the first time, wrestling for the first time and with PROFESSIONAL wrestlers! Getting to talk to Garnet for a bit, getting his last second revenge on Stoney Ice and.. getting away from Chloe!

Yes, overall, it'd been one, exciting day.

And now he was back home from his fun and wild adventure and all he wanted to do.. was spoon Connie and fall asleep, like he'd done many times in the past. 

He scooched up close behind her and draped an arm around her waist and he kept his face by her hair, taking in the nice scent of her shampoo as he drifted off to sleep. 


	63. Some unfinished business

By the time Steven got up, Connie was already gone out, for work. 

He lifted the covers that seemed to had been tucked underneath of him. _Connie.._ He smiled. 

He went to the bathroom and came out moments later and glanced at the clock- _9:46a.m_\- and walked into the kitchen.

There was a note.

**Left out for work. As usual, I left your food in the fridge. I get off early today. I should be back, no later than four. ** There was a few pen scribbles as if she'd messed up and had scratched over it. The letters I and L underneath of the blotches. Then right beside it. **XOXO Connie.**

He set the paper back on the divider and went to the fridge. He took the plate out and peeled back the aluminum foil. Pancakes and two cheese omelettes.

He already couldn't wait to eat.

He heated up his food, ate it and washed the dishes. With the extended time of being alone until Connie came back, he climbed back into bed and enjoyed.. the calm, relaxing day. 

He had nowhere to go, nowhere to be. He didn't have to worry about any missions today OR tomorrow OOOOR the next day! AND Connie clocks out early today!

He let out a nice, relaxing 'Ahh' as he brought his hands behind his head to lean on them. The warmth of the sun's rays blanketing his legs. 

Yeah, this was nice. This was_ really_ nice.

.........................

Steven didn't do much all day. He'd taken another nap sometime within those handful of hours, he'd gotten up for a snack a couple times and he'd wasted most of his time on TubeTube. And he was enjoying every bit of his first day off.

He heard the sound of the door opening and a wave of happiness and love and anticipation washed over him. He slid the laptop off his lap and was already getting up from the bed.

Connie stepped into the door. "Hey." she locked the door behind her. 

"Hey, Connie." he gave her a hug and a kiss. "How was work?"

"It was good." she smiled.

He looked down at her sleek attire. "You know, you look really good in uniform."

He could see a hint of blush on her cheeks. "Thanks." 

The two stood by the door, looking at each other. Standing so close..

_Wait.. there's that moment again-_

Connie cleared her throat. "So uh.. How was Wrestlemania? I hope you didn't get ruffled up too bad.. I see that cut on your nose" she took off her jacket and put it on the hook on the wall.

_That cut on my n-? Oh! From Pearl's spear!_

"Oh, heheh, a.. game of throwing cardboard in the truck went a bit out of hand." he rubbed at his nose. "And the event was great! I really enjoyed it! OH! And I also won this!" He jogged over to the dresser and fanned the shirt out in front of him, the shirt unraveling from it's fold. He held the huge shirt up. He looked at it, then at her and shrugged. "Yeah, I know it's like, three times too big for you, but I figured you could probably wear it to sleep in." 

"Yeah, definitely." she took the shirt from him and rubbed the material between her fingers. "Wow and it feels like it's some really good material." she walked over to the closet then stopped and looked at the shirt. "I'm going to wash this first." she walked into the bathroom and threw the shirt in the hamper and walked back out. "So, did anything else happen? How did you win that shirt?" 

"My coworker and I went up against these wrestlers for the tag team belt."

Connie snorted. _"You_ wrestled?"

"Well, yeah." then a smug look appeared on his face and he couldn't help but feel like he was pulling one of Amethyst's faces. "And I was really good at it too, Connie. You should've seen me out there." he struck a pose, one leg out in front of him, and holding his wrapped hand up, the other hand squeezing his muscle. "I was able to use my brute strength."

"Oh yeah?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah! And everyone was all cheering for me and everything!!"

She laughed. "Well I'm glad that you have a few fans now." she mocked as she made her way towards the freezer.

" 'A few'? Pffft, Connie. I had nearly HALF the arena screaming for me." he held his head up in conceit.

Connie could only laugh more, though it was more heartfelt this time than smug. She took out the frozen vegetables. "Okay, Steven. I belieeeeve you." she took the thawed chicken from the fridge and went over to the cabinets, taking out a few pans.

The two of them talked as Connie started preparing dinner for later, Steven telling her everything that'd happen at the matches. After preparing the food, she'd gotten more comfortable, taking her uniform pants off and sliding into bed to relax for a bit. Steven joined her on the other side.

"..man, Connie. I didn't even think that he would get up after that! But he did!"

"Wow, those guys are.." she shook her head, laughing. 

"Yeah! And that's not even the HALF of it, Connie!" he kept staring at her beautiful eyes.. "That guy ate the rest of his punches too after that! It was intense! And even Mr. Smiley did a bit of commentary on that."

"Wait, Mr. Smiley was there?"

"Yeah." then he quickly remembered that little feud that they had. "Um.. yeah.." he tried not blush. "Yeah he was uh.. _not_ happy to see me.. heheh.."

"Told you he didn't forget." she gave him a side, "told you so" smile.

"Yeah.." he shrugged. "But at least he managed to not kick me out." he half joked.. That man probably _ would've_ kicked him out if it weren't for Amethyst..

Also.. now that he was on that whole Mr. Smiley topic, his thoughts went to towards what they were doing when Mr. Smiley had caught them.

_And I kinda want to replicate that day.._

Ever since they had that little spark when they were at the door earlier, his mind had been going to places, then back to their conversation and back to.. those thoughts.

And now that they were in bed, his mind went to those thoughts even more.. And he feel those first twitches of him getting hard..

But he turned his attention back to Connie, continuing their conversation like nothing was going on under his side of the covers..

Then there was another side if him that thought about just kissing her and seeing where that would lead to..

He leaned over to her slightly-

"Oh, wait! Before we continue talking about wrestling." she cut him off. "I didn't get to tell you about the appointment."

Yeah, he couldn't ignore that dip in his stomach though..

_Oh.. right.. The sonogram thing.._ though his mind was getting too fogged up at the moment to really feel _too_ uneasy about it.

_Maybe if we speed this up, we can start doing something._

Well.. _if_ she was in the mood..

"So, um, what happened?" 

"Everything looks good so far." she began. "And their estimation for my due date is in December. They said they'll give me my next sonogram appointment in the next few of months. This is supposed to be the main one..And.. until then, I have to continue living a healthy lifestyle and start planning for certain things as the pregnancy." his stomach dipped again. "goes."

"Ahh, okay." he really didn't know what to say.. between him not wanting to talk about the baby.. to him wanting to scratch that horny itch that'd been in his mind. He just wanted to have a bit of fun and _not_ have to worry about that. But of course.. he had to act like he was interested..

_Let me see uh....what do people ask when someone goes to their sonogram? Something about being healthy? But she already told me that everything was looking good so far..._

_Oh, I know what I could ask her!_

"So.." he got up closer to her, laying right in front of her on his side. "Is it a boy.. or a girl?" 

She gave him a knowing look as she raised her eyebrow. Then she shook her head, smirking. "Yeah, it's way too early to know that yet." then a beat later, that smile turning to the side. "But _I'm_ hoping for a girl." she tried to hold in the giddy squeal in her voice. She looked at his reaction.

He gave her a look. "Pfft, I dooon't know, Connie. Boys are..easier." 

"Mhm. Men wanting boys.. of course."

"What? _You_ said you want a girl."

"Hey, don't put it all on me." she smiled. "Men don't want girls because of that responsibility of having to fight off all of those boys when they get older.

"Well, yes." he said matter of factly. "We're guys and we know how guys think." he tapped his temple. "Therefore, we wouldn't want any guys to come around our daughters."

She gave him a slow nod. "Well, I guess we'll see eventually in the next few months." another dip in his stomach..

"Yeah.. we'll see.." he took a deep breath just to fill the lull in the conversation and the silence.

It stretched for just a few seconds until Connie looked at his hand. "So, how's your hand doing?" she asked him. 

"It still hurts.. especially when I move my wrist a certain way.. but this ace baggage is getting the job done for the most part." he looked into her eyes again, getting closer to her.

"That's good.. I might have you keep that on for another day or two before we change it again.. I don't want to keep messing with it, you know?"

"Hmhm.." was all he said, looking at her lips.

He tried to calm himself down..What if she wasn't in the mood anymore? Then he would be getting himself riled up for nothing.

But.. he couldn't help it.. They were in bed, they were under the covers, he was with his beautiful girlfriend.. 

And.. he already had an erection.. And he kept feeling it throb in his shorts..

"So.. um.. what's up?"

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know, uh.. anything else to report?" 

"No, not really. I mean, we're running a bit low on toilet paper.. but I was going to get that tomorrow after work."

"Mhm.." he looked at her lips. "So.. that's it?" 

Connie shrugged under the covers. "For the most part.. yeah.. Why?" she looked at his eyes.. And.. she knew that look all too well.. and she started blushing. 

_I can only hope that she's in the mood.._ "Connie?" 

"..Yeah?" 

He leaned slowly.. hesitated.. then leaned in more, kissing her slowly.. and deeply. Each kiss sending him jumping in his shorts. And he breathed into her mouth at the feeling. 

He kept giving her deep kisses and he felt her arms go around his neck.

And there goes the invitation.

He kissed her soft lips and licked her bottom lip a few times. 

He loved kissing her.. so much..

Every sweet kiss from her.. and how her arms were wrapped snuggly around his neck and just under his hair.. 

Just taking her all in..

He laughed and she chuckled because _he_ was laughing. She gave him a quick peck. "What's so funny?" her lips was still so close to his.. Her eyes barely open as she stared at him.

"I love kissing you." she felt his breath on her lips and it was _her_ turn to lean in, kissing him.

Then she leaned up slightly. "I love kissing you too." and went back to kissing him.

.......................

Steven grunted hard into her neck. He stayed there as the sweet.. amazing feeling of the orgasm washed over him. And listening to Connie's sexy panting underneath of him. Her legs still wrapped around his waist.. As she started coming down from her own orgasm. 

He pulled out and laid a few smooches on her neck, hearing the moans coming from her. He kissed down to her collarbone a few more times before slowly leaning up on his arm. He rolled to his side, falling on his back as the feeling continued to spark up and down his body. He took a breath, wiping the sweat off his forehead.

Connie was still panting herself. Her hair sticking to her forehead and her hair all out and everywhere on her head. She grabbed at her hair, pushing it back from her face. "Wow.." she breathed out.

Steven gave out a breathy chuckle, still taking his breaths. "I take it you.. enjoyed that?" 

Of course she wouldn't outright admit it.. But the blush on her face and the way she was calling out his name just moments prior? Yeah, he already knew the answer to that.

Steven turned back over on his side, throwing an arm around her bare waist. "Oh, don't want to admit it?"

Connie blushed more under his gaze and he leaned in sucking on her neck. He stuck his tongue out slightly, trailing the top of his tongue up and down her neck and she pulled his face in with both of her arms.

The licks and small pecks lasted for a few moments more until he heard the whimsical ringtone from his phone in the pocket of his jeans.

He ignored it. Going down to her chest again, wanting to play another game under the covers with her.. 

The phone started ringing again right as he was kissing her stomach.

"Steven.." she panted out. "Are you.. sure you don't need to answer that."

"Nn nn.." he half answered her, too busy laying kisses on her soft, warm stomach.

"Maybe.." he bit her gently and she took a sharp breath. "Maybe.. you need to make sure the call isn't important.." 

He leaned back up. "..Mhm.." he mumbled. "I'll check.." then he looked at her, winking. "Then I'll come back and.. finish what I've started." he leaned back up, throwing the covers off of them. He crawled to the foot of the bed and picked up his jeans.The phone ringing once more.

He went to grab his phone and realized that.. his hands weren't exactly.. the cleanest at the moment..

Maybe he could just press the answer button with his pinky? He didn't think he used that finger.

Wait, no.. he used all of his fingers..

He used his wrapped hand instead, pulling the phone out with the tips of his fingers that weren't wrapped up. He swiped with the knuckle of his pinky and held the phone up to his ear.

"Yo, it's about damn time you answered! The hell were you doing!" 

Steven looked at his naked self in the mirror on the dresser, then looked over at Connie's naked body in the bed beside him. A smirk appeared on his face. "Oh just.. chilling in bed.."

He didn't know if Amethyst caught on to that or not, but there was a few seconds of silence before she started talking again. She scoffed. "Listen, Talc. When you hear the phone ringing, you _need_ to answer your phone. No MATTER what. No matter if you're taking a duce, no matter if you're wanking off or, doing your girlfriend! NO matter what. You got that?"

"Uh..y, yes. I understand.." he tried to keep the blush from coming.

"Anyway, now that we have that out of the way. Remember when I told you that we have two days off _unless_ some idiots steal some jewels that we have to steal back?"

"Yeah." he trailed his eyes towards Connie again. Wanting so bad to kiss her soft skin again.. And kiss all along her chest.

"Yeah, well. Looks like we found those idiots." she deadpanned. "So, you know what that means."

He resisted a sigh. "We gotta go get them." he said simply, not wanting to add _too_ much to the conversation.

"Yup."

"What time?"

"At nineteen hundred hours. We just left the base about an hour ago." 

He looked up at the clock. _5:58p.m_

_ He had about an hour to get ready. "Okay. I'll see you then."_

"Luego. (Later)"

".. Luego." he heard the phone hang up and he laid the phone lazily behind him. He sighed dramatically, going back for Connie. He wrapped his arms around her, giving her wet kisses on her neck. 

".. Steven..?" he began sucking on her neck and she almost lost her words. She took a breath. "Was that.. your job again?"

".. Mhm.." he said in her neck. He continued to suck on it, wanting to continue with his little kissing, cuddling session.. And possibly something more..

"You have to leave, don't you?"

He took a defeated breath and leaned up from her bruised neck. "Yeah.. I'm supposed to meet him at 7 o'clock." 

She looked up at the clock, then back at him. "Steven, it's already a little pass six now." she sat up. "You need to start getting ready." 

He resisted a groan as he leaned up slightly from her face. He took another breath, looking at her naked body. "Yeah." he leaned in once more, giving her a quick peck just below her jaw and leaned back up. "Yeah, I'll start getting ready.." reluctantly, he slid off of the bed.

If only he could stay cuddled up with her the rest of the night..

He picked up his phone _with his wrapped hand_ and put it on the dresser. Then he grabbed his clothes and walked slowly to the bathroom. He took the ace bandage off his hand and threw it away. _Definitely have to get a new one now.._ Then he took the ring from his pocket, threw the clothes in the hamper and gave his hands and ring a quick wash. 

He stepped out the bathroom, on his way to the closet as Connie was pulling back the covers on the bed. "While you do that, I'm going to get everything ready to be washed." she pulled the next sheet off.

"Alright." he snapped a shirt off the hanger, grabbed his underclothes and toiletries from the dresser and went back to the bathroom. 

Within a quick span of twenty five minutes, he washed his Crystal Gem shirt, took his shower, brushed his teeth and slid on his clothes, say for his jeans and his jacket which were still in the closet. Ignoring the wet Crystal Gem shirt he had to wear..

Connie was sitting just on the edge of the bed, with her under clothes on, sitting on the dirty, folded up sheets. Phone in her hand.

"It's all yours." said Steven. 

She kept her eyes on her handsome boyfriend, as he walked over to the dresser to put the toiletries back. His hair still dripping wet and dripping to his shirt.

She locked her screen. "Hey, Steven?"

"Yeah?" he walked over by the closet, taking out a pair of jeans.

"Where are you going again? The place you and your co-workers are getting the produce?"

Why would.. she ask him that?

Is she on to him?!

She _was_ on her phone just now..

Maybe she found something somehow!!

"N, no.. I'm not sure.. Why?"

"There's been two murders downtown. A teeneger and his girlfriend. Apparently they'd been last seen at a nearby bar and were found near a garbage dump just a few hours later.." she had a worried look on her face. 

_..No... it can't be the Gems.. could it? _ "Did they..find out who it was?" he put his jacket on and closed the door.

"No." she shook her head. 

_Then.. it could very well be the Gems since they weren't caught.._

"They think it's gang related." 

"Huh?" he looked back up.

"Not only was the guy known as a drug dealer but.. there was a note saying that he was breaking the rules and the laws.. And that his girlfriend committed a lot of things as well.." her expression uneasy. "And written above the words was the letter L, the '&' symbol and the letters c o." 

_Now_ that_ didn't sound like the Gems.._

_Wait.. could it be those scary tuxedo people who the Gems are fighting?!_

The Gems had been, well _Amethyst_ so by extension, _the Gems_ had been keeping hush hush about these people.. and Steven didn't know much about them.. Maybe L&Co was their signature? Like how 'Crystal Gem' was their name and the star was their signature. Or so that's what he thought.. on the count of the stars on their jumpsuits, their cars and he remembered seeing a huge star above the diamonds at the front of their base.. So.. he could only assume..

"I mean, I know that there's been shootings here.. Empire isn't exactly the most safest city in the States but.." she trailed off. "I don't know, I just have.. a bad feeling about this..or..maybe I'm just over thinking this and maybe those two people were just targeted but.." she shrugged. "Just..be careful, okay?"

"Don't worry, Connie. I will.." he came over and before he leaned in, he said quickly. "Yes, I brushed my teeth." before leaning in and kissing her.

Connie _did_ have that "No kissing after going down on her" policy, but after brushing your teeth, it's all fair game.

He broke away. "I've been living in Empire all my life Connie. And.. well.. I've seen a great deal of stuff but.. I don't think we have anything to worry about." he tried to reassure her.. even if he too, felt just a tad pinch of worry..

She nodded slowly, forcing a small smile out. "Okay." she got up. "Well, let me wrap your hand up before you leave." she went to the bathroom, washed her hands, took out the ace bandage from the kit behind the mirror and left out. She gestured to the chair at the divider. He sat down and she started wrapping up his hand.

"There we go." 

"Thanks, Connie." he gave her a kiss.

"No problem." she said casually. "Now, let me just take my shower and get everything cleaned." she looked at the bed, then cut her eye at him as she walked over by the dresser. 

"Why are you looking at me like that? All of that is _your_ mess." he joked. 

And there goes that blush as she tried to deny it, sputtering out her denial.

He could only laugh at that.

Connie picked up her toiletries and Steven gave her another kiss before she walked into the bathroom.

The remaining twenty minutes, he played a game on his phone and hit pause when the time started approaching. He exited out the app, locked his screen and pocketed his phone. With just two minutes left, he slipped on her flip flops, opened the door and left for yet, another mission he could only hope would be another success. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now for the Steven's Lion chapters!! 
> 
> Can't wait for y'all to meet Lion!!  
Though how and where Steven finds him.. well..


	64. The abandoned warehouse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still alive :)  
Sorry I haven't posted in awhile. Long story short, I did that due to the month of SUF. I didn't want to post anything during that time frame. (Though I should've told y'all that sorry..) And then I waited an extra two weeks for things to kinda simmer down a bit.
> 
> But yeah, having said that, I WAS still writing within that time and I have a slew of chapters up to like, one hundred something chapters already cued up (I just have to put a tad bit more in them and edit them)  
And uh, yeah :)  
Here's TEN chapters all at once for y'all :)  
(or nine chapters since one of them is like, SUPER super short)  

> 
> ALSO! For those of you who read before I made the edit, I changed their off days from two days, to *three days. Sooo, the Gems have a three day vacation. (Or were supposed to, as we already know that they have to retrieve the jewels from these guys) ;'P which means that they may OR may not have a relaxing _two_ days off ;)

Steven made his way down the hall and down the first flight of steps, feeling amazing. He was still feeling great from helping out the Gems on their last mission at the jewelry store, he was feeling great from yesterday at the wrestling event _and_ he'd finally scratched that sexual itch he'd been trying to scratch for awhile with Connie. 

Yeeees, things were going pretty great with 'ole Steven Universe. 

He walked down the last flight of steps, his head held high and a confident stride to his step. He opened the main door and strode over to the corner of the building. They were in the Inkas again, having only used the white Rolls Royce for leisure purposes. Or so he assumed. 

Bummer.. he was really digging that car too..

He stopped and took a quick look around, looking throughout the whole area around him.

The window from the passenger's side rolled down. "Neh, you're good for today dude. Come on." Amethyst beckoned him with her hand.

He took a step, but thought otherwise and stopped to take another look around. _Can't be _so _ sure.._

_She could've just been saying that.._

He didn't see anyone or see anything out of the ordinary and he continued his way to the car. 

He opened the door and simply got in.

"Hey, Pearl." they were already face to face. The woman already looking at him the moment he stepped in. She gave him a small nod and a 'Hi'. Then right back to the phone in her hand. 

He sat down and closed the door. "Hey Amethyst. Hey Garnet."

"Sup." said Amethyst as she stared at him through the rearview mirror. Garnet was about to greet him, but Amethyst cut back in. "Also, I should remind you. You address _me_ first. Not Pearl, not Garnet."

He.. wasn't expecting that. "Oh, uh.. sorry, Amethyst.. I didn't know.. This is my first time hearing about it.."

She nodded. "And that'll be your last." she looked at him through the rearview mirror for few long moments.. then started back up again. "Okay." she clapped her hands. "Looks like we have a bunch of idiots to get. Though it's nothing serious or anything. I mean." she scoffed with a shrug. "They're not even our rivals. They're literally just a bunch of stupid ass thugs with dogs who just so happened to had broken in a _non_ GemTech car, which real quick Talc, that's why I told you we couldn't use those two cars back at the C.G base. Because they hadn't been fully equipped with GemTech. Anyway, _those_ particular incompetent Crystal Gems decided to use that car on their mission and while those guys were breaking into people's cars, they broke into _theirs_ and got the jewels."

Steven wondered why those particular Gems couldn't just get it themselves.. "And so we were assigned to get them because they knew that we were off. Also, that we would get the job done." _so that answered his question.._ "And they have to go back to one of the main bases to get penalized for it." _Wait.. that can happen?! If.. _we_ don't do our jobs correctly, could that happen to us too!? _

Then Steven thought. Who exactly_ is_ in charge of penalizing them? He could only assume that the Peridots were the ones who makes the weapons and the gadgets and that they know a bit about the Gem's missions.. Like how they'd warned Amethyst of that rich lady's house about her trick alarm system.. But, do they also assign the missions as well? How do they even know where to go? (Maybe through hacking..) But again.. _who's_ in charge of everyone now? 

And also.. how_ do_ they get penalize for it? What was their punishment?

He had _so_ many questions about the Crystal Gems..-

"The only good thing they _did_ do was put the jewels in a Gembag which has a locating device on it. Last time we checked, the bag was showing that it was located in a near deserted, dirty, rundown part of the city in a junkyard, right on the outskirts of Empire." Amethyst smiled, leaning back in her chair ever so casually. "So yeah. This is cake. We go in, grab the jewels and head up to the GemTech building to drop them off."

_Wait, so we're going there too?! _

_I.. wonder if Peridot would be inclined to fix the shirt again.._

_Or.. if she would even_have_ time to do that for me.._

"Garnet, locate the bag's exact location again." said Amethyst.

The woman clicked on one of the icons on the tablet in front of them and a map pulled up on the screen a split second later. Red, blue and green lines indicating streets, rivers and dead ends zigzagged throughout the yellow background. 

"CGVU. Show me the location of C.G.G.B one nine four." said Garnet. 

"Locating." said the male voice. A loading icon appeared in front of the screen for a few moments before the screen scrolled up and left to another part of the map. A blue dot fell from the screen and pinned a certain area. Garnet looked at the coordinates that were displayed under the map.

"Looks like they still haven't moved."

"Good." Amethyst nodded. "At least for right now." then she gestured at the front of the car with her chin. "Alright. Let's go."

Garnet shifted gears and drove off. 

"Anyway." Amethyst turned her attention to Steven again through the rearview mirror. "Apparently the soon-to-be-unfortunate guys who took the jewels hold these bi-weekly dog fights." Amethyst snorted. "Guess they wanted to use the jewels to gamble with it. Heh, well they have another thing coming."

_..Dog.. fights?_

_Dog fights?!?!_

_As in.. people using dogs for profit by means of using dogs to tear each other up?!?_

_Sick.. Just sick.._

And Steven found himself disgusted. His stomach churning.. _How could they do that to those poor, innocent dogs?! Like they did ANYTHING wrong!_

He was very fond of dogs.. He was fond of cats and a lot of other innocent creatures.. And to have them neglected or treated poorly or.. be trained to be apart of deadly fights? He despised it.. 

"HAHA! Whatcha over there looking like that for? I know you're not upset because I said something about 'dog fights'." 

He kept his stare at the mirror, trying to put on a more neutral look. She snickered some more. "Dude, you reaaaally do wear your heart on your sleeve. Pathetic." he continued to look at her. Still trying to keep a neutral look. Though that last word almost made him break his façade.. "It's no big deal! Just a bunch of dogs fighting! They're animals. Who cares?" 

_He_ cared..

What those guys were doing was wrong..

Sure what _they_, as Crystal Gems, were doing was also wrong.. But they knew what they were getting themselves into as Crystal Gems.. But those _dogs,_ on the other hand, did not..

And then they had the nerve to gamble! And.. and gambling is bad too!!- 

She turned around in her seat to face him. "Dude, seriously. Suck it up, will ya? It's already bad enough I'm trying to teach you how to stop caring about people and now you're think about some.. animals? Tshht, get over all of that crap." 

He didn't say anything to her.. Not wanting any confrontation. He could already see that she would have a lot to say if he were to slip up and say one thing wrong..

So, instead.. he gave her a nod. 

Definitely not to say that she was right. But to simply give her an acknowledgement nod that he heard her.

Though whether she knew the nuance of the nod well..

The nod seemed to suffice.. or maybe she just didn't care anymore, but she turned back around in her seat.

And he sat back himself.. Still fuming over those guys..

_Those scumbags have another thing coming.._

_Yeah, I'll try to help the Gems get the jewels.._

He looked at the window, looking at his narrow eyed reflection.

_But I'll _also_ see to it that I can somehow take the guys down as well.._

_I _ need_ to bring justice to those dogs.._

..................

The ride felt pretty short. Only about an hour ride. And to some people, an hour ride may very well be considered a long drive. But, when you're so use to taking three, four hour rides, an hour was like a five minute walk to the store.

"Looks like we're almost there." said Amethyst looking at the blue tack on the screen.

Steven looked outside. They were surrounded by boarded up houses. The grounds, littered with trash.

"Yo. Talc." he looked away from the sight of the neighborhood. "Here." Amethyst threw the pink mask behind her and he barely caught it. "And here's a knapsack, just in case." she threw the bag and he caught it. He put it on. "Are we going to be stealing more jewels?"

"I doubt it. But that's for if you see any weapons laying on the ground." 

_Great.. now he would have to get weapons too?!_

"Looks like the tack is pointing towards the far back of the abandoned warehouse." said Garnet.

Amethyst looked at the tablet. "Seems to be pointing at the basement.. But whatever. So long as those jewels are in a good place and not scuffed up in any way, I won't have to." she hit her fist into the palm of her hand. "put a hurtin' on 'em." 

The car was approaching the warehouse. Just a block away from the building. "Garnet, pull over here." she pointed at the side of a busted up fence. A huge gaping hole that looked as if a car had crashed through it. "We're going to walk through the alley instead of driving up on them.. We don't want to spook them and have them run away with the jewels. We can't blow our covers too soon." she put her mask on. And Pearl and Steven did the same.

Garnet nodded and drove just a bit on the sidewalk, parking just by the opened fence. She put her shades on, then her mask.

"Pearl, the door." Amethyst ordered her. The woman got out of the car. Then Amethyst turned to Garnet. "Activate protocol, Garnet." she looked at Steven through the rearview mirror again. "Talc, you're coming with me." He nodded and started taking off his shirt right as Pearl opened Amethyst's door. The two got out and he and Pearl closed the doors. 

"Talc.. What! You didn't fix your shirt!" 

"I.. don't know how to sow.." he said meekly. "And I can't ask anyone else.."

Amethyst shook her head. "Well you better think of something and fast. Your whole gut is hanging out. This is your identity we're talking about here. You _need_ to be well suited." 

"Sorry.. Amethyst.." he looked down at his stomach.

The three heard Garnet open and shut her door. Then two beats later, they heard the car lock up.

She came over to the front to meet them. The three, now surrounding Amethyst.

"Okay guys. It's not like all of those other hi security missions. Just a bunch of stupid thugs with dogs and a possibility of guns." Steven had to resist a squeal, swallowing his fear instead. "This is simple. We go in, right through the back, we attack whoever that may go check out what's going on and we go straight to the basement. There may be a lot of guys in there. But not _ all_ of them will come all out at the same time. But, if they do, we'll still be able to take all of them down."

Garnet and Pearl nodded and Steven nodded right after, still trying to process the word 'guns' and the potential risk of getting shot.. 

"Okay, let's break." Amethyst turned in a run towards the alley and they followed, staying close behind her. The four of them ran through. The area filled with thin plants, overgrown weeds and trash. The area.. smelling of urine.. 

Steven swatted and leaned away from a few thin branches with questionable tissue and ripped clothing. He could already hear the very faint barking of the dogs from the building and the sound of voices shouting. 

The four cleared the entrance to an area filled with dirt and sand. Thick chains hooked up to trees and old spare tires laid around. A gust of wind blew by, blowing a few errant debris around and chilling Steven's stomach. 

"In here." he heard Amethyst. The back of the warehouse held two busted doors, one door swinging along it's hindges and laid diagonally across the other door.

She opened it slowly, the door creaking as she did. She krept in, the three doing the same as they stayed low to the ground. Steven getting a huge whiff of so many fowl smells all at once..

The smell of urine, beer and crap.. And it smelled like something died.. The floor was gone. Only mud, dirt and what Steven could definitely assume was also crap throughout the place. Trash and condoms littered the area and there werr a few clothes and a soiled, brown mattress. He couldn't help but get a sudden chill of disgust throughout his body. 

The Gems seemed unfazed by it, _of course_, the women stepping all the way in. Steven tried to pull the mask further down in front of his nose to _mask_ some of the smell. 

_No pun intended.._

Though he _was_ thankful that the smell wasn't as bad as the acid smell. So far, he didn't smell anything as bad as that yet..

They journeyed further across the first floor, the Gems looking down and all around them. _What are they looking for? Dropped jewels?_ He started looking around himself.

"Hm." they heard Amethyst. "Look at that. Looks like I found one." she pointed at a trick wire. "Guess they're not _that_ dumb after all.. They managed to put up a trap. Could be more too." she smiled mischievously.

The three stepped over, going for the basement door just a few feet away.

And.. Steven could here more sounds of dogs barking, chains rattling and people shouting.

He could already feel himself getting mad at just the sounds alone..

He couldn't wait to see those damn thugs..-

He thought about what he could do.. something that wasn't too severe.. but.. something.. just _something_ he could do-

"Another trick wire." Amethyst stepped over and Garnet and Pearl did the same.

-_..I could tackle them?.. But it'll probably be too many of them.. And I can't stun them with a weapon.. I still don't have one yet, like the Gems..And the bubble could. Gasp! The bubble! Maybe I _could_ tackle them! They wouldn't be able to get me anyway and-Ooof!_

Steven tripped over a cord in front of him, breaking his fall with his hands on the wet mud. An empty bag of chips and a pair of brown stained boxers and dirty tissue in front of him. _Ewwwww!!!_ He got up quickly.

"Talc!!" Amethyst growled out as the boy hopped to his feet. Wiping his hands on his jeans. He looked up "Huh? What?" 

There was a loud crack above them as one of the beams from the bare ceiling started coming down.

The four moved out the way, Steven barely dodging the beam as he hid behind an empty cardboard box. Being careful not to touch it, looking at the blood and brown stains all around it.

The beam came down in a loud crash just off to the side of the door.

"What was that?" they heard a muffled voice yell out from downstairs. _Rookie mistake of yelling out like that.._ Steven thought to himself.. And he was a Rookie himself.. He knew all about doing stupid things..

"You four go check it out." said another voice. 

They heard the loud thumps of boots as the group of guys ran up the steps. 

The Gems waited. Amethyst now up on two beams above them. One leg on each beam. And one whip out and unraveled in each hand. Garnet was crouched down by a pile of rusting bricks in the corner, gauntlets in hand and Pearl was laying down on her side on one of the above beams on the other side of the room. Spear held close to her chest in her hand. She turned her head slightly. The four of them, keeping an eye on the door.. until it was thrown open and the sound of dogs and shouts and chains echoed from downstairs and into the room. 

Four guys ran up in the room, guns already out in their hands.

Steven crouched down more, looking at the huge guns in their hands.. Not wanting to get.. shot.. 

What would he even do if that even happened?! Amethyst even said at their little breakfast gathering that he would be out of luck and without their help if he were to get shot..

He swallowed.. watching the guys as they scouted the area. 

Steven heard a whistle, like that of a bird. It was two short trills and one long whistle that lasted for only a couple of seconds. 

_Is.. somebody communicating with someone? But.. who?! And what are they saying?!_

Pearl tilted her head up from her beam to look at Amethyst as the guys looked around harder, having heard the noise as well. Two of them clicked the revolvers on their guns.

Amethyst blinked; eye Morse code to Pearl. At Garnet's angle she could see Amethyst as well. _Take the blonde one out with your spear. I'll get the other two with my whips._ She turned to Garnet. _And you get the guy in the red shirt._

The two blinked yes in eye Morse code and got ready to attack.

Pearl leaned up slightly. One of the guys started to look her way and she leaned back down. She waited.

"Look, I know someone's in here!" yelled out the one in the red shirt.

The three passed him, going farther into the room.

Pearl looked up again. Red Shirt was now walking up with them. His gun raised up. 

She turned her spear, the point facing towards the men. She leaned the bottom half of her body slightly, bending her arm back. She focused on her target. The blonde, tall one with the biggest gun.

She turned her arm ever so slightly, brought it back a bit more and... threw it as hard as she could from that angle. The spear going right in the guy's back and he screamed out. The three other turned back, firing their guns out immediately. Pearl staying close to the beam as the shells bounced and ricocheted off the ceiling. 

Steven jumped at the sudden sound of bullets being fired. _What was going on in front of him?!_

The firing stopped after some moments and he heard a few empty clicks. The men went for their pockets, taking out more ammunition. 

The blonde one already dead from Pearl's spear right in a main organ..

One of the two other guys went to his revolver. "Now.." Amethyst held her whip up, steering clear of the guy's line of sight. She raised her arm up. "where are you hiding-Whoa! What the fu-" Amethyst threw her whip, wrapping around his torso. She threw him back towards the wall.

Red Shirt and the other guy fired towards Amethyst's corner. She hid farther behind the beam. The other whip in her hands. 

Steven jumped again as more shots fired out. This time, after a few moments they'd stopped, he looked up from the box. Amethyst and Pearl were somewhere amongst the beams of the ceiling, or so he assumed from the many bullet holes in the ceiling.. And he'd lost track of Garnet.

One guy was already on the ground. Blood spilling out onto the dirt. Pearl's spear still in the middle of his back. Red Shirt had his gun up and out, looking at the area above him and the man beside him was digging into his pocket again for more ammunition. The fourth guy, upside down near a now broken in wall. The rope held tightly around him. He wasn't moving.

Steven _had_ to do something.. He had to help out the Gems!

_And_ get those dirty, rotten dogs..

He quickly realised what he said, the words now being inappropriate for the situation at hand.. 

Dirty, rotten, _people._ He corrected his self.

Garnet took a few steps towards Red Shirt. Half crouching, half crawling on her gauntlets, ignoring the filth around her and getting all on her.

He had his back turned, still looking up at the ceiling.

His friend clicking the ammunition into the gun.

The Gems, Steven and the two men heard some more running coming up the stairs.

_Back up.._

The door was thrown open again as more guys ran into the room in a group of at least ten or fifteen from what Steven could see.

Dogs barking and chains rattling and the men cheering echoed from the basement again as the door laid open.

Garnet stopped, easing back behind the pile of bricks again. 

Pearl slid two canisters out the side of her belt and Amethyst took out another whip.

The three waiting as the guys looked all around the room.

"¡Emboscada! ¡Vamos! ¡Vamos!" (Ambush! Go! Go!) Amethyst turned from the corner of the beams and jumped off.

On instict, Pearl and Garnet ran out, upon hearing the order. The two women going straight for every and ANY guy they saw. 

"Whoa!" "What the f!-" "Hold up!-" and more curses and words in shock as the thugs started shooting out, everywhere around them. The bullets hitting the Gems' jumpsuits and bouncing off. Pearl threw two spears, quickly going for two more on her belt. The spears piercing in one guy's chest and the other's arm. The gun falling out of his hand.

Garnet threw a punch with one of her gauntlets, breaking Red Shirt's jaw. He fell out cold. Four men came up, one grabbing each arm and the other two her legs. They pulled her, using all of their strength.

She stood her ground.

And they looked at her.

She pulled one arm in, pulling the man with her. She head-butted him. The guy grunted out in pain, loosening his grip. She ran back into the wall, pushing him against it and he let her go as he fell to the floor just as the man on the other arm tried putting her in a headlock. She took her arm and wrapped it around his head, pulling his head down towards her. One man from one of her legs jumped up, pulling her into a head lock as she took the man in her arm forward and down to the ground. The third guy now on her back, still trying to keep her in the headlock as the fourth guy from her leg got up, grabbing for her torso. She let go of the guy in her arm and punched him to the floor with her gauntlet, then went back to the wall, ramming the third guy into it. She pried his arms from her neck and swung him to the wall. The fourth guy barely holding on to her torso.

Amethyst tackled a thug that was at least three times her size and height. Sending the guy a few feet down the mud. She punched him twice, he was out cold before three guys grabbed hold of her. Both arms and her neck. She spun around, at inhumane speeds, Steven still not believing that she could spin that fast. She took both arms, grabbing one guy on each side, grabbing their shirt collars as she pulled them in. She lunged forward, doing a front flip. She landed hard on the ground, slamming the guy that had his arms around her neck, while still holding on to the other two. She rolled, getting up, the guys still holding on, but in a bit of a daze. She let go of the men on the sides of her and brought her hands up, overpowering the men that were still trying to hold on to her arms. She took the middle thug's neck and pulled it forward as she bent her weight to the front, slinging him over her head. She kicked him in his face. And used one arm to punch one of the men in the face. He fell to the floor and she uppercut the last guy. 

Steven watched on, trying to figure out what he could do.. The Gems had it. They were _easily_ beating the guys.

But.. what was _he_ going to do? There was NO way he could fend off all of those guy's like that! He wasn't good like they were.. He was still in training! But.. he _had_ to do something..

He looked all around, watching the fight.

_I_ have_ to do something.. but what-_

He looked, eyes going pass the basement door-

And looked back at it.

_Wait.. That's it! While the Gems handle the guys, I can see if I can get the jewels!!_

He took a step and stopped, still behind the box.

_Wait..But what am I going to do if there's multiple thugs down there? Which there most likely is.._

He heard another round of gun fire and jumped. He stood there, catching his breath again.. _I don't know..But.. but I have to get down there.. I have to at least _try_ to get the jewels.. And.. and who knows, maybe majority of the men came up instead.. and there's only a few people left down there.._

_Okay, Universe.. All ya have to do is.. try your best and.. eeaaaase away from the area.._ He took a couple of steps and peeked out from the box. Half of the men were on the ground. The Gems fighting the other half.. 

Steven used that distraction to inch farther and farther towards the door. He kept his body crouched as he used various laid objects to block himself.. More old, questionable empty boxes and a few dirt mounds that he didn't want to get too close to..

A guy was thrown right in front of him and he backpedaled half a step. He threw out his arm and a throb of pain shot up his arm from his bandaged wrist. He winced, still eyeing the guy that.. was already unconscious..

He sighed a breath of relief and jumped over him, quickly making one last glance before he ran through the door. 

He stopped right at the top of the steps, leaning on the wall. He took one breath through his nose to catch his breath and nearly gagged. The smell was worse.. The smell of something dead.. 

He put his shirt up over his nose, trying to mask the horrid smell. 

The sound of chains snapped him out of his trance. "GET HIM!! GET HIM GOOD!!! YEAHH!!" "NAW, WE GOT THIS MATCH RIGHT HERE!! he heard the guys shout out as growling and whimpers were heard down the old, winding stairs. Chains rattled and clanked on what sounded like metal. 

Steven took two steps down, his foot hitting what felt like another.. 

.. wire..

On.. the second step..


	65. Only a punk would hurt a dog

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit descriptive on what Steven disgustingly encounters. So yeahh, if you don't like reading about disgusting stuff.. I've put up @@@@ for ya.
> 
> Also, I didn't want to spoil this chapter, but I figured that it may be too much for some people. So, this is a heads up for those people who don't want to read about dog fighting.. I didn't go too much into detail, but yeah.. Just thought I should put that out there for some of y'all.

There was a loud cracking he'd remembered the sound of from earlier and looked up. The beam was breaking above him. 

"HEY!!" he heard a few guys from the room shout out. "Somebody got pass!!" he heard footsteps coming his way and there were sounds of more footsteps as the guys grunted and screamed out.. Presumably, the gems getting at them..

..Right as that was going on, he heard footsteps coming up towards him. "They're trynna come down here now!!" one guy yelled out.

Steven panicked, looking to his left, then to his right, then to his left again. 

The clunk and thud of boots were getting louder..

He shifted his footing a few more quick times before grabbing on to the banister to his left. He pulled himself up, stepping his foot on the railing. He looked down at the lumps of dirt in various shades of brown, white and... red.... _Hopefully all of that.. disgusting.. filthy dirt will break my fall.._ He jumped, resisting a scream as he free fell hard to the ground, landing _hard enough_ on his good arm and both his knees. The muscle pain shooting up his legs and up his back. His arm shooting up pains and screams of its own.

He grunted out, and winced, taking a huge whiff of the basement. And bile came up as he tried hard not to throw up. He swallowed it back down, throwing his shirt over his nose again. 

He looked around and began internally squealing in disgust and shock as he jumped a few times, backpedaling, looking all around him until he pinned himself to the corner of the wall.

@@@@

He'd landed near a pile.. of dead dogs..

The rotting smell coming from them.. 

Some more fresh than others.. Some where meat had fallen off in decay. Maggots eating at them, and the rest, so far decayed that pieces of bone were shown. Maggots and flies flew all around the pile..

And he was so close to them..

The horrid, disgusting sight of grey, fallen flesh and listless eyes and maggots eating at their stomach and moving around in their opened, pale mouthes. Others in there second stages, bloated Their stomachs extended and blood bubbles coming out of their nose and mouth. 

And the smell alone..

The whole combination of it all..

Finally being too much for him to handle.

He pulled his shirt from his mouth, heaving as he threw up on the ground.

He heaved again, taking in more of the putrid air. He threw up again.

He put his shirt back over his drooling mouth and breathed in and out of it, breathing into his shirt like an anxiety bag, not wanting to possibly breath in any flies.

@@@@

He heard a few more boots stomping up the steps and jumping into the room as they jumped over the fallen beam.

He took a few more breaths to try and compose himself.

Then more breaths..

And a few more..

@@@@

He leaned back up and took one more deep breath through his mouth.. As he pivoted around and ran pass the dogs, jumping over them, looking at their opened stomachs and half eaten eyes. His flip flops sinking into what he hoped was just dirt.. Flies scrambled and flew up and everywhere and he squealed, running away from the corner of the basement.

@@@@

_And.. that's what they do?! They just.. throw them back there to rot!?! Disgusting!!_

He was nearing the edge of the staircase when he pulled himself back. 

Twenty men were surrounded in a circle. Two dogs fighting in front of them. The men shouting and hollering out at the two canines.

He heard a loud whimper and some of the men cheered and rooted. "Yeah!! He got him! He got him!! Yeah! Tear him up!!"

Steven heard chains rattling against the metal rink and more growling. The growling soon accompanied by loud whimpering.

"Yeaahh!! We almost there man!!"

Steven took a few more steps back..

He definitely had to do something about this.. He wanted those men to go down.. He wanted to save those dogs.. Even if he could still save a few from.. being euthanized..

He had a thought and went back towards the back of the room, taking the phone out his pocket. He went to his camcorder and held his breath. He walked towards the dead dogs once more, being sure to film everything.

Maybe.. if he could just send the videos to the new 911 dispatch website, the police would come and get them.. 

Now.. If only he could just trap them in the room- 

"Ayo, what's that over there!" he heard a voice say. Steven turned the video off, the flash going out. "Aye, I think someone's filming us!" he heard footsteps coming over towards him and he looked around. A stack of overturned boxes and dirt mounds. He hid behind them. Keeping his phone clenched in his hand. 

He heard footsteps behind him and he found himself breathing through his mouth in anticipation. He closed it. Keeping his back pinned to one of the boxes.

"Thought I saw a light around here." the tall teenager stopped. He looked around. Panning over the corpses and.. towards the boxes..

He chuckled, walking slowly towards them.

Steven heard a click of a gun.

"Aye! Aye dude! Come here! Your dog's DONE for man." 

"What?! Tsh. How?! What the?!" he heard the footsteps go back towards the rink.

A breath of relief from Steven..

He turned around slowly, watching the teenager shove pass a few laughing guys. "You cheated!! THAT'S what happened!! All of you cheated!!" he yelled.

More laughing amongst the crowd.

"You just mad that your dog was shit!" yelled out a voice. "Aye, someone get that dog out of here." 

The boy continued protesting and the men continued to ignore him.

Steven ducked back down as a man wearing a cap came walking his way. The man holding a limp dog in his hands. A Doberman.

He watched as the man threw the dead dog with the others, chuckling to himself as he walked back to the group.

Steven glared at him.. He looked back at the poor dog.. 

He tried to calm himself down.. He could already feel himself getting upset..

And he _was_ going to do something about those guys.. Even if it was the _last_ thing that he did tonight..

He climbed up on the boxes and stopped just halfway from the ceiling. He poked his head up from the box in front of him, getting an aerial view of what was going on, looking at the surrounding area.

In front of the men was one small metal rink. Inside the rink were two dogs with huge hulking chains around their necks. One, a Pitbull and the other, another Doberman. The Pitbull had the Doberman by the neck, thrashing the dog's neck about and snarling as it ripped pieces of its skin off.

Right then, Steven wanted to climb down the boxes and run towards them, stopping the fight. But that would only do more harm.. He would have to strategize.. Especially before the gems came down..

The men may be rotten and disgusting.. but he didn't want them to get killed either and if he didn't retrieve those jewels and meet the Gems back upstairs before they came downstairs themselves, then they would come down personally and kill them.. Even Garnet if she was forced to..

And he didn't want that to happen.

He raised his phone up again, filming them once more, trying to get majority of the faces of the men, zooming in.. Then he zoomed back out, getting the whole area and spotting what could very well be the black GemTech bag around wads of money on the table on the other side of the building.

Still keeping his phone on record, he climbed down the boxes. Being extremely careful of the light on his phone this time as he tried to shield some of it with his wrapped hand, he started making his way pass the dirt mounds, passing a few shouting guys and a few cages with barking, growling dogs inside.

He would just need to film just a few more faces on the other side..

He turned the phone towards the ground as he crouched pass a few more boxes and old industrial parts and dog cages. 

"Whoaa!!" the guys cheered as the Pitbull took the Doberman down. The dog whinning. It's face bloodied. The Pitbull went for it's face again, biting and tearing at it's nose. 

"Man that Pitbull's good!! This is going to be the fourth dog down!!" 

Steven stopped just behind an old generator. He filmed between it and another huge industrial part he didn't know the name of. The phone wedged in between the two. 

He started filming them, getting the last few faces of the men, zooming in.

He zoomed out, filming the area once more, getting more of the tens of cages in the room before stopping the video. He hid behind the generator as he went to the website, going to the 911 line. He sent the two videos.. Then quickly realized that he didn't know the address.

He tried to think back on it..

One of the men picked up the limp Doberman, walking away with it and carrying it towards the back.

_Come on! I have to think of it! Aw man.. where is this place.._

Another guy was bringing in a big cage. The dog already snarling and jerking around inside. The man put the cage into the rink and picked up a metal rod from beside him. He put the rod inside the metal bars, jamming it all around, angering the dog more. The dog bit down on the rod, pulling it back. The thug laughed, letting the dog have the rod as it was pulled back into the cage. 

Then.. he lifted the lock from it, sliding the bars of the cage up.. 

The husky Rottweiler ran out of the cage, saliva dropping from its jowls as it lunged straight for the Pitbull. The dog went straight for the Rottweiler's neck.

Steven thought about it frantically.. trying to think of something.. until finally.. he vaguely remembered..

He put in _Old abandoned warehouse by junkyard. Outskirts of Empire City._ He hit send and a minute later he was sent a confirmation that authorities were being sent over.

Now.. again... If he could just hurry and get those jewels before the Gems come..

He took a few steps away from the generator, walking towards the table just a few feet away from them.

A loud bark and a whimper from the Rottweiler and the men cheered on.

Steven walked behind the last box behind the men and crawled towards the table.

He took a step.

..and..

.. felt another trick wore under his foot..

_Oh you_ gotta_ be kidding me-_

The beam broke above him and he quickly swiped the bag off the table and jumped away, just dodging the beam. 

All of the men turned around, taking out their guns in such a quick motion and firing at him as he hid behind the boxes.. hoping that a bullet wasn't going to penetrate the boxes.. 

_Wait.._

But he had a gadget that wouldn't!

Thinking about the soft dirt that may not work on the ring.. he hoped for the better.. running his hand fast and hard in an arc on the side of the box in front of him, hoping that the ring works when elevated..

"Told you I thought I heard someone!!" said the teenager from earlier.

Suddenly.. a large, round, pink bubble about eight feet in height formed behind one of the boxes.

"What the hell is that!" yelled another guy.

Everyone started shooting.

Steven flinched.. but quickly opened his eyes upon hearing the bullets pounding on the bubble. He watched as the shells bounce off. _Heheh.. that's right.. This bubble stops EVERYTHING.._ And a beat later.. _And I don't necessarily have to run the ring on the ground! I can roll the ring up on surfaces as well! Ooooo.. I need to practice a bit of wall jumps then.._

Putting that in the back of his mind, he stood back up on his feet and ran towards the men, tackling two of them that were beside each other. 

"Whoaa.. hey man.." "What is that thing?!" the two men got up, one of them dropping his gun in the process as they scrambled up to their feet. 

Everyone stopped their fire..eyeing the mysterious young man.. with a pink bubble around him.. 

And Steven.. really liked that feeling.. They seemed to be a bit weary of him.. 

And.. maybe even a bit.. _scared_ of him..

He resisted a smile, going for a more serious look. "You know, what you all are doing. is wrong!" he pointed at the men and two of them jumped slightly. "Using these dogs for fighting.. It's sick.." he looked at them and he could've said SO much more.. But.. as he really got to look at the expression on their faces, he felt something else.. and.. instead, something else came to his mind.. and..he went for a different approach. 

He sighed, feeling himself calm down more. "There's.. other things that you can do then to do this kind of stuff.. You can't really think that torturing innocent animals is okay. What if someone was doing that any of you?" he was hoping that he was getting to.. at least some of them.. "You wouldn't like it. You would feel hurt, you would feel scared! And.. look at what you're doing to these dogs." 

A few of them looked to the Pitbull growling at nothing in particular.. The Rottweiler dead right behind him. A pool of blood around it's face.

"This is not right." he raised his hand up with the bag of jewels and two other jumped, thinking he had a gun. "And this? Stealing from other people. is wrong. too." _Man.. I'm such a hypocrite.._

He put the bag down. "I know that you all.. can do better than this.. you can be _more_ than this. You can.." he looked at them. "You can make a difference." he tried to study their faces.. still.. hoping that he was getting to some of them. "Let this.. be a wake up call for you."

There was silence in the room, say for the dogs in their cages and the Pitbull snarling in the rink.

Then.. one guy took a step forward. "Who are you.. some kind of person who thinks he's been "chosen" to just come up here and try to teach what is right?" Steven opened his mouth to say otherwise when the guy cut back in. "YOU don't know how it is to live these streets. YOU don't know the lives we live." 

Steven lifted his hands up, showing no threat to them. "I.. didn't say that..Please I.. I just came here to retrieve these jewels that you stole. And.. and then I saw the dogs here." he lied.. he knew about the dog fighting.. "I just HAD to say something about it. Living on the streets, the lives you live.. They don't tell you to treat dogs badly-"

"But they _do_ tell us how to hustle. And, dog fighting is one of them."

"But.. at what cost?" he whispered. "Look at them.. they're suffering.. and.. none of you don't care?" he felt tears coming. "You shouldn't treat animals.. OR people like this.. It's.. not right.." a tear fell from down his face. "Please.. there are other alternatives.."

More silence in the room.. Even with the guy that'd been talking to him.

"So.. what do you say? Think maybe.. you would think about doing something else?"

More silence as he looked at the various unreadable expressions on the men's faces.. Some harboring looks of guilt even..

Or maybe he was imagining that?-

A blare of police sirens was heard in the distance.

"The police!" Steven had honestly forgot that he'd contacted them.

"You.. you stalled us! This was a trick!" yelled out the same guy from earlier.

"Huh?! No!" he shook his head. "It wasn't a trick! I meant what I said." the guys started running up the stairs to escape, leaving the dogs caged up and the one Pitbull in the rink. "Guys! Please! Think about what I said!"

He heard more sounds of guns firing. He gasped. _The Gems!!_He ran towards the steps, passing the growling Pitbull. He jumped, landing on the step and he jumped up again, being careful of his footing. Half of the guys that'd ran away to escape from the police were now running back down. The Gems holding their weapons. The knapsack on their backs, bulky. Steven could see the heads of the guns poking out of Amethyst's bag. _Ah.. so _that's_ what took them.. They must've been breaking down the men's guns and putting them in the bags.._

They stopped just at the threshold of the door. "Good, you have the jewels." said Amethyst. "Come on, let's go." she and the crew ran back inside the room. Steven passed the men who were still scared to run back up to the women. Keeping his bubble, just in case they tried firing at him again, he jumped up the steps, being careful of his footing once more as he stepped to one step, jumping and landing on another step and jumping, slipping on the next step and sliding back down. Even _more_ careful of his footing, he jumped to one step and jumped up, passing two and landing on the next one. He jumped up two more times, landing on the steps and jumping once more and landing at the top. 

He jumped over the fallen beam and ran through the door and was hit with tens fallen beams and.. unconscious _or dead _ bodies of the men from earlier. The side entrance of the door now blocked. He looked all around, trying to find an opening.

He swiped across the bubble, the bubble disappearing instantly and he stepped up, climbing over the beams, being careful of his sprained hand and the jewels in the other.

He slid down a cracked beam, going for another just as he heard the truck turn on. _What?! They CAN'T be leaving me!! NO!!_

He climbed the beams fasters, stepping over the bodies. A very faint light from the other side of the building that was seeping through caught his eye. He looked closer. It was a break in one of the walls. _I can go through there!!_

He climbed towards the other side, going for the hole. The tall grass and weeds just on the other side.

He slid in slightly, sucking his stomach as he slid his way through to the other side. He could hear the truck behind the building, the police lights flashing in front of him as the sirens blared just in front of the building. He pulled himself through, running towards the back of the building.

_Hopefully the guys didn't escape.. and the cops will get them.._

He dashed through the dirt of the junkyard, hearing the sounds of doors breaking and the walkies of the police as they barged in. He could hear the sound of the men.. and the dogs barking in the basement.

_And.. hopefully the dogs aren't too far gone and won't be euthanized...I hope that.. at least some of them will be able to go to good homes.._

Steven tried maneuvering away from the logs, old tires and chains. He jumped over them and ran, only to trip over something else in the fallen leaves. He landed on his side, barely breaking his fall.

He winced, getting up from landing on the hard jewels and pushing himself up on his good hand. 

He heard whimpering behind him.. and looked back at where he'd tripped.

And he jumped slightly, before quickly calming down as he looked at the poor animal in front of him.

Nearly hidden underneath of the dirt and leaves, with trash surrounding it was a dog. It was terribly skinny, emaciated.. Steven could see his ribs.. cuts and wounds were all around it's body.. and there was a huge, thick chain around it's neck. Underneath of it, a deeply embedded collar, the flesh growing around it. And tape was wrapped around it's mouth. It was wheezing horribly, barely breathing through shallow breaths as discharge and mucus spilled from his eyes and nose. He looked at Steven.. whining in pain..

_A dog!! And.. It's still alive!! .._

_Barely.._

He crawled towards it slowly.. cautiously.. 

The dog didn't do anything..

Steven crawled to him closer.. "Hey.. there.." 

The dog continued to stare at Steven.. and he brought his hand up towards the dog and the animal shut his eyes, shuddering. 

Steven pulled his hand back. "You think I'm going to hurt you.." 

The dog didn't open his eyes.

"Don't worry.. I won't do that to you." he lowered his hand to the tape on the dog's mouth and started tugging at it. The dog whimpered louder. "I'm not trying to hurt you.." he said softly. The tape began to peel off and he unraveled it, pulling it off the dogs mouth. He laid his hand on the dog's nose, and the animal opened his eyes. "See? You don't have to be scared of me." he pet the top part of the dog's nose and it started sniffing him.

"They left you here to die, didn't they.." he dragged his hand to the dog's head and started scratching it. 

The dog laid there, it's eyes staring weakly up at him.

Steven sighed. "I can't go back to the building.. The police are there.." he continued scratching the dog's head. "But I can't leave you here either."

Maybe.. he could.. take him to someone? Or.. take him to somewhere like SPCA to get help? Or-

The whimsical tune broke him out of his thought. He took the phone out of his pocket and answered it. "Hey, Amethy-."

"Dude you're STILL at the warehouse!!" _How does she know that?_ "Hurry up and run down Adeline street. That's the street directly behind you. We're at the intersection."

"Okay. On my way."

She hung up and he locked his phone, putting it back into his pocket. "Okay. Looks like you're coming with me. I'll figure out what to do with you." he threw the knapsack off his back and put the GemTech bag inside and put the knapsack back over his back. He started yanking on the short, thick chain in the ground. "Come on, come on." he stood crouched on his feet, pulling back. The chain was slowly sliding through the wet mud. 

He gave the chain a few more yanks and the end popped out of the mud. He stumbled back, holding on to the heavy chain for balance. "There we go." 

He picked up the ball end of the chain and wedged it between his elbow. Then he slid his hand over the dog's head and slid his wrapped hand underneath of the side of the dog. He ignored the pain shooting up his arm as he lifted the frail, limp dog up in his arms. 

The dog started whining and Steven gently lifted the dog up more, the dog's head resting just on his collarbone. "Don't worry, buddy. Everything is going to be okay." he said to the canine and turned and took off down the street.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, the chapter title, which is _really_ 'Only a punk would hurt *a *cat or a dog' (but ya'know.. there were no cats in this chapter so I didn't add that part) but anyway it's a slogan from the Show Your Soft Side campaign :)  
But I just thought that would be a pretty nice chapter title, is all ;3
> 
> By the way, the dog that Steven found is a bait dog.  
Google translation: 'Dog fighters use bait dogs to let their game dogs practice mutilating another dog, without being harmed in the process.'
> 
> (So they tie up the bait dogs' mouths so they can't harm the game dogs)  
.. That's what kind of dog Steven found with the tape around his mouth.  
..Which is even MORE inhumane since the dog was already bad off and emaciated, in general.


	66. A plus one?

Steven held the dog close to him as he dashed down the long street towards the intersection. 

He could see the vehicle down the street and a huge relief washed over him. He increased his pace, getting closer and closer to the car. Until, he finally got to it.

He shifted the dog to one side, opening the door a certain way with the wrapped hand. He got in-

"Talc, what are you doing with a dog?!" Amethyst growled.

"I found him in the back of the warehouse."

"Why did you even bring that thing!?" without looking at Garnet, her eyes still glaring at Steven she said "Garnet, get us out of here." the woman shifted gears and drove away.

"Well.. I couldn't take it back inside.. Because the cops were there.. and-"

"Exactly. So my question still stands. _Why_ did you bring it with you?"

"I.. didn't want it to die there-"

"What?! Talc, _look_ at it! It's just about dead anyway! The thing is barely breathing as it is! We should just, throw it out in the street!"

"But.. Amethyst." he held the dog closer to him. "The dog needs us." 

"_He_ needs us. But _we_ don't need _him._

"But-"

"We're getting rid of that filthy thing. We're throwing it out of the car. Now." she startled unbuckling her seatbelt. 

"Amethyst, please. Wait." 

Garnet and Pearl both snuck in a few glances.. but otherwise, didn't say anything..

Steven thought about what he could do.. what he could say to her that would make her reconsider in saving the poor, defenseless dog.. 

Amethyst got out of her seat, sliding through to the front. "Now. Give me that mangey mutt." 

"Amethyst!" he shouted a bit too loud. She glared at him, grabbing at the dog's neck, her hand just above the embedded collar. The dog whined in pain. 

"I thought.. maybe it could be our first Crystal Gem guard dog!!" he blurted out. 

There was silence..

He opened his eyes slowly.. looking at her glare.. Her hand still on the whimpering dog's neck. ".. What.." she said coarsely. 

He took a breath. "If.. if it gets better, I thought.. I don't know.. That maybe it could be our guard dog.. Help us on missions.." he kept his stare.. her expression going from glaring.. to something.. unreadable..

"The dog could.. help us Amethyst.." 

The stare down continued for a few moments between them.. 

Until she slowly let go of the dog, bringing her hand back down. Her expression still unreadable to him.. 

"_If_ that dog gets better." she spat out._"Then_ and _only_ then.. will I think about it.." she looked down at the dog, wheezing in Steven's arms. "Like I said. We _don't_ even need him." she stared at the dog before looking back up at him. "That thing is staying.. with _you._."

"Of course!" he hugged the dog, sighing a breath of relief. "Of course. I'll keep him. I'll keep an eye on him and-" 

_Wait.. crap.._

He remembered how Connie didn't like dogs..

AT. all..

"Umm.."

"Is there a problem?" she raised an eyebrow.

"My.. girlfriend doesn't like dogs.."

She scoffed. "But she kept _you._

Okay.. that hurt a bit.. "Come on, Amethyst.." he said gently. "I'm..serious."

"Look._You're_ the one who wants that dog so bad. You keep it. _Not_ us.. _You_ take the responsibility of keeping that thing. So, you _better_ think about what you're going to do with it. Hide it, whatever. Do whatever you have to do.. But. It's _no_ skin off my bones.."

He sighed. Defeated.. Giving her a nod. "Okay."

Amethyst didn't say any more. She turned and climbed back through the front seat. 

A few minutes of the car ride and they passed a directory rest stop sign and his mind went to how hungry and how thirsty the dog must be. 

"Hey uh.. Amethyst?"

She looked up at the rearview mirror. "Yo." her expression still dark.. and grim..

"Um.." he swallowed under her stare. "I was wondering.. Could we go to Mckee Dee's? I.. didn't get to eat back at the house.." 

"You mean you want to feed that dog?"

He was quiet for a second. "I.. Well I was thinking about getting something for it too but.."

"Heh, yeahhh.. no. Yeah, we're not stopping for some dog. Besides, we have some important stuff to get from Peridot. So we don't have time or the _responsibility_." she gave him a long look. "to do that. As I've said before, _we're_ not responsible for that thing. _You_ are."

"..R, right, Amethyst.."

The woman looked away from the mirror.

He sighed.. defeated once more.._Looks like I can't feed him.. And I don't have any kind of snacks or water.._

He looked at the dog's fragile, skinny body.. and the old and fresh wounds on it's back and legs.. And his eyes just so happened to look over at the compartment between him and Pearl.

_Of course! How did I forget about the cooler!!_ He popped it open, fishing out a cold water bottle.. _Wait.. was cold water good or bad for an empty stomach? ..And is it the same for dogs?_

He could only hope that the water wouldn't do much damage..

He closed the compartment and carefully let go of the dog's head to help untwist the cap of the water bottle.

_And I don't have a bowl.._

He made a few soft clicking noises to get the dog's attention. The dog was staring at the bottle. Steven squeezed it, pushing the water up. He lifted it up to the dog's mouth. "Ya thirsty? I know you have to be." 

The dog sniffed the water, dipping it's nose inside the small opening. It jerked it's head back and licked it's nose. Realizing it was water.. The dog went back, licking the water from the top and Steven pressed on the bottle to keep the water up.

After drinking the water halfway, Steven started tipping the water towards the dogs tongue bit by bit. The canine lapping up the rest of the water as Steven gave him the last bit of water. He leaned it back up. "Wow, you were really thirsty." the dog started sniffing the water bottle. "Sorry, buddy. It's empty. Here. Let me get another one." 

Pearl kept her watch on the boy as he set the empty water bottle behind him. He grabbed another water bottle, untwisting the cap. He squeezed the bottle and the dog went right to licking the water from it. Steven giving the dog's flank a few scratches.

The dog stopped after the water was halfway empty. "That's it? You're done?" the dog sniffed the bottle once more before laying it's head weakly back on Steven's chest, licking it's lips. "Okay, I take that as a yes" he twisted the cap back on and took the label off. "I dub this as your personal water bottle for later." he laid the water bottle down and leaned back in his seat. The dog laying comfortably on his chest. 

A few moments later and the canine looked up at Steven and he looked down. He raised his hand, patting the dog on the head. "Don't worry." he whispered and Pearl watched him as he gave the dog a sad smile. "I'll see to it that you get better.." he scratched the dog's ear. "I promise." 

Pearl looked away, finding herself sifting through more mixed feelings about the boy..


	67. Back at the GemTech Building

After a three hour car ride, Garnet was driving over the bridge. The _hologram_ water now showing a deep, nightly black. The "moon" and the "stars" reflecting off of the water, with a few realistic looking ripples here and there and a few realistic looking bubbles from holographic fish. 

Garnet drove towards the connector of the two cylindrical buildings and to the solid, black, GemTech gate.

"CGVU. Scan GemTechCo base unit 141."

"Voice code verification to proceed." the male voice said back.

"Garnet." she said her name. "Code: zero, seven, one, seven, one, nine, eight, nine."

A few moments and then a "Voice code recognized." then a beat later. "Scanning."

A red laser formed horizontally in front of the car. The light swept down in front of the gate before it winked out.

"I have been informed of one trying to verify this vehicle's information." 

"Answer the line." said Garnet. 

"Answering the line." said the voice. 

The tablet in front of them blinked from a plain, white screen to a live video feed of a dark figure from the mid chest on up. The video, near dark. 

"State your purpose." said the deep and gravelly voice. 

"Garnet. Code: zero, seven, one, seven, one, nine, eight, nine. I am here with Amethyst, Pearl and Talc." then a beat later. "and live cargo." the figure looked at the dog in Steven's arms. "We're here to bring you the jewelry that was stolen from the thugs." then another beat. "And for the vials." 

Steven perked up at that._ The vials? What vials?-_

The shadowed, hooded figure pressed a button in front of her. "I have proceeded with the next verification process." she said. 

A horizontal red light shot out from the gate, scanning the car. The figure turned slightly, looking at something. "The vehicle has been verified." she said. "Now for the next verification process." she pressed another button. 

Like before when Steven had first went there, four small poles pulled up from the ground by each door of the car. The tablet right at the top of them. Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl rolled down their windows and started typing in their information. Steven turned to his side. "Hey, Pearl? Can you.. put the information in for me again? I.. still don't know any of the codes." 

"Yeah, just give me a sec." she said plainly. 

She typed the rest of the code in and unbuckled her seatbelt. She leaned in, typing in the code. The figure waited patiently on the screen of the tablet in front of them. 

Pearl leaned back, going back over to her seat. "Thanks, Pearl." she gave him a nod and sat back down. 

"All accounts have been verified." said the dark, mysterious voice_ from Peridot_.

The tablets snapped back into their poles and the poles slid back into the ground.

"Thank you." said Garnet.

One square of the gate started to push up from the ground. It stopped just above the top of the tall squares on either side of it. A silver opening was shown in front of them. She shifted the car in drive and drove through the small tunnel, passing the small cannons on either side of them. Stopping just two feet away from the two cannons in front of them. 

Peridot pressed a few buttons and the floor started shaking underneath of them. "Wascoite is already up there to meet you." 

Garnet and Amethyst nodded to the tablet and Steven watched as the tablet blinked out, going back to a plain white screen as the floor below them started to ascend. 

The cannons following the car up like last time. Though this time, the other one didn't rotate. 

Or at least he didn't see that happen.. 

The floor ascended pass the first floor of the tunnel and into the black of the night. The black glass even more ominous. 

And Steven felt his fear of heights start to kick in and he buried his face in the dog, instantly feeling much better as he hugged onto the canine.

The floor finally reached it's peak at the 163rd floor and it stopped with a loud, metal clank. They were in the middle of the hallway. The three took their masks off and Steven did the same as Garnet took her shades off and hung the arm of the glasses onto the front of her jumpsuit. 

Mr. Wascoite was already there, sporting his usual sleek, dark red butler-like suit, with a bright yellow shirt underneath of it and bright yellow dress shoes. His tie, this time, was a full dark red, instead of a mottled red, yellow and lavender like the last time they saw him. 

He stepped towards them. His face plain and stone-faced. _Like last time._

He went over to the wall, typing a code in on the tablet. Then he turned around to face them as the glass wall began to drop down, sliding into the floor. 

He gave one beckoning hand towards them and Pearl got out and closed her door. She raised one hand up to her forehead, with a two finger salute. Her thumb holding down the other two fingers. Her other arm held up, her fist clenched and at the middle of her chest. 

Steven had almost forgotten about that stance. 

Pearl said something to him in Japanese and he responded back to her something in Japanese with a small nod. 

She kept the pose for a few moments before walking around the car. She opened Amethyst's door and the woman got out and she closed the door behind her. The two of them walked back around and Pearl stopped right at the trunk of the vehicle as Amethyst kept walking towards the gentleman. 

Amethyst made the same stance and a few moments later, Pearl walked up and stood a foot from her, going for the same stance. 

"Okay, Talc. You're free to get out on your own this time. You're official." 

_Official_

He still had to get used to that word. It was still both mysterious and scary to him..

"Okay." he said as she got out the car. He shifted the dog slightly and plucked open the door with his fingers. He slid out and turned around. "Hmm.. maybe I should take the water just in case you get thirsty again." he carefully shifted the dog once more and leaned in grabbing the water bottle. He pushed the door to a close with his waist and walked over to the other three, still sporting their stances.

He stopped, right beside Pearl.

Mr. Wascoite looked over at him. The light reflected off of his dark red framed glasses. _Hm? Why is he.._ He looked over to the Gems. The women didn't move, still keeping their posture.

Then, he got the memo.. Not having given it a thought, since he had the dog in his arms..

He shifted the dog as raised one arm, still holding the dog as he made his hand into a fist. He raised his arm, holding a part of the dog as he gave him a salute. 

The gentleman was still staring at him.. And Steven wondered why.. until he followed the man's eyes to the hand on his head. He looked over at the Gems again, noticing that they were doing a _two_ finger salute and that their thumbs were holding the other two fingers down. 

He fixed his hands, going from a four finger salute, to two, and holding the last two fingers down. 

The gentleman looked him over once more before nodding. Then, he walked over to Steven and looked down at the dog. "It appears that you have a dog." 

Was.. that his cue to talk? He was still so new to all of this.. 

"Yes, sir." he tried to say it in the most professional, stoic, non nonsense way as possible. 

He scoffed. "And some tethered dog from off of the streets?" he leaned back up. "You could've gotten something better." 

Steven kept his mouth shut. Similar to Amethyst, he didn't want to make him angry.. And actually, now that he thought about it, he'd never even _seen_ him angry yet.. So.. he could only imagine.. 

"Very well then..Let us go." the senior guy turned around and walked up the hallway. And Steven moved, just about to take his step when he noticed that the Gems hadn't moved yet. He stopped. 

The Gems waited, holding their stance for a few moments before dropping their arms and following him and Steven followed along.

He took to giving a small peek out of the black windows again before quickly looking back in front of him.

The five of them reached an elevator door and Mr. Wascoite walked up to another tablet on the wall. He pressed a button and a red laser scanned his face. Then he put the code in. A few moments later, the doors slid opened in front of him. He walked in first. Then Amethyst, Garnet, Pearl and Steven. 

The doors closed and Mr. Wascoite swiped his badge inside of a slot next to the buttons of the elevator. Then he pressed the the sky deck level. One floor up to the 164th floor. 

And there was another prayer from Steven, hoping that the elevator didn't snap.. or break down halfway to the floor. 

_DING_

The doors opened to Mrs. Charoite's lobby and Mr. Wascoite stepped out. Followed by the Gems, then Steven.

He approached the lobby table while the four of them followed behind in a single file, horizontal line. 

".. es. I'll get that squared away." the lady said over the mouthpiece of her headset. She raised her arm, going for another call when he stopped just in front of the table. He raised a hand up. "Please. They can wait." he said. "We would like to see Peridot. Please inform her that we're here." 

She nodded and pressed the big, green, shiny button in front of her. "Hello, Miss Peridot? Mr. Wascoite, along with Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl and.." 

"Talc." he gave her a shy smile behind the dog. "And um.. the dog.. Uh.." _Maybe I should give him a name.. constantly saying the word 'dog' seems a bit rude.._ ".. Barks?." _What the heck was that?!_

"Talc and the dog named Barks" 

"Yes." said Peridot. "Bring them to me." 

"Right away, ma'am." she got up, ignoring the rings of the phones. She gave Mr. Wascoite the salute the Gems had done previously and she brought her hands down slowly and turned around. "This way." she said as she went for the door behind them. The same one they'd went through last time. 

She pressed a button on the tablet beside the door and a red laser scanned the her face. It winked out and she typed in a code and opened the door to the long hallway. They reached the green door with a pink rose on it and she pressed the button on the tablet. It scanned her face and she pressed the numbers inside the keypad. 

The rose rotated on the surface and the door slid open by itself. The door sliding into the wall, opening up to Peridot's gloomy and dark room. Though this time, there was no music. 

She leaned away from her GemTech computer. "Charoite." she acknowledged. The woman gave her the salute and stood there, motionless. "You are free to go." she looked to the kind, sincere gentleman she called her grandfather. "Actually, both you _and_ Grandad are free to go. I will take everything from here." 

Wascoite gave her the salute. 

A few seconds later, still holding her own salute, Charoite said a gentle "Goodnight, Peridot." put her arms down slowly and walked away, passing the gems. 

Then Mr. Wascoite held his stance a bit longer before putting his arms down. "おやすみなさいOyasuminasai, Peridotさまsama. Goodnight, Miss Peridot.) He turned away and the Gems saluted him and Steven did the same, being careful in holding the dogs weak head to his shoulder as he gave the man the two finger salute.

He walked out the room and the door closed once more and the Gems started putting their arms down slowly.

Peridot eyed them, sitting up in her seat. Her eyes going right to the dog. "Before I begin.. I need to ask.." she laid her hands on the desk as she leaned in more as she stared. "Why.. is there a dog.. in my granddaddy's building?" she whispered, glaring at the dog. It wheezed, barely breathing. "And.. a _sick_ one at that.."

Steven stepped up, still keeping the stance. "I found him chained up outside when we were getting the stolen jewels back! And Peridot, he's really bad off! Can you-"

Amethyst held up her hand, silencing Steven before he said anymore.. She knew where he was going at.. "You have to know your place, Talc." she walked over to him. "The bag better be in here." she grumbled to him. She opened the knapsack and peered in, taking the GemTech bag out. Then she walked over to Peridot. "Talc found him while we were retrieving these for you." she placed the bag on the table. "Thinks we could use it as a guard dog or something." she mocked scoffed with an eye roll. 

Peridot raised an eyebrow. "That sick thing?"

Amethyst snickered. "I know right?" 

"Well, Talc. If you _really_ want to get a dog.. I suggest you get a new one. That one looks like it's about to keel over any second." 

He didn't like the sound of that.. and hugged the dog even more.

Amethyst scoffed some more. "TOLD him that the dog was just about gone."

"But, but can we try and save the dog?! I think it's the collar- 

"Talc, it's a LOT of things wrong with that dog!" Amethyst yelled at him. "Look at it!" 

"Agreed." said Peridot. Then she turned back to the woman in front of her, grabbing the bag of jewels and sliding it across the table towards her. "Anyway, Amethyst, I would like to thank you all for retrieving these for us. We can always count on you three and now, as well as our new addition to the team." she nodded at Talc. He tried giving her a smile, but managed a very small one, too worried about the near dead dog in his arms panting and wheezing..

"Of course, Peridot." she nodded.

Peridot picked up the GemTech bag and stepped off of her chair from her crouched sitting and walked around the table to them. "I'll hand these to my Peridots to get the next vials started." 

_What are these 'vials' that they're talking about? _ The dog wheezed in his arms. _And I need to think of something QUICK for Barks.._

He still didn't like that name..

"Yeah! Working quick! I like that! So, what about those _other_ vials we're getting today?" Amethyst asked her.

"Ah, about that.." Peridot said plainly.

Amethyst looked at her.

"They're not done yet." 

"What?" she hissed.

"Yeah.. the Peridots and I have been pretty busy lately ever since you gave us that.. destabilizer.. So things have been slowing down."

"..Even for vials?"

"Yes.. Also.." she looked at the three women. "The axe that you gave me.. We managed to get some substance off of it.. And there's.. other stuff that I need to tell you all as well."

And with that, Amethyst was looking even _more_ stoic and serious. "Peridot, tell us everything that you've found out." 

He couldn't wait any longer.. He HAD to save the dog. "Umm.. excuse me..."

Garnet and Pearl looked at him, shocked.

Amethyst glared at him. 

"I'm sorry Amethyst. But..the dog-" 

"You do NOT talk out of line, Talc! And who cares about that damn dog!!" she turned around. "Peridot. We need to talk about this. Now." 

"Okay." she nodded. "I'll give this to one of the Peridots and we can stay in the lab and talk there." she turned around, going for the door of her lab. And everyone started following her, with Steven taking slow, sad steps with them until a hand was put in front of him. "No." said Amethyst. "You stay here with the dog. This doesn't concern you."

"Huh? But."

"Stay." she commanded.. like _he_ was the dog..

She turned back around. "Peridot, your security systems." she gestured at the wall by the door as she walked towards her. 

Peridot looked at Steven, then back at her. "Talc..isn't coming?"

Amethyst gave her a glare. "No. He _isn't."_

And Peridot met her glare with a stern look of her own. 

The two having a narrow eyed stare down..

Until Peridot said eventually. "Fine. If you "say" so." 

Amethyst took a step towards her. "And I do. Now, let's go. We need to hear about this."

Steven watched as Peridot raised up her hand. Her other hand pressed a small button on the back of her wrist and a green light shot out from her index finger. She started from the foot of the door and trailed up, then to the left, then back down, tracing the frame of the door. Then she let go of the button. The green light winking out. An outline of a rectangle formed just at the side of the door. Then it flipped, showing three small squares. She went to the second one in the middle, using her hand to press in a code. Then she went to the first one, placing her prosthetic hand on the screen for the machine to scan her hand, then she went to the third and last box, looking straight at it, the machine scanning her eyes. 

Then a tall, slim pole shot out of the floor. She went up to it, speaking into the mic. "Peridot Facet 2F5L cut 5XG, Amethyst, Garnet and Pearl." 

The door slid up and the four of them walked through. The door slid back down behind them.

Steven sighed, looking at the dog's listless eyes.. "Don't worry, buddy.. Just hang in there.." he looked around the room, looking for a spot to sit down amongst all of the wires and machines and various other electronically parts scattered and cluttered about the dark room.. 

He walked over to a very small spot in the corner that wasn't occupied by too much wired equipment.. sitting down and just a few inches away by what looked to be a computer brain wrapped with copper wires.. His other side, being by the wall. He leaned more in corner, keeping the dog close to him and away from the machine.

"You're thirsty again, buddy?" he showed the dog the water bottle and it sniffed it. It turned away, flopping his head back against his chest. _It's like you're getting worse.._He pulled the dog farther up, holding him tightly. "Just hang in there.. I know you'll be okay.." 


	68. One huge, heated argument

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah.. things escalate QUICKLY..

Peridot handed the bag of jewels to Peridot 3X. "Please see to it that Peridot 2X and Peridot 7X work with you on these in particular. They're exceptionally good with these particular gems and the cutting of their surfaces." 

"Of course, Peridot. I'll see to it right away." The woman gave her a salute and walked away from her.

A few moments after she left, Peridot turned to the Gems, motioning her hands over to the couch by the windows as she walked over, sliding a chair with her. Garnet and Pearl sat down, but Amethyst stood up just in front of the couch. Arms crossed and her stare solely on Peridot who'd sat down in the chair.

"So.. spit it out, Peridot. What's the deal with the axe we sent you? And. everything else you wanted to tell us?" 

"Well.." she scratched at her eyebrow. "Ah, where should I start..Uh.. Tsch. Well I'll start with the axe first." They sat and stood there listening to her. "That _was_ indeed the axe that was from the Crystal Gems in South of Britain.. We found traces of local floral only grown along the Southeastern coast." she stopped at that piece of information, seeing if Amethyst wanted to say something pertaining to that.

"So.. that means that they're the same people."

"Or of the same group, yes. We have to take into consideration that they could _also_ be passing weapons around to one another."

"Right." she kept her arms folded, eyes still on Peridot intently.

Peridot continued. "And that jacket that you gave me to look at? The one from that guy at the Fry Shack?" 

"..Yeah..?" she leaned in more. Body tense in anticipation. 

Peridot exhaled hard through her nose, her eyes closed for a full two seconds before opening back up.. getting ready for Amethyst's reaction. "I've.. _we've_ found traces of the diamonds essences on it." 

"WHAT?!" she threw her arms to her sides, her hands balled up.

Peridot took another breath and in the most levelled voice she said. "The jacket with the white flames on it. The one that you got from that guy at the Fry Shack, had traces. of all three Diamonds' essences on it. So, this is a huge clue, pointing to the guys with the tuxedo suits and white shades towards actually being in cohuts with the Diamonds. With that being said, those three cases of the men in the black suits are more than likely linked up with the Diamond Authority." 

"NO!" 

Peridot pushed through. "The jacket is being held in one of the other labs. We're trying to reconstruct another machine to pull those traces of the diamond essences and intertwine it with a sory of global positioning system to make a machine that could work as an essence detector across the globe.. But.. that is..." she rubbed at her tired, red eye under her GemTech glasses. "currently undergoing schematic plans and-" 

Amethyst's growl silenced her. "But what about the diamond essences itself! Did you and the other Peridots find out how to replicate ANY of them yet?!" 

She looked chagrined before relaxing her mouth. "No." she shook her head. "Not yet.." 

"What?!" 

"Amethyst.. it's a delicate process that we scientists have to undergo.. Sometimes it takes months or.. even." _years.._ She cleared her throat. "Longer...but we're still trying. We've even had to stop our flow of making weapons and gadgets to focus mainly on trying to replicate even at least one of those essences.. And the Crystal Gems are mad because we can't tell them why there's going to be a delay.." she shook her head. "We actually had to _lie_ and tell them that there has been a shortage." she contorted her face in disgust. "And you know I don't like lying, Amethyst.." 

"Okay, so what, Peridot. You had to lie to a few pointless Gems. Who cares? So what?" 

Peridot expression went to something of a snarl but quickly flicked to something more neutral. "I appreciate being honest, Amethyst. _That's_ why." she pushed back a piece of her hair. "Anyway, that's _also_ one of the reasons why Talc hasn't even gotten his shield or his clothes yet. We've all just been.. incredibly busy.. and with the Dia-" she looked at Amethyst's glare. "And with our _rivals_ possible arrival or attack.. well, we've been working extra hard.." she shrugged. "None of us has been getting any sleep for the past few days-" 

"Okay, anything else?! You said you had more to say." 

"Er, yes.. We've also gotten another call from Tourmaline's group. Another group of tuxedo guys had been seen in Dallas, Texas." she used her prosthetic thumb to "crack" her fingers, going from the index finger and down to the pink. "..And I've taken on an extra roll of trying to track them down.. But.. I.." a tired, growl came out. "I.. just haven't been able to yet.." 

"You can't.." 

She sighed, slinging her head back in the chair with her eyes closed. Arms on each arm rest of the chair. She took one deep breath. "It's either they don't have technology." she waved up one hand "Or. They're using their own diamond essence to block the signals." she raised the other before putting both down on the chair. "So right now, I'm using different formulas from simplest to-."

"See Peridot? _This_ is what I'm talking about!" she stepped towards her. "And you have a nerve to say that you're "so sure" they can't hack into the system with their diamond stuff." 

She lifted up her head, her body still laying lazily on the chair. "Yes. That's because I _am_ sure.. Again, they _may_ have their essence, Amethyst, but it _still_ all comes down to proper coding." she blinked her tired eyes. "Even if they learned how to block their trackers through their essence, _we_ still have the superior technological devices.." then she thought about the GemTech destabilizer. "in computers, that is.. And again, their weapons aren't good because of their computer science, but simply due to the chemicals that they are using and-"

"Whatever.." she waved her off.

Peridot leaned up in her seat. "Amethyst. We literally have THE _best_ people taking this task head on." she felt herself getting defensive. "Actually, WE are the best. IN the entire world!-"

Amethyst pivoted around, getting close to Peridot's face. "Oh yeah?" she said with such ice in her voice. "I say bullshit on _that_ Peridot. Because if you and your little Peridots _were_ the best, you and your crew would've already _made_ the diamond essence." she poked her chest. "by now. And you would've been able to." she poked her chest. "track _down_ those damn Diamonds."

Amethyst was going for another poke in the chest and Peridot swat her hand away. "Amethyst. We are _ trying._ Stuff like this takes _time_. It's not a simple process."

Amethyst scoffed. "Yeah, a process that apparently nobody can seem to do here.."

Peridot raised her eyebrow. "What, think you can do it better, Amethyst?" she spat out. "Think you can do it better than us?" a beat later. "Than _me?_" Amethyst glared at her. "Think you can do it better than someone who've spent literally ALL of her years in training from the _moment_ she'd been brought here in this place since she was a newborn? Someone who was already learning how to read and contract through schematic plans at the age of eleven months.. Someone who started learning about biology by age two and c++ by age three and biochemics by the age of six? Someone who has single handedly found out better, more efficient molecular formulas for more than HALF of these weapons AND gadgets AND suits that people, including _you_ are using? Someone who has actually surpassed everyone here and is _now_ the one who oversees and is the head of ALL the Peridots who've been here long before she was even born?" she leaned up in the chair, even more in each other's faces. "Then please, Amethyst. _Amuse_ me. _Enlighten_ me. Due tell me just _one_ thing you know about stoichiometry, vector mechanics, physics, bio engineering.. _Anything_." 

And if looks could kill.. Amethyst glaring vindictively at Peridot.

Though she didn't say anything.. 

Peridot leaned back. "Heh, exactly. That's what I _thought._ You wouldn't even know where to _start._" she spat out with such venom in her voice. 

Amethyst, slowly started to form words once more.. "Don't turn it all on me, Peridot. You AND your crew are supposed to be designed for this and NONE of you can do it! I WASN'T trained for that, so _don't_ you dare give me that shit. But YOU and your PERIDOTS on the other hand!!-"

"We CAN do this Amethyst!!" she jumped up from her seat and Garnet and Pearl fidgeted slightly, their hands, for just a split second, going to the weapons clipped to their belt. "Why can't you get it through your thick skull!! Again, like I was saying before, before you cut me off. We're JUST going step.by.step. I'M the one using every formula. From the most simplest ones first, because I know those stupid clods aren't smart enough for the-"

"Those so-called "stupid.clods" is what's stumping you."

"For the LAST time. They are NOT stumping us!" she stomped her feet. "Amethyst!" she stopped herself, taking a short, sharp breath. Then in a calm leveled tone. "Amethyst. Listen. We Peridots have been picked AND trained thoroughly to be here and to specialize in these things. And every_day_ we're working our tails off on things and trying to find better formulas." she said gently. "That's.. our oath.. And we live by it through and through.." she gave her a look of determination. "That's what Lonny told Wascoite before he appointed Peridots. That's what we've been doing EVER since the Crystal Gem empire started. From day ONE."

Amethyst scoffed. "Oh, you mean that STUPID oath that Lonny made!?! Heh, yeah, _now_ I'm starting to think that him choosing Peridots to get the work done was a STUPID ass idea! ESPECIALLY since that Lonny lost his marbles along the way before he went awal!!"

Pearl looked up, being careful of keeping her expression neutral.

"Hey, Amethyst." she pointed a finger at her. "I am _not_ going to have you belittle me and my crew like that." 

"Or else, _what."_ Amethyst stepped up to her and Peridot didn't flinch or falter, meeting her with her own step. The two giving each other a stare down..

..with Garnet and Pearl sitting on the couch quietly, not even moving in fear of interrupting their boss in any way.

Though.. if they _do_ have to intervene..

"What is.WRONG with you?! Look, I can see why you're so upset and mad about this Amethyst, but we don't have any leadings apart from what I told you! And we. are still going at it!"

Amethyst stepped up to her. "Then you all NEED to try even harder!" 

"We ARE!! Just like EVERYONE else who is trying to do their job in this empire!"

Amethyst clenched her teeth harder, eyes glaring into Peridot. "Doesn't seem like it to me!! Looks like NOBODY knows what they're doing!!"

"How can you say that, Amethyst! How can you POSSIBLY say that when EVERYONE is LITERALLY doing their jobs!!"

"Except for YOU and your Peridots!!" 

"Okay, THAT'S it. I will NOT have some _Amethyst_ belittle me OR ANY of my Peridots' intelligence!" 

Amethyst tensed up, taking out her whip and Peridot took a quick step back, taking a stance with her hand towards the button on her other wrist. "Watch it, Peridot. Careful how you're using those words." she said through her teeth, glaring at her. "I think you're starting to get a bit _too_ comfortable now."

" 'Now'? Heh, Amethyst. I've never had even the _slightest_ inkling of showing ANY of my subordination to the likes of _you, _ from the start. And why should I? You're just working under Wascoite, just.like.me. _Wascoite_ is head of the Empire. And _Lonny_ put him in charge. And actually what_ Wascoite_ says, both _you_AND I have to do. And that _also_ goes for his Agates who are above us in the chain.. AND his Sapphires who over see everything. Not. me. and damn sure not. _you._" she kept her hand towards the button on her wrist. "So for me to actually show my humbled respect to _you_? Oh, please. You're no Agate or a Sapphire. And heck, even _they_ know how to properly talk to me or else they'll be having a personal talk with my grandfather.." she gave her a leveled glare. "Now, like I _said_. before.. Everyone is focused on their own jobs under this empire. And _everyone_ is doing the best.that they _can_."

"Well their "best" is outright crap!!

"Amethyst!" 

"EVERYONE always seem to call US when all of the OTHER incompetent Crystal Gems fuck up!! Your Peridots!! Those damn Agates of his!! Even the Sapphires! EVERYONE calls US to get the work done!! And UNLIKE everyone HERE, WE actually DO our jobs successfully!"

Peridot grit her teeth, her impatience slipping more and more.. "WE _DO_ our jobs successfully as well!! OUR jobs are just much more complex than ALL of the other Gems here and so things take more time for us!" 

Amethyst scoffed. "Than obviously you Peridots need more help." she gave her a smug look. 

"Amethyst, stop!! _YOU_ are the one who need me. _You_ need _us_. Me AND my Peridots both."

Amethyst's smug dropped to something of a shock, that quickly turned into a snarl. She grit her teeth. Defensive. Angry.. "WE don't need YOU! We don't need ANYONE! ESPECIALLY you!!" 

"Amethyst do you hear yourself now!! You ASK us about weapons and about the axe and the jacket and about what's going on and SO much more! And THEN you say you don't NEED me! You're contradicting yourself!" 

"Look! It just SEEMS like I'M the only one trying to move forward and DO something here!! And" she got defensive, grabbing at whatever she thought of first in her windstorm of a mind. "And I DON'T need you. As the HEAD of the Crystal Gems, as the ONE in charge, I DON'T need anyone! I'M _just_ asking questions to see how everything is going so _I_ can plan even MORE accordingly."

Peridot looked at her. "Whoaaaa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Yeah, uh huh. I'm going to stop you right.there. First, of all, that's _still_ needing someone." 

"No it isn't." she hissed out.

Peridot ignored her. "And SECOND of all, _YOU_ can get Garnet and Pearl with that." the two women choked, hearing their names.. Though they still didn't say anything. "But you and I BOTH know, that YOU are in charge of them. But NOT the whole Crystal Gem empire.. So STOP acting like it! Lonny was in charge of Garnet, Pearl AND you." Amethyst bit her lip, listening to Peridot. "AS well as the WHOLE Crystal Gem empire. But RIGHT before he left, he left _you_ in charge of the them." he gestured at the women again. "But NOT the empire as a whole.." she hissed. "So STOP acting like it! STOP acting like you're so high and mighty, Amethyst! You just crave all of that! You WANT people to gravel at your feet!"

"There you go bringing that damn Lonny into this. I don't understand why people are still BLABBERING about him!! And this has NOTHING to do with me and being above everyone!!" 

"Because you're not!!"

"Well MAYBE if it had been LONNY the one who got killed and _not_ Rose WHO actually had her head on straight.. Then BEST believe I _would've_ been the one to had overseen the whole empire by _Rose's_ orders.. And _not_ Wascoite." 

"Don't.. you _dare_ talk about my granddad that way."

"He's NOT your grandfather!! So STOP acting like he is!!" 

Peridot looked at her, shocked.. angry.. _disgusted_ that Amethyst would _ever_ stoop that low to say that.. 

She took a step to her. "And YOU need to stop acting like you're the BOSS of the empire!! Because you're _NOT_." she took another step. "You may _think_ you can get me, break me down with those words, but you damn sure can't, Amethyst. I'm not some _lowerclass Gem_ that'll break down and cry over what you say.."she leaned in more, saying lowly. "Especially when you're talking out your ass.." she rolled her shoulders up. "My _grand.father_" she emphasized. "IS the head of everything. Whether you _like_ it. or not.. And" she gave her a smug look. _"you_ will continue to be the same, loudmouth, _pathetic_" Amethyst narrowed her glare at her and Garnet and Pearl's heart skipped a beat at Peridot's boldness. "Amethyst you always were when I was first introduced to you." Amethyst panted, anger coursing through her more. "And while we're trying to hit below the belt here.." she leaned in, the smile dropping to a serious look. "You will _never_ be as good as Wascoite.. Shoot, you will never even be _half_ the leader as _Lonny_ was even."

"SO THAT'S WHAT YOU THINK?!" Amethyst growled out. She unraveled her whip and threw it up and Peridot pressed a button on her wrist. Green light crackled at her pressed together thumb and fingertips. "What, you're going to attack me with that whip, like LAST time when I tried explaining something important to you!? I.think._not_. Not _this_ time."

Garnet and Pearl looked at each other.. both wondering if they should intervene..

"Like YOU have the _guts_ to fire at me, Peridot."

"Just. _try_ me." she lowered her arm towards Amethyst's face. The _one_ part of her body that wasn't covered in GemTech clothing.. The green, GemTech electricity crackled louder around her hand as she powered it up more and Amethyst threw her arm back, taking a stance-

-as Garnet and Pearl jumped on either side of her, taking out gauntlets and spear.

Peridot glared at the two and Amethyst looked at her henchmen, then looked back at Peridot. A mischievous smile on her face. 

Everyone was quiet. Just the noise of the various machines in the room and the crackling of Peridot's destabilizer.

Then. Peridot lifted her hand up, letting her thumb go of the button on her wrist. The electricity fizzing out. 

"Tsch, I don't have time for this foolishness from you." she walked away, flopping back hard in her seat.

Garnet and Pearl lowered their weapons slightly. 

"Likewise." she said lowly. "I can't believe I actually wasted any of my energy to talk to you." 

Peridot snapped back in defense mode, jumping back up to her feet. "Amethyst." she hissed out. "I.don't.know WHAT is going on with you today!! I, I don't know if it's your time of the MONTH, or you're just stressed! OR you just want to be MORE of an ASS as usual!! But HOW you're acting is unacceptable!" 

"Don't you DARE tell me how _I'm_ acting!" she yelled.

"Amethyst! Open your eyes! You came IN the building acting angry. Getting on Talc." Amethyst rolled her eyes. "Getting on _me_! What. is. going. on!"

Amethyst clenched her teeth, looking away. "What.. is going on.." she looked back at Peridot. "WHAT is going on!! I'll TELL you what's going on, Peridot!! It SEEMS as though I'M the ONLY one sitting here trying to get things together while EVERYONE else seems to be doing jack shit!"

"How can you say that when I literally JUST told you what we've been doing to HELP the Crystal Gem Empire out!!"

"Because YOU or ANY of your Peridots aren't getting anywhere with it!!

"We.. are.. working at it!!"

"Working at bullshitting!!" 

"AMETHYST!" she growled out "Would.you.just..... GET YOUR HEAD OUT YOUR ASS FOR ONR MEASELY SECOND!!" she yelled. "For ONCE in your life actually LISTEN to when someone is trying to speak some SENSE into you!" she panted, hands balled into fists.

Amethyst was taken aback. Disgusted, appalled at Peridot's outburst. 

"Amethyst!! You NEED to trust me, when I say that EVERY Peridot in here. Is working diligently and effectively as possible, to _get_ the diamond essence, to _track_ down the the tuxedo men AS well as the diamonds _ON_ top of working hard to make better weapons and suits.. And NOT only THAT Amethyst, but OUR systems are under control as well! NOTHING can get through them. We've wired this WHOLE world with our GemTech wiring both inside AND in space AND we've formulated codes that not even the best of those non Crystal Gem scientists have found out yet." she got up from her chair, slowly, coming to eye level to Amethyst. "You listen here, Amethyst. And you listen good.. There WILL _be_ no breach in our systems. We have EVERYTHING locked down.. As I've said before. We're the scientists, the TOP techies there are, the TOP engineers. Me _and_ my Peridots have it all under. control. And.. we _will_ replicate the diamond essence and. We _will_ track those diamonds.down."

"Pfft.. that's what you say.."

Peridot was taken aback once again.. It was just, no getting through to her.. "Whatever, Amethyst. I'm officially_ done_ with this one sided conversation.. Now if you would ever be _so_ kind, to leave _us_ Peridots to do our work. And you, just focus on yours.." she took a step to the side of her, making a potential walk to the door. 

"It wouldn't be wise to think you can just raise your voice at me.. and get away with it, Peridot. And to talk to _me_ like that. To disrespect _me_, of all people." 

"No, Amethyst." she took a side glance at her as she walked away. "It would behoove _you_ to realize who you're talking to .._if_ you want to see another light of day, that is.."

Amethyst ran up to her, stopping her in her tracks and getting into her face. "Is that a threat!!" she clenched the whip in her hand. 

"Oh nooo." she mocked with an eye roll. "Me, Peridot trying to threaten the "head honcho" of the Crystal Gem Empire?" she snorted. "Why, why ever would I do that?" she stepped away from her, continuing her walk towards the door, hands casually in her pockets. "Besides.. _I_ have more important matters to attend to than to fight with some wall of a person who can't even express her own thoughts correctly without blowing a fuse because of her own personal problems."

Amethyst looked away, face contorted and.. guilty.. as she took in what Peridot said.. 

She saw Garnet and Pearl looking at her and she gave them the eye and they looked away. 

Peridot stopped just at the side of the door and turned around to face them. "Now, I need to step out. I'm not going to have someone, especially some _non_ peridot belittle me in my own lab.. I'm going for a little walk.. Clear my head." the three looked at her; Garnet and Pearl looking sad and Amethyst.. still in thought.. about everything.. 

Peridot took her hands out her pockets and raised her wrist to her mouth. She pressed a button on the side. "Peridot 3X, come to lab nine one."

"Yes, Peridot. I'll be there shortly."

She put her arm back down. "I'll leave you three here while I step out for a few minutes.. Despite of our previous debacle, our little.._fall out_.. I still need to uphold my professionalism, _despite of not showing such demeanor moments ago_ and continue with our Gem talk. This time on the vials." 

Garnet and Pearl nodded and Amethyst didn't say anything.. still in deep thought. 

"Very well." she nodded. "I will be back momentarily." 

A few moments later and the door opened. Peridot 3X saluted her. "Peridot." she said. 

"Peridot 3X. I'll need you to keep an eye on them while I step out for a bit."

"Yes, ma'am. I'll see to it." 

Peridot took a quick glance at Amethyst. "Good." and she looked away, going for the door behind her. She raised her hand up as her other hand pressed a small button on the back of her wrist. A green light shot out from her index finger. She started from the foot of the door and trailed up, then to the left, then back down, tracing the frame of the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I freakin' loooove writing for Peridot. She's the ONLY person who tells Amethyst how it is without having a single regret or remorse or fear of her.  
And no matter what Amethyst says, Peridot always seems to one up her and know exactly what to say back.  
Also, it seems like we get _some_ kind of juicy information from her.  
Yeahhhh, can't wait until we see her again with the Gems ;)
> 
> And I totally played homage to that whole Mufasa vs Scar dialogue near the part of: "It wouldn't be wise to think you can just raise your voice at me.. and get away with it, Peridot. And to talk to _me_ like that. To disrespect _me_, of all people."  
And the whole "Is that a threat?!"/ "Is that a challenge?!"  
And Peridot responding back in mockery ;)
> 
> Also.. IS there local floral along the Southeast coast of Britain? Shoot, I HAVEN'T a clue.. But I just wrote that, just because xP


	69. Doctor Peridot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright guys. I'm just some random person who knows ABSOLUTELY nothing about taking care of dogs, especially when they're in bad shape. And I am NO veterinarian none what so ever. So yeah, I literally wrote a lot of stuff that may VERY well be bogus with LOT'S of miswritten information xP  
Don't hurt me! XP

Steven stayed on the floor, holding onto the weak dog.

_What is taking them so long?!_

Usually, he wouldn't had minded the wait.. He hadn't even waited that long actually.. But with the dog's life at stake, every minute was like an hour.. and felt like it too. 

He looked down at the dog. "How are you feeling, buddy?" 

The dog didn't respond. Its eyes up behind its head and its mouth opened, showing pale gums. 

"Buddy?!" he leaned up.

Still no response from the dog.

"No! No, no, no!" he pat the dog gently on the jaw. "You can't be-"

He saw the dog's pupils come back down as the dog became alert, looking at him. 

"Oh, phewf." he smiled sadly and scratched the dog's head lightly. "I thought.. you were a goner.." 

The dog panted heavily out its mouth and Steven went back to frowning. "If only I could do something now, to help you out.." he then thought about the water bottle and quickly picked it up. He untwisted the top off and tilted the water towards the dog. "Are you thirsty?"

The canine looked at the water, blinking slowly. It didn't move. 

"..Maybe.. you just need somebody to.." he lifted the bottle up, the water flowing down the dog's mouth. It didn't move and Steven sighed, twisting the top back on the bottle. He set it down and hugged the dog's head. "What can I do now.." he mumbled into the dog. 

He heard the door sliding open on the far other side of the room and looked up. Through his watery eyes, he could see Peridot marching into the room. The door sliding down in front of her.

He gasped. "Peridot." he whispered.

The teenager walked towards her desk. "Fucking clod.." she mumbled. "I'm here busting my ass all day and all night and she's going to tell me that!" she kicked her desk. "Who does she think she is!!"

_Maybe she can help!!_ He got up with the dog. "Peridot!" 

"What!" she snapped.

And she saw him jump. Genuinely scaring him.

She glared at him. Still fuming from the previous encounter with Amethyst.

The boy gave a meekly low wave with his hand under the dog. ".. H, hey.. Peridot.."

The glare continued on.. until the boy frowned.. Looking absolutely pathetic to her.. How emotional he looked..

But.. also innocent..

PATHETIC!! 

But.. just so meek and.. innocent looking.. 

But still pathetic no less!!

However.. she still shouldn't had snapped at him like that.. He had nothing to do with what just happened.. It was _Amethyst_ who was the one being the clod..

She sighed with her eyes closed for a few moments before clearing her throat and opening them up again. "Please excuse the outburst, Talc." she leaned off the table. "Yes? What is it that you wanted?"

He ran towards her. "It's the dog! Its barely breathing! Its getting worse." his voice cracked as he started feeling more of his tears welling in his eyes.

"What?" she still tried to come down from her anger. Remembering that it wasn't _Talc_ that she was mad with.. 

Though the irritation was still there.. "Talc." she said a bit too sternly. "I'm a Crystal Gem; An engineer, a chemist, a scientist, a biologist and MORE. NOT a veterinarian." 

"But Peridot! You have a few hospital stuff in your lab! Can't we just, try to use them? Maybe it'll work." 

"Talc, that equipment is for CRYSTAL. Gems. only. I can't have some.. filthy dog dirtying up my equipment."

"Please, Peridot!" he choked up a sob. "Can we please just try! I'll clean the equipment up afterwards! But please, can we just try to save him!"

Peridot looked down at the limp dog. Eyes closed, panting out slowly. 

"I think it's the collar!!" a tear slid down his face. 

She was slightly taken aback by the boy.. A Crystal Gem.. _actually_ crying.. 

Still..

She ignored the tears. "Talc, it's a _lot_ of things. Look at it!! That thing could be carrying ANYTHING." 

"Please, Peridot!!" a couple more tears fell from his eyes. 

Peridot was about to reject the offer. 

But seeing this young man just cry like that so easily over a dog.. 

And.. what was about this boy that she felt.. sorry for him.. 

She saw a few tears drip from his chin and fall on the dog. 

She sighed, pinching the corners of her eyes as she shook her head. She let out another breath. "Fiiiine!!" she growled out. "But I don't know what the heck you want me to-" in her fit, her eyes went to the door she'd just came from. Amethyst.. and the rest of the Gems being in the lab room. An idea popped into her head and she looked down at the dog. 

Steven looked at her. Not sure about the sudden stop.."Peridot?" 

She looked up at him. "In fact.. let's bring it to my other lab." 

"You have a.. nother lab?" 

"I have a few scattered throughout this building." she walked away from him. "Now, come. Since it's only us two, we'll be taking the tube." she walked over to a clear cylinder made of glass, protruding from the wall.

"A tube?" 

"Yes, yes, a tube To take us to various places of the building. Keep up, will you?" 

Whether she meant physically or a figure of speech, he didn't know. 

She put in the necessary security codes in all three boxes, then ending with the microphone coming from the floor. "Peridot Facet 2F5L cut 5XG and Talc and.." she thought. "Barks." she looked at Talc. He gave her a shrug and a smile. 

The door popped open. She stepped in and he stepped in right after, squeezing into the tube and standing shoulder to shoulder to her. Or shoulder to _top of hair_ with the height difference.

"Lab two four." she stated. 

A few seconds later and there was a "Launching." said in her voice.

"Wait! We're going to be la-nnnnnnnnnngg!!!!!" The pod shot them up with a huge burst of air from underneath of them. Steven's lips flapping in the wind. He held the dog's face down, trying to shield him from the air. 

Peridot. Completely unfazed. Her expression bored. 

The tube spun them sharply left, then another left. Then up, then it turned and he was facing horizontally, as if he was flying. Then the tube launched up before banking left and rocketing down. And Steven held in his whine, trying to hold the dog closer to his chest. 

The tube shot them up one last time and slowed down to a sudden halt. "Lab two four." The capsule-like door popped open and she stepped out. Steven wobbled out after her.

The lab that they were in was a spotless white and the lights were so bright, it made the solid white room look even brighter. And various silver machines were placed throughout the room. On one side, there was a plain white door and farther down the room in the corner were cabinets, a sink and one tall, white dresser. In front of it, a silver-colored table with a few black chairs around it.

"Come. We can put him on here." she walked over to the table and Steven placed the ball of the chain on the table, the metal rolling slightly on the surface. Then he carefully put the dog down. The animal's mouth falling open. 

"Is he dead?!" 

"No, I don't think so." Peridot moved the dog's head a bit and the pupils went back down to look at them.

Steven sighed a breath of relief. 

"Alright.. I'm no veternarian..or doctor.. But perhaps we should check its temperature." she walked to one of the first white cabinets and opened it, taking out a small white box. She popped it open. "Eh, human thermometers should work just fine." she walked back to them as she turned it on. "Okay, so I'll just put this in its mouth and-" 

"Uh.. Peridot?"

She stopped just at the dog's tongue. "What?"

"Aren't you suppose to put it.." he pointed towards the bottom of the dog?

"..No?!? Ew, are you kidding me?!"

"Yeah, I'm.. pretty sure that's how it works. I thought you knew that." 

"Well, I don't know! I've never HAD a dog before!"

"Me either.. But.. A lot of people know that." 

"Well a _lot_ of those people don't spend their lives doing kinetic molecular theory as an activity.."

"Uh.."

"Whatever. I'll look it up." she took out her phone with her thumb and index finger, holding the phone up at the top. She used the pinky on her other hand to type the question. She clicked on a website and began reading. "Okay, so rectal.." she mumbled. "lubricate with baby oil or.." she mumbled through the words once more. "in big dogs insert at least two through three inches...." she mumbled. "if the fever is 103 or over.... place cool rags under paws.." she continued to skim.

Then she looked up at him. "Yeah, I'm not going anywhere near that dog's butt." 

Steven shrugged. "Well.. if you want, I could do it. I did it once for a neighbor's cat before."

"Yeah, sure, whatever, be my guess." she handed him the thermometer. He took a few steps over and she stopped him. "Wait! At LEAST put some gloves on!" 

She ran to the table, and took out two pairs of gloves. "Here. Double it." then she went back to the cabinets, opening the second one. She took out a box of lube. 

"You have a box of-"

"Get your mind out the gutter, it's not for what you think." 

He began putting the first pair of gloves one. One pair too baggy for his hand and the other tight around the ace banded of his hand. Then he put on the second pair. He held his hands up in front of his face. "Alright. I'm feeling like a doctor now." he smiled.

"More like a nurse."

His mouth dropped in a pout.

"Here." she handed him the bottle and he squirt some on the thermometer. He walked over to the dog, lifting his tail up.

_Okay, so he's a boy._

That answered his question since he kept referring to the dog as "it"..

He stuck the thermometer in.

The dog didn't even move.

A few moments later and the thermometer beeped. Steven looked at it. "It says 105.5. He has a fever."

"That's high." 

"Oh no.." he looked at her. 

"We can try and treat that with some cool clothes. Also we should put in an I.V in. He could very well be extremely dehydrated." 

A part of Steven was wondering how she was able to attain I.V bags.. but another part of him was too focused on treating the dog. "And hungry!!" he added.

"Er.. yes.. That too." she looked at the ribs on the dog. "But first, we need to hydrate him and try to lower the fever." she went back to her phone to look up where to put I.V's in dogs and which I.V solutions were okay for them. 

She pocketed her phone and went over to one of the tall dressers and opened it. Five I.V poles were in there. She rolled one out and closed the door before heading over to another cabinet. She took out and I.V bag and hooked it up to the pole. Then she unwrapped the cords and placed it on the table. She went back to the same cabinet and took out a clear bag. She opened it, taking out one needle. She zipped the bag up and closed the cabinet and headed back over towards the dog. 

She stuck the needle in the dog's hind leg and connected it to the cord from the I.V bag. It began to drop and she walked back to the cabinets. She opened one and took out a few wash cloths stacked on top of each other.

"Um.. Peridot?" 

She turned on the faucet and started pouring cool water over them. "Mhm?"

"Could I.. I mean.. Is there anything else I could do?" 

She turned the water off and squeezed the washcloths. "No, Talc. I have the rest of this." she walked back to the dog. "Though I appreciate the offer." she started placing the four clothes under the paws and looked up at Steven. "You may want to get rid of that thermometer and those gloves." 

"Oh, right." 

She gestured at the bag attached and sitting underneath of the table. He threw the thermometer away and took off the two pairs of gloves and threw them in the bag. 

"Feel free to sit in any of the chairs." she offered.

"Thanks.." he sat down in one of the chairs directly across from her. 

Peridot leaned towards the dog, looking at the deeply embedded collar. Chunks of skin and meat intertwined and pushed up through the holes of the chain collar.

"It's terrible.. isn't it?"

She looked back up. "Hm?"

He was looking at the dog. "If only I was there to help them.. to help all of the dogs.. And he's suffering and.. I don't even know if all of those dogs are even savable.. If.." he sighed.. "if they're even still alive.."

"Eh, well, you win some, you lose some." she said casually. "and-" she looked at the poor boy's face. That same, sad.. pathetic look..

That she.. what was the word..felt sorry for..?_ again_..

She sighed.. _softly_ "Okay, how about we just focus on this dog, _here_ instead, yes? Perhaps those other dogs are being treated and are going to uh.. good homes and.. stuff." she was terrible at this... 

The boy nodded sadly and she continued. "BUT. We _do_ have one dog here." she gestured at the canine. "And he's alive. And. He's under our care. Therefore, we should.. look on the bright side. And I'm a scientist. So I know a thing or two about being optimistic and not giving up and always looking on that bright side." this seemed to lighten the boy's mood as he slowly began to smile. He nodded more enthusiastically. "See, Peridot. I KNEW you would be the best person to do this." 

"Yeah, yeah." there was a tinge of blush on her cheeks as she waved him off. "Anyway, I think for right now, while he's being cooled down and getting hydrated, I'm going to take this time to sedate him." 

"WHAT?! Oh.. phewf.. I was thinking about something else." he looked at the dog's neck. "So you're going to take all of that out of his neck?" he asked the obvious.

"Affirmative. But first." she lifted up the chain around it's neck slightly and held up the pointer finger on her other hand. "I need to cut this chain." she pressed a button on the side of her finger and a green laser shot out. She trailed the light up, the beam burning through the metal. 

Steven watched as as the chain melted in sizzles and cracked under the beam. 

She let go of the button, the beam winking out and she pulled on the chain. It broke off in two and she pushed the heavy chain on the floor. The loud metal ball at the end making a loud thump on the pristine, _and apparently metal ball proof_, floor. "Okay, now it's time to get to work." she went over to the cabinet area once more, taking out a needle and another bottle of.. what Steven could safely assume was the substance to sedate him with. 

Amongst all of the _other_ boxes of needles and various liquids and pastes and other items that looked very hospital-like..

And again, Steven wondered where she'd gotten all of that stuff from..

She walked over and stood over the dog. She stuck the needle in him and quickly disposed of it in the bag. "Alright, pooch. Time to say goodbye to this dirty, infested collar." 

The dog started falling under and she moved his head up slightly for a better angle. Then, she lifted her finger up and twisted the tip of it. The fingertip turning into a tiny head of a cable cutter.

Steven watched her for what felt like a half an hour of her cutting and peeling out the embedded chain, yanking and pulling on it and him wincing just about every time. 

She didn't want to take the dog's temperature.. but she didn't mind cutting at the rotten flesh and dead skin.

And he could even smell the rotting flesh from where he was sitting.. And she looked to be completely fine by it..

She place the bloodied collar in the disposable bag and began cutting out the rest of the dead skin around his neck. Throwing the pieces in the bag.

Another ten or so minutes with Steven looking at the poor dog, Peridot looked up. "Alright, now that that's over with, I'll be taking him to the shower room."

"The shower room? There's a shower in here too?"

"Of course. We take hygiene very seriously here. Now come. Bring the dog. You can leave the washclothes there. And please, be mindful of the I.V pole when dragging it inside." she started walking away towards a other door in the room. "That's one of the reasons why I chose this lab in particular. Not all of my labs are equipped with showers." she walked over to the white door and typed in the code on the tablet. The door slid open, revealing what Steven, after watching a few Japanese shows before, had recognized as a very traditional Japanese bathing area.

Smooth tile floors and smooth brown walls. Farther in the back, was a wooden hinoki soaking bathtub. Around the tub were small plants and Japanese kanji were etched on the walls beside them. 

Where they were standing, towards the front, right on the side of them, was a ledge filled with various kinds of soaps and shampoos. And on the other side, farther down, there was a back brush, a stool and a wooden washing bucket. 

"Lay the dog there." she pointed at the middle of the floor. "We can use the rest of this." she picked up a bottle of liquid soap. 

He laid the dog down and moved the I.V pole just off to the corner as she came back over. The two kneeling down. Peridot squirt the liquid on to her hands and began massaging it all around the dog's neck, picking out the dead flies and maggots that'd been living in his skin. 

"Talc, the shower head." he followed her eyes and got up, taking the shower head off the hook. 

"Turn it on." 

He looked at the nob just below it. He twisted to the right and the water started to dribble out. He turned it more, but the water only got hotter. "For more pressure, you pull the nob out." she said. 

"Oh. Gotcha." he turned the nob to the appropriate temperature, turning it slightly to the left before pulling the nob out. Water started flowing more out of the shower head and he walked back over. She was about to grab it when he said "I can hold it for you." 

She looked at him. "..Very well.." she started scrubbing again. "Okay, just hold it riiiight.." he moved his hand close to the dog. "there." he stopped just off a couple inches from the dog's neck. And she began cleaning the area. 

While helping Peridot out with the rinsing, he couldn't help but feel happy. Being able to help Konni's mom and her babysitter and being able to help this precious dog out. And, maybe it was just in his mind, but the dog was looking better already. 

"And now for the rest of the wounds." said Peridot. "Or better yet. Just give this dog a full bath." 

The two started washing the dog, Peridot going over the wounds gently while Steven helped rinse the suds off. They lifted the dog to the other side, doing the same thing. 

"That looks good to me." said Peridot. She stood up. Clothes a bit damp from the shower. Then it hit him.. A question of.. if her mechanical, electrical prosthetic limbs were water proof. To which his mind immediately told him. 'Duh.. it's _GemTech_. Also, she wouldn't had gotten close to the water, if that was the case.' 

_Yeah, that GemTech stuff sure is heavy duty.. _

He turned the water off and put the shower head back. He picked the dog up. Peridot put in the code on the tablet and the door slid open and they went back to the room. 

"Hold on. Let me disinfect the table." she went back over to the counter, taking out a few GemTech wipes out of the container. She wiped down the table three times before motioning Steven to lay the dog back down. He moved the I.V pole towards just the edge of the table. 

"I'll be stitching him up."

"Cool. You know how to stitch wounds up to?"

"Pfft, no, I'm not a doctor. But I know how to sow. And I've dabbled in schematic diagrams for railroad tracks so stitching shouldn't be too hard."

He shut his mouth.. Having a bad feeling about what could happen. 

But.. she was Peridot so.. Perhaps he shouldn't feel too nervous about it? 

He nodded. "Okay." and took the same seat he sat in earlier, just a few feet from the table.

And again, he watched her work. Going for the supplies in the cabinet and going back to the dog.

And he waited, again. On the edge of his seat and hoping that Peridot was right about the stitching..

She gave a little hum and he looked up. She was looking all around the dog's neck. She nodded to herself. "Yeah.. this looks good. This looks really good.' she looked up. "Came out better than what I expected." 

He jumped out of his seat, jogging over towards the table. And.. it was as if an actual doctor had done it.. Or even better in his opinion. The precision of the stitches looked.. so neatly done..

"Wow, Peridot. This looks really good."

"Yeah." she gave him a casual, one shoulder shrug. "It takes precision and lots of schematic practice sheets to have steady hands." she raised her wired fingers. "Aaaand I guess I can give my regards to my limb enchanters as well." then she put her hands back down. "Well, looks like we've done all that we can do for him right now." she picked up the rags from before and went back over to the sink with them, wringing them out a few times before pouring cold water on them. Then she opened the cabinet once more and took out a medicine bottle and a plastic bag. She poured a few capsules into the bag and put the bottle back into the cabinet. She walked back to them, placing the rags under the dog's paws. "We'll keep these on him and check his temperature again later on." then she handed him the plastic bag. "And these tablets should help the dog, say if there's any kind of infection. Now, we should start heading back out. I know the Gems are wondering where I am." 

He smiled at the sleeping dog as he picked him up, being careful of his wrist and not knocking off the rags under the dog's paws, though two rags slid of slightly from the two front paws. "Thanks so much, for everything, Peridot." 

Another one shoulder shrug from the teen. "It's no problem, Talc." she walked back towards the tube of the lab.

After the necessary security protocols, the door slid open and they got in.


	70. A night at the GemTech building

Period exited out and Steven stumbled out after her. He looked at the dogs hind legs, then behind himself. "I think I lost one of the rags in there."

"Oh, that's fine. One of the Apatites will find it during their cleaning sessions." 

The Gems were waiting there in her office. Peridot 3X looking nervous.

Amethyst and Peridot locked eyes. The latter's eyes going right for her employee. "Peridot 3X.."

"I'm sorry! I, well, er.. They.. really wanted to see you and.. I'm sorry.. I mean, I still kept an eye on them! It's just that.. you didn't say _where_ they could go! It wasn't clear-"

"Did you.. just say that _my_ instructions. weren't clear?"

"No! That's not what I me-"

"Or was it someone who just _got_ into your mind.. and _told_ you that." she looked to Amethyst. The woman stood there. A stern expression on her face. 

"Peridot, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

She held up her hand. "Go back to your project. You are dismissed." 

"Y.. yes, ma'am." she gave her the salute and stood there. Keeping her hand up to her forehead in a two finger salute and her other arm, held up, her first clenched and at the middle of her chest.

"And we'll talk about your incompetence later." 

A split second of looking worried. Then she nodded. "Yes ma'am." she kept her salute for a few more moments before dropping her hands back down slowly and walking away. Peridot glaring at her until she left the room. The door sliding open and sliding back down behind her. 

Peridot turned back. Her eyes going back to Amethyst. 

It was yet, _another_ stare down until Amethyst took a short, quiet breath. She walked over to her. "I need to talk to you." then, she walked pass her and Steven, to the other side of the room, in the far corner by the windows. The night being a canvas behind her. 

Peridot kept her skeptic look, before looking to Steven. "Be sure to keep the dog cool. And to give him the rest of that water when he gets up. I'll see to it that he gets some nourishments." 

"Thanks Peridot." 

"Hm." she gave him a small nod and met Amethyst over by the corner and stopped just in front of her. A plain expression on her face. "Amethyst."

The woman was busy looking out the window, at nothing in particular.. Until she clicked her teeth, looking back at the teen. Arms folded. "Tshh.." she started with another click of her teeth. "Look.. Peridot." she rolled her eyes, still not looking at her. "Things have been a bit.. _weird_ lately.." she said with such tense in her voice. "With everything that's going on.. I feel like.. I need to be more on my toes." her arms loosened slightly as she found herself trying to get to the point. "With the.. with those_ rivals_ potential arrival, with those guys in the suits.. on top of everything else that's been going on ever since Rose's death and.. Lonny's absence.. It's beginning to be.." she stopped, searching for the word. "It's beginning to be.. _tedious_, to say the least."

"Mhm." Peridot was filling in the words Amethyst most likely wanted to say.. 

"And then this morning, right before I got the call about retrieving the jewels, the.. stupid breaking news came to my phone about the couple being murdered and the person or people leaving that note.. It just had me.. 

"..worried? paranoid?" Peridot tried to fill in this time.

Amethyst was quiet. The look on her face holding back what was fuming inside her.. "It had me.." she paused. "It _made_ me more aware of other potential things that could happen out of nowhere."

_Of course she wouldn't truly admit it.._ "So, with everything that's been going on and you reading that piece of news that's been going around.. It's been a lot of stress on you, huh?" 

Amethyst kept the barrier, until it faltered, if only slightly. "It's a lot of things."

Period waited to see if she would say anything more. When she didn't, she spoke back up. "You know it's not just you that's been on edge you know." Amethyst's mouth twitched. "A lot of us have.. And.. between you and me.. especially Wascoite.. Everything is on his shoulders after all. But, he's sill trying to keep his calm demeanor and to uphold the Crystal Gem's name and to oversee the whole authority, despite if he's.. been a bit stressed himself. We're _all_ feeling the pressure Amethyst and.. that sort of.. impending doom, whether we want to admit. or not." she took a breath. "But, taking it out on people isn't going to solve anything. We need to have proper protocol and proper communication and that is what I've been trying to tell you." she said gently.

Amethyst took everything in, slowly dropping her façade as she dropped her arms down with another sigh. "And what you've been trying to tell me.. is that you and your Peridots have it all under control. And. I need..to respect that. Especially since you're the one overseeing them." she finally looked to her. "I am quite confident of your skill set, P. And I'll await your calls for more breakthroughs." 

Peridot gave her a small smile. "As will I, Amethyst. I know that you'll do your share and more of your own findings as well. And I'll look forward to your calls on my end as well."

"You know it, Peri." there was a hint of a smile.

"Mhm." she gave he a professional nod.

There was just a few moments of silence between them before Amethyst cleared her throat. "So, we good, P?"

"Well.." she looked on in thought. "It would take some time for me to get over it.."

"Well, while you think about it P, guess I'll just take the new season of CPH that has yet to be release yet and.. take it back with me." there was that sly side smile. 

"Wait, wait!! What?!" 

"Mmmhmmmm." Amethyst started walking away. 

"Amethyst!! You don't.. you don't really have that do you?! That's impossible!!" she followed her. 

"Connections, P. I got a lot of them." she still kept her sly, grinned look.

"Then.. then maybe I'll rethink that." Amethyst continued to walk away. "Amethyst! Amethyst! Okay, maybe.. maybe we're ... okay.. Amethyst! Amethyst you can't tease me like that!"

"Yup, Peri. The new CPH season is ALL for myself." 

"Amethyst, come on!" she shrieked. "Maybe I've just been.. a _smidge_ over reacting.. Now come on! You gotta let me see that season! I can't BARE to wait another two WHOLE days!!" she begged. "I can't-" there was a siren noise that cut her off and a red light started blinking at the top of her glasses. She straightened her self out and with a clearing of her throat, she pressed the button on her watch and a holographic figure shot out from the screen. It was Peridot 2X. 

"Please excuse my sudden call Miss Peridot. I truly hope that I am not intruding on anything."

She looked at Amethyst and looked back at the hologram display. "No. No you are not. You may proceed." 

"Thank you." the woman gave her a salute, before slowly putting her arms back down. "I've called to inform you on the vials. The first batch is done and we are currently undergoing the second patch. We should have all one hundred and eight vials done by sunrise." 

"Very good, 2X. I know I can always count on you and everyone else there." she gave Amethyst a quick glance over before going back to the hologram. "Keep the rest of the vials there. Once every single one is done, give me a call immediately. The Gems and I will come to retrieve them." 

The elderly woman gave her another salute and kept the stance. "Yes ma'am." 

Peridot pressed the button on her watched and the hologram winked out. She rolled her sleeve back down. "Well, you have all heard her. The rest of the vials should be ready by dawn. That'll only be a few hours, so everyone is welcomed to stay the night." 

"Pfft.. in this dump?" Amethyst joked. And Peridot rolled her eyes. "Alright, sure P. What's a few hours." 

"Yes.... Anyway, since my Peridots for the afternoon shift are usually asleep at this time in the guest lobby, you all can sleep at one of my personal headquarters." she glared at Amethyst. "And I expect everything to not be all disorganized and a mess." 

"Hey, why you looking at me? I'm a clean person. And I'm not going to touch your pwecious widdle stuff." she mocked. 

"...So you say.." she turned, catching Steven's eye. "And Talc, I have a separate room for you as you can sleep in the other headquarters. If you see where I'm going with this, I would like to keep genders separate." 

Amethysts threw her arm around Peridot. "Pfft, you don't have to worry about that, P-Pod. Like _ he_ could get into any of _our_ pants." 

He took offense to that..

Especially when he just _knew_ they would be begging for more..

"Besides, _if_ that just so happens, we'll just" she whispered something in Peridot's ear.

And Steven could see the tips of Peridot's ears turn red. "No!" she exclaimed. "I would really, feel better. If the rooms. were separate."

"Heheh, okay red, Perri-berry." she leaned off of her.

"Eherm. Okay, let us..depart."

After putting in the security settings and her saying the destination into the mic, the elevator door opened. They got in and took their seats and Steven held the dog closely to his chest. Both of his feet holding on to the rolling legs of the I.V pole. 

"Okay, everyone should be in their seats and buckled in." said the elevator in Peridot's voice. "and if there's people who aren't buckled in well, who cares. You should've been paying attention. The elevator is now in motion." 

................

They stepped out the elevator and the door slid behind them.

"You three know where to go. I'll take Talc just down the hall."

"Alright, see you in the morning, P dot."

Garnet and Pearl bid her a good night with a wave.

"Talc." she walked pass him and he followed her.The two of them walked down the hall. Doors laid on either side. It was as if he was in a hotel. But more GemTech and pricey looking. 

And he could smell some kind of food nearby..

_Do.. people live here? Or.. are these just rooms to kind of rest in for a bit.. What about Peridot and Mr. Wascoite? Does.. she and him live here?_

He looked down to his left. Looking at the petite teen walking proud and stern. Her nose held high and a hard look to her eyes.

There was just so much he didn't know about her..

It seemed like everything about the Crystal Gems was a mystery..

He felt some movement under his chin. And he looked down. The dog was slowly moving his head up. "Peridot. I think he's waking up." 

"Good, good." she looked at the tired pooch. "Perfect timing." 

"Perfect timing for what?"

"We're passing the cafeteria." _So THAT'S what I smelled!! I knew I smelled food!!_

Then he wondered if that was the reason the dog was waking up..

"I want to give him some food. I'll put one of the antibiotics in it and give him some water. After that, I want to take him back up to the lab to keep an eye on him while you get your rest." 

"But, I can stay with him. Aren't you like.. really busy?" 

"Talc. I'm _always_ busy. And I'll be keeping an eye on him while I do other stuff anyway." 

"Oh.. okay." he looked down at the dog. "You hear that boy? She's going to make sure you'll be alright tonight." the dog sniffed his chin in response and laid back down. 

Steven pet the back of his legs. "Everything will be fine."

The closer they reached the cafe area of the floor, the more Steven could smell the scrumptious food. 

And he'd just realized how hungry he was.. Since he actually did _not_ eat before leaving out the house..

The two cafeteria doors were opened and the two walked through. Cafe tables were scattered all around and he could count at least twenty Peridots (or so he assumed that's what they were all called) sitting around, either eating, talking, tinkering with gadgets or sleeping with their head on the tables or doing a mixture of the few. 

The dog began to sniff the air. He licked his chops as he looked around the area. 

Just as they approached the cafe area, Peridot held out a hand. "It's best if you stay here in the lounging area with the dog. I'll go get the food."

"Okay." 

She walked in and he waited just outside of the door. Passing the time giving the dog a few flank scratches.

Peridot walked out with two plates. One filled with various meets and an empty round bowl and the other, with steak, mash potatoes and gravy, macaroni and cheese, string beans and a butter roll. 

And two water bottles, one in each side pocket of her skirt. 

And Steven could feel his stomach rumbling. The dog licking his chops once more as the two eyed the food.

"Alright, let's go." she walked pass.

The three of them walked out and down the halls once more. They made another turn, approaching one of the doors just a few doors away from the end of the hallway.

She stopped right in front of the mat. 

"Hey, do you need me to get that for you? I can shift the dog and-" Peridot's pinky and ring finger stretched out, stretching all the way to the tablet.

She pushed the code in and the two fingers twisted the knob, opening the door. 

_Cool.._

And the two fingers snapped back into place under the plate.. 

They walked in and Steven got a nice whiff of the smell of lillacs. 

The room was small, but incredibly nice and pricey looking. 

"Talc, this one is yours, of course." she set the one with a whole dinner on the table. Then she placed the two water bottles beside it. "And we'll give him some water and feed him this now. You can give me one of those tablets."

Steven placed the dog on the floor. The now dry rags falling completely off of his paws. He dug into his pocket and pulled the plastic bag out. He took out one pill and handed it to Peridot. She handed him the empty bowl. "You can put the rest of your water in here." 

Steven took the water bottle from his pocket and poured the rest of it in the bowl as Peridot placed the pill under one of the meats. 

Steven set the bowl down and the canine started lapping it up. 

A few moments of hydrating himself and Peridot placed the food bowl on the floor. The dog sniffed it, then went in for a bite. He licked his nose and went in for more of the food.

Peridot got up, walking to the bed. She crawled on it, sliding back and placing her back against the wall. "I'll just wait here for the canine to finish. You can go ahead and eat your food too." 

"Thanks again, Peridot." he picked up the plate from the table and sat on the floor by the dog. "How'd you even know I was hungry anyway?" 

"Eh, I heard your stomach."

"Oh.." he looked away. A bit embarrassed.

He prayed over his food and began eating. Peridot took out what looked like a pen from her jacket pocket. She pressed the side button of her glasses and the lenses turned black. She raised up one hand and held the "pen" up with the other, going for one of the wires of her thumbs. She pressed the point of the pen on it and sparks started flying out as she worked on the circuitry of the cord.

Steven scooped up the gravy-fied mashed potatoes, shoving it all into his mouth.

The food was delicious. Though not Connie's food delicious, but, delicious, no less. He took another scoop and ate some more.

Fifteen, twenty minutes later of eating and Steven looked up at Peridot, this time, repairing her pinky finger. She taped on a few wires. He could hear the electricy snapping into the wires as sparks zapped between the pen and the small cord.

Then, he looked down, looking from the wiring of her arms and down to the wiring of her legs. One of them crossed casually over a knee. 

It looked so cool.. He'd never seen prosthetics like that.. And he'd wondered who made them or if she did? 

Then he wondered..What even happened to her.. Was she born like that? Who found her? And how was it like being born into being a Crystal Gem?

Did she.. enjoy being one? Or.. did she.. ever want to be something else?

He watched as she stopped and pressed the side of her glasses, the lenses going from black to see through again. And she gave him a quick glance. He caught her eyes and started blushing that she caught him looking at her. _Uh oh.. She probably thinks that I was staring at her limb enhancers! I mean, I kinda was..... but, not in a bad way!_

She put the pen back, still looking at him. "What?"

He swallowed the macaroni and cheese hard. "Uh, your.. limb enhancers are pretty cool. I was just wondering.. if you made them yourself .. or.."

She gave him a long look, before answering. "These, I made myself, yes. Though the first few limb enhancers were sketched and proposed by my grandfather himself and made by Peridot 3X." 

"The first few?"

Another long look from Peridot before answering once again. "They were the ones who made my limb enhancers when I was a baby up until I was nine. Then once I started growing again and I had to change over to new limb enhancers, they tested me to see if I could make my own. And, here they are." she showed her hands and pushing her legs up.

"You made all of that at just nine years old?!"

"Well over the years I've made more and more additions and modifications to it. But yes."

"Wow, you really _are_ a genius." he whispered.

"Heh. You're right."

_But she's certainly not humbled._ He chuckled.

He ate the rest of the macaroni and cheese. _Delicious..._ "So.. is that what you do? I never really knew what you did exactly. Like, are you the one who do the verification processed and makes the clothes? You had me fitted for them that one time."

"I do a lot of things. The verification processes, making the clothes, making the weapons and the gadgets, helping out in making the vials, helping out making the dia-uh." she looked at the boy. "making.. stuff for GemTech cars. And I oversee all of the Peridots, in general." 

"Wow, that's a lot. How do you even have time for yourself? Or even sleep?" he scooped up a spoonful of string beans.

"I get about three point two hours of sleep, not consecutive, everyday. And. I have my breaks from time to time. Overall, I just, do my job and train to _ improve_ my job and to come up with better resources."

"ONLY a little more than three hours? And.. just breaks? You don't.. you know.. have days off?" 

"Noo....? With my job we don't have that. Off days are for lesser gems." 

_'Lesser gems'? Well that's mean.._ He would definitely have to get back to that.. but right now, he was wondering more about _her_ and her life in particular.

"But." he scooped the rest of the greens from the plate. "if you don't have any off days, then what do you do for fun?" he ate the greens.

"What's 'fun'?"

He did a spitake, choking on his greens.

The dog stopped eating, eyeing him.

Steven coughed up the greens, before swallowing them.

"The bottle of water is right beside you, Talc."

He looked left, then right, then looked up, snatching the water bottle from off the table. He twisted the top off and downed the cool, refreshing water. Only to drink too fast. He took the bottle from his mouth, coughing again. Then, he took a few calming breaths. Clearing his throat every now and again. "Phew.."

"Feel any better?" she deadpanned.

He didn't answer her. "Peridot, how do you not know what fun is!?" 

"I just.don't. Not _everybody_ knows the same words as you. Do _you_ know what lanthanide contraction or what electrolysis means?"

He cleared his throat again, as he hit his chest. "No."

"I rest my case."

"Peridot, that's different. EVERYONE knows what fun is."

"Obviously not everybody." she mumbled.

"Peridot, fun is-" the dog came over, falling down beside him. "Awwweee.. " he gave the canine a few noggin scratches. Then he looked up at the empty plate on the floor. "And you ate all of your food. Good booooy." he gave the dog a few more head scratches before going back to the teen. "Peridot, fun is when you enjoy something that you do. Like.. hmm.. something that amuses you or something that makes you feel happy."

"Oooohh!" she snickered. "Why didn't you just say it like that? I do a bit of research on Molecular and Ionic Compound Structure and Properties and I also dabble in a bit of mole calculations and Thermodynamics during the afternoons."

"That just sounds like your job."

"Noooo. I just do that during my breaks. And if I happen to find a breakthrough of some sort or a new property or structure or anything of that nature, then I bring it to my job."

"Peridot, that's still working!" he whined. 

She groaned. "Okay, then I'm just not following you, Talc."

"For example. Do you play any games? What do you and your employees do _together_ on your breaks?" 

"Games? I've heard of that word.. But I'm still not 100% sure on what that is exactly.." he couldn't believe his ears. "And we talk about various sciences, chemical engineering, physics, stoichiometry, the list goes on." 

"...I'll get you to know what I mean.." he thought.. "OH! Camp Pining Hearts! You LOVE that show!"

"Yes. That show is very informative on the study wilderness and land ethics through observation and ecology. But that's just one thing. The show is very informative on other sciences as well."

"Well, I.. I mean.. I guess that's _one_ way to look at it? But I'm talking about you liking the series! You _enjoy_ watching it. You have _fun_ watching it."

"But how is that any different than me working on molecular components and comounds during my break? I enjoy doing those things and so those, should be classified as this "fun" as well."

She did have a point.. A lot of people enjoyed what they did on their jobs.. But Peridot needs to know _outside_ of just the workplace..

She was essentially just a war machine, a robot for the Gem empire.. All she did was work.. 

And he felt himself feeling sorry for her..

He sat there.. thinking about what to say.. 

And then, he finally thought about it.

"Peridot, I think you and I should hang out one day." 

" 'Hang out' ? What do you mean?" 

"You, me and the Gems if they want too as well. We all should meet up somewhere outside of here and go someplace to get to know each other. And eat and play games and bond."

"I.... Don't know about that, Talc."

_Hmm.._ "Peridot. When you watch Paulette and Pierre go against each other in those outside activities, don't you find them entertaining to do? Like you would want to do them yourself?" 

"Of course!" she piped up. "Especially since I just KNOW that I would be SO much better!"

"That's.. also another way to think about it." he gave her an apologetic smile. "But don't you think it would be _fun_ or entertaining to do something like that?"

She thought about it and as if a lightbulb had struck above her head, she gave him an enthusiastic nod. "Ah, I think I'm getting the definition of 'fun'. I would like to do that log roll."

"Yeah! Then we can do that! I know this GREAT camping spot!"

"Superb! And I can compete and let ALL of the others fall and they shall shower me with gifts and compliments! And I will have FUN in getting showered with such gifts and compliments!! NYEEhyehyehyehyehyehye!!" she cackled.

"Uh.." Steven looked at the dog.. The dog looking back at him. "Yeah, we'll uh.. we'll work on that whole "fun" thing.."

"No, no. I believe I understand very well now, Talc." she slid off the bed, throwing her hands up in a triumphant pose. "And NOW I can not WAIT to compete and have this 'fun' with going against people in outdoor activities!" 

"Uh, well.. Again, that's _one_ way to think about it but-"

"Thanks for teaching me what 'fun' was, Talc. I do love partaking in learning more and feeding my brain vessels. It is quite.. hmmm." she thought. "It is quite. _fun._" her lips spread to a huge toothy grin. She gave him a wink.

"Oh, uh, no problem." he said nervously. "But I still think you-"

"Alright, Talc. It is getting late and I have already wasted too much of my precious time. And now that the canine has had his water and food, I will be taking him to my lab to keep a better eye on him."

"O.. okay.." he would just have to explain the meaning of 'fun' some other time.. 

He looked at the pooch resting beside him. His head on the floor as he rested. "Hey uh..Rover" neh, that doesn't fit him either.. "time to get up buddy. Peridot's going to be taking care of you for tonight." he scratched the dog's head.

The dog moved his head slightly, but still kept it on the floor. "Ah, looks like he's too tired, Peridot." he chuckled.

"Well, that makes the two of us." she walked over to them. "Okay, come on pooch. You're coming with me." the dog looked up at her as she crouched down.

"Careful Peridot. He's kinda heavy-"

She lifted him up like he was a feather.

_Wow.. she's strong just like the Gems.._

The dog started to whine. 

"Hey, relax, relax. I'm bringing you back in the morning." 

"Awwee, he doesn't want to leave me." Steven placed the plate on the table, his eyes on the dog. "You sure I just can't come with you? I could keep him company." 

"Yes, I'm sure, Talc." she walked over to the door and opened it. "Don't worry. It's only going to be for a few hours."

"..Aw.. okay.. See ya, buddy." he waved at the dog. "And night Peridot."

"Goodnight, Talc. See you in the morning." she opened the door, then stopped as she thought of something. She turned back around. "Talc."

"Yes?" 

"How have you been feeling lately? Since the verification process." 

"Oh,..um.. good? Why?" 

"The paste that I put on your hands didn't show any allergic reactions." 

_Was that a.. question?_. "No.. they didn't." 

She nodded. "Okay." and turned around. "Goodnight."

"Good.. night?" _.. those pastes could've done something to my hands?!_

He watched the sad looking dog on her shoulder as she closed the door.. and he stood there for a few moments before slumping back, sighing. "Get better soon.." he looked at his hands. 

Nothing out of the ordinary. 

He turned around and picked up his plate and sat on the bed, going for his steak.

.. that. wasn't there..

..none of the food was..

Then his mind went to the dog flopping down beside him.. 

And now that he thought about it he _did_ feel the dog move up every now and again..

He slumped more, shaking his head as he smiled. "I can't believe it.. He actually got me for my food.." he placed the empty plate on the table and kicked his shoes off, leaning back on the wall like Peridot had been doing earlier. 

Then.. As if his mind had just sent out an emergency message in his brain, he thought about Connie. She would be wondering where he was..

He took the phone out of his pocket, immediately noticing the smudges of dirt on it.. He went to the bathroom and rinsed it off before going back to his spot on the bed. He went to Connie's name and sent a quick message about having to take another shift in the morning. He pressed send and put his phone in his other pocket.

Then, he leaned back into the wall and closed his eyes. Though he didn't do much today, with it getting late, he could feel the sleep already getting to him..

He stretched his legs out, getting comfortable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I very well know that Peridot could've eaaasily had known what 'fun' is, especially with the Camp Pining Hearts show most likely saying the word 'fun' at least once in their episodes. But ehhhhhhh... I kinda wanted to write Peridot like that anyway :P


	71. Super short chapter. 'Nuff said

Peridot pulled open a drawer in an undisclosed location in an undisclosed office of hers.. 

She took out a syringe. Filled with pink substance..

She took the syringe and closed back the drawer. After proper security procedures to lock up the drawer, then the room, she left out.

She went back to the lab she and Steven had went to while treating the dog. 

The canine was fast asleep. A new I.V bag hooked to his hind leg.

She walked up to him, needle in hand.

She injected the pink substance in him before disposing of it in a bag.

She stepped back, raising a tape recorder to her mouth. "Log date: Mike one, six delta. Two, zero, two, zero charlie.. New_ ....vaccine_. injected." she brought the tape recorder down before remembering something. She brought it back up. "canine..." then a few pauses she stopped the recorder, then pushed the button once more. "Log date. Mike one, six delta. Two, zero, two, zero charlie. Boy shows no sign of side effects." she pressed stop on the recorder. 


	72. Steven worrying about his Doggo

Steven's bladder woke him up a couple hours later. He used the facilities and stepped out, his mind still on the dog.

Maybe he could try to find Peridot?

.._somehow.._

He stepped out the door, getting the feel of being in a nice, spotless hotel again. He turned down the hall, hoping he would see her or perhaps another Peridot that could tell him where to go.

He could smell the food again as he got closer to the cafe. He peered inside. This time, majority of the Peridots were asleep and the ones that _were_ awake looked to be in very, veery deep conversation with each other.

He walked pass the cafeteria, going farther down into the hall. 

Until he got to the elevator they'd came out of. 

And he remembered Peridot using her laser hand thingy to activate it..

_Are Peridots the only ones who can activate these elevators?_

Then he remembered Wascoite and Charoite using certain elevators and doors.. but maybe they can activate only certain ones?

Ah.. more questions to pile into his Crystal Gem question pool..

He stood there, looking hopelessly at the elevator..

Until he heard the sound of someone clearing their throat. He turned around and jumped back.

"Oh hey uh.." _It's that same Peridot from earlier.. What was her name again? _ "5X..?"

"3X. She corrected."

"S, sorry.. I'm still getting used to names."

"That's quite alright. I heard that you are new to the Empire.. Though do be quick with remembering our names eventually, _Talc."_

"Uh, definitely."

The two stood there.. until 3X raised her eyebrow at him. "So. What are you doing in front of the elevator that only Periods can enter to and from?" 

_So there_ are_ elevators that only Peridots can access..That answer one of my many questions.. Though ouch.. That's kind of mean.. that Peridots seem to segregate other gems.._ "I.. wanted to speak to Peridot. She was looking after my dog." okay, _that_ slipped out.. Was he really _his_ dog?

"Ah, the pooch that was left for dead." she nodded. "Yes, I know which Peridot you are talking about. THE Peridot. Last time I saw her she was in lab 9 dash 1. Perhaps she is still in there. I could take you up there." 

"Really?!" 

"Of course." 

He smiled at her widely. 

"I just have to give her a quick call."

He frowned.

She raised her ring up and turned it and pressed a button on the side of it. The two waited in silence for a few moments before a hologram appeared above her ring. "To what do I owe this call-" Peridot was seen looking to her side. "-at zero four two eight hours.. Are the vials ready?"

"No, Miss Peridot.. We are still working on the last batches.. BUT, I've called because. there is someone wanting to meet you. Talc. He wants to see how the canine is doing." 

There was a soft "Hmm.." as Peridot looked off to the other side. "The canine is resting.."

"Please, Peridot." Steven jogged to the side of 3X to get into view. "I just want to see how he's doing."

She looked off to the same side again.. before looking back slowly. She gave them a nod. "Okay. I'll be expecting you two in my lab." 

"Affirmative.", "Thanks, Peridot!" they said over one another.

Another nod from the teen before the hologram winked out. 

"Come, Talc." 3X walked pass him, going towards the elevator.

.........................

The doors slid open. "We're here." 

"Thanks again, .._3X."_

"It is of no inconvenience, Talc."

The boy waved as he stepped out of the elevator and into the lab. Peridot 3X nodded at him, then looked behind him, going for a formal salute as Peridot turned around in her seat. 

The dog was still asleep on the table. The table now moved towards the wall, instead of being in the middle of the room. Steven jogged over to them. "Hey, Peridot." he looked over at the dog. "How's he doing?"

Peridot gave Peridot 3X an acknowledgement nod to dismiss her and Peridot 3X kept the stance for a few moments before pressing the button on the elevator. The doors slid to a close. 

She turned her attention to the boy. "Told you, Talc. The dog is resting." she saw the dog slowly waking up from Steven petting him. "Well _was_ resting." 

"I'm sorry.. I was just too worried about him." he laid his hand on the dog's head. "Do you.. think he's going to be okay?" 

She leaned back in her seat. "Yeah. I don't think he has anything too serious. But it's still best to take him to the vet if you're really thinking about keeping him." 

"Yeah.. I know.. I just hope that it's nothing too bad and that it's something that's easily treated." 

"It most likely is. I wouldn't worry too much about it." she said casually. 

Steven continued petting the dog. The dog nuzzling into his hand. His tail wagging weakly. 

"Hey, Peridot? Could I stay with him the rest of the tonight?" she didn't answer him. "Peridot?" he turned out. The teen was fast asleep in her chair. Her mouth slightly open. "Peridot." 

She snorted herself awake. "Huh?! What?!" she held up her hand, green electricity crackling. "Who's there?!"

"Hey, hey. It's only me." he held his hands up. "It's only me."

"Ah..er.. yes.." she mumbled. She let go of the button on her wrist. 

"Peridot, I asked if I could stay with him?"

She looked like she was about to reject the idea. "Pleaaase, Peridot? I can watch him the rest of the night. Besides, you seem really tired.. Maybe I could take the rest of this shift?" 

She scoffed. "Like you work here."

"But.. I _am_ a Crystal Gem and.. since this _is_ my dog by default.. I don't see why I can't help you with this simple task." 

She opened her mouth to reject the offer, then thought otherwise, closing her mouth back. "Hmm. Well I _could_ perhaps.. use a bit of time to close my eyes for a bit.."

"Yeah, that wouldn't hurt. Right?" 

" ...riiiight...?" she didn't seem so sure. Though she seemed to incline.. She figured she could trust him. "Okay." she got up. "I'm just going to rest my eyes for a little bit. I'll be back soon." she looked at his torn shirt. "Also, I've been meaning to tell you, to give me that shirt that you tore." a beat later. "_again_."

"Oh." he looked down at his GemTech shirt. His stomach sticking out.

Peridot had made her way over to a cabinet. "Here's a blanket to put on you. I know this lab can get very cold at times." she walked back over. "Besides, I can't have your whole upper body all out. It's indecent." she spat out. 

Steven took the shirt off. The two giving the other their item and Steven threw the blanket around him as Peridot held the shirt in her hand. "I'll have someone repair this. Should be done by tomorrow morning." 

"Thanks, Peridot." he glanced at the dog, then back at her. "Thanks for everything that you've done today." he smiled. 

"Yes, it was nothing." she blinked her red, tired eyes. "Well, I'm off." 

"Goodnight, Peridot."

"Goodnight, Talc." she put in the necessary security protocols and the elevator door opened. She stepped in and turned around. 

He waved at her and she gave him a small, professional nod as the doors slid to a close. 

Steven turned back to the dog laying on the table. "Are you feeling any better?" 

The dog laid there staring at him.

He scratched his ears. "Don't worry, buddy. In time."

He jumped up on the table, kicking off his shoes. His feet dangling just over the edge.

The dog slid his head up slightly to look at him as he scooted back and laid his back against the wall.

"You're a good boy." he pet his head. "And, everything is going to be okay."

The dog started wagging his tail weakly.

He chuckled. "Yeah.. yeah, you're a good boy." he continued scratching his head.

The dog started to close his eyes again and Steven continued petting him. 

Trying to stay awake himself..

But he could feel himself drifting off to sleep.. His hand slowly falling off the dog's head..

.......................

Peridot walked out of the elevator. "Hello, Talc. I've come back to give you the shirt-" she stopped. Looking at the boy fast asleep. His chin resting on his chest with his hand laying palm up on top of the dog's head. The canine snugged close to his leg. One paw over the boy's knee.

The picture in front of her looked quite.. nice.. peaceful..

And other words she couldn't quite think of at the moment..

.. Serene? ..Cute?

Just a boy and his dog.

Wholesome.

Peridot walked towards the cabinets, placing the shirt on the counter. She looked over at the scene beside her once more. The image sending.. some kind of warmth in her..

She turned back around, leaving back out of the room. "Heh, you'll stay up watching the dog, alright." she said with a grin. She started putting in the necessary information for the security system and the elevator door slid open.


	73. Leaving the GemTech Building

Steven woke up slumped a bit on his side. He leaned back up slowly, his back cracking slightly behind him and he let me out an "Ah." as he winced.

And the cramp in his leg!

He looked down. 

But.. the dog.. I can't move just yet..

The canine was sleeping peacefully by his thigh. His paw still over his knee. 

He didn't want to move.. 

But the cramp in his leg!!

_Hmm.. maybe if I just.. _ He moved his leg just ever so slightly.

And the dog was stirred awake that easily. He lifted his head up, looking at Steven.

"Aw, sorry boy.. I wasn't trying to wake you up." he scratched at the dog's head. "How are you feeling? You look a little better.. But.. your nose and eyes are still running a bit."

The dog coughed and started wheezing a few times before swallowing and laying his head back down on the table. 

Steven sighed. Giving the canine a few more head scratches. "Maybe you're thirsty.. I'll go get you some water." he pulled the blanket off of him and slid off the table. And he took just a few steps and stopped. Realizing that he was locked inside of the room. "Aw man.. that's right.. I can't even get out of here.." he turned back around and saw two plates just in the middle of the counter. Beside the two plates, his Crystal Gem shirt, two water bottles and an empty bowl. 

He threw the shirt on and picked up one of the plates and a water bottle and the bowl.

He untwisted the top and poured the water in the bowl. "Here ya go." he set the bowl down. The dog lifted his head up slowly, still laying down as he lapped up the water. 

Steven twisted the top back on and took the label off, and threw it into the disposable bag. Then he opened up the plate; turkey bacon and other various breakfast meats. He took the plastic bag out of his pocket and managed to pry the bag open with his index finger and managed to take out one pill. He put the plastic bag back in his pocket, put the pill under the meats and waited for the dog to finish his water. 

The pooch lifted his head up, eyeing the plate in Steven's hand. "Here, you go." he waved a piece of turkey bacon in front of the dog. He sniffed it before taking a lick. Then he bit down on it and Steven let go. The dog crunched on it quickly and started wagging his tail for more as he sniffed the air, looking up at Steven. 

He laughed. "I take it that you really like turkey bacon." he picked up two more and the dog took it from his hands. 

The dog crunched on them and Steven set the plate down on the table and he dug into the food. 

He smiled. "I don't know but.. something tells me that you're going to be just fine-" Then he thought. "Barkley?" the dog looked up. "Mm.. neh.. That doesn't seem to fit you either.. Mmmmm.. Princeton? ..Eh.. maybe?"

He heard the elevator door open he turned around to see Peridot coming in. "Ah, you've awaken from your slumber with your canine companion. Very well. The new solutions are done and the Gems are getting ready to leave." she looked down at the dog eating. "Good to see that he still has his appetite." 

"Yeah. I actually think he's getting better."

"Well let's check his temperature again and see if it went down." she pulled the washclothes off his body and took the I.V out of his leg. "And you'll be the one doing it of course." she went over to the cabinet, taking out a box.

Steven walked over to the counter, taking two gloves out and putting them on. Peridot out some lubricant on the thermometer and handed it to him and he went back to the dog.

"Alright, pooch, it's time to take a little break from the food while he takes your temperature." she slid the food away and laid the dog back on his side. The dog complied, but eyed the food at the corner of the table as he licked his lips. 

Steven put the thermometer in and a few moments later it beeped. He read the screen. "It says 104."

"Looks like it went down slightly.. But it's still pretty high."

He threw the thermometer and the gloves away. "Maybe it'll go down some more once the medicine starts working on him?" he hoped.

"Perhaps.." she rummaged through the cabinet and took out a small tube. "Here. Some ointment for the wounds on his skin." she handed it to Steven. "But you should still take him to the vet.. To get a better look at him." 

"Thanks Peridot!" he reached over, giving her a hug.

"Nnnng no physical contact!"

"Oh sorry, heheh."

"Now, bring the dog. We're leaving." 

The dog was finishing the last bit of food on the plate, crunching on the last bit of a burnt end. Steven waited until he was done before picking him up. "Alright, time to go .....Chewbarka?"

Peridot looked at him. 

And even the dog tilted his head at him.

"Eh.. heheh.. I'm uh.. still working on a name for him."

.....................

The two of them walked out of the elevator to Mrs. Charoite's office. 

Peridot 3X was handing Pearl another brown box, putting it on top of another box she'd already had in her arms. "That's the last box." 

Garnet had three boxes in her arms, waiting over by the main elevator in the room. Mr. Wascoite beside her.

And Mrs. Charoite already at her desk and answering calls.

Amethyst was coming over to the two. "Yo, Peri." she looked at Steven, giving him a nod with a small smile. "Talc." she looked down. "And uh, Scooby Doo."

"Amethyst." she nodded. "Hey, Amethyst." the two said over one another. 

"Glad to see that everything is all in order this morning." she walked over towards the others by the elevator and Amethyst and Steven followed her. 

"Yeah, I guess you can say that. I'm just content we have new vials." Amethyst said casually. 

"Yes. That is always a good thing." Peridot agreed. "And we're currently making more." 

"Great! I like the sound of that!" 

Pearl and Garnet stood up straight, going for the salute, or as close to the salute as they could with the boxes in their hands and Mr. Wascoite was sporting the salute in front of them. Peridot nodded at him. "And Mr. Wascoite has already retrieved your vehicle from the lot. It's already parked on the platform." 

A mischievous smile swept across Amethyst's face. "Then I guess we better.." she grabbed Peridot's shoulders, leaping over her, the teen giving a startled yelp as Amethyst's legs pushed up her hair. "head on over there and get it. Heheh." she landed in front of her. 

"_That_ was a bit unnecessary." she grumbled, fixing her hair, smoothing it down on her head.

"NUH-nuh nuh nuh nuh, nuh nuh nuh nuh." she said, with a smirk.

"Pfft, whatever.." 

The three made their walk over and Peridot stopped in front of the others. ""じいちゃん。Jiichan.(Granddad)." 

He held the pose. "はい、私の孫娘。Hai, watashi no mogo musume. Yes, my granddaughter.)"

"Escort them out. If you need me I'll be in lab 41 with my group of Peridots." she turned to Amethyst, giving her a nod, though still addressing Wascoite. "I have some important matters to attend to." 

Amethyst caught it. Giving her a subtle nod.

"Okay." she addressed the others. "Unless otherwise, I'll be giving a call once Talc's clothes and or if his weapon is ready." then a beat later. "Or if we have more ready vials to send." 

Garnet, Pearl and Amethyst nodded. "I'll be looking forward to that." Amethyst added. 

Peridot nodded back and looked to her grandfather. "Everyone is free to go." 

"はい、私の孫娘。Hai, watashi no mogo musume. Yes, my granddaughter.)" Mr. Wascoite held the pose for a few more moments before dropping his hands down. He turned to put the security information in. The elevator doors slid open and everyone started walking in. Steven looking back at her. "Thanks again, for helping him out, Peridot." 

"Hm. It was of no problem at all."

He thought he saw a hint of a smile as the doors slid back to a close.

.....................

They were in the area where they'd first arrived. The same area where Mr. Wascoite would wait for them. 

Amethyst, Steven and the dog already in the car. And Garnet and Pearl putting the last two boxes in the trunk.

Mr. Wascoite was just a few yards beside them as the large piece of the GemTech glass barrier started to slide down in front of him. 

Garnet and Pearl gave him a salute and held the stance for a few moments before putting their arms back down. Then they got in the car.

Mr. Wascoite looked to be saying something into his watch and a few moments later, the platform that the car was on, started to shake and descend down the 163rd floors.

"Alright, now that we're finally out of there, we can drop Talc off and head back to the base."

As the platform continued its descend, Steven's mind started to wonder over towards the boxes they'd put in the car.. And what those 'vials' were for.. 

And with that Mr. Wascoite character gone (not that it probably would've mattered if he was there or not actually.. but Steven was still.. somewhat on edge with the tense-looking, no nonsense guy) and now that it was just him and the gems.. he wanted to ask them something that'd been in his mind ever since he heard the word 'vials'.. 

"..Excuse me.. Amethyst?"

She looked up at him in the rearview mirror. "Yo." she didn't seem too tense today..

He would have to just right out and ask.. "I couldn't help.. but wonder.. What were in those brown boxes? And then.. I kept hearing about these 'vials'.." he trailed off.

Garnet and Pearl looked at him. Tight lipped. Amethyst held a neutral look. "It's just some stuff that we've been working on for awhile."

"And.." he swallowed. "You're not.. going to tell me.. what.. it is?"

"It doesn't concern you.."

_I wonder why.._"But.." he thought.. "If it's Crystal Gem related.." he challenged her. "then.. why can't I know? I'm.. a Crystal Gem too." 

She kept a levelled stare at him. And he tried not to look away. The two having a stare down as Garnet and Pearl kept quiet as they glanced back a few times at the two.

"Heh.. you wanna know?"

He hesitated, thinking that it could be a trick question.. or if she would suddenly.. zap out on him.. 

But, after a few seconds, he gave her a very, small, bashful nod. 

She kept her stare on him. "It's some vials for some sick friends..That's all I'll tell you."

"Sick.. friends?" his curiosity was peaked. "W, what sick fri-"

"And that's _all_ I will tell you."

"O..Kay, Amethyst."

The dog looked up, feeling the tension in the air and Steven have him a few rubs between the ears and the dog laid his head back on his chest. 

He looked at the Gems. "I.. hope your friends get better, guys.."

Silence. 

Though he definitely saw the sad expressions on both Garnet and Pearl's faces.. 

But he couldn't see Amethyst's.. The woman leaning her elbow on the door as she stared out he window in thought. "Yeah.. we hope so too.." she whispered eventually.

The platform reached the ground floor and Garnet shifted the car in reverse, backing out of the tunnel. The two cannons in front of them and the smaller ones on the sides of the tunnel shifting and following the car's movement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What?!?! Vials?! Sick people?!?  
Am I.... getting things set up for something? ;)


	74. Doggo's first outting in Empire City

Garnet parked just on the side of the apartment complex. 

"Alright, Talc." said Amethyst. "Enjoy your two days off." 

"You guys do the same." he opened the door then turns around. _Should I say it.._

He picked up the dog and hesitated.. before saying meekly "I.. hope that these will be the medicine vials that helps your sick friends.." 

Amethyst looked at him. A neutral look before giving him a professional nod. A very small, forced smile came across her face. "Hopefully so, Talc. Hopefully so." 

He smiled back genuinely. "See you guys later." 

"See you, Talc." they said to him and Amethyst gave him another nod. 

He closed the door and stepped back. And a few moments later, the car drove away. 

He looked down at the dog. "Come on buddy. Let's get you something to eat for later before we go in the apartment." then he had a thought and a huge smile came across his face. He gasped "I can show you around Empire City!" 

He started walking pass the apartment and down the street. An in just a few blocks down, he was hitting the shops, filled with school children on their way to school, business men and tourists. 

He turned to his right. "See, that shop right there sells vegan cookies and the shop right beside it sells vegan _cakes._" a beat later. "No relation to one anotber." He turned towards his left and those three shops are family owned. The one in the middle has a pet lizard that roams the store. Can you believe that?" he turned forward, showing the dog more shops and telling him a bit of what they sell. 

Loud honks and screeches from cars and loud talking and shouting from people and the ringing of bicycles and the rumble of factory vans and children laughing filled the area. It was amazing! He loved Empire City! And he just couldn't WAIT to show his canine friend more of the city! 

Then he felt the dog nuzzle into him. Shaking. 

_Huh? _"Aww, what's wrong buddy?" 

The dog was curled up under his arm. 

".. Guess this place is too busy for you, huh?" he gave him an apologetic smile. "Sorry.. I didn't take into consideration how _you_ would feel about this.." he pat the dog's head and he opened his eye's slightly. "I know just the place to go that shouldn't be too crowded since it's still pretty early.. AND it has great food." he told the canine. 

He walked down a few blocks until he neared a restaurant just across from a small backery. The sign Fish Stew Pizza written above it. A heavy set guy with short dirt blonde dreads with glasses was in front of the building. On the ground, sleeping. A brown paper bag in one hand and a wine cap in the other. A huge pee stain on the front side of his pants. 

Steven ignored him as he would sometimes do, when the young man was sleeping the alcohol off. And he walked pass him, taking his few steps towards the door.

"I think you'll like this place." the dog was already smelling the air. "Yup. Smells good doesn't it?" he stopped just in front of the door. "Hmm, I wonder if I can bring you in here.." 

He opened the door.

There were a few 'eat pizza for breakfast' kind of people in the building. Some sitting down and on their laptops as they ate their food. Others in line to take it to go. 

Steven's eye catching someone that looked familiar.. 

That teeneger.. or that young guy? from the time they were leaving that jewelry store..

Onion was it? 

The young man had his pizza cut up in small pieces.. Those pieces being stacked together, resembling the leaning tower of _pisa._

_Heh.. Clever.._

Steven walked up and waited in line as people began to stare or _glare_ at him.

..And the wheezing dog..

Though they turned back around, waiting in line to order.

A few minutes later and Steven was up next. He stepped up to the counter. A middle aged man sporting a pale, sea-foam colored work shirt, brown shorts with a white apron on top, (a pizza logo stitched on it) was glaring at him.

"Hey Kofi!"

"Steven! What are you doing with that dog!"

"I found him. I.. didn't want to leave him outside.. I was hoping that you wouldn't mind him coming in." the man narrowed his eyes at him even more. "BUT! But he's a real good boy! See? He's not even barking or anything." Kofi looked at the dog laying his head weakly in his arms.

Without the two noticing, Ronaldo started waking up from his drunken slumber, sitting up and leaning back on the window. He took a sip out of the bottle in his hand, only to realise that nothing was coming out. He lifted the bottle from his lips and turned the bottle upsdie down. Empty. He hung his head up in a dramatic sigh and put the bottle down. 

"But Kofi-"

"Steven. I run a restaurant, NOT a cesspool of filth-." he looked at the boy's big, pleading eyes. He sighed. "Steven, I don't mind serving you and I guess by extension, that dog, but you _need_ to keep him _outside_.. hacking everywhere! It's not fair to the people in here trying to eat!" 

Steven sighed. "..Okay.." he looked at the canine and turned for the door. The next customer stepping up to the counter to order.

Steven opened the door with a chime. He crouched down, setting the dog down. "Don't worry. I'll be right back." he pet the dog on the head and got up. 

The dog got up with him, wagging his tail.

"Nooo." he held out his hand. "You stay right. there.. I'll be out as quick as I can." he smiled at the dog and went back inside.. and taking a glance back at the sad, sick dog looking through the clear door. 

He turned around, going back in line. 

Kofi was just ringing up the woman's order. He handed her the receipt and her change. She walked away and Steven stepped up. "Hey, uh, me again.. Can I have-" 

Kofi pointed at the hand sanitizer on the counter and Steven pumped some onto his hands, rubbing it onto both his hand _and ace bandage._ "Yeah, uh, can we get a large size pizza. One side anchovies and turkey sausage, one side pineapple, chicken and spicy cheese and the other with extra cheese, fried onions, and tomatoes." 

Kofi typed it into the register. "That'll be ten fifty seven." 

Steven dug into his pant pocket, taking out his wallet. He opened it, giving Kofi a twenty dollar bill." 

He handed him back his change. "Thanks, Kofi." he took a few steps away from the man before he realized something. He ran back. "Oh! And can I get two water bottles and a small bowl please." the man typed it into the system and Steven gave him the rest of the change. The man handed him a few cents back. He gave him two water bottles from the fridge behind him and a small, styrofoam bowl. "This is what we have as far as takeout bowls." 

"That'll do just fine!" he put each bottled water in his back pocket and grabbed the bowl and waited over by the counter. 

He took the time to look at his phone, now with Connie in mind having ordered her share of the pizza.

He had one message from her.

**Okay, just don't work yourself too hard. Two shifts in a row without you being used to it can be pretty stressful.. Hopefully you won't have to go in tonight. You need your rest. Also, I don't get off until 7 today.******

** **  
** **

Just seeing her message to him sent butterflies in his stomach.. She just had that effect on him. Whether it was a phone call, or a simple text.. She really did have a powerful hold on him.. on his _heart._

He started typing out his message. **Not quite sure if I also go in tonight. But hopefully not. And I should be back home before you .** He sent the message.

A brown skinned girl with her work uniform came towards the counter with a large square box. "Ticket number one three eight. Large pizza, three different toppings." 

"It's for me, Kiki." 

"Here ya go, Steven." 

He put the phone in his pocket. "Thanks, Kiki." he grabbed the box. 

"Going for something different today I see." 

"Huh?" 

"This is the first time you've ordered anchovies and turkey bacon." 

"Those are for my dog." _again.. saying _'his'_ dog.. Was it really?_

"Awwee, that's so sweeeeet." she cooed. "Connie finally let you have one?" 

"Um.. well.."

"Oooooooo, Steveeeeen~. You got a dog without telling her?"

"I mean.. I found him.. I didn't want to just leave him outside to die.. And, who knows, maybe she will let me keep him?" 

She shrugged. "Maybe. But it's nice that you're helping out innocent creatures. Get your blessings."

"Thanks, Kiki." 

"Where is the dog, anyway? I want to see him." she took off her apron.

"I had to leave him outside. Kofi didn't want me to keep him here since he's a little sick." 

"Awwww, poor thing. I hope he gets better soon." she walked towards the front door.

"I'll meet you out there Kiki. I'm just getting some napkins." he took two handfuls, stuffing them in his pocket. 

"Steven.. There's no dog out here."

"What?!" he ran towards her.

"Yeah, you didn't tie him up, Steven?"

"But, but he's too weak to even walk very far! He wouldn't just leave!" he ran out the door. 

The dog was nowhere to be found.

"No, no, no, no, no!! Where is he?!" he looked around. A passerby coming from down the street looked at him. "Where could he had gone?!" he looked up at the man. "Excuse me, did you see a dog around here? Short haired, brown, blue eyes. He has stitches around his neck and scars and, and a really good boy!" 

"Actually, yes. I seen that Ronaldo guy have him. Walked up the street." he pointed behind himself. 

"Ronaldo?!" he shouted. He ran down the street, leaving Kiki and the bystander. 

"Did he just say.. stitches around his neck and lots of wounds on him?"

The guy nodded to her. 

"Now what kind of dog does he-" 

  
  


Steven was running down the street, looking everywhere around him. Pizza box held tightly in his hand. 

He crossed the street, running down another block. 

And then. He saw them. Ronaoldo was at one of the corners, holding the dog in his arms and talking to the passerby as they walked back and forth pass him.

He was trying to sell him.. 

"Come on folks." he slurred. "Just TEN bucks. Just teeeen bucks. This is, this is a HIGH quality dog right here-"

"Ronaldoooo!!!" Steven shouted. 

The man turned around. Glasses eskewed on his face. The dog started wagging his tail, trying to wiggle out of the man's arm, whining.

"Ronaldo, what are you doing with my dog! Put him down!" 

"Oh, come on, Steven. I didn't, I didn't... knoooow that this was your dog, man. I just saw him out and thought he was just there for the taking." 

"Ronaldo, put down my dog." he said sternly.

"I'll sell him to you for ten bucks."

"Wha, what? Ronaldo, just give me my dog back." he stepped up to him. 

He burped. "Fine." he set the dog down. 

The dog walked limply towards him and Steven met him halfway, scooping him up into his arm and ignoring the pain from his wrist, while balancing the pizza box in the other hand. 

"I'll write that down as an I.O.U." he slurred. 

Steven didn't bother answering the guy. Instead, he turned around. "Come on boy. Let's go home." the dog licked his chin and he laughed.

The two crossed the street, away from Ronaldo and up the street towards the complex. 

The kept sniffing the box in his hands. "Yeah, smells good doesn't it? It tastes even better!" he laughed. 

The dog leaned in sniffing the box. He licked his chops. "Don't worry, boy. We're almost home." the dog leaned in more and bit the edge of the box and Steven lifted it away from him. "Whoa, nooo. No biting. You don't bit the box." he brought the box back down and the dog tried wiggling a bit, smelling the box and opened it's mouth, going for another bite. "Hey, no, whoa!" he raised the box again and the dog wiggled more in his arm, the canine slipping out of his hand. "Whoaa, no!" he dropped the box to catch the dog. He pushed him back up in his arm. "Okay... you win.. We can find a spot to eat." he crouched down, picking the pizza box back up. "Hmm.. actually it's a park not too far from here. And we can find some shade for you."

Steven walked the opposite way from his house, going towards the subway station. 

........................

The subway ride wasn't too bad. He was a bit worried that the amount of people and the noisy trains would scare the dog, but it didn't as much. 

He was also hoping that nobody would say anything about the dog, especially the train attendants, but thankfully, nobody said anything. 

And now, he was walking pass the gate. The sign "Drew's Holling Park" above it. Just a nice little park with a playground and a little duck pond. And where owners with their dogs would do their occasional runs and playtime's.

The park wasn't too crowded. Parents with their small kids were at the playground. And some were feeding the ducks, throwing bread for the birds. Honks, kids screaming and laughing and dogs barking echoed through the area. 

Steven found a nice, vacant bench over by a group of boulders. Two boys were climbing on them. He placed the canine on the bench and placed the pizza beside him. The dog immediately sniffing it and biting at the box. "No, no, no, no." he cooed, pushing the dogs head away. "No biting." the dog licked his lips, staring up at Steven.

He took out one of the water bottles and untwisted the top. He poured the water in the styrofoam bowl. "Here. I figured you must be thirsty." he placed the bowl in front of him and the dog started drinking from it, fast. 

"Wow, you're thirsty." he smiled warmly. He poured more water in the bowl while the dog was still lapping from it. He twisted the top back, took the label off and placed it on the bench. Then he took the other water bottle out of his pocket and picked up the pizza box and sat down, placing his water bottle on the other side of him. 

The dog finished, with just a bit of water still in the bowl. Steven opened the pizza, handing him a slice and in mid reach the dog started pulling at it, pulling the slice out of his hand. Steven let go and the dog pulled it towards him. 

Steven drunk from his water and put it back down beside him. "You still seem very weak." he told the pooch. "But it does seem like you're getting a bit better." 

The dog ignored him. Finishing up his last few bites of the pizza.

Steven set another slice down for him and took out a slice for himself, biting into the pizza and getting a mouthful of onions and tomatoes. He swallowed, smiling beside the dog. "You know, I always wanted an animal friend. But I thought." he plucked off a piece of tomato. "It would be like a goldfish, since Connie didn't mind them." then a beat later. "Or a dinosaur!" he laughed. "Well, when I was younger I wished that." he threw the piece of tomato in his mouth, chewed it up and swallowed it. "But I guess fate had other plans for Steven Universe." he said, calmly. 

The dog swallowed the last piece looking up at Steven. He placed his paw on his thigh and Steven's grin grew wider. "And his best canine friend!" 

........................

The two relaxed in the park. Steven watching the owners play with their dogs. "I hope we'll be able to do that one day, Lenny." _Eh.. close.._ "We can play fetch and run and play tug of war! Awe, it's going to be so awesome!! And everyone's going to all like, wow Steven. That's the cooooolest dog ever." 

The dog coughed and heaved. Going back to the pizza. 

"But.. but sitting here is good too." he gave him a sad smile. "When the time comes, ya know?" he pet the dog, his smile slowly faltering. "Yeah, Peridot is right.. We need to get you to a vet. See if we can get rid of this.. cold of yours." he ate the rest of his pizza and took out his phone. He looked up vet clinics in the area. "Hmm.. says it's about a two hour ride. Not too bad." he looked at the dog still eating. "But we can wait until you're done." he handed him another slice and took out another slice for himself.

The two sat at the park. Sitting under the shade from the shine of the sun. And smelling the scent of the flowers every time a breeze blew pass.

Another fifteen minutes later and Steven was getting full, after having his fourth slice of pizza. He finished the crust and brushed the crumbs from his mouth. The dog was busy drinking up the rest of the water having eaten all of his food. 

Steven drunk a bit of water himself and got up. "Okay, now that we have refueled, it's time to head on out. See if the nice vets can tell us what's all wrong with you." 

The dog finished and looked up at him. "Think you can get up now?" he asked the canine. He picked up the box and placed the two water bottles, back into his two back pockets. He walked a few feet away and stopped. The dog jumped down and hobbled over slowly towards him. "Mmm, that's okay. I can pick you back up." he picked the canine up and left the park. The dog placed his head on his shoulder, looking very comfortable as Steven made his way to the bus stop. 

A handful of people were waiting over by the bench and he took his spot a few feet behind them as he waited for the bus. 

A few moments later the dog became a bit finicky, wiggling in his arms. "What's the matter? Wanna get down?" he set him down and the dog walked away, sniffing around and Steven watched as the dog started sniffing on a nearby tree. He hiked his leg up. _Oh.. smart dog. _

The dog walked back over, flopping down beside him and Steven crouched down to scratch at the canine's head.

There was a whimsical sound and his stomach dipped. _No... it can't be another mission.. _ He took the phone out of his pocket, answering it. "Hey, Amethyst." he tried to hide the uneasiness from his voice. 

"Yo. Got another mission today."

"Really?" he looked down at the dog, his head on the ground as he panted out of his mouth. 

"Yeah. Another mission that came out of nowhere, dude." 

Steven held the phone between his head and his shoulder as he opened the water bottle. He poured the rest of the water into the bowl. "..Okay.. When are you going to pick me up?" he set the bowl down.

The dog lifted its head up slowly, sniffing the water. Then it started drinking it. 

"We're on our way. We'll be there in an hour."

"An hour?! Hopefully I'll make it back in time. I never went home. I'm out now. I.. wanted to give the dog something to eat and-" 

"See. _Baggage_.. Baggage already because of that dog.. You better not be late because of him.. We _will_ see you in an hour." 

"R, right. Yes Amethyst." 

She hung up. 

He sighed, putting his phone back in his pocket. "Alright, let's go buddy-" 

The dog was squatting near the same tree.

_....aand.. I don't have a baggy... Just great.._

He came back over, walking slowly back to Steven. 

_Ookay.. hopefully nobody saw that._ He threw the water bottle in the trash and walked back over. 

"Hey! I KNOW you saw your dog poop on the ground! You have to clean that up! Before someone walks in that!" yelled out one girl.

_Dag! Someone DID see him!_

He turned back around. The bystanders looking at him. "Uh, I don't have anything to pick it up with."

"You better think of something!"

Just then, an older lady go up and walked over. She started dumping the pieces of candy into her purse and gave him the empty plastic bag. "Here you go, young man." 

He set the box of pizza and the dog back down. "Thanks." 

She got a good look at the dog. Her expression.. skeptical.. "Is your dog okay?" 

"I.. found him..I'm planning on taking him to the vet." 

"Oh." she kept her stared at the sick dog. His nose and his eyes still running.. "I'm glad that you're doing a good deed such as this. But you really need to be careful in picking up animals like these. You don't kmow what these animals may have." 

"Yes, ma'am. I understand. I'm being careful." 

"That's good." she have him a smile. "I do hope that the dog gets better." 

"Thanks. I do too. And, thanks again for the bag."

"It's no problem at all." The lady smiled as she walked away and he went to pick up the mess on the ground. He threw everything in the trash and picked the pizza box back up.


	75. The drive to the turbines

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know anything about turbines. So this is just more bogus writing xD

Steven was running. Running fast. Dog in one arm and pizza in the other hand. He didn't know how much longer he had left, but last time he checked the phone, he had approximately eight minutes left to meet the gems back at the apartment.

_Stupid one tracking.._

And he still had two more blocks to go.

Though at least he hadn't hear the bell chime yet, so he should be goo-

The bell chimed..

Aaaaand there goes his worry.

He tried picking up his pace, while _also_ being aware of the dog in his hand. 

One more block to go..

He could hear Connie's portion of the pizza fumbling around in the box.

Thankfully his part of the walkway showed the little green go sign and he quickly ran across to the next block.

Almost there.

He ran across the parking lot of the building and to the side.

And there was the Inkas.

He jogged towards it. 

And just as he was reaching the handle of the car, a whip wrapped around the pizza, the box being snatched out of his hand. "What?" he turned around to see Amethyst jumping from the wall and towards him. The pizza box flying overhead and behind him. 

In that instant, he thought about activating the bubble. He raised his hand, swiping it in a fast arc across the car as she came close to him. The jewel twisted and popped off as he felt the rope wrap around him and the dog.

Amethyst had already caught him..

And she was inside of the bubble with him..

"Got distracted, dude." she had a sly smile on her face.

"Y, yeah.. I was just so busy trying to get to the car on time.." he mumbled.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk.. Gotta get better than that, Talc." she pat his cheek. She unraveled the whip around him, wrapped it back up in seconds and and tucked it back into her belt as she looked around in the bubble. "Hm, not bad in here. It's pretty cozy." a beat later. "And warm." nodded. "Nice." she looked back at him. "Alright dude, you can deactivate your bubble." 

Amethyst watched him as he swiped across the surface. Getting an actual, closer look at how he does it. 

The bubble disappeared and he felt a spear come down, barely missing the dog.

He looked down at Amethyst. 

"Tsk, tsk, tsk.." she shook her head. The sly smile still on her face.

Pearl flipped down from the top of the car, still holding on to the spea. She landed gracefully, pulling the spear from his neck. 

And he noticed the box of pizza... in her hand..

She spun the canister clockwise, the spear snapping back in. And she snapped the canister to her belt.

"Yeah.. Yeah I had that coming.." Steven mumbled.

"Yup. You sure did, dude." Amethyst gestured at the door and Pearl walked over to open it for her. "And thanks for the pizza."

"Huh?! What, but that was Co-, that was for my girlfriend."

"So? You lost, so as the loser, the compensation is giving us your pizza."

"But-"

"Thanks dude." she took out two slices and closed the box. "Wow, you sure are thoughtful. First Kenny the Kangaroo AND now the pizza."

He slumped over.

"Alright, che. Get in." she slid in the car and Pearl closed it and daintily walked back to her side. Steven opened the door and got in.

Pearl got in, taking out a couple napkins from the side door and placing it on her lap. She took out her two slices.

He looked over. _At least there's two more slices-_

Amethyst was looking at him. She turned her eyes to Garnet. "Yo, G. Talc was kind enough to buy us some pizza."

"Really?"

"Yeah." she looked at him through the rearview mirror. "Isn't that right, Talc?"

He looked at her before giving her a few small nods.

Pearl handed the pizza to the front.

Garnet took out a slice and bit into it. "This is delicious."

"Right? Who would've thought that chicken and pineapple and spicy cheese would work so well together." Amethyst snickered.

And he slumped down even more.

The three of them enjoyed _Connie's_ share of the pizza as Garnet took them down the road towards the highway.

Amethyst swallowed the last piece. "Talc, this'll be another short mission. We literally have to get just one gem. It's powering the whole turbines in the area."

He tried to not focus too much on.. Connie not having her pizza slices anymore.. and pay more attention to what Amethyst was saying.. "So.. gems can actually power stuff too?"

"Yup. And they just put it into the machine too, not too long ago. Too bad we'll be breaking it down already." she snickered. 

"So this is a new place?" the dog sniffed his chin and he gave him a few noggin scratches.

"Yup. They made all of these fancy turbines to power up a couple new towns outside of the city and decided to use a gem that can maintain the energy and the electrical wiring of the machine it was embedded in. Actually, we were _supposed_ to go in this mission in another two weeks, but apparently they hired a few new people to get the job done quicker. Thus, instead of waiting another two weeks, since it's already done now, we're just going to nab it on its first day of powering up the towns." 

Steven found himself idly scratching at the dog's head. _Wow.. that must really suck for the people that put all of that work in building these turbines and stuff.. only to have us destroy it the very same day it officially starts working.._

"Also, we were going to get it tonight, but with the terrible weather down there, the boss and everyone else left early for today. Which meaaaaans, for us, the Gems who don't care about no "bad weather", we're going to slid on through and take it." 

Steven looked out the window. The sun shining through the window and on him and the dog. 

And not a cloud in the sky. 

"So I take it we're going to another.. city?"

"State" she corrected. "It's going to be some crazy weather. Supposedly it's a tornado warning but." she shrugged. "That's not going to stop us."

_A tornado warning?! But that means that a tornado could form ANY time!! We might get hit!!!_

She looked at his horror stricken face. "Dude, relax, will ya? It's just a little wind. Nothing to worry about."

"Y..Yeah..." he snuggled into the dog.

.............................

Three and a half hours later and Steven saw the Pennsylvania state sign as they drove pass it. The sky was dark and every few seconds the winds would gust hard. The first two times, the car rocked from the winds, before Garnet put in the code. The car staying bolted down into the ground somehow. Since then, they could only hear the gusts of wind, but the vehicle stayed grounded, and riding smoothly up the empty highway.

The dog had woken up just a few moments prior. The loud crackling of the thunderstorm waking him up. Every snap of a crackle of thunder would make him jump and Steven began petting the whimpering dog. 

"Hey man." Amethyst looked at him through the rearview mirror. "Calm that dog down." 

"Sorry, Amethyst." he held the dog closer to him. "Don't worry, it's okay buddy. It's just a little storm." 

"Pssht.. and you think he'll be a good "Crystal Gem" dog and he's afraid of a little lightning?" Amethyst scoffed with a sly smile. "Yeah, he'll be a good Crystal Gem alright." 

Well _he_ thought so.. He could feel it.. It was just something about this dog.. It was something very special about him.. And he just KNEW he would become a great Crystal Gem guard dog for them one day. 

He kept the dog close to him. The canine calming down slightly. 

He looked out the window once more, staring out into the open area. Watching the lightning streak across the sky and the trees lean and shake in the winds. 

Just a few minutes later, Garnet exited out the next ramp, to a side road. She drove off of it into the wet sand. The car rocking along the gravel. Steven could already see the silver turbines spinning rapidly in the winds. In the middle of them laid an even taller structure. A brown bricked structure shaped like a light house. Surounding the light house shaped structure were smaller light houses. The smaller ones moving up from the ground and back in. _What kind of place is this exactly?_ He wondered.. 

He'd seen turbines before.. But this was the first time he'd saw those other tower mechanisms.. Was that one jewel really powering all of the lose wind turbines AND those structures as well? Wow.. that must be some gem.. 

BUT! But it's STILL wrong to steal it! 

Garnet parked the car and turned it off. 

Alright, Gems. Time to get this jewel." said Amethyst.

Garnet and Pearl got out.

He set the dog down on the seat and pet the dog on the head. "Okay, buddy. I have to go help out the Gems."

Pearl opened the door and Amethyst slid out the car.

"You stay here." he put his mask on. "I'll be right back." he opened the door, immediately being blown back from the gusts of winds. He grunted pushing the door forward. _Wow, they made it look so easy when_ they_ got out of the car.._

The dog walked up towards him, whining. He turned around, the heavy door hitting the back of his legs. "Ahck! Sorry, boy. But.. I can't take you with me. It's too dangerous and.." he tried pushing the door back with his shoulders. "and you already have a cold. You can barely breath as it is- Ahck!" the wind pushed the door into his back.

The dog walked closer to him, whining. Tail wagging behind him.

"I'm reaally sorry. But I can't. I.." the dog looked at him. Ears down. Head on a tilt.. And those light blue eyes just staring so innocently at him..

The infamous puppy dog face..

"I.." he sighed.. "Okay..I guess I can.." he trailed off. Then thought. "But how am I even going take you with me? What can I do exactly!?" he whined, shrugging.


	76. Tower structures and Turbines

Garnet went towards the main lighthouse structure. Gauntlets in both hands. Right as she lunged for the bricks, one of the mini structures shot up in front of her, scrapping across her body, and hitting her chin as she ran into it. She fell one step back, quickly balancing her body. Pearl was on top of a mini structure. Just as it was rocketing back down she jumped towards the main tower with the spear in her hand. A small square shot out of the main structure and Pearl caught it, throwing the hand with the spear in it towards the bricks. 

Another, longer square jutted out, going for her mid section. She grabbed it with the spear hand. Both squares crumbling under her fingertips and falling. She quickly pulled forward, throwing her sword towards the main structure. Another, much thicker square came out, the spear hitting it and going through and hitting the surface of the main structure. Pearl placed her feet firmly on the bricks. She yanked her spear out and flipped back away, barely missing a mini structure that pushed up from the ground between her and Garnet. 

Amethyst threw her whip, wrapping around a mini structure. It shot down towards the ground and she swung around, unravelling her whip and throwing it towards another structure. The tower shooting back down, the whip missing it. She landed down on the ground. Throwing the rope to another mini structure that'd just sprouted up. She pulled herself up and on top of it. Pivoting around and jumping for the main structure. 

Another mini structure sprouted up in front of her and she tackled it, the bricks cracking slightly as she bounced of towards the ground. A mini tower shot up from underneath of her feet. She kept her balance as the structure shot all the way up. She threw her whip to a crumbled piece of one of the jutted bricks that'd fallen from the main tower. The structure she was on fell back towards the ground as she flung the debris towards the main structure. A rectangular piece of the wall pushed out, crashing into the debris as Amethyst landed back down. "Looks like they have this place set up to both power the city AS well as work as a defense mechanism.. Hmm.. looks like they put more thought into this after all.." 

"Then how do we get in?" Pearl asked. Two spears in hand now.

Amethyst was about to answer her when Steven cut her off. "Amethyst!" he called her name as he ran up towards them. The dog inside of his zipped up jacket. 

"Talc! What is that dog doing here!! Why didn't you leave him in the car!!" 

"I didn't want to- Whoa! Look out!!" he pointed. 

A huge chunk of brick was flying towards the three women. They each jumped away and the piece flew into a mini structure. 

"Just forget it. Get over here and take down this main tower with us!" she ordered. She jumped on top of a mini structure as Garnet and Pearl ran towards the main tower with their weapons.

"I'm coming." he coughed. "guys." he choked out. He covered his eyes with his wrapped hand. The other, keeping the jacket over the canine's face as rain pelted down on them and winds blew across them. Sand, grit and large chunks of crumbled brick flew left and right around them.

"Whoa!" he barely dodged a piece of rock. He got up slowly. "Wait, the ring! Don't worry, buddy." he looked down at the dog. The canine's eyes were closed as he snuggled close to his chest. "I know just the thing that'll help protect us." he shift his wrapped hand to holding the jacket as he crouched down, swiping the wet soil hard in a a sharp arc. The bubble formed around them. "There we g-WHOoAAAAaaAAAA!!!" the winds blew the bubble hard the opposite way from the towers. Him and the dog tumbling in circles within the bubble. The forcefield hitting and pushing off of the mini towers as the winds blew them all around. _Gotta... stop..... this bubble!_ In the mix of tumbles he raised his hand up, in a potential swipe. As he was tumbling back down towards the ground, he swiped his hand across the bubble, the bubble winking out and he fell back hard in another mid tumble. 

He winced, laying on his back. He looked down at the dog. "Sorry buddy.. How are you in there?" the dog looked at him, keeping his head on his chest. "Yeah.. I guess this isn't a bubble friendly mission.. I guess this bubble doesn't do well with windy missions.. which.. kinda sucks given that a lot of our missions seems to have winds in them.." 

He got up. _That's it.. I can't take him with me.. It's way too dangerous for him._ He ran towards a huge wall-like structure. He crouched down, unzipping the jacket. He took the dog out. "Sorry. But it's just too dangerous. I can't let you get hurt. And you're already badly sick.." he pat the dog's head. "Sorry, Wags." he got up and the dog got up with him. "Noooo." he crouched down, raising his hand and the dog started whining. "No, you stay here." he ran away. The dog staring at him as he ran into the winds of the storm. 

  
  


Steven stopped, barely dodging another chunk of debris as Garnet landed back down. In a swift motion, she tucked her gauntlets into the back of her belt and took out her spiked brass knuckles, she ran towards the main structure, jumping on it just as brick pushed Pearl off. The woman landed daintily as Garnet struck the brick. She went in for another punch when another rectangular pushed out towards her face. She banked left dodging it. Going for the punch again when another, bigger rectangle jutted out towards her face again. She grabbed hold, letting the rectangle push her away from the structure. 

"Whoa.. How are we going to get in there?" he wondered to himself. "Whoa! Oh no!" a mini pillar shot out from under him, shooting far up from the ground. He groaned, looking at how far up he was.

And without his gadgets.. he couldn't super jump or land from tall heights yet..

The tower shot back down and he screamed. The ground rushing up close to him.

"OOOOF!" he groaned, laying there on the wet ground. Mud painted his face as he slid his head painfully up. He winced, getting back to his feet. His curls dropping back along his face and he pushed his hair back.

He watched Amethyst throw Pearl within her whip. The rope unraveling and launching the woman fast towards the main structure. She landed on the wall with the spikes on her feet holding her up. She jammed the spear into the bricks and pushed down on it. Pieces of brick started to crack just as another rectangular piece of wall juttted out the wall yet again, causing the woman to jump down, barely dodging it.

"At least we got another hit in this time." Amethyst grounded out. She took another whip from her belt just as a mini tower pushed up from under her. She flew up into the air, narrowing her eyes on the main tower as she came back down. She put herself in a fetal position, spinning at speeds, that was still not humanly to Steven.

Large, purple spikes shot out from the back of her jumpsuit, the side of her arms and the front of her legs. She crashed into the roof, still spinning. A pillar jutted at an angle, pushing her off the roof and she unfolded herself, throwing her whip and grabbing at another jutted brick on the side. The brick started to crumble and she unravelled her whip and threw it around another piece of the main structure as she swung herself back up into the air.

_Aw man.. How the heck are we supposed to get inside? This place is banaenaes-Nnnn!!.._ A mini tower had rocketed up, barely missing his face. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kinda eluded to Amethyst's spin dash in the wrestling chapters as she can spin herself extremely fast. So I just wanted to add another detail that she can _also_ spin her body in a summersault kind of way, replicating that of a Gem spin dash :D


	77. Inside the main tower

The canine watched as his friend went back to his pack. He stayed there, like his friend seemed to had wanted him to.

And he watched as the pack played with the very big sticks moving up and down in the ground. 

But.. one very big stick stayed on top of the ground.. 

They continued to try and get it.. But smaller sticks kept coming out of it. 

But he waited.. As the water poured down on him and the terrifying noises crashed above him. 

A gust of wind threw a large piece of rock to the wall he was hiding behind. The wall crumbled to pieces and fell to the wet dirt.

Why did he have to stay back? He wanted to have fun as well.. Even if he wasn't feeling not too well.. 

A familiar scent breezed by yet again.. Despite of his runny nose, he had been smelling that scent ever since his friend took him over to the very windy, wet area.. 

It was the same exact smell from that bag they took from his bad pack leader.. 

Did they burry the rocks inside and are trying to get them out? Maybe he could help them.. 

Unlike the not very good pack he used to have that hurt him.. maybe this new pack will be different..

And maybe if he gets those rocks he will get good food and head scratches from friend. 

Yes, he will join in on their game. 

  
  


The dog got up, wheezing, slowly walking his way towards the main tower and staying low to the ground as the winds bowled over him. He panted, trying to use the little smell he had to follow the scent. 

He followed it and followed it.. until he saw a very small opening just on the side of the structure. He continued walking, barely missing the mini towers shooting up from him, causing the canine to jump a few times. 

And the rain continued to pour..

And the dog continued to push pass the winds, letting certain gusts push him towards the small hole.

Steven was pushed back by a sideways mini column that hit him in his chest. He fell on the ground, sliding across the mud, groaning, taking short, shallow breaths from the wind being knocked out of him. 

He opened his eyes a few moments later after a few moments of chest pain and catching his breath. Something caught his eye. He turned to see the dog walking, stumbling towards the back of the tower. "Hey!" he got up. "What are you doing! You're going to get hurt!" he ran towards the canine.

"Talc forget about the dog!" Amethyst dodged a piece of flying debris.

"Duke!! Come back here!!" he ran through the gusts of wind. 

The dog hobbled to the opening of the hole. He knelt down, crawling through and inside the tower..

"Axel! Axel! What are you doing! Come out of there!!" he banged on the wall, until a square jutted out and he backpedaled away. 

"Hey! Hey, you need to get out of there!" he crouched down cautiously, hoping that those mini tower things wouldn't push up and hit his face..

He slid close to the hole, pressing his face on the ground. "Wally? Wally?!" he stuck his arm in the hole, trying to feel for the dog.

The canine was following the smell of the jewel, but turned around at the boy's voice. His eye catching a familiar gadget that his old pack used to have..

A piece of debris almost hit the dog as he walked back towards the latch on the wall. He looked up, eyeing it, until he panted, weakly stepping up on the wall and balancing on his hind legs. He flipped up the latch on the wall with his snoot. The latch flipping and popping up with a hard, bolted bang.

An outline of a door formed and the inside disengrated, leaving a big gaping hole in front of Steven. "Huh?" he crawled in. The dog was sitting down. "How did you.." Steven looked around, his eye going to the latchet behind him. Then he looked back at the dog. "You.. you know how to unlock.." he gave the canine an appreciative grin. "Clever boy." there was a crash beside them as the first staircase fell within the building. 

"Oh! The Gems! I should go get them!" he turned right as a case of bricks formed upwards, blocking the entrance once more.. Just the small hole from before. He crouched back down. "Amethyst!! Garnet!! Pearl!!" he yelled out the hole.

No answer. Just the rain hitting the wet dirt and hitting his face and the flash from the lightning shining brightly for a few seconds on the ground. 

"Amethyyyyyst!! Gaaaarneeeet!! Peaaaaarl!!" he shouted out once more. The wind gusted through, blowing the wet strands of his hair around his face. 

He got up after a few moments of not hearing anything from them. He sighed and turned to the pooch. "I guess it's just you and and me, boy." he gave the dog a few noggin scratches before standing back up in the tornado-like room. "Umm.. on a second thought.. Thanks for letting me in but.. I think I should do this part alone.. You're still sick and.. it's still pretty dangerous.." 

The dog looked at him, getting up slowly as it wheezed. 

"Come on you.. You have to stay here." he took a few steps back. The dog didn't move. "Now. I'll be right back." he turned around towards the staircases and miniature towers constantly crumbling and rebuilding in front of him. In between everything, was the huge white, gray round jewel in a square pouch, sitting on top of a thin, white column.

He run up the first staircase he saw, only going as far as halfway, before the stairs started crumbling and falling underneath of him. The dog got up, watching the staircase as it started to collapse in on itself. "Oh no! AAHHH!!" he fell along with the pieces and onto the ground. The dog stood there, eyeing the boy as he got up slowly to his feet. 

He started sprinting once more until a pillar shot up from under him and he screamed some more as he was lifted up towards the ceiling. 

The canine took a few slow steps.. both sensing that something bad was going to happen and wanting to be by his friend's side..

He walked up farther, being directly underneath Steven every step the boy took, as the canine tried his best to be careful of the wind and the debris and the constant pillars shooting up and down into the ground.. 

  
  


Amethyst landed back on the ground. She looked around. "Where the heck is Talc!" she growled. "That boy BETTA not had ran away!!" she back flipped, dodging a few huge pieces of rock. "Because we _can_ find him.." she ran towards the main tower again as Garnet and Pearl scalled the wall, trying to lay a few hits as squares continued jutting from the sides.

  
  


Steven fell down in the mud for the umpteenth time from a pillar shooting back down. The dog right beside him. "Binky, please. You have to stay back before you get hurt." he ran up the structure that had tilted sideways. The jewel just a few yards in front of him. Another staircase formed and he jumped on it, barely making it as his foot slid off the edge. He got back up, running up the stairs. The jewel just a few _feet_ in front of him now.. 

He could feel the staircase start to crumble underneath of him. He sprinted up faster, jumping as the first few steps fell underneath of him. He grabbed onto the white column with one hand, hurting his side and his legs as he tried to get a foot hold. He looked around the bricks before swinging one of his legs up on a piece of brick. He started climbing slowly, keeping his wrapped arm close to him as he remembered what Amethyst had taught him about rock climbing.

Find your footing, pivot on your toes, shift your weight..

He kept climbing. The jewel right above him.. 

Until a square jutted out in front of him, towards his face. He quickly let go and caught hold of the square as another one pushed out towards his thigh. He moved to the side, moving to the side of it and pulled himself on it. Sliding his knees across the top. The first square was beginning to crumble under his hand and he pulled himself to his feet. He jumped up, grabbing hold of the edge of the column. He stood on his toes, pushing himself up and on top of the column. 

He quickly went to a crouch, grabbing hold of the egde of the square pouch it was embedded in. He pulled it. "Wait, what?" he pulled it again. It was stuck. He looked closer, realizing that there were two wires plugged into it. He pulled on it harder, trying to tear the pouch from them.

The winds increased and small, three inch pillars started pushing up towards him, some pushing up against his feet. He started shuffling as he continued to pull. The pillar structures and staircases around him started to disintegrate and build even more sporadically around him. He pulled harder and he could see the sparks zapping from where the wires and the pouch connected. The pillar he was on started to crumble underneath of him. "No, come on! Come on!" he tried to keep his balance. 

The dog walked limply towards him, watching the column his friend was on, crumblimg in front of him. He looked around, sniffing the air. A few pillars erected and fell around them. Then a few more rocketted up. 

The main column Steven was one, crumbled more, a chunk of brick falling underneath of him and he fell, still holding onto the gem pouch with one hand as he dangled along the edge. He screamed, looking down at the sharp, rocky debris below him. 

He tried to find a foot hold as more bricks crumbled under his feet. 

The canine looked around again.. Steven was in trouble.. and he needed to do something.. 

A few pillars pushed up around them again. He looked up at Steven who was still trying to yank the jewel from the wires, his wrapped hand holding onto a crumbling edge, ignoring the screams of pain in his wrist. 

The dog ran towards one of the pillars that was already tilting. Steven pulled on the jewel once more and one of the wires snapped, the force sending him to the side, sending more strain on his wrapped hand. He screamed in pain, letting go. He slid downwards, grunting as he used the other hand to catch his fall, stopping him halfway down the tall pillar. He hung there with one arm, letting the throbbing pain slowly recede from the other. 

The dog stepped onto the tilting pillar, with his two front legs, using a bit of energy he did have to speed up the process in making the pillar fall. It leaned slightly.

The pillar sunk more into the ground, leaning more and falling towards the pillar Steven was on. The canine continued to push down on it.

Another square flew out of the column, right in front of Steven, hitting him in his chest. He grunted hard, trying to catch his breath and barely holding onto the edge. Two more squares jutted out, hitting him in his knee and the other, sliding towards his neck and hitting him in the face and shoulder. He fell back from the impact, screaming as he free fell. 

The tilting pillar the canine was pushing fell and landed on the main structure and Steven fell on it, breaking his fall slightly. He rolled down towards the ground. A few sharp rocks from the jagged pillar, hitting and scratching his arm. 

_OW! I, owch! Gotta activate the bubble before I, OW! Get cut up even more!_ In mid dizzying roll, right as he came back down towards his face in another roll, he brought his hand down, scraping across the crumbling pillar. Right as he began another roll the pink bubble had formed around him. He picked up speed as he rolled quickly down the pillar, passing the dog and towards the wall. He crashed into it as a few gusts of winds blew debris against the bubble. The bricks falling and hitting against the forcefield's exterior. 

"Phewf.. that was close.." he saw some sparks in front of him and saw the jewel pouch sliding down from off the last wire. "Oh no! I can't let it break!!" he ran a few steps only to be pushed back into the wall by the winds. 

He swiped his hand across, the bubble disappearing instantly and he ran. The jewel slidding down more. "No!! No, no, no!!" he tried picking up his speed.

There was another crash beside them and he and the dog looked to see that another pillar and crashed into the main column. The dog now seeing the pouch sliding towards the ground. 

He could hear Steven shouting out. The boy trying to run towards the jewel.

Piecing things together, the canine turned around, going for the pouch as it fell towards the ground. Using up his strength as he ran towards it.

He caught the pouch, barely catching the edge of it in his mouth. "Whoa! You caught it!!!" Steven cheered. The dog stopped, immediately letting go of the jewel. 

"You caught it! You caught-!" he stopped in mid cheer as the dog fell down to the ground, panting and heaving. "Oh no!" he ran towards the dog, sliding down on his knees as he got to him. He held the dog's head up. "You.. used all of your energy to get the jewel.." he whispered. The dog heaved and Steven brought him closer. "I.. told you it would be too dangerous for you.." he pulled the dog up in his arms, patting him. The dog licked his shoulder. His tail wagging slightly. Steven chuckled. "But.. you did good. Good boy." 

Cracks and thuds starting echoing around them as small rocks started to fall on them as the gem powered building started to fall apart without the gem. Pieces of the ceiling starting to cave in and fall towards them. Rain coming in slightly through the cracks. 

Steven swiped across the ground with the ring and the bubble formed around them. Chunks of the ceiling, the pillars and staircases fell towards them. He held the dog close to him to comfort the dog as the debris cracked and crumbled along the bubble's surface. Raining now pelting onto the bubble. 

Gusts from the outside engulfed them, pushing the bubble and Steven was thankful for the fallen staircases and columns stopping the bubble from going anywhere. 

He could see the Gems already coming up to him.. _Uh oh.. _ He couldn't read the expressions on their masked faces.._What if we were supposed to get the jewel withOUT causing the tower to fall!!-_

"So.. you were in there the whole time.." Amethyst concluded with a slow head nod. "Interesting.." she tried not to sound too surprised and curious.. _and impressed.._

She raised an eyebrow. "How did you get in?" 

"It wasn't me. It was umm.. Leonard." _close.._

"What?" 

He looked down at the dog. The canine resting weakly on his chest. "Yeah.. He was small enough to go through the hole that it in the tower and he unlocked the latch on the wall and-" 

"Wait, wait, wait. That dog. unlocked. a latchet on the wall?" 

"..Well.. yeah. I followed him right by that small hole in the building. And he just.. unlocked it. And the door crumbled away before forming again." Amethyst looked at the sickly dog as Steven continued. "And, he also helped me when I was falling. I saw h push down one of the pillars.. Not only that but HE was the one to catch the jewel as well!" 

"So.. the jewel could've broke.. because of you?" 

"Oh, er, well.. I was running for it! I could've caught it! But uh, he.. um.. he beat me to it." he hugged the dog close to him, the jewel pouch still in his hand. "But he used a lot of his energy when he did that.." he covered the canine with his jacket.

Amethyst looked at Steven, then back to the dog. Giving him a levelled stare that seemed to stretch on for a full minute.. Nobody, not even Steven, saying anything..

Then she finally spoke back up, looking back up at Steven. "Hm.. perhaps he's a smart one.. Not many dogs know about picking locks.. I wonder if those thugs had anything to do with it.." she rubbed at her chin, leaning closer to the dog and giving him another stare before looking back up at Steven. She dropped her hand from her face, giving him a satisfied look. "Maybe he could be of use after all." 

Steven gasped, looking up. "We're keeping him?!" 

She shrugged. "Sure. We kept _you_." 

He pouted. 

He heard a few snorts from Pearl as she covered her mouth, looking away and he pouted more. Garnet just have him an apologetic smile. 

"Well, you just have to take care of him. See if he can.. get better.. or whatever." she shrugged again. "He may actually be essential to our team." 

Steven's smile grew wider. Perhaps he and the dog were rubbing off on her! 

"Welcome to the team, buddy!!" he gave the dog a few noggin scratches. And the dog began to wag his tail. 

"Alright. That's enough of all that." she said casually. "Let's get out of here." she looked at her water proof GemTech phone. "If we leave now, I can catch the other half of the wrestling match live on pay-per-view." she turned around, heading for the truck and Pearl followed her. 

Garnet stood there and they looked at each other. She smiled, giving the two a thumbs up. "Looks like another successful mission for you, Talc. _And_ for the dog." she cheesed. And he was already missing those dimples.. stupid mask.. "And glad to see that we have a fresh, new member on our team too." 

"Thanks Garnet." he turned to the dog in his jacket. "You hear that, boy? That was a complement." he scratched at the dog's ears.

Garnet chuckled. "Alright, come on." she said gently. "I don't want Amethyst to miss the match." 

The two walked together. Though the closer they got to the car, the farther apart they walked, their expressions going more professional and stoic.

.. with just a smiiiiidge of giddiness from Steven. 

The two got in the car. The dog completely drenched and Steven being drenched from waist to toe in his non, waterproof attire. _Unlike the gems' full attire.._

Though he was thankful that his _GemTech_ shirt kept him pretty warm and dry. (Despite of his drenched jacket.)

"Alright, Garnet. You know the drill." said Amethyst.

The woman nodded and shifted gears, pulling off from the dirt area. 


	78. A quick stop at the convenient store

The vehicle pulled up to the side of the apartment complex. "Alright, che. Enjoy your last day off. Remember. We meet at oh nine hundred hours the day after tomorrow."

He held the dog in his jacket. "Right. I'll be there, Amethyst." He opened the door. Leaving the mask on the arm rest of the seat. "Goodnight guys."

"Noches." Amethyst waved at him. 

Night, Talc." Garnet smiled at him 

And Pearl gave him a small nod and a "Goodnight."

He closed the door and made his way to the main door of the apartment only to quickly remember that perhaps he should get some food for the new Crystal Gem member. A beat later and he also figured that buying Connie's favorite ice cream could _also_ possibly soften her up in keeping the dog.. Maybe.. 

He was hoping that that would really happen.. BUT, in general, it was also a kind gesture to get something for her.

Also that would be a nice substitute since he didn't have her pizza anymore.. 

"Hey, mind if we take a little pit stop first? I want to give you some food. And I also want to give Connie some ice cream." 

...........................

As he made his way across the street, getting closer to the store, he quickly remembered about.. the store associate there.. 

_Oh crap.. I hope she doesn't give me a whole spiel about Connie being pregnant.._

He also couldn't help but have that worry in the back of his mind if anything was going to happen when he came _back_ from the store.. or if he would bump into the Gems somehow again..

He _also_ also wondered if it was okay for him to bring the dog into the store? But.. in this part of the neighborhood.. he definitely couldn't risk leaving the dog out there.. Especially at this time of the night..

He opened the door with a chime.

And yup.. She was there.. Behind the counter..

_Okay.. just relax, Steven..Maybe she won't say anything about you and Connie's little.. thing going on.. Just, be yourself.._

He waved to her. "ሰላምነሽ!" Salamneshi! (Hello!)"

"ሰላም, Steven. እንደምን ነህ?" Selam Steven. Endet neh?"(Hello, Steven. How are you?) she looked at him. 

"ደህና ነኝ." Dehna negn.(I'm doing well)." he smiled and walked in more, going to the very first aisle as he walked pass the ATM, then the cases of two litter sodas. He walked farther, towards the back.

He was thankful that she wasn't saying anything.. And.. perhaps because she was so busy counting the register at the moment.. but from the corner of his eye, he could see her giving him occasional glances.

She never stared at him before when entering the building.. so.. why was she doing it now?

Still, he was thankful that she wasn't striking up a conversation, in general, with him.. 

But now, he didn't have time to focus on that. He was now too busy focusing on the different brands of dog foods in all different colors, in cans and in bags..

_Uh.... Which ones are the good kinds? And.. should I get the cans? ..Or the bags?_

With the store only selling those huge, dump truck sized bags (which he definitely wouldn't be able to hold _while_ holding onto the dog.. and ALSO making him vulnerable for thugs and robbers to get at him with his arms full) he decided to just go for a few cans to last his canine friend for the next few days. Yup, that's definitely better then also trying to carry the huge bags of kibbles and bits on his back and walking hunched over all the way to the house, while trying to hold onto the dog..

But.. which cans? 

There were just so many; ..savory beef this and savory beef that.. and grilled chicken with vegetables with this.. and this one has been approved by this company.. and this one fights off cavities... And this one prevents the start of gum disease and this one-

He stared at the cans for another two minutes.. The cashier eyeing him even more now.

Making him just a bit nervous..

He just grabbed few random cans from off the shelf, carefully placing the cans along his wrapped arm as the arm continued holding the dog in his jacket. Then, he grabbed a couple of those.. bone, treat thingys that dogs like to eat and gnaw on.

He walked up the aisle, their eyes meeting again and he gave her a meekly nod of his head and she gave him a small smile as she trailed her eyes down at the dog. As if finally noticing him, her expression changed to something of newfound relief and understanding. She went back to counting the rest of the money in the register.

Steven placed the bones on top of the cans and slid open the small door of the freezer. He reached in, grabbing a few lion lickers. He placed them on the glass. Then he grabbed himself a few cookie cat ice cream bars. He pulled the door down and walked up to the counter.

"Hey." he smiled. He poured all of the items on the counter, some of the cans rolling towards the edge. He caught the two with his arm and placed them standing up on the counter. 

"Hey, Steven." she gave him a small smile. "So.. you have a dog now I see." she rung up the first two items. "I was.. kinda wondering what you were doing with your.. jacket like that.."

_Wait.. she.. couldn't had thought that I was going to steal? Sure Connie and I had been through some pretty hard times.. But.. not to the point to steal.. thankfully_

"Yeah.." he gave the dog a pat on his flank through his jacket. "I had him since yesterday." 

"I can't believe Connie let you get a dog." she swiped the last two cans.

"Mhm." he mumbled. "Things are.. changing.. between us..Um, inagoodway! That is.." he quickly added.

She nodded. "How is she anyway? You know.. with the baby."

He dragged the bag towards him. "Uh, good. Things have been.. pretty much the same really."

"That's good." she started ringing up the icecream. "Though that may change once things really start kicking into high gear with her pregnancy."

His stomach did a few flips.. "Right. Yeah.. I.. understand." 

"How many weeks is she anyway? After you left the store, I wondered about that."

"Oh, uh.. six? No, no.. I think that was.." he trailed off before looking up at her "seven?... or..maybe.. eight weeks? I.. don't know really."

"What?" she tried to not sound.. too mean.. She gave him in apologetic smile. "But.. I thought you would know."

"Yeah.. yeah, I know.." he scratched at the back of his neck. "I.. guess I'll ask her.." 

"I just wanted to give her some baby items. That's all. But it looks like that she's still, really, really early in her pregnancy." 

"Uh huh.." he pulled the two bags off the counter. "Well, I.. guess I'll talk to you later? I'm heading home to her now." 

"Oh, okay.. Did you uh.. Need an umbrella? You're totally drenched.. and .. muddy.." she mumbled the last part.

_Ah.. so it was probably a mixture of me looking dirty.. and her thinking that I was going to steal.._

Or maybe he shouldn't be assuming? Him assuming what he thought _she_ was assuming is in itself.. kind of.. a hypocrisy..?

He shook his head. "No, I'm fine. But thank you anyway." 

"Okay, Steven. Please, stay safe."

"You do the same." he turned and started for the door. 

"መልካም ቀን ይሁንልህ." Melikami k’eni yihunilihi. (Have a nice day." 

"መልካም ቀን ይሁንልሽ." Melikami k’eni yihunilishi. (Have a nice day.)" he said back to her and exited the store. 

_Phewf.. See, Steven. That wasn't so bad now.. Was it?_

And he had to admit that she was just looking out for him. That's all. 

And, she really is a pretty nice person.

He looked back and gave her a wave through the see-through door and took his stroll back towards the house.

  
  


..... and..... in the far back of his mind..... wondering just how far along Connie _really_ was?

  
  


....Though he tried to quickly dismiss that thought..


	79. Steven's Lion

The two of them were heading up the first flight of steps, stepping onto the floor and going to the next flight to the second floor. "I really do hope that she reconsiders this time." he told the canine. "She.... kinda.. doesn't.." the dog looked at him. "Okay, like really, reaally, _reaaaaaally_ doesn't like dogs.. BUT." he gave the dog a smile. "Maybe thing's will be different. Especially when she finds out just how great of a dog you are!" he walked down the hallway. 

Despite of the kind words he had towards his canine friend, he could already feel the anxiety creeping under his skin..

He was only _hoping_ that she wouldn't mind the dog..

He unlocked the door, pushing it open. The door sliding across the mat..

"Hey Connie." he closed the door and locked it.

"Hey, Steven."

He took in the amazing smell of dinner yet again as he took her muddy flip flops off. "How was work?" he put the bags down to take off the wet, muddy jacket, putting one muddy sleeve between his thigh as he pulled back, taking the first sleeve out as he tried to hold onto the dog.

"Good. Though I should be asking _you_ that question. Two shifts at once? I _know_ you have to be tired." he heard the sounds of metal clinking from the pans.

He threw the jacket over his back and started taking his jeans off. "Yeah, it was a lot today.. And I'm already thinking about the bed.. Well, the good smelling food and _then_ the bed."

"What are you doing back there?"

"Huh? Oh, my clothes got drenched in the rain, so I'm taking them off at the door."

"In the rain?"

"Yeah. We-" _Oh crap!!! That's right!! It WASN'T raining here!!"_ "Y, yeah.. We had to go to another city."

"Wow. Going to another city for produce? Well, I mean..If their stuff is better then.." he heard the sound of the oven door opening.

_Okay, Steven.. Just go up there.. It's now or never.._

He took his first steps towards the front of the divider..

"Also, I went to the convenient store and got you some Lion Lickers." he placed the bags on the counter.

"Thanks. I was actually thinking about them not to long ago." he saw her holding the edges of a crockpot with oven mitts, having taken the pot out of the oven.

"Yeah, I had to go there to get some.. other stuff and-" she turned around and he thought she would drop the pan. She put the pot on the stove and turned back around to him. "Steven." her voice was stern and low.

"Connie, wait. Let me explain, uh-"

"Steven.." she said his name again. Harsher. "Is that a _pit_?!"

"Y, yeah, I found him-"

"Steeeveeen.." she shook her head. "You KNOW how I feel about dogs.. and you go ahead and get a.. a PITBULL of all breeds?!" 

"Connie, it's not like that. I found him. He was.. all alone and he was about to die. I couldn't just..walk away from him."

She crossed her arms. "Nooooo, UH uh, noooo.. No way. We are NOT keeping that dog." she pointed at the canine in his jacket. 

"But I can't just _leave_ him.. What if something happens to him? He needs attention.." 

"Steven. Look at him. You don't know WHAT that thing has. And you're just.. touching all over it. What if he has some kind of serious disease? You can't just.. pick up random animals like this." 

"..I don't think he has a disease.." he mumbled. 

"We don't know WHAT he has. _You_ don't know what he has!" 

"He just has a little cold." 

"Steven. Whether he has a little cold. or not. We. ARE not. keeping. that dog.." she walked away, walking pass him and towards the front door. "Especially a _pitbull_ of all breeds.." she mumbled.

She stopped by the door. "Steven." she beckonned him sternly.. just by her voice.

And at that moment, he felt like a little kid.. walking slowly towards Connie with the dog laying patiently on his chest. A huge frown on his face as he shuffled over towards the door.

Connie looked at him and he kept his sad look.. The girl.. slowly dropping her hand off the doorknob with a sigh. "Come on, Steven.." she said gently. "Don't give me that face. You know I don't like dogs. We've _talked_ about this many times about getting a pet. They're just.. really dirty.. and dog's like _him_ you really have to look out for." 

He didn't answer her.. Just dropping his shoulders as he looked down at the oblivious dog looking up at him.

"Steven." she said his name again and he looked up slowly at her. "I'm sorry but." she opened the door. "we have to get rid of him."

He took a few steps, walking in front of her. He looked up, stopping just at the line of the door. The hallway right in front of him..

"You're getting rid of him, Steven. Come on." he heard her say softly. 

He waited there, at the door for a few moments.. Then turned back around. "Connie.. can't we please just.." she looked away from him, shaking her head. "..I don't even know where to take him this time of night.. Everything is starting to close now.." she kept her stare away. "Please Connie.. don't treat him like this. We can't just leave him just to die.. That's.. that's not right."

Sowly.. she started looking back at him. 

"And the only place I could take him is the SPCA. And they're closed now.. And tomorrow is the weekend. They're not going to open back up until Monday." he held the dog tightly to him. "but right now.. I can't take him anywhere else.. Please, Connie.. Can he.. please just stay here just for this weekend?"

She gave him a stern stare.. before sighing deeply. Her expression falling to defeat. "I." she clicked her teeth. "..I mean.. I guess it would be mean to leave him just anywhere.. but, I.." she shook her head, torn. 

He stood there, waiting for her answer.. just _hoping_ she would say yes..

After a few very long moments, her torn expression turned to grimace.. and disgust.. "Fine.. he.. can stay.." she strained out. 

A huge smile started to form on his face. 

"_Just_ for the weekend." she emphasized. 

"Of course, Connie! Thanks, thanks, thanks, thanks, thanks!!" he leaned over, giving her a kiss. And she pulled back. She wiped her mouth off with the back of her hand. "Please tell me you didn't kiss that dog." 

"No, I didn't." he shook his head with a smile. He leaned in, planting another kiss and this time she didn't reject it. 

A slick thought came to his mind.. of going for a much deeper kiss..

She pulled back. "Steven." he could see the blush on her shocked face. 

"A thank you kiss." he cheesed. 

"Uh.. yeah. It's.. no problem.." then she quickly got her bearings together. "Wait, thank you for what? I said that he can stay for _just_ this weekend."

"I know." he smiled. "I'm just glad that I'll be able to see him get a bit better for the next few nights."

"Yeah.." she said plainly, looking at the muddy, wheezing dog.. "Okay, that dog is going to need a good wash.. I do not want him tracking all of that dirt and germs in the house." she looked at him, scrunching up her face. "You need a wash too.. How did you get so muddy like that?"

"Coworkers and I were playing a bit in the rain."

"Of course you all were.." she closed the door and walked a few steps back. "Well.. dinner is just about ready.. I'll start setting up slowly."

"Okay, Connie." he walked pass her, looking at the dog. "Alrighty. Looks like you'll get a nice little bath so you can be nice and clean for the apartment." the dog wheezed. "Hm.. I should make it quick.." 

He stepped into the bathroom and closed the door, setting the clothes on top of the hamper, then putting the dog in the tub. "Oh! My stuff!" he went back, opening the door and the dog got up. "Nooo. Stay there." he ran out the room, got his toiletries and ran back. The dog was sitting in the tub, looking at him. "Okay, let's get this started." he popped open his shampoo bottle and crouched down. "..This shampoo should be okay for dogs.. right?" he asked the canine as he looked at the label on the back. He shrugged. "It's soap. Can't be that bad." he smiled. He lathered the soap in his hands and lathered the dog up, being careful of the stitches around his neck and his wounds. Then he turned the water on, using a bit of water to lather the dog up more as he carefully went around the stitches and all of the fresh wounds around the dog.

An easy process that lasted for only ten, fifteen minutes. He leaned over and twisted the knob, turning the shower water on. He rinsed him off, going gently over the wounds and his face and neck. 

After a quick rinse, he turned the shower off. "There we go. All clean-" the dog shook his fur, flinging water everywhere. "Ah! Plth, plth, plth, plth." he held his hands up to his face. "Okay, quit it! Quit it!" he laughed. The dog stopped moments later, wagging it's tail. "Okay, let's get you out of there." he picked up the dog and set him down on the floor.

"Aaaand, now it's my turn." He put his boxers inside the hamper and took out the Crystal Gem shirt from the inside of his second shirt. _He would _really _have to think of a better method of washing and hiding this shirt.._ and he put the second shirt in the hamper, the dog smelling the hamper as he put the lid down. 

He stepped in the tub, taking the quickest, ten minute shower of washing all of the dirt off and quickly hand washing the shirt. He got out. The dog was laying on the floor, patiently. His eyes closed as he neared sleep.

He pat his leg. "Alright, come on boy. Time to go." he opened the door, hoping that Connie was distracted so he could throw the shirt underneath of the bed. 

Then he quickly remembered something and opened the hamper. He took the phone, the ring, the plastic bag with the pills inside and the tube of cream, out of the pocket. Then he took one pill out of the bag and put both the ring and the plastic bag inside of the shirt and placed them on top of the hamper. He crouched down in front of the dog and the canine got up, wagging his tail and sniffing the tube in his hand. Steven untwisted the cap off and squeezed a bit of it on his fingertips. "Don't worry. It's just cream that Peridot gave us." he told the dog. He started wiping the cream on the cuts across the dog's body. He squeezed out more and did the same for the other side and his chest. "There we go." he twisted the top back on and put the tube in his shirt with the other items and stepped out. The dog walking slowly behind him. 

Connie was leaning on the counter facing the kitchen. Glued to her phone. _Yush!_ He threw the shirt under the bed and walked over to the dresser. He set his phone down and started putting the toiletries away.

The canine sat right behind him, looking up at him. 

He opened the drawer and slipped on his boxers, then his shirt. He heard Connie put the phone on the counter. He turned to her, striking a pose with a wink. "Better?" 

She smiled genuinely and nodded. Then her eyes went to the dog and her expression faltered slightly. She shrugged. "Yeah.. I guess.." she walked back to the sink to wash her hands.

And Steven came over, looking for the cans of dog food. The canine still just a step behind him.

"If you're looking for the dog food it's over by the corner of the counter, by the door. I didn't want to put it with our canned foods." she turned the faucet off. 

He went over, crouching towards the white bag. With a few moments of checking out the cans, he choose one that was good for the heart. 

AND it had gravy in it! And. EVERYONE loves gravy!

Connie was just making her way over to the dinning room table, keeping a close eye on the sniffling dog as she walked by him to sit down.

Steven walked into the kitchen and went over to the miscellaneous counter where Connie would place extras of different plates and bowls and cups she'd gotten and washed from fast food restaurants. He picked up two bowls from Mickee Dee's and a plastic spoon, setting the spoon and one bowl down on the counter. He rinsed the second bowl he had in his hands off a few times before pouring some water inside. He set the bowl down and the dog immediately went up to it, drinking out of it. 

Then he popped open the can and poured the chopped up slop into the bowl. He used the spoon to scrape the rest of the remnants into the bowl and he threw the can and the spoon away. 

He put the pill inside of the food and set it right by the canine as he was still drinking from the bowl. He stopped, immediately sniffing the food. He dug right in, wagging his tail. 

Steven gave him a few flank scratches before getting up to wash his hands. He went back over, meeting Connie at the table.

And.. as he approached her, looking at her.. he couldn't help but feel that nice fluttery feeling in his chest just by looking at her. And.. for some reason his face was feeling a bit more hot than usual.

"What?" she gave him a smile. Her eyebrow raised.

"Oh, it's uh, nothing you just uh..you look.. beautiful." he cleared his throat.. Wow, it was hot in there.

He heard a little chuckle from her. "..Thanks.." she mumbled. "So.. are you going to sit down or?"

"Y, yeah." he shifted the chair and sat down. Still feeling the heat on his cheeks.

He went to distract his self. Looking at the food in front of them.

"Nice! Indian food!" he cheered.

"Yeah." she said casually with a shrug. "I noticed that I haven't been making any.. ethnic dishes lately. So I decided to make something a bit different for tonight."

"I know this takes a lot of time to make."

She shrugged again, the beautiful smile growing wider. "It was nothing."

.......................

They prayed over their food and began eating. Steven going for the chicken chettinad first and Connie going for the greens. 

The two of them, having small talk about more things they could do with each other, especially with the weather warming up slightly and with the four grand they had in the apartment.

"Oh! And there's also this rock climbing place as wel!" Steven pointed out. He dipped the naan bread inside of the savory, chicken dish. "You and I will have SO much fun! 

Then reality came crashing back and he remembered.. 

His stomach did a few flips as he said slowly. "I think.. it'll still be okay for you.. They have like.. lot's of harnesses and stuff. And.. I think they have small, easy, pregnant friendly ciffs."

Connie snorted, putting down her bread. "Okay, I have _three_ things to say to that. One. Pregnant friendly cliffs?" she snorted again. "Is that even a real thing?.. and two. What makes _you_ think that I can't do the more difficult ones than you? And third. Since when did you start wanting to rock climb? I thought you were afraid of heights."

He was.. but.. he was slowly beginning to find rock climbing to be .. pretty fun and.. adrenaline fueling..

With his first shot at rock climbing at the waterfalls, and him pulling himself up on that crumbling rock at that jewelry place when Garnet had left him.. then the last mission with him already getting better at scaling walls to nab that embedded gem, he.. just wanted to practice more. He was definitely feeling more confident with each and every mission he was enduring and he just wanted to get better. 

"I.. just wanted to switch things up a bit, I guess." he said nonchalantly. "I've been trying to figure out more things to do. Especially with each other." 

"Hmm.. Mhhmm.. And.. that still doesn't answer how you think I wouldn't be able to rock climb the difficult stuff?"

"Ooh, uh, well.. you know.."

"Yeah, I think I could easily do each and every rock climbing obstacle. Despite of everything." she had a sly smile on her face.

"Okay." he scoffed. "Then I guess I'll see what ya got when we go there."

"Yes." she cheesed. "You will and-" she cut herself off, looking behind Steven.

The dog was coming over and she watched as Steven raised his eyebrow at her. "Huh?" he turned around in his chair and was immediately in all smiles. Like a little kid in a candy store. 

He bent down to pet him. "Hey, buddy! Enjoyed your food?" the dog wagged his tail as he nuzzled Steven's hand. He giggled. "You have bits of food on your face." he cooed.

Connie looked at the two.. feeling a mixture of feelings, but she felt like smiling at that interaction.

But still.. it was as a dog.. and a Pit at that...Both she AND him would have to watch that dog very.. carefully..

"-Who's a good boy? Who's a good boy?" he scratched near the dog's running nose. The dog panted happily. His tail thumping on the carpet.

But.. at the same time.. She had to admit that.. Steven's wholesome reaction was.. kinda cute..

He gave the dog a few more scratches. "That's right. _You're_ a good boy." and laughed. 

He leaned back up, going back to his plate.

"Steven. You just touched that dog." 

He stopped his hand just above the bread. "Huh?" 

"You touched that dog. You have to go wash your hands before touching the food.." 

"Oh, okay." he smiled and got up and walked towards the kitchen sink. 

She looked at Steven washing his hands in the kitchen, then to the dog's chilling, blue eyes.. 

_This is going to be long weekend.._

__

_..........................  
_

Connie got up from her seat and started stacking the dishes on top of each other.

"I can help you with that." Steven scooped up the rest of the dishes and walked with her to the kitchen. The two washing dishes and Steven sneaking a dab of soap on her nose. 

"Hey." she chuckled. She wiped off the soap and he quickly planted a kiss on her cheek. 

He was going for her lips when she slid soap across his cheek and nose, laughing.

"Ooohhhh~! So we're doing that now?" he cheesed.

"_You_ started it." she giggled.

The two had a bit of a soap fight, Steven eventually giving in and letting Connie win.

The loser, being him, having to clean up the soap mess all around the counter and the floor.

The next couple of hours, they were snuggling, watching a few shows on the laptop. The dog laying very close to the bed.

As the night drew on, Connie decided to call it a night. They stopped the show and she put the laptop on the table. Then she took her glasses off and set it on top of it and got comfortable under the blankets. 

Steven turned to the dog. "Goodnight, buddy." he turned the light off and turned back around, laying down and joining her, under the warm covers. 

A few moments and the dog started whining. 

Steven turned back around and turned the lamplight back on. 

The dog stopped whining and immediately stood up, wagging his tail. 

"Awwwwweeee." 

Connie turned over, looking at the huge grin on his face and unfortunately, she had to stop him them right there. "Steven, UH uh.. That dog is _not_ sleeping in our bed." 

"But Connieeeeee. He looks soooo sad." 

"I don't want that dog in our bed, Steven." she turned back over. "He's a dog.. AND he's sick.." a beat later. "AND these are fresh, clean sheets that I just put on here." 

A smug, conceited part of him was thinking that.. in about another week or two when he'll be using the 'ole universe charm on her yet again that she would just have to clean the sheets again so.. 

Though he didn't tell her that..

"Steven.. don't you think about it."

"Don't worry. I'm noooot." he drawled out.

The dog put his leg on the side of the bed.

"Sorry, boy.. But you can't get on the bed." he pet the dog's head. Then he turned the light off again and laid back down, taking a nice comfortable spot right behind Connie as he went in for some spooning. He wrapped his arm around her waist. "Night, Connie." 

"Night, Steven."

He kissed her on the back of her neck, no doubt sending a nice shock throughout her body. And he felt her shudder under his lips. He chuckled, laying his head down on the pillow.

They laid there, slowly falling asleep..

Until they heard a whine behind them.. Connie rustled in front of him, letting out an irritated breath. "Steven.. that dog.." she grumbled out.

"Mhm.." he mumbled under a tired breath. "I'll get him.." his breath was hot.. and inviting on her neck.. 

He leaned up and turned the light back on. The dog got up from his sitting position. He stopped whining. Wagging his tail. "Please, boy." he said gently. "You just can't come up here." he gave the canine a pet on his head again. Then he had a thought. "I'll just give him one of those T-bone treats. I'll put it over by the mat.. That should distract him for awhile." 

".mmhm..." she mumbled, bringing the blankets up to her face. 

He walked over to the bag by the door and the dog followed him, happily. He took out the bone treat and unwrapped it. "Here ya go, boy." he placed the treat on mat and the dog went for it. "That should keep you occupied." 

He walked back over towards the bed, passing the refrigerator.. 

He stopped in his tracks. _Hmm.. I could go for a treat myself.._

He walked to the kitchen and opened the freezer. Connie having put everything nice and neatly and in order in the ice box. The glow bracelet, still wedged in the corner of the freezer and right behind a Lion Lickers wrapper. 

He grabbed his cookie cat ice cream bar, taking another glance at the glow stick, then the Lion Lickers wrapper.

Getting.. a thought..

_Hmm.. what a coincidence that those two are put side by side.. _

_She's strong-willed and ferocious.._

_Like a lion._

_And I can definitely see her being a strong leader.. _

_And she definitely knows how to stand her ground.. and she's fierce.. _

_Like a lion._

He closed the freezer door, smiling as he walked over to the divider. The dog caught his eye as he gnawed on the bone by the door. 

_Hmm.._

_Like.. a lion.._

He watched as the dog broke apart the bone and started crunching on it. 

_And _he's_ getting stronger every day.._

_And he can be just as strong as a lion._

_And _he's_ also strong-willed.. Helping us out in that storm, and saving me in that tower.._

_And.. if he can stand his ground and help and protect us.. then he could protect my Connie in the apartment.. He could help protect all of us.. Like a lion fending off their enemies.. _

He watched the "ferocious" looking dog tear through the bone, crunching on more pieces of it. 

_Hmm.._

".. Lion.." he whispered, eyeing the dog. 

  
  


He ate his ice cream and discarded the wrapper in the trashcan. He waited at the counter and relaxed for some time, as Connie didn't want him leaning back or laying down after eating.

Then he walked back over towards bed, taking a glance over by the door. The dog was laying on the mat, still chewing through the treat. _Good to see that he's still content and distracted._

He turned the light off and slid in bed once more, going right behind Connie and wrapping his arm around her again. 

The smell of her shampoo, tickling his nose and making him feel at home..

He took a calming breath, getting comfortable.. and just a few minutes later, he could feel himself start to drift off to a sweet drea-

He heard the dog whining again.

He got up slowly and turned around. "Oh, come on." he said gently. "What did I just say.?" the dog tipped his head to the side as he brought his paw to the side of the bed. 

"But.. you know I can't.."

The dog tilted his head to the other side, whining again and putting his other paw on the side of the bed. 

"But.." he sighed.. Then he looked over at Connie.. then back over at the dog.

The canine stuck out his tongue, wagging his tail. 

Steven chuckled at that. "Well..." he looked back at Connie.. "Hey, Connie.. you still awake?" 

No answer..

"Connie, you still awake?" he said a bit louder.

Still no answer.

_Hmmmm...~_

With a devious, kid guilty, up-to-no-good, smile on his face, he pulled back the covers and pat the bed. "Come on, buddy. You can do it. Jump up, jump up." he whispered, patting the bed again. The dog's tail wagged faster as he jumped up slightly. "Come on, that's it. Jump up." the dog doddled, jumping up and he helped the dog, pushing him up by his butt. The canine shook his fur and with loud sniffling noises and panting, he jumped on Steven, wagging his tail. "Sh, sh, sh." he tried to hide his chuckle. " You have to be quiet." he whispered. The dog kept his energy, moving around. "Sh, shhhhh.. shhhh.." he held the dog gently, trying to calm him down.

The canine calmed slightly. His tail still wagging away. 

He pushed the dog's body down gently. "You gotta lay down. Shhhh, and keep quiet." he whispered. The dog obliged, staying down. His tail gliding across the sheet. "Good boy." he pulled the blanket over the dog and scratched the canine behind the ears. "Goodnight. _Lion_"

_Now THAT'S the name!_

The dog panted, laying his head on the bed. And Steven laid back down, getting comfortable as he threw his hand around Connie's waist once more. "And. Goodnight, Connie." 

He was thankful that he was able to help the gems out once again, instead of failing like the first couple of times. And he was thankful that he got his shirt fixed _again_ and that his shirt was still intact. And MOST importantly, he was thankful that he was able to save an innocent animal!! 

Good 'ole Steven Universe was STILL on cloud nine. And now, he just couldn't wait for his off day, hoping he could spend it all day with his lovely girlfriend in the whole entire world and getting excited for the next mission. 

And this time, he was going to be ready. Sure, it's only been a bit over a week, but he could feel himself getting stronger already! And now that he could activate his bubble and knew how to work it for the most part, he couldn't WAIT to utilize it once more and to help the Gems again! And who knows, maybe even help other people and animals as well again.

He laid there, getting more comfortable in bed as he felt the sleep start to creep into him once more..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yup guys! It has FINALLY been revealed! Steven has a Pitbull.  
Originally, I was going to have him get a wicked cool cat because well.. Lions are big cats *shrugs*  
Then I was like wait, what if he gets a legit lion and he has to hide him? But then I was like.. neh.. I have to keep it more "life-like" as possible.. though I know what I'm writing isn't reaaaally that life-like xD
> 
> Then I was torn between letting him get a Pitbull, a Rottweiler or a Doberman. Aaaaand the Pitbull won me over. What better pet to give 'ole Steven and Connie than one of the most controversial dogs ever? ;P


	80. Just another 'ole morning

Steven woke up groggily to the sound of Connie calling his name. 

And she.. DID not. sound happy.. AT all.. 

He laid there under the covers, keeping his eyes closed. 

"Steeeeveeeeeeen." she hissed out. 

_Aw man.. what did I do now!?_ He panicked. _Leave the toilet seat up!? Wait, but sometimes I don't even bother putting the toilet seat up.. crap, did I pee on the seat again?! The floor again?! Both?!.. again..?!_

_Well.. I better get up now.. Get this over with.._

He got up from under the covers, immediately getting a whiff of something fowl..

_Uh oh.._

"Look. What YOUR dog did.. on the floor..AND on the side.. of the counter."

_The side of the counter too?!_ He turned around slowly.. to see two huge piles of poo.. and the side of the counter had been peed on.. and there, not too far from the mess, was a very scared, very guilty looking dog. His head hung low as he looked up sadly at Steven. 

And a very angry.. looking woman in front of him.. tapping her hand on the counter. And.. the infamous hand.. on.. her.. hip.. 

And he could practically feel the secondhand guilt.. 

But he still wanted to try and lighten the mood. 

"Aw.." he said softly, sliding to the edge of the edge bed. "Connie he's.. just not house broken yet-"

"It's bad enough he was in our bed." she cut him off. "And I know it had to had been _you_ who put him there. And now this? See, _this_ is what I mean. He's al_ready_ making the house dirty.. That's why we can't keep dogs. It wouldn't be good for the baby." 

_Baby.._

There was that gut sinking word again..

And..apart of him was just like.... Well.. if we can keep a damn baby, we can keep an amazing dog. 

But he shook his head of that.. pretty rude, early morning, pre breakfast, tantrum of a thought and got off the bed. He gave her a smile, despite of his true feelings. "It's okay, Connie. I'll clean it up." he gave her a thumbs up. 

"Oh, I know you are.. because _I_ wasn't doing it." she walked pass him and to the dresser. "Okay, I have to start getting ready." she picked up her toiletries and her underclothes. "And .. just keep an eye on that dog." she glared at the poor, skinny dog and he ducked his head, giving a smile whine.

"You're scaring him, Connie." Steven whined. He walked over to the trembling dog. The dog walked back towards the wall and Steven held his hands up. "Don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you." He bent down and held his arm out slowly towards the dog. 

Connie stopped just by the bathroom door, watching as the dog sniffed his hand, then slowly walked towards him. Steven smiled, giving the dog a few chuckles as he pet his head. 

He just.. looked so happy, so giddy, so at peace.. 

And again.. just like last time, that was another cute moment between the two.. 

She looked at the scene in front of her just a few more moments before heading inside. 

"Don't worry buddy. You didn't know. You just had to go." he continued patting the dog's head. "And don't worry about Connie. I know you'll win her heart." The dog nuzzled into his hand, tail wagging more. 

Steven gave him a few more noggin scratches and got up. "Okay, now time to clean all of this up." he walked over to the closet, passing the bathroom door. He heard the shower turn on. 

He took out all of the necessary disenefectants and a few old rags. Then he went in the kitchen, getting a small trashbag. 

He came back to the mess on the floor and on the side of the counter.. and being mindful of his wrapped hand, he started cleaning up the mess. 

............................

Connie was just coming out of the bathrrom when he was tying up the trashbag. He threw it in the trashcan as she looked over at the clean spot. "See? Got it ALL up." Steven gave her a thousand watt smile and another thumbs up. And she tried to keep a smile from reaching her own lips..

_That darn boy and his extremely cute smile.._

But she had to resist.

She cleared her throat, trying to go for a more serious tone. "Well, let's just hope that it won't happen again." she walked over to the dresser and put the items away. "You have to be careful with him more while we're asleep." then a beat later. "For these next two nights." she reminded him.

"Yeah, maybe I should take him out at least once at night." 

Connie shrugged. "Sure." she opened the closet door and began taking her clothes off the hangers and putting them on. 

Then she made her way to the kitchen, taking out some eggs from the fridge. 

Steven went back over to the dog who was still over at the door. "Come on, Lion. You don't have to be afraid." he crouched down in front of him. "What are you doing still over here by yourself? Come on over." he beckoned the dog. 

The canine got up slowly, looking up, as if to look for Connie over the counter. Steven pet his head. "It's okay." he whispered. "She's nice. She really is.. it's just.." he trailed off.. before speaking up again once more. "She just has this.. thing with dogs.. but I just _know_ you'll grow on her." he got up and he saw her putting eggs inside of the pan. They began to sizzle inside. 

He walked back into the kitchen and grabbed the water bowl off of the floor. "Excuse me, Connie." he slid behind her and rinsed it out a few times before pouring some fresh water in it. He crouched down, not trying to spil the water as he set it back down on the floor. The dog went right to it. "Hm.. I wonder if it's.. some kind of hydration or kidney problem? He seems to always be thirsty." he stayed crouched near the canine. 

"It could be anything really.. But the _SPCA_ should know once you bring the dog to them." she hinted. 

And his heart sunk.. Him getting rid of the dog.. And he'd already gotten attachment to him too.. Named him and everything.. 

But maybe.. just maybe.. within these couple of days she would have a change of heart? 

Or so he hoped..

"_Right,_ Steven?" she started mixing the eggs in the pan. 

His expression dropped and his heart sunk even more. "Right.." he looked at the dog drinking his water. 

The canine lapped up the rest of it and looked up at him. "I'll give you some more water." he gave him a small smile as he picked the bowl back up. He refilled it and set it back down. Then he went to the white bag by the end of the counter. He looked at the cans.. eventually choosing something that sounded the most breakfast-y. Choosing one that had beef sausage in it.

He went back into the kitchen, grabbing another plastic spoon from the miscellaneous cabinet and popped open the can and dumped the contents into the bowl. He scrapped the rest of the contents into the bowl with the spoon and threw the two in the trash.

"Alright, the eggs are almost ready." said Connie. She put the pieces of bread inside the toaster oven.

"Okay, great! Looks like we're having breakfast together!" he pet the dog while looking right at her. Smiling, all teeth and in that instant he looked like a little boy who'd just been given a puppy. 

And _that_ scene looked extremely wholesome and cute as well..

That boy was just way too adorable for his own good..

She nodded and turned back around, feeling the heat on her cheeks. She continued making the food. 

And Steven gave the dog a few noggin scratches before getting up. He went to the bathroom to wash his hands.

Connie smeared some butter and sprinkled cheese on both pieces of bread. She put the pieces of egg between them and cut the sandwich in half.

Steven came out with wet hands and sat by the counter. The dog in the middle of eating his food.

She placed the two sandwiches on the plate and placed it in front of him and she put one sandwich on hers.

"Thanks, Connie." he already couldn't wait to sink his teeth into the savory, cheesy, scrambled eggy deliciousness, delicacy in front of him.

"No problem, Steven." she sat down on the other side. 

They prayed over their food and began eating.

Steven taking two huge bites of his sandwich.

Connie both noticing him _and_ the dog eating loudly. 

She held in a scoff.

............................

Steven was the first one to break the food silence. "So, what time do you get off today?"

She chewed a few times before swallowing. "I get off at 5."

"It kinda sucks that you have to work today.." he frowned. "I was hoping that we could have a whole day together."

"I know but.. our schedules just don't like us."

"It would sure be nice if we had at least _one_ day together soon.. I know we've talked about hanging out a couple of times including last night but.. I really do miss spending time with you, Connie.." 

She put down the other piece of her sandwich. "Yeah.. I've.. definitely missed spending time with you too. It's been way too long since we've actually went out the apartment and done something." 

"When's the next time you're off?"

"I don't know. It changes every week and the new schedules go in today. So I can check then. But your job seems to be the most unpredictable." 

"Right.. That's just.. how my job is." he shrugged. 

Lion started lapping up the water again. And for some reason, just the sound of it, gave him a bit of a chuckle. He cut his eye over at the dog. 

"Oh, don't tell me you're laughing at the sound of the dog drinking his water.." she smiled.

Steven snorted. "..yeah.." 

She shook her head. The smile still on her face.. _Wow, he can still be such a little kid at times.._

............................

Connie picked up her shoulder bag from the counter and walked to the door as he slipped on his jacket. "Alright, come on Lion." he pat his legs as he walked over to her.

"You..named him?" 

The dog was slowly making his way to him. "..Yeahh..?" he dragged out. 

"You're getting attached to him." she mumble, opening the door. 

".. Aww, what's a little name, Connie?" he shrugged, trying to play it off. 

"Mhmm.." she didn't look enthused.

He was about to slip the flip flops on, when.. he noticed how encrusted in mud they were in..

"I'll just wash them when I get back." he told her and he chose some old sneakers instead and immediately felt.. different.. 

He was just _so_ used to wearing her flip flops.. 

The three of them, _with Steven still carrying the dog_, left out the apartment and out the main door towards the bus stop.

She looked at the dog.. staring right at her..

"So, Connie." she looked at him. "I was thinking, we could also do a bit of biking as well." he smiled. 

She nodded. "Yeah, that definitely sounds like fun." 

"Like, unicycling."

She snorted. "What?" 

"Yeah." he threw his head up in a smug look. "I like to live on the wild side, Connie." 

"Yeahhhh." she chuckled. "How about we focus on a bicycle first, Universe?" 

"Bicycle one day, then unicycle the next day." he nodded. "Got it." 

More beautiful, heartwarming giggles from his girlfriend. "Well if you get hurt, don't come crying to me." 

"Oh, don't worry. I won't come crying to you." 

She raised an eyebrow. "You won't?" 

"Nope." he shook his head with a smile. "I'll come _sobbing_ to you." 

More lovely chuckles from her. 

The two had walked over to her bus stop and was waiting for two of the three buses that could take her to work. They passed the time, having a nice conversation.

What felt like a very, very short twenty minutes on the bus stop, they could already see the bus down the street. 

"Looks like your bus is coming." he set the dog down and wrapped his arms around her. "Hope you have a great day at work." he leaned in giving her a kiss. 

And that warmth.. and those butterflies were still there.. and he couldn't contain his joy, leaning in more and giving her a few more soft kisses and he felt her arms tighten around his neck just ever so slightly. 

They could hear the bus pulling up and she broke away, but slowly. "Well, I.. have to go. Hope you have a fine time enjoying your day off." she was slowly pulling her arms away from his neck. 

He snuck in a couple more kisses. "I'll try... Though it'll be impossible without_ you_ here with me." 

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, how poetic." she drawled out. 

He chuckled. "Well I try." he looked down at the dog. "Oh! And what about Lion! You didn't say goodbye to him." he pointed. 

She looked at him. The dog tilted his head as he looked up at her. She grimaced. "Um.. yeah, I gotta go." she turned round and headed for the bus.

Steven turned back around, giving Lion a sad smile. "Guess not yet, Lion." 

He waved to her and watched the bus as it drove up the street. "Alrighty, Lion. Time to head back to the apartment." 

................................

After a little restroom break around the side of the apartment for Lion, the two went back up to the apartment. 

Steven washed the flip flops off and picked up the laptop from off the nightstand. He slid back in bed. Lion followed him and he helped the dog back onto the bed. He put the laptop on his lap, getting relaxed. "Hmm, let's see what we can watch on here, Lion." 

Steven had used the follwing two hours to browse TubeTube, watching random theory videos of his favorite show and watching compilation videos. 

He clicked on another TubeTube video and just a few seconds in, he got a Tweeter notification. He clicked on it. The internet taking him off of the TubeTube page and to the Tweeter page, going to a profile. 

He read the tweet. 

**WEEKEND SPECIAL!! HALF OFF AT THE ARCADE!! ENDS SUNDAY NIGHT!!**

"Half off?!?!" he shouted. Lion jumped, pulling his head off his lap as he looked at him.

"Oops, sorry, buddy." he scratched the top of his head by his ear. He lifted his hand up, turning the laptop around. "Look! It's half off at the arcade! I mean, I know you don't know what half off is.. or.. an arcade.. for that matter.. but!" He said quickly. "It's a really, REALLY good thing. And I have the day off!" Then he gasped as he had a thought. "Wait a minute.. maybe the gems would.."

_Well, we _did _ discuss about hanging out when we were eating breakfast together that one time.._

So... Maybe he could just give it a shot?

He looked up, looking at the phone on the dresser.. And already he could feel his heart.. steadily increasing its pace.. 

He looked at the dog for some kind of comfort.. The canine looked at him, putting a paw on his leg as he wagged his tail. "Yeah.. yeah you're right. Maybe I _should_ give them a call. They can either say yes. or no." 

He eased over, the dog's paw slipping off his leg. He slid off the bed and went for the phone. "Okay, Universe. All you have to do.. is ask.." he picked up the phone and unlocked it. He went to his call log, already seeing Amethyst's name. And his heart dipped and started thudding in his chest. 

Why was it so difficult for him all of a sudden? It was always so easy for him to ask people to hang out with him. He'd done thay with Peridot just two days ago actually! So why was it so hard now? 

Maybe because he found Peridot to be easy to talk to? And that being with Amethyst was like.. walking on eggshells? 

That woman could be up one moment.. and down in another.. And he still didn't quite know what to make of it.. Though he was trying to be sure to not get on her bad side. And lately he hadn't really.. Even with the whole dog situation.. which she eventually gave in to.

Which was a good thing! And perhaps going to an arcade to just relax and have fun was what she needed. And what the other Gems needed as well. 

He _was_ slowly trying to change them for the better after all. And what better way to do that than to play a few games at the arcade!

Also, who knows. Maybe she was in a good mood today as well?

He smiled. "You got this Steven. Work your charm." he clicked on her name and held the phone up to his ear as it rung. The dog looking at him and he gave him a smile and a thumbs out. "I think this is going to work, Lion." the dog blew out a puff of air through his nose and laid his head down. Closing his eyes. 

The phone rung a fourth time and their was a. "Yo." 

And there goes his heart again. And he nearly forgot what he was about to say.. "Heyyyy, um.. I know.. you all are uh, probably busy today.." he stopped, but Amethyst didn't say anything. He started again. "But uh.. I was kinda hoping if.. the four of us could.. I don't know.. go to the arcade.....to..day? he cleared his throat. "You know, because we've talked about it at the diner but we never really.. _talked_ about, talked about it.." 

"Pffft.. so you figured.. that _we_ would want to hang out at some crummy arcade with crappy pizza and snot nosed teenagers?" she sounded pretty sarcastic.. And he could picture a smug look on her face.

Maybe she was in a good mood? 

Time to reel her in.. 

"Yeah. I mean.. It's a beautiful day outside, and this arcade has REALLY good nachos! And they just put in some new games aaaaand. Get THIS!" he heard a scoff on the other end. "What?" 

"EVERYTHING IS HALF OFF TODAY!!!!" 

"Oh?" another scoff. "That's it?" 

"Y, yeah.. Amethyst, it's HALF off!!!" 

How was she not so excited like he was about this amazing finding?! 

"Ha! Dude, who cares if it's half off. We're rolling in dough. We don't _need_ to worry about that." 

"But.. but at least you wouldn't have to worry about spending that much, right?" 

"Nyeaaah." there was a long pause. "But. Looks like you hooked me in with the whole "nachos" thing. It's been like, decades since I've been there, but eh.. See if these nachos are any better."

"So you'll go?!" 

"Surreee. Why not." 

"Yaaaaaaaay!!" he cheered. "So what time?!?!"

"Hmm.." he imagined her pulling the phone from her face to check the time. "Almost quarter of." she sounded a bit farther away. "And we have to take that long drive up there from the base." then her voice sounded closer. "Alright, we'll pick you up at fourteen hundred hours." 

He did the math. "Man! This is going to be SO cool Amethyst!! Ooooooo!!! I wonder if they still have that mountain bike as a prize!! Or that scooter with a basket on it!! Or that hoverboard!!" he rambled on a list of prizes. "Or that Cookie Cat Lego spaceship! Or that-"

He heard rustling of sheets. 

Was she.. still in bed?

He looked at the clock. _9:37a.m._

He couldn't imagine the Gems sleeping.. _Ever_ It was almost like a phenomena..

Then he wondered if he'd woken her up.. and he started feeling a little guilty about it.. 

Though she probably would've given him an earful if he really _had_ woken her up out of her slumber..

He heard the sound of a door opening.. which put more into his theory that she was still in bed.. Or at least, had been in her room. 

A few moments of background white noise through the phone and he heard the sound of a door being opened. "Yo." 

"Amethyst!" Pearl shrieked. 

"Wow, P." Amethyst snorted. "You really need some sun down there." _What was she doing.._ "Anyway, get ready to get out of here. You, Garnet, Pillsbury and I are going to the arcade." he heard the creak of a door, as if closing it.. Then he heard another creak. "Also, you missed a spot." the sound of the door creaking close and more background noise. 

A few minutes later and there was the sound of another door opening. "Yo, quit your meditating for a second. Get ready to leave out. We're going to the arcade with Talc." 

"Okay, Amethyst." he heard the lady far in the background. The door closed. "Alright, che. Meet you there soon. And DON'T forget your shirt. and your weapon. Remember, you have to be prepared at ALL times." 

"Will do, Amethyst!" He smiled and she hung up. He locked the phone and looked at the canine laying peacefully in bed, his eyes cracked open.

"I did it, Lion!" he cheered! "The gems and I are FINALLY going to do something FUN for once!! Well.. we _did_ go to that super cool wrestling tournament.. But this is different! That was Amethyst's fun. But THIS will be OUR fun!!"

The dog looked at him.. before closing his eyes back, unamused with what his friend was telling him..

...............................

Steven used the rest of the few hours he had surfing through TubeTube once more, until he had twenty minutes remaining to when they would be there. He turned the laptop off and closed it. He put it back on the table by the bed and went to the closet, quickly remembering his shirt and going back to the bed. He lifted up the bed spread, catching a glimpse of the Cheeseburger Backpack as he grabbed the shirt _not too damp, but really cold.._

He held it up and the ring, the plastic bag and the tube of cream fell on the floor. _Well.. this is not going to feel good.._ He slipped on the cold shirt over his warm skin, shivering a bit under his newly sown attire. Then he picked up the three items from off the floor.

And with him having seen the backpack, he was reminded of the money he would definitely need for the arcade. _Phewf, THAT was a close one.. I almost forgot to get some money.._

He slid the bag towards him and unzipped it, taking out two one hundred dollar bills and putting the backpack back. He went back to the closet, putting on another shirt, then his jeans and his jacket. He stuffed the ring in one pocket and the sandwich baggy of pills and the tube of cream in the other. 

He closed the closet door and picked up his phone from off the dresser. He put it in his front pocket with the ring. "Okay, come on Lion." he walked over to the door and stopped and turn around. 

The dog didn't follow him. Instead, he just looked at him. 

He bent down, patting his leg. "Come here." he whistled. Lion stared at him... And Steven pat his legs again. "Come on. Come here boy." 

Lion grunted, laying his head back on the bed. 

Steven chuckled apologetically. "Aw, sorry.. but you can't stay here. You're not housebroken.." a beat later. "And there's no one here to let you out event if you _were_." he walked up to him and the canine lifted his head back up.

Steven picked him up. "Ok. Off we go now." he said gently and walked to the door. Lion instantly laying his head on Steven's shoulder. Closing his eyes. 

Steven locked the door and walked down the two flight of steps and out the main door. The sunshine hitting him in the face. And that sugary smell of the factory just a few blocks down. 

"Take in some fresh air, Lion." he scratched the dog's head as he continued to lay on his shoulder. The dog wagged his tail, hitting Steven's thigh. 

"Oh, you gotta dog now, huh?" he heard a familiar voice say behind him. 

"Huh?" he turned around. _It's Mr. Vecino.... with.... that son who sprayed me with the water hoes.._

"Oh yeah. I just got him yesterday. Though it may just be temporary, until he gets better.. I plan to take him to the SPCA on Monday."

The middle aged man smiled at him. "Well it certainly is a kind thing for you to help him out. Not many people would do that." 

"That's what I've been saying." 

"People don't realize that.., Yeah, I remember those days. Fostering cats and dogs. I even remember where we actually fostered a group of tiny lizards and geckos!" _That sounds cool.._ "Isn't that right, Shtu-ball?" He hugged his son from the side.

"Yeah!!" the boy pipped up, bouncing on his toes. "Oooo!! And dad! Remember when we also fostered a group of birds!! And we named one of them Lion because of the poofy feathers around his neck?!"

"I sure do!" then his smile faltered to a look of uneasiness. "That bird could sure peck.." he rubbed the top of his bald head. 

"Huh.. Lion is _his_ name actually." 

"Really?" the boy asked in shock.

"Yeah. I uh.." suddenly he felt embarrassed with what he was about to say.. "I.. got his name from a Lion Lickers ice cream bar."

"Oh, what? Not Lion Lickers." the boy pouted. "Nobody likes them! They don’t even look like lions! Kids these days — I’ll tell ya what-" 

"Gregory." he stopped his son. "That's not nice to say."

"I agree actually. I prefer Cookie Cats. The Lion Lickers are for my girlfriend." 

"See dad! Cookie Cats are better!" the boy threw his hands up.

He chuckled. "Okay, son. Okay." he pat his shoulder. He turned back to Steven. "Yeah, fostering is pretty spectacular. And it makes you feel good knowing that you've helped a lot of animals."

Steven nodded. "Yeah." and the man continued. "And you learn so much about these animals because you have to do research on them to make sure you're fostering them and taking care of them correctly and some of those facts are REAL eye openers and-"

The man kept going. 

And going..

He _was_ agreeing with what the man was saying.. Still.. he couldn't deny that this man could ramble.. 

(Even his son had went back to their Winnebago van to do something else.) 

And he was on a time schedule, so he didn't have too much time to waste. And he also wanted to take the dog out to use the bathroom if he had to. 

"Uh-huh, uh huh.." _Wow, this dude can really talk.._

"And then it was that time when Stephanie and I found a group of chipmunks underneath our basement steps and we had NO idea what to do at the time." he was about to go on another story. 

"Yeah." Steven gave him another nod. "Hey, sorry but uh.. I kinda.. have to go.." he told him. "Have to take my dog out on a walk."

"With him in your arms?" he chuckled.

"Heh... No.. I was going to let him walk for a bit but.. I have to head on so I can do that.." 

"Oh. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Sure." he gave him an apologetic smile. "Nice talking to you."

"It was nice talking to you too." and he meant that. That guy seemed pretty cool. 

Just.. a tad bit talkative..

He walked around the corner and put the dog down and the canine looked up at him. "Alright, Lion. Go on and do your stuff. I know you have to go. You've been drinking a lot of water all day." 

The dog continued to look up at him and Steven gestured his hand towards the grass and weeds on the side of the building. "Go on. Do your stuff." the dog sat there, wagging his tail. 

"Aaaalrighty." Steven walked away, heading towards the side of the building. "Come on, Lion." he walked slowly along and Lion followed him. The two taking a few steps before the canine got a wiff of something in the air. He started sniffing around, then put his nose to the ground as he sniffed around. He walked across Steven and went to the weeds, smelling them. Steven stopped, his plan having worked as the dog sniffed all around the side. He hiked his leg up. 

The dog went in two different spots before sniffing around the area, getting more into his surroundings. 

A few moments later and a truck was pulling up. The white Rolls Royce. 

_Yay!! We're riding in THIS baby again!!_

The dog looked up, quickly walking to Steven's side. "Don't worry, boy. It's just the Gems." he pet him on the head. 

The vehicle stopped and Steven started walking up. The dog staying right beside him. 

He opened the door. "Hey Amethyst. Garnet, Pearl." he smiled. 

They greeted him as he picked the dog up. He sat in, closing the door behind him. 

"Still have that dog, I see." said Amethyst. "Also, first time you were here before us." she nodded, slowly. In thought. "Hm. Maybe we should've given you a dog a long time ago." she joked.

Steven rolled his eyes. 

Lion got comfortable, curling up and placing his head on Steven's chest. The back of his paws, scraping across the high quality fabric of the chair. 

"Hey, hey, hey. Watch the dog's nails back there." 

"Sorry, Amethyst." he pulled his jacket forward, placing it between the chair and Lion's claws. Then he gave the canine a few flank scratches and he started wagging his tail. 

"Garnet." Amethyst gestured out with her chin. 

Garnet shifted gears and pulled off. 

"So, looks like we'll be going to the _only_ arcade in Empire.. And, guess I'll see how much _this_ place has changed for the worse." she scoffed, a smirk on her face. 

"Oh, come on Amethyst." he continued giving his canine friend flank scratches. "I know it won't be that bad. I KNOW you're going to love it!" 

"Tsch.. we'll see." the smirk still on her face.

Garnet put on her blinkers, going for the next ramp to the highway. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little homage there to Lilo and Stitch, when Nani is about to leave and Lilo says, 'What about Stitch?' and Nani just makes a disgusted noise and walks out the house xD  
And while at the bus stop, Steven asks the same question and Connie just bails on the dog xF
> 
> Also, for those who low-key was wondering what was going on, Pearl was shaving ye 'ole.. _downstairs_ area when Amethyst walked in on her.


	81. Barred out

Garnet pulled into the Empire City Fast-Pass Boardwalk parking lot and turned the car off. 

"Pearl." Amethyst ordered. 

The woman got out the car as Garnet and a split second later, Steven, with Lion in his arms, got out. Pearl walked pass him and opened the door for Amethyst. She slid out and Pearl closed the door behind her.

The woman had on a revealing attire.. with a _very_ tight shirt that hugged her torso and short shorts.

Pearl was the opposite, with her loose fitting, button down shirt and her white gaucho pants.

And Garnet with a very nice, light purple dress.

These ladies.. are just way too beautiful.. _way_ too gorgeous for their own good..

Nevertheless, he looked away. He shouldn't be staring at them. 

"Alright, alright." said Amethyst. "Vámanos." she walked pass him and the two women followed on each side of her and Steven followed along, walking over to the end of the horizontal line, beside Pearl.

Two blocks down and Amethyst peered over to her left. "Talc."

He peered down the line and Pearl looked at Amethyst. She backed up slightly so Amethyst could properly see him.

"Must you _always_ carry that dog? If he's to be a tough C.G, then _that's_ what he needs to be. _Tough_. Put the dog down and stop acting like he's some baby lamb."

He suppressed a frown. Trying to go for a neutral look. "..Okay.." he looked down at the dog. "Sorry, buddy. I know you still don't feel well.. but I have to set you down." he whispered to the dog. He set him down. The four of them walking on as the dog walked slowly behind them. Amethyst turned around, then looked at Steven. "Yeah dude. You're gonna have to get him checked out.. Less you don't want a C.G mascot anymore." she snickered. 

"Yeah.. I know.. Hopefully the SPCA says that it's nothing serious.." 

......................

The group was nearing the arcade and he could already see the sign big as day. 

And he was already getting giddy. "There it is you guys!! The arcade!!" 

"Uh, yeah. We can see that, Talc." Amethyst snorted.

The boy was too busy squealing and bouncing on his toes to care about the little jab. He ran towards the clear, tempting doors, away from the group. Just READY to pull open those doors and get that fresh smell of popcorn and nacho cheese, to get that musty smell of people who haven't showered and to smell that arcade, carpet air. And to eat ALL the pizza he can eat!! And to beat EVERYONE'S high score there!! And to play lot's and LOT'S of games with the Gems!! And to just. HAVE fun!! And he was going to start with that new Steven Tag game!! Yeahaaa!! This was going to be an AMAZING day!! He could just FEEL it-

"What. are YOU doing here!" a boisterous man yelled in his face from the opened door. 

"Wait you.. you work here too?!?! But when did you.. I was just here like a few months ago!" 

Mr. Smiley fixed him a glare. "Well me and my finances are of NONE of your business. Now, go! I'm not going to have some dog in my arcade!"

"Mr. Smiley! .. Can't we just.. put the past behind us already?! I'm sorry that happened! It was MY fault!! I asked her if we could-" 

"What?! UEHG!! NO! No, no, no!! I was NOT talking about that!" he shuddered. Then he quickly whispered, shaking his head. "And I was trying to get rid of that image too.." then he raised his voice once more. "I'm talking about _that_ dog!" he pointed at the sickly canine behind him. Panting and coughing behind him. 

Steven turned around and Mr. Smiley continued. "That dog. can _not_. come in."

Steven turned back around. "Aw, Mr. smiley but.. but he _needs_ me."

He shook his head. "No. NO ifs, ands OR buts.. NO animals allowed." then a beat later. "Especially an animal as sick as that." they two looked at the dog's running nose.

"But.. Mr. Smiley-" 

Amethyst pushed him out the way. "Welp, sucks to be _you_ then dude."

Mr. Smiley stepped to the side to allow Amethyst, then Pearl in. "Yo Mr. S. Got some of them spicy funyin rings here? A girl trynna chow down before she buys a few tokens to play some of these lame games here." 

"Why of course!" he piped up with a huge smile. "Right this way." he looked back, glaring at Steven. "I'm _watching_ you.." he growled out.. before turning back to Amethyst in a bright, chipper tone. "Okay, miss lady, come right this way." they walked off. "We have THE best spicy funyuns in town!" 

The door closed on them and Garnet caught it with her fingertips. "Hey." she said casually. 

He looked up at her, sad. 

She gave him a wink with her blue eye. "See you in here, T." 

"Huh?" _What was she getting at?_

She went into the building and he watched as the three went there on separate ways..

Amethyst beckoning her hand in a "keep going motion" as Mr. Smiley, with a weirded out expression on his face, as he continued dumping hotsauce onto the funyuns.. 

Pearl going to a racecar game and Garnet scouting for a game to play.

He sighed and walked away, sitting down on the curb right in front of the doors. The dog laid right next to him, looking up at him. "Maaaan.. I'm not sure what we should do, boy. You can't come in.. And I really want to go play some games, but I can't leave you out here all alone either.. hmm, think Universe." he put his hand on his chin, in thought. 

The canine licked his chops and laid his head down, closing his eyes. 

"Heheh I mean, that's _one_ thing to do.. but _I'm_ talking about something that's more fun!" 

Lion kept his eyes closed, going for his nice little nap. 

"Hm.. There must be _something_ we could do.." Steven looked around.. There was a touristy store, an ice cream shop, a hotdog stand and a balloon cart.. 

His eyes trailed back to the touristy shop.. a few clothes, including a nice, long, brown trenchcoat hanging outside of the store.

"Hmmmmmm...." he looked back at the sleeping dog.

......................

Steven entered the arcade with that said, expensive one hundred and fifty dollar trenchcoat. 

And _definitely_ not with a dog inside, behind his back..

He looked around. Mr. Smiley was nowhere to be seen. 

He walked over to the token station and put in a twenty dollar bill. Tokens started spilling out into the holder and he put them in both of his front pockets.

He raised his hand behind himself and started scratching his "back". "Okay, boy." he whispered. "Time to play some games." he felt the dog's tail wagging and hitting the trenchcoat. _Hopefully that's not noticeable._

He walked away, looking around the area. Skee-ball machines, air hockey, basketball hoop games, baseball games and various arcade systems were scattered all around the room. 

He walked down one side saw Pearl. Slouched back, one hand on the steering wheel, the other tucked casually in her pocket and a lollipop in her mouth. The white stick flicking up and down between her slim, smooth lips. One leg on the pedal and the other leg bent back, down to the side, resting on the platform of the metal underneath of the makeshift car.

"Hey, Pearl."

She looked over slightly, her attention going immediately back to the screen. She gave him an acknowledgement nod.

Steven chuckled. "Okay, I'll leave you alone, Pearl. Don't want to mess you up." she gave him another nod. 

"Guess I'll just.. play a game with you later then?" he walked away. 

"Hmmm.. what game should I play first.."

He saw Garnet from the corner of his eye and he walked up to her. "Hey, Gar-G." _Phewf, THAT was close.. How do they not slip up?_

She was standing in front of a very colorful, virtual arcade game. She flipped up the eye console. "Hey, T." she smiled. Her eyes going to the trenchcoat. "Hm, nice attire." she complimented.

He cheesed. "Thank you." _She.. she couldn't had noticed.. could she? _ Steven looked over behind her. "Hey, that looks new." he read the title. "The Gumdrop village.. What kind of game is that?" 

"It's a virtual game system. First, you choose your own avatar and then your own characters as apart of your group. And I'm still reading more about the game, but the main premise, is that everyone is trying to run away from the Evil Queen as she tries to snatch people up to do her bidding. And it is up to you, as the hero to save everyone and bring them all back to the home base before she gets them." she cheesed. "It looks pretty neat. Look." she took the console off and put it on Talc. 

Everything was even _more_ colorful. Marshmallow, chocolate bars and gingerbread houses. The sky, painted a cotton candy pink and blue with white chocolate clouds. Green, lollipop trees surrounded them and the dirt looked to be made of shaved cinnoman and chocolate. And the people (the characters looking like pieces of fruit or candy) were standing right in front of him. Most likely still in "choose" mode as one group on his left were highlighted and the the bigger group on the right weren't. And he could see a red arrow pointing down on one character in the non highlighted group. "Cooool." he felt the console being tugged off his head. "And it's cute." 

"I know. That's why I chose this game first." she put the head gear back on her head. "I'm picking my last couple of characters. Then I'm off to be the hero and help my people against the lady's clutches." she smiled heroically. 

"Nice. Well, have fun, Ga- G. Maybe we can play a round or two."

"Yes. Perhaps we can." she placed the set back on her eyes and turned around, lifting her arm out as she swiped across the air, selecting stuff on the "screen" in front of her.

Steven left her to focus on her game and started walking around once more. There were just SO many games to choose from! He didn't know where to start!

Until after a few more moments of looking around.. when he found a game that he hadn't played in years. 

_DONKEY KONG COUNTRY!! _

He ran towards it. 

..................................

He was just on level ten when he felt a tap on his shoulder. 

Too focused on the game. Mouth open in a huge grin, eyes wide as can be and his body leaning into the machine. He was glued. 

Another tap, harder on the shoulder. 

His smiled faltered slightly. "You'll get your turn." he moved his shoulder. "I'm about to beat." he continued pressing buttons on the console. 

Then.. a figure of a man step in front of him, arms crossed.. with a very, strict, mean expression on his face. 

Steven saw him from the corner of his eye, then he went back to the screen. 

..Only to realize what he was doing.. and what he'd intended to do.. which was.. stay _away_ from ..Mr. Smiley.. who was.. right.. in.. front of him.. 

_Uh oh.._

"Um.. hey ..Mr. Smiley...." he smiled nervously. 

The man narrowed his eyes on him. "Steven.." he growled. 

"Heya.. What's.......up?" 

"Really Steven.. A trenchcoat? What is this, a cartoon? What kind of person do you take me for?! I KNOW you have a dog under there!" 

He shook his head. "I don't have a dog under here. Heheh." 

And.. at the _oh_ so perfect timing.. Lion poked his head out from the collar and decided to nibble at the bottom tuff's of his curly hair. "Oh, whoops.." he gave Mr. Smiley another nervous grin. "Now how the heck did he get in there? Heheh.. must've... slid through while I wasn't.." Mr. Smiley leaned in, a snarl on his face. "looking..." then he shouted. "Aw come on, Mr. Smiley!"

"I want. that dog. OUT!" 

"But he's a REALLY good boy! He's not hurting anyone!" 

The dog bit his ear playfully and he resisted a wince. "Nnnnnn... See?" he grunted? "He's.. just getting a bug off my ear."

Mr. Smiley pointed at the doors and he sighed, walking slowly towards them.. passing Pearl who was now at a Zombie shooting game.. and passing Amethyst who was at the Skee-ball machine. The woman having climbed at the top and was throwing the balls inside the hole. And passing Garnet, who was in a run, one arm folded as if holding something while the other arm was just slightly above the other arm as if shielding whatever she was holding. A tense expression on her face as she looked all around her.

Mr. Smiley followed him out, slamming the door behind him. He sat back down on the curb, taking off the coat. The dog shook his fur. 

"Man, Lion.. Now I have to think of something else.. But what?" he pouted. He sat there. His elbows on his knees and hands on his face. He turned to Lion who was sniffing the ground. "What do you think we should do now? And don't say sleeping." 

Lion licked a candy wrapper on the ground and started sniffing around again. 

"Oh, you hungry huh? Yeah, I could go for a little snack too." he got up. "Come on." he whistled, patting his leg. "There's a nice little hotdog stand across the street. And don't worry, they don't serve _actual_ dogs. That's just the name." he joked. The dog tilted his head at him. "Heheh.. Ah, let's just go get some grub." He walked away and the dog started to follow him.


	82. Arcade Mania

Steven bought five hotdogs. Three plain for his canine buddy and two for him. One with relish and mustard and the other, ketchup and cheese. And he bought three bottles of water and a small little cup.

They went back across the street and Steven just so happened to look through the glass of the doors. Mr. Smiley was looking RIGHT at him. He gave a meekly wave to Mr. Smiley and the man gestured back with his two fingers towards his eyes, turning his two fingers towards him in an "I'm watching you" gesture. 

Steven nodded, giving the guy a nervous smile and a thumbs up. Then he turned around and sat down.. only to turn back around. Mr. Smiley was still staring at him.. The man slowly.. walking away.. and still.. staring at him.. 

Steven turned around with a sigh. The dog was already sniffing the food in the bag. "Whoa, whoa." he chuckled, throwing his arm above him. "Okay, hold your horses. You gotta be patient." he brought his hand back down and the dog was already over him, trying to get the bag in his hand. "Okay, okay, I'm getting it for you." he laughed. He put the white bag on the ground and took out one of the plain hotdogs that he'd placed at the top for easy access. He unwrapped the foil and placed the hotdog on the ground. Lion went right for it. 

Steven took the bread and threw it out into the parking lot where a few birds were pecking at a few crumbs on the ground. He took out another plain hotdog and placed it by the canine and threw the pieces of bread out into the parking lot. A couple more birds started to flock in from the roof of the building. 

He poured one of the waters into the small cup and placed it by the second hotdog before grabbing the one with relish and mustard for himself. He prayed over it and took a bit out of it. 

_Delicious~_

Lion went over to the second one, devouring it. 

"Good, isn't it?" he took another bite. "It's one hundred percent beef."

The canine finished the hotdog in just a couple more bites. He licked his nose then went for the water beside him. 

Steven took another bite and set the hotdog down. He took out a third one and placed it on the ground. Then quickly remembered the pill that Lion hadn't taken that day yet. He picked the hotdog back up before Lion could get to it and he dug into his pocket and took the plastic bag out. He took one pill out and pushed it inside of the hotdog and set it back down on the ground. Then he put the bag back in his pocket and went back to his hotdog, finishing it up in a few more bites.

Lion lapped up all of the water and went to the last hotdog on the ground. Steven refilled the bowl and took out the last hotdog, taking a bite of the cheesy, ketchupy goodness. 

Then.. his mind started to wonder.. thinking about the gems and how much fun they were having on their day off.. 

And without him..

He sighed, lowering the hotdog from his mouth. Lion looked at it. He licked his chops, slowly, sneaking over to his hand. 

He turned around, looking behind him. "I wonder how much fun they're having without me?" just as Lion was about to take a bite out of the hotdog, Steven got up. He walked up to the window and pressed his face up against the glass. His hands up to shield the sun and to get a better look inside. 

Garnet was still at the same spot, now ducking and waving her arm around as if swatting something away. Her other arm, still up, "holding something".

Amethyst was shooting hoops.

And Pearl was playing at another game he couldn't see the name of. The side of it being blocked by another game.

"Oooooohhhh.." he whined. "They're having SOOOO much fun without me!!" he swung his arms down, leaning his forehead down on the glass.. Eyes closed. And a frown on his face..

A bit of cheese dripped from the hotdog. Lion sniffed it, then licked it up off the ground before sniffing the hotdog in Steven's hand. He grabbed it with his mouth and tugged on it. "Huh.. huh?" he looked down. "Whoa, hey, no Lion. Cheese is bad for dogs." he leaned his arm back up. Lion chewed and swallowed the piece he managed to nab. He licked the cheese and ketchup from his lips. 

"Hm.. Fine, you win.. _again_." He wiped the cheese and ketchup from the hotdog and placed it on the ground by the empty water bowl and threw the cheesy, ketchup stained bread into the parking lot for the birds. 

He poured water into the bowl again, people walking inside of the arcade catching his eye. He looked to his side.. Everyone looked to be enjoying themselves.. 

And he looked..

..And kept looking at everyone having fun.. 

Then.. a devious thought came to his mind. He twisted the top of the second water bottle and got up. "You know what. I DON'T care what Mr. Smiley says! Lion." the dog didn't look up, drinking from the water again. "You AND I are going to go in there and have some fun!" he raised his fist in the air. "We just have to be more careful." 

The dog lapped up the last bit of water and looked up at him. "Yup! Now come on, buddy!" Steven threw the rest of the trash away. Keeping his water bottle in one pocket and Lion's water bottle, without the label, in the other. He picked up the dog gently._ He did just eat._ And opened the door slowly. He looked both ways and stopped at his left. Mr. Smiley had his back turned, getting a prize for a little kid. "This is it, buddy." Steven whispered and he ran inside. He saw Garnet still at the virtual similator, now crouched down and looking as if she was hiding behind something. Both arms looked to be carrying something as she looked behind herself. Hey Garnet." she didn't answer.

"Wow, she must really be into that game. Or, maybe she can't hear me." _And wait.. did I just call her Garnet before? Uh oh.. hopefully nobody heard that slip up.._ He looked around. Everyone seemed to be occupied with their games.

_Phewf.._

He took Another glance at her sweat, tensed face as she got up and started running again. The treadmill-like platform rolling under her to keep her in place.

_Wow.. must be some game.._

He jogged away, passing a few retro games and saw Pearl in the back. She was on one of the jet ski machines. 

He walked up to her. "Hey, P. Oh hey! You're about to play another game! Can I play this time with you?" he cheesed. 

She looked at him.. The boy bouncing on his toes. Then.. she nodded. "Eh, fine." 

"Yay!!" he climbed up to the platform and swung his leg over the jet ski. He placed the dog in front of him and pat his head. "There you go. Front in center Lion. You get a full view of me totally beating her at this game!" 

She scoffed. "Yeah, right. You have another thing coming, kid." 

He ignored the 'kid' remark and nodded. "Looks like you'll be eating your words very soon." 

The two put their tokens in and Pearl chose the track. They chose their jet skis and the game went to it's mark. The game beeping to its countdown.

_3........2........1........GO!_

The race started and somehow Pearl had a power boost, instantly going straight to first place in a matter of seconds. "How did you-?!"

"Heheh. Told ya." she said, smugly.

The race carried on. Steven trying to dodge the buoys and other obstacles while trying to pass other jet skiers around him. 

And all while Pearl was cruising along in first place. Easily dodging the obstacles and getting random power boosts that he didn't even get just once.

_How is she doing that?!_

"Wow uh.. You're.. pretty good, P." he leaned the jet ski left, the dog leaning with him. 

Pearl snorted. "You didn't see anything yet." 

"Huh? What do you mean?" 

She didn't answer him. Keeping a pleased, smug look on her face. 

They were nearing the last lap. Pearl still in first place and Steven in third, but steadily coming up to the second place person. 

She dodged another obstacle and hit two power boosts in a row. Then, she banked left, then right, then left again and the jet ski jumped up. The jet ski spinning in a full 360 degree circle as her avatar did a hand stand. Her points tripled. "How did you do that?!" 

Pearl snickered, not answering him. The avatar flipped right side up and sat back down as the jet ski slashed back into the water. She rode pass the finish line and the characters on the sidelines cheered for her. A few moments later and the second place character, with Steven coming in hot in third place flashed on screen. 

Pearl leaned back, folding her arms and giving him that posh smirk. 

"I let you win! I was just going easy on you." her smirk deepened. "Look, I'll prove it to you! Let me choose the track this time. And this time." he cracked his fingers. "I'll give it ALL I got." 

Pearl rounded her shoulders. "Suuureee. So you say." 

The two put their tokens in and Steven chose his favorite track, that he was really REALLY good at. 

The game went to its mark. 

Steven leaned forward. Eyes narrowed and focused. 

_....2........1........GO!_

Another random power boost from Pearl, but that didn't discourage him. He kept going. Eyes narrowed in determination and hands holding tightly on to the handlebars. 

He bobbed left and bobbed right. Easily dodging the obstacles and riding pass everyone. 

Everyone except. Pearl. 

Who was RIGHT behind him, in first place. 

The race continued. Pearl with her random power boosts and Steven still holding second place and half way behind her. 

They passed the finished line, now in the last lap. 

Another power boost and Pearl kept her distance in front of him. 

_How is she doing that?! Come on, COME on.. I need a power boost too!_ He tilted left and right in his jet ski, while twisting his hands against the handlebars. Eyes still focused on the screen until-

_Zrooooomm!!_ His jet ski got a power boost.

"Hey! I did it!" he crashed into the side on screen and he titled the jet ski downwards as his power boost continued to push the jet ski slowly away from the side. Lion was falling and he let go of the handlebar and held the dog. "Sorry, Lion." the jet ski blasted down the lap. And he pushed his self back up. He could see Pearl right in front of him again. 

Pearl got another power boost and Steven did the same thing he did before. Tilting the jet ski left and right and twisting the handlebars. His jet ski on screen was going on spurts as he got his random power boosters that didn't last as long as the first one he got before. 

And there was the finish line..

Pearl went to another lower boost that didn't last long and Steven kept at his spurts, getting closer and closer to her.

_Almost got her._

Pearl's jet ski started going on spurts. The two nearing the finish line. 

Just one last, small spurt of a power boost from Pearl and her jet ski crossed the finish line with Steven coming in a very close second. 

"Aw man! I almost had it!" he turned to Pearl, all smiles. "How about another round? I almost had you that time!" he cheesed. 

She thought about it. "Well.. I suppose we could play just _one_ more ga-"

Mr. Smiley was just coming around the corner, talking to a young woman. Her son holding her hand. "Oh no! Mr. Smiley!" he cut Pearl off. 

"What?"

Steven tried getting off, nearly stumbling and tilting the jet ski to the left, the canine trying to keep his balance as the boy fell off and on the platform. He got up, scrambling to his feet. "Come on, Lion." he grabbed the dog and bolted down the hall, looking for somewhere to hide and then he saw it.. 

The photo booth. 

And nobody was in there! 

He ran in and pulled back the curtain. He sat Lion down beside him. "I hope he didn't see us." he whispered. 

A few moments of waiting and he pulled the curtain back slightly. Mr. Smiley was just walking pass, still talking to the woman and her son. Steven watched as they made their way down and towards the small, pizzeria area

He let go of the curtain and leaned back. "Phewf.. That was close." 

A sudden flash of light caught his eye in front of him and he looked up. The loop of the video having went back to the beginning, showing various pictures of people in wacky filters. 

"Hmmmmm.." he looked at the dog. "You're thinking what I'm thinking?" 

Lion tilted his head at him. 

"That's right! Photo booth pictures!!" he cheered. He leaned over to the screen. "Oooooo, I hope this one has a safari theme." he pressed the necessary buttons. 

"There." he leaned back. "Alright, look boy." he gestured to the camera. The filter of dinosaurs and large, prehistoric-looking leaves in the background. 

The timer was counting down.

"Quick! Make a face Lion! It's about to take our picture!" Steven slid to his right to look like he was underneath of the T-Rex that had its mouth open in a roar. He made a scared face. "AHHHH!! It's going to eat me!!" Lion looked at him and started licking his face just as the camera snapped their photo. And Steven let out a chuckle he was holding as he slid back up. "Lion! No kisses!" he laughed. "You're suppose to be paying attention to the camera." he wiped his cheek off with his sleeve.

The timer was counting down again.

"Oh! Quick! It's counting down again!"

This filter. The background pink with pink and red hearts and stars and shooting stars and smiley faces scattered everywhere. 

"Make a face!" he stuck out his tongue. "Llllllllllll." 

The dog sat there, looking at him. 

The camera took their picture.

  
  


The two friends took their last pictures and Steven picked him back up and jumped out of the booth, pivoting around and waiting for the pictures to come out.

The squares slid out of the slot and he took them, looking at them. He squealed. "Lion! These are amazing! Wow, you sure are photogenic, buddy. Especially with these last two."

The third picture, being of them in space and Lion looking like he was smiling, as his tongue was stuck out in a pant. The two of them in astronaut costumes and floating in space. Planets, stars and asteroids around them. And the fourth picture of them in a desert. Lion's face being plastered on an actual lion's body and Steven's face being on a safari guy's body. With his safari hat and uniform and holding a boomerang in his hand. 

He laughed some more. "This is definitely going on the fridge." he carefully folded the pictures within each other and even more carefully tucked it in his front pocket. "Alright, Lion. Let's see what the rest of the Gems are up to." he started walking away from the booth.

He walked back up the hall and turned the corner to see none other than Amethyst herself, at a wack-A-mole machine. He jogged up to her. "Hey, Am." 

She turned around. "Yo." then she looked at the dog in his hands. "Still babying the pitbull I see." 

"Yeah, I uh.. I'm kinda.. on the run right now. So it's faster just picking him up in my arms." 

"Hm.. being a delinquent, huh?" she nodded slowly. "Nice." she went back to the machine.

"So.. can I play a game with you?" he set the dog down. 

She looked at him. Then looked down and back up. "Sure. I think you've _wacked_ enough before to know how to play this game." 

"Huh?! I don't, I've never.." he stuttered. "I-" 

She snickered. "Whatever dude. Just put your tokens in."

Ignoring the heat on his cheeks, he put the tokens in. 

And the game lit up as the little critters' high pitched laughing came out of the small speakers of the machine. 

The moles came out sporadically, pulling their heads back in and jumping back out of their holes. 

Steven and Amethyst went at it, going for the small, cackling creatures. 

And Amethyst was really, _really_ good at it. Hitting just about every one that stuck it's head out.

"Wow." he threw his mallet down and missed one that'd went back in its hole. "You're really fast Amethyst."

"Pfft. You've seen how fast I was at the Wrestling match, but it's during this game that you're just realizing that?" she scoffed. She hit four moles, effortlessly, in a row. 

"Right.." he tried for another hit, barely hitting the head of one mole and going for another one. "I also saw how fast you could go during yesterday's mission. When you were doing that, spikey, rolling flips on the roof of the tower." 

"Ah, you mean my spin dash." she hit two and went for another one.

"A 'spin dash'? Is that for every Crystal Gem or is it one of those weapons that only certain Gems have?"

"Only quartzes have them."

"Quartzes?" _What does that even mean? I don't know ANYTHING about gems.._

"Yup. Carnelians, Amethysts, Citrines, and Rose and Cherry quartzes, just to name a few." then a beat later. "And Jaspers can do it too. Like the one that you saw at the wrestling building." 

"Oh, you mean the guy with a lot of hair?" 

"Yup, that's him. And he had Peridot install the same thing for his daughter's suit."

_So his daughter's in it to? So.. she was born into it.. Just like Peridot?_ He went for a few more moles, only hitting two of them.

"But don't worry, dude. You should be getting your shield soon. And your GemTech clothing."

_That's.. not what I was getting at when I told her that.. I was just.. making conversation._

But, he played it off. "I'm curious how the shield is going to look." 

"Eh, who knows. Peridot is FULL of surprises." 

The game went on for a few more moments before the moles went back into their holes one last time. The score showed on the screen, with Amethyst having three times as many wack counts as Steven.

"Also, dude. I'm surprised that you would even play wack-a-mole. Not with the whole "bopping animals on the head" thing." 

"Y, yeah.. I was like that before actually.." he slowly looked to the mallet. Then saying slowly. "But.. it's.. just a game."

"Game or not. I still can't believe it." she said, with a sly grin on her face. "It seems, out of character for you." 

"It's, fine Amethyst-" he saw her putting the mallet down. "Oh, wait. Did you, want to play another round?" 

"Neh, I don't do seconds with losers." 

"Then, we can do another game together." he suggested.

She looked at him and rolled her eyes. "Wow, you're as bad as your dog. Following people around.. Acting like a lost puppy."

"So.... is.. that a yes?" he cheesed.

She gave him a leveled stare. "Are you kidding me?" 

He shook his head, his smile getting wider. 

"Fine. Whatever.." she walked off. 

"Yay!" he quietly cheered and picked the dog up and followed her, passing Garnet who was still deeply engrossed in the game. 

She stopped at a batting range.

"Wow, Amethyst. You don't seem like a baseball kind of person." he set Lion down. 

"Yeah, well. You don't _know_ me anyway. Also, I'm definitely more of a soccer person anyway." she put her tokens in. "But they don't have a soccer game apart from that lame foosball table crap."

Steven put his tokens in. "Maybe if you write it in the suggestion box, he'll have someone install a little soccer field here." 

The game lit up and their cardboard cut-out pitchers started throwing baseballs at them.

"Neh. I'm not going to waste my time doing that." she swung and hit the baseball, the ball flying back and hitting the "hundred points" line.

"Just, thought I should let you know." he swung and he missed. "If he gets a lot of suggestions then maybe next time when you come back, it'll be here. And you can play." he swung harder, barely hitting the baseball, the ball falling to the ground and rolling, hitting the bottom of the screen. No points. 

She swung and hit the baseball and it soared back, going through the home run hole. Doubling her points. "T, it's not like I'm going to be here everyday. It's not important." she swung and hit the ball. It went through the home run hole. "Besides, what's important now, is me whipping your tail at a game that's not even popular in my country." 

"I was just letting you win!" 

"Yeah, I'm calling you out on that." she swung the bat.

"Really! Watch. I'm going to play serious now." he swung, missing the ball. 

She looked at him, raising an eyebrow. 

"Sweaty hands." he made an excuse and wiped his hands on his jeans. 

The two continued to swing their bats. Amethyst hitting every baseball and Steven, hitting a few. And the few he was hitting, barely hit the "fifty points" lone.

_Aw, come on. I just need one little home run! _ he whined in his mind. 

He swung the bat. _Strike Out_. He groaned. 

"Heheh, looks like you're still "letting me win"." she joked.

"No! It's something wrong with the pitcher's throwing."

She snorted. "Yeah right."

"It is! He keeps throwing me balls!" he whined.

"Well, duh. That's the object of the game." 

"No! I mean the machine keeps pitching either too high or too low and not even close to my plate-" 

"YOU JUST DON'T, LISTEN, DO YOU!" Mr. Smiley yelled behind them and Steven jumped. 

Steven pivoted around. "Mr. Smiley!" a baseball hit him in the back of his curly hair and he heard the low whirring sound indicating the game being over. 

The man opened his mouth to say something, then something caught his eye and he gasped, pointing "AND YOUR DOG IS PEEING ON MY CARPET!!" 

Steven turned to look just as Lion was putting his leg back down. The dog, walking back over. 

He turned back to the man. "Sorry, Mr. Smiley! He just had a lot of water to drink and he's not houebro-"

"I DON'T CARE!! I WANT. YOU OUT!! NOW GO!! BEFORE I BAN YOU AND YOUR GIRLFRIEND BOTH FROM THE ARCADE!!" 

"What?! But, but that's not fair to her!" he squeaked.

"Yeah, man." Amethyst placed a hand on Steven's shoulder. "It's not that serious, Mr. Smiley." she said casually.

"But, but Purple Puma." he whined. "This boy's-

There was a huge explosion at the front of the arcade. Glass and chunks of wood flew into the building. People started screaming, going for cover as seven guys in black suits and white shades stepped through the opened area. The white flames on their suit jackets shone in the sunlight behind them. A flock of six wedge-tailed eagles flew around them. Each bird, landing on a shoulder of the men.

A slim guy stepped forward from the middle. "Well, well, well.. Alright folks. You give me what I want and I won't do any more damage to the area." he rolled his back up, looking around at the people in the arcade. "Now where is the blond boy who goes by the name.. of Onion." 


	83. Trying to take action

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Without saying too much, because I ooobviously don't want to spoil anything ;P  
Garnet's dialogue at the end if this chapter is written in italics (since she's speaking in Igbo).  
So, instead of writing the Igbo language, (like what I've done for Amethyst in Spanish, Peridot in Japanese and the convenient store girl in Amharic and then putting the English translation after it), Igbo is pretty hard to find translations for, so I just decided to just write the English translation in italics instead.

Steven watched as the dust finally started to settle.. And Mr. Smiley cautiously walked to the three intimidating guys. The main, slim one, who's hair was jet black with gray streaks turned slightly to the man. "Ah, you must be the owner." 

Mr. Smiley nodded his head, meekly, his head ducked between his shoulders. "Look.. I.. I don't want any trouble." 

"Aye, we ain't trynna start nuthin' wiff ya, ya ole geiser." he chuckled and his posse chuckled with him. A black tooth-shaped object blinking blue showing through the laughter.

Amethyst raised her ring to her mouth and pressed a button. She whispered. "P... G.. You seeing what I'm seeing?" 

A second later and then a "Yes." from Pearl. "The guys in the black suits and white shades. Think they're the same ones from the UK and the North Dakota incident? As well as leaving that blade down in West Virginia?" 

"That could very well be them or another group." she whispered. "Either way, let's suit up in the bathroom. We're taking these guys down." 

"Affirmative." 

Amethyst turned around. "You heard the plan. Suit up. We're going to get rid of these guys." she ran pass him. 

  
  


"Man, all we're here for, is our little buddy Onion." he smiled, casually. "Home boy left without telling us." a beat later. "He also took a little something from us. And, as you know, we want it back. And we just can't have him just up and do that now, can we?" he stepped forward, his smile dropping to a more serious look. "Now, where is he? A little birdy." he looked up at the dark brown bird on his left shoulder, before looking back at Mr. Smiley. "told us that he was here. Now you tell us where he is, or I have the birds and my guys burn this whole place to the ground." 

"Please! I have NO clue where he is! Honest!" 

  
  


"You hear that, Lion? Duty calls." Steven whispered to the canine and picked him up. 

  
  


Thankfully the bathroom was completely empty. Steven ran for one of the stalls and closed the door. He set the dog down and started taking off his shirt. He took the pink mask out of his pocket and put it on. Then he slid the ring on, turning the gem towards the inside of his hand. "Okay. Ready." then he looked down at the dog. "Hm.. but _you_ don't have a disguise.." 

He looked at the black shirt in his hand, then back at the dog. "Hm.. Maybe if I could.." he bent down, trying to tie the shirt up a certain way. He tried it a second time, then a third time. "Oh, come on.. How can I do this?" 

There was another huge explosion and he jumped. "Uh, forget about tying!" He threw the shirt over the dog's head, stopping just behind his eyes and mouth. "Now, come on, Lion. We have to go fight with the Gems." he ran and the dog huffed as it tried to keep up.

Steven pushed open the bathroom door. Dust and debris coated the area in front of them, as a portion of the aracde was now engulfed in an electrical fire. 

He watched as people barely escaped through the gaping holes of the building. Others were too scared, hiding behind arcade games. 

"Onion!" the man shouted. "Come out! I know they're hiding you in here." 

Steven took a few steps and from his view, just on the right side, he could see Onion hiding up against the bottom cabinets of the prize booth counter. The two locked eyes. And Onion shook his head feverishly. A shocked expression on his face. 

Steven heard a loud chuckle in front of him. "Oh? Is he right there?" Steven turned around. The man was looking right at him. Steven shook his head. 

"Hm." he nodded with a grin. "Thank you for your cooperation." he dashed towards the booth.

"Wait! No!" Steven ran towards him. The dog barely keeping up. 

He jumped up on the counter and looked down. "Heheh, THERE you go!" he growled, pulling the young man up by his hair. 

Onion's face only showed his shock, but the boy never yelled or said one peep. 

The man pressed a button on his glasses. "I got the boy. Fall back everyone." 

There was a grunt on the other end. "Gotcha, Jet. We're on our way back. -Ack!" there was a sound of something hard hitting the ground then a screech of a bird. "Now get the bird, Pearl!" Amethyst was heard faintly in the background. 

Right before Steven was about to shout out, he remembered the voice changer on his mask. He pressed it. "Let him go!" he demanded. 

He looked at the star on his shirt, then at Onion. "Hm.. so it's that why you left? To.. be with the Crystal Gems, hm? Think they're.. better than us?" a creepy smile spread across his face. 

Onion shook his head, his hands in his hair as Jet kept his grip on it. 

"Now.. I don't believe you.." Jet looked over at Steven again. 

"Wow, interesting how you're actually helping him. I thought that it was every Crystal Gem for yourself? Isn't that the motto?" 

"He's NOT a Crystal Gem. And I don't have to live by the motto!" he pointed at the man. 

"Wow! Never thought I would hear a Crystal Gem _not_ go by their own motto." 

"I SAID 'LET HIM GO' !" he shouted. 

"Or what?" he slid off the counter, sliding Onion roughly off the table with him. His grip still hard on the boy's blond locks. "What's going to happen? You and Scooby over here going to take me down?" he chuckled. 

Steven looked at the dog, then back at the guy. "...Well I can try.." he took a poor, fighting stance.

"HA! You 'can try'.. Even your dialogue is pathetic. You aren't even confident enough in your own self." he straighten up. "Okay then. Come and get him." he raised his arm out, dragging Onion forward.

He looked at the boy, then at the smug grin on Jet's face. _Okay, Universe.. you've.. never fought before in your whole entire life.. but.. but it shouldn't be that hard! Just throw your fists around! Maybe you can land a good, clean hit!_

He ran towards him, lifting one arm up, the wrapped hand, close to his body. 

Jet scoffed. "Pathetic, injured pric." he turned around, just as Steven got close to him, throwing his leg into a high, roundhouse kick, slamming his foot into Steven's neck. The boy slamming into the counter. He groaned in pain. 

"Heh. _Too_ easy.." he spat out. He turned, the dog was right in front of him. Growling. 

"And what is _this_ dog gonna do? He already has one leg in the grave" he looked at Steven, slowly getting to his knees as he held his neck. 

The dog wheezed.

"Eh, what the heck. Might as well put you out of your misery."

Steven got up to his feet, holding his neck, wincing. Then he looked up. "Huh." he saw Jet just a few feet from Lion. The dog half growling, half wheezing. 

Steven looked around, grabbing a random Thor hammer that was left on the counter. He ran towards the man, hammer held up high. 

"Hm." Jet smiled. He turned around, stopping Steven's arm and kneeing him in his chest. He grunted, bending over and he felt his hair being pulled up. "Did you _really_ think that was going to work?" he growled in his fsce. 

"K,... Kinda.." he whined. 

"Wow, you really are dense." he turned, throwing Steven hard into the floor by the canine. He leaned up on one arm. Jet was pulling a gun from his pocket. "Might as well take both of you out. Payback for making me waste my time." By instinct now, Steven, swiped across the ground just as the man clicked the revolver. The pink bubble formed around them as a round of bullets fired at them. Steven closed his eyes for a split second, before realising again that.. the bubble could easily shield them from bullets. 

"..What?" Jet looked at the gun, then at the bubble. 

Steven got up slowly. 

"Whatever.. _so_ you can defend yourself from bullets! You STILL can't get me! And I STILL have the boy!" he cackled. And with a pivot, he ran off. 

"Oh, no you don't." Steven growled under his breath. He followed the man outside, leaving the steadily flame growing arcade and passing a_ hopefully unconscious_ Mr. Smiley on the sidewalk..

Three of the eagles he'd saw before were on the cement dead, both with their heads cut off. 

"What the f-" he growled. He ran to the side of the building. They passed by another bird and three dead bodies. 

"Son of a..." he looked at the bloody area. He picked up his pace, going to the back of the building. 

  
  


Pearl dodged a punch from a guy. His shades and suit muddied from the fight. She lunged for him, throwing her spear into his chest, pushing it deep into the man's body, killing him instantly.

Amethyst tackled the second guy. He slid across the grass. Dirt and twigs getting caught in his blond hair. She threw her whip, wrapping it around his neck. She put her foot on his chest as he wheezed. "Now. I'm going to ask you again.." she growled. "Who.. are you all working for.."

The guy choked. "Like.. like I would ever.." he heaved. "tell you.." he smiled. His face swollen from the previous punches from earlier. 

Amethyst tightened the whip and he choked more. "You really want to do this?" she hissed out. She tightened the whip more and the man started turning red. She got in his face. "_Tell_ us."

He tried to laugh, but was quickly losing his oxygen. He gagged. "You might as well kill me. For I will never tell you who sent us." 

Amethyst growled out, stepping off of him. She threw the whip in the air and threw her arms down, the rope slamming the guy down on the ground. "Tell us!! Tell us who you're working for!!" 

He gagged more. "N,.no." he was barely audible. 

She growled out louder. She took the whip up and slammed him back down. He heaved, barely moving. She flipped him over him. "I said.TELL US!!" 

He choked out, trying to say something. A smile on his face as blood dripped from his nose and mouth.. He heaved once more and.. stopped moving. His face stuck in a grin. 

"NO!!!" she unraveled the whip, punching the corpse in his face. 

  
  


Jet stopped in his tracks, trying to figure out a plan. Watching Amethyst as she stood back up. A snarl on her face. A wild look in her eye. And Pearl, holding another guy's head, in an arm lock. The bird screeching, pecking at her. She ignored it. Her attention solely on Amethyst. 

Jet turned around, dodging Steven easily. 

The boy stepped on a certain part of the bubble, stopping instantly. He looked at Jet. The man chuckling in front of him. Still gripping on to Onion's hair.

Steven continued the stare, until he heard wheezing and hacking from the dog. He looked down immediately, breaking the stare. "Oh no, Lion.." he held the dog's head. "You're tired of running.. I made you run all that time.. Sorry, boy.." he pet the dog a few times and swiped the side of the bubble. "There. Now you don't have to be forced to run anymore." he took a few steps away from the dog. His attention back on Jet. 

Amethyst looked over. "Good. Looks like Talc is keeping him occupied for a bit." she turned back around, running towards her henchman. "Pearl." she held her whip up. "Let go." 

The woman let go and swiped at the bird with her spear just as Amethyst threw her whip around the teen's torso. She ran up to him just as the bird flew away from Pearl and towards Lion. "Now. Are YOU going to talk?!" she pushed him to the ground with her foot, keeping her boot on his chest. "Or do you want to end up like your little friends." she threatened in a hiss.

"No! Please!" 

"Then TELL us! Who are you working for!!" 

"I don't know!! Honestly, I just got recruited! They barely told me anything!" 

"Then what _did_ they tell you!" 

"That-"

"Don't you DARE say anything!!" Jet yelled out. 

"Pearl." she gestured at the man with her chin. "Get his ass." 

She nodded and got up, spear in hand, passing Lion who was now eyeing the last eagle in a stare down and passing Steven. She held the spear up, throwing it towards him. 

He tried to dodge it, but the head of the spear hit his shoulder. He tried going for the gun on the other side and she tackled him.

Steven stood there, not sure what to do.

"I'll ask you. ONE more time." Amethyst whispered. "What. do you know?"

"I.. I just know.. that when they kidnapped me.. they told me that I was apart of an organization. And that they have something big planned for the whole world!"

"What plan?!"

"I don't know! They said that once I pass my probation period, that they would tell me everything! But, the only thing I know.. is that I was assigned to the group to get that guy over there." he pointed his trembling finger at Onion who was running over towards Steven. Amethyst looked back at the teen, glaring at him. "They kidnapped him too about a month after me. It was my job to keep watch and I failed! He took my popcorn and ran off and, and it was all my fault!" 

"What.." she whispered, in disbelief. She thought about how she'd saw Onion that night, when they were leaving the woman's house.. 

The boy stepping out of the woods, with the popcorn in his hand..

_When we were leaving the rich lady's house.._

_And they were most likely the ones who left that battle ax at that jewelry store too.._

_NO!_

She squeezed the rope tighter. "WHAT ELSE CAN YOU TELL ME!!" 

"Please." he wheezed. "I wasn't doing much else. This is my first mission. The whole entire time I was in training at their site." 

"WHAT SITE?!!!"

"I don't know! They knocked me out unconscious and when I woke up, I was in an area heavily surrounded by trees.. And.. it practically rained there every day.."

"That could be ANYWHERE!" 

"I know!! I'm sorry!!" 

  
  


Steven and Onion watched as Pearl swiped at the man's chest with her spear. He grunted and she punched him the face.

Steven stood there with the boy.. His mind now going over to Garnet.. Everyone seemed to be doing fine and now Onion was free.. But.. Garnet had yet to be seen..

_She can't still be.. in the arcade? _

"Um.." he looked at the boy. "Looks like you're free, Onion." he gave him a thumbs up. "So.. I guess you're free to go." he smiled. 

Onion looked at him with a neutral expression on his face. 

"Yeah...." he took a few steps away and Onion's eyes followed him. "I have to go.. But, uh.. stay safe! And.. try not to anger any more bad guys, okay?" he jogged away from him. "Good boy, Lion!" he shouted and kept his pace. 

Onion watched as the boy ran down the side of the building to the front. 

Lion lunged for the eagle and the bird flew up. He looked up, keeping his eye on the bird.

  
  


"I KNOW you're hiding something else!" Amethyst tightened the rope.

He gagged. "I.. okay! Okay! Please.. the last thing I know.. Is.. is that I was recruited by a very tall woman with blue eyes with diamond contacts and light blue hair! When I woke up, it was her and some little girl with her. I couldn't really see her face.. Her hair was over her eyes and she was nearly hidden from the woman's robe."

_It can't be.._

Amethyst's heart began to race. "The woman! What else was she wearing!! Did she have any jewelry on!?" 

He looked up, shocked. "Y, yes! She had some kind of emblem on her chest.. But I couldn't see the whole thing." he shuttered under Amethyst's glare. "The top part was a point.. And.." he tried to think of what else was on the piece of jewelry.

Pearl had Jet, now a dead corpse, on the ground. She held her spear up and swiped down and Onion stared on as Pearl cut through the guy's mouth, taking a small piece of his gum out. The black tooth-shaped object blinking blue still wedged in. She started walking towards Amethyst.

Lion stood by, holding the bird, still alive in his weak jowls

  
  


"..And.. and the outline was blue. I remember two points at the end on both sides! Maybe.. it was a triangle or something?" 

"A _diamond_." she corrected with a snarl. 

Pearl stopped in her tracks. "Diamond?" 

Amethyst looked up. "Blue Diamond.. and her new Pearl.." 

Pearl held in a gasp. Her face stern in a cover of her true feelings. "So we have our lead." she looked down at the teen sobbing. 

Amethyst nodded, looking back at the boy.

"Please." he pleaded. "Honest, that's all I know." he breathed out.

Amethyst gave him a levelled stare, before getting up. She nodded and walked away. Pearl and the boy looking at her. "Pearl." the woman straighten up. "Get rid of him." she started walking over to the dog. 

"NOO!! Please!!" he pleaded. 

Pearl brought her spear down to his throat.

  
  


Lion started backing up and Amethyst held a hand up. "Relax, dog." she knelt down slowly. "Give. the bird. here." she gestured with her hand patting the ground. 

Lion hesitated before walking over to her. He stopped and she took the bird from his mouth. "Hm.. you managed to keep it alive.. This could probably be of some use to Peridot." she got up as Pearl was approaching her. "Let's go." 

The two of them, with Lion right behind them, walked back to the side of the building and Amethyst stopped just at the front of the smoking building. "Hm.. I wonder if Garnet and Talc are fighting off more people in the building." 

"That would explain why we hadn't seen her during the fight." 

"Pearl, hurry and get the car. And take this with you." she handed her the injured, squawking bird. "I'll go inside. Maybe I'll get more information out of these guys." 

Pearl nodded and ran the opposite way of the building and Amethyst ran towards the front, jumping through the flames. 

Everyone was gone. 

Say for Steven, who was on the ground, grabbing at Garnet's legs. He shook her. "Garnet! You NEED to snap out of it! It's only a game!"

And Garnet.. in front of the virtual arcade game.. She thrashed around in his arms, screaming. Then she fell back, panting, crying. The eye piece of the headset popped off. "_No!!_" she yelled. 

"Garnet.." Steven said gently. He raised his arm up and hesitated, before putting his hand lightly on her shoulder. 

She got up slowly, sitting on her knees. 

She sobbed in front of them. Her back facing Amethyst and Lion. 

"_I couldn't save them.. again.."_ she sobbed into her hands. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yup, folks! So it looks like that there _was_ a reason why Onion was randomly in West Virginia eating a bag of popcorn xP
> 
> Also... We ACTUALLY got a FIRST diamond name drop?!?! And it's NONE other than BLUE Diamond and her Pearl?!?! *0*


	84. Too deep a parallel..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since the dream sequence is in italics, just wanted y'all to know that yes, Garnet is still speaking in Igbo.

Steven stopped just in front of the building. Fire was slowly eating up the rest of the walls and up to the roof. The flames, steadily heading to the back of the building. He took a breath, hoping that his _non_ GemTech pants and flip flops wouldn't catch fire.. And he jumped through the smoke and inside the heat. 

He took a step just as a piece of the roof fell down towards him. He yelped, backpedaling away from the flame engulfed wood and he ran towards the back.

And he turned the corner to see Garnet.. 

..still there..

..and still playing that game..

He ran over to her. "Garnet! You're still playing the game?!" he couldn't believe it.. Even someone like _him_ wouldn't had been this glued to a video game-

"_Don't worry.." _she whispered. Her face tense. Sweat poured from her temple. "_I'll save everyone.. Just stay close to me.." _

"Huh?" he looked up at her, then to her helmet. _Maybe..I should.._ He looked down at the second virtual headset sitting on the machine.

He hesitated.. before picking the helmet up. He read the instructions at the side of the machine and put in the five dollar bill and the helmet started to glow. He put it on. 

A few candy, fruit and cookie type of characters came across the screen and he quickly chose anything. 

A vanilla waffer character dressed in a red jester clothing. Complete with red, cotton candy hair and a chocolate mustache. 

He pressed 'confirm' and saw a shining, white light engulfing the screen that lasted for a few moments as he was transported into the game- 

_Something exploded right in front of him and he fell back into the cinnamon, chocolate mud. "Whoa.." he looked around. He was in the Gumdrop village.._

_He looked around to see the cute, colorful characters running for their lives and screaming as watermelon helicopters continued to drop watermelon seed bombs onto the area._

_Steven gasped, looking around the rest of the area. He pushed his self up and.. was looking down at his red gloved hands. "Huh?" he stood up and turned them over, looking at the back of his hands and his arms. Then he looked down at his white tights and red, strawberry dress shoes. _

_"I'm.. I'm the _actual_ character." he said with such awe. He pat at his soft, cotton candy hair, then touched his chocolate mustache. "Cool.."_

_Another explosion, closer to him and he turned around. The green lollipop trees had fell to their sides. The green faces of them, shattered or cracked and the white sticks, broken in two or bent._

_"I need to find Garnet." he said to himself. He looked around. "She said.. something about a safety base.. But.. where is it?" He turned behind him, looking at the crushed gingerbread and chocolate bar houses. The colorful characters still running from various places of the village and towards the trees._

_He turned back, going towards the broken lollipop trees instead, right along with them. He ran down the lollipop forest, looking all around him. Up at the cotton candy sky and the white chocolate clouds. Some, now burnt and crumbled from the watermelon helicopters that were still flying above them. _

_Steven followed the characters down the hill, running out of the forest and into a muddy, chocolate sauce dirt path. He looked to his side to see the rest of the area. They looked to be on a mountain of some sort. The cliff not too far from them. He could see the rest of "nature". Majority of the lollipop forests having been destroyed and the blueberry juice river rushing fast below them. And Hershey kiss mountains miles away from them. The lemon sun just above the horizon. _

_He picked up his pace to keep up with everyone sliding through the mud as they half jogged and half climbed down the steep area._

_Steven caught his self a few times, but managed to slip on a piece of kiwi flower at the very end of the hill and fell face first in the mud. He groaned, the chocolate sauce and cinnamon dripping from his face._

_"Come on. We're almost there, everyone." he heard a familiar voice.. Though he was second guessing himself with how frantic and scared the voice sounded. _

_A tall, strong built figure jumped over his head and landed and slid hard across the chocolate sauce, still keeping its balance. It turned around. "You." it looked at Steven. "Come on, we have to go. The Queen is right behind us." it was carrying one red gumdrop infant in one hand and one blue gumdrop infant in another. _

_"Huh?" he got up to his feet. "Garnet? Is that you?" He looked at the tall, thick-built gumdrop character. _

_"Come on! Let's go! I'll keep her distracted! But you and everyone else has to go!"_

_What is she saying?.._

_"Garnet! You have to stop playing this game! The arcade is on fire! And Amethyst and Pearl are probably wondering where we are!"_

_A loud crash of trees fell behind him and he jumped. The Gumdrop's face looked on in horror. "She's coming!!" she yelled. She looked back down at Steven. "Please!! Just go!! I'll hold her back!!" _

_More characters ran pass Steven and he turned around. An extremely, extreeeemely tall molded Squash woman with thick, licorice black lips and rotten plum eyes was just behind them._

_Steven screamed and fell back as more characters ran pass him and jumped over him._

_He froze. Unable to move._

_Then he thought. "Wait.. this is just a game.."_

_But.. that lady was just SO huge and rotten and scary looking.. It caught him off guard.._

_He got up slowly, watching the lady as she picked up a handful of characters in her hands. They screamed and shouted out for help._

_Suddenly a huge brownie rock was thrown at her face. Hitting her right between the eyes. She screeched and droppd the characters as she brought her hands to her face, screeching._

_"Everyone is now free!! Come on! Let's go to the base!!" Steven heard Garnet say something else in what he could safely assume was her native language.. and the characters that were freed from the Queen's clutches were now running pass him._

_He felt a hand grab his arm and he looked. It was the Gumdrop lady. The two infants being held in one arm now. "Why are you still standing here?! Do you WANT her to kidnap you and take you to her enclosure to be apart of her menagerie?!"_

_He didn't know what she was saying.. but she sounded extremely mad. "I.. I don't know what you're saying, Garnet." he whined, shaking his head. _

_"Then go!" she tugged at his arm._

_With the pain finally subsiding, the Queen dropped her hands from her face and roared. _

_"We have to go. Now!" she tugged him along, forcing him to run with her._

_He looked behind him. The molded squash lady was stomping towards them with her dull, apricot shoes. And the middle of her forehead and between the eyes, now molded.. And Steven caught on that, she most likely looked pristine, but with every injury, she gets molded and rotten.. _

_"There's the base!" he heard the Gumdrop person say something in her foreign language and he turned back around to see what she was yelling about.. He saw a chocolate cake building. A graham cracker fence surrounding it and green, luscious parsley for grass._

_He had to admit that the building looked pretty adorbs.. BUT he had a serious task at hand. And that was to pull her away from this game. _

_"Garnet!" he tried tugging his arm away from her grasp. "Garnet, you have to snap out of it!!" he looked up at the purple character. Her attention solely on the safety base._

_"It's no use.." he said to himself. "I'll need to make her lose.."_

_But how?_

_He looked all around, then back at her, then down at the ground. His eye catching her small feet. _

_With her choosing a top heavy character.. Maybe this'll work?_

_He sighed. "Sorry, Garnet."_

_He stuck out his foot, clipping the Gumdrop character. She fell forward, turning her body away, to shield the infants from the fall as she fell hard on her back. _

_She looked up at him with such shock and horror on her face. _

_Oh no! What do I.. What do I do now?!_

_"Did you just.." she began to say._

_He thought frantically.. And just did anything. He lunged for her, grabbing the blue infant from her arms. _

_"No!" she screamed. And.. that was the first time he'd ever heard Garnet that hysterical.. Even during the time when they had that yelling fight at the jewelry store.. _

_She got up, lunging for him. "Give her back to me!!"_

_He held the infant close to him, as Garnet clawed at his arms with her stubby, Gumdrop fingers. "Let her go!!!! I can't believe you're one of them!!!!"_

_Man, it would be SO much easier if I JUST knew what she was saying!_

_Suddenly, they saw a shadow loom over them and they looked up to see the Evil Queen with a sinister smile on her face, showing her white, marshmallow teeth. Some of them, burnt, most likely from Garnet injuring her from much earlier.. _

_"Ms. Gumdrop!" her voice was calm and cheery. "There you are!" she cheesed. She took a step forward, eyes lowered casually at her. "Why, didn't you give me quite a run. But I'm just peachy now that I've finally caught up to you." _

_The Gumdrop woman looked at her cautiously. _

_"With reference to those sneaky maneuvers of yours, I'm just happy that it's all over." a smug grin swept across her face. "Did you have a great time? Did you enjoy saving all of your friends and family?"_

_The Gumdrop lady looked at her. A snarl on her face._

_"Nice. Very nice." she nodded. "I'm very much relieved to hear that." then a beat later, the smug smile still on her face. "Well, I'm afraid to say that I'll have to end this whole, escapade of yours." she reached down for the Gumdrop character and she turned around, snatching the blue infant from Steven's arms while he was distracted by the Evil Queen's dialogue and looks.._

_She tried running for the safety base and Steven ran after her. He jumped for her legs, grabbing them. "I'm sorry Garnet! But you NEED to lose to this game! You have to snap out of it!"_

_"LET ME GO!!" _

_She brought her foot down in his face and he felt every hit.. It was so real.. And just as painful! _

_"Ow! Ah! Garnet!-Owch! You have to-ah! Snap out of it!-Ah!" she kept kicking him in the face. "You're sucked into-Owch! The game!"_

_The Evil Queen's hands came down towards them and the Gumdrop woman twisted, giving Steven a hard kick in the jaw, then the front of his face. He let go, holding his face in pain and she tried to jump out the way of the lady's hand. _

_But the Evil Queen grabbed her. "No!!" she screamed, trying to wiggle her way out of the lady's huge hand. _

_"Garnet!! Garnet!!" he looked up at her. Then he looked at the lady. "Let her go!!" he turned to the Gumdrop character again. "Garnet, don't listen to her!! This is all just a game!!"_

_The Queen kept her sinister smile on him as Garnet continued to squirm in her hands._

_Fine.. I'll just have to try again!_

_He ran towards the Queen, going for her moldy, disgusting shoes. He started hitting them. "Let her go!!"_

_She looked down at him and scoffed. She kicked her foot up, pushing her foot up and sending Steven flying and sliding across the parsley grass._

_He groaned, getting up slowly. He ran back towards her._

_The Evil Queen snapped her fingers and he felt someone grabbed him from behind, holding his arms close to his sides. "What?" he looked up to see a slim celery stick character holding on to him. The lady keeping a firm hold on him. _

_Another character, an orange, started walking towards them and what looked to be orange seeds in his hands._

_"You take care of him, while _I_ take care of _this_ one." she turned to Garnet. "Now, time for me to take these away." she reached for the infants._

_"No!!" she tried to hold them as close to her as she could, and turning them away from the woman._

_"Garnet! Garnet, you have to take the helmet off!!" _

_He saw the Queen grab the two infants with just her two fingers and her thumb. Each sharp nail, on the body of each baby. _

_"LET THEM GO!!" Garnet screamed._

_Steven thrashed around in the lady's arms, trying to get out of her hold. He looked at Garnet's terrified face. "Garnet!!!!"_

_The Queen pulled the infants out of Garnet's hands and she screamed, hysterical. The lady held them in her hand and crushed them and Garnet screamed out, louder._

_"Garnet!! Garnet, please!! You have to-" he felt something hit him in his chest. _

_He looked down. The orange character had threw the seeds at him. The seeds, exploding on his shirt. And he felt that.. He'd felt the pain of being hit by them.. And the area around him started to look blurry as he looked up at Garnet still screaming and the Queen laughing at her. "Now, it's your turn." she told her and then- _


	85. Foils

Steven found himself on the platform, panting hard. It took him a few seconds to realize he was at the burning arcade building. He yanked the helmet off and threw it down.

Garnet had her hands up in her face, screaming. _"Please!!"_ she begged. 

"Garnet!! he crawled over to her and grabbed hold of her legs, shaking them. "Garnet! You NEED to snap out of it! It's only a game!" 

Garnet thrashed around in his arms, screaming. Then she fell back, panting, crying. The eye piece of the headset popped off. "_No!!_" she yelled. 

"Garnet.." Steven said gently. He raised his arm up and hesitated, before putting his hand lightly on her shoulder. 

She got up slowly, sitting on her knees. _"I couldn't save them.. again.." _ she sobbed into her hands.

"What.. the.." Amethyst couldn't believe what she was seeing. "SHE WAS IN HERE THE WHOLE ENTIRE TIME!!... PLAYING SOME.. GAME?!?!" she ran towards them right as Steven got up and ran to meet her half way. "Amethyst! Wait! She was just sucked into the game, that's all!" he held his hands up. The woman pushed him and he slid across the carpet. 

She ran up and jumped on the platform. "GARNET!!" she pulled the woman by her shoulders, pulling her around roughly to face her. She glared at Garnet's dilated eyes.

The woman was still sobbing. One tear streaming down her face from her hazel eye.

Amethyst growled.. _snarled_.. Looking at Garnet's pathetic looking face as she had the audacity, as a Crystal Gem and as someone from _her_ group, to actually cry loudly in front of her..

To cry, in _general._

Steven got up.. Looking at just how furious Amethyst looked.. And he could just tell that something was going to happen..

The woman grabbed Garnet by the chin and raised up her hand.

"Amethyst!" Steven shouted, running for them.

She grabbed her whip from her belt. "Stay out of this, Talc!" she threw it and without a second to move out the way, the rope wrapped around him as he fell back from the force. He wiggled, but to no avail. "Amethyst!! Please don't!"

He saw Amethyst bring her arm down and he closed his eyes, not bearing to watch.. But he heard two loud smacks. 

He tried so hard to think of something else that Amethyst might've done.. something.. _anything_ instead of her laying a hand on Garnet..

"Garnet, you better snap out of it RIGHT now." he heard her say.. 

And he hesitated, before opening his eyes just a crack.

Amethyst was shaking Garnet roughly.

The woman sobbing, but slowly coming to, as she opened her eyes up slowly..

Her expression. Hurt, guilty.. slowly turning into a realization.. as she slowly found herself back at the arcade and.. 

Her hysterical sobs slowly calming down as she realized what had happened.. during the game.. and how she was now in reality.. and right.. in front.. of Amethyst..

..who looked absolutely irate..

She tried to form words to leave her mouth. Her thoughts going everywhere as her mind raced one hundred miles per hour as she had so many things to say all at once. 

"What.. the fuck.. WAS THAT GARNET!?!" she yelled in her face. 

And he saw Garnet twitch slightly at Amethyst jumping so close to her.

"I.., Amethyst,.. I-" she strained her face, stopping the rest of her tears. Holding it all back.

"WHAT! SPIT IT OUT!! TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED JUST NOW?!" 

A vehicle drove through the gaping hole of the building and stopped just behind them. Amethyst turned around. It was Pearl in the Rolls Royce, now a shiny black, instead of it's original color, white.

She turned back around to Garnet. A deep snarl still on her face. "Get your ass in the car RIGHT now." she grounded out. "The backseat. with Talc."

The woman nodded quickly and got up. 

Amethyst went over to Steven, taking the whip and spinning it off of him. "And DON'T you say a _word."_ she hissed out. She wrapped up the whip in one second and clipped it to her belt as she walked away.

Steven followed her. Pearl got out the driver's seat and opened the door for Amethyst as Steven went over to his side. He opened the door and helped Lion in. The dog wheezing badly from the smoke. 

Pearl closed Amethyst's door and walked back over to the driver's side. She shifted gears and pulled off.

She took off down a side street, getting away from the main part of the city. 

"I can't believe it.." Amethyst began. Her fist clenched. Her face contorted. She scoffed. "I _really_ can't believe that just really happened."

Steven was on the edge of his seat.. just waiting for the outburst to come from their.. boss. 

"A, Amethyst.. I'm so sorry, I-" 

She whipped around in her chair. "GARNET, WHAT DID YOU CALL YOURSELF DOING BACK THERE?!?! HUH?!" 

"I.. it was just.." she stuttered, not wanting to tell Amethyst what happened.. But.. she had a feeling that her boss already knew.. 

"YOU .. of all people!!?!?! Honestly, Garnet. I would've expected that from Pearl." the slim woman didn't bother looking.. too afraid to look and instead, keeping her eyes on the road. "but YOU?!? I thought you had your head on better!!!" she shouted. 

The woman sat their.. Shoulders slumped, eyes cast downward. 

"And you had a nerve to cry.. CRY Garnet!?!?! Over that petty game!!? Really!?!" she banged on the seat and the woman jumped.

"Amethyst.. I really don't know what came over me.. I'm sorry-"

"Sorry is NOT going to change the outcome, Garnet!!!"

She winced at that. "I.. know.." she clenched her eyes shut as if holding back her emotions that'd been kept in in the vault of her mind for so long..

"And you know the WORSE part about all of this?!" the woman looked up at her. "We weren't fighting some stupid rivals of ours.. The guys in the suits came back!! We. were fighting. THEM! And YOU chose the PERFECT time to not be there!!" 

Garnet looked shocked. "They.. were here?" 

"YES, Garnet!! Their asses came out of nowhere looking for Onion!!! Pearl, Talc and even that dog helped out too!"

"Amethyst-"

She held her hand up. "I don't want to hear anything else out of your ass Garnet." the woman stopped and Amethyst turned back around. 

A few moments of silence and there was a very, very low condescending chuckle from the front. "Don't you worry, G.. Once we get back to the temple, everything will be dealt with accordingly." 

Steven caught Garnet's expression, shocked and fearful, but the look only lasting for a split second before going to something neutral. She nodded and was about to say the affirmative before quickly remembering that Amethyst didn't want to hear another word from her. She nodded again and kept her body leaning in a slouch. 

As much as Steven truly wanted to say something, he definitely knew that it definitely was not the time to say a word or a peep to Garnet.. OR to Amethyst.. Especially since Amethyst had _also_ given him that order..

...........

The car ride was tense. Even more tense than all of those other times Amethyst had yelled at him.. 

This car ride felt different. The air and the tension was definitely more tense.. more thick that he could practically feel the weight of Amethyst's anger.. 

For some reason, he had a bad feeling.. But he didn't dare address it out loud.. 

He'd eaned back.. Trying to shack of that dreaded feeling.. 

But.. throughout the car ride, that bad feeling stayed with him.. 

And he couldn't help but look at Amethyst, then back at Garnet who kept staring down at her feet or her hands.. barely moving.. 

He took a breath.. still trying to shake off that feeling..

But all he could wonder.. was what was going to happen next? ..And.. would Garnet start acting differently once more? Like last time?

And.. what would become of them, as the Crystal Gems in general, now that the men in the suits seemed to be reoccurring more and more now?

Another breath.. He felt Lion's paw on his thigh and he looked down. The dog looked at him. He gave him a very small smile and scratched at his ears to ease his own fear and to calm himself down. 

Why.. can't he just shake off that bad feeling.. 

He looked at Garnet again. The woman still not having moved from her spot. 

The bad feeling increased as he watched her.. 

..He could only hope that it was a miscalculated hunch.. and that he was only feeling that way because Amethyst had yelled at her.. 

And.. not because of what she said at the end to Garnet.. 

Amethyst had yelled at him many times before and Pearl at one point and then acted like nothing happened the next day. So.. maybe this was the same and that he was only over thinking it? 

He turned his head back around and closed his eyes. 

That inking.. still clinging to the back of his mind.. 

....................

Pearl stopped the car just on the side of the apartment. 

"Yo.. You're here man." Amethyst dragged out. Her voice strained.. tired. 

Steven opened the door and stopped. Sighing.. He looked up. "I'm.. really sorry guys.. I .. wanted us to have a fun outting..and-"

"Eh, don't worry Talc." he voice now sounded.. eerily calm and casual. And a bit.. giddy? "I had fun." she shrugged. "Ya know, while it lasted. And I think they had fun as well." she turned her head slightly. "Right you two?" 

Pearl nodded with a genuine, small smile. "Yes. I definitely had fun." she said honestly. 

And Garnet gave him a really small nod. Still not moving her face from looking down at her hands. 

"See Talc? We had a blast! Not your fault that some diamond henchmen idiots came by and ruined the rest of the day." she gave him a thumbs up. "Thanks for an interesting day. And aye, who knows. Maybe we can do it again, without any distractions..and." she looked at Garnet. "with_out_.. anyone's incompetence." the woman looked up, keeping her head down.. She shrunk under Amethyst's glare.

"Anyway." Amethyst turned to look back at Steven. "Goodnight, dude. Remember. Here at oh nine hundred hours." 

"Oh.. okay" he nodded at her and.. slowly looked back at Garnet once more. 

"Che." he looked at Amethyst. A serious expression on her face now. "Hey. I said 'Goodnight'. Now go on." she gestured with her chin. "We got some.. important stuff to do." 

"R, right.." he got out of the car with Lion in his arms. His second shirt now off the canine's head and back on him. And the pink mask, left on the seat. "Night guys." 

"Noches." 

"Night." 

Garnet didn't say anything.. 

And he closed the door and stood there. The car drove off and he watched as the vehicle turned and went up the street, disappearing behind the building beside him. He sighed, looking down at the dog. "Why do I have such a bad feeling about this, Lion?" 

The dog tilted his head, wagging his tail. 

That made Steven smile slighty. He pat the dog on the head. "Well, hopefully it's just all in my head, right?" he withdrew his arm back. "Now, come on. We need to get some rest for tomorrow. And I know you're hungry again." 

The two of them walked up the two flight of stairs and down the hall. Steven opened the door and he put Lion down. He locked the door behind him and slid the flip flops off. 

Connie was already sleep. He looked up at the clock. _8:23p.m._

_Wow, she went to bed early. She must have an early shift tomorrow.. _

He went to the white bag that was still on the floor and just picked up a random can. He popped it open and walked to the kitchen. The dog jumping up slightly and hitting his legs, panting.

"Okay, okay, shh, shh." he whispered. "You can't wake up Connie." he bent down, pouring the contents into the bowl. The dog going right for it. Then he picked up the cup and rinsed it off, putting clean water in it. He set it back down and grabbed a plastic spoon from the miscellaneous cabinet. He scrapped out the rest of the food while the dog was still chewing away and pulled the plastic bag out of his pocket. He carefully put the pill in the food right as Lion moved his head to chew away from the bowl. 

He put the plastic bag back in his pants pocket, threw the spoon and the can in the trash and went to the bathroom. 

He came back out moments later and took his jeans off, setting them at the foot of the bed. And he slowly, easily, sat on the edge of the bed with a half relieved, half exhausted sigh. He looked up. Lion was still eating. With another sigh, he swung his legs over and laid down, closing his eyes and resting them for a bit. 

_Today started out great.. which was good. But.. then those guys showed up.. which was obviously_ not_ good.. And.. now I can't help but be worried if.. this is going to escalate into something much bigger than the rivals that we've usually fought.. something much bigger than we would ever imagine..? Or again.. am I just over analysing things and these guys are just nothing but simple rivals we've fought before? _ He took a breath. _And then there's the whole Garnet situation now.. ..What.. happened back there?_

With him thinking about what happened.. just a few minutes later, he started to realize what had probably happened.. and started berating himself for not being more empathic and more gentle with Garnet.. 

_She.. uprooted a memory.. didn't she?_

He should've realized it. He, as someone who's so-called "empathetic" or.. "sympathetic".. he should've caught on to that.

And he knew all too well about digging up painful memories.. 

But then he couldn't help but wonder what had happened_ exactly_? 

She was _really_ into saving everyone.. and she was definitely into those babies in her hands.

Garnet's hysterical cries and screams echoed in his mind and he tried to shake that part out of his mind.. But he couldn't. 

_I've never, ever seen her like that before.._

It wasn't like her.. 

Just like him.. when he'd went through his episodes.. It wasn't like him.

And now he couldn't help but feel sorry for her.. and to hope that she was alright.. 

Another breath out of him. He wish he'd known what she was saying.. But, she kept speaking in her mother tongue.. And that could be a number of reasons why she was doing that.. 

_If only I knew what she was saying.._

Then he thought about the Evil Queen's dialogue about Garnet trying to save her family and friends.. Though that could've just been a regular piece of dialogue from the game, he still couldn't help but wonder if Garnet _did_ see those characters as family and friends.. 

With how she was acting, he thought that.

And he actually wondered about Garnet's family. His mind quickly went to Pearl and Amethyst's family as well.. But he quickly went back to Garnet.. and wondering if she still had family and friends back in Nigeria, but quickly remembered how she wasn't allowed to go back. 

And.. his mind went in a rabbit hole..

Remembering how she told him, during that time at the jewelry store, when he'd finally cried.. she told him that had so many regrets.. and that there was a reason why she couldn't go back to her country.

What.. happened?

His mind went back further, to when Amethyst told her that Garnet had killed the most people out of the three.. and that she has quite the temper.

He hated his mind for piecing together his own personal opinions to everything that both she and Amethyst had told him.. 

And he QUICKLY dismissed that.. she somehow.. had killed her family.. 

No. He needs to stop assuming things. There could be other reasons why she wasn't allowed back in her country. And her having a high body count could be from non family members.

Still, his mind kept going back to it. 

No.. she.. wouldn't kill her own family.. 

He couldn't even imagine how something like that would even come about.. 

Unless she'd been forced or threatened? 

_More _ pesky, rabbit hole thoughts and he remembered how Amethyst had threatened.. Connie .. And he killed the guy at the Fry Shack for Connie.. 

More rambling thoughts.._Wait.. What if Amethyst threatens or forces me again.. Would I be forced to kill my own family member-_

__

__

He shook his head of the thoughts.

No..

Hopefully that would never happen.. him taking that dark route in actually doing that..

And.. another thought.. as he hoped that.. with Amethyst's up and down personality and with her brute nature.. that she would never threaten _Connie's_ life ever again.. 

What would happened if Amethyst ever did anything to her.. lay a finger on her in ANY way.. 

His stomach flipped and he swallowed. He turned over to Connie, frantically grabbing hold to her torso. He squeezed it softly in a hug. Trying to get rid of those disgusting thoughts of anything ever happening to her..

He gave her a long kiss on the temple. 

He couldn't dare to even think about anything happening to his Connie.. 

He kept close beside her, hugging her mid section.

..Until he heard a whine behind him. He turned around. Lion was looking just above the edge of the bed. 

Steven turned, giving Connie another kiss on the temple and turned back around. He helped Lion up on the bed. "Goodnight, buddy." he scratched the dog's head. 

He laid back down, cuddling onto Connie once more, pushing those thoughts back even farther to the very, very back of his mind.

It was Connie he was talking about. Nothing would _EVER_ happen to her.. _nothing_.

And.. those guys in the suits and the white shades were nothing to be afraid of. They were just your everyday, rivals like all of the others. He had nothing to worry about in regards to that either..

And, Garnet and Amethyst are back to being on good terms. Nothing escalated more since that argument in the car. It was just a boss, yelling at her henchman, and nothing more. And this too, he didn't have to worry about. 

And this.. was what he kept telling himself.. until sleep took him and he was off in his deep slumber.. 


	86. Steven wakes up early to take Lion out for a bathroom break. Yup, that's pretty much it really

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just another one of those chapters where I didn't want to put it with the previous chapter or the next chapter. *Shrugs* ;P

Steven woke up abruptly by the sound of his alarm, at first, thinking that he was in a middle of a mission, the alarm being the sound of explosions, until after a full, long second, he realised that he was in bed and under the safe, warm covers with Connie. His alarm _actually_ playing calming tunes and small beeps and not .. explosions.

He turned the alarm off on his phone and took his earphones out. Holding in a yawn, he slid off the bed, waking Lion up. The dog looked up at him. 

"Alright, come on, Lion." he said groggily. "Gotta take you out.. Can't have you using the bathroom in the house like last time.." he took out two plastic baggies from the cupboard and shuffled towards the door and slipped on the flip flops. "Come on." he whispered. "Coooooome on." he gestured. 

The dog got up. Tail wagging as he jumped off the bed and towards him. 

The two went outside and to the side of the apartment. With just his boxers on and two shirts on, the cool air nipped at his bare legs and his arms. He shivered slightly as he waited for Lion to do his business.

A few moments later and he ended up going to two different spots to pee before dropping a pile.

Steven put the baggy inside of the first one and scooped it up. The two went back to the front and he threw the bag in the nearby trashcan and went back in through the main door and back in the apartment. 

He shivered some of the cold off as he slid the flip flops back off. He went to wash his hands and came back out the bathroom. Lion was waiting just on the side of the bed. Waiting patiently. 

Steven came over and the canine got up, tail wagging. He helped Lion back in bed and slid back under the covers. "Night, Lion." he turned over, hugging Connie. "Goodnight, Connie." he gave her a loving kiss on her temple. 


	87. Ah, another morning

Steven woke up a few hours later. The curtains were still closed, the sun faintly blanketing the room in a soft, warm light. 

He leaned up slowly, getting the sleep fluff out of his head. He picked at his eye.

"Good Morning." 

He turned to his right. Connie was at the counter in the kitchen drinking some orange juice. "Good Morning." he said back to her. He pulled the blanket as he noticed the dog _not_ at the foot of the bed. 

He looked up. Lion was laying down on the mat by the door. 

_Connie.._

He held in a sigh._ Don't worry, Universe.. In time.. In time.. _

"Good Morning, Lion." the dog got up, wagging his tail in response. He jogged up to Steven and stopped, pausing as he saw Connie, then cautiously walked around her as he met Steven at the bed. 

He crouched down to him. "Aww, buddy. You don't have to be afraid." Connie cut her eye at them as he scratched at the dog's ears. 

Lion panted away. Tail thumping across the carpet. 

Steven laughed and got back up. He made his way to the bathroom and Lion followed him. "Nooo. You wait there." he closed the door and the canine sat down, waiting for him at the front of the door. 

He heard the toilet flush, then the water running and when he heard the knob start to turn, he got back up, tail wagging. 

"Hey there buddy!" he cooed. He scratched the dog behind the ear again and walked to the white bag. "So, any plans for today, Connie?" he picked up a can. "You went to bed pretty early. I figured you had an early shift today." he walked over to the kitchen to the miscellaneous counter for another fork. The dog getting more and more excited to eat. His tail wagging fast behind him.

"No, I'm off today. I was just.. really tired." she leaned back, shrugging. "Well, I read the SurpriseSurprise website and they were saying that it was possible for me to start feeling fatigue already, during the early stages of pregnancy." 

_Baby stuff again.._

"Ah." was all he could think of saying. He bent down and poured the dog food in the bowl, scraping the rest of the food from the can. He threw the two items away. _Too bad I can't give him another pill.. Can't have Connie seeing the plastic bag with.. pills inside._ He picked up the completely empty water bowl and rinsed it out a few times and put some water in it. He set it down by Lion who was already going for the food in his bowl. 

Then.. Steven finally figured out what to say as he stood back up. "So.. how are you feeling now?" he leaned on the counter. 

"I'm feeling pretty good today, actually. Despite of what the website said, I think I just needed a bit of sleep and that's it."

"Good to hear." he nodded.

"I'm actually surprised that _you_ haven't completely succumbed to sleeping a whole day off yet. Your schedule has been up and down for the pass few days." 

"Connie." he gave her a smug smile. "I'm as tough as a diamond. It's going to take a lot than losing a little sleep to take me down." 

"Riiiiight, right, right, right." she rolled her eyes. 

Her very _beautiful_ eyes. 

And there, he'd just reminded himself.. 

He leaned off the counter, with that smile still on his face. "Also." he walked towards her. 

"What?" she raised an eyebrow, smiling back at him. 

He wrapped his arms around her, leaning in and giving her a kiss. He leaned back up slightly. "I didn't give you the first kiss of today." 

She chuckled. "Steven." 

He leaned in again, planting a few more kisses on her lips. 

And he could feel the heat in his chest, like he always did when kissing her. Feeling her soft, warm lips on his.

And he would've leaned back up, but the way she was kissing him back kept him coming back for more.. 

It was deeper.. more sensual.. 

And he felt her hands touch his arms.. And that bit of feeling, sent a spark down his back and right between his legs. 

He pulled her in closer, giving her just a few teasing, deep kisses before leaning back up.

And wow.. did he love it when she blushed like that.. 

She cleared her throat under his stare. "So.. um.." she thought of anything to say as she took a quick glance at his soft, smiling lips, before looking back into his eyes. "What about you?" she licked her lips. "Do you have any plans for today?" she looked back at his lips as her hands travelled up his arms. She kept them at his shoulder. 

His smile fell slightly. "Uh, yeah.. actually." he watched her expression fall.. and her eyes going back up to his eyes as she leaned back in her chair. "Yeah, I have another early shift. My co-worker is supposed to come pick me up at nine o'clock." 

"Oh.." she looked back at his lips. She massaged his shoulders and took a side glance at the clock. _8:47a.m._ "And.." she frowned.. and stopped massaging them. "It's almost time for you to go too." she slid her hands off of him.

And.. he couldn't stand to see her like that. "Did you take a look at the schedule yesterday?" 

She seemed to pipe up, if only slightly. "Yeah, I'm off Friday and Saturday." 

"Okay. I'll keep that in mind. I should know my schedule by today or tomorrow." _Or so I hope.. _

_Hopefully I can ask Amethyst for a schedule of our missions for this week._

"Alright.. Well I hope that you're off one of those two days.." 

"Whaaaat.. miss me already?" 

She scoffed. "No. It's just that, Laughing Dinner Enemies is coming out with their new season soon and, I wanted us to continue watching the show before it came out."

He chuckled. "Riight." he leaned over, giving her another kiss that lasted for a long moment. "I have a feeling that I have off one of those days. So, no need to worry about it too much." he gave her one more peck before leaning back up. "Okay, now I'll start getting ready." he looked up at the clock. _Yup.. I'll have to skip a shower, unfortunately. He walked over to the bed and slipped on the pants he had on yesterday. Then he walked over to the closet._

__

__

"You didn't eat your breakfast either." she reminded him and he gasped. "Aw man! That's right!" 

"Think your co-worker would mind if you eat it in his car?" 

"I.. don't really like eating when other people aren't.." he gave her an apologetic smile as he put on his jacket. "But I'll ask.. I kinda need some nourishments for today." 

She snorted. " 'Nourishments'?"

He smiled. "Well, yeah." he went to the kitchen and took out the plate from the fridge. "I'll need something in my stomach. And delicious food will definitely do it." He uncovered it and put the plate in the microwave and turned it on. 

He heard a chime in his pocket and took out his phone. It was a message from Amethyst. 

He had to calm his stomach just then.

_Oh boy.._

He clicked on her name and read the message.

**Remember. We're going to the Spire today. It's gonna be wild and there's going to be a lof of climbing, running and jumping. Don't bring that sick dog. We don't have time for you to be carrying him everywhere.**

He felt a bit upset that he couldn't bring his canine best friend. But.. boss' orders.. 

"Uh oh.. What?" he looked up. Connie was staring right at him. 

"Oh, uh, it's nothing, just uh.." he looked over at the dog lapping up the water. "They.. don't want me to bring the dog.. -For today!" he quickly said. 

She raised an eyebrow. "In other words.." she knew exactly where this was going.. 

The microwave dinged behind him. 

"I mean.. _would_ it.. be okay.." 

"..If I watch him?" she deadpanned. Her mouth a thin line.

"....Yeeeeeees?" his voice went up in a question. 

Her face contorted slowly as she shook her head. "I really don't want to deal with that dog, Steven.." 

"Aw, but he's a good boy, Connie! Why, you wouldn't even know that he's even here! Look, how about I take him out real quick, let him do his business and bring him back. He should be good for the next few hours until I get back." 

She didn't look convinced. 

"Please, Connie? I can't bring him with me and I really do need to go to work." he pleaded. 

She looked at the dog.. disgusted.. "Fiine.." 

"Yay!!" he cheered. "Thanks, Connie!" he took out two small plastic bags and left out the kitchen and ran towards the door. "I'll get the food when I come back." he slipped the flip flops on and opened the door. "Come on, Lion." 

The dog jogged over. The two left out the door and Connie waited but for ten minutes until she heard the door opening again. "We're back!" he kept the door open a crack. "He did only pee. But hopefully I'll be back in time to let him out again if he has to do a number two." he put the two plastic baggies in the white bag and refilled his water bowl. He placed it back on the ground and washed his hands. 

Then he moved the food to a plastic plate and put the other plate in the sink. He poured a generous amount of syrup on his pancakes and heard a "Careful, Steven. You don't want all of that sticky stuff spilling in their car." 

"Uh, right." he put the syrup back down on the table, grabbed a plastic fork and a couple of napkins. "Okay, see you later, Connie. And thanks for the breakfast." 

"It's no problem, Steven. And see you later." he gave her a kiss and walked back to the door. "See ya, Lion." the dog jogged up to him, wagging his tail. "Noooo, buddy. You're staying here. with Connie." he smiled. 

The dog didn't understand, still walking up beside him. "Noooo. You're staying. _heeeere._" he opened the door up more. "Don't worry, buddy. I'll be back in no time." he slid through the door and the dog tried to slide through and he closed it just a crack. "See you Connie." 

"See you." 

He crouched down and said through the crack. "See you, Lion." he closed the door and locked it. He put the keys in his pocket as he heard scratching at the door. 

"Don't worry, Lion! I'll be back as SOON as I can." he said at the door and the scratching stopped.

He walked down the steps and he heard the thump of his paws on the door again, this time, accompanied by barking and whining.. Which.. broke his heart a bit.

"Nooo, no barking." he heard Connie faintly. 

He walked down the second flight of stairs, the barking just ever faint as he made his way down the next flight of steps and to the main door. He opened it and walked to the side of the building. 

The armored Inkas was already there.

He looked around, looking at every single area around him; in front of him, behind him, on each side of him, above him, below him and in front and behind him again. 

The window rolled down and he did another look around, just in case that was supposed to distract him. 

"Che, get in. We're not doing that today. We gotta get a move on."

He looked around again, taking a few steps and looking around again.. Before continuing his walk to the Inkas armored limo. 

_That's.. actually a good thing that they weren't doing that today. Otherwise, I most likely would've ruined my delicious looking breakfast. _

He got in. "Hello Amethyst. Garnet, Pearl." 

"Sup, yo." 

"Hey." Garnet gave him a smile through the mask she was already wearing. 

He noticed all three of them were already wearing their masks. Which actually happened half the time. Sometimes they would have their masks on already when they picked him up, while other times he would see them putting them on right before they got to the area of the mission.

"Hey.." Pearl gave him an acknowledgement nod. 

"Garnet. Let's get out of here." 

The woman drove off and Amethyst looked at Talc through the rearview mirror. "Okay. So, here's the deal. We're going to the Sky Spire, which is located just three hours from here." _Of course it is._ "We're getting these two jewels for Peridot. There's two areas. As I've said before, Garnet will be by herself for this one as she's the only one with a lava suit. That's kind of her specialty. While you, Pearl and I head up to the mountains to the Spire and retrieve the other jewel." 

"Cool. I've never been to the mountains before. I should've put on a thicker jacket. Isn't it like.. colder up in the mountain areas?"

"Yeah, that's true. But you at least you have your GemTech shirt, which will at least keep your torso and the main organs warm. So, the only thing you would have to worry about, are mountain goats." 

"Mountain goats?!" he shrieked. _Like the ones with those.. HUGE antlers that likes to headbutt things?! Especially.. weak, squishy human beings like me?!_

She snickered. "Dude, relax. I was only kidding."

"So there aren't any mountain goats?!" he smiled. 

"Oh, no. There are." 

His expression dropped to a look of worry. 

"You just don't have to worry about them." she said casually. "We're not going to let those moving obstacles get in our way."

He kept thinking about those intimidating animals.. and there huge, huuuuuuge, body crushing antlers- 

"Well, as usual, che. Sit back and relax." she laid back. "We should be there in no time." 

"O, okay.." he looked away from the mirror and back to his syrup-y food. The eggs sucking some of it up. 

He looked back up. "Hey, Amethyst?"

She looked up at the rearview mirror. 

"Mind if I eat in the car?"

She gave him a levelled stare.. before shrugging. "Sure, go ahead. You're gonna need all of that food and energy you can get." 

_Uh oh.. I wonder what we'll all be doing at this Spire.._

"O, okay... Thanks Amethyst." 

"And the Apatites clean up after us anyway." she added.

"O, oh.." a beat. "Okay."

She looked away from the mirror and he prayed over his food and went for the cheesy eggs. 

_Delicious~~_

_Connie should seriously think about being a chef. Everything that she makes is delicious._

He scooped up some more scrumptious, cheesy eggs, looking at the last couple of buildings passing by as they neared the highway. 


	88. Journey to the Sky Spire

The three hours passed by quickly, with Steven on his phone and the phone somehow, still on 100%.. 

_Wow.. this is a REALLY good GemTech battery.. _

He paused the video he was watching and pocketed his phone to look out the window and watch the cool landscapes of the forest as Garnet drove off road and into the heavily forested area. And he could see tall mountains in front of them in the far.

But. There was _one_ particular mountain that stood out.. The tallest one of them all with various shrubbery around it. And Steven just _knew_.. he just _kneeeew,_ that they would have to go up the tallest, biggest one..

Garnet drove up along a bumpy, grassy path. She pulled up to an opened area of flat grass and buttercups in a meadow. 

"Alright. Garnet. The security system." 

She nodded and placed her hand on the tablet as Pearl and Steven got out the car. 

Pearl walked pass him and opened the door for Amethyst. 

Steven took that time to look around. Taking more of the beautiful, luscious green area and feeling the cool air on his face. His shirt doing an amazing job in keeping at least one part of his body snugged and warm. And he took in the smell of citrus, buttercups and pinecones in the air from the nearby trees and flowers. 

Ahh.. he liked the area. It was calming. 

He took in another deep breath. 

Ahh.... 

Uh, ah, ah, AAHH CHOO! 

He felt another sudden tickle in his nose and he sneezed again. 

Pearl and Amethyst looked at him as Garnet was making her way around the car.

He sniffled. "Heh, guess I.. went a bit too crazy with taking in this pollen." 

Garnet handed him a cleanex from her jumpsuit and he wiped his nose. "Thanks." he smiled. 

She gave him a thumbs up with a small smile. 

"Alright, alright. Let's get this ball rolling. We'll just meet each other back at the car." 

The three nodded, then Steven. And Garnet took out her goggles and put it over her head. "I'll be sure to retrieve the jewel and keep it in pristine condition" she told Amethyst with a stoic nod.

And with a proud smile, Amethyst nodded back. "Good." 

Garnet pivoted around and started jogging down. Down to.. where_ever_ the part of the lava mountain place was.. 

Also, that seemed like a pretty nice talk. 

_See, Steven. And _you_ had a bad feeling about the two._

That put him at ease. 

And he turned back around, away from Garnet. 

To realize Amethyst and Pearl were already going up the steps without him! 

"Hey! Guys!" He ran up to catch up with them, the two women walking in silence. 

..............................

Steven kept up the pace, a step behind them. He looked up between the two, looking at the.. long, winding steps that seemed to rise.. up into the clouds. He felt his self getting a bit uncomfortable as he continued walking up the steps with them. 

_Don't look down! Don't look down! Don't look down-!_

He looked to his side, staring off into the bushes that coated alongside the staircase and he looked up and pass them slightly, looking at the forest and the mountains in the distance-

And-

he looked down.

Looking at.. how far they'd walked up.. the steps obscured by the curvature of the latter steps in front of them. He groaned, falling to his hands and feet as he slowly scaled up the stairs. 

Amethyst looked back. "Dude, not the whole heights shtick again." 

"It's.. a long drop." he whined, still scaling slowly behind him.

"Just don't look down." and she turned back around. 

He groaned more as they continued their ascend on the stairs. 

Five, extremely long minutes and the steep stairs ended on a short platform filled with long cut grass and cherry bushes. 

He fell to his stomach, panting. _I made it. I actually made it!! And, and I didn't fall!!_

He looked up. To see a wall in front of them. Planks above the other in one vertical line up. 

_And as if walking up the stairs wasn't bad enough.. now I'll have to CLIMB at a height.._

He got up, a worried look on his face. Amethyst saw him and rolled her eyes. " Relaaax, dude. We're about a quarter of the way there."

He resisted a sigh. "I just don't know why this place has to be at the VERY top.." he complained. "Who would even come to a jewelry store, if they had to get to it like this?" 

Amethyst let go of the plank and stepped back down on the ground. "First, I should say that there _are_, in fact, some people who would do this just to get themselves some priceless, expensive jewels. _Especially_ daredevils." she told him. "But anyway, this isn't a jewelry store. We're going to this loners house. He hoards jewels up there. And well, he's a _loner_, who only spends his time eating snickers and building robots. So, it makes sense for him to want to distance himself from civilization while he dabbles with metal or whatever." she jumped up and grabbed on a plank. "It would also make sense to live up in the mountains to test those robots out and to like.. hoard jewels and stuff like some dragon." she snickered. She started climbing.

Pearl hopped up on a plank next, climbing up behind her. 

He could practically _feel_ Peridot clenching her heart at Amethyst just belittling technology like that.. 'dabbling with metal' 

And Snickers is an AMAZING chocolate bar!

But.. his mind went STRAIGHT to the word 'robots'.

"Robots, huh? That sounds cool!" he took a careful step on the first plank and easily, being careful with his wrapped hand, started climbing up. He grunted. "Hey, why don't..we have stuff like that?" 

She looked down slightly. "Robots?"

"Yeah! We have all of these fancy gadgets and weapons and cars and stuff but.. no robots? I know Peridot and her crew could think of something." 

"They have and they _did."_

"Wait, what?! But, why didn't anyone tell me! We've been there twice! I would've LOVED to see them!"!

Amethyst scoffed. "Dude, we _are_ the robots." 

"Huh?" he panted, reaching out for the next plank. He pulled himself up. "I.. I don't follow.." 

"Our suits." she stopped and pinched her shirt. And Pearl stopped right behind her. "S'called fusion." she went back to climbing.

"What's.. 'fusion' ?"

"Well, think of it like this. Think of those fancy lion dances and the movie transformers, but, mashed together." she said casually. 

He was trying to follow along.. He remembered vaguely watching those fancy lion dances on t.v "Hmmmm.. like.. standing on top of each other's shoulders and.. dancing? And.." he thought about transformers. "And.. somehow.. forming a super cool, mecha robot?"

"Well, if you want to put it in Lehman's terms, sure." she shrugged between a climb up. "BUT it's MUCH more than that. See, you have the core strength and the rhythm of the lion dance, where we "stand on each other's shoulders" she stopped to make a one handed air quote, mockingly. "And we have the equipment, the gadgets and the material where our suits can actually combine into one mesh, one giant person, if you will. And our whole body is actually engulfed and wrapped in GemTech material. And in responses, we make own giant mechanical suit of a robot." 

Steven had diamonds in his eyes. Completely at a lost for words at what he was hearing. 

Amethyst fed off of it and with a smirk, she looked back up and climbed onto the smooth, dirt land and pulled herself up. She continued with a side smile. "Yeah. Even our own weapons, when swiped together a certain way, forms into the robot's own personalized weapon." 

Pearl climbed up after her.

With that, he finally found his voice. "WhaaaaaaaAAAAAHHH!?!?" he squealed.

"Yup." she watched him as he pulled himself up. And he jumped up quickly to his feet. "Oh, can I see you two do it now?!?!" He bounced on his toes. "Pleaaaaaaase." 

"Pfft, as _if_, pipsqueak." she plucked his nose. "Ow!" and started walking towards the rushing river in front of them. Boulders laid across to the other side.

He rubbed his nose as Amethyst hopped on the first rock, chuckling. 

"Aw, come on Amethyst." Pearl jumped in front of him, jumping on the rock Amethyst had been on previously. "We can't just talk about all of this awesome stuff.. and then not do it!! That's not fair!" 

"Eh, like I care." she gave him a side smile." she hopped on two more rocks, easily and effortlessly. "Besides, if you hadn't noticed, we don't even use it a lot. Only when matters really... Well, _matter_. Or like, call for it." 

He gave himself a running start and jumped towards the boulder. "Like what?! Whoaaa~~" he slipped on some moss. 

"Like, important stuff, bro." she made it across. "In daaangerous situatiooooons." she mocked in a spooky voice. "Or like, something tedious." then a beat later. "Or annoying."

Pearl made it across and took a spot right by a few cherry bushes. 

"But.. a LOT of our missions are like that!" he hopped on another rock, panting. He jumped on another one and wobbled. "Minus the annoying part.." he took a few breaths and jumped across the next two. "So." he took a few steps back and jumped to the other side. He grunted. "So," he panted. "I would be able to see fusion one day!!" he cheered, panting heavily. 

Amethyst opened her mouth to say something when something started moving in the bushes, right beside Pearl. The three turned around and Pearl back flipped a few feet.

"What's that?! The robot guy?!" Steven froze. 

In a second, Amethyst took out her whip, unravelling it as Pearl plucked the canister from her belt, spinning it counterclockwise, the spear snapping out. 

Steven followed a second later, running his hand along the grass, the bubble engulfing him in pink. He looked at the two women sporting _their_ amazing weapons. 

_Man, I can't wait until I get a weapon that I could actually use like them.._

_Instead of just._ He sighed in his mind. _Making forcefield bubbles.._

The three waited.. watching the bushes as the movement went up closer to them. Amethyst and Pearl took a stance. And Steven, just because.. took a stance as well. 

A goat came out, chewing on a thicket. 

"Eh, it's just some lame goat." said Amethyst. She loosened her stance and wrapped the whip back up as Pearl spun the whip clockwise to a close. The two clipping their weapons back on their belt. 

"A mountain goat!!" Steven stayed in his bubble.

"Dude, seriously? It's_ just_ a mountain goat." she turned to the woman. "Pearl, go up there and show him." 

Pearl walked towards the goat. He dropped the thicket and bleated and she kept walking, unfazed by it. She stopped just beside him and shrugged. "See?" she sounded bored. "It's just some lame goat like Amethyst said. I mean, look at him." she pointed at the goat. "He doesn't even have big horns on him. Does this look like a deadly situation to you?-" the goat bite her hand. "Ow! Hey!" she yanked her hand out of his mouth. "Bad mountain goat! " she shouted at him. 

The goat bleated in response. 

Amethyst burst out laughing, pointing at Pearl. 

"Stupid mountain goat.." Pearl mumbled as she walked back to the group. 

"Are.. you okay, Pearl?" Steven looked up at her. 

"What?" she looked at him, with Amethyst just out the corner of her eye. She raised her eyebrow at him. "Yeah, it's just a small, stupid bite." she threw her arm back down. 

"Alright, alright. Let's go." said Amethyst. She started down the path, pass the goat. 

Pearl started following her. 

"Man, goat.. if only you were some dangerous situation.. I could've been able to see the robot!!" he whined at the goat. (Though he still stayed in the comfort of his bubble.) 

The goat bleated at him and he jumped. He picked up his pace, passing the goat.

"Ha! MAYBE!" said Amethyst. " And, fyi, dude. It's Opal." 

He watched the goat pick up the thicket and turn back into the bushes. He turned around. "What's Opal?" With the goat now gone, he swiped across the bubble, the bubble disappearing instantly.

"You keep saying robot, robot, robot." she drawled out. "We give our fusions _names_. Ours is Opal."

"That's so cool." he went around a log. "It's like a completely different persona!" 

"Pretty much." she agreed. "See Talc. Opal's an ultra powerful, stone cold Betty— That part's me. And she's like, kinda tall." she scoffed. "_That_ part's Pearl."

Pearl took a quick glance at her, but didn't say anything.

"Woww.. This just keeps sounding cooler and cooler." he whispered with such awe in his voice. 

"Heh. Cooler is an understatement." 

Then he thought.. "Wait, can like, every Crystal Gem do that?!" 

"Yup. Every one of us." 

He thought some more. "Garnet can do it too?! Even her?!?!

"Duh. Yes. She _is_ a Crystal Gem. Me and Garnet make Sugilite and she and Pearl make Sardonyx." 

Steven was nearly bursting at the seems. He had SO many questions. 

"And each fusion has their own weapon?! How do the fusions look?! And, when you two fuse, do you turn into a _giant_ giant woman, or just a regular-sized giant woman? Oh! And does one of you control the right arm and the other control the left arm?" Then he gasped as ANOTHER huge thought came to mind. "Can.. can three of you fuse together?! Is.. is that even possible?!?!?!"

Amethyst stopped and looked at him. Her arms crossed and a smug smile on her face. "Yeah, of course that's possible." 

"What?!?!?!? Then.. have you three did that before?!"

"A doy." 

What do you three form into?!?!" 

Amethyst's facial expression dropped to something more serious. She started walking up to him and he stopped and Pearl watched in caution. 

_Uh oh.. did I.. open up a can of worms?! _

She stopped in front of him. She leaned in, wiggling a finger at him. He leaned in and she placed her hands on his shoulders. Looking him right in his eyes. "We form into.." he waited.. baited breath.. "your. worse. nightmare." she leaned back up, cackling as she walked away. 

"Aw, Amethyst, seriously." he followed the two. "Tell me!! What do you three turn into!" 

"Dude, now _that_ fusion you don't have to even _think_ about. We've only had to form her like.. a few times.." she shook her head of _those_ thoughts. "Anyway, that's highly unlikely you would even see that one anyway." she shrugged it off. 

"So.. you won't even tell me the name? Maybe.. maybe the weapon at least?!" 

"Eh, nnnnope. It's useless to even think it up. You would at least get to see Opal and maaaaybe even Sugalite from time to time. Heck, even Sardonyx. But that's it." 

"Awwww.." he pouted, he just decided to leave it at that..

.. until another, exciting, curious thought came to his mind. 

"Wait do I.. could.. _I_ do.. something like that too?!" 

"Ah, there we go. I was wondering when you would ask me that question." she snickered. "Yeah, you would be able to do it too." 

"REALLY?!?!" 

"Duh, dude. How are you not catching on? You're a _Crystal.Gem._." she emphasized. "Therefore, you can do it." 

"What kind of fusion would I make?!" 

She shrugged. "Not sure. There are a lot of factors that play into it. Like, _who_ you fuse with. And your capability _with_ that person." _What does she mean by that?_ "Though it's best to not even think about that right now. You still have a LOT and I mean, a LOT to learn when it comes to being a proper Crystal Gem, in general. Let alone to fuse with one of us."

..Fusing.. with one of them...

THAT SOUNDED SO COOOOOOL!!!

He just couldn't WAIT to do that!!! Who would be the first person to fuse with him?!? Amethyst?! Pearl?! Garnet?! 

So many questions were in his mind. 

"How.. do you even get your names? And.. how does getting your weapons work?"

The three were now nearing a long, bridge. 

"Now _that_ I can't really get into detail." Amethyst stepped on, walking down. "I'm not a nerd like Perry." she snorted. "But it goes something like.. blah, blah, something, something, algorithms, blah, blah, advance science and math and physics and junk, blah, blah, blah and basically, the Peridots made it so our suits automatically think of both how the fusion will look, the name of the fusion AND the weapon. Based on our own gems and their colors, the suits choose the gemstone that's close to that mixture of color. As far as weapons, the suit chooses which weapon or object looks close alike with how our two weapons would most resemble when fused together. We don't form it, unfortunately. But whatever, I'm just happy that we don't have a lame weapon." 

Steven gasped dramatically. "What kind of weapon do you have?" he swayed left and right with the wobbling bridge underneath of him. 

Amethyst looked back, a smirk on her face. She turned back around, ignoring him. 

"Aw, come oooon Amethyst. Teeeeell meeeee." 

"Don't feel like it." she cheesed. 

"Awwww.." he smiled sadly.. "But.. maybe one day I'll get to see Opal in action.. Right?" 

"Pfffft." was her response as she kept up the bridge. 

The conversation died off there.. until Steven had yet ANOTHER thought.. A thought SO fool-proof, SO amazing, he just KNEW it was going to work!

And Amethyst was DEFINITELY going to let him see Opal then! 

They were just halfway across the bridge. 

_Okay, Universe.. It's NOW. or never. _

A huge, child-like smile appeared on his face as he started humming. Amethyst and Pearl looked back. The former, raising an eyebrow. 

Steven opened his mouth. 

"All I wanna do, is see you turn in.to, a giant woman. A giant woman!" he sung out. "All I wanna be, is someone who gets tooo see, a giant woooman. All I wanna do is-" 

"UH, uh, uh. We are NOT listening to that corny mess." 

"Aw, come on, Amethyst!" he cheered. He started singing once more. "All I wanna be, is someone who gets tooo see a giant woman." he cheesed. "Oh I know it'll be great and I just can't wait to see the person you are together. If you give it a chance you can do a huge dance because. you are. a giant woman." 

Amethyst started jumping up and down on the bridge, causing it to dip and sway. "Whoooaaannnngg!!" Steven held onto the ropes. The bridge still swaying and rocking hard. 

He looked up at her. A scared look on his face. 

"Yeah, you wanna run that by us again, Talc?" 

The boy shook his head, terror still in his eyes as his hands clenched harder onto the rope. 

"Yeahh, that's what I thought." she cackled and continued her walk to the other side. Pearl just a step behind her. 

Steven hesitated, before taking his first step across the shaky bridge, still swaying from the aftermath. He kept his hold on the ropes as he followed them across on his now, trembling legs. 

They made it across and kept their walk until they arrived at.. 

_..some levitating.. rocks? _That floated along to the other side of the mountain. He could see a small building on top of it. He looked to Amethyst. "How is that even possible?" 

"Hey, heck if I know. Like I said, I'm no nerd like P-Dot. But I say that it's all that robot dude's doing. Must've found out a way to do it somehow. Perry has done that kind of stuff PLENTY of times before."

"She just keeps getting cooler.." he whispered, in awe yet again. 

"Alright, time to jump across." Amethyst jumped on the first levitating boulder. It rocked slightly and she kept her balance. Then she jumped to the next one. 

Pearl was next, jumping with ease. 

And Steven gave himself a running start again, running to the boulder. _Don't worry, Universe. It's just like what you did a few minutes ago. Except.. without water.._ he jumped and landed on the boulder and it dipped backwards and he fell down hard, gripping the edge of the rock. _and you could drop.._ the rock bobbed the other way, forwards. _and you can fall to your doom!_ He looked at the misty abyss below him and he screamed. 

"Dude! Come on!" he looked up. Amethyst and Pearl were already on the other side. 

"What did I tell you before?! DON'T look down!!" 

"But it's hard NOT to when these things tilt _downwards!"_ he waited until the rock was stabled before stumbling up to his feet. His feet spread apart and his arms out wide to balance himself. 

"Alright. Have fun, then." she waved at him and turned around. The two walking away from him. 

"No, wait!! Amethyst!!" he looked at his feet on the rocks, groaning.

The two continued to walk away.

He groaned, looking back at his feet. "Okay, Universe.. Let's.. let's go." he looked up at the boulders in front of him. "Let's...." he took a couple steps back, the boulder wobbling under him. "Whoaa.." he waited for the rock to level out. "GO!" he ran and jumped, the rock tilting under him and he landed to the nearest one and it tipped over one hundred and eighty degrees and he slipped. He screamed, barely catching himself on the edge of the rock as his body dangled along the edge. 

He had flashbacks from when he was at the jewelry store.. when he was on that crumbling cube.. 

And he screamed more, imagining the fire underneath of him as he tried to get a footing to push himself up. 

Then the boulder flipped back down and he laid there, on his stomach. He took a few relieved breaths. "Now _THAT_ was REALLY close.." he said under his breath. 

He looked up. 

Pearl and Amethyst was nowhere to be found. 

He sighed, frowning.. and laid there on the boulder for a few more calming breathes before slowly and cautiously getting back up to his feet once more. 

He took a few more breaths yet again. "Okay.. here goes.." he swallowed. "again.." he took a few cautious steps back on the wobbling boulder and went for the next boulder, jumping towards it. 

Another wavy landing, though with his footing this time, the boulder didn't tilt that far down.

He continued leaping across, carefully, until he made it to the other mountain side.

Right as his feet hit the ground, he let out a HUGE sigh of relief. Then, ran to catch up to the two, hoping that they didn't go too far.. and just _hoping_ that he didn't lose them.. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, I'm not knocking down ANYONE who eats snickers and builds robots, that's Amethyst who said that xD So don't hurt me! XD  
I, for one, eat snickers just about every day.  
And I've done a bit of soldering before for an underwater robot once so ;)  
I'm not knocking down those particular folks =)


	89. The Sky Spire

He kept his pace up, eventually seeing the two as they neared what looked to be a water fountain not too far from the house. 

Amethyst was peering inside it. "Hmm.. it's not in there." she looked at Pearl. "Looks like we'll have to split up." 

The woman nodded as Steven finally caught up to them. "Guys!" 

"Ah, you made it. Alright dude, we're going to split up and look for the jewel. It's a round, gold gem, dotted with green and white specs" 

They heard a bleat from a distance away from them. The three turned their heads. 

It was the goat again. 

And this time, with something round and gold between it's teeth. He bleated again. 

"You mean like THAT one!" Steven pointed. 

"Get him!!!" Amethyst shouted. He watched as the two women ran straight for him.

The goat bleated in a shriek.

"Wait you guys! You're just going to scare him away!" 

Just as the two were half way to him, the goat stood up on his back legs. "Whoa." Amethyst stopped, raising an eyebrow. "What da heck..?" 

"I didn't know goats could do that." said Pearl.

They watched on in caution. Steven farther back behind them.

The goat raised up it's front legs.. and the hooves popped off.

"That's because it's not a real goat!!" Amethyst jumped out the way, Pearl just a second after, the two hiding behind tree and rock as bullets started firing out of the legs. 

Steven screamed, stumbling out the way and into a bush. 

The goat continued to fire.

"A freakin' ROBOT goat!!" Amethyst grounded out. 

"So he WAS something dangerous the WHOLE time!!!" Steven shouted behind them. Then he gasped. "What a twist!!!!" 

The goat bleated again as the hooves raised back up, popping back into the legs. He lowered back down on his front feet.

"Get him now!" Amethyst unraveled her whip and jumped out and Pearl jumped out after her, canister already in hand.

The goat got up on its hind legs once more and the two jumped out the way as it started firing once more. 

The two women jumped back behind their hiding spots. 

Steven took a peak over the bush. _Wait.. I can use my bubble! Man, Steven, why don't you ever think about these things!! _

He swiped across the ground and the bubble formed around him. He jumped from the bush and took off running towards the goat. Bullets flying off the surface of the bubble. 

Amethyst and Pearl watched him. 

He got a few inches in front of him and the goat continued to fire, despite of the bullets clearly not making any damages. 

_What am I going to do now? How can I get that jewel.._ He looked at the gold plated jewel in the goats mouth, then wondered _Hmm.._

He waited..

And waited.. 

The goat kept going. 

_Um.... guess he'll continue firing until there's nothing in his way..._ Then he thought. _Hey, maybe I can.._

He jumped up, not far enough and falling into the goats head and he used his hand and knees to crawl and roll the bubble forward, pushing himself up over the goat's head and behind him. He looked back.

The goat fired a few more bullets before the hooves snapped back in. The goat lowered back down, standing on all fours again. 

_Hmm.. _now_ I gotcha._ He swiped his hand across the bubble and the bubble disappeared. And.. he jumped on the goat's back and the animal started bucking immediately as Steven reached for the jewel in his mouth. 

He grabbed the edge of it, trying to yank it out as the goat bucked and thrashed around. The ground cracking underneath of them. 

Amethyst jumped out from the tree. "Get it, Talc!" she pumped him up. 

He grunted, pulling on the jewel. He could feel it slipping from the robot's teeth. "I'm getting it! I think I'm getting it!" he cheered. The goat turned his neck, his teeth yanking the jewel back and out of Steven's hands. He watched as the goat titled his neck back and-

"Oh no!! He swallowed it!!" he shouted, grabbing his hair.

"Fine!! We'll just have to CUT it out of him, then!!" Amethyst shouted out. She and Pearl took their few steps in a mid run and stopped as they felt the ground start to shake.

"Huh?" Steven looked down. The cracks from the animal's hooves were growing more around them. And a sound of a large crack was heard just a few feet beside him.. the another cracking sound, even louder. 

And just as he saw the cracks give in, breaking off from the hill, he screamed, the cliff breaking down. Falling down.

"Pearl." Amethyst nodded at her. She held her whip up. 

The woman nodded back and ran towards the new cliff edge and jumped off just as Amethyst threw out her whip. The rope tying around Pearl as she got closer to a still screaming Steven. The boy still sitting on the goat's back and clinging onto it as they rocketed down towards the abyss. 

Pearl grabbed hold of the goat's neck and Steven's back. He looked up from his cowering. "Pearl!" he smiled. 

The rope stopped with a jolt and they swayed slightly. Then the whip rose up quickly, the three of them being sent back up and down to the ground. 

Amethyst unraveled her whip as Pearl pushed Steven off the goat. The boy falling with an "oof." on the ground. She flipped the canister counterclockwise and the spear flung out. She sliced the goat a few good times, slicing the metal body apart. The limbs and torso falling into the ground. The back, cut open. She pried it open and took out the jewel. "I got it, Amethyst." she smiled deviously.. and frowned immediately after. "No wait.. This isn't it either." 

"What?" Amethyst jogged up to her, looking at the jewel. 

The jewel started crumbling in Pearl's hand. 

"Wait a minute.." Amethyst started looking around.

The pieces of the goat started exploding and the three backed away, quickly.

"It was a trap!!" she growled out. 

"What another twist!!!" said Steven. "Whoaaaa!!!!" 

The ground started shaking and they ran farther away from the cliff, only for the ground quickly opening up in front of them and they stopped. 

A guy with thick, black glasses and a lab coat was being pushed up on a platform as the ground opened up wider. 

"Hmmph. So.. came to steal some of my jewels, like all of those other thieves, huh? Or more _specifically_.. _This._ one?" he held up the real jewel."

"What does it _look_ like." Amethyst stepped up to him. 

"Ooooo, muy picante (very spicy)." he said in a horrible, mocking, Spanish accent. 

She clenched the whip harder. "You trynna be funny, gringo?" 

He laughed. And took his hand out of his pocket. He held a small remote with one singular button. 

He pressed it. 

The ground opened up again and the three braced themselves, Steven way more scared on his part, as a large, pterodacty-like bird fly up and landed down hard on the ground beside the man. 

"Another robot." Amethyst hissed out. 

"You know it!" he cheered with such nerdish glee in his voice. 

The bird bent down, quickly picking him up in its beak. Amethyst threw her whip just as the beak closed. "HA! Try to get the jewel now, looosaaaaas!"

"Tshh." Pearl rolled her eyes. "Is this guy serious? Of course we can beat him."

She and Amethyst charged at the pterodactyl with their weapons and Steven swiped the ground to form his bubble. He ran behind them. 

The bird raised its wings and shifted them down. Small canons jotted out from the back of them. It started shooting sharp daggers at the three and Pearl and Amethyst dodged out the way. 

_Aw, man.. Why can I do?! _ Steven stood there. The dagger-like missiles exploding against his bubble as the two women jumped and dove down towards the robot as they threw their spear and whip at the robot. The spear hitting and puncturing the surface of the bird 

The fight continued as Amethyst used her whip and Pearl taking out two more canisters from her belt. She flipped one out, the spear flinging out. 

The man laughed inside of the machine. 

Then, Steven had a thought as he watched the two women fight the robot. _Wait, I know what I can do! They can distract it! And, while they do that, I can try to sneak up on it._

Steven ran away from the bird and his crew and the bird followed him, shooting the small missiles at him. "Come on.. that little bubble of yours can't hold for TOO much longer."

Steven scoffed in his mind. He didn't know how wrong he was. 

Or..he _hoped_ the man was wrong..

Amethyst and Pearl used _that_ "distraction" to uses their weapons. Amethyst using her whip to strike down indents on the surface and Pearl threw her spear, the weapon going right in the bird's cheek and there was a startled squeal from the man inside. 

He turned away from Steven, going for the women again. The two dodging the daggers and hiding behind two huge boulders. 

The robot continued to fire away at the area. 

_Now's my chance again!_ Steven ran towards the bird, realizing that there were no mini canons shooting from its legs.

He swiped across the bubble and jumped on the mechanical leg and started climbing up, swaying as the bird jumped and charged left and right at Amethyst and Pearl. 

He took a few breaths, finally reaching the feathers. A few more climb ups and he was on its back. 

"I made it." he smiled. "Alright, Universe. Now." he started crawling, grabbing hold of the feathers. "all ya have to do, is climb up to the beak part and-" the cannons pivoted towards him. He screamed, swiping across the feathers and the pink bubble formed around him as bullets shot out. "Or.. or not. Whoaaa" the bird started bobbing left and right, trying to shake him off. 

He groaned, trying his best to keep the bubble from sliding off as he shifted his body left and right and going as far as stepping a few paces to prevent from falling completely off. "Oooooohh. This thing is NOT good for balancing either!" 

Amethyst jumped up on a tree, and lounged at the bird, throwing her whip at its neck and taking a piece of the metal feathers and ripping it off as Pearl grabbed one of her spears from off the ground. She threw it, the spear hitting the bird's eye. 

"Now that's what I call.. a _bird's eye_ view." Steven quipped with a chuckle. "Whoaaa." the bird flailed around more. "Come, on, come on." he tried to keep the bubble balanced on its back as he scrambled left and right. 

Amethyst threw her whip, the rope hitting and putting two deep dents above the bird's beak. She threw the whip again, grabbing hold of the top break and Pearl threw another spear, the weapon stabbing the bird in its neck. 

"Uhg!!!! I CAN'T get BOTH of you at the same time!!" the cannons shifted from Steven and back at Amethyst and Pearl. "Try _this_ on for size."

Amethyst let go of the whip, the rope still tied to the top beak as, this time, the beak opened, up firing out bullets like a machine gun. 

Steven swiped across the bubble and fell forward, gripping the feathers. He started climbing towards the neck. The robot shot out the last bit of bullets and stayed open for a few moments.. before closing the beak back to recharge. 

Steven laid there, hanging on tightly to the bird as Amethyst and Pearl continued to dodge the dagger missiles coming out of the bird's feathers. 

Amethyst ran towards the bird and jumped up, super jumping and clearing twenty get up. Whip in hand.

"_Now_ I got you." said the man and the beak opened up again and started firing out. 

Amethyst curled up, spikes snapping out of her suit as she spun her way back down. The bullets pounding off of the GemTech clothing. "How is that possib.." he trialed of, mumbling.

Pearl used that time to throw her spears. The two hitting and destroying two cannons from one wing. She took out two more canisters from her belt.

Amethyst landed on her hands and knees, keeping herself curled up until the bird fired out its las round of bullets. The beak closed back up moements later to recharge. 

Steven was still laying down on the bird. _Hmm.. so it seems that the beak stays open for a few moments right after it fires.. _

He stayed right at the neck, watching Amethyst and Pearl as the two jumped and dodged behind ever rock and tree. Throwing their weapons every which way as the missiles from the wings fired at them. 

A few moments later and Steven saw the beak opening up. The bird started firing at them and like the graceful Gems they were, they flipped and lunged away easily. "Just stay. STILL already!!" the man growled out.

Steven laid there, waiting for the shots to cease. 

The robot fired in a one horizontal line, missing the two women completely. 

The last shots came out and there was a lull. _Here goes nothing!_ Steven got up, jumping to the beak. He barely caught the edge of the bottom beak. His feet dangling as he tried to hold on. He took quick breath, pulling himself up. 

He flopped inside and quickly got up to a crouch and turned and squealed, seeing the machine gun right in front of him, the weapon sinking back down into the tongue. The light of the day slowly diminishing as the beak closed. 

Then..just a dim area. He could see light shining from below. He crawled down, crawling over the lump of the machine and he shifted back, going for a sitting position as he scooted up. "Easy.. eaaaaasy... Eeeeeees... No, no, no, no!!" he started slipping down the throat, trying to hold in his scream as he slid all the way down.

"OOF!" he fell on his shoulder.. on the soft, cushion of the "stomach".

"What in the world?!?! YOU managed to get in here?!?!" he heard the robotics engineer yell.

Steven got up. "Sorry.. but uh.. Can we just get that jewel please?" 

"Hm.. a polite thief.."

"So you'll give me the jewel?!" he smiled.

"HA! Of COURSE not!"

Steven frowned. 

"I'll NEVA hand you the-" the bird moved back with a sudden force. "HEY!" the guy shouted, turning back around to face the three cameras in front of him. Amethyst was shown in the middle camera. Whip in hand. The first camera, showing Pearl throwing her spear to one of the cannons. The third showing the bird's back. _So that's how he knew I was up there.._

The tall man went back to the controls, firing at the Gems as Steven cautiously walked up to him. 

Amethyst jumped off the beak, yanking the whip as she dropped back down, the rope pulling and snapping the top beak off. "My BIRD!!!" the man shrieked. He hit more buttons on the side of him. 

Steven grabbed the guy's shoulders, trying to pull him away. "AH!!! HEY! UnHAND me you no good ruffian!!" he twisted around, trying to push Steven off, pushing his hands in his face. "Feel my unbridled rage!!!" he smacked him a few more times. 

"Ow! Hey! Stop that!" he tried moving his face away, his hands still on the man's shoulders as he tried to pull him out of his seat. 

The engineer turned more in his seat, bringing his arm around as he tried to pull Steven to the ground. The boy was barely keeping his balance.

The bird was hit hard again. "NOO!!" he growled out, putting one hand back on the control. Steven grabbed the man's torso and he clipped one of his legs to the leg of the chair to hold him down. The man pressed two buttons and went back to Steven. The two tussling and grabbing one another as the guy went back and forth from boy to machine as he tried to destroy all three of them. 

Steven remembered that move he saw Amethyst do a few times at Wrestlmania and twisted around, bringing his arms up and putting the engineer in a headlock. 

"Ooooohhh!!! I KNEW I should've put in an auto pilot!!" he berated himself.

Then, Steven let one arm go from his neck. "Well, rookie." he pulled his arm back. "MisTAKE!" he punched the man in his jaw. 

And the robotics engineer fell out of his chair. 

"Oh no!" Steven brought his hands up to his mouth in a gasp.

The guy didn't move.. 

Out cold. 

Steven lowered his hands from his mouth "Oh no, oh no, oh no!! I didn't mean to do that!! I.. I.. was just trying to.." he groaned, holding his face.

He noticed out the corner of his eye, the bright buttons lighting up and blinking beside him and he turned to looked at the consoles.

There were.. so many colorful buttons off all shapes and sizes..

"Ahhhh man!!! How do I work this thing?!" he sat down, mistakingly hitting the guy's leg with his foot. "Sorry." he said with such guilt in his voice. He went back to the three screens in front of him, shaky breathing as he started to freak out. He looked across the board. He whined more. "Nnnnnnn... uh...." he looked at the buttons and.. started pressing any of them.

The bird started jumping from leg to leg, firing more bullets at them. Steven watched as Amethyst and Pearl just barely dodged away. The area in front of him getting pelted and destroyed. "No, no, no!! I'm making it worse!!" Even more frantic, he pressed more buttons. The bird charged left, going towards the trees Amethyst was hiding behind. She jumped away, clearing a few yards up in the air as the bird rammed through the area.. 

And going straight for the cliff. 

Steven screamed, pressing four more buttons to his right and just as the bird neared the edge it leapt to it's right, now charging back towards the middle as it fired all around itself. 

"Oh, come on! Wake up!" Steven nudged the man's leg on purpose this time. "Wake up!!' he shouted frantically.

No response from the man on the floor. 

Steven pressed more buttons and the bird turned around. "Just STOP with the bullets already!!" Steven pleaded he looked up and noticed.. a long pully lever. "Maybe that'll stop it!!" he got up and pulled it. 

The bird stopped in its tracks. But the bullets were still firing.

"Wait.. is it stopping?" he looked up. The extra bullets weren't being fired anymore. He let go of the lever-

And the bird shot up in the air and he screamed, nearly falling back and holding on to the armrest of the chair.

He watched as Amethyst and Pearl looked on as the bird flew high above them. 

"No!! I've made it worse!!" he pulled on the lever a couple more times and nothing happened.

He went to the buttons again, pressing the smaller ones and, now desperate, slid down a console he'd been avoiding. 

Lights started lighting aroud him. "Huh?" he looked about himself. 

"System. Over ride." said the robot.

The third camera showed more small squares opening up as more cannons popped out. "Oh no.." he whispered. And the cannons started firing harder than before.

Two huge rocket cannons appeared on the bird's shoulders and started glowing.

"I've made it even MORE worse!!!" he whined, not wanting to push any more buttons. 

The bird's chest opened up as four machine guns came out and started firing. And the beak opened up. Firing with it. The bird's feet turned up. Each talon now miniature guns as each claw fired out. 

The bird was firing from every area on it. The sky and the ground below it and all around its sides. 

Pearl and Amethyst sat there, hiding underneath of a nearly destroyed gazebo as they watched the bird fire out. 

  
  


"Hmm.. you know." Amethyst said casually with a smirk. "This is starting to play out to be a very badly written, dramatic irony kind of storyline." 

Pearl went from looking at the bird to looking at Amethyst. "What do you mean?" 

"I mean, if I knew any better, I would think that Talc and that robot loner guy were in cojutz together." 

Pearl looked at her, trying to understand. 

Amethyst rolled her eyes. She raised up one hand. "Talc wanting the situation to be dangerous or important enough." she explained casually as she lifted up the other hand. "And the robot bird doing all of this weapon crap and trying to prevent us from getting our jewel."

Pearl started to realize what Amethyst was getting at. "You mean.." 

Amethyst nodded with a smirk. "Let's form Opal."


	90. Giant Woman

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for hero wiki in giving me a thorough description of Opal xD I totally had to rip it off from there xD

"After you." said Pearl.

Amethyst nodded and took a plain stance. Then, a second later, she raised both arms and threw out one leg slowly. She dipped her hips as she slid the other leg slowly back to the main one. She waited for a split second, and, while still keeping her arms up, she began to shuffle her feet, tango style.

Pearl did a few twirls, keeping her back straight and hands laced together. She threw one foot out, stopping, toe pointed to the floor as she threw her arms out and to the side in a ballerina stance.

Amethyst started putting a bit more energy into her dance. Pumping her legs back and forth, mixing a bit of hip hop into her dance as she threw her arms down towards her waist. She turned around, twirling her hips. 

Pearl spun a few more times and leaped towards Amethyst and Amethyst started shuffling towards her. She grabbed Pearl's hand.

The dark purple of Amethyst's jumpsuit glowed and the pastel colors of Pearl's glowed, the two GemTech clothes glowing brightly as Pearl swung Amethyst up on her shoulders. Their suits growing, combining into one under the bright light. Pearl's boots growing taller, stilts-like, and two extra appendages formed out from the first pair of arms.

And.. the figure kept growing, the hair growing longer and their jumpsuits forming into one and forming into different pieces of clothing behind the bright light. 

A few moments later and the light faded out. And.. there was a completely different figure.

The robot woman.. was so tall.. with thick, wavy, off-white hair. Her hair extending slightly past her calves and tied back into a rowdy ponytail by a pale salmon band. At the front of her hair, extending from off the sides were two small pigtails in the front tied by pale yellow ties and chin-length bangs.

She had on a pastel teal top with a drape in the front and back that went down to her shins. The bottom part of the drape having an accented star. And she wore fuchsia, knee-length leggings and yellow flat boots.

  
  


Steven.. was in ABSOLUTE awe.. having watched the whole thing in front of him through the middle screen.. And.. it was even COOLER than he imagined!! 

The dances, being in synch, their suits glowing and forming into a tall, four armed, giant woman!! 

It was AMAZING!!!!

And now.. _now_ he was looking at the robot in front of him. 

_Opal_ he reminded himself, ran out to the clearing and jumped up, extremely high up, meeting the bird's face. And Steven realized just how big Opal really was as she blocked the middle screen with just a part of her tunic alone. The bullets bouncing right off of her. 

She ripped the machine gun out of the robot's tongue and threw it down. She stuck her arm back in the bird's mouth, feeling around, going far as the middle part of the throat. 

"Oh no! She can't get to me! She's a whole lotta woman!" he whined. 

He watched as Opal leaned back up and climbed down, disappearing out of view of all three cameras. He ran back up to the consoles. "Wait.. where did she go?!" 

There was the sound of metal grinding.. 

"Huh?" he looked down. 

A fist bursted through from the floor and he screamed, falling back. Then another fist rammed up from the floor just a few inches in front of him and metal shards and pieces flew at his face. He threw his arm up, covered his face. 

The second fist pulled away and he saw a huge eye looking at him. He put his arm down slowly. "Opal?! Wow!! You guys are-" 

"Do you have the jewel?" even.. her voice was different.. Low ..and with authority. 

"Oh, uh.." he looked around. The shiny jewel was right by the seat. "I see it!" he got up and ran. He picked up the jewel. "Opal! I got it!" he yelled. 

The giant robot woman's eye left the gaping hole. "Huh? Wait! Opal!" he put the jewel in his pant pocket. "Where are you goi-" another fist thrusted upwards, going right through the control panels. Sparks started flicking and darting from the area. Then two more fists broke into the bottom of the bird. The first one pulled back from the sparking panels and punched another hole through, right by the robotics engineer. With the force of the rocking from the bird, his body was slowly sliding through the hole. "No! He's falling!" Steven dove for him but the man's body slid through. "Noooo!!!" the man free fell-

Until a gravity-unit parachute inflated, the man being carried gently to the ground. 

"Oh, phewf.." Steven got up. "That was clo-" he felt the ground fall from underneath him and he screamed for half a second until he realized Opal had punched the fourth hand through, grabbing him in her hand. She pulled the two second arms out from the back of the bird, then the one with Steven in it. The boy catching how far up they were in the sky, now that he was being held by a hand of a GIANT. ROBOT woman. The cool air from the bird's wings and from the cool, mountain breeze hit his face and jostled his curly hair around.

Fire and smoke erupted from the bird and Opal pushed off with three arms and her legs. She jumped up higher, even farther away to Steven's liking.. 

The bird crackled a few times, cracking and exploded underneath of them as Opal kept reaching at a high height away from it. 

The shattered pieces from below spun around and turned into daggers. 

"What?! So he put THAT into the robot as well?!? Wow... That's some cool stuff.." Steven said in her hand. 

The daggers started flying towards them at high speeds. "And they're all coming after us!!" he cowered. "Huh?" Opal pulled her arm back, placing him on her shoulder. And he quickly held on tightly to her shoulders. 

The woman took a whip on one side of her belt and a canister on the other. She flipped it counterclockwise and the spear flung out. With two of her top hands she swiped the whip downwards and across the spear. There was a a flash of white light and he watched as the bright shaped turned into-

The white light vanished and Steven gasped. "Opal's weapon is a bow and arrow?!?!" he hung his mouth open in awe. 

The shocked moment was short lived as the two began to free fall. The hundreds of shard darts following their descend. Steven held on tighter, screaming. 

"Stay low." he heard the woman say.

Steven tried ducking down as best as he could. Opal's ponytail covering his head. He looked up slightly. 

He watched as Opal pressed her ring finger near the bottom of her hand. An arrow jutted out from the inside of her wrist and she pulled it out, quickly attaching it to the bow. She pulled it back and released it. 

The arrow flew out towards the group of sharp daggers and started splitting into smaller arrows. Each spearhead going right for the daggers. The impact making small explosions above them. 

Opal took the bow and started spinning it fast in front of her, reflecting the exploding parts in front of them. The pieces popping off of the bow.

"Wow.. how did.." Steven leaned his head up more, blond hair still laying across his face. "..Amazing.." 

He noticed they missed the chunk of land and he screamed. "We missed the ground!!" 

Opal didn't say anything. The robot free falling and staying close to the side of the mountain. She reached a thin, smooth edge of the mountain, using that to slide down gracefully as she glided down towards the ground on her toes. 

Steven held on, his nerves slowly leaving him as he realized that.. just maybe.. they were going to be alright. And it was.. also.. kinda like being on a huge slide. 

He looked ahead of him as Opal cleared more of the thin edge on just her toes alone. The woman, not even bobbing one bit. Keeping her balance effortlessly. 

_Wow.. she would be really great at skateboarding.._

The woman reached the ground and lunged forward, using her top to hands to push off of the ground, sending her in a front flip. She landed on her hands again, performing two more front flips as she slowed her place down, landed back on her feet. 

_And a great gymnast. _ He added.

Opal pulled back her arm, grabbing Steven by his jacket and set him down. 

He looked up at the tall woman.. and a huge smile spread across this face. "You two actually formed into Opal!!!!" he cheered. "I ACTUALLY got to see my first fusion!!" 

Opal gave him a slight shrug of her shoulders. Her four arms going up and down as she did. "So it seems." she said in that nice, low voice of hers. 

Steven piped up more. "And what kind of power was that?! How did that one arrow take down all of those daggers?!" 

Opal held out her hand and he raised an eyebrow. "Huh? Oh!" he took out the small jewel and placed it in her hand. She held it and started walking away. Steven jogging to keep up with the wide stride woman. 

"The arrow calculates in a second how many things are in front of it." she spoke up, finally answering his question. He looked up at the towering woman. "And it splits into those amount of pieces."

"Wow.. those Peridots sure are something.."

Opal nodded in agreement. A content look on her face. She didn't say anything more. 

_This Opal sure is a woman of a few words.. _

................................

With them not being at the top of the mountain anymore, Opal simply climbed them up the second mountain, avoiding the floating boulders. But then, that's when they retraced their steps, going back to the bridge, which wasn't so bad. (With Opal giving him a warning look and him knowing better than to sing Giant Woman again.) And the two going back to the rocks across the water. Opal simply jumping to the other side and Steven having to jump over on the rocks. Then they climbed back down on the side of the mountain with the planks and back down the stairs and towards the truck. 

Garnet was already there and at the trunk of the car, wiping the top of her mask off with assumably a GemTech towel. Steam was evaporating from it. She turned to see the two coming towards her and she threw the towel across her neck. "Wow.. you two actually formed Opal." she closed the trunk. 

"Things went a bit weird up their in the Spire." 

"And it was so cool!!!!" Steven belted out. He looked at the two. "I can't wait to fuse on day!!"

"Eventually." was Opal's one worded answer. 

Steven gave her a soft expression. "I know.. but I just can't wait." 

She looked away from him. "Alright. That's it for this. Pearl?" Opal took the bow and pulled it, there was a flash of white and one separate weapon were in each hand. One hand raveled the whip back up and the other spun the canister clockwise, the spear snapping back in. The two weapons were placed on each side of the figure. Then, with ams akimbo, there was another flash of light, much brighter. And a few seconds later, the figure shrunk and started to look more like two people, one on top of the other's shoulders. The white light vanished and Amethyst was shown on top of Pearls shoulders. She did a back flip, jumping off and landing on the ground. "Alright. I'd say that was some nice work out there with Opal." she clapped slowly. 

"Yes, definitely." Pearl agreed. "Especially since it's been awhile since we've formed Opal. We weren't rusty in the slightest." she opened the door for Amethyst. 

Amethyst snorted. "Us? Rusty?" she got in. "Of course not, Pearl." the woman closed the door and walked over as Steven opened his side. 

"Let's go to the shack first, Garnet. Gotta get our guns for tomorrow's party." said Amethyst.

Garnet pressed the button on in the car and the engine roared to life. She shifted gears and drove off. 

Amethyst looked up at Talc in the rearview mirror. "Che." he looked up at her. "Ever held a gun before?" then a beat later and her mouth curled up in a sinister smile. "Ever.. fired one before?" 

He shook his head. 

The smile grew deeper. "Well then. There's a first time for everything." 

_He.._ really_ hoped that he wouldn't ever have to use it on anyone.._

"I'll give you something small." she told him. 

He nodded numbly at her. 

He really _really_ hoped that he wouldn't have to use it..

Amethyst nodded and looked away from the mirror. 

He laid back in his seat.. Really, really, _reeeeally_ hoping that he wouldn't have to use it.. 

.......................

The group didn't drive for two long. Garnet just turned to another street, about a few minutes away from the mountains when Amethyst saw someone familiar walking down the sidewalk beside them. "Yo, Garnet. Pull over, over there." 

Garnet put on her blinkers, crossing two lanes and stopping right on the side of the sidewalk. 

Steven turned around to see a young woman walking up behind them. _Oh, crap!! It's her!!_ he slid down in his seat. _Aaaaall _ the way down in his seat. His face completely underneath of the window.

  
  


Amethyst pulled her mask off and put the window down. "Yo, Opal." 

The woman looked up, looking around. Amethyst called her name again and she looked at the car. She saw Amethyst was waving at her. 

"Hey!" she waved, jogging towards them. 

Steven sunk down even more. Just in case. 

" 'Sup Opal. What are you doing all the way up here?" 

"Wascoite had me and the rest of the group to retrieve a few jewels in a cave not too far from the mountains." she smiled. "And wow, let me tell you, Amethyst. It was NOT your average cave. This one had so many jewels that was held inside this stalagmites and stalactites. And the group and I had to use our weapons to try and crack all of them!" 

_WHAT?!?!?! SHE'S ONE TOO!!! _

"..and then it turned out that the main jewel we were looking for.. was in. another. cave!" she said with such shock and awe. She shook her head. Her blonde ponytail flowing across her back. "And then we had to go ALL the way back from where we came and-"

Amethyst nodded and nodded as the girl fired off with her mission. The young blonde going to another, separate topic to talk about different types of caves throughout the world.

"Yeah, uh huh, uh huh, cool story, Opal. Say, let me ask ya something. When you and Chalcedony's group had that guy steel from you." the young woman's smile faltered.. into something of embarrassment. "How did the guy look? I want to get a head start for tomorrow." 

"That Joe Dohn character? Oh, that's right, Peridot didn't have a picture of him.. Yeah, he's this tall guy, with side burns and he has a tall bridge nose and green eyes and he has this widow's peak and-" 

_I hope Amethyst has a pen, because this chick is going to tell this guy's WHOLE life story._

".. ark brown, hair. Not too long, not too short. A few tuff's of hair touches the tip of his ears. And he has a few small miles near his right eye and a small scar below his lip and." she kept on going. 

"Yeahh, uh huh, yeah. I think that's ALL we need from ya." she stopped the woman in her tracks. 

"Ah, oh.. okay then. Hey, what are you all doing here? Wascoite had you check out the other caves as well? I remember talking to Jade a few days ago and she said that she was to check out a cave on Tuesday and-" 

Amethyst started rolling the window up. "Yeah, Opal. That sounds like a likely story. But, we gotta head out. Duty calls."

"Oh, y, yes. Yes of course. See you guys later." she waved. "I'm just heading back to the group now so we can head back to the GemTech building and-" Amethyst rolled the window all the way up. They could still hear the muffled sounds of her talking on the other side. 

"Floor it, Garnet." 

Garnet looked out the side view mirror. No cars were coming and she shifted the gear out of park and sped off. Opal was waving back at them. Smiling. 

Steven started scooting back up in his chair. 

Amethyst saw him and snorted. "Wow dude. Did you woo her too?" 

"No." he shook his hesd. 

Actually.. he _had_ tried to get into her pants on two occasions. But both times, he fail miserably.. 

The first time was after a football game. Everyone was going home and the two were being the bleachers. After a great amount of talking from her, he managed to finally get her to take off her shirt and bra. And he'd had his jeans down on the ground. He kept kissing her neck and squeezing her chest. And all was going great until he lifted up skirt and tugged at her underwear. She asked him if he had a condom and he told her he forgot to get one. 

She ended up going on a whole speil about how he shouldn't had forgotten one and educating him about using them and how she didn't want to have a baby and started rambling off on other stuff.. The spiel going on for two hours.. and in that whole time, he could've went to the convenient store that was only a ten minutes walk from the school and buy one _and_ he could've went back.. But no.. she just kept going.. and going.. And it wasn't like she was mad either, she just simply kept going on and on with the rambling.

And eventually, she just turned him off so bad after that and he lost interest. Falling ..flaccid and he ended making an excuse to just leave. 

The second time being at the house.. Her parents weren't going to be home for the next four hours. Which was great. They had more than enough time. Except she kept talking about various things and topics. Steven only going far to take off one article of clothing per hour.. Then once he finally had her laying down on the bed and he was right between her putting the condom on, her parents were pulling up at the driveway. A whopping FOUR hours she talked and wasted his time. 

The boy having to zippen up and escape through her bedroom window.

Aaaand missing the last bus just a block away from her house and him having to walk the two hour walk home.. with a boner.. 

And.. he just gave up after that. 

"She just.. talks too much.." he ended up telling Amethyst. "And I didn't want her to see that I was in here too." _As a Crystal Gem.._

"Well, she wouldn't had." 

He looked at her. 

"You still have the mask on, dude." 

"Oh." he touched the pink mask on his face. 

Amethyst snorted, taking out her phone, about to waste her hours until they got to the shack.

But Steven had a nagging question for her..

"So.. her real name.. _and_ Crystal Gem name.. is Opal?" 

Amethyst didn't look up from her phone. "Yup. Her parents are Crystal Gems too. And while some Crystal Gems, when they have a child, give their kids both their real names AND Crystal Gem names, some parents are pretty gung-ho about it and straight up give them a Crystal Gem name as their actual ones. Like, Jasper for instance. That guy you saw outside the wrestling building. Him and Lapis named their daughter Malachite as BOTH her name AND Crystal Gem name." 

"But.. how does nobody notice that?" 

"Eh, I guess people just assume parents are trying to be "creative" with their kids' names.. or that their parents have some kind of "dark sense of humor" for naming their kids after Gem names, knowing damn well Gem names refers to us robbers. Mm, who knows." 

Malachite.. He'd yet to see her.. And he wondered what kind of person she was.. It just seemed that a lot of the Crystal Gems were just.. so tense and cold and uptight and rigid. _Except for Opal of course.. _ but he wondered how the Crystal Gems shaped Malachite. Was she as cold and tense as them? Would he even get to see her? Or that Lapis woman?

Steven just gave her a small. "Right.." and didn't say anything else to her. Instead, he took out his phone as well, going right to TubeTube.


	91. Sticks and stones

Garnet pulled up at the shack and put it in park. She, Pearl and Steven got out and Pearl opened the door for Amethyst as Garnet put in the necessary code for the door. The tablet snapped back in and the poled sunk back into the ground as the shack lifted up from the ground. Garnet waited for the three to come. 

Pearl opened the door and Amethyst, Garnet, she and Steven walked in. The floor started moving back down.

Amethyst went to an empty space on the ground. She pressed her foot on a certain spot on the floor and the floor opened up and a table lifted up from the floor. Four different types of guns were on top of it. "Already had this picked out last week." she said to the group.

Pearl took off her hot mask and went over to the small fridge on the floor. She took a water bottle out and started drinking from it. 

Steven sat down on the couch. The couch and the room in general, bringing back memories of him being recruited as a Crystal Gem. 

It was, in a way.. half surreal, half eerie .. 

Garnet went over and grabbed a water bottle herself as Pearl went to sit on the cot on the floor. She turned to Steven. "Care for something to drink, Talc?" 

"Sure." he smiled. 

She picked up two water bottles and under hand threw it to him. He caught it and she sat down beside him. He unscrewed the cap and drunk from it as Garnet took off her mask. She placed it beside her and he looked over and choked. 

She looked over, leaning the water away from her lips. "Are you okay?" 

"Garnet.. your face."

Pearl swallowed hard, looking at Garnet now.

"Hm?" Garnet didn't understand what he meant for only a split second, bringing her hand up to her bruised face. "OH! Uh.. it was from the mission today. My.. mask got taken off in one of the machines when I was trying to get the jewel." 

The scars on her face .. _and_ neck looked fresh.. but not _that_ fresh..

And though he never worked in a factory.. and therefore didn't _really_ know what all machines could do to ones body, he definitely knew that it could lead to many accidents like amputations and burns and such.. 

But.. something told him that.. _those_ particular marks _weren't_ from any machines..

Also.. living with.. _Andy_.. and his sadistic ways with belts and other objects.. Steven knew a thing or two about welps.. and the welps on her face looked a bit like.. 

Rope marks..

Then Steven thought.. shaking his head slowly as an assumption came to his mind..

He brought the water bottle down from his mouth..

No.. Amethyst wouldn't.. 

..would she..? 

He glanced at Amethyst who was picking up the third gun from the table. He looked back at the woman.. "Garnet.." 

"Talc, please." she warned him in a hushed, harsh whisper. 

"Garnet.. they look like whip marks.." 

She didn't say anything. 

"Did.. Amethyst do this to you? Was _this_ what she meant by 'everything will be dealt with accordingly.' ?" 

Garnet sighed. "Talc, relax." Then, she said in a leveled, casual voice. "It really is no big deal." she gave him a shrug. "I.. kinda uprooted a memory from that game and.. got lost in it.. which... resulted in me failing the mission.. since I wasn't there." 

Steven felt sick to his stomach.. To.. have someone hurt Garnet like that.. just because she thought about her past.. the _trauma_ of what she'd been through.. 

He shook his head more. He swallowed the bile down. "Garnet.. she.. she _whipped_ you." he got up slowly. "Is.. that what she does to you two when stuff like this happens? Or when the mission doesn't go the way she likes it?" 

Garnet put her arms up, getting up with him. "Don't make a big deal about this." she put a hand on his shoulder and a gave him a small smile. "I'm fine."

He looked at her hand.

The marks were on it too..

She took her hand off his shoulder. 

"Garnet.." he looked up at her. "She.. beat you.." he took a breath. "She _abused_ you.."

Garnet was about to open her mouth to say something-

"Yup, Talc." he heard Amethyst say. The two of them and Pearl, being extremely quiet, looked over. 

Amethyst pressed her foot on the ground again and the table went back inside. "_This_ is what happens when you let your memories and emotions get the best of you." he looked back at Garnet. The deep wounds on her cheek and over her eyes.. The sides of her face.. and down and across her neck.. "You end up, like this example, here." Amethyst gestured at the deep marks on her face. She started walking pass them. "And _those_.. are just the ones.. on her face." she cackled.

And she had a nerve..to laugh at that..

He was so sad.. so upset for Garnet.. So.. _angry_.. at Amethyst. 

The woman.. _abusing_ her.. And.. Garnet acting like it was nothing! 

His face contorted in a scowl.. feeling his blood boil..

"Yeah, she needed to be taught a lesson." said Amethyst. 

He pivoted around, teeth clenching. He took a step and felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked back. "Don't.Talc." 

He looked at Amethyst by the door. Then back at her. "But, but Garnet." 

"Please." she gave him a level stare, her eyes were pleading. _"Don't."_

It took every once of him to not go over there and say something to Amethyst.. but with Garnet and her not wanting him to.. he eventually gave in.. 

He sighed and she slowly lifted her hand from his shoulder. "Garnet.." he looked up at her. His eyes, watery. "What she did was not right." his voice cracked.

"What she _did_.. was under the Crystal. Gem. Law." she said steadily. "Therefore, it is just, under our book."

"That doesn't make it right.."

She looked at Amethyst and looked back at Steven. She forced a small smile across her lips and she ruffled his hair. 

He moved her hand gently off his curls. "Garnet, I'm serious." he said softly. 

She frowned, leaning her hand off. "This is how things have been.. for decades." she said plainly, matter of factly. "Talc.. as brutal as it sounds that's just.. how it is here."

He frowned. A tear fell from his face and he wiped it off his cheek. "That doesn't justify the abuse.." he whispered under his breath. 

Garnet took a breath, looking away from him and.. walked away. 

He turned around, watching her as she walked towards Amethyst. The boy looking at Amethyst as she handed Garnet her gun. She looked at him and a narcissistic, smug look appeared on her face.

And again, it took ever ounce of him to not say anything back at her.. but.. Garnet told him not too.. 

Pearl walked over, throwing the water bottle in the trash and he let out a long exhale, and started walking towards the group. Garnet put in the security numbers and the floor went up. 

Pearl opened the door and Amethyst left out, then the group walked out after her. 

Garnet and Steven got in and Pearl opened the door for Amethyst. She got in and Pearl made her way to her side. She got in. 

Steven looked at Garnet's relaxed expression.. like it was.. just nothing.. 

Like she was used to it..

"Come on, Talc. Stop wearing your heart on your sleeve." he looked up at Amethyst through the rearview mirror. "It's just business." she snickered. "Like I told you before. There are no _friends_ here.. We're just a unit. A group of people who work together to get the job done. _That's_ it. Nothing more. Nothing less." she looked away from the mirror. "Now. she gestured with her chin and Garnet nodded. She turned the car on, shifted gears and drove off. "Let's get a move on and take Talc home." said Amethyst. Then she looked back at the mirror and scoffed. "Remember. You should be thankful that we're doing _that_much for ya." she cackled under her breath.

Steven just looked at the ever smug look on her face again. 

Why.. was she like this?..

Did something happen to her that made her like this? Or was she that just.. in her nature and nothing truly happened and that's just how she was as a person..?

But.

He tried to stop his negative thoughts. 

He could already feel himself getting a headache..

A few minutes of counting cars on the highway and thinking about pleasant stuff like how he and Peridot helped Lion.. and thinking about his lovely Connie, he slowly started to come back down from his anger.. and his unpleasant thoughts.. 

He took a very deep breath, wiping his face after having finally stopped his silent crying.. and being thankful that Amethyst either, didn't see him crying or just didn't bother mentioning it..

He took another calming breath. 

One small thought was still in his mind.. A thought that made him, _Steven_ and, not, just like the Crystal Gems.. 

And he found that thought as a bit of a challenge.. but he didn't care..

He _was_ going to change her.. 

Just like how he was talking and bonding with Garnet.. 

He took_ another _breath, calming more of his nerves. His thoughts going more positive and light and optimistic. 

He would change her.. 

And he would get through Pearl too and change her.. 

He would eventually get through to the WHOLE Crystal Gem authority and take them down. And change them ALL!

..With kindness.. and crying.. and being empathic.. 

And.. maybe with pizza as well? 

"Yo, I know you weren't just crying." he looked away from the highway and back up at the rearview mirror. _"What_ did I say about crying? I _told_ you that you need to stop being so emotional. You're to be a cold-blooded Crystal Gem." 

His negative thoughts were long gone and he simply nodded and smiled softly to her. "Don't worry. I understand Amethyst. I understand completely." 

She looked at him. Raising an eye as to _why_ he was smiling.. But, she didn't say anything about it. 

He was going to change how they viewed the world.. Their system.. And he was going to do it through the best way possible. 

And he was going to show them a little thing or two about love and compassion. 

And the process of changing and becoming a better person. 

He leaned back in his seat and looked out the window. The sky looking a bit brighter than usual. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .. Welp.. told y'all Amethyst was going to do more horrible stuff.  
And man, there's still _more_ that I have planned for her to do..
> 
> Also yeessss.. of course I had to add in that whole "love" thing like how it is in the show.  
However, _will_ it work in this fic like in the show? Weeeeeell..  
We can hope, right?


	92. One day at a time

Garnet stopped at the side of the apartment. 

"Alright, che. We're going to pick you up at oh eight hundred hours." 

"Okay." 

"Not just for the mission. Tomorrow marks another Together Breakfast where we give another run through for the next two weeks." 

_Oh yeah! How could I had forgotten about that diner with the delicious food!! _

_Also, how about that!! I was hoping that I could ask Amethyst for a list of our missions for this week and we'll be getting a whole rundown of two weeks! Great! _

"We're going to head down there eat and give the run through, then head down to the party down in Atlanta." 

_Yeah.. that is _definitely_ going to be the looooongest ride yet for me.. I better download a movie or two.._

He nodded. "Alrighty, Amethyst. I'll be there bright and early." he smiled.

She looked at him. Still just a tad bit skeptic, wondering why he seemed so calm.. But, she nodded, giving him a proud smile, thinking that she's finally getting through to him. "Noches."

"Night." he opened the door and turned. "Night you guys." 

"Night." Pearl nodded at him. 

"Goodnight, Talc." Garnet gave him a small smile. 

He got out of the car and closed the door behind him and heard the car drive off as he turned the corner of the apartment. We walked through the main door, walked up the two flights of steps and fished his keys out his pocket as he walked down the hall. 

He unlocked the door and opened it, immediately smelling the food. "Connie?" he closed the door. 

"Yeah, I'm here." 

He took her flip flops off and took in more of the smell of the food. Taking a nice long look at his beautiful girlfriend on the bed, on the laptop. Her eyes glued to the screen.

He took a few steps towards her and heard some whining behind him. He turned around..

.. to see Lion underneath of a crate. 

"Connie!!" he ran towards the dog. The canine keeping his body close to the ground, the crate not big enough for him to lean up. He started wagging his tail. Steven picked up the miscellaneous items keeping the crate down.

"Yeah, _that_ dog is going. We're getting rid of him." 

"What?!" he looked at her, only to go right back to throwing the last few items onto the floor. He pushed the crate back and grabbed hold of the dog. His face towards Connie as he hugged the canine. His head smushed to the dog's cheek.

Connie slid the laptop off her lap and turned to him. She counted on her fingers. "He pooped on the floor, _twice_, peed on the cabinets, ate up my favorite shoes and chewed pieces of the couch, the bed AND the stool. So, I put him under a crate. So he _wouldn't_ destroy and dirty up ANY more of the apartment."

"Connieeee!" he whined. "You can't just have him under a crate! Did you even _try_ to bond with him?" the dog turned slightly, trying to lick Steven's cheek. He gave him a few noggin stratches, still looking at Connie with an expression of unbelief and heartbreak. 

"No. I didn't honestly." and the way she said it, it sounded like she didn't feel bad about it. "Steven, did you not hear what I just said? All that stuff he did?" she got up, sitting on her legs. "THIS is the reason why I don't want a dog in this house." she hammered out. "Simply put. I just _don't_.want.to have.a dog."

He looked at her.. feeling upset.. hurt.. 

Miffed..

Fed up.. 

_And _I_ dont want to have a baby.._

"What, Steven. What are you going to say?" 

The narrowed eyed stare from him lasted for a few moments.. before his expression faltered and he sighed. He looked away. His attention back on the dog as he started scratching his head again. He gave the dog a small, apologetic smile. "Come, on, buddy. Let's get you something to eat and then go for a walk." he got up and Lion got up with him. 

"So.. you're just going to ignore this conversation?" 

"He needs food, Connie. He's hungry." he didn't bother looking back as he picked up the water bowl. He rinsed it out and poured some water into it and set the bowl down. The dog went for it. 

He went back to the white bag and took out the first can he grabbed. 

"Steven." she said sternly. 

"He doesn't know any better, Connie." he popped open the top and the dog looked up from his bowl. Water dripping from his chin. "You can't just.. penalize him for it." he dumped the contents in the bowl and the canine knocked his hand out the way, getting to the food. "putting him in a crate is.. cruel." 

Perhaps saying that she was cruel was a strong word to say.. But, he couldn't help but think about Amethyst when he said that.. And how she was treating Garnet. 

He heard Connie slide off the bed and he turned around as she was getting up. "Did you actually say that that's 'cruel'? Steven, I.." she shook her head, giving him a lowly chuckle. "For someone who has-" she stopped herself. "You know what, forget it." she threw her arms down.

His stomach dipped in ice water.. knowing what she was getting at..

.. and she didn't even know what he did as a Crystal Gem.. 

He could practically _feel_ the hypocrisy seeping off his skin.. 

He tried shaking the feeling off. "Connie, that's different. We're talking about innocent creatures here." 

"All I did was put him under a crate. I didn't hurt him in any way. And, I even gave him some water and a bit of the left over dinner we had yesterday. I just, put him under a crate afterwards. Steven, people put their dogs in crates. Why do you think they make them at the pet store? Crates, carriers, doggy proofing equipment, etcetera."

"I.. but.." he stumbled over his words. She was.. somewhat right? They _did_ have stuff like that at the stores and.. people.. did put their dogs in crates.. but, but NOT for a long time! And.. that's assuming that she put him under the crate for a long time.. which.. he had no proof of.. -Still.. he found his words again. "There's a line between that though. Some people do that to hold the dogs inside the cage or carriers to prevent the dogs from getting hurt or to transport them from place to place, but you're just trapping him under a crate, so he can't do anything! Connie, he couldn't even stand all the way up to stretch out!"

"I._know_ that. And unfortunately I had to use that crate because it's not like we have carriers just, lying around! And I put him under the crate _just_ for a little while. I just didn't want him going around and damaging more stuff. And also, if you think about it, it would be bad for_ us_ if he just spreads all of his germs around and making mess on the floor and everywhere AND it could be bad for _him_ if he gets a hold of something dangerous." she countered. "Steven, you don't think I would actually keep him under the crate for hours. And if I had a bigger crate, you _know_ I would've used that instead. And I gave him food and water, I didn't put my hands on him-" he thought about.. hearing Amethyst smack Garnet at the arcade.. and then.. what he'd learned about today.. "and I didn't keep him under a crate for too long. I _wouldn't_ keep him under a crate for too long." she glared at him, shaking her head once more "I'm _not_ cruel." she folded her arms. 

He tried to shake his head of the thoughts. "I.." he smacked his teeth. "I know, I'm sorry.. I.. didn't mean to say the world 'cruel', I just.. 

He kept looking back at Garnet.. and the scars on her face.. and he could feel the tears stringing his eyes. 

Connie dropped her arms, walking over to him. "Steven. What's this all about?" she said gently.

Those.. deep gashes all on her face.. and her acting like it was nothing.. like it was 'normal'.

Like it was _'okay'_.. 

A couple tears fell. He wiped at one of his eyes. "It's nothing.. I just.. he's.. obviously been though a lot in life.." he wiped at the other eye as tears fell from the other. He thought about Garnet.. and that 'deep rooted' memory he didn't know about that she had.. 

"I just don't want him to be punished for it. He's already been through enough." more tears as he thought about Amethyst and beating Garnet down physically.. and emotionally.. "He doesn't need any more pain." 

"Steven.." there was something he was saying that didn't quite piece fully together with the dog situation.. But she didn't point that out.. Maybe he'd brought the workplace home with him.. 

She let a soft sigh out and gave him a hug, bringing him close and he returned it quickly, placing his head on her shoulder. And she started massaging his back. She sighed again. "I'm sorry. I.. didn't mean to get you that upset.." she whispered. 

He swallowed and took a deep breath as more tears rolled down his face. He held her shoulders closer to him as she pulled him closer. "It's not his fault.." his voice cracked. 

_It's not Garnet's fault.._

"I know.. I know.." she whsipered. She leaned back up to face him. "But.. you know how I am about dogs and-" she saw another tear fall down his face and she sighed. "Steven.." more tears fell from his face. "Come on, stop crying.. stop crying.." she wiped the tears with both palms. "I.. maybe.." she looked at his downtrodden face.. "maybe.." she took a breath, grimacing slightly. "I can.. give this dog a shot.. see how.. it goes.. " 

"You.. you will?" a few more tears fell from his eyes.. still thinking about Garnet..

"...yeeess.." she drawled, wiping at his face again. "So stop crying." she said softly. 

He smiled and sniffled. He leaned in, tightening the hug. "Thanks, Connie." he let out a few more tears.. hoping that Garnet too, would someday be at peace with her past and her present life.. with Amethyst and with everyone else.

"Yeah.." was all she said.. But she managed a small smile as she hugged him back. 

Lion finished up his food and walked out of the kitchen, panting as he walked over towards them. 

Steven saw the canine come into his line of sight and he leaned up from the hug. "Lion!" and Connie looked down at the dog. 

Steven let go from the hug and thought about it, quickly turning back and giving Connie a nice, long, thank you kiss on the top of her forehead. He smiled at her, which made her smile back. A smile that, didn't quite reach her eyes.. due to her true feelings for the dog.. 

He turned and crouched down by the canine, scratching Lion on top of his head. 

The dog stuck out his tongue, leaning more into his scratches and Steven laughed. 

And Connie looked at the interaction between the two..

_Wow.. he must really, reeally love that dog.._

"WHO'S a good boy. WHO'S a good boy." he cooed. he scratched around the dog's face. 

The dog panted, wagging his tail. 

He smiled widely. "WHOOOO'S a good boy-" 

Connie cleared her throat and he looked up. His smile slightly faltering. She looked away, scratching the back of her neck. "Well.." she started.. then stopped. 

Steven sat there, slowing down his scratching behind the dog's ears as he stared up at her. 

He saw her close her eyes for a few moments and opened them back up. She took a breath and began again. "_If_...we are.. I mean.. whether we just foster him or.." she sighes.. "_keep_ him.." Steven perked up at her actually saying that last part. "then.. he really does need proper training.." a beat later._"and_ his shots.. and everything else.."

"So that means we're keeping him?!?!?!?!" 

"I.. did _not_ outright say that. I said IF we keep him.." then she mumbled in a whisper. "..though we might just foster him at least.." 

"Connieeeee." he cheesed.

"I'm.. still on the fence." she whispered. "But, we have to.. treat him well and.." she shrugged. "that's.. giving him the proper treatment. Shots, leashes, collars, food, flea stuff and shampoo, all that stuff."

He nodded his head fervently. _We're so tooootally gonna keep him._

"Okay Connie!" he turned back to the canine. "Ya hear that buddy! You're gonna get better treatment!!" he cheered. 

Lion tilted his head. 

He doesn't know what you're saying, Steven." she shook her head smiling.

"Heheh, I know.." he continued scratching the dog's head and looked back up at her. "Hey, maybe you and I can do something together with him in the house. And you two can get to know each other. That way, if I do have to leave him with you, it will be easier!" he smiled.

"..Maybe.." she managed a small smile.

The dog licked Steven's face and she grimaced as he laughed at the dog licking his cheek. He scratched under the canine's chin.

Connie decided to take a seat at the edge of the bed, watching them. 

He had a though as he continued to scratch Lion's head. "I have to go to work tomorrow.. but maybe I can head to the vet the net day. See what's all wrong with him." 

"Well.." she tried to think of something nice to say. "Despite of.. his nose still running and everything, he does look a bit better. So.. maybe it's nothing _too_ serious as you said before." 

Steven gave the dog a few more head scratches and got up. "Yeah, it's probably just a cold." 

There was a small lull in the conversation.. just a few seconds of silence before Connie slid herself farther to the middle of the bed. "Well, I already ate. Your food is in the fridge if you're hungry." she put the laptop back on her lap. "I'll just.. read a bit, then head to bed. I have an early shift tomorrow." 

"Okay, thanks Connie." he walked into the kitchen and noticed Lion's water bowl empty already. 

"And Steven." he turned around. "Pleaaase wash your hands before opening that fridge. You scratched all over that dog.." 

"Okay." he smiled. 

"And your face." 

"Oh, don't worry, Connie. He didn't lick me on the mouth." 

"But he _still_ licked your face.. you should wash your face. Especially because you're about to eat." 

"Um.. o.. kay?" he gave her an apologetic smile with a shrug. "I'll just give him some clean water again first." he picked the bowl up and rinsed it off a few times before putting cool water in it. He set it back down on the floor and Lion went to it and started drinking from it.

Steven went to the bathroom and washed his face and hands and went back to the kitchen. 

Upon seeing Lion, as an involuntary action now, he bent down, lowering his hand to pet the awesome canine when he'd quickly remembered that he'd just washed his hands.. 

He leaned back up, smiling at the dog instead. "How's it going, Lion? Did you enjoy the food and water?" he opened the fridge door. The dog didn't answer him. Instead, he sat just a couple of feet from him as he watched Steven take out a plate that was wrapped for him on the bottom shelf. He took the cover off. "Nice! I'm having baked potatoes tonight!" he smiled. 

He put the food in the microwave and took out the utensils from the drawer and a water bottle from the fridge. He closed it back.

"Did you get your schedule yet?"

He looked away from the rotating food behind the screen of the microwave and to her. "Huh? Oh, no. I won't be getting it until tomorrow." 

"Oh, okay.. Just wanted to know." she went back to the laptop.

"Don't you worry, Connie. I think I'll have at least one of your off days." the microwave dinged beside him and he popped open the door. "And you, Lion and I will be able to hang out for the WHOLE day." he saw her expression drop as she took a glance at the dog. "You don't have to worry about him, Connie." he took the hot plate out and quickly set it down on the counter.

"Yeah.." she scratched at her chin as she looked back at the laptop.

He sat down at the divider. "I honestly think that our first day of hanging out is going to be EXTREMELY memorable." he shrugged with a smile. "I just _feel_ that it's going to be a day like no other." 

She looked at him.. and his adorable, optimistic smile.

And.. that made her smile slightly. 

"Ooooooohhh, I'm getting a smiiiile." he cheesed.

She scoffed. "Only because you're smiling." she mumbled behind the screen.

"Heheh, but it's still a smile." he sported a side smile.

"Yes." she drawled out with an eye roll. She went back to reading the SurpriseSuprise website on the screen.

Steven prayed over his food and just as he was about to take a bite out of the chicken leg, he looked down to see Lion staring right at him. The dog licked his chops.

He lowered the chicken from his mouth. "Awe, you want some?" 

The dog tilted his head. 

Steven chuckled. "Okay, ookay." he pulled a piece of chicken off and turned around. The dog stood up, wagging his tail. 

"You really shouldn't be giving him human food." he looked up at Connie. "He's going to get used to it, then, we're going to see him up on the counters and trying to get to our food." 

"It's only a small piece of chicken, Connie. I don't think it would be a big deal." 

She looked back at the screen. "That's what _you_ say.."

He looked at her, then at the dog. _Neh, it shouldn't be that bad.. It's only a small piece of chicken._

"Here ya go." he threw the piece of chicken and Lion dove for it, devouring the small piece quickly.

Steven took a bite of the chicken as he heard snuffling around his feet. The dog wagging his tail, waiting for another delicious piece. 

He swallowed. "Okay, just one more." he pulled a bigger piece off and threw it on the floor. The dog went for it. 

Steven took two more bites out of his chicken.

And, Lion licked the sauce off the floor looked back up at him. He huffed and Steven looked back down. Lion started wagging his tail once more.

"Sorry, buddy. That's it."

The dog titled his head, taking a few steps towards him. He started to whine and let out one small bark. 

"Uh oh.."

"Told you." he heard Connie. The girl glaring at the boy and his dog. 

"Heheh..". he laughed nervously. 

She didn't find it funny. 

He cleared his throat. "Um.. That's okay.. he can have the rest of the chicken." he mumbled softly. 

He picked up the chicken leg and held it down. Lion took it out of his hand and dropped it on the floor and began eating it.

Steven went for his other food, eating the greens and the potatoes and saving one chicken leg for himself and the third one for Lion.

............................

He'd finished his food, with the help of Lion and afterwards, he'd taken a shower (being sure to take the booth photos out of his pant pocket and hanging them up on the fridge) and Connie helped wrapped a new ace bandage on his hand and the two spent the last couple of hours watching Laughing Dinner Enemies and cuddling under the sheets as the normally did, and this time, with Steven sneaking in a few kisses on her neck now and again.

The intro for the show started up again as another episode came on and Steven, like the last few times, used the intro to sneak in more kisses on her lips and down to her chin. 

Then, he went in for her collarbone, giving it one small lick and trialing his tongue up her throat, to the bottom of her chin.

"Steven.." she breathed out. "The.. show is about to start.." 

He leaned back up, staring at her blushing face as she purposely didn't look at him. Her attention on the laptop. 

They watched two more episodes until Connie called it a night, since she had to leave early for work the next day.

They stopped the show and Steven closed the laptop. Connie placed the laptop on the table and took off her glasses and placed them on top of the laptop. She got comfortable under the covers and Steven leaned over, his hand on the string of the lamp, getting ready to turn the lamp off until he saw Lion sitting right there in front of him.

Steven looked at him, then at her. 

She didn't say anything. Her mouth, a thin line. 

"Um.. is it okay for him to sleep in the bed?... or.." he asked her, his eyes pleading.

She looked at the dog.. then back at him. Her face, disgust breaking through in her expression. "F.. fine.." she looked a bit uncomfortable. 

"Are you sure? I.. don't want to.. force you or anything.." 

Now that he thought about it.. With him getting the dog through crying and him giving the dog the chicken despite of what she said, he.. kinda felt bad that she was giving into him like she'd done lots of times throughout their relationship.. The least he could do would be to go slowly with her and the dog.. and.. if that means she didn't want him on the bed, then the least he could do would be to do at least _that_ much for her.. 

"No, that's okay. As I've said before.. I'll _try_ to work with the dog.." she strained out. 

"Thanks.. Connie." he gave her a smile and turned back to the dog. "Come on, Lion. Come on, come on." he pat the bed. 

The dog got up, wagging his tail. He jumped up and Steven helped him on the bed. "There you go, buddy." the dog walked in a few circles before laying down, his tail sliding back and forth across the sheets. "Night, Lion. And I'm glad you'll soon be getting the right stuff that you need." the dog panted. 

Steven turned the light off and turned around, going straight for Connie and giving her a hug. "You know.. I truly appreciate this Connie." 

"Yeah.. I know you do." she drawled out. 

"No.. I mean.. I really, _really_ do Connie. Honestly." he looked at her. 

A small, but genuine smile came across her face. "I know you do." 

He chuckled to fill the silence and leaned in, giving her soft kisses. 

He leaned back up. "Night Connie." he said to her lips. He kissed her again and leaned away only slightly. "Night Steven." she whispered and he leaned in again, giving her more kisses that he couldn't quite get enough of just then and he found one of his hands trailing from the hug and down her side, towards her thigh. 

She broke away from the kiss, blushing. "Yeah.. Good_night_, Steven." he stopped his hand just behind her butt. He gave it a little squeeze. "We _both_ need our rest. Especially you." she added.

"Y, yeah, of course.. I wasn't trying to.." he blushed. 

"Mhm.." she gave him a side smile. 

He slid his hand back up into the hug, ignoring what he was feeling in his boxers.. 

She laid down on the pillow. Her face facing him and he turned back to the dog. "Night, Lion." he said again and he leaned down a bit, giving Connie a kiss on the forehead and laying all the way down. "Night, Connie." 

"Night, Steven." 

  
  


  
  


  
  


Steven laid there, thinking about the events that had transpired earlier. The day had been a rollercoaster. Just up and down.

He was able to see Opal in action, which was absolutely amazing but.. he'd _also_ learned a shocking truth about a disgusting rule in the Crystal Gem book.. then, Lion and Connie weren't doing too well together, but then she said, _of course with some reluctance_.. that she would try this time..

Things certainly were up and down today; however, tomorrow was a new day and he wanted to see the day in a more positive light and be more optimistic. 

And so, that's what he thought in his head. That tomorrow was going to be better and that he had nothing to worry about. 

Or, so he truly hoped.

But, he tried to deny that doubt of a thought in his mind.. 

.._because_ things _would_ only get better from there. Of course they would.

He.. didn't have anything to worry about.. 

It would be just a simple party. Go in, get the jewels and leave.

Just as simple as that.

And go right home to talk to Connie and to give her a hug and a kiss goodnight. 

Just as lovely and as heartwarming as that.


	93. Another start of a morning

Steven had a good night's sleep. He'd waken up once by his alarm to take the dog out and came back inside and went right back to sleep instantly. 

He woke up again to another alarm. He turned the 7:15 alarm off and took the earphones out of his ears and leaned up. Connie was already gone and Lion was asleep. On his back, with his front paws out in front of him and bent at an angle.

Steven moved, sliding off the bed and the dog woke up, opening his eyes, but keeping his comfortable sleeping position. "Good morning, Lion." 

.............

In a span of twenty minutes, Steven had taken his shower, brushed his teeth, put on his clothes for the day and had put some of that cream that Peridot had given them on Lion's wounds. 

Now, he was at the dresser. He put the hairbrush down and looked at himself in the mirror. He nodded. "Handsome man." 

He turned around. "Alright, Lion. Time for some food before we leave." he opened the white bag. "Uh oh, last can.." he picked it up. "I need to get you some more today." he walked over and the dog started wagging his tail. 

Steven poured the contents in the bowl and poured fresh water into the water bowl. He set it back down and sat down at the chair by the counter top. 

He took the ring from his pocket and leaned back. "You know, Lion." he began. The dog kept eating his food. "I've been thinking.. about how this bubble is _really_ good for defense.. but, not _as_ good for actually _offense_." he looked at the small, pink jewel on the ring. "Like, how could I actually do something with a forcefield bubble?" _ Think outside the box..?_ He turned to Lion who was now drinking water from his bowl. "Though now that I think about it, I guess it's a good thing since I can't really hurt people now. Since I don't have my weapon. And, I rather _not_ hurt people." 

The dog continued to lap up the water.

Steven put the ring in his pocket and took out his phone. _7:52a.m_

The dog finished and walked over to him. He sat down beside him and looked up. "Well, looks like you're finished." he slid off the chair. "Come on." he walked to the door and Lion followed him. Then. he thought of something. "Wait here." he ran to the kitchen and took out a few baggies. He stuffed all but one in his pocket and went to the table by the bed. He poured some of the Tamil lotion he'd been using for the passed few days in the baggy. He zipped it close and placed it in his pocket. He went back towards the door. "Okay. _Now_ let's go." The two left the apartment, down the stairs and out the door. They turned the corner. The truck wasn't there yet. 

Steven stood there as Lion took the time to sniff around and to do his business. 

The truck drove up two minutes later, with three minutes to spare. Lion met up with Steven again and the two made their way to the car. He opened the door and helped Lion in. "Good Morning Amethyst, Gar.. net.." the marks still caught him off guard. He cleared his throat. "Pearl." 

"Sup, yo." 

"Hey, Talc." Garnet nodded with a small smile.

Hey." Pearl waved.

"Garnet." Amethyst gestured with her chin.

Garnet shifted gears and drove off.

"Alright, dude. So because we have such a long drive to ATL" _Oh yeah! I keep forgetting that we're going ALL the way to Georgia! Then.. I most likely _won't_ be back by tonight and be with Connie.._ "-have a pretty quick together breakfast. We're going to have a regular French toast and scrambled eggs platter breakfast and give a quick run down and leave right back out."

Steven was paying half attention to her.. His focus had shifted in mid convo and he was mainly focusing on Garnet.. and the scars on her face-

"Yo."

"Y..Yes?"

"You listening?" 

"Y, yes Amethyst." 

"Good. Because I _don't_ repeat myself." she glared at him for a few moments before her expression went to something of casual. She said in a casual tone. "Anyway, we just have to head down to the party after that and get the bag of jewels. And yeah, that's basically it. And we just, head back up." 

He nodded, still looking at Garnet. "Okay."


	94. Back at the diner

Garnet pulled up to one of the parking spots. She put the parking brake up, then shifted the gear in park before pressing the button on the car, shutting it off. 

Everyone, say for Amethyst, got out of the car. Pearl came around and opened the door for her as Steven and Lion waited by the side of the car.

The woman slid out of the car. She had on skin tight pants and a half shirt, revealing her smooth, caramel skin and abs. The V-neck shirt showing her chest.

_Revolting.. abusive.. horrible, disgusting lady.._

Steven put his attention to Lion instead. "I'll meet you two in there. I'll see if Lion has to go to the bathroom." 

Amethyst.. with that _same_ smug grin.. walked pass him. "Eh, just make it quick." she and Pearl started walking away and towards Garnet who Steven saw was waiting over by the door of the restaurant.

He nodded. "Okay." he looked back at the dog. "Alright, Lion. Let's go." 

He looked around. There weren't much patches of grass where they were.. just a small, random patch by a stop sign pole. "Come on, Lion." he pat his legs. The dog was sniffing the ground. He looked up and followed after him. 

Steven waited a few feet away and after ten, fifteen minutes of Lion doing nothing, but dig and chew on a few twigs, he assumed that he didn't have to go and started towards the diner. 

He opened the door. The same waitress as before was there. 

"Hey!" she cheesed. "Amethyst told me you were out with the dog. Come on, I'll take you to the table." 

He followed her. "You know, it's a good thing this place doesn't mind dogs. I was.. afraid that I would have to keep him outside." 

"Yeahh, a lot of diners and eateries don't do it because it's unsanitary, but a few places like us still welcome pets." 

The two made it to the back. "Here we are." she said in a chipper tone. 

"Thanks." 

"No problem." she smiled at him. "Just sit tight, I'll be back with your food." she told the group and walked away. 

Steven sat down in his seat. Lion laid right beside him on the floor, sniffing the area. His nose, still running..

...............

The food came out twenty minutes later. Lion got up as the waitress was placing the plates on the table and Steven had to pat his back end down, for the dog to calm himself. Lion complied _eventually_ and laid back down. But continued to sniff the air. 

The food was something simple. It was a nice, French toast, scrambled egg and cheese and turkey bacon platter. And they each had a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. 

And just then, Steven remembered just how delicious the orange juice was there. He drunk from it immediately while everyone else started digging into their food. 

He set the glass down took a strip of turkey bacon. "Hey, hey, Lion." he whistled. The dog looked up. He fed him a strip and Lion nearly swallowed it whole. "Wow did you even.. chew that time?" Steven chuckled. "Okay, here's some more." he picked up two more strips and dropped it on the ground. The dog snatched one up, then the other immediately after. He started sniffing the floor vigorously and licked the carpet. He looked back up at Steven and licked his chops, wagging his tail.

"Uh oh.. I think I started something.." _again.._

He gave an apologetic smile. "I only have a few more. But.. you can have them all." he took the last four strips from his plate and threw them on the floor. The dog went for it, munching on them quickly. Then he got up, locking his lips. His tail wagging away. 

"Sorry, boy. But.. that's it." he gave him a helpless shrug. 

The dog jumped up, his paws on the seat. He tilted his head.

"Sorry, but there's no more." Steven raised his hand and the dog went to sniffing it as he went pass the dog's nose to pat his head. "There's no more turkey bacon, buddy." 

The dog slid down from the edge of the seat. He looked up at him. Tail still wagging playfully. 

"There's no more." he said sadly. 

The dog snorted and shook his fur. Licking his lips. 

"Nooo moooore." he said softly. 

The dog yowled and gave one huge bark. 

People from the front of the restaurant started to look their way. 

"Hey man. Shut that dog up." said Amethyst. She dipped her French toast in the syrup. 

The dog barked two more times and hopped up again. His two paws on the edge of the seat as he sniffed all over Steven. "Sorry, Amethyst.. I didn't know he was going to act like this." he tried petting the dog's shoulders to calm him down. 

"Well you SHOULDN'T had started it with the bacon." 

"I was just trying to be nice." 

"Theeeere you go with the nice stuff." 

The dog barked a few more times, loud in his ear. 

"See and now he won't shut up." 

"Is something the problem here?" their waitress walked back up to them.

"Sorry ma'am.. My dog's just.. throwing a little tantrum.. because I'm out of bacon.. Don't worry, he'll calm down. He really is a good boy. He can" Steven, grunted, patting the canine back down on the ground. "just get a bit too excited at times." he held Lion down, the dog calming down only slightly. His tail still wagging away.

"Okay, hun." 

Amethyst shook her head.

_I think he needs some training.. I wonder if there's any obedience training classes near Connie and I?_

Learning that barking and throwing a tantrum wasn't going to let him get any more turkey bacon, Lion eventually calmed down and laid back down on the carpet. 

Steven wiped the dog fur off of his hands with a napkin, prayed over his food and went to eating his eggs first. The three women, nearly halfway down with their food.

"Okay, crew." Amethyst kept the fork in her hand. Two small squares of French toast on the prongs of the fork. "It's going to be pretty light this week. Like, much, muuuch lighter than usual actually. For this week, we just have the party today and then that trade with Onion on Wednesday. Which, Talc, if you hadn't noticed, we were _supposed_ to do these two missions _last_ week." _wait.. no wonder they sound familiar to me!! Because we already talked about it the FIRST time during Together Breakfast!_ "The party was pushed back and then, with Onion's little_ ordeal_, he had to lay low for a few days." then a beat later. "So, we actually would've had one week without any missions." she shrugged. "Anyway, we just have those two things to do this week and then we have nothing else to do until the start of the second week, on Sunday, where we have to destroy the Communication Hub in Los Angeles." _Los Angeles?!?!?! As in.. WE'RE GOING TO CALIFORNIA?!?! AS IN _I'M_ GOING TO CALIFORNIA?!?!_ "And Tuesday we're going to the Sea Spire to retrieve the-" _sea spire?!?! As in.. water?! But.. I don't know how to swim!! AND it's another Spire!! ..Though.. at least that _ last_ one wasn't _so_ bad.. and I _did_ get o see Opal.._ "-so we just have four little missions these two weeks. Easy peasy." she shrugged. "And that's _having_ that none of the Peridots won't call us for any random, on call missions." she picked up her fork and ate the pieces off.

Steven hoped that, for once, that they would actually adhere to their schedule.. It would be great to relax.. and even better to relax and all cuddled up with Connie. 

He went to his French toast.

Pearl raised her hand and Amethyst gave her a chin up nod.

"Are we still going to Peridot's place?" 

"Yes. Next week." she poked a few more pieces of French toast on her fork. "We'll have to give her that jewel from the Sea Spire. That's all." then she turned to Steven. "Also, Talc." 

He looked up at her. "Hmn?" both cheeks full of French toast.

"I was thinking. Since that dog seems to be getting better. Especially since he is to be an official C.G. dog.. I think he needs some proper equipment as well." 

He almost choked. _Him too?!?!_

He quickly chewed his food, swallowing a few times. He coughed and cleared his throat. "You mean.. he's.. going to get weapons and stuff too?" he looked down at the dog, sleeping with his mouth open.. His nose, still running slightly as he slept. 

"Yup." she nodded. "For one, that dog is going to need a mask. With those stitches around his neck and those cuts and bruises, people are going to start noticing that if he starts working with us. And, as far as weapons go well.. I'll let Peridot think about that stuff as well. She would know what are canine weapon friendly." 

"But.. what would be canine friendly? How would.. he even know how to use them or _when_ to use them or.. or when _not_ to use them?" 

"Again, Peridot will know which weapons would work best for a dog. And he would know _how_ to use them, through training. Just like how you're still in training yourself. And. he would know when to use them also through training but also, every time when he sees us getting ready and setting up, he would soon start to register that in his mind. Oh, they're setting up, we're about to go on a mission and I'll need to start using the weapons. And as far as him not using the weapons, you'll take them off of him. So we won't even have to worry about that." 

"Looks.. like you have everything all planned out." he gave her a nervous smile. 

"Yup." she dipped the French toast pieces in the syrup cup. "Stuff like this you have to plan out. And there's aaaalways even more stuff to think about." 

Steven nodded slowly. "I'm just.. still curious as to what kind of weapon he could even have?" 

"Pfft, dude, I don't know. A.. super bark or something?" she shrugged with a snort. "Again, I'm leaving that all to Perry." she ate the pieces on her fork. 

_How would a super bark even work?_

Steven took another glance back down at the dog.

He felt kind of bad that he'd brought the dog into this bad life..

Of course he'd introduced the idea of having a Crystal Gem dog. But he'd wanted to save the dog from being hurt or killed.. 

But now it seemed like he'd only prolonged it for the poor dog.. 

Well.. he guess he would just have to keep an eye on him and hope for the better and to be by his side.. to prevent anything from happening to him as well.. 

........................

The five of them were exiting the diner. They hadn't stayed too long after that. They finished their food, tipped the waitresse and took that time to use the restrooms.

Pearl was holding the door for everyone.

"See you guys later." the hostess waved to them. 

The women said their goodbyes and left out and Steven gave her a wave and a huge smile. "See ya." 

"See ya, T." she cheesed. 

The boy left out with his dog right at his heels. He took Lion back to the small patch of grass again for one last potty break and the two got in the car. 

"Alright, you know what to do, Garnet." 

She shifted gears and drove out the parking lot. 

"Aaaalright." Amethyst popped the lever. The seat going back and the footrest going up. "This is going to be one heck of a long ride. So." she closed her eyes. "It's best to get comfortable." 

Pearl popped open the foot rest as well and Steven did the same. The crew, say for Garnet, relaxing as they drove onwards to Georgia. Even Lion, having found a perfect spot right in the middle of the spacious floor. 


	95. So many birthdays

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The girl Ki's name is pronounced like 'key'

Throughout the ELEVEN and a half hour car ride (an extra half an hour to grab a quick bite to eat and to let Lion out to do his business(good thing he didn't forget the baggys) as well as a restroom break for them as well) Steven had just wasted time taking a few power naps here and there, playing a few games, watching a few videos on TubeTube and he'd watched one Indie movie.

"We're about a few blocks away." said Garnet.

"Good." she nodded. "Okay, folks. We're going the easy route for now. We had Peridot hack into their tablet and put in fake names. Garnet is Ivana Tinkle, Pearl is Anita Man and Talc, you're Oliver Clothesoff. Remember that, alright?"

He nodded. "Oliver. Got it." 

"Also. Here." she held out a gun and he hesitated.. before grabbing it out of her hands. He looked at it, feeling the cool surface in his hands before looking back up at her. "Put it behind you, tucked inside your pants." she told him. 

_I reaaaaally wouldn't want to use this.._

He resisted a sigh as he leaned up. He wedged the gun between the hem of his pants and his bare back, feeling the cool metal on his skin. He flipped the shirt over the handle. 

Garnet drove up in a nearby garage. She parked on the fourth floor and turned the car off. She and the others got out and Pearl opened the door for Amethyst. 

"Well, obvious plan is obvious." said Amethyst. She walked in front of the group. "We keep a close eye on EVERYONE. _Especially_ that Dohn Joe character." 

Garnet and Pearl nodded in agreement.

"If we see anything out of the ordinary, then we give each other a call. Talc. You don't have your earpieces yet, so one of us will be giving you a call. And, if _you_ find anything out of the ordinary, then you'll call us on four way." 

"But.. I don't know how to call people on four way." 

"Of.. course you don't.." she shook her head. "Look, just try to meet up with us every now and again." 

"Okay." 

"Also, dude." she dug into her back pocket and took out a ski mask. She handed it to him. "It's not GemTech. I just had Pearl here so up a quick mask for the dog."

"Oh..uh.." he held up the black mask. It didn't look half bad actually. "T, thanks, Pearl. I didn't even know you could make masks."

"I.. dabble a bit in sowing and knitting.." she mumbled. "-Um! To keep my fingers strong and limber. That's why." she quickly added. She took a quick glance at Amethyst. 

"Oh, I would've thought you liked to do it for fun. It looks really good." 

"Yeah, I don't. have time for a lot of fun. Sowing and knitting is practical and they help to keep me fit and coordinated." 

"Oh..Okay." he tried for a half smile and put the mask in his pocket. 

Pearl resisted a sigh of relief. 

..........................

The crew took the elevator down and walked down the ground floor of the garage and out the main entrance. It took them twenty minutes before Steven saw _or what he assumed_ was the house in front of them. 

Sure, all of the other houses were huge and looked expensive in the neighborhood they were in, but _this_ one in particular was much bigger and looked WAY more expensive with it's flashing, Hollywood-looking lights.

AND it's pool in the front yard!!

Also, the tens of cars and people out in the huge front lawn and the strobe lights and blasting music was a huge give away as well. 

"HA some huge party.. Think he's compensating for something?" Amethyst smirked. 

They stopped right at the gate.

A tall, slim security guard was right at the gate. "Names." he said bluntly. 

Amethyst stepped up. "Eura. Eura Snotball." 

He looked at the tablet in his hand. "Eura Snotball.." he looked at the list. 

"No. _Eura_ Snotball." 

He found her name. "Ah, okay." he nodded. 

She chuckled as she walked pass him. 

"Ivana Tinkle." said Garnet. 

He searched on the tablet. "Yup, you're on here. Also, that's a nice accent you have there." 

"Thank you." she smiled and walked pass him. 

"Anita Mann." said Pearl.

He checked on the screen and nodded. "Yup. You're good to go." 

She walked pass him and Steven stepped up. "Oliver." 

"Oliver what?" 

"Uh.." _Oh no!! I can't remember!!_

_Don't worry! Just.. just try to play it cool, Universe._

Steven popped his collar, giving the guy a smug look. "Hey man." he said casually. "You know who I am. Oliver. Come on man. You _know_ me." 

The security guard looked at him. "Nnnnope. I don't." 

"Oliver!" he tried to jog the guy's brain.

He saw Amethyst waving her arm behind the man. Steven looked over at her and she pinched her shirt.

"Shirt.."

"Huh?" the man raised an eyebrow. 

Amethyst facepalmed and shook her head fervently. She pinched her shirt, then her pants and her jacket.

Steven laughed it off. "Clothes." he chuckled. 

The man looked at the tablet.

Amethyst grabbed her jacket and took it off.

"Heheh, okay, I'll stop messing with you. It's Oliver Clothes..off?"

The man looked a the tablet and nodded. He looked back up. "I still don't remember you personally. But. you're on the list so." 

"Thanks." he walked pass him. _Wow! That was close.._

"Good going, Talc. You forgot your name that quick!" she whisper shouted at him. 

"Sorry, Amet-.. Ame... uh.. Eura?"_Wait.. how are we doing this?_

She put her jacket back on. "We're sticking with our party names for this one." 

Lion looked all around, a bit spooked at the loud noises and so many people. He walked closer to Steven, hitting the boy's leg in the process. "Awe.. it's okay, Lion. Nothing to be afraid of." he scratched at his head, which seemed to calm the dog slightly.

Steven took in more of his surroundings. Women screaming and men shouting in the pool, throwing floatys at each other. Some people dancing and humping to the music. Others chilling by themselves and drinking or smoking cigarettes and others hanging out in groups as they gossiped and laughed. 

Amethyst slowed her pace and Pearl opened the front door-

A blast of the base of the music bursted through the door, making Steven and the dog jump. Chills went through his skin and his heart thud with the hard base and drums of the speakers.

They had a clear view of the dining and the huge living room area. More huge crowds of people with revealing attire were everywhere. Eating chips and dip, drinking out of colorful, plastic cups, dancing and some sitting down in couches and bbbing to the music while on their phones. Others, making out and gropping each other in corners of the house. 

And.. for some reason.. Steven started feeling uneasy..

It was just.. too much going on to him.. 

And.. maybe it was due to him never actually going to a party before.. or maybe because he had to be on high alert for the mission at such a high populated and wild party.. but.. he felt.. a bit claustrophobic.. and hot..

"Che, you good?" Amethyst sounded like she wasn't trying to sound AS annoyed. Though she didn't really try too much to mask it. 

"There.. sure is a LOT of people here.. heheh.." he dipped his hand down, to give his dog ear scratches.. because Lion obviously was afraid.. Yeah, not because he was feeling extremely uncomfortable or anything.. 

"Uuuuuhg, come on Grow some cajones, (balls) man. It's just a party. You eat, you talk, you sit, you walk around, whatever. No need to get all queasy about it." 

"R, right.." 

"Now. We're going to split up and-" 

"¡¡Alejandra!! ¡¡Che!! ¡¡Alejandra!!" 

Amethyst turned around. 

A short, slim girl with dark brown, wavy hair that went down to her waist was waving over at them, jogging up. Her red blouse not doing any justice in covering up her chest in the flashing lights and her tight, light blue jeans showed her shapely legs. "¡¡Alejandra!!!! ¡¡Che!! ¿Cómo andás?" (Hey dude! How's it going?") 

_Wait is that.. Is that Amethyst's real name?_

_And.. wait.. Is that Ki?!?! What the heck is SHE doing here?!_

Both Garnet and Pearl took out their phones.

"Con los pies. (With my feet)" Amethyst answered her jokingly. "¿Y vos? ¿Cómo andás? (And you? How's it going?

"¡Todo bien! (Everything's good!)" The girl finally caught up to her and gave her a hug. "¡¡Te extrañe, estúpida!! ¿¡Por qué nunca me llamás?!?(I missed you, stupid!! Why don't you ever called me!?)"

"Eh." she shrugged in the hug. "He estado ocupada. ¿Qué puedo decir?" (I've been busy. What can I say?)"

She smacked her red colored lips. "¿Demasiado ocupada para llamarme? ¿¡Too busy to call me?!

"A ver, no seas así. Sabés que si tuviera tiempo, te llamaría. (Come on, don't be like that, dude. You know if I had enough time, I would call you.)"

"Sííííí.." she drawled with an eye roll.

Lion started sniffing the air.

"Bueno, dime. ¿Qué hacés aquí? No esperaba que estuvieras aquí. (So, tell me. What are you doing here? I didn't expect you to be here.)"

"Es la fiesta de mi novio. (It's my boyfriend's party.)"

_WHAT the heck are they saying!!!!_

Amethyst cleared her throat and Garnet and Pearl looked up just ever so slightly from their phones. "Ah.. o.k." she nodded knowingly. Steven saw Amethyst gesture with both hands in a not so subtle way. "So." the gesture ending with her pointing at the girl. "_vos_ novio está organizando la fiesta. (_your_ boyfriend is hosting the party.)" 

"Sí." she smiled. "Y veo que sigues practicando con vos lengua de signos. (And I see you're still practicing with your signing.)" the girl giggled. 

"Sí."

"¿Qué dijiste en ese momento? (What did you say just then?)"

"Dije con lengua de señas lo que estaba diciendo. (I signed what I was saying.)" she lied, gesturing with her hands once more. "Vos novio está organizando la fiesta. (Your boyfriend is hosting the party.)"

"Qué copado. (How cool.)" she smiled. 

Garnet and Pearl went back to their phones.

Lion took a few steps away from them, still smelling the air. 

"Lion." Steven said in a hushed tone. The dog stopped, but kept smelling the air.

"Bien.(Anyway.)" Amethyst said casually. "Te dejaré divertirte.. Tal vez de nuevo nos veremos más tarde." (I'll let you have your little fun. Maybe we'll catch each other again later on.)" 

Lion walked a few more steps away from them. "No, Lion!" Steven lunged for him and the dog went to sniffing the lady. "¡Whoa!" she moved back.

"¡Che!" Amethyst warned him, looking down at the boy trying to pull back the dog.

"Che, chico! (Hey, boy!)" the girl shouted back. "¡Cuidado con ese pe-(Careful with that d-!)" 

"Sorry." Steven looked up, pulling the panting dog back. "He's not trained."

The woman stopped in mid yell. "Ste-Man?!" she gasped. "Is that really you?!"

She bent down towards the canine, looking at the stitches around his neck and the wounds around his body. "Where did you get a dog like this?"

"I found him." he looked to his left to see Amethyst signing something to Garnet and Pearl. They nodded and Garnet started signing something back.

Ki shook her head. "Classic Steven." she gave the dog a small pat on the head. "So, how have you been?" the dog leaned in, sniffing her arm. 

Steven pulled him back. "Sorry, I don't know what's gotten into him." he scratched at the curls on his head. "And.. I've been pretty good. Can't..complain really." 

"That's nice to hear. Hey, how's your uncle Andy?" 

And like ice to his gut..

His facial expression dropped. "Oh I.. really don't.. want to talk about him.."

"OH! Sorry, sorry, sorry." she held her hands up. "But um.. Everything else is good.. right?"

_No._ "Yeah." he nodded with a smile.

"Good." she smiled. She got up. "Anyway, I hope you enjoy the party. Take it easy, okay?" she told him. "Che, Alejandra." Amethyst turned around from the signing. 

She looked to Garnet and Pearl and waved to them. "Ay, ¿Sos vos tripulación lengua de signos? (Oh, is that your signing crew?)"

"Neh, no las conozco. Sólo me vieron diciendo con lengua de señas y querían decor also. Bueno, ¿Qué pasa? (Neh, I don't know them.. They just saw me signing and wanted to say something. Anyway what's up.)" 

"Nada importante. (Nothing important.)" then she switched to English. "Just wanted to say that I'm about to head on. See what my boyfriend is up to." 

"Okay, cool. See you around. Adios." 

"Chao." she walked away, immediately disappearing amongst the crowd. 

Amethyst looked back down at Steven as Pearl and Amethyst walked over. He gave her a nervous chuckle as he slowly got back up. 

"Wow, can't believe you know her too." she said plainly. 

"Uh.. ye...eaahh.." he kept the shy, nervous smile on his face. 

"Wait.. don't tell me you and her used to.." 

He nodded. Face heating up more.

"Duuuude. Seriously? Do you.. do you just, throw your cock at every person with a vagina?" 

"What?! Psssht.. nooouuu.." he rolled his eyes. 

That was in the _past_

She let out a scoff. "I'm telling you Oliver. One day you're gonna wake up and your junk is gonna be on the bed." 

"Don't say that!" he shrieked. 

He'd always heard rumors about that.. about _it_ falling off.. and he always hoped that it was just an old wives tale or something..

B, besides.. he has settled down with Connie. He doesn't live that promiscuous life anymore.

She snickered. "Whatever." she was quick to change the subject. "Anyway, you two heard the chica. And Oliver, since you don't speak Spanish.. her boyfriend is actually the person who we're keeping an eye on. He's the one hosting the party. So, because they're together, we'll have to keep an eye on _her_ as well. For all we know, she may have the jewels."

Garnet and Pearl nodded. "Right." they said in unison

"Okay, let's break. And remember. Communication is key guys and keep your eyes peeled." 

The three of them nodded and Steven just looked at them as the three started going their separate ways. "Uh, Amethyst. she groaned. "I..knew it.." she turned back around. "Yo."

"So.. I just.." 

"Duuuude, just. Hang out, relax a little. Eat some chips or something or grab some water." she shrugged. "Just relax a bit and just keep an eye out for Ki. That's it. It's simple." she walked away, leaving Steven and Lion alone amongst the crowds.

He looked down. "Well, Lion. I guess it's just you and me."

The dog looked at him. 

"Come on. Let's just.. walk around for a bit, I guess." he started walking towards the dining room, steering clear of the blaring speakers in the living room. Though of course it was still extremely loud and the dining room floor was vibrating, but at least they weren't at the actual source.. 

More people were talking in groups and others were sitting on their partners laps and making out and the rest were chowing down on pizza and burgers. 

He and Lion, who was directly beside him, just walked around the whole room, as casually as can be, Steven not knowing what to do exactly.. 

A few minutes later and he decided to leave out the dining room area and he cut down into the hall, just in front of the living room. Garnet was sitting by herself and just then, he was about to ignore the loud pounding music and the screaming banshees of people to sit and talk with her.. until.. one tanned, macho guy sat down right next to her and put his arm around her. 

He wiggled his eyebrows at her and Garnet rolled her eyes, ignoring him and going back to her phone. "Aw.. guess she's busy as well.." he told Lion. He turned away from the room and down the hall and towards the back of the house. Cigarette smoke was beginning to fill the air and he wiped at his nose. 

He couldn't stand the smell of it..

He looked down, checking in on his buddy. Lion was panting heavily. "Aw man, your breathing. I can't believe I forgot about that! Come on, let's get you out of this hallway." he walked a bit faster, passing Pearl who was lighting a cigarette and he passed more people who were along the walls, smoking. Some of the guys, with women grinding on them with the rhythm of the wild music. He saw a few ladies walk on by and one of them walked up to a guy seemingly minding his own business. She looked at him and he looked at her.. And.. she just moved up close to him, rubbing her backside on him, grinding on him.

His dog wheezed.

"Come on, Lion." 

He picked up his pace, walking pass the kitchen that absolutely reeked of booze and corn chips. 

Amethyst was in there, grabbing herself a handful of cheese puffs and pretzels and putting it on a plate. A half filled plastic cup of.. whatever kind of drink she had.. in her other hand. 

He walked pass and exited out the back sliding doors.

The air was a bit more cleaner. And it smelled SO good outside. EXTREMELY good. 

And.. he immediately noticed that.. unlike the front yard which was dangerously live and loud and wild, the backyard, ironically, was way more chill and relaxed. There was another pool. The moon and the stars reflecting off the cool, refreshing water as people laid on floaters as they coasted along the water. Some with their partners and cuddling them on the floaters. 

Others were hanging out in lawn chairs or sitting down in the grass and other groups were pinned up to the walls, smoking, drinking, talking on their cellphones or kissing and feeling up on each other. And the rest of the few were near the grills eating hotdogs and hamburgers. 

_Ah, so THAT'S what I'm smelling!_

And overall, it was just quieter. Of course there was still a tad bit of noise. Duh, it's a party! But, it was definitely a change of pace. 

A nice breeze blew pass and Lion sniffed the air, his face going towards the grills. 

"Ya hungry, boy?" the dog started walking towards the smell. "Well, that's something to do to pass the time." he walked with the dog. 

One of the server guys were putting fresh hamburgers and fresh hotdogs in the tinfoiled containers on the table as Steven and Lion walked up. The canine jumping up slightly. "Noooo, noooo." Steven held his hand on the dog's shoulder, holding him down. "That would be all we need for you to knock the table down or to slid the sheet of the table." Lion stopped and licked his lips. His tail was wagging fast behind him. 

Steven maneuvered pass the crowd. He picked up a paper plate and he made his plate for the two of them. One hotdog and one cheeseburger for him and two hotdogs and two hamburgers for the canine. Condiments and rolls and hamburger buns laid across and around the containers. He took one bun and one roll, putting the meat in their respective bread homes and put onion and squirted mustard on the cheeseburger and relish and ketchup on the hotdog. Then he grabbed a small circular bowl from off the table and went to one of the opened coolers. He tried balancing the other plate on the crook of his arm as he fished his other hand around the icy water. 

He pulled out one bottled water and held the top with his mouth. Then he put his hand back into the water, pushing away cans of soda and alcoholic drinks.

He found another water bottle and got up, still balancing the plate across his bent arm.

"Alright, come on, Lion. Let's see if we can find somewhere to sit." he mumbled with the water bottle between his teeth and walked away, looking towards the back of the yard. 

There were a couple stumps towards the back, near the fence area. Others were already occupied by people eating and and drinking. One guy, taking a leak by one of the bushes. "Eh.. better than nothing.." he walked over and sat on one of the stumps and placed the plate on his lap. Lion jumped up, placing his two front paws on the stump next to him. He hopped up on it and sniffed the air. He took a few steps and, balancing carefully, placed a paw on Steven's arm. He licked his lips, whining.

"Heh, relax, relax." he smiled. "You know, the way you act, people are going to think I don't feed you." he took one of the hotdogs and threw it on the ground. Lion leaned off of him and jumped down, going right for the plain, grilled hotdog. 

Steven set the plates down on the stump beside him and took the water bottle out of his mouth. He poured water inside of the bowl and set it right in front of Lion. Then he took his own water bottle and quenched his own thirst. He set his bottle of water beside him. Lion's water bottle, leaning against the stump.

The canine finished the hotdog and went for the water. And Steven threw the one of the hamburger patties on the ground. Then he prayed over his food and started eating, going for the cheesy hamburger first. He took two huge bites and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

Delicious..

Gotta love that delicious, charcoal taste.. ahh.. 

He took another two bites, savoring the delicious, burnt, savory taste.. and the sharp cheese and the bite of the onions and the tanginess of the mustard.

Lion made a little huff and Steven looked down. "Hm?" the dog looked at him, sniffing the air. Steven grabbed the other hotdog and threw it. Lion went right for it.

Steven took a couple more bites of his cheeseburger and picked up Lion's water bottle. He poured some more water into the bowl and leaned the bottle back on the stump.

Lion finished the hotdog and looked up again. Steven swallowed. "Okay, buddy. Last one." he threw the hamburger and went back to his cheeseburger.

The dog went for it.

Steven took the last few bites of his cheeseburger, looking at everyone relaxing or.. having fun.. 

He swallowed the last pieces of his cheeseburger and sighed. "Man Lion.. It would be even better if I had Connie or Pee Dee to talk to.. heck, even Jeff.." he licked his fingers and went for the hotdog. "Even he could be pretty cool to hang out with at times."

The canine looked up. 

"Ah.. but what I would do to have Connie here with me.." he chuckled. "If she was here, she would force me to go into the pool, knowing that I can't swim." he shrugged, still smiling. "And of course, I would oblige because it's her and she just has that effect on me." he said casually. He took a bite out the hotdog.

The dog licked his chops, looking at the last hotdog in his hand.

"Hm?" he looked at the hotdog in his hand. He swallowed. "Alright, fine. You can have half of this." he wiped the condiments off, pushing the relish and ketchup to his part of the hotdog. He threw the piece on the ground and the dog went right to the piece.

He finished his portion and washed it down with the water bottle behind him. He set it back down.

The dog looked at him and he held his hands up. "Sorry, boy. No more." he gave him an apologetic smile. "And.. I don't really feel safe giving you any more of that cookout food. I think you had more than enough." 

The dog huffed.

"Yeahh, sorry, bud. No more."

The dog huffed again, wagging his tail. 

"Heyy, don't you start the tantrum." 

The dog barked a few times.

"Oh boy.. you don't act like this with canned dog food."

The dog barked a few more times and people started looking over.

"Shh, shh.."he tried to calm him down. "You can have your little tantrum all you want, but you're not getting anymore. You ate a lot of food."

The dog sniffed, shaking his head.

"Yup. There ya go. Calm down from you tantrum."

The dog looked at him, tail still wagging fast behind him. 

"Yeah, thaaaat's right." he told Lion. "Calm yourself down." 

A few moments later, the canine laid down by his water bowl. Now being a good boy.

"See, now was that so hard?" he smiled. 

The two of them sat and laid in the backyard, relaxing in the nightly breeze. Though, Steven couldn't help but still feel a bit lonely.. no offense to Lion.

The dog had his eyes closed, snoring as he slept away. He sighed, wanting to leave but not wanting to wake him up.. 

He took his phone out his pocket. No new messages or alerts. 

He clicked on the TubeTube app and started scrolling through the videos. A few of them, he clicked to 'save for later' and scrolled down some more. A theory video interested him most and he clicked on it. An ad for a new brand of chips popped up. He looked at the screen, the seconds counting down until he could finally skip the video-

He saw something in the distance out the corner of his eye. He paused the video, the ad timer at 2 seconds. 

He looked up just as he saw two figures run behind a tree. 

He was going to go back to his phone, until he realized where he was and what he was doing there.

_Wait a minute.. the mission! What if that's them!_

He got up and Lion woke up as he put the two water bottles in his back pockets. He picked up the rest of the trash and threw it in a nearby trashcan. "Come on, Lion. I think we have our suspects." he started his walk down the hill, away from the house. His trusty canine right behind him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone who is wondering, what Amethyst first signed while talking to Ki was "Keep an eye on her."
> 
> Aaaaalso, we actually got Amethyst's real name!! *0*
> 
> Aaaaalso, also, for those who are wondering, when Ki asks Amethyst. ¿Cómo andás?, Amethyst jokes and says 'Con los pies' (with my feet)  
Because the literal translation of 'Cómo andás?' is "How are you walking? Though it really means something like 'How's it going?'
> 
> But, Amethyst was being a jokester and taking the literal approach on purpose.
> 
> Almost like how when people ask 'What's up?" and you get some people who says "The sky" or "The cieling" xP


	96. Snooping around

Steven crouched down, getting closer to the darkened part of the yard, away from majority of the people. Lion slowed his pace, being right by his side.

"Okay, Lion." Steven whispered. "I'm going in.." he took a few slow steps.. only a few feet from the tree. The shadows, moving along the ground behind it. 

"Hm. I got you now jewel thieves." he whispered and he ran and jumped up. He landed on the ground. "HEY!- .... uh." 

It was a couple.. The man sitting on a stool with a woman sitting on his lap. Her shirt up, revealing her bra. The man was lifting his hands away from her chest. "Hey man! What the hell are you doing!" 

Steven blushed, embarrassed. "UH, sorry! I thought you two were somebody, uh, I didn't, I wasn't try to-" he stuttered. 

"Man, get outta here, you perv!" he yelled. 

Steven turned on his heels, his ears burning at the tips. "Sorry!!!" he ran up and his dog ran with him. 

The woman running with the stool above her head. She stopped just a few feet away from the tree "Yeah, you better run!!"

He didn't stop running until he got to the sliding doors of the house. He took a few breaths, ignoring the eyes from the people by the wall. Lion was steadily walking up to him. Panting. "Aw, sorry I had you running, boy." 

He gave him a few ear scratches and leaned back up. "Come on. Let's just go back in.. I've been wondering what the Gems have been doing anyway." 

He walked in, immediately running into Ki. She was holding a cooler. Her arms straight down as she tried to heave the heavy container. "Hey, whoa, let me help you with that." he took it from her hands. 

"Thanks."

Lion walked up to her, sniffing her. He started wagging his tail as he jumped up. 

"Hey, no. Bad Lion. You don't jump on people." he tried scooting the dog away from her with his foot. "Sorry about that. I'm.. planning on taking him to obedience school." 

She scratched the dog's head. "Oh, it's no big deal, Ste-man." he laughed at the reoccurring nickname. 

He followed her back to the barbecue grills. "You can just set the cooler down by the wall." she gestured. 

Lion went from sniffing her to sniffing around the table once more.

"Whoa, whoa, hey. Stay away from the table." he set the cooler down. Ki was holding the dog back. "Don't worry, I got him." 

"Thanks." he held the dog, slowly pushing him away from the table. "Do you have to bring out any more of those coolers?" 

"Neh. It was just that one that was left out." 

"Oh, okay."

"But thanks for the help." she pat Lion before leaning back up. "Well, I gotta go. See what the b.f is up to." she said casually.

"Okay." he said and waved to her. 

She waved back and headed for the sliding doors.

"Come on, buddy. Let's go inside too. See what the Gems are up to." he whispered to Lion and he leaned back up and walked back towards the sliding doors. 

He stepped inside the house and walked pass the kitchen and the den again. Now Pearl was in the kitchen. She had a can of beer in her hand and the whole bowl of chips in the other. 

"There's Pearl. Maybe I can go hang out with her for a bit-" 

A bathroom door just a few feet down from him opened and Garnet stepped out.

_Garnet!_ he smiled. _No offense to Pearl, but I would rather talk to Garnet first._

He jogged up to her and just as she was about to say her name, he quickly remembered. "Ivana!" she turned around, stopping right at where the hallway started to get smoked up with cigarettes. 

"Oliver." she smiled. 

_Those dimples.._

"Um.. just wanted to know how you were enjoying the party?" 

She shrugged. "I think I would like it better.. if there weren't a lot of thirsty guys at this party." she glanced at a guy with dark brown hair and thick side burns.

Steven followed her eyes and he saw the man blow her a kiss. She scoffed with an eye roll and a smirk.

"Oh.."

"Yeeeup." she began walking away and he followed her, going through the smoke filled hallways, passing the guy. "So, how are _you_ liking the party?" 

"It's okay I guess.. But, I feel.. kind of out of place." 

"Of course." she said. She bent down. "You're a C.G." she whispered.

"Heh, y, yeeah, but, it's just.. I've never been to a party before.. so it's kind of surreal..And.. a bit overwhelming." he looked at her. "and.. I don't know.. I feel that it would be a bit better if I had someone to hang out with." 

"Oh? So you figure I would be your last resort?" 

"Oh! Of course not! Uh, not when you put it like that-" 

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding." she smiled. "I need the company as well. You use me for company and for talking. And I get to fend of these thirsty feins." 

"Heheh, yeah. That, sounds like a plan to me." 

"Come. We can sit over here." he followed her to a staircase and she sat down on the fourth step towards the wall and Steven decided to lay on it. Lion lagged behind, the canine on the verge of laying down by Steven's feet until the same familiar scent caught his nose again. He stood back up, smelling the air. He took one step on the first stair, smelling the air. Garnet and Steven looked at each other, then back at the dog. He took another step on the second one, still smelling the air..

Then started lunging up the stairs. 

"Whoa, get him!" 

Garnet leaned back, quickly and effortlessly, catching the dog by the torso. She pulled him down, the dog's claws trying to clink on the stairs. "No, Lion." she said. "You can not go up there." she pulled him off the stairs and put him in front of her. 

"I don't know what's been going on with him with this sniffing business." said Steven. "He's been doing that ever since Ki came around."

She looked up, in mid pat. "Really? Hm.." she looked down at the dog. "I wonder why." 

"I don't know.. her perfume?" 

"That's plausible.. Still." she looked up the stairs. "If he does the same with Ki and she's not even here.. I don't know.. Maybe something between her and the upstairs portion of the house is linked in some way." then a beat later. "Or. Maybe she's just upstairs and he's smelling her."

"Hey, Ki! What's up!" they heard a voice say from the front of the house. They turned to see the girl hugging another woman that'd just came in through the door.

"Okay. Well, that answers that." said Garnet. "Something else must be up there then. We should go check it out." 

_So much for hanging out and bonding._ He sighed. _Though this _is_ a mission first and foremost after all.._

"Don't worry, Oliver. I think there'll be plenty of other times when we can hang out and talk." she smiled. "Alright, Lion. Show us what you smell." she let go of the dog.

The canine hopped up the stairs and they followed him. 

Lion sniffed across the floor, turning left of the steps and down a hall. Nearly every white door they'd passed was closed. Some being bathrooms, others as closet doors and others being bedroom doors, two of them having socks on their doorknobs.

Lion stopped at the last door at the end of the hallway. _Of course it would be something so cliche as being the last door in the hallway.._

Lion was wagging his tail, sniffing right underneath of the door. Garnet looked at Steven. They both nodded. 

Garnet looked around, looking for cameras, which made Steven do the same. Then she looked back. Nobody was coming. She took out a small, thin mirror from her skirt pocket. She looked back one more time and slid the mirror under the door slowly. "Hmm.."

"What do you see, Gar-Ivana?" 

She slid the mirror back and put it back in her pocket. "Nothing looks out of the ordinary." she said. "It looks like an ordinary room." she got up and pressed a button on her ear. "Eura, Anita." 

Steven watched as Garnet stood there, quiet, as she started waiting for the other two.

"Ivana." "Ivana" Amethyst, then Pearl said shortly after. 

"Oliver and I believe there's something upstairs in the very last room on the left." she pulled out a napkin and tried the knob slowly. "The door's locked." she folded the napkin up and put it in her pocket.

"Then there's obviously something up." said Amethyst. "I've been keeping a close eye on Dohn and he hasn't been upstairs. Neither has Ki. And there's no one else that seems suspicious."

"Then what are our next moves?"

"Let's wait for a bit more and see if any of the two will come upstairs. If nothing happens within a half an hour, Anita and I will smoke bomb the place. That will be you and Oliver's cue to suit up. And since he won't be able to see in the smog, he'll be accompanying you." a beat later. "But plans like this can easily change. They may come out with the jewels earlier, in which we'll quickly suit up and go head on and retrieve them."

He saw Garnet nod. "I agree."

"Anita. What's your twenty?" 

"Outside in the backyard. I'm over by the fence."

"Stay there for a bit. Then come back inside in ten minutes. We'll meet in the dining area." 

"Copy that."

"Ivana, keep your eyes on the top floor. Keep track of who goes up and who comes back down those steps and how long they stay up there. And of course, shoot us a message if you see either Dohn or Ki go up there." 

"Copy that."

Garnet lowered her hand from her ear. 

"What did Eura and Anita say?" 

"What are you two doing there?" the two turned to see Ki walking up to them. 

"Oh! We, we're just, uh-" 

Garnet held him close. "Our apologies." she told Ki. "We were.. just trying to find a nice, quiet room _alone_..If you catch my meaning."

_Wait.. did Garnet just mean.._

He looked up at her.

"Yeah, that room is off limits. It's my room and you know, I can't just. Heheheh, i can't just have ANY random people in my room, doing it, ya know. So I locked it." 

"Understandable." Garner nodded with a smirk. 

"But hey, there should be somewhere you two could go in this house. There's tons of other rooms." 

"We'll try one of them then. Thanks." Garnet took her steps, walking away with Steven and Lion got up from the floor and followed them. The three walked pass her and down towards the steps. Steven taking one little peak at Ki taking out her keys just as they started making their way down the steps. 

"Sorry about that, Oliver. Didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable, but we couldn't let our covers get blown." 

"Uh..No, that was.. that was...I uh, I get it. I.. got why you said it.. Eheh.."

She scoffed. The woman stopped right by the opening of the livingroom. "Anyway, to answer your question from before, I'll have to keep an eye from the stairs. Anita is outside now and I'm not sure where Eura is, but the two are planning to meet up at the dining area in ten minutes. Twenty minutes after that, if nothing happens during that time, then she and Anita will smoke bomb the whole place-" _Spy stuff!!_ Chills went down his spin. "-since you still don't have your GemTech glasses, you'll stay close to me. After that, Amethyst will tell us what to do next." 

"So.. do I stay here with you? Or...."

"You can. Or, you can do your own snooping around with Lion and try to meet at this exact spot in no more than twenty two point five minutes."

"Wow that's pretty.. precise." 

"MmmHM." she agreed. 

"Well I.. guess I'll take one walk about the house again." he shrugged. "And maybe I'll catch up with Eura or Anita." 

She nodded. "Sounds like a good plan." then a beat later. "And I'll go ahead and tell Eura and Anita that Ki is currently upstairs."

He nodded back at her, then looked down. "Come on, Lion. -Uh, _L_" he started walking away when he remembered something and stopped.

_Was_ this a good time? He didn't want to bring anything back up but.. he also didn't want to end up forgetting about it either..

He walked back. "Ivana?" 

"Yes, Oliver?" 

"I was.. thinking about.." he stopped himself.. Maybe he _shouldn't_ go that much into detail.. "I.. have something for you." he pulled out a plastic bag with the Tamil cream in it. "It's really good Tamil cream. I put this on my skin after that accident with Cat Fingers and this stuff really works." he saw Garnet's smile falter slightly. _Oh no.. See, I had a feeling this would happen!_

He looked away before looking back at her apologetically. "Just.. thought you may want some as well?" he raised his hand slowly out and she grabbed it. He saw her smile come back slightly. "Thanks, Oliver. I really do appreciate it." 

"It's no problem, Ivana." he looked at the bag in her hand. "If only I could've given you more.. But, we only had one bottle and that cream is extremely hard to find." 

"That's fine, Oliver." she put the plastic bag in her pocket. "I still appreciate you giving me this. That's thoughtful of you." 

"Again. It's, no problem, Ivana." he smiled. He looked down at Lion. "Okay, _now_ we're leaving." he looked back up. "See you later, Ivana." 

"See you, Oliver."

The two walked into the livingroom this time and Steven was already getting a headache from the four loud speakers in the huge, spacious, _yet crowded with tons of people_ room.

And just hoping that Lion was doing okay with all of that noise.

Trash and juice and beer stains scattered the carpet.

And people danced all around him, while others continued to eat their food or make out on the couches. 

Steven walked over to a nearby table in the back filled with pizza boxes and two litters of soda and cups. A crowd of people chatting it up and screaming over the blaring music. He leand on the table, feeling the bass of the music vibrate through the metal. Lion walked over and leaned on him and he bent down, scratching the dog's head.

A few moments of ear blasting music, Steven saw a figure walk out from amongst one of the crowds in the back. 

And according to Opal's long description of the man they were after, this was definitely..

_..Dohn Joe.._

The man was texting on his phone. He pocketed the device and started towards the exit of the living room. Steven leaned up and the dog looked at him. "Come on. Let's see what he's up to." 

The two of them left the living room and back out into the hallway. He looked left, then right. The crowds of people were obscuring his view and he couldn't find him.

He jogged into the dining room and looked around.

He wasn't there.

He jogged back out and heard an "Oliver" he turned around. Garnet was still there, laying on the wall. She had her arms crossed. Something caught his eye and he looked down slightly. The hand that was underneath of her elbow had a finger pointed down towards the hall. 

_That's where he went.._

He gave her a very, _very_ subtle nod and jogged down, carefully sliding through and not trying to bump into people _as_ much, while he slid pass and down the hallway and towards the smoke and stench of under arms.. 

He walked into the kitchen, then the other side of the huge hall to the den area. 

He wasn't there. 

_Must be outside then.._

He walked out the sliding doors and looked around, trying to not be _too_ obvious. 

He looked over and farther back and just behind the pool was Dohn, on the phone. His back facing him. One finger in his ear as he tried to listen to the person on the other end. 

Steven leaned on the brick wall with a few other people laughing it up and drinking. He pulled out his phone. _Wait.. but do I even _have_ Garnet's name? I've never texted or called her. Unless.. Peridot also put in her and Pearl's names in here as well.._ He went to his contacts and scrolled to the G's and, there it was. _Great!_ He clicked on her name and started typing out a message. 

**He's in the backyard on his phone. **

Send.

He wish he could've sent a bit more but.. he didn't know what else to say..

There was a chime moments later and he read the message. 

**He could be talking to the person he is to give the jewels to. Stay close watch.**

**Will do.**

He put the phone back in his pocket and leaned back on the door, lowering his eyes casually to a crack and "relaxing" on the wall, with his hands in his pockets. Lion taking that time to lay down and get comfortable.

Five minutes later and he saw the guy coming back. Steven took out his phone, acting like he'd just gotten a text from someone. Just as Dohn walked pass him, going back in the house, he fired off a quick message back to Garnet. 

**He just went back in. **

Steven waited a full two minutes before another text was sent to his phone. 

**He just went to the dining room. That's where Amethyst and Pearl are. **

**Okay. Guess I'll head back in just in case anything starts happening. **

**Copy that.**

He was just putting his phone back in his pocket until he felt his phone vibrate again. He took his phone back out and looked at it. Another message from Garnet. He opened it. 

**And remember to meet me by the stairs. We have fourteen point five minutes left. **

**Copy**

"Come on, Lion." the dog opened his eyes. Steven put his phone back in his pocket and started walking back to the house. Lion got up from the pavement and followed Steven in. 

A thought came to Steven's mind and he stopped just by the smoke filled hallway. "Sorry, buddy. Real quick." he told Lion and took out his phone to send off another message to Garnet. He went to the keyboard. **Did Ki come back down yet? Do you think _she's_ really the one who he handed the jewels off to or do you think they're both working together and that she's going to hand them off to someone els-**

"Heya, handsome." said an unfamiliar, sensual voice. 

He turned around to see a woman wearing a skin tight purple dress with long dark brown hair coming towards him. 

He put his phone slowly down. "Uh.. hey?" 

_Do I.. know you?_

The edges of her mouth circled in a seductive smirk. "Hey yourself." she sauntered on by, getting close to him. "Looking for a dance?"

"Huh?" she looked around and he followed her eyes.. at the people smoking and the girls humping on the men in the haway.

_Wait.. is this like.. the specific spot to do that?! I didn't know that!! Oh crap.. But I have to go check in with the Gems!_

The woman pressed her hand against his shoulder, pushing him back to lean on the wall. "Soooo.. I take your silence as a yes then?" she purred.

"Uh.. actually.. I didn't know this was a" he grabbed her hand gently and took it off his shoulder. "place for.." he trailed off and cleared his throat. "That." he managed to say and let go of her hand.

"Weeeeell.." she bit her lip. "I guess you know now, hotshot. Soo~ how's about a little dance? Mmm?"

"S, sorry.." he took a step back. "I uh,.. have to decline."

"Awww~ not just _one_ dance?" 

He shook his head. "Sorry.. I have a girlfriend." a beat and he added, "Really sorry.. but I gotta go." he turned around and headed down the hallway. "Oooooh, you're such a teaaase." he heard the woman say and he didn't bother looking back. 

He brought his phone back up to his face. 

_Now let me just finish this sentence and send the message-_

"Hey, whoa." he heard a familiar voice.

He turned to his side to see Amethyst. "Ame, uh, Eura-" 

"Hurry up and meet up with Ivana. Anita and I will take care of Dohn. You just stick with Ivana. Now." 

"Uh- Okay." he turned back around and continued down the hallway. 

Garnet was still at the wall. 

_Good. I'm not too late._

He walked up to her, hopefully casually. "Ivana."

"Oliver." she smirked.

He waited until he got close enough to her to whisper, "So, uh.. did she come back down yet?" 

"Nope. She's been up there ever since we saw her." 

"Maybe she's awaiting on his cue? I don't know if she's the one who was going to be given the jewels or if she's to give the jewels to someone else." 

"It could be the former, since no one else is showing any suspicion. She may very well be the person which means that we just have to take the jewels from her. IF she was already given them."

"But what's the plan now? Is Eura and Anita still going to smoke screen the house?

"Yes. They should be doing it soon."

Steven saw Garnet open her mouth again to say something, but quickly closed it, looking around, then holding her ear inconspicuously.

"Yo, Ivana. Anita and I will wait another fifteen minutes before suiting up. Get ready. Once we smoke screen this place up, stuff may REALLY go down. So you and Oliver need to start suiting up too. And lay low."

He saw Garnet nod. "Copy." she brought her hand down.

"That was Eura. She wants us to suit up. The best place would be upstairs." she leaned away from the wall. "Let's go. We'll choose two different places. That way you will have the left hallway if something goes down and I can take the right one if anything goes down."

He nodded. "Okay."

The two jogged upstairs and looked around _inconspicuously_. Garnet ran to the right, looking around before going inside the closet and Steven looked around, all of the doors on his side closed.

_Aw man! What am I going to do now?!_

He looked around, not sure which door he should even open..


	97. The task at hand

Steven stood in the middle of the hall, looking at the doors, waiting for ONE of them to open. He turned around, looking to his right to see of Garnet would come out of her spot.

"Hey. What are _you_ doing up here again?" 

Steven turned around. It was Ki coming from down the hallway.

"Oh, I uh.. just wanted a little break from all the party stuff. 

"By.. standing in the middle of the hallway?" 

"... Yeeah?" 

She snorted, shaking her head. "Cassical, weird Steven." She looked back up, a thought coming to her mind. "Wait, what about that lady you were with?" 

"Huh? OH! Oh, uh.. yeah.. it just.." he shrugged. "Didn't quit work out between us." 

"Ah.. poor thing.." she gave him a smile. Then she started looking around. "Say, um.. do you want to come with me real quick? I was actually on my way to find you."

"Really? And um, sure. I don't mind."

"Great!" she smiled. "Come. Follow me." she turned back around and Steven and Lion followed her. The dog started to sniff around the farther down they walked down the hall. 

She took the keys out of her pocket and put it in the doorknob. She unlocked it and pushed the door opened. She held the door opened for the two to walk in and she closed the door behind them.

Lion started sniffing around the room. 

"So, how are you enjoying the party?" unbeknownst to him, she locked the door and turned to him.

"Eh.. It's fine. I just.. don't really know how to party really.." 

"What?! I would've thought you liked parties! And I was having the time of my LIFE!" 

"Really? I hadn't saw much of you lately." 

"Ohhhh." she cheesed. "That's because I was so busy looking at all the amazing cool jewels my amazing boyfriend stole for me." she smirked. 

_Ah.. so_that's_ why she was up here for so long.._

_And there's our answer. _She's_ the person who we're looking for.. _

_Now if I could somehow get her to tell me where they are.. I could snatch them up before Amethyst does her smoke bomb. _

Lion was sniffing towards the bed, then underneath of it. 

"Wait, _real_ jewels?!" he acted.

"Yup." she walked away from the door. "Then he half joked half being serious saying that the Crystal Gems" his stomach dipped. "were going to come by and steal them all back." she giggled. 

He swallowed. "Oh?" he said. _Does she.. does she think that I'm one? Did she find me out?_ A gasp. _US out?_

She rolled her eyes. "But whatever. I'm not worrying about that. And, if it does happen, which shootouts happen at this party ALL the time anyway." she said casually. And he starting getting scared.. "I'm just going to stay here like I always do when that happens. But." she took steps closer to him and stopped. "This brings us to _why_ I brought you here in the first place." 

"Huh?"

"You see-"

There was a sudden sound of gun fire and screaming and shouting downstairs and Ki looked at the door. "Looks like something is happening already." she said, unfazed.

_Oh no! The Gems! And Garnet!_

They heard some scratching and tearing from the bed and they both looked away from the door. 

Lion pulled out a shirt and started shaking his head, the shirt flinging around in his mouth.

"My shirt!" 

"Lion! Bad dog!" Steven ran to the other side and crouched down and grabbed the shirt, playing tug of war with the dog. "Lion. Lion, let go!"

He pulled.. and pulled. The dog growled, playing as he thrashed his head around, tugging back.

"STOP Lion. This is NOT play time." 

The dog growled playfully, clamping his jaw, locking it on to the shirt. He pulled it back and Steven let go. "Lion." he said sternly. 

"Maybe you want to put that dog _outside_ of the room for a bit?"

_Why?_

"Oh, don't worry, Ki. He's a good boy. He just thinks that we're playing, heh." he looked back at the dog. "Come on, Lion-" the dog went back under the bed. "Uhhhgg." he sighed dramatically. "Lion, get out of there" 

Ki saw the outline of the gun inside his shirt and wedged between the hem of his pants and his back. 

She lowered her eyes at him. 

She walked over to her dresser and opened the first drawer. 

A long, sharp butcher knife laid atop her clothes. 

She grabbed it and closed the drawer back..

Steven crawled up more, going farther under the bed. "Lion, you're killing me here. You gotta get from under.." his eyes trailed to a very familiar black and gray bag. A bag that he'd seen numerous times before with the gems. 

_That's the GemTech bag.._

_The bag of jewels!! _

He looked at the dog as the canine dropped the shirt and took the bag in his mouth. 

_Wait.. can he.. sniff out jewels?!_

_Wait, wait, wait.. but now that we have them.. we can leave!_

He crawled from underneath of the bed. The dog right beside him as he dropped the bag of jewels by his front paws. 

Ki was standing by the dresser. Staring right at him.

"Uh.. heheh.. Um.. sorry about that uh.. I'm getting him out right now.. eheh." he got up and pat at his leg. "Come on, Lion. Let's go boy." he faked his smile. 

He walked over towards Ki with Lion right beside him. The girl steadily moved as he made his way around her, keeping her arm casually behind her back with her other hand grabbing at her elbow. 

Steven turned the doorknob. 

_It's.. locked?_

"It locks automatically." she said airily. "I gotta get that fixed."

Something.. just didn't seem right..

Steven unlocked the door and opened it. "Go on, Lion." he waved his hand out the door. "Go on."

The dog looked at him before walking slowly out the room. He turned around and looked back. He wagged his tail. 

"Good boooy." he closed the door, but paused. He kept his hand on the doorknob. 

............................  


Garnet zipped up her jumpsuit and stuffed her clothes in the small GemTech bag behind her belt. She peeked through the small ridges of the closet door. 

Nobody was out there from as far as the closet could allow her to see. She peered as far right as she could, only being able to see part of the left side of the hallway.

_Steven could be in any one the rooms getting ready._

She waited inside, waiting for her boss' orders.

And, five minutes, she heard her boss in the earpiece. "Ivana. Anita and I are downstairs towards the back of the house in the storage closet. Leave out now and meet as right at the bottom of the staircase." 

"Copy that." 

Garnet threw open the door and ran out, taking another glance down the left hall for Steven and hearing the ball of smokescreen pop downstairs and people starting to get rowdy, as they wondered what was going on. 

She ran downstairs as people gasped and yelled out the words 'Crystal Gems' as she ran downstairs, seeing the smoke coming up towards her..

  
  


  
  


Amethyst dropped her hand from the earpiece. "Alright, Pearl."

The woman nodded and opened the closet door, immediately throwing the small black ball on the floor, the place being engulfed in thick smog. Everyone started panicking, not being able to see and wonderong what was happening.

The two, with their GemTech glasses on, ran pass the frightened people and down the hall to the staircase. Garnet was already there. 

Amethyst looked up the stairs, then back at Garnet. She pressed the voice changer on her suit. "Where the heck is Talc?" 

"Unfortunately.. I don't know. He's probably still upstairs in one of those rooms waiting on our cue." 

She growled under her breath. "It takes him.. WHATEVER. Once he starts hearing guns go off, he should know then."

"Hey!" they heard a guy yell out as he ran through the sliding doors from the backyard. 

Dohn Joe.

"What's going on here?!" he tried to see through the black smoke. 

He heard people screaming out 'The Crystal Gems as they ran pass him and out the sliding doors.

"What!" he said through his teeth. He threw his hand behind his back. "Coming to get the jewels?" he grinned and took out a gun and started walking cautiously up the hallway. 

Amethyst unraveled her whip and threw it. It wrapped around his torso, pinning his arms to his side and he turned his wrist and started firing a round, shooting the bullets everywhere.

The three turned around, the bullets bouncing off the back of their suits.

They heard a few clicks and turned around.

"Dohn!" they heard a voice say from upstairs.

"Fránces, call for backup!" then he called out to his other two friends. "Lorenzo! Pab'z!"

"Garnet, you get Fránces." said Amethyst. She turned to Pearl. "Let's get Dohn." she nodded and the two ran down the hall until they heard more gun fire from behind them as a tall, thick guy started firing at them. The man, barely getting a glimpse of them through the smoke that was slowly seeping out the sliding doors. 

"Get him." Amethyst ordered and Pearl took a canister off of her belt. She spun it counterclockwise and the spear snapped out. She threw the spear into Lorenzo's chest. "Too easy." said Pearl. She ran towards him to retrieve her spear as Amethyst made her way to Dohn. She grabbed him by the short and pulled him up. "WHERE'S our jewels?" she hissed out. 

"I'm not going to tell you."

Without warning, she threw him down hard on the ground, then threw him against the wall and he grunted out in pain. She got in his face. "I don't know WHAT'S going on lately with people thinking that they can just say whatever they WANT out their mouths and NOT giving US what we want!!" she threw a punch, hitting him in his jaw. "People sure are getting more stupid.. Thinking they're brave enough to talk to us like this."

  
  


Garnet had ran upstairs just as Fránces was getting off the phone. "Just get here now!" he hung up right as Garnet tackled him to the floor, the phone sliding across the floor and hitting the wall. She took her gauntlets off her belt as he took two guns out of his pocket. He started firing at her and she lunged backwards, going for a few back flips as the bullets bounced off of her jumpsuit and ski mask.

Empty clicks from one gun and he threw it down and held up the other one.

Lion saw the scene in front of him. He looked back up at the door his friend was still standing behind. The door having been recently shut closed.

He turned his head, watching as one man held a weapon towards one of his other friends. The lady was standing right in front of him. 

  
  


Garnet stood in front of Fránces, gauntlets in hand. The man was holding the gun right at her.

She heard just a slight creaking sound behind her and turned around. Pab'z had opened one of the bathroom doors just a crack. He fired out as he opened the door all the way. 

She ran towards him as the bullets bounced off of her. "What?" he stopped firing as she threw her gauntlet to his face. 

Fránces ran up to her, gun in hand and throwing his arm down to hit her in the back of the head. She turned around, grabbing his arm and bending his wrist. He screamed out as the gun fell out of his hand. She punched him to the floor as Pab'z tried getting from underneath of her. 

She tucked one gauntlet back on her belt and grabbed the gun from off the ground and jumped away as the two men started getting back up. She pivoted around quickly and fired out two bullets at Fránces' head and two at Pab'z's head. The two men fell down to the floor. 

Movement caught her eye and she held the gun up until she realized it was Lion down the hall. 

She put the gun down and crouched down. She whistled and gestured for the dog to come towards her.

He took a couple steps forward and stopped to look back up at the door. 

_Is.. Talc in there?_

She could see that the door was still closed.

_Hmmm.._

Garnet got up and raised the gun. She took several steps forward before she heard another round of bullets downstairs followed by a, "TELL US WHERE THE JEWELS ARE!!" 

Garnet looked down at the steps then down the hall at the door. 

After much contemplating, she sighed and clipped the gun on her belt and ran down the stairs. 

She would have to come right back to get Talc, _if_ he was even in there. For all she knew, maybe he'd went downstairs to help Amethyst and Pearl while she was still suiting up in the closet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What was the point of having smokescreen if it was just going to clear out? *Shrugs* Eh, I just wanted them to do it xD  
And to like, make their Team Rocket entrance like that xD


	98. Shots fired

Lion stayed by the door, waiting for his friend to come out. He watched as Garnet ran down the stairs.

  
  


Pearl had a bloody spear in her hand. The Crystal Gem was not too far from her boss.

"Yo! Where the heck is Talc! And I don't even see that damn dog either." Amethyst said in her earpiece to Garnet. "I wonder if they have the jewels." Amethyst had her foot on Dohn Joe's stomach. "I SAID, WHERE'S THE-" she saw Garnet running towards her.

She turned back to the man on the ground. "WHERE'S THE JEWELS!!!" 

A smug smile was on his face.

"DON'T WANT TO ANSWER, HUH!!"

Two SUV's were pulling up into the lawn.

"Looks like his backup finally came." she growled. "Alright. Let's take their asses out." 

Five guys came out of each SUV and started running towards them. They each took out two guns and Amethyst slammed the door just as they started shooting at them. "Change of plans we're going to flip this fucker upside down and find the jewels ourselves!!" she cocked the gun at Dohn's chest and fired several shots at him. 

"Let's have a little fun, shall we? Hide and seek. Garnet, the living room, Pearl, the dining room. I'll take the back of the house." 

The two ran the opposite ways, keeping their bodies towards the front door as it flung open, bullets flying everywhere and Amethyst hid behind a small table. "They killed him!!" one guy shouted out. Amethyst fired four bullets. All four hitting one guy as Garnet and Pearl fired their bullets at the group, hitting three other guys.

Shouting erupted from the six remaining men. One ran into the living room firing, one ran into the dining area and two ran down the hall towards Amethyst. 

"We'll check upstairs" said one guy. He and the other man jumped over Dohn Joe's and their four dead friend's bodies and ran up the stairs

Lion saw the intimidating men and stood up, tail wagging in defense as they spotted him.

Lion let out four warning barks as the men approached him. 

"Awee, you keeping guard Scooby Doo?" one man mocked. 

Lion let out a few more warning barks to alert his friend inside. 

The same guy scoffed. "You know what, I'm not even going to kill this fella." Lion started pawing and scratching on the door, whining and barking louder. "I'll just, _TAKE_" he grabbed the dog by the shoulders "him away and drag his ass away from the door." and started pulling him. Lion's claws racked across the carpet as he tried to pull back away from the man's clutches. He dragged Lion all the way back to the stairs as the dog bit down hard on his padded sleeve. He picked the dog up by the torso and threw him down, laughing. He saw Garnet looking at the dog on the ground. She snapped her head back up at the guy.

"Yeah, I threw him down the stairs and wha-" 

Garnet took the gun from her belt and fired four times.

The man fell to his knees, his body slumping over and falling over and rolling down the steps and hitting her foot. She snarled, firing off, until the gun was empty.

She heard a round of fire upstairs and she gasped. "Talc!" she ran upstairs, unclipping her own gun from her belt.

Right as another car was pulling up to the house.

....................................

Something hadn't seemed right..

Steven had paused at the door and didn't let go of the doorknob until moments later, not wanting to draw too much attention. Instead, he left the door a crack and forced a friendly smile to his face as he turned to her. "So uh.. you said that you wanted to talk to me about something?" 

She had a smile just as friendly as his on her face. "Yeah! I wanted to show you some of the jewels! Someone like you would know whether they're _truly_ real or not!" she cheesed. "I gotta make sure these are the real things. A girl can't have any fake jewelry on, ya know?" 

Oh.. oh?

But.. why would she think that _him_ of all people would know about real or fake jewelry?

He tried for a fake, cheerful laugh. "But, I don't know anything about real or fake jewelry."

"Aw, come on. I know you do." she smiled. "Come on, I just wanna show ya." 

"Um, okay." he took a step forward.

She turned away from him. "You can close the door." she said casually.

"Are, you sure?" he grabbed the doorknob. "I mean, I just figured if we leave it like this the lock won't automatically set." he said anything.

She turned around to him. The smile was still on her face, though it'd faltered. And, it was something else to her eyes.. "No, that's okay." she gave him a one shoulder shrug. "I don't really like people looking into my room." 

"But they uh.. seem pretty busy downstairs anyway." they could still hear the shouts and gunfire in the house. 

She was staring at him. The smile faltered to a frown. "Steven, relax. It's just downstairs. Now, close the door."

"I.." his eyes never wavered from hers. "I.. rather not actually. I feel better with the door like this."

She turned to him fully and his heart noted in his chest.

He took a step back with his hand still on the doorknob.

"I said.. -close the door!" she threw the knife towards his throat and he gasped and lunged to his side, slamming his self to the door. He felt the blade hit his skin. She kept the knife just below his Adams apple.

He looked up at her.

"Close the door." she said coarsely. "Now." 

Reluctantly.. and terrified now, he closed the door.

He kept his eyes on her. "K, Ki-"

She threw her hand over his mouth and he let her push him away from the door and into the wall. "Think I wouldn't had caught on? Didn't think I would've known?" 

_Known what?_

_Catch onto what?_

"I'm not dumb, Steven. I know why you're here. It's so obvious."

_Wait.._

_She.. she knows?! She knows I'm a Crystal Gem?!_

_Why ELSE would she say that?!_

"You're not a party person." she continued. "You're a drug dealer.. and, if I'm not mistaken a thief too. You came here for the jewels, not for the party." she leaned in towards them. "Trying to sell them, right? I know that's what you were going to do." she scoffed. "Even have a nerve to have a gun with you, knowing that you're not going to use it."

_O.. o, okay.._

Steven tried to keep his composure.

_S, so she knows I have a gun.._

_And, she doesn't know I'm a Crystal Gem after all._

_But, but, but why lure me in here?_

"Can't wait to bring you down and take you down to the station." she tilted her head. "That'll look good on resume." she nodded. "Local young woman nabs drug dealer and thief at house party. Has a ring to it, don't ya think?"

The irony in calling the cops on a "thief" when her boyfriend is one..

Steven didn't move.

The knife was still pressed to his throat.

_I have to think of something._

_Anything. Quick! Before she does something-_

He gasped. _Wait.. the gun!_

They could here the sound of cars pulling up accompanied by shooting moments later.

Ki rolled her eyes. "We have to deal with you AND those disgusting, no good Crystal Gems." she narrowed her eyes at him. "Funny that you and them are trying to get the jewels." she scoffed. 

Maybe if... he takes out the gun, he could fend her off. He won't use it, but at least it'll play for an intimidating act-

"Neither one of you will get them. I have you right where I want you and we have enough backup to subdue them. Both of you lose." 

He tried for as much speed and precision as he could muster up. One slip up and she could easily cut across his throat.

With one hand he pushed her as he moved his head back just as the other hand was pulling up his shirt to retrieve the gun.

"Steven!" she took a lunge forward as he pulled the gun out in front of her face. He held it with both shaky hands.

She stopped in her tracks but her face was anything but uncomfortable or scared.

She was smirking, though she'd taken a step back. "You're not going to use it. I know you, Steven-" 

"J, just give me the jewels" his voice wavered unsurely. "And.. n, nobody gets hurt." 

She chuckled dryly at him. "Look at you. You're scared shitless. And I know you're _still_ not going to use it." though she'd stayed her distance. "You want the jewels so bad?" she turned around and walked away from him.

Bold and stupid move for someone with a gun in their hands..

He saw her bend down and pick up the bag. She placed it in the bed and looked up at him. "So." she gestured at the bag with her head. "There they are. Go and get them."

This could be a trap..

Maybe he could do something else.

Maybe there was another option.

Steven looked at the door.

He could simply leave out the room.. but, she would still have the jewels. But then again, he could guide the Gems back to her and they could come and-

_No.._

_Then they'll most likely kill her._

_I don't want that.._

_I just want the jewels.._

_That's all I want._

More shots were heard, but no shouts or screams this time..

What was happening down there?

He just hoped that there wasn't too much bloodshed.. but he could only imagine how many dead bodies were laying in the house now-

He tried shaking his head of the thoughts.

He looked back at her.

She was still looking at him with a mischievous smile. The wide handled knife still in her hands..

He would have to handle this on his own.

He took a breath.

He began walking cautiously towards the bed with the gun in his hands.

The moment he stepped just inches from the bed, Ki grabbed the blade with her other hand and pulled the knife apart, revealing the handle to be a small pistol. She aimed it at him and he stopped, nearly dropping his gun in utter fear in the process. 

"Didn't see that coming, huh, Steven?"

He'd froze, though the gun was still aimed towards her face.

Both of them stood on either side of the bed with the bag of gems resting in the middle of it.

"As I've said before. You lose. You're finally going to jail, Steven."

He tried to calm his thoughts.

He couldn't panic.

That.. that would only make things worse.

He could still feel the dream creeping in.

Go to jail.. or get injured.. or die...

He tried to focus.

There had to be another way out if this..

"Just put the gun down." she glared at him. "You won't shoot anyway."

His shaky hands were still pointing the gun towards her.

He looked down at the bag and back up at her.

_Come on, Steven. Think. What can you-_

He looked at the pistol in her hand.

_Maybe.. maybe that could work.._

"Looks like you're trying to plan something. But what can you do? Use that gun of yo-"

She heard a click of his gun and paused and her expression went to something of alarm, but disappeared instantly to the smirk from before. "Nice try, Steven. I'm not going to fall for that. You wouldn't."

He stood there.

He had to try and be precise.

Just one shot. That's it-

"I'll tell you again." she said sternly. "Put. the gun. dow-" 

Steven fired off a shot and the force pushed him back as the sound of the shot echoed in his ears. He fell back and pushed up quickly to his feet to see Ki going for the gun that was shot out of her hand. "Think you're so clever!"

She heard a click behind her. 

"Stop." he said bluntly. "And.. turn around." he was trying to sound serious, but she could still hear the nervousness in his voice.

Still, she turned around.. without a gun and with just the blade of the knife in her hand.

She saw him picking up the bag with the gun aimed right at her.

Now or never.

She wouldn't let him get away. Not without using up all of her options.

He was pulling his arm back with the bag.

She threw the blade full speed at his face.

He let out a startled gasp and barely moved out the way when she jumped on the bed and jumped of, tackling him down.

The gun slide across the carpet and hit the wall.

Steven grabbed the bag beside him and pushed his self up to feel his shirts being pulled from the bottom and up. He pushed his self up to his knees as he saw the fabric of his shirts pulled over his face. He felt his self being put into a headlock. "You're not getting out of this, Steven!!"

He heard barking from Lion as footsteps made their way towards the door.

"Shit.. that better not be the Crystal Gems!!" she squeezed his head tighter.

He tried shaking his way out of the headlock as he grabbed at her arms.

He struggled under her as he pulled her forward. He thrashed back and forth, trying to shake her off of him. He banked to his side and hit the side of the bed. 

She chuckled in his ear. "You can't get out of this!!"

He heard bullets too close to them..

And he'd noticed that he wasn't hearing Lion's barking anymore.

Dread, fear and apprehension was filling his chest.

He thrashed out more, hoping that nothing had happened to him.

He needed to get out of this.

He needed to get out of this _room_.

The door bursted open and he screamed as wood fragments and bullet shells filled the area. 

"WHAT da.." the man carrying a rifle said between his teeth as he saw Ki putting some guy in a headlock.

She looked at the man. "Hugo!"

Steven wrapped the bag around his hand and threw the bag up. It slammed into the side of her head and he felt ther arms loosen around his neck as she fell back. He pulled his shirts slightly out if his face-

"Ki!" he raised the rifle at Steven. He gasped and jumped on the bed as he heard gun shots firing towards him. He slid off the bed to the other side, falling down on his side. The pain of the fall excruciating. 

Then.. he heard gun shots, assumably from down the hall and the man grunting and something hard falling on the floor. 

He laid there in pain.. and he waited for a few moments, afraid that the guy might still be there.. Then, he started sliding across the floor on his hands and knees, keeping low to the floor. He peered over the edge of the bed and saw that the man was on the floor in his own pile of blood. 

His breath hitched and he looked away.. 

But.. he couldn't stay in the room. 

He.. he had to leave..

He had to pass the body..

Steven got up, wincing, bending over in pain from falling and landing the wrong way. Sweat poured from his face and from his back as his tensed muscles spasm up and down his back and his arms.

He wobbled pass the bed and passed Ki. A closer look at her and he saw her breathing. A feeling of relief came to him. 

She was just unconscious.. but he hoped that she would be found and treated before it was too late or, she would wake up and find help. 

He bent down and felt the muscles of his back contract. He winced and grabbed the gun. 

Slowly, he walked pass her until another shot of pain hit his back. He nearly stumbled, wheezing. He took a few shallow breaths and without trying to look, he stepped over the man and stumbled out the room and down the hall. 

He tried picking up his pace, weaving side to side as he made his way to the stairs. 

Lion sniffed the area and started barking towards the steps.

Garnet fired off one last bullet to the man's chest and looked up.

Amethyst was running back up. "Come on, Garnet! We're checking upstairs! Pearl is taking care of the other two dumbass friends." 

She nodded. 

Pearl was just running up with her spear. "Already taken care of, Amethyst."

"Good. Now let's go. We've already wasted too much time. The cops should be on their way soon."

The three of them heard staggered footsteps and breathing. 

Amethyst and Garnet raised up their guns and Pearl grabbed her spear-

Steven stepped from the wall of the hallway, coming into view as he finally reached the steps, bent over, his shirts still pulled up over his shoulders. 

Garnet resisted calling out his name.. but.. she wanted to.. seeing the condition he was in..

Even Pearl, with her mixed emotions.. couldn't help but feel sorry for him. 

"Guys.. you're still here." he coughed into his arm. He held the other arm out and held onto the banister. He raised the bag up in his hand. "I.. I got the jewels." he said weakly.

Amethyst smirked proudly. "Good going, che!" she ran up the stairs and snatched the bag from his hand and ran back down stairs. "You betta move faster than that, Talc!" she turned to the two women. "Let's get out of here." she gestured for them to leave out the door. The two of them ran and Amethyst turned back around. "You have five minutes to catch up with us. You can't do that, then you're finding yourself another way _back_ to Delmarva." she turned and ran out the door.

"No.. Amethyst." he whispered, trying to step down the stairs faster. He coughed, and a surge of pain coursed through him. He coughed harder and swallowed something, wincing, his back spasming and he fell down the steps. He grunted, trying to get up. He felt worse than before.. falling down the wrong way again.

Lion walked up to him, whining. He leaned down towards Steven's face.

"Lion, I'm okay.." he leaned up, wincing and flinching as his back spasmed again. He grunted, losing his breath.. and the dog whined with a bark. "Don't.. worry, buddy. I just fell the wrong-" he raised his arm to pet the dog.. and he saw blood. 

"What.." the one that he'd coughed on earlier. 

He could feel "sweat" still dripping down his back. 

He pulled his arm back and slid his fingers across the slick touch of his skin across his back.

He raised his arm back and looked at the fresh blood on his fingers. 

His heart started beating faster as adrenaline and anxiety started setting in. He panted, coughing.. wheezing.. 

"I've.. I've been shot.." 


	99. Dial 5 for Peridot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I'm no doctor, soo..

Steven tried to calm himself down.. The last thing he would need is to hyperventilate, when he could barely breath in general. 

He got up, slowly getting to his knees, then staggering up to his feet. "Come on, Lion.. I.. I gotta go catch up with the Gems." he choked out.

He stumbled, stepping pass the dead bodies in front of him and out the door, walking pass more corpses as he shuffled off the porch. 

He looked around, blearily.. not being able to remember if they had came from the right or the left side of the street. He couldn't think clearly..

He took a few cautious steps, stepping down the stairs, taking a few steps into the lawn. He stopped, coughing and flinching more at the pain. He looked down. More splatters of blood on his arm. 

His skin crawled.. as pain coursed throughout his body. His mind sending this thoughts everywhere. 

He had to calm his thoughts. He had to calm his heart down. He had to-

He heard a whimsical tune and he fumbled around his pocket, picking up his phone in his shaky hand. He swiped the green phone icon, smearing blood across his screen. "Amethyst.." he whispered. 

"Yo! You anywhere near yet?" 

"No.. I'm still." he started panting. "at the.. house." 

"The what?! Alright dude, you're on your own. We're not taking our time to come and get you." 

"But.. Amethyst.. please.." he swallowed. 

"Every Gem for themselves." she hung up. 

"No.." he tried picking up his pace, only running for a few steps before coughing, _hacking_, trying to get air as he coughed up more blood.

He collapsed on the ground. 

_This.. this is definitely it for me.._

Lion walked up, whining louder as he nudged Steven's hand. "Lion.." he wheezed. He couldn't finish his sentence.. catching his breath and flinching in pain. 

A few tears fell down his face, making it even harder for him to breath as he sobbed onto the wet grass. He swallowed. "If only.. if only I could be with the Gems.. going home.." 

_Going home to my Connie.. _

He sniffed, coughing more as he tried to find some air. 

He let out a choked sigh. 

"Connie.." more tears fell. "I love you so much.." 

He coughed again, clenching his eyes in pain.. feeling tired.. woozy.. 

He laid there.. feeling the cold grass underneath of him.. waiting.. until he took his last breath..

Just waiting to go.. and accepting fate..-

There was a chime. 

He barely budged, not knowing what the sound was, until he noticed the feeling of the phone vibrating in his bloody hand. 

He swiped across his phone, looking at the blood smeared screen. He tried wiping the screen of with his thumb, smearing more blood.. and he wiped the screen on the grass and lifted it up. Bits of grass on the screen, with most of the blood off. He clicked on the message. It was from.. someone or a computer? The recipient showed symbols and dashes.. no numbers..

**Dial 5 for Peridot.** it said.

Any other time he would be weary of something like this.. Not knowing who sent him that message.. and how they knew Peridot.. But now, he was desperate.. 

He swiped off the messages and dialed 5, dragging his hand on the grass and up to his ear. It rung twice before someone picked up. 

"Please verify with security code." said a dark, gravelly voice. 

He didn't know if he was talking to the main Peridot.. or one of her coworkers.. "I'm sorry.." he wheezed. "I.. don't know the code.." he coughed, flinching again. "My name is Talc.. I just got recruited." 

"I will be unable to precede without the verification of the security code." 

"Please.." he whined. "My name ..should be in the computers.. I still don't know the code.." 

"Sir.." 

"Please." he cried. "I've been shot.. I.. I'm dying.." 

"That doesn't prove-" 

"Call Mr.. Wascoite.. or Peridot.. they know me.. Or Peridot.." he tried to think hard. "3X. Those three know me.. please..I feel like.. I'm losing conscious.." 

There was silence on the other end. 

".. Hello?" 

There was a click. 

_No..no she didn't hang up.. _

_WHAT AM I GOING TO-_

There was another click. "Talc." he heard Peridot's voice and a huge wave of relief washed over him. "Peridot.. I've been shot-" 

"Yes, yes, I know. I've been told by one of my dispatchers." she cut him of. "Now. Let's see where you are.." 

"I.. don't know.. just some place in Atlan-" 

"Found your location. Okay, I'm putting in the call for you." 

_What? Wait how did she.._

"There'll be a helicopter coming for you. Just try your best to stay awake. And put pressure on the wounds to prevent any more blood from surfacing." 

"Okay, Peridot.. th, thank you.." he said weakly. 

He heard a different click and this time.. nobody came back to the line.. 

He slid the phone off his face and his hand fell in front of him.

Despite of what Peridot told him, he couldn't put any pressure on his back..

He just laid there.._hoping_ that his back wasn't bleeding just as bad.. but he knew it was..

He coughed, shivering in the wind. He looked around the bleary area in front of him.. and Lion came into view. The dog leaned his head down, licking his face. Steven managed a small smile. He sniffled and cough more. "You.. really are man's best friend." he tried to lift up his hand, but couldn't.. too weak.. and he dropped his hand to the ground.

Lion whined, leaning in more.. 

No answer from Steven.. as he laid there listless with his eyes barely open.

Lion leaned in, using his nose to lift the boy's arm up. He slid under, sliding under his arm and he laid down beside him. 

Steven laid there..feeling his conscious start to slip away from him as he breathed through his mouth..

An unspecified amount of time had passed.. five minutes? One minute? Ten? .He was too out of it.. but he started to hear the whirl of the blades of a helicopter. A huge spotlight shone on the ground and started to move towards him, stopping right on him and the dog. 

He could feel the wind of the propellers as the helicopter made it's descend onto the grass a few yards away from him. 

He heard the door open and numerous pair of boots as they ran towards him. Lion leaned up, scooting closer to Steven as he growled at the paramedics. 

"Someone, get the dog." said one man. 

Steven started falling in and out of consciousness.. slowly closing his eyes.. and he could feel the dog being pryed away from him. The dog growling and barking more. 

He heard a metal clank of something being put on the ground, then the sound of wheels on the sidewalk as he felt someone open his eye. Light was being shown in it. They let go and he could hear more chatter from the people. 

He felt a piece of plastic being put on one side of his back and a piece of cloth near the second bullet wound. 

He felt pairs of hands on him and he was lifted up and put on the stretcher and rolled towards the loud, whirring sound of the propellers. 

He heard metal clanking and rubbing together and creaking as he felt the stretcher being hoisted up and into the helicopter. 

More incomprehensible chatter from the three paramedics and he could hear Lion barking right by him. 

The door slammed shut in front of him.

"Two bullet wounds......Perfo wounds..." he tried to stay awake..

He felt the ascend of the helicopter.

"chest t ..... for the ...."

"....I.V... "

"..hat's.. eart rate?....He's ..osing blo..." 

He felt something being stuck between his ribs and he flinched out in pain.. he couldn't scream and he coughed and hacked violently.

A few moments later something was being stuck in his arm. He could feel the thing in his chest being pushed deeper and he flinched.

He looked around, looking at the workers all around them, blurry. A third person walked up and placed something on his face. 

".. at's his..ygen levels.." 

"..check... is pressu.." 

He felt a band being wrapped around his arm and he felt something cold clamp down on his index finger.

More chatter from the three.. with no barking from Lion..

Steven was closing his eyes again and one of the medics was trying to keep him awake, talking to him.. but with both the ringing and the sound of the ocean in his ears and his fogged mind.. he couldn't comprehend..

The three medics stayed by his side, keeping a close look at his vital signs.

He was starting to breath only slightly better with the mask on his face.. 

And he laid there, trying to let the flight of the helicopter calm him.. 

......................

..Hours? Or so that's what felt like to Steven.. passed by and he heard a lady at the front of the helicopter.

The woman looked out at the night sky as she talked on her headset. "Verification code zero, seven, one, seven, one, nine, eight, nine. This is Jade 2CT flying in GH number one one dash five currently flying over Potomac River, over on Interstate four nine five, requesting to land at GemTech headquarters building bravo on line charlie one three." 

"Enter left traffic for runway on building bravo on line charlie one three." the man at the tower responded back.

The woman went to the consoles in front of her. "Entering left traffic for runway on building bravo on line charlie one three." she repeated.

Her co-pilot took a sip of his coffee and set it down. He flipped to switches on his left as she began lowering the helicopter.

The woman leaned in, pressing two more buttons and a switch on the board. "Descending near building bravo on line charlie one three. Requesting a full stop." 

"Cleared to land on warp pad."

"Cleared to land on warp pad on building bravo on line charlie one three. Roger one nine eight nine."

He felt the helicopter descend. And he glanced out the window, watching the stars as they twinkled and sparkled above them.

They landed and the door snapped open as the three medics hoisted the stretcher out of the door. The third one went back in for something as the two pilots pushed the stretcher along the roof.

Steven looked at the man and the woman as he was being wheeled away. He wanted to thank them.. but with the breathing mask on and with how weak he was..

He took his breaths from the mask, looking away from the two paramedics and out into the black night that seemed to stretch for miles. 

The third paramedic hopped out with Lion asleep in her arms. 

She gave the two pilots a nod and a thanks and they gave her a nod and they stayed at the landing zone, starting their checks around the helicopter. One checking out the wing and the other, going towards the nose of the helicopter.

They rolled the stretcher across the smooth material of the roof and towards an elevator. Putting in the necessary code, and having his eye scanned, the elevator approved him and they all went in.

The floor dinged and they rushed out, Steven looking around at a.. hospital? or.. some kind of infirmary.. The white walls, the beeping of machines, the stretchers and Gurney's, the smell of hospital solution.. it reminded him of when he went to go see Pee Dee.. 

Steven saw the man looking up and looking at someone he couldn't see that was behind him. "Chest x rays are up?" he asked.

"Yes. In room 23." she answered him. 

The crew ran passed her, the second one holding on to the I.V machine. The third one, still holding Lion. 

Steven felt the stretcher make a turn, then slowed down as they neared a door. They pushed the stretcher into a dimly lit room. "Abby. The dye " said the man. He tugged off Steven's belt by the metal clasp and lifted him up slightly, taking the gun from behind him. He laid the two items on a nearby chair. 

The same woman who had put the mask on him amd that was holding the I.V pole, came back with a needle. She stuck his arm and unlike other needles.. he actually felt the solution going into his veins.. and a few moments later his stomach down to his pelvis started to feel really warm.. the feeling going as far down to his genitals.

He was lifted and put on the machine.

The man went towards the back and around the corner of the room. A few more lights snapped off and all Steven could see was the huge white machine and the colorful lights above him as the machine whirred around him. The machined hummed louder and started moving him towards the round whole of the machine, the mechanisms spinning in front of him as the machine pushed him through the hole. 

He stayed there for a few moments, looking at the parts spinning around him. 

The mechanisms stopped spinning and he felt the machine start to push him out.

He looked over slightly, looking at the small window on the other side of the room. The medic pointing at the picture of his x ray that was hidden from the wall. The man talking to the lady and making circular and pointing motions at the picture. The woman nodded, saying something back to him and he responded back to her with a nod himself then went back to pointing at the picture again, talking.

_Oh no.. Is it that bad?!?!_

The two came out, the doctor holding the x-ray sheet in his hand and Steven tried to take a look. He saw both small white and black spots near the bottom of his right lung and near the collarbone, more fragmented white and black specs on his left lung.

He swallowed. Terrified..

It looked like a lot of small pieces.. Especially near the bottom part of his lung.. 

He just _knew_ that that would definitely be requiring surgery..

And.. he's never had surgery before.. ever.. 

The woman and Lion came back. "Everything is ready in room 32." she said. 

The doctor set the paper down and he and the other medic hoisted him back up and put him back on the stretcher. He picked the paper and Steven's belt and gun back up and helped the nurse wheel him out the room and down the hall. 

Steven took in steady breaths, looking down at the fog of his breath in the mask.. 

He looked back up at the two doctors wheeling him down.. The stern, professional look on their faces as they made their way to the next room..

He was scared.. but.. a part of him had this hope that he was going to pull through and that he was in good hands.

They made another turn and wheeled him farther down. The lady jogged up and put in the verification code and pressed the button. The two, brown doors opened wide in front of them and they continued to wheel him down.

They stopped just in front of a room. The woman carrying Lion stayed outside while the other two wheeled him in.

They lifted him on to the bed just as a tall, slender woman came in through the door. Suited up in white and putting on her mask. She rolled the table filled with various GemTech anaesthesia tools towards Steven's side and reality started to kick in even more..

_Am I really about to get surgery?!_

The two medics were suiting up. They placed their scrub caps over their heads and walked over to the sink. They turned the water on and started washing their arms up to the elbows.

It was all too surreal.. and as the doctors slid on the gloves and as the anesthesiologist started setting up her own equipment.. he began to panick.

His breath hitched and he coughed into the mask and he moved, only to flinch from the pain in his chest and back. "You need to hold still. Everything will be okay." the anesthesiologist assured him. 

"They're going.. to cut me.. open.." his voice was muffled from the oxygen mask.

"Ashley put him under."

"No." he leaned up, flinching, feeling the chest tube in his chest. "Hey, buddy. Don't worry." Ashley smiled and picked up the mouthpiece of the machine, bringing it close to his face.

"You're.." he coughed. "going to.. cut me open.." he tried flailing his hands to push the tool away from him and his chest sent a shot of pain throughout his torso and he flinched. 

She took his mask off and he tried to move away as he saw the suction piece of the machine getting closer and closer to his face.

"No." he coughed out. He felt the piece hit his skin as it covered his mouth and he panted, trying to pry her hands off.. Until, he started feeling listless..Watching the two blurry doctors step up towards him. 

He tried fighting through it, feeling his self nod off.. and wave in and out of sleep, but she won.. And his hands slowly slid off her hands and fell limply beside his head.. the anesthesia pulling him into a deep.. sleep..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It wasn't said in the chapter, because I was writing it more so from Steven's point of view at that time in the helicopter, but they tranquilized Lion. That's why he got quiet so quickly and why he was asleep in the medic's arms.


	100. Discharged

When Steven awoken, he was in a different room. He was in one of those overnight rooms he'd seen on a few hospital dramas.

He was in a hospital gown and those non slip warm hospital slippers on. The I.V still in his arm and now a heart monitor. 

And just as he was started to come to, his bladder hit him full force and he leaned up, a bit too quickly, his chest and back sending pain signals throughout his body. He waited for a few moments and swung his legs off the bed and down to the floor. The heart monitor stayed, the wires being long enough to drag, but he had to pull the pole of the I.V with him as he made his way quickly to the bathroom. 

After what felt like a full three minutes of a non stop stream _-this freakin' I.V..-_ he washed his hands and walked back out, dragging the pole with him as he sat down stiffly back into the edge of the bed. He took a few breaths through the two small prongs of the nasal cannula.. and sat there.. 

Then, he had a sudden thought.. curious now.. he pulled up the long gown to inspect what they did to him.

They'd shaved his chest.. And apart of him was upset at that they shaved off the little baby hairs that he _did_ have growing.. since Connie really liked it.- _OH NO CONNIE!!!_

He took in a shocked breath and winced at the pain in his chest. 

He would definitely need to call her.

He took a quick glance at the two long incisions at the bottom of his right lung and the top of his left lung. Stitches holding his skin together.. 

He put his shirt back down, shaking his head. "I can't believe I really.. got shot.."

And he was in pain..

He heard a chime and looked up. His jeans was laying on the arm rest of the couch. He slid off the bed again and went over. 

He walked over, passing a small table, his heart nearly jumping out of his chest when he saw the gun and his mask on the table. Lion's mask right beside his.. 

The three items just waiting for him..

He looked away from the gun, trying to shake off the memories of last night.. 

He would be happy if he would never have to see another gun ever again..

He picked up his phone and swiped across his phone.

**4 new messages and 2 missed calls. **

_Hm, wonder if any are from... the Gems.._

_Like Amethyst.._

_..who literally left me to die.._

He clicked on the message app.

They were all from Connie.

_Uh oh.. That's not good.._

He looked at the time on his phone._8:14a.m._

Assuming that Connie woke up around seven, seven thirty.. and with four messages and TWO missed calls and two voicemails already.. Steven had a feeling she was extremely worried and panicking..

He clicked on the first message.

**Hey, are you still at work?** Sent at 7:14a.m. 

**You're probably busy, but just text me that you're okay at least.** Sent 7:42a.m

**Call me.** Sent at 8:04a.m.

**Steven, please call me**. Sent 8:13a.m.

He clicked on her name.. anxiety bubbling in his gut.. 

Two rings and "Steven!" 

"Hey Connie."

There was a breath and the sound of a small whine cut off short.

"Heya, Connie..Sorry about not getting to you. We were really, really swamped at work-" 

"Steven." her voiced cracked. "You could've sent me a quick text, anything! You literally, could've sent me anything! You had me worried sick!" he heard a sniff at the end. "I thought you were.. I didn't know _what_ happened to you." he heard a hiccup of a sob.

"I know, I know.." he bit his lip. "I didn't have the phone on me."

"Steven! When you knew you were going to stay later you should've texted. me. then!" she yelled.

"I know." he whined. "That was bad on my part.. I'm really sorry."

She sighed. "You just gave me a damn headache.." she mumbled under her breath and he heard another sniffle.

"Connie, I'm really, reaally sorry." he went back over to the bed and sat down. "I didn't mean to get you worried."

There was a breath. "Steven.. I'm.. _always_ worrying about you.." he heard a few sobs on the end as she failed to compose herself.

He slumped, feeling ten times worse and ten times more guilty. "Connie.."

She swallowed and he heard a low sigh. And then silence.. before he heard a "Okay, I'll talk to you later.. I'm just.. glad you're okay." she sounded so tired at the end. "I'll see you when I get home." 

"See you soon, Connie." a beat later. "And, enjoy your shift at work."

"Yeah.. thanks." 

Connie hung up and he sighed, feeling horrible. He placed the phone down beside him.. Sitting there.. wanting to be there with Connie so he could hug her and comfort her.. and so he could apologize even more to her..

He picked up the phone again and clicked on her name, typing out a message.

**I hope you have a day that's as lovely as you are. XOXO, your jam bud <3 **

He sent it and thought of more to say. 

**Again, I really didn't mean to get you so upset.. Can't wait to make it up to you when I see you today. Lot's of hugs and kisses from me when you come home 😘**

He was thinking about sending another message, but didn't want to overdo it. He placed the phone back down and slid his self back in his bed. He laid back and looked up at the heart monitor, not knowing what the numbers meant and watching the green line spike up with every heartbeat.. And that made him uneasy. He turned away, looking at the pale white walls of the room-

_Knock, knock, knock_

Steven turned to the door. "You can come in." 

A short lady with jet black hair and a very pleasant, smiling face came in with a rolling table. A plate covered in a clear container. "I'm just bringing in your breakfast." she smiled. 

Steven sat up slowly. "Thanks.." 

She rolled the table over to him.

"And this." she picked up a tiny clear bottle and set it in front of him on the table. "is your pain medicine. You don't have to take it now if don't want to, but it's there."

"I'm.. going to take it right now actually. My chest and my back really hurts."

"Okay." she picked the tiny cup back up and handed it to him. "Thank you." 

"No problem, hun." she leaned up and took out a "remote" attached to the bed. "Now if there's anything that you need, just press this button on here." she pointed at the nurse call button. "and somebody will come and help you."

"Actually.."

"Yes?"

"I was.. kinda wondering.. if I could speak to Peridot?"

She gave him a small, apologetic frown. "I'm sorry.. but Peridot has been extremely busy lately with very important matters.. Perhaps I could have someone fax off or send her a message over to her office?" 

He wanted a _private_ talk with Peridot, even though the questions he had wasn't secretive or that personal. Not only that, but he just _wanted_ to talk to her specifically.. 

He shrugged. "Um.. nothing important really.. I was.. just wondering how long I would have to stay here and how I would be getting back?" he lied. Or, partially lied. He wanted to know, but that wasn't what he'd wanted to ask her. 

"Oh! Those are easy questions that I can get from the doctor or any of the nurses. And as far as you going back, we can arrange one of the Jade's to take you to the warp pad closest to your city." _What's a 'warp pad'?_ "There, we'll have one of our drivers to take you to wherever you have to go."

"Okay." he forced an appreciative smile. "Thanks." 

"You're very welcome, hun." she turned and opened the door. "Now eat up. I'll ask about you being discharged." 

"Thanks."

She walked out and closed the door behind her.

Steven looked inside of the tiny cup to see two oval shaped pills inside. He tilted the cup into his mouth and the pills slid out and landed on his tongue. He set the cup down and picked up the straw. He pressed on it, the straw breaking out of its paper wrapper and he put the straw inside the styrofoam cup. He took a few sips of water, swallowing the two pills.

Then he lifted the top from the container. Two pieces of pancakes, scrambled eggs and two strips of bacon. The strips of bacon, on top of the pancake and the eggs.

He wondered if it was _pork_ bacon or if it was _turkey_ or _chicken_ bacon.. 

He sighed.. He couldn't take that chance..

Beside the plate was a round bowl. He pened the flat, clear lid and looked inside.

It was a bowl of oatmeal.

Now he would eat that. 

He prayed over his food and started putting the small packets of butter in the oatmeal, then he ripped the brown packet of cinnamon sugar, pouring it in. He mixed the contents up in the bowl and tasted it.

_Not bad._

He finished the bowl in minutes and ate the two pieces of toast that were neatly wrapped.

He washed the bread down with a small orange juice carton that reminded him of when he was in High School and then he went for the fruit, eating cantaloupe and the melon in it.

Finished with his food, with the bacon, eggs and pancakes still in the tray, he moved the table aside, the wheels rolling smoothly on the floor. He picked up his phone and stared at his tired reflection in the black screen. The nose piece of the nasal cannula held securely by one piece of hospital tape. 

~~~~~

_So! Talc it is. Alright, everyone, let's all give a tip for Talc on his first day as an official. Crystal. Gem." Amethyst said to the crew. _

_Garnet slid something back into the couch and stood up and pivoted around to him. "Situational Awareness is key." was all she said._

_Amethyst nodded in agreement._

_Pearl spoke back up from her cot, still not looking at Steven. "Every Crystal Gem for themselves." she told him._

_"Ooo, that's a good one. I always loved that one." Amethyst turned to Steven. "So that means, if you're caught up in something, if you get cut up, if you get shot, or if anything else happens to you, you better figure out how to get out of it yourself. For example, we didn't save Pearl because she got caught up in her distraction with you." the slim lady frowned, her light blue eyes falling to the floor. "We simply picked her up so she would be of good use getting that cannon and helping us with getting our jewels back. So. Every. Crystal. Gem. For. Themselves...." he swallowed under her one eyed stare. The purple hair covering her other .. beautiful eye. "Understand?..¿Comprende?"_

~~~~~

The memory played in his head.. 

And now that he was thinking about that memory, he couldn't help but think that it was in hindsight at its finest.. 

And Amethyst's voice kept echoing through his head..

_"So that means, if you're caught up in something, if you get cut up, if you get shot, or if anything else happens to you, you better figure out how to get out of it yourself." _

_ "So that means.......if you get shot..... you better figure out how to get out of it yourself."_

_".........if you get shot......"_

~~~~

_"Yo! You anywhere near yet?"_

_"No.. I'm still." he started panting. "at the.. house." _

_"The what?! Alright dude, you're on your own. We're not taking our time to come and get you, the cops could be on their way."_

_"But.. Amethyst.. please.." he swallowed._

_"Every Gem for themselves." she hung up._

~~~~

_"Every Gem for themselves." _

Steven grimaced.. thinking back on what had happened just last night..

_Ki!" he raised the rifle at Steven. He gasped and jumped on the bed as he heard gun shots firing towards him. And he slid off the bed to the other side, falling down on his side, the pain of the fall excruciating._

No.. not the fall.. The pain of getting shot twice in the chest was excruciating..

He shook his head of that memory..

How could he be so stupid..

It's all _his_ fault that happened..-

_Knock knock knock._

The sound of someone knocking on the door snapped him out of his thoughts "You can come in." 

A lady with long red hair stepped in. A clipboard in hand. "Hello, I'm the nurse." 

"Hello." 

"Good news. Everything looks good. Heart levels are stable, pulse is good. And they checked your pressure earlier and your pressure is good. All of your vitals are good." she smiled. "Everything is great. So, we'll have you out in no time." she set the clipboard down. "Just no heavy lifting for at least a few weeks." she wagged a finger at him. "Now while we wait for your discharge papers, we can start taking those heart patches off first."

"Okay." he slid the hospital gown off and she started taking the patches of his chest. Then the ones off his arms and legs. "So how's your pain now? And how's your breathing?" she threw them away and went over to the cabinet, taking out a small gauze and a roll of tape. She ripped a piece off and put the tape back in the cabinet.

"The pain is going away now. I just took two pills.. And my breathing is okay.. It's definitely not like yesterday, I can tell you that." he let out a dry chuckle. 

She unclipped the I.V from the needle and pulled the needle from his arm, quickly putting pressure on it with the gauze. "That's good to hear. It's a good thing you managed to get here in time." she put the piece of hospital tape over it. 

"Yeah." he managed a small smile. 

The nurse leaned in and pulled the piece of tape off and slowly started tugging the nose piece down, taking off the nasal cannula and he definitely noticed a difference with his breathing, it was just.. so much better with that on him. 

"It'll take your body a few minutes to get adjusted." she gave him a knowing look. She leaned back, setting it down. "Now I'll be right back to get you your papers-"

They heard a light tap on the door and they turned around.

Peridot stuck her head in. "Ah, good. You're still here." she opened the door up more and Lion pushed by her, galloping in, panting happily.

"Lion!" Steven cheered and he winced a bit from his chest. He turned around in his seat as the dog jumped up, placing his paws on the edge of the bed. Steven gave his buddy his noggin scratches. 

Peridot nodded at the nurse. "Coral, I need a word with Talc." 

The boy was laughing beside her, scratching all around the dog's head. She turned back to Peridot and gave her a salute. One hand raised up to her forehead, in a two finger salute. Her thumb holding down the other two fingers. The other arm, held up and her fist clenched and at the middle of her chest. "Okay, Miss Peridot." she held the stance for a few moments before bringing her arms slowly back down. She walked pass her, stopped and turned at the door, gave her another salute, held that stance for a few moments and left out the door, closing it behind her. 

"Good morning, Talc." Peridot took her few steps towards him. 

The dog was licking his face. "Good morning, Peridot." he laughed. 

"What is the status of your physical being?"

He leaned up, away from Lion's "kisses". "Huh? Oh, I'm fine." he continued scratching the dog's head. "And um.. thanks.. again." he looked up at her. A sad, wan smile. "I, really appreciate it." 

"Yes, yes, yes, well, I can't take all of the credit. The Jades brought you in and then we have our Benitoites as are wonderful medical team who were the ones who picked you up and actually did the surgery. They all deserve more credit. Especially the paramedics."

"Yes! And please tell them that I really do appreciate what all they've done for me too!" 

"Mhm." she nodded. "So.. What exactly happened with last night's mission?" she pinched her chin. "All last night I've been trying to wrap my head around how a bullet actually went through a Crystal Gem shirt."

Steven thought of the exact moment when Ki pulled both shirts over his head..

And just then, he felt embarrassed.. A Crystal Gem being overpowered by some non Gem that pulled a teenaged pulling-shirt-over-head shtick..

"Oh, I uh.. didn't have it on.." he cleared his throat. "at the time.."

"Ah, well that explains it." she nodded. "So it had nothing to do with the shirt." she nodded to herself. Then she turned back to him. "Though it was a cloddy idea to not have your shirt on at the time of a mission." 

"Yeah.." his expression faltered slowly to a frown. "Yeah, I know.." he slowed his scratches down on Lion's face. 

"Anyway, that's the only reason why I came down here. I thought that those people must've had different bullets capable of going through my shirts." she started walking back to the door.

"Oh." was all he said.. until he quickly pieced together what she meant by that. 

"You thought that.. they were the same guys with that electricity thingy?" 

She turned around slowly. " 'Electricity thingy?" 

_Careful Universe.. you may be entering some dangerous territory.. _ "Uh.. when.. the Gems and I were at the Fry Shack, Amethyst made it seem like her jumpsuit could withstand that fire jacket guy's.. electric, weapon thing. But then it actually hit her.." he leaned his hand away from the dog to scratch at his own neck. "I.. saw her have it later on on her belt that day.. and I.. saw her with it when we I came here for the first time to get fitted and to get registered in the system." he paused for a few minutes and shrugged. "I.. just thought that was.. what you were thinking." 

Peridot gave him a very, very long stare, her face a tensed thin line, in thought.. before speaking up slowly.. "Yeeees.." she dragged out. She looked at the door and closed it, going back to Steven. "Yes, it appears." she stopped, finding her words carefully.. "the _destabilizer_, which is what you are referring to, has quite some power.. and..I was, actually wondering if those bullets too, had the same essen- er, "ability" as the weapon, as well, yes." she cleared her throat. "BUT it appears that that wasn't the case." then she thought, quickly mumbling. "Though that still doesn't mean anything because they didn't shoot at the shirt, so the bullets very well could've been made with-" she shook her head. "Neh, then the Gems would've gotten hit as well. So that's debunked." 

"Peridot?"

She looked up, stopping right on the cusp of her scientific rambles.

"What.. was that? That destabilizer that hit Amethyst I mean." 

She fixed him another levelled stare, before speaking again. "That's an electrical weapon made to take down enemies. Ours can send bolts of up to twenty eight point three megavolts, while the one that that particular male had could send bolts of up to thirty five point two megavolts."

"That sounds like a lot." 

"Indeed it is."

"And.. Amethyst survived that.." 

"Well, good thing for her, her jumpsuit was able to absorb seventy six point twenty three percent of that destabilizer's electricity." 

"How did they even get something like that?!"

"They made it." 

"But.. can't we just make that too?" he shrugged. 

Her face loosened, close to that of shock and guilt, before quickly going to a neutral look. "We're working on it." 

With Peridot's chagrined expression from before, he felt a bit guilty.. thinking that he opened up another can of worms like he seems to always do.. like how already did with Garnet more than once.. He sighed. "Sorry for all of the questions, Peridot.. It's just.. the Gems don't tell me anything." he frowned. "And.. when I ask questions, like that one time when I asked them about those vials.. they all.. clam up.. And Amethyst just gets even more defensive.." a beat later. "and even more mean.." 

"Hm, well that certainly sounds like her." she raked her prestheitc fingers through her short, blonde hair. "But, I am unable to tell you as to why your group is doing this." his frown deepened. "though I think they must have a logical.. er, _their_ own logical reason with them withholding any Crystal Gem information." 

"But, Peridot." he slid off the bed, the dog looking up at him as he wagged his tail. "Don't you think it's.. unfair? I mean, if I'm a Crystal Gem too, then.. why can't I know about the.. stuff that you and them discuss in your lab?" 

"Well.." she cut herself off.

"And I can tell that, whatever you all are discussing is really bothering them. How they tense up and how they act while driving up here and how they look when they leave out your lab after the talks.." he paused and started again. "Is it.. really that bad? But.. if it's really that bad.. then.. shouldn't_ every_ Crystal Gem be discussing it?"

Peridot stood there, taking everything in as she looked at the boy in front of her. 

She took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts. "While you do make a valid point, Talc.." she stopped. Then started again. "What we are discussing isn't.."- _bad_\- "or rather, _hasn't_ reached a point where we would need to discuss it with everyone under the Crystal Gem empire."

"So if it _does_ reach that point, then you would tell people then?"

She stood there. Like a soldier. Her legs and feet together. Her back straight and chin levelled. The woman giving him an unreadable stare. 

"But.. wouldn't it be smart if we.. _didn't_ wait until that happened and people would have to scramble to get ready?"

Her stoic, soldier-like expression never wavered as her piercing green eyes stared deeply into his. "More valid points on your end, Talc." she closed her mouth, her lips, a thin line.. before she thought more on what to say.. without saying _too_ much.. "However, you and everyone else under this empire need not worry on anything reaching to such levels. The Gems and I have everything under control. Now, whether Amethyst will tell you and decide for you to join in on our.. _mission_.. then that is for her to say, not on my behalf. I have no say over that subject in particular." 

Steven slumped, knowing now that the conversation will only end there. "Okay, Peridot.. Thanks.." he frowned. 

She looked at him. Her expression finally softening, but in a split second she shook her head. "Now then. Enough of that. You are departing now, yes?" 

"Yeah." he tried to not dwell too much on their conversation. "Yeah, I am. But I was waiting for my discharge papers." 

Peridot thought. "Hmm.. but you should've received them already.. Eh, whatever. I don't have time to wait. Talc, hurry and put on your clothes." she waved her hand. 

He went for his jeans on the couch, the belt, already through the loops.

"See, this is why we do things electronically and _not_ by paper. It certainly makes things easier and way more accurate and efficient." she grumbled, typing something into the rectangular screen on her arm. She grumbled a bit more under her breath before leaning away from her arm. "There. See how I did that already?" she deadpanned. There was a chime from Steven's phone on the bed. "I've JUST sent you AND the Gems your discharge papers." 

"Wow, that really was quick." 

"My point exactly. Now, hurry. The Jades are already expecting you at the rooftop." 

Steven picked up his _now clean_ Crystal Gem shirt and threw it over his head. He picked up his regular shirt, _also now cleaned_. And he wondered and looked down. Now that he noticed, his jeans looked clean as well. Even his belt looked shinier! And now that he was thinking about it, it made sense that his phone was pristine and clean in his pocket and not.. all bloody..

He slipped his sandals on. _Also cleaned_. And.. he slowly reached for the two masks, putting each one in one of his front pockets.

And then, it was the gun.. 

He grabbed it, dismayed.. and he tucked it back behind the hem of his pants. He threw the shirt over it. Then he grabbed his phone from off the bed.

Peridot was standing still, just right outside the room. Steven turned back around, making sure that he wasn't leaving anything and he felt around his jean pockets. His wallet, keys and ring was in there. And the other pocket had Lion's antibiotics and cream. "Alright, come on, Lion." the dog shuffled towards him and the two left out the room. 

Steven followed Peridot down a few halls to an elevator. This time, not using her limb enhancers to activate the doors, she just put in a code in and the tablet scanned her eyes. 

The door opened and the three of them walked in. Steven not wanting to look at the numbers as the escalator rose up to the roof.

"Also, Talc." 

He turned his attending from the steady beeps of every floor they were passing and to the teen beside him. She pulled a small medicine bottle from her jacket. "I got it from one of the nurse's that was on their way to your room. Told them that since I was going there anyway, that I would hand deliver it to you personally." she handed him his medicine. "Thanks, Peridot." he managed to fit the item in one of his front pockets.

"Pain medicine. If that's what you're wondering." 

He chuckled. "I know. Thanks again, Peridot." 

She fanned her hand. “いえ､いえ。” (ie, ie, No, no)

He didn't know what she said.. but he assumed it was something similar to a "no problem" in Japanese.

The elevator dinged and the doors slid open and Steven was able to see the roof, now that he was conscious and it was daytime. 

The roof was a sleek material and a sky blue color. On each of the four corners were circular ledges that looked to be made of crystal. They were at least one foot thick and as wide as the helicopters that were resting on them. Two of them, being empy. They were reflected and shining brightly under the sun and the blue sky. 

"Wow.. Those are some fancy landing pads." he followed her towards the helicopter at the corner of the building. One of the pilots doing his check, as he inspected the front of the helicopter. The other one, doing his check on the inside. 

"Oh, you're referring to what the helicopter is perched on?" 

"Yeah!" he cheesed. 

"Those are our crystal warp pads or _warp pads_ for short."_ Oh.. so_ that's_ what that nurse meant by warp pads.._

One of the pilots noticed Peridot coming and alarmed the other one who was still in the helicopter. The guy jumped out of it and they gave her the salute, keeping their stance as they waited for her. 

She took her stride towards them, her, Steven and Lion making their way across the roof and towards the two men. 

She stopped in front of them. "Jades." she acknowledged them.

They kept their stance. One hand up to the forehead and giving a two finger salute and the other arm, up with the hand clenched into a fist in the middle of their chest. "Good Morning, Miss Peridot." the said in unison.

"At ease." 

The men kept their salute for a few more moments before dropping their arms down slowly at the same time and Steven wondered if it was a certain amount of seconds they had to count before doing so? 

"Are you two just about ready to take Talc?" 

"Er, yes. We are doing our last few checks." one of them said.

"Good." she nodded. "He's going to warp pad 227, just off the skirts of Delmarva. I do believe you two are familiar with that route, yes?"

"Of course, Miss Peridot.", "Yes, Miss Peridot." 

"Good." she stared at them. 

The men stood there. Quietly. Watching her intently. 

Then an "Okay, you two are dismissed to continue with those checks." 

"Thank you, Miss Peridot." they gave her another salute, held the stance for a few moments before bringing their arms back down and walked away. One going back into the helicopter and the other, continuing where he stopped off at the side of the helicopter. 

Peridot turned to Steven. "Once they drop you off at the next warp pad, there will be someone already waiting there for you." she held up her hand. "And don't worry about the fare, as that has already been taking care of." she brought her hand back down, relaxing it behind her back with the other. "Now. I believe I can leave you now. Those two should be done in five or ten minutes. And.. I have my important matters to attend to once more." 

_I wonder if those 'important matters' have anything to do with that destabilizer and those guys with the white shades and black suits.._

"Okay" he nodded. 

She stood there, standing in front of him. 

Moments passed and she was still standing there..

And as a few more moments went on he was starting to wonder why.. 

"Talc. You must do the salute until I have gone into the elevator and until the elevator doors have closed." 

"Oh! Uh, sorry, Peridot. I'm.. still new to all of this.." he brought his hand up, giving her a three finger salute with his thumb close to his forehead. His other arm up and close to him. His hand clenched in a fist, his fist near his collarbone. "Like this?" 

She looked up at the first hand and gestured at it with her chin. "It's a _two_ finger salute and the thumb must be holding down the last two fingers." he corrected the form. "Yes, like that. And the other arm is too far up. You need to put it farther down, to the middle.. A little more.. A little to the left-There. Now, you will hold that position until the elevator doors have close." 

"Yes, Peridot." he kept his stance. 

She gave him a minute nod and turned around. 

"And.. Peridot?"

She turned back around. "Yes?" 

He smiled, the brightest smile at her. "Thanks again, for everything. For every single thing that you've done for me. For rescuing me from Cat Fingers." he could feel himself tearing up.. being so thankful that he was still alive.. "For saving my phone, for patching up my shirt more than once, for.." he looked down at the canine who was already looking ten times better. He looked back up at her. "..helping me save my buddy, Lion." a couple tears slid down his face. "And..for answering that call last night.." he choked out a sob. "I wouldn't even be here if.." he swallowed, more tears fell from his eyes. "And.. thanks for the pain medication and, please tell everyone who helped me, that I truly, truly appreciate what they all did to help me." 

She looked at the boy.. the _Crystal Gem_ boy crying in front of her.. again.. but, this time, it was a different feeling she felt.. This time she didn't see him as pathetic but more so, appreciative, of everything that she'd done for him up to that point. 

And she smiled.. but not a smug smile that she'd done plenty of times but, a nice, content smile and he thought that was cute and that she should smile like that more often. "I will see to it that they hear such compliments." she gave him another nod. "See you soon, Talc." she glanced at the pilots doing their final checks, then back at him. "And do yourself a huge favor and wipe your face before they see you like this." the smile was still there on her face. "You can't keep giving me the water works. We have a reputation to uphold. More so, _me_." 

"O, of course, Peridot." he cheesed as more tears fell down his face. He was about to wipe them off, when he quickly remembered that he had to keep the salute until she left. 

"Good." and with that, she turned around and started heading for the elevators. 

A good thirty seconds later and the woman made it across and he saw from afar, her putting in the code and leaning in for the tablet to scan her eyes. The doors opened and she stepped in, giving Steven another minute nod and he smiled widely at her, as the doors slid back to a close.

He lowered his arms back down and used one of his hands to wipe at his face. 

He heard a "Hey!" and he turned around. One of the pilots were waving to him. "We're ready to take you to warp pad 227, kid."

_'Kid'?... I'm a grown man.._

He walked up to the helicopter, stepping on the fancy, shiny crystal warp pad, with Lion right beside him. He picked the canine up and put him inside. Then he stepped up onto the steps of the helicopter, pulling himself up with the handles and stepped in. One of the pilots closed the door back and sat down with the other.

Steven walked along the smooth, cream colored carpet and sat down in the second row at the window seat, sitting in one of the most comfortable chairs he'd ever sat in. A flat screen t.v on the back of the chair in front of him. 

And as much as he wanted to touch the screen and check out the features, he decided against it.. both not being sure if he was allowed to mess with the device and afraid that he would somehow break it. 

Lion hopped up in the aisle seat next to him and he gave the dog a few head scratches. "Just sit back and relax, buddy." he smiled.

He heard one of the pilots speaking in.. helicopter, airplane.. code talk as he spoke with someone on his headset.

He looked out the window, staring at the crystal warp pad, then back out into the wide, open area surrounding the building. 

His curiosity peaked again and he pulled up his shirt, looking at the stitches across his _shaved_ chest. He sighed. _Now how am I going to explain _this_ to Connie.._

He let go of the shirt and leaned back in his chair, not trying to worry _too_ much about what he could say.. 

He took out his phone. **1 new message.** Most likely from Peridot from earlier, sending him his discharge papers.. So, not from Connie.. which he could understand since she was at work.. with an _actual_ job.. at an _actual_ workplace..

Unlike him.

He pocketed his phone as he felt the helicopter lifting off.

He looked out the window once more as the helicopter made it's ascend away from the building and towards the sky. 

He leaned back again, looking over to his left side. Lion was already curled up and drifting off to sleep in his chair.

That made him smile a bit, seeing the canine looking so at peace and content in his chair.

He resisted the urge to pet him, not wanting to wake him up and he got comfortable in his chair, stretching out his legs.

He let out a sigh as he closed his eyes. He couldn't wait to go back to the comfort of his own home.. And to see Connie when she came back. And he couldn't wait to give her lot's of hugs and kisses.. and to move on from what'd happened last night..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone who's wondering, that memory of Amethyst and the Gems giving Steven a few tips of being a Crystal Gem is in Chapter 15 ..A new beginning?


	101. Back at the apartment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I seriously thought this was going to take me over a week or even two weeks like I said in my notes BUT, I guess not xD
> 
> Also, this is a preeeetty long read folks, so yeahhhhh. (Especially with two particular chapters.)

After multiple contacts with the ATC, the helicopter was making it's descend on the round, sparkly landing spot underneath of them. 

They landed with a slight rock and a thud on the warp pad. 

The pilots were talking amongst themselves as the two started to turn everything of.

Steven started unbuckling his seat, waking up Lion with the rattling noise and the click as the first captain opened the door of the cockpit. "We're here." he stated. And Steven got up with Lion looking up at him. "Come on, Lion." 

The captain opened the door and Steven started making his way over. Lion hopped down from the seat and followed behind him. 

Easily, Steven crouched down and hopped down from the helicopter and turned around to grab Lion. He set the dog down on the warp pad and the canine started sniffing it. Then he gave it one big lick. Steven chuckled. "You can't eat it."

Lion ignored him, still licking at the crystal. 

The captain had already walked away, off to start the checkups and Steven stepped down from the warp pad. 

The co-pilot hopped out moments later. "Let's go." he told him as he fix the cap on his head. "I'll take you down to the driver." 

"Okay." he nodded. He turned and pat at his legs. "Come on, Lion. We're leaving." 

The canine looked at him, then went back to licking the crystal warp pad.

Steven looked up at the man and let out a nervous chuckle. "I think he really likes those.." the man was not laughing. A stone cold expression on his face. "um.. crystals.. eherm." he coughed. "Let me uh, just get him." he jogged away from him, going for dog. "Come on, Lion!" he grabbed at the dog, and thankfully, he obliged, not throwing a tantrum as he'd done two times already. 

He sat the dog back down and the three of them walked across the roof of the building and to an elevator. He saw the man press a few buttons, then with the laser scanning his eyes. The doors slid open and they walked in. 

The doors dinged open and they stepped out. Steven getting a view of what looked to be an abandoned super market.. Everything cleaned out. with just the empty shelves and the clean, pristine floor. 

They walked up to the automatic sliding doors, that actually did _not_ open up automatically. The co-pilot put in the code, the tablet scanned his eyes and both the first and second sliding doors opened. They walked through them and out into an area surrounded by dirt. It reminded Steven of being somewhere in a Western movie and he was.. kinda looking for a tumbleweed to blow by.. 

Though one never did. 

Instead, there was black Jaguar parked right in front of them. 

The window rolled down just a crack, Steven getting a view of dark green eyes behind a mask.

"Aventurine. You'll be taking this one." _'This one'.. They really should watch how they word things.._ "to where he has to go. Then, Peridot ordered for you to give her a call once you drop the boy off."

The person on the other end nodded. "I'll do so promptly." the male voice said from within the cool looking vehicle.

The captain turned to him. "Okay, get in. Give him the coordinates on where to go and he'll take you there."

"Okay. Thanks." 

"Mm." he nodded and proceeded back to the abandoned market.

Steven opened the door and held it open. "Come on. Hop in, Lion." the dog leapt in and he got in after him, closing the door. 

"Where to?" 

He told the guy the address and he punched it into the tablet screen in front of him. Steven laid back, Lion laying right beside him as the two made it towards their home.

...................

The drive lasted for a little under an hour and the driver stopped a few feet behind where Garnet would usually stopped, which Steven had grown smugly accustomed to..

"Alright, kid." _sigh.._ "This is you."

"Thanks." he got out the car and Lion jumped out. He closed the door behind him and the car sped off as he made it up the alley to the main door of the apartment. The two, side by side as they walked up the two flights of steps and down the hall to the front door. 

Steven put the key in and unlocked it, pushing the door open and Lion ran in, going for the food bowl.

"Sorry, buddy. There's no food in there." he closed the door, remembering that he gave Lion the last can of food. "Hm, maybe we can use this extra time to do a bit of dog grocery shopping for you. But first." he slid the flip flops off and went into the kitchen. He picked up Lion's food bowl and poured some water in it, setting it back down on the ground. The dog lapped it up quickly.

"And maybe Connie made something last night that you can eat.." he opened the fridge. He saw a plate with a piece of aluminum foil over it. He picked it up, hoping that it would be something edible for the canine. He peeled it back. Two pieces of chicken, mashed potatoes, greens and macaroni and cheese. He placed the plate into the microwave and pressed the numbers on the pad. The machine began to humn as the plate spun around slowly. 

A few moments later and the the microwave beeped. He waited for the chicken to cool and placed them in the dish. "Sorry, Lion. It's not much. But it's something until we get you something more to eat." Lion didn't seem to mind. The dog going right to the chicken immediately. 

Steven took out a fork, then a water bottle from the fridge and sat down at the counter. He took a few refreshing sips from the bottle and set it back down. And after praying over his food, he too, started at the meal, going for the mashed potatoes.

A few minutes of eating and listening to Lion lap up the last bit of water, he looked up at the clock. _12:07p.m_. 

Lion came over and sat down in front of him, looking up at him and he stared at the dog for a few moments. _Hmm.._

He took out his phone and checked the nearest vet hours. They were all open.

"Maybe I should do that.." he said to himself. He finished the rest of the food and slid off the stool and towards the bed. He pulled the cheeseburger backpack out, unzipping the lettuce. The stacks of money still in there. _Now how much money should I take.. I've heard that vets can get pretty pricey.. Maybe just a thousand? Or.. fifteen hundred? Hm.. something's telling me that it's going to be way more than that.. Maybe I should just take the whole stacks of cash.._ Then he thought. _I just hope that.. of all days, it won't be today that I get robbed.._

Not wanting to put any attention to the Cheeseburger backpack, he transferred the money to a small, solid drawstring bag. He threw it over his shoulder and walked back into the kitchen. He washed the fork and plate and grabbed another water bottle and put it in his back pocket. Then he went to grab his off the counter. "Come on, Lion." the dog raised his head up from his laying position. "We're heading out for a bit." the dog got up and walked with him towards the door. 

Steven locked the door back, put the keys in his pocket and took his phone back out, punching in the vet's address in maps. 

The two walked down the steps. "Says here that I need to take the Green 83 bus to Gwynne Falls first." he put the phone back in his pocket. "Welp, let's get this journey started." he smiled, opening the main door. 


	102. Getting the proper treatment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know ANYTHING about taking animals to vets. So again, more bogus writing and me just both writing up what I saw on YouTube as well as making stuff up. *Shrugs*

Steven was approaching the clear sliding doors of the building. Laminated papers of dogs, cats and birds and various reptiles were plastered on the windows.

He nearly hesitated, thinking that he would need to put in a code, before the automatic sliding doors opened for him. He shook his head, not believing that he actually did that..

He walked in through the second pair of sliding doors and looked around. Thankfully, the building didn't look too full. A handful of pet owners on each side of the room. Some with little dogs in cages, others with their medium sized or big dogs laying beside them and others with their cats or their birds in cages. He could hear the cockatoos on his right as they chirped and squawked away. Their owner clicking their teeth and playing with them.

"Yes, how may I help you?" a young woman with what looked to be those.. colorful nurse shirts he'd seen women wear to work.. and a pair of khakis. She got up from her chair and looked down. Her expression dropped to a sad smile. "Sorry, sir. But you're going to need to put the dog on his leash. Safety precautions." 

"Oh, sorry, but.. I don't have a leash.." he stopped just a few feet from the desk. "I don't.. have anything for the dog really.. That's why I'm here." the dog looked up at him, tail wagging and panting happily at him. "I.. want to give him a full checkup and buy all of the necessary stuff here." 

The lady nodded. "Of course we can help you with all of the checkups and the immunizations, but we only issue out collars, microchips and leashes. Everything else like bowls, bedding and the sort, you will have to get at your local pet store."

"Oh, okay." 

"Now, let me just put you in the system." she sat back down on the rolling chair. "Do you have any of your paperwork? We need to see everything he'd gotten this far and we can continue on from there."

_Paperwork?!? And.. she's most likely going to say something if I said I "just found him".. who k is what she'll do to him.. maybe even take him away from me!!_"Oh, I uh.. I don't have any papers."

Another apologetic look as she leaned up in her chair. "Would you.. perhaps know all of the shots that he had? Or his deworming schedule? Or if he's on a heartworm preventative?

"Uhhhh..." he gave her a helpless shrug. 

She looked down at the dog. Not trying to go to any assumptions as she traced her eyes around the stitches around his neck and the various wounds around him. "Did you get him from a shelter? I can look them up and give one of the vetinarians a call to retrieve those papers."

"I.. don't know which shelter.." he bit his lip, still withholding that important piece of information.

"Okay.." she gave him a levelled stare before a smirk swept across her face. "Did you. _find_ him?"

He hesitated.. "Y, yeah.. BUT! But he's not anyone's dog! Honest!" he said quickly. "I found him all alone!" then he said softly.. slowly. "He was.. going to die.." he looked away from her and down at his canine best friend. Lion looked up, still panting happily and that made Steven smile just ever so slightly.

He heard a soft chuckle at the counter and looked back up at her smiling face. "Don't worry, sir. I believe you. You have nothing to worry about." she went back to her laptop.

_T, that was it?! So.. they're not going to take my dog away?!_ He chuckled nervously as he found his hand aimlessly scratching at the back of his head. "I.. guess I thought you were going to take him away if you knew I found him.."

"No, of course not." she assured him and he sighed a breath of relief and felt a more genuine smile come across his face. "Good." he cheesed.

The receptionist asked him a few basic questions like his name and address (if packages were to be sent) and the dog's name. She'd put the information in and politely, told him that he should stay farther away from the other animals due to Lion's possible respiratory disease and other infectious diseases he may be harboring.

The two stood closer to the counter, away from everyone else like they were told and for what felt like an hour later, as more people started to get up with their animals to be checked, Steven heard his name being called. 

"That's us, Lion." he walked over towards the lady with long, beach blonde hair up in a ponytail. "Steven Universe?" she stretched out her hand. 

"Yup." he took the handshake. 

She let go of the firm handshake and knelt down slowly to the dog. He took a few steps back, tail wagging dismissively. "Hey, bud." she said softly, her voice slightly pitched. She dropped her hands down slowly, being cautious as she brought them to her knees. Her hands dangling over them. 

Lion looked at her. 

"It's okay, Lion." Steven gave him a few head scratches. 

She lifted one hand up, going slowly for the canine as she whistled. 

Lion ducked his head down.. then.. slowly and cautiously.. started walking towards her.

She placed her hand gently on his head, scratching behind the ears and immediately gotten his friendship. 

"Good boy, Lion."

"He_ is_ a good boy." she agreed as she looked at the dog's face intently. "who may have a bit of respiratory inflammation going on." 

His heart skipped a beat.. He was hoping that it would be just a small cold.. But she thinks it's inflammation?! 

That definitely sounded serious. 

"Respiratory inflammation?" he tried to sound calm. 

"Don't worry, it doesn't look bad." she gave Lion a few more ear scratches before standing back up. "I would say this is most likely kennel cough. But we'll run some tests." 

_Kennel cough.. _

Now.. that sounded less scary.. almost like a common cold..? 

At least that's what he was telling himself.. 

  
  


Steven and Lion had followed the veterinarian to a small room filled with various equipment.

Throughout the two hours of Lion being a very good boy, she'd managed to give him a thorough body checkup while talking to Steven; his weight (which was obviously low.. Steven telling her how he'd found him and how he could see his ribs.. Now, with his ribs still showing, he _had_ put on a few pounds within the few days he'd been with him) and his temperature, which was still slightly high, most likely due to the inflammation. She checked his heart, his lungs, his ears, his anal region and genitals (which caught Steven off guard.. the thought not coming to his mind that she would have to check that too, though it made sense), his eyes, nose, skin, mouth and gums and for any breed abnormalities. 

Then she'd given him something oral to take, to make him have to go.. eherm.. pop a squat.. and while the medicine was kicking in, she used that time to give him his vaccinations. By the time that was over, the oral medicine had kicked in and Lion had went a couple times and she checked the stool for any heartworms and other parasites. Thankfully, they found none and with one of the diagnostics of checking his lungs and nose, it turned out that he did, in fact, have kennel cough, which fortunately was easy to treat. 

Then she'd asked about the dog getting a microchip, just in case anything were to happen; if the collar falls off or if the dog gets lost or stolen and Steven agreed to it. She'd gotten another vet to hold Lion down, as he kept moving around and with that, the main vet then, put the chip into the needle and pinched a fold of skin just behind his shoulder. 

Lion had winced, but overall, he did good and Steven now had a peace of mind. 

And now, with everything done, she'd asked him a million dollar question and, being caught off guard once more, he stopped in mid scratch on Lion's ear. He turned around, still processing the question. "Huh?"

"I asked about your take on getting your dog neutered? Some people may prefer it in regards to both behavioral issues as well as medical benefits. Though of course, some vets claim that staying in tact is actually healthier. And, for behavorial issues, especially found in male dogs, like humping behavior and the sort, could, too an extent, be trained out of them." she closed the cabinet doors above her head. "And then there are people with moral and cultural beliefs as well."

Steven was idly and slowly stretching behind Lion's ear, processing what she'd said. "Uh.. well.." he turned to the dog.

_I can't do that to him.. HIS MANHOOD!.. But.. are there really medical benefits to it? And.. humping isn't going to bother me.. heck, I do that to Connie from time to time.. _ His hand went over to scratch at the other ear. _But what's the percentage of these medical benefits? Does it really way out over everything else? ..Still.. HIS MANHOOD! I can't do that to him.. and she even said that some vets think that staying intact is actually healthier._

"Um.." he turned back to her. "I.. don't feel comfortable doing that.. actually.." 

"That is fine with me." she said with a smile. She took her gloves off. "Well, everything is done and you two are free to go. You just need to go back up to the receptionist. She'll give you all of papers and take everything from there."

"Thanks for all of your help."

"You're very welcome." 

She exited out the room as he turned back to Lion. "I saved your boys, Lion!" he cheered and picked the dog up, placing him back on the floor. "Now come on. Let's get out of here." 

........................

The same receptionist from earlier, clicked away on her computer. "Aaaand all of that comes up to.." she looked at the screen. "Two thousand, eight hundred and forty dollars and fifty four cents." 

_WHAT?!?!?!?!_

"Oh, heheh. Wow that's uh.. a pretty penny." 

"Yeahh.." she drawled with an apologetic smile. "These things can get a bit pricey." she moved in her chair slightly. "So, how did you want to pay?"

"I can pay in cash." he threw the bag off his shoulder and placed it on the counter. He turned the bag towards him, casually glancing out his peripheral vision to make sure nobody else was taking a look at all of the money in the bag..

He counted the money twice and handed her the one hundred dollar bills. She took out her fraud marker and started marking the bills as she counted them.

"Okay." she put the pen up and shuffled the money together. "Thank you very much." she put the money into the system and gave him his change. Then she handed him the white bag. "You should put the collar and the leash on him now." she suggested.

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." he dug into the bag and pulled out the collar and the leash. "Come here, boy." he crouched down and Lion walked over. Steven placed the leash down beside him and Lion stopped, as he eyed the leash, before slowly walking towards him. "Here, let me put this on you." he held the collar down and the dog tried looking down, sniffing the collar and just as he reach up the dog backed up. "Hey, Lion. Let me put this on you." he took a few steps towards the dog, still crouched and the dog backed away more. "Lion, it's just a collar. Come on, buddy."

The dog packed away, eyeing Steven and the collar. His dog wagging defensively.

"Is something the matter?" the receptionist got up from her chair.

"I don't think he likes collars.." 

"Hmm.." the lady hummed. "Judging by his past abuse with collars and chains, I can see why." she looked at Peridot's handiwork of the stitches around the dog's neck from the embedded collar.

"Poor Lion.. he thinks I'm going to do whatever they did to him.." he picked up the leash and got up, putting the two back in the bag. "Guess I'll try to put it on him later." he said sadly.

"Yes.. But be sure to put it on him sooner than later. Mayor Dewey has some serious collar and leash laws." she warned him.

"Don't worry, I will." he gave her a reassuring smile. "Enjoy the rest of your day."

"The same to you." she waved at him. 

The two left out the sliding doors, this time, Steven _almost_ stopping again at the doors before he reminded himself where he was.

The two stepped into the sunny afternoon. "Sorry again, about that, Lion." he pet the dog on his side, ruffling his short coat. The dog panting, putting his head on his leg. "Okay, we just have one more spot to go, then we can go home." he put in the address to Pet Genius and Co.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay!!! Lion FINALLY got checked out!! Now he can finally get better :3


	103. Pet Genius and Co.

The two got off of the bus. The brown building with the company's name in big, bright, bouncy, chubby red letters on top of it was just a few feet ahead of them.

They walked up the three stairs and through the sliding doors, getting hit with the smell of bird pallets, dogs and hamsters. They were greeted at the front and Steven greeted the employees back with a smile and a wave. "Come on, Lion. I think the dog section is over here." he walked down and passed a few small clear containers. He stopped and look back, catching a few glimpses of the small, furry animals rolling around.

_Well.. it's not like we have anywhere to go.. so we can take a look around for a bit._

_Besides..One simply can_ not_ just go pass cute little gerbils and other cute furry animals and just walk away._

He walked back up, looking at the two clear containers. A few gerbils were sleeping, curled up and snugged within the pellets in the cage. One was drinking from the canister in one cage and in the other, one was scurrying up and down the glass while another was in its wheel, running on it. 

He couldn't help but smile and he was already turning down the aisle to see even more cuteness, looking at the hamsters.. then the geanie pigs. He walked farther down, now passing the supplies for them; cages, food, etc and he exited out the aisle to see fish tanks. He looked at the various fishes in the huge tanks and Lion sniffed the glass, bobbing his head up and down at the bottom fish tanks. "Cool, aren't they?" he crouched down. "Oooo! And there's a little crab in the corner!" he pointed and Lion leaned down, licking the finger instead and paying no attention to the crab walking sideways, slowly on the small pebbles in the corner. 

The two made their way down, checking out more of the fish tanks, before the tanks ended and there.. in all there cute and fluffiness.. were cute widdle kitties!!! 

It took every once of him to not squeal as he looked inside the six little separate rooms for the cats. One of them, a Maine Coon with luscious hair. The big guy _according to the insert, underneath of him_, was really good with little kids and that he was only four years old. And _Bruce_ was now busy eating out of his bowl. 

The second housing right beside him had a female cat that was twelve years old. The cream colored cat with brown tips on her ears had a cast on her right arm. "Awwww... poor thing." he read more of her story. "Says here you got bit by a car.." he looked back up at her. "At least you're still here." he slid his fingers over the small holes of the plastic screen and the cat limped over, smelling his hand. She turned her head around, rubbing against his fingertips. He chuckled. "Awe, you're nice." he felt the soft hair of her fur as she slid her body over the screen. "Fast recovery." he smiled warmly. 

The one next to her was sleeping, with his dark grey striped colored back facing him. "Oh! Guess someone's not in the mood to talk." he chuckled.

He bent down slightly, looking at the next one. He was laying down on his side, grooming himself, right by the inside of his arm. "Hey there." he smiled.

The cat stopped and looked at him...... then went back to grooming his self. 

"I understand, I understand. Hygiene is important." he cheesed. "Connie would definitely love you for that." 

The next cat was also sleep, but at least this one was facing him. The cat, looking like a fluffy white cloud as he curled up inside of his bed. 

Then he went to the last one, the feisty fellow was playing with a fuzzy blue ball, not paying any attention to Steven as he awed at the kitty biting and patting at the toy. 

Then, he eventually noticed, once the cat had turned over on his other side, that his left leg was gone. He looked down to read his story. A fox had gotten to him and unfortunately, they weren't able to save the leg. "Awww.." he gave him an apologetic smile. "But you're still as feisty as can be, little guy." the cat continued to ignore him. He threw the ball up in the air, the cat doing those awesome, cat, limber, spine movements as he twisted himself and jumped back, trying to catch the ball that had fell inside of his bedding. He rolled back to his feet, waited.. and pounced on it.

Steven laughed as he leaned back up. "Have fun, little guy." 

He and Lion walked back up, passing the fish tanks again to see more of the smaller, furry creatures. Steven going back to the opposite aisle where the hamsters were. "Oh hey, cool. I didn't know they also had ferrets here too." he watched the three long bodied, furry troublemakers tumble over each other as they played. He chuckled, going to the next cages. There was one rabbit in each separate cages. _There was definitely an obvious reason why.._ and he went over to the next aisle, passing two cages with mice in it. He thought they were cool, but then he couldn't help but think about Connie being extremely afraid and grossed out by them. 

_If only Connie was here.. she would enjoy looking at the other furry animals.. and this would've been a good time to bond with Lion.._

They went down the next aisle, the loud cackling and metal rattling as he looked at the birds in their cages. And there were so many different kinds. Small birds, medium-sized, parrot birds, colorful birds, birds with only one color, birds that were quiet, birds that _weren't_ so quiet, birds that had there own cage and birds that were held I aide one big cage.

Lion's ears kept moving up and down as he eyed the noisy pets and Steven let out a soft chuckle. "Too noisy for you? Come on, let's check out this last aisle." 

The last aisle had small insects and grasshoppers and farther up, were the reptiles. Various lizards, geckos and snakes. Then, Steven reached the cage with a few turtles in it. They reminded him of something and laughed. He turned to Lion and shrugged his shoulders, pulling his front lip inwards and under his teeth. In a mimicked voice he said "Am I not to turtley enough." he shrugged his shoulders again. "for the turtle club?" 

The dog tilted his head. 

He stopped the act. "Heheh, way before your time." he scratched the dog on the head and walked away from the last aisle. 

The two were nearing the food aisle and Steven could smell the dog food even more.. well, all kinds of food really and Lion had his snoot all the way up, sniffing all around.

They read the signs attached to the ceiling and walked down the dog aisle. While at the vets, the veterinarian had told him a good Pitbull diet, but, even with what he'd typed down on his phone and as he looked at the shelves, the possibility seemed to still be just as endless. 

He sighed, crouched down as he read the various bags on the bottom shelf. "Lion, I _still_ don't know which ones to get you.."

The dog ignored him, sniffing the big bags in front of him. He took a bite from at a corner. "Hey, whoa. Noooo." the dog looked at him. "Nooo, you don't do that." he looked at Steven.. then bit at the corner again. "Hey, hey." Steven shuffled over to the dog, still crouched and Lion stopped. "I said no. You don't do that." he tried to sound as levelled and assertive as he could be. 

The dog seemed to comply this time and Steven nodded with a smile. "Good boy." he turned back around, looking at the endless amount of dry food bags and canned goods. 

He didn't know how long he was there for, but he did notice one of the stocker guys walking pass and wheeling a cart. 

"Excuse me.. sir?" 

Steven turned around. The young man had still been in the aisle with him, stocking the aisle behind him. "Yeah?" 

"Did you need any help with anything? You've been.. there for awhile. Just wondered if you need any help." 

Embarrassed, he let out a chuckle. "Uh, yeah actually." he got up, and grunted, his knees and the back of his legs cramped from having been crouched for.. however long he'd been down there. 

"I'm not sure which bags and cans to buy.. Something like a.. raw meat diet and high in animal protein?" he shrugged.

"Yeah, sure." the young boy walked over. 

Throughout the lengthy, informative talk, the boy had pointed out a few large dry food bags that were good for Pitbulls. And some helped to fight off heart disease and one bag fought off cavities and promoted strong teeth and bones. He'd also shown Steven the top five medium sized bags and which cans would be great for Lion's diet as well. 

Steven nodded, finally making his decision. "I'll take this bag then." he slipped the white bag across his wrist and took his two hands and grabbed the two ends of the huge, heavy bag. He lifted it up, the bag moving slowly.. 

Any other time, Steven would've been able to lug the bag up.. but, with two bullet wounds now being in the equation.. that was easier said then done.. and with every pull, he could feel his lungs and his chest start to protest. The pain spreading through his torso and up his arms. 

But he ignored the pain.. he was going to do this..

"Do you need any help, sir?" 

"Huh?" he grunted. He hoisted the bag up towards him, leaning the bag right on his chest as he tried to keep himself from stumbling back. 

"Are you sure?" he saw Steven struggling, the boy not answering him as he strained himself until a shot of pain spread from the two wounds and throughout his body. 

He heaved, dropping the bag straight on the ground as he dropped hard to his knees, his chest flaring up, sending a shot of pain throughout his body. He wheezed, flinching, holding his chest as the employee came over, holding him by the shoulders. " Are you okay?" 

Lion came over, sniffing Steven. The dog right by his side.

"Y, yeah." he grunted, in pain. "I just um.. had surgery recently." _last night actually _ "and I.. guess I over did it." 

_"Just no heavy lifting for at least a few weeks." _ he heard the nurse say in his mind from earlier. 

He berated himself for pulling a stupid stunt like that.. as he slowly got his breath back, taking in a few deep breaths. 

"Alright. Alright, I think I'm okay now." 

The man let go of his shoulders slowly. "Did you.. want to sit down?"

"No. No, I'm okay. Really." he forced out a pained smiled. "I'm just going.. to get a few smaller bags instead and a few other items and go home.." he took a breath as he closed his eyes. "and get some rest." 

"Are you.. sure you will be able to handle all of that?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine." he said casually, trying to play everything down. "I don't have too far to go." 

"O.. kay then.." the man didn't seem so sure.

"Don't worry." Steven waved him off with a small, side smile. "All I need is a bedding, which is lightweight and some dog bowls, cleaning supplies and a few dog toys. And perhaps a few other odds and ends. But none of them are heavy." 

"Okay.." he nodded. He got up slowly. "Well, if you do need help, don't hesitate to come and get me or any of my other co-workers." 

"Yeah. Of course." he lied and steadily lifted himself back onto his feet. 

"You'll find the cleaning supplies in the next aisle." he pointed. us." And everything else is in the next two aisles."

"Okay." he resisted taking another deep breath in front of the guy.. He didn't want to seem like he wasn't able to handle the task at hand. And so, with a smile and a thumbs up, he gave the guy a "Thanks."

...................

Steven was berating himself harshly that he didn't take a cart with him.. instead, he ended up holding various items all in his arms. 

Thankfully Lion was just _ever so kind_ to hold one of the chew toys he'd gotten his own self from one of the aisles. So, that was at least _one_ less item to carry..

The dog wagged his tail, walking beside him. Giving the toy cheeseburger a squeeze. It squeaked in his mouth. 

Steven leaned over the conveyer belt, the items falling over and everywhere on the black strip.

"Well you certainly got a lot of stuff there." chirped the cashier with a welcoming smile. 

"Yeah. I.. didn't really feel like making multiple trips." he shrugged. 

She chuckled warmly with the professional, welcoming smile still on her face. "Well we _do_ have carts. Even those little hand baskets." she pointed behind him at the red baskets stacked inside each other.

_Oh right.. How didn't that come to my mind?!_

"Heh, guess that must've, slipped my mind." 

"That's okay." she said casually. She pressed the button on the side of the register and the conveyer belt started moving. "Happens to the best of us." she started scanning the cleaning supplies and bagging them.

"And, I also have this." he bent down, grabbing the toy. "Okay, I need this toy real quick, Lion." he pulled it.

And.. whyyyy did he do that..

The dog bit down on it harder, the toy squeaking under his teeth. He thrashed his head around, pulling Steven's arm back and forth. "No, Lion. Let go." the dog wagged his tail, growling playfully as he tugged the toy back and forth in Steven's hand.

The cashier laughed. "It's okay, let him keep it." 

"Huh?" he let go, still crouched towards the dog. 

"You can just pull the tag off and I can scan it like that." 

"Oh, good." he sighed a breath of relief. He lunged towards the dog again and managed to barely pull the tag off with a _snap_. He stood back up and handed her the tag. "I don't know what I could've done otherwise."

She scanned the tag and threw it away in the small trashcan below her register. She continued scanning the rest of the items. "Yeah, I know." the smile more wan now. "Stuff like that happens aaaaall the time. So I either use my portable scanner, like what I do with the bigger, heavier items or I just ask the owner to take the tags off." she scanned the last item, a treat bag that was said to also clean test and treat cavities. She put it in with the other various treat bags. "Do you have a Pet Genius and Co rewards card?" 

"No. I don't." he shook his head. 

"Did you want to sign up for one?"

"Eh.." he shrugged.. 

"You get half off every fourth purchase of any item in the store and every second Thursday of every month, everything is thirty percent off. And you can also rack up points with the card as well." 

He thought about it. "I mean.. sure I guess? I have an awesome dog now.. so.." he shrugged. "I.. see myself coming here more often now. Sure." 

She asked him a few questions and put in the information in. "And because you signed up, you were rewarded fifty dollars of your very first purchase." 

"Nice." he smiled. 

"Your total is four hundred and fifty two dollars and twenty three cents."

He strongly resisted the urge to widen his eyes in shock. He stood there, trying to keep a more casual look."

_Not_ nice..

_Man, Lion is just eating my pockets.._

He threw the bag over his shoulder and placed it on the counter by the bags. He took out the money and handed it to her. 

She marked up the big bills, including the twenties and she recounted the money. "Aaaalrighty." she put the money in the register. "And here's your change." 

"Thanks." he threw the money in the drawstring bag and threw it back over his shoulders. 

"And, thank you for shopping at Pet Genious and Co."

"No problem. And, you have a nice day."

"Same to you." she smiled. 

He grabbed the four big bags. "Come on, Lion." and he started walking away from the counter.

The dog squeaked the toy a couple times, following him out the sliding doors. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way, that "Am I not too turtley enough for the turtle club?" is from The Master of Disguise. Which I actually never seen, lol, but I remember seeing the trailer on my VHS tapes.


	104. The car ride to Dead Man's Mouth

"Lion, do you know, that I literally spent over THERE gran in just ONE day on just you alone?"

The dog looked up, squeaking his toy at him. 

Steven sighed, smiling. "You are one pricey dog." 

The two walked across the parking lot and down towards the bus stop, Steven lugging and huffing as he carried the bags. It was mainly the food bags that was weighing him down. "You know, Lion." he huffed. "If only you had some magical, pocket dimension where I can just, _put_ all of these items in like, your fur or something.." he breathed out. "But.. this isn't a cartoon.. though how cool would that be, right?" 

They made it to the bench and Steven set the bags down and took out a frozen treat he'd bought only one of when he he'd passed by the frozen aisle. "Here, buddy." he ripped open the wrapper and bent down. "You want this?"

Lion sniffed the ice cream in his hand.. then dropped the toy. He sniffed the ice cream some more before giving it a lick. He licked his lips, then went for the ice cream, biting it. "You like it?" Steven placed the ice cream on the ground and Lion started eating it.

He sat down on the bench, the two water bottles they had yet to drink, crunching underneath of him and he looked down at the dog focused intensity on the ice cream as he continued to bite on the frozen treat. "Hm, maybe I can.." he dug through the white bag and took out the collar.

Slowly, easily, he leaned forward on the bench, towards the ground. Lion stopped and looked up, Steven quickly hiding the collar behind the dog's head. Lion licked his nose and went back for the ice cream. 

_Theeeere we gooo... eeasy... steaaady.._ Steven dangled the collar on one side, using his hand to go under the dog's chin. He grabbed it and pulled the collar around, pulling the other side together as he slipped the material within the metal clip. He pulled it, tightening it just a bit. He remembered what the vet told him and used the two finger rule underneath of the collar. 

Good fit.

He leaned up, letting go of a breath he was holding steady. He left the extra piece of collar dangling. He would have to cut it when they got home. But, at least the hard part was over and Lion had his awesome new collar on. The bone nameplate of his name encrusted on it, dangling around his neck.

He smiled widely. 

Lion had felt like his dog since day one. But now, with all of the necessary checkups and the stuff he'd brought for the apartment and the official dog collar. It was like, he was officially in the family. A dog he'd ALWAYS wanted since he was small. 

He laughed, bending down and petting the dog on the head. "I'm so happy I found you, Lion." he cheesed. 

The canine continued licking the last bit of melted ice cream off the sidewalk and Steven used that time to pick up his chew toy and put it in one of the bags.

"Hey! Hey, Steven!" he heard a familiar voice. 

_Oh no.._ he groaned and looked to his side.

Lars was jogging up to him, waving at him with a huge smile on his face. 

"Hey,..Lars." he strained out with an even more strained smile.

"Hey, Steven!" he ran up to him and shrieked, throwing his leg up in the air as he jumped back. "Is that a Pitbull by you?!" 

"Yeah?" he gave him a "what's the big deal?" kind of shrug. "He's mine."

"What?!" he shrieked. "Connie.. let you have him?!" 

"Yeah, she said that she was going to give him a chance."

"Wow.." he looked at the pitbull, that was staring _right_ at him. "Um.." he backed away, taking a few steps back. "I don't.. like how he's looking at me.." 

"Lars, you're good. He's a good boy." 

Lion got up, wagging his tail slightly. 

"Whoa, get your dog, Steven." Lars stumbled back. 

"Lars, seriously. You're okay. He doesn't bite." 

Lars looked at the dog, lifting his head sideways, his face scrunching up in the process.

And the dog looked at him, tilting his head up as well. 

"Um.. I.. don't know about that.." he kept his eye on the dog. 

"Look, I'll show you. Sit boy." Steven pat the back of the dog. Lion stood his ground, eyeing Lars. "Come, on. Sit boy." Steven put pressure on the dog's back, pushing him down gently. "Ya gotta sit for Lars." the dog slowly, let him push his back down towards the ground to a sitting position. Steven leaned away. "See? Easy peasy." Lion stood back up, tail wagging. "Um.. yeah.. Heheh, um.. yeah I'm planning on taking him to obedience training.. Heheh.." 

Lars didn't find that funny. He stared at the dog for a few cautious moments before looking back at Steven. "Anyway.. I was.. wondering if you needed a ride. I saw you when I was coming out of the store." he pointed away from them and towards the top part of the parking lot of a Whole Foods store where his pickup truck was parked. "I was wondering if you needed a ride."

"That sounds nice actually. It definitely beats lugging these bags all the way there." he got up, picking upthe bags and Lars gestured for one but Steven stopped him. "Don't worry, I got them." he turned to the canine. "Alright, Lion. Lars is kind enough to give us a ride home."

He wagged his tail playfully and started following them. 

"AH! Hey!" Lion had went over to Lars' hand and he moved his hand out the way, taking a step into a run. 

"Wait, don't run." Steven warned him. 

He tried staying still as Lion began sniffing his hand.

"He's going to bite me.." Lars whispered. 

"He's not, he's good." Lion sniffed him a few more times before looking away. "See? He was just trying to get your scent."

Lars didn't want to take that chance and stuff both hands in his pocket. 

The three of them walked across the street and up the hill towards the parking lot.

"The doors are open." he said as he walked around to the driver's side.

Steven opened the back door to see various gardening equipment. "Uh.." he looked up at Lars.

Lars opened the driver's door. "Oh, sorry about that. I forgot about all of that gardening stuff. You can just push all of that on the other side and on the floor.

Steven pushed the stuff _carefully_ and gently to the other side of the car and put the bags in. Then he helped Lion into the truck.

He got in just as Lars was starting the car up. "I didn't know you garden too." he closed the door and put his seat belt on. 

Lars shifted the gear into reverse and started backing up. "I don't really. But I'm helping Jenny, Buck and Sour Cream with a bit of maintenance work down by Dead Man's Mouth." he stopped the car and shifted the gear into drive and pulled off from the parking lot. "Apparently it's a real mess down there, so they want to hurry and get rid of all the muck and stuff before it spreads anymore." 

Ah, the Cool Kids.... the three most stuck up, pretentious, uppity, belittling, judgmental preppy teens from up the Boulevard.

And the teens that Steven would always try to stay away from..

Sure, everyone seemed to know Steven as someone who tried to be friends with everyone and to see the good things in people.. and while he did that more times than not, there were still just some folks... that you just couldn't talk to.. 

And that was Kevin..

(Oh, how his skin boiled upon hearing that name..)

..his Uncle Andy..

And.. The Cool Kids..

And he honestly couldn't believe that Lars couldn't see right through them.

No, wait.. he _could_ believe that actually.. since Lars wasn't _too_ good at reading people..

"You're actually still hanging out with them.."

"Aah, come on, Steven." he smiled. "They're just misunderstood."

_Psshhtt.. that's_ my_ line.._

He went to ignoring them for just a moment to go back to the place the four of them were going to. "So, Dead Man's Mouth, huh? I thought that was closed."

"It was. And it, kinda still is." Steven raised an eye up at him, though he didn't notice, with his eyes still on the main road. "Up until Mayor Dewey had changed that particular rule, it had been closed. Once he finally became mayor a few months ago, he ordered for the lake to be reopened. He didn't care about the rumors of some dude dying. Heck, he and the rest of his staff thinks that the lake _really_ got its name because it looks like a mouth. But, nobody _truly_ knows the specifics." he shrugged. "Anywho, with the lake now half opened, due to Mayor Dewey wanting to get the place cleaned up first, Jenny, Buck and Sour Cream were able to let Mayor Dewey agree to them in being apart of the cleanup crew to get the whole place back together again. And, they asked if I could join. And I said yes. Making the world a bit cleaner? Definitely." 

That did sound really nice. To help out the ecosystem.. and he thought about asking Lars if he could join.. but then that would mean he would have to deal with the Cool Kids.. And he'd managed to avoid them for four months, one week, two days and thirteen hours.

Not that he was counting..

But.. maybe it would be different? And.. maybe he changed within a little over four months? Or, maybe they did? 

He_ was_ trying to be more optimistic.. 

"Lars?"

"Yeah?" 

"Is there like.. a certain amount of people who could join?" 

With Lars holding in his smile, he figured he already knew what he was getting at. "No, not that I know of. The more the better really." the smile was slowly creeping in. "Why?" 

"Ohh," he said casually. "was just thinking about.. maybe joining? You know, help out with getting all of that mess up." and it'll make me feel good knowing that I'm cleaning up even just a small part of the world. 

Aand, there was the smile. "I was hoping you would ask to help out, Steven!" he cheered. "Yeah, that sounds like an aMAZING idea!" 

He let out a chuckle to relax his nerves. "Yeah.. So, are we meeting them there or?"

"They should already be there actually. I told them that I had to get a few items from Whole Foods and that I'll meet them there. Thankfully I don't have any perishables, so I don't have to go all the way back home." 

Steven jabbed a hand behind him. "Yeah, I don't either. So we can go all the way there. I don't need to go all the way back to the apartment." 

"Sounds like a plan, _man." _

Steven resisted a groan at his rhyming joke. 

How could someone act like such a dad but not actually be one?

Steven heard the sound of a bag rustling behind him, then the sound of cardboard being scratched. He turned around to see Lion with his head inside one of the food bags and trying to bite apart one of the dry food bags. "Hey!" he clapped. "Hey!" and Lion pulled his head out quickly. "No. Don't do that." and there was the assertiveness in his voice again.

The dog looked at him and sat back down in the seat. 

"Noo more biting the bag." he warned, giving the dog a levelled stare before turning back around in his seat. 

Despite of Lars' fear of those kind of dogs, he did find it both funny and nice that the canine had listened to him and found it even more intriguing that Steven was quick to focus on him and to stop the dog in his tracks. And he laughed at that. The dog being scolded lightly. "Getting a bit of training in before the main, real deal happens, huh?"

Steven looked at him. The young guy still keeping his eyes intently on the road. "What do you mean?"

"Weeell, you know." he grinned. "How you're acting towards the dog. Has me thinking you're in training to become a dad." 

His food churned fiercely in his stomach and he swallowed everything down.. 

It was crazy how just a word.. or upon hearing anything relating to her pregnancy could spike up his anxiety so quickly. 

He looked away, staring out the window and watching the cars and the buildings and the padestrians go by. "Um.." he could see the grimace on his face just ever so faintly in the window. "I'm just focusing on Lion right now.." he mumbled, not sure what to say exactly. But he already wanted to get off of the subject.

There was a light chuckle beside him. "And what about Connie? Can't forget her too." 

"I mean Connie too, of course. Just uh.." he swallowed. "Connie and Lion.." his face scrunched up even more. "Just.. the three of us. I'm not really thinking about the baby right now.. It's.. too early in the game." he used that as an excuse.

"Hmm.." Lars hummed. This time he _did_ take a quick glance at Steven's face. The boy looking uneasy in the passenger's seat. "Ah, don't worry Steven." he gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder. "Having a baby isn't bad. Hey, it may even bring you and Connie closer. This is definitely a huge step in the relationship." he smiled.

"..yeah.." he mumbled.. before opening his mouth to annunciate what he truly felt. "But, Connie and I are already close. And we already know a lot about each other." _apart from her knowing I'm a Crystal Gem._"So, we're doing good. Everything's great with us already." and he would continue to think that because, everything _was_ good. Everything was fine. Everything was great between them. There was nothing remotely wrong in their relationship. And he loved her and-.. yeah, everything was going great with them. 

And _nothing_ was wrong in their relationship.

_Nothing._

He just.. didn't have to think about the baby..

Lars smiled softly. "Well.. that's great. It really is. And, with a new edition to the family, it's going to be nothing you have ever experienced before."

Steven sighed, just _really_ wanting the baby talk to end. He gave him a shrug, still looking out the window, at the cars on the highway and the trees just behind the guard rails. "Mm." he barely answer him.

"Aw, no need to be tense or scared about it all." 

His teeth scrapped within his mouth. His hand clenching more onto the door handle. "I am _not_ scared.." he grumbled.

"Oh!" he said, obliviously. "Sorry, I thought you were. Seemed like you were a bit on edge with everything. Eheheh. BUT, I just wanted to reassure you, that all of this is an amazing thing." he smiled, beaming.

Steven swallowed the biting words he could say to him and decided on a half sigh half growl before saying anything else. 

He scrapped his nails along the smooth material of the door as he dragged his arm back into his lap. "Lars, can we just-" he winced. Disgusted. He took a breath. "How long do we have until we're at Dead Man's Mouth?"

"Oh, only about a half an hour or so. It's right on the outskirts of Empire."

"Okay." he nearly blurted out, coarsely. He laid back and shut his eyes tightly, feigning tiredness. "Can you wake me up when we get there? I.. had a long morning. I want to see if I can take a nap." 

"Sure, sure, no problem." 

Steven didn't say anything back. Instead, keeping very still and keeping his eyes shut and his jaws clenched tightly. His whole body, tensed from just that small piece of conversation.

He just.._wasn't_ ready to be a father..

And he didn't know if he _ever_ will be..

  
  


_Ever.._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The part where Lars is scrunching up his face and tilting his head up at Lion and Lion tilting his head up at him is from this meme, lol.
> 
> https://images.app.goo.gl/tKv6LsQauf6VZ4517
> 
> https://images.app.goo.gl/sbRvymf9ZbyZM1g19


	105. Lars and The Cool Kids

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A freakin' looooong chapter. (This is one of the incredibly long chapters I was telling you guys about.) Sorry guys ;P
> 
> But yeah, this literally_ is _ pretty much just Lars and the Cool Kids (with Steven and Lion of course) but yeah, this chapter is just so heavily focused on them, I didn't bother splitting the chapter in two to add another name. I just personally thought that nearly the whole chapter is pretty fitting for the chapter title.

Steven didn't sleep, though he still kept his eyes closed and when Lars nudged him lightly as he called his name, he acted like he was waking up. 

"Huh?" he blinked his eyes. 

"We're here." 

"Oh.." he let out a "tired" breath and leaned up in his seat as Lars got out the car. He looked out the window and out at the the small beach. Trash had littered across the gray, rough sand and seaweed and thick moss had intertwined with each other. The water, lumpy from the overgrown dark green stuff and a colored a dreary dark green and brown. The place foggy in just that one spot. 

Steven got out the car just as Lars opened the back door. 

He opened the other door and helped Lion out before walking to the other side, quickly noticing a very expensive looking dark blue car which was most likely what the Cool Kids drove in. He ignored the car. "I can grab a few bags." 

"Sure. Thanks." he handed Steven three bags with various gardening equipment. The third bag, holding thick trash bags.

He grabbed a five rakes (an extra one because one never knew if one of the rakes would break) and he closed the door. Then he placed everything on the ground and opened the door down to the bed of the truck. He jumped in.

"Need any help, Lars?"

"Neh, they're pretty lightweight. Besides, your hands are already full. And I'm already up here. I'll just bring them down to you." he unstrapped the two wheelbarrows from the bed and took them each by the handle and rolled them towards the edge. He jumped down and pivoted back around, easily and cautiously pulling one down from the bed. "Watch your feet."

Steven stepped back as he placed the first one on the ground. Then the second one.

"Now we can just pile all of the stuff in these." he started placing the bags and the rakes inside one and Steven put his bags in the other.

Lars double checked the area, going back to the back door and peering into the window. "Hmmm'yuup. Looks like that's everything." he grabbed the wheelbarrow. 

Steven tried to ease his tension away from the conversation they'd had and to calm his mind in seeing those preppy teens and he smiled. "Off to make the world a cleaner place?" he nodded.

"Ya darn skippy!" 

Another suppressed groan from Lars' choice of words. He turned to Lion. "Come on.. boy?" he looked around. The canine was peeing on a nearby, near torn down, rusting fence. He ran back, panting happily. "Well, that's one think checked off the list." he gave him a few noggin scratches and picked up the handle of the wheelbarrow. 

The two wheeled their equipment from the cracked asphalt of the dirty parking lot and to the gravel-like sand.

The friction from the one wheel over the sand definitely wasn't making his chest feel any better.. but it was definitely better than lifting anything heavy up and so he plowed through it, ignoring the throb in his lungs and the burning around his stitches.

Once making it halfway across the sand, they noticed three figures placing huge trash bags on the ground. One of them, opening up the bag and taking out gardening equipment and passing them to the other two men beside her.

Steven ignored his bad gut feeling, trying to shake off the negativity that was already trying to creep into him.

"Jenny! Sour Cream! Buck!" Lars shouted with a huge smile as he waved to them.

They three of them stopped and waved.

Then.. their attention went to Steven and thier bubbly smiles turned downward to a judging frown. 

Despite of that, Steven swallowed down the pessimistic aura that was trying to get into him and he gave them a small wave with an even smaller, unsure smile. 

"What is _he_ doing here?" the girl's voice was filled with disgust and disbelief. 

Lion walked up beside Steven, still panting happily beside him. The grimace deepened. _"and_ that dog." 

"He's helping us out today. And, this is his new dog."

She gave him an eye roll, more so to Steven as she folded her arms."_Laaaaars_, we do _not_ need help from some delinquent. And we _definitely_ don't need to be around some disgusting, mangy mutt."

And just like that, he narrowed his eyes at her, suppressing a snarl. 

"Come on guys, if he wants to help out, then I say we give him the A-Okay." he cheesed. "AND with an extra pair of arms, we can get this job done even quicker! And.. and the dog's a uh, really good dog! Doesn't bite or anything!"

"Pfft." another eye roll. "Whatever.. so long as he doesn't steal any of our stuff or like.. do drugs or.. bring in some random girl to have sex with." a beat later. "And that dog better not come near me." 

Steven glared at her.. the teen having the audacity to say that in front of Lars.

And not ONCE had he done drugs.. That was just a stupid rumor that went on because his stupid uncle was on them.. 

_And_ because he sold them..

And he'd never stole.. -Until he became a Crystal Gem.. But, as _Steven Universe_, he was _not_ a thief..

And what he did with women _in the past_ did NOT concern her one bit.. not AT all..

And then she had a nerve to bring Lion into this when he did ABSOLUTELY nothing wrong..

He let go of the wheelbarrow, hands already clenched to his side.

"Whoa, whoa!" Lars held up his hands. He turned to Steven. "Uh, how about we start setting up our own equipment?" Steven gave him a leveled glare. He saw the Adam's apple in Lars' throat dipped down and back up in a hard swallow. He gave Steven a nervous smile, then looked back up at Jenny who still had a disgusted look on her face. Her arms now at her sides. "Hey, how about you guys start setting up?" he suggested with a nervous chuckle. "Steven." he threw his arm around him and shook him goodheartedly "and I will start getting ours out now."

Jenny looked at him, then Steven. "Fine.." she turned around. "Buck. Sour Cream." the two well-dressed boys kept their belittling look at Steven before pivoting away and going with the girl. Until Buck stopped and looked back. "Do you even _know_ anything about pulling out weeds from the water and dealing with moss?" his two friends stopped and turned around upon hearing him speak.

"Uh.. n, no?" he looked at the plain, unreadable expression from the teen. His dark shades masking his eyes.

"Tuff.. Buck is not impressed." and with that, he turned around and the whole crew turned back around and started walking away.

Steven sighed. "See what I mean?" he grumbled. "Judgemental.. and I don't even steal _or_ do drugs. And what I did with those girls are in the past! I'm, I'm with Connie!" 

Lars decided quickly to not ask about the third thing.. and he slowly let go of Steven's shoulder. "I don't think they're being judgmental.. I think they're just.. simply going off of rumors they heard." he started pulling out the rakes from under the bags and placed them on the sand.

"Doesn't matter." he grumbled. He took the first two bags out and placed them on the ground and Lion started sniffing them. "She still didn't have to say that.. Then bringing Lion into it." he grabbed the third bag a bit tighter as he pulled it from the wheelbarrow.

"Steven.. she's just-"

He set the bag down and shot him a glare. "MiSuNdErStOoD." he mocked.

Lars went to say something, but closed his mouth. A sorrowful look on his face.. And there was a few moments of silence, say for Lion's panting and the sound of him running along the litter of the beach as he kicked a few errant cans along the moss. The action, going unnoticed by Steven.

"Steven." Lars spoke back up. "They.. really are nice people when you really get to sit down and talk to them."

_Pfft.. Lars acting like me again using my technique.. And besides, I'd already done that and, it didn't work. Their clouded judgement stayed clouded.. despite of me trying each. and every. time._

"I have Lars. Plenty of times. And every time, they always found a _stupid_ flaw they didn't like or something to nitpick that I either did. or said." 

Lars placed the last bag on the ground and leaned on the wheelbarrow. He tried to brighten up the mood, giving him an optimistic smile. "Maybe this time it'll be different? You're out here and in the swampy beach trying to clean the whole area." he gestured his hands outward before leaning back on the wheelbarrow with a slight _creak_ from the material. "It'll be pretty hard for them to nitpick at that. And, how can they? You're helping out the Earth. They should be happy about that."

Steven thought about it.. And in just a few seconds of trying to see it in more of his own Steveny perspective, optimistic and trying to find the good in people, he took a breath and nodded with a slight smile. The negativity slowly slipping off him as he thought about how _this_ time, it could be different.

"Sure, Lars. I'll give it another shot."

"Yeah! Now that's what I'm talking about!" he raised his hand out for a hi five and Steven hi fived him back. "Now, let's get this started." he added.

Lion was dragging an empty pizza box across the sand, playing with it as he chewed on the edge of it. 

"Hey, hey, hey." Steven jogged over. "You have to be careful with this stuff, Lion." he looked at the littered area. "All of this stuff. It could cut your gums, buddy. Or you can make a mistake and swallow it." 

Lion let go of the box, wagging his tail across the sand. 

"Good boy. Now, let me just get that from you." he leaned in. "and."

The canine grabbed the box and started running down the beach with it. 

"Lion! Lion!" he called out for him, taking a few jogging steps and he topped. Not bothering to run after him. He shook his head. "What am I going to do with him.."

Lars was laughing behind him. The young man taking out a few grass cutters out of the bag. "Looks like he really wants that pizza box."

"Yeah, but.. I can't just let him have it. I don't want him to get sick chewing on that cardboard-"

Lion came galloping back, running between him and Lars, kicking up the gritty sand and a few pieces of seaweed and an empty chip bag. He placed the box back on the ground, panting happily, before going to one of the plastic bags they'd set on the ground and sniffing it again. 

Steven jogged over, spooking Lion for a split second, the dog going for stance to run, before realizing Steven was going for the pizza box. He went back to investigating the bag again as Steven picked the box up.

Lars had just opened up an empty trash bag and he held it open for Steven. He looked at the logo of the box as he made his way over, getting an idea he'd hoped would work. 

He folded the box and placed it in the trash bag. "I wonder if the Cool Kids would like some pizza later?" 

"Hm. Like when we take a break?" Lars picked up the five rakes and grabbed one of the full trash bags. 

"Yeah. I could go get it for them. After a hard day's work, you four could relax while I go and pick it up. And it'll be my treat." 

There he goes. _Now_ he was feeling more like Steven and acting like it.

Lars met his stare with an apologetic look. "Are you sure about that, Steven? You would need a break too, specially since you said you had a pretty tiring day this morning." _Huh? Oh yeah.. I did tell him that.._ "-and since you're technically the guess, I should be the one paying."

"No, it's fine Lars. I can always take a break when I get home. And you're always helping me and Connie out. I could at least be the one to pay for a couple boxes of pizza."

Lars still seemed unsure but he still gave him a small "Okay." then he looked down at the grass cutters on the ground. "Mind if you get them for me, please?"

"Sure." he picked up the two hefty grass cutters and leaned back up, still thinking about the pizza. "Hey, Lars. You ever wondered why is it that round pizza come in square boxes?"

Lars looked stumped for a few moments before his face loosened up to a look of sudden realization. "You know, that's a good question.. Guess that never came to mind." 

"I never thought about it either until Connie asked that when we were wondering out." 

"But that's a good question." he whispered, still in thought. "I would have to look that one up-"

"Are you two DONE yet? Come on! Let's go! We have to get started!" they heard Jenny shout.

Lars turned around. "Yeah! We're coming!" he started over towards the group. "Come on, Steven. We're going to have a GREAT day today."

"Right." 

The Cool Kids had everything set up in a small spot that was not covered in moss. Their own wheelbarrows, their own grass cutters, trowels, aquatic weed cutters, shears, weeders, shovels, pruner and other various gardening equipment, all brought in from Mayor Dewey's staff. 

"We can set our stuff here." said Lars. He dropped the bag on the ground and Steven set the grass cutters down beside it. "And I'll give these to them." he set down two rakes, keeping three with him. 

"Okay. And I'll get ready." said Steven. Lars started walking away towards the group still by their stuff and Steven started to roll up his pants to his knees. He grabbed the collar of his two shirts and started to pull them up, feeling the cool breeze on his warm, bare skin. He pulled them off, ruffling his hair up slightly. He threw the shirt on the ground and immediately heard a "Uhg, do you _have_ any decency?" he turned to see Jenny, Buck, Sour Cream and Lars all looking at him. "You don't need to go all, showing your hairy legs and showing us your gut." the teen continued and Buck and Sour Cream snickered. "I believe Lars picked up some _actual_ gardening clothes."

"Uh, y, yeah. I did." he started side stepping away. "It's in that bag by him." he jogged over as Steven yanked his shirt from off the ground. He fanned it a few times, letting the sand fall off before throwing it back over his head. _Whatever.. keeping these two shirts on should be better anyway in keeping my stitches clean.._

Lars was opening the bag. He started putting out their rubbery gardening attire. _Good thing he bought extra_.

_Though.._

"This just came to my mind.. but I'm hoping you could fit these." he told him.

Oh yeah.. he _was_ much bigger than Lars.. but, maybe the clothes are cut big. They usually use cut bigger and baggier.

"I'll try them on." 

"You can grab any one of them." Lars picked up a baggy shirt and threw it over his head and Steven went for one of the baggy looking pants. 

Just as he put one leg in, he heard a whimsical tune that made his stomach dip instantly. _Here we go... another mission.. and RIGHT as I'm in the middle of doing something.._

He put his other leg in, holding the pants up with the two fingers of his wrapped hand and took the cellphone out his locket with the other. He swiped across the screen. "Hey Am-"

"WHAT" he jumped, nearly letting go of the phone. "ARE YOU DOING, ON OUR BEACH!!" _What?!? _ THEIR _beach?!?!_

Lars watched as he finally stopped fumbling with the phone. "Heh, butter fingers." he chuckled nervously.

"BUTTER, WHAT?!" he heard on the other end. 

"Uh.." he went back to Lars. "I gotta take this call." he started shuffling away as he tried pulling up the pants with one hand.

".. eah, it's probably one of his side chicks." he heard Jenny say to the two boys. He cut her a glare that was short lived, both the girl facing the other way from him as she turned back around and Amethyst rambling on. "..of all people!" 

"Huh? Amethyst-"

"FIRST, we get an alert and turn on the screen to see some ratty teenagers getting into our beach, like a bunch of idiots. And you know what? We didn't care, because that kind of moss literally covers people up entirely in just a couple minutes tops." _WHAT?!?!_ "So, we go and leave the cameras for a few minutes to come back to see their fate and then we see YOU, Talc! What the heck are you doing there!"

"Amethyst, I didn't know anything about it! I mean, I knew about Dead Man's Mouth, but I didn't know this was your moss!" he finally managed to get the pants up to his waist. 

It was a decent fit. Just a bit tight around the waist, but nothing too unbearable.

"And NOBODY told you?!" 

"No." 

Without Steven knowing on the other end, she'd cut her eyes at Garnet and Pearl sitting in their chairs. They shrunk under her glare. 

She went back to Steven. "Talc, that's our GEMtech moss." she seemed to had calmed her nerves down slightly at him.

"What?!" he turned around, looking at everyone suiting up and the moss all around them, the whole crew, not even Lion, having touched the stuff.. yet.. "_That's_ GemTech moss?!" 

"Yeah. Lonny and Rose." Pearl resisted a look of contempt at the name. "made that stuff DECADES ago along with some Peridots. Rose found that moss and, being a gardener that she was, noticed that that kind of moss was very rare. This moss had healing properties to burns, fevers and infections. She proposed an idea to see if they could, not only make more of this moss, but to somehow make this moss more powerful and more durable than what it already was. And, with our Peridots, with their sciencey stuff, they made this GemTech moss that you're seeing now." _Wait is she.. or _ they watching me?"And not only do we use this moss and convert it into fuel for our transportation and use it for some of our weapons, but the Peridots found a cure for different diseases and illnesses. And, _that's_ how we stay fit and healthy. Heck, even your stitches are made from this moss. So, you actually had better treatment from any regular doctor AND you'll heal better and shoot, you'll BE even better than before with its healing properties." 

That was some piece of information.. to know that of ALL the places, they stumbled upon _their_ GemTech stuff.. and that their moss had so many different uses.. even being apart of his stitches.. he was _wearing_ pieces of that moss.

But, one use stood out to him.

"That's great that they were able to do that." he began, trying to slid in his question.

"I know! Those Peridots are really something. They've been helping us with stuff like this since day one in the empire."

"Right, right." he agreed with her to keep the atmosphere positive. "And.. you said that, that moss can cure diseases and illnesses?"

"Yeah, man! Can cure stuff that not even those regular, non Crystal Gem doctors have even found the cures to yet." she snickered.

She.. _snickered_..

He could feel himself going to dangerous territory.. but.. he had to say it.. "That means.. you know that this moss can help out millions.. and billions and.. trillions of other people in the world-" he could practically imagine Amethyst rolling her eyes and scrunching up her face at where he was getting at. "but.. you don't want to bother giving this to the mayor or the President and putting it out into the world?" 

"Nope." it sounded way more cold as she whispered it out. 

"But.. didn't those Peridots also make it so that the moss was easy to, I don't know.. replicate? So..you guys don't have to worry about running out right? Even though the moss is rare?" 

"Yeah, those Peridots did that too. And. we're going to _keep_ all of it." she emphasized. "We're not sharing with any outside folks."

"But.." he knew he was in the dangerous territory now.. "Why? Amethyst, if we have these cures, why not help other people too?"

"Theeeere you go with that 'help' crap.. Look, Talc. This is OUR stuff. OUR stuff that we found AND improved. And we're NOT going to let ANYONE else get it. If THEY end up finally finding cures on their own, then good for them, but WE'RE not saying _anything."_

That was.. stingy.. stupid.. unthoughtful.. And, that wasn't right. There were people out there that _needed_ these cures. "Amethyst, that's.." he swallowed. _Go on, just say it.._ "Amethyst that's just wrong. There are people out here who really needs th-"

"I don't CARE about those people, Talc! We don't need them!"

"Who cares if we don't need them?! We have enough stuff, so why not just, help them out too?! You're not being fair." 

She scoffed. " 'Fair'? Do you _really_ think I care about being fair?! We do. what we do. to survive. AND to be on top. We don't have time to worry about what the REST of the world is doing!"

"But, we're already surviving! You're just being mean and not wanting to help people knowing that they're sick and need help!"

"SO!" she yelled loudly in his ear. "There are OTHER women out there who ALSO hold medicine KNOWING that there are sick people here!! ESPECIALLY since THEY were the ones who made them sick in the FIRST place!!-" she cut herself off. 

Steven kept quiet. _What?.._

He heard every bit of that.. and Amethyst's response about their "sick" friends when asking about those vials, rung in his head. 

He heard deep panting at the end.. no doubt Amethyst fuming. 

"Amethyst.." he hesitated.. he was already waist deep in this territory.. ".. are.. you referring to your friends? The ones who are.. si-" 

_"Anyway,_" she cut him off. Then she said with such eerily calmness to her voice. "As I was saying before. I want you AND those punks OUT of there.. Lest ALL of you want to suffocate in less than two minutes once that moss grabs you." she scoffed. "That was always a nice defense mechanism those Peridots put into them as well." 

And back to the scary stuff.. "But they're trying to _TAKE_ the moss!"

"Weeeeell, sucks to be them then! If they touch it, the moss latches on to them and. they're done for. simple as that. If they don't have any GemTech equipment, which I know they don't, then there's NO way they'll be able to take that stuff off."

He saw the crew grabbing their equipment, conversing amongst each other as Lars finally went for a patch of moss. "Lars, wait!" he stopped, his fingers just a couple inches away. He inched his hand back, not noticing the moss raising towards his finger at the close proximity. He leaned back up. "Yeah, Steven?"

"Hold on a sec!" he turned back to the phone. "Don't worry, Amethyst. I'll get them out of here!" 

"Hm. We'll just see about that. Now, we'll walk away from the cameras once more and go focus on other important matters. Then, we'll come back. And see. the damage." she scoffed once more. "See who all.. _survived."_

"S, sure Amethyst. I'll-" she hung up. 

Steven dashed back down towards them. "Wait, guys!" Lion poked his head up from the clump of seaweed and sneezed. A few green strains still on his head. He wagged his tail as Steven approached them, extremely happy to see him.

"Don't worry, we're not going to start without you." said Lars."

Steven finally got close to them. "No, it's not that." he huffed as he caught his breath. "I'm talking about the moss. I don't think we should be touching that stuff. Now that I think about it, I think it's that same moss I heard years ago that spreads all around your skin. It covers you all up." the four just looked at him. _"Killing_ you." he added.

More stares and Jenny spoke up. "Sounds like one of those many stupid hoaxes and rumors surrounding this beach." 

"Yeah, there's no proof of that." Sour Cream spoke up with a head shake.

"Right? I don't believe any of that mess." 

"But guys, seriously. I think this is really the moss they were talking about." 

"Where did you even hear that from? Some old school radio station or something?" the two guys laughed. "All of that is just bogus stuff and like, stupid paranoia to prevent people from coming here. THAT'S why I'm glad Mayor Dewey became mayor. He was the ONLY smart one to lift the ban off this place. I mean look around! This place. has so. much. potential!"

"But-"

"Eheh, look, Stephen."

_"Steven."_

"Uh huh, whatever. _We're_ not going to stop, just because you're one of those lame hoax, theorist people. If you want to do all that, then go hang out with." she snorted. "Ronaldo the drunk." she laughed and the toys boys laughed with her.

_Comparing me to... Ronaldo?!?_

He let it slide.. going back into the conversation again. "But what if it isn't a hoax and it's true?!"

"Well, duh. The moss is right in front of us, isn't it? I'll just, see for myself." she bent down. 

"No! Please!" 

She stopped just by the dark green lumps. She leaned back up. "Steve, you-"

"Steven." 

"you gotta relax. Ain't no real threat here." she shrugged, her hands all the way up before bringing them back down to her hips. "But, if _you_ think otherwise, then you can just leave so _we_ can get to our work. We already wasted precious time." 

"But.."

"See ya, Stevie." she mocked with a fake goodbye wave. "Come on guys. Let's get this beach into proper condition." she picked up her weedwacker and Sour Cream picked up a rake and Sour Cream picked up his trowel. The two walking with her. "I rather go aaaaall the way over here, _away_ from him.." then she mocked gasped, looking back. "Unless the moss is even MORE deadly over here!" she gave him a smug look, chuckling.

Lars looked at him. And that sad look rubbed him the wrong way. "And why were YOU just standing there!" he strained out, suppressing his yell. "You could've stepped up and said something!"

"Well, I, I mean, I didn't." he stuttered. "I..think they're.. kinda right.." 

"What?!"

"Yeah." he rubbed the back of his neck. "I mean.. we really _don't_ know if what you heard was true or not..And if we leave and it was nothing wrong then.. We kinda just wasted and.. ruined a whole day.. you know?" 

"Come on, Lars. You have to believe me on this."

Lars put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, Steven. I have a feeling that it's one big fakarooni." he smiled and dropped his hand. "Now come on. Let's go and help the others out." he walked away from him. 

Steven sighed.. his brain going one hundred miles per minute as he tried to think of what to say or do to get them _out_ of the beach.

Then, he grasped at just one random thought.

He ran up to them. Jenny and the crew sitting on damp log filled with seaweed and gritty sand. And Lars was placing down a kneeling mat.

Jenny rolled her eyes and the two boys on either side of her groaned. "What is it _now?"_ she drawled out.

"Maybe we should start on the seaweed and the trash first!" he blurted out.

"What?"

"It's.. been a proven fact that.. cleaning up even just the seaweed first makes for grabbing the moss much easier."

"Sounds like a load of Bologna." 

"Yeah." said Buck. "And I don't like Bologna."

"No, no, seriously guys." he tried a smile on for size. "It really _does_ make getting rid of moss MUCH, much, much easier." 

"Iiii don't knooow.. I think you're just telling us that because you don't want us touching this moss." she pointed at the GemTech moss in front of her.

"No! I'm not." he shook his head. "Once you get rid of the litter, which gets stuck and uh, wedges the moss more into the ground and once you get rid of seaweed which... actually is the cause for making more moss." he rambled out anything. "then it leaves you with just the organic moss to pick up. No more obstacles in your way."

The three thought about it and Lars just knelt there, not sure what to say.

"Well.. I _guess_ that makes sense." she looked at Sour Cream and he shrugged. "Eh, I have my gloves on." he raised his hands up. "I don't feel like taking them off to check that on my phone."

She turned to Buck and he shrugged. 

The three looked at Lars. He let out a little started squeal. "Uh, I mean.. that.. could? be true..? I don't know.. but, I think getting rid of the trash first would immediately make the beach look better. And.. picking up the seaweed is pretty tedious since they're scattered all around so.. perhaps doing the tedious part first would be better? Then we can focus on the easy part, which is the moss." 

They looked at him a bit longer, before going back and talking amount that themselves. Inaudible chatter as they looked at Lars, then at Steven, then at the Beach surrounding them. 

They leaned back up. "Okay, it's unanimous. We'll go with what Lars said." said Jenny. 

"But that was m-"

"Alright, Stephen. Time for us to tackle this." she got up and started walking towards the many piles of trash littering the area. 

"It's _Steven."_ he said under his breath. 

Sour Cream and Buck laid their tools in the moss and got up and followed her. 

Steven caught what they did and he watched.. curious if the moss would do what Amethyst had told him.

And.. right before his eyes, the moss started to spread across their equipment, slowly covering the two tools up until.. it was only moss. 

_Oh no.. I have to figure out what to do next to get them out of here.._

"Steven." Lars called out to him. "You still don't have the rest of your attire or your gloves on. They're still over by the bag." Lars put a handful of seaweed into the trash bag he was holding. His rake abandoned and near the moss and Steven could see the moss slowly inching towards the handle and latching on to it. 

Steven turned his attention back to him. He nodded. "Uh, yeah.. I'll do that now." he took a few steps away. "Also, I heard that starting from the center of the beach is more efficient." he watched the moss from the rake inch towards Lars' kneeling mat "Really?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah!" he blurted out. "It works better that way!" he nodded fervently.

"Oh, okay. Sure." he got up just as the moss reached the corner of his mat. "Thanks for the tip."

"Um." the moss spread a quarter of the way, covering more of the mat every second. "Y, yeah.. No problem." he hurried off to the bag. 

Lion was busy biting on a plastic water bottle and he stopped. "Oh nooo, Lioooon." he whined. "You can't do that." he grabbed for the bottle and the canine got up and ran away. 

He sighed..

And continued his way to the bag. He quickly slipped on the baggy jacket and zipped it up and put on his gloves and grabbed an empty garbage bag. 

He took his walk back towards the crew, watching them and making sure they weren't getting anywhere near the moss as he started picking up the trash that he came across.

Lion came back, bottle gone and buried somewhere in the sand. His tongue out as he panted playfully.

Steven pat his head. "I really hope you didn't eat that bottle, boy." he gave him a small smile. "But something tells me that you didn't." Lion kept panting, hard, as he slumped down on his side by him. 

Then he finally realized.. "Lion! Aw man, sorry buddy!" he dropped the bag and went to one of the water bottles in his pocket. "You've been running around all day with me and you've been running around this beach. You must be _sooo_ thirsty." without a bowl, he had to squeeze the water bottle for Lion to drink it. Then he started tilting the water bottle, getting the rest of the water. 

He threw the empty bottle in the trash bag and took out his half of water bottle. He poured it slowly for Lion, the canine happily drinking from it. 

"Much better?" he scratched behind his ears.

Lars looked at them, then at the Cool kids, getting an idea. "Awe, that's nice of you, Steven." he watched the Cool Kids turn to see what was going on.

Steven looked up. "Huh?" he looked up at the Cool Kids and Lars. Lars giving him a smile and a nod. Then he looked down at the dog. 

Steven didn't catch on. "Yeah, just. giving my buddy Lion some water. Can't have him getting dehydrated." the dog panted happily, tail wagging and fanning up dust in the sand. 

"He looks _really_ happy." Lars took a glance at the Cool Kids once more. Jenny had said something amongst the boys and they started laughing. 

"You think so?" Steven cheesed. The dog leaned more into the scratches.

"Yeah, just look at him." he dumped a few bottles into his trash bag. "You must be taking really good care of him."

"I mean.. I'm trying. But, I'm not perfect, you know." he kept his genuine smile, still scratching behind Lion's ears.

".. obviously not." they heard Jenny say and Steven looked up at her.

"SO UH-" he turned back to Lars. "How did you get him anyway?" he saw Lars look back at the Cool Kids, then at him. "I know you like to rescue a lot of animals." 

_Then_ Steven caught on.. The boy simply trying to give Steven some good kudos points with the Cool Kids.

"I.. found him all alone and-"

"So you stole him?" Jenny cut in.

"What?" he looked up at her. "No. He was left. all. alone. He was about to die and I helped him. A friend and I did."

"Didn't look like you two did anything much."

_What??! Did she?!. She doesn't even KNOW what we all did!! What PERIDOT all did for him!!!! And SHE was the one who helped him out the most!! _

"We did a lot! He was just MUCH worse off than this. He was skinnier than this, his wounds were redder and he bad an embedded collar on his neck and-"

"Embedded collar?" Buck asked.

"Yeah." 

"Like when the collar gets all embedded in the skin and the meat shows?" he scrunched up his face.

"Well, sometimes that can happen. And that's how it looked, yeah." 

"Ew.." he grimaced. "That sounds nasty. I don't like nasty stuff." a beat later. "Almost as much as I hate Bologna." 

"Well when you want to rescue and help innocent animals, you don't think like that.." he glared at them. "And my dog is doing fine _and_ he's getting better day by day." 

"And! And I'm happy he is, Steven!" Lars tried to brighten the mood up. He turned to him. "Just, keep up what you're doing. I can definitely see that he really appreciates you."

Steven's glare slowly softened to a stare.. knowing that Lars was trying to ease the situation. "Thanks, Lars. And, I'll definitely keep at it." he looked at the Cool Kids. "No matter what."

Jenny rolled her eyes and the boys shook their heads, going back to picking up more trash.

........................

For the following thirty minutes, it was Lars trying to strike up a conversation with both Steven and the Cool Kids, with Steven and the teens bumping heads every time.

Then.. there was a lull as the crew continued to clean up the area of trash and seaweed, until there was a chime from Buck's phone.

"You wanna answer that?" Jenny asked. She stuffed a few chip bags inside of the trash bag.

"Nneh." he continued picking up the seaweed off the sand. "It's probably just a notification from another rally my dad went to. You know, like, signing papers and shaking hands and stuff."

"And kissing babies." Sour Cream added with a chortle

Buck scoffed. "It's crazy. My own dad never gave me lots of kisses.." 

Steven overheard him.. thinking about how Buck must feel about not getting lots of love from his own dad. He saw Lars out the corner of his eye looking at Buck. Then he turned to Steven and his look went from a look of "unsure" to a "give it a try" as if telepathically he knew Seven wanted to say something.. especially since he was still trying to give the Cool Kids a chance.

"Uh.." he started out as he learned back up from his crouch. He dropped the trash in the bag as the three looked at him. "Um.. sorry to hear that, Buck. That's.. pretty tough.."

Buck's mouth wrinkled up in confusion. His expression a bit condescending to Steven. "What? No it's not. The lack of daddy kisses in my life made me who I am."

"Oh.." he looked away sheepishly. His eye catching Lars again, who only have him a shrug and an apologetic look. He looked back up at Buck. "I.. understand that too. You know, with the lack of daddy kisses." he tried to sound casual, then let out a nervous chuckle as he tried his best to find the right words that would resonate with Buck. "I've never even met my dad.. So.. I've never gotten any daddy kisses.. but, that made me who I am today and." Buck stared at him and he cleared his throat. "Uh.. and.." he changed the topic away from him. "despite of your dad's lack of kisses, I don't think it's anything personal. Mayor Dewey is a great guy and I think he has a lot of love for you and I believe that he loves you more than you can even imagine despite of him not showing it to your through kisses." 

Buck fully turned to him and Steven's nervous smiled wavered even more and he had to force the smile back. "Duh, of course my dad loves me. Don't you think I know that? He gives me money every day and a pat on the shoulder and an occasional hand shake hear and there. I know there's love there. He doesn't _have_ to express it through giving me hugs and kisses."

"Oh, I just.. How you made it sound-"

_"You_ were quick to assume. You're _always_ quick to assuming. Almost as quick as you jump from girl to girl."

_Now hol' up.._ Steven was shocked for just a quick second, having registered what he said before glaring at him. He shook his head. "That's not cool, Buck. That was in the past! And, you act like I just throw myself around at people.

"Well you have a reputation." there was a judging scoff. "I'm even surprised you managed to still get a girlfriend without her thinking once that you might've caught something."

Just hearing the word 'girlfriend' he was already taking his steps towards Buck, his hands clenched to his side and Buck backed up. "Don't you _dare_ say anything about Connie.." he growled out. 

"What? Man, I didn't even-"

"Break it up you two!" Lars ran in between them with his arms out.

"Well, TELL him to not say ANYTHING out his mouth about my Connie!" he shouted.

"I don't know what he's talking about man." he said ever so calmy out of his stupid Buck mouth.. "I literally said nothing about her."

"Steven?"

" 'Without her thinking once ?! You think she's stupid!" 

"You're putting words in my mouth, man." he pointed a finger at him. "See? You're still assuming."

"And YOU'RE still judging!"

"It's the truth." he was still speaking so calmly..

He glared at Buck, feeling his tense body tightly coiling up. "Say.. just _one_ more thing, Buck." he threatened. 

Maybe he was glaring at him? With his shades it was hard to tell..But the waved his hand at him and walked away.

Steven just glared at him as the teen walked closer to the group.

Lars stepped in front of him to block his view of Buck. "Steven, maybe.. you uh.. want to take a quick break? Maybe take Lion out for a walk or.. I don't know.. sit in the truck for a bit?"

Steven was still agitated, annoyed, irate, disgusted.. 

But.. despite of those feelings, he _still_ felt himself coming back down.. slowly..

He looked up at Lars' welcoming smile and he slowly unclenched his hands at his sides. He half exhaled half sighed to calm his nerves. "No. I'm okay. I think I'll just.. go to another spot to clean up from." he walked away from him, ignoring the inaudible chattering whispers as he walked passed the Cool Kids.

..........................

Another thirty minutes or so went by as the crew moved along the beach. Lars had put his last few pieces of seaweed into the bag and was no looking at the litter-free and seaweed free beach in front of him. He turned to the Cool Kids. Steven was only a few feet in front of him with his wheelbarrow. A few twigs, some cardboard and crushed and uncrushed empty cans were inside. 

"Look at this place!" he beamed. "It's already looking amazing!" he smiled.

"Yeah, it's not that bad. I'm kinda digging it already." said Jenny.

Buck nodded. His expression stoic. "It's getting there."

"Now all we need to do is get rid of that moss and this beach will be back in business." said Sour Cream.

_NO!! NOT THE MOSS!!_

"Hey, what about a break?!" Steven blurted out.

"There he goes again trying to get us away from the moss." said Jenny. 

Well.. she wasn't wrong..

"No I'm not. I just, thought that we all needed a break. We've been working pretty hard for over an hour doing hard labor."

They didn't seem convinced.

"I think Steven is right guys. I mean, that's what I was going to suggest anyway. I could go for a quick bite to eat and relax for a bit before tackling this last part." said Lars. 

The two boy's looked at Jenny and she shrugged. "Weell.. I'm actually pretty hungry, not gonna lie." 

"Hm." Buck nodded. "And Buck prefers to not work on an empty stomach."

"So, what's to eat?" Sour Cream asked.

"How about some pizza?" Steven suggested.

"Uuuuhhg, I don't even want to THINK about Pizza.. My dad _does_ own a pizza shop just for fun, you know." 

"Oh.. right.. Heheh.. So, I guess you're pretty tired of it.." 

"Uh, ya think so?" 

Steven dropped the nervous smile.. his expression going to something of contempt.

"Hey! Maybe we can just look up some food places around this area." Lars cut in. 

Jenny turned her attention to Lars. "Yeah, I think that'll be best. But I don't want aany nasty, greasy food. Ya girl here is trying to keep her flawless skin." she gestured at her face.

"Sure! I'll.. choose wisely." he took his gloves off and took his phone out. After a couple minutes of searching, he found a nice restaurant that they could order from. "Says here there's a little vegetarian shop that sells homemade burgers and fries." he looked up from his screen at them.

"Doesn't sound greasy." said Jenny.

Sour Cream raised an eyebrow. "They have shakes?"

Lars scrolled down, looking at more of their menu. "Yup." 

"Niiiiice." he nodded. 

"So, who's gonna go get it?" Buck asked. 

"I" Steven stepped up. "was, uh, planning to go get it.. actually.." 

"What?!" Jenny scrunched up her face at him. 

"Yeah, Steven and I had discussed it earlier." said Lars. "He was kind enough to offer to go get it himself so we can relax."

"So he could do something to the food?" 

"I wouldn't do anything like that." 

"And you didn't even bother discussing it with us."

"I mean, this was before we started working and he brought it up first."

"I just don't trust him.." 

"Why?!"

"Because-"

"Then I'll go. Or.." he looked at Steven. "we can.. go together?"

He looked up at him, pondered for a moment.. and signed. "Fine.." he took his gloves off and started unzipping his jacket. "Still don't know why they don't trust me.." he mumbled to Lars as he laid the jacket over the edge of the wheelbarrow.

"They're still warming up to you." he said with a reassuring smile. He laid his jacket by Steven and took off the baggy gardening pants.

Steven held in a scoff. "Yeah.. sure.." he took his boots off.

"We'll be right back."Lars said to them with a wave.

They waved back. "And get the meal, Lars! And swipe my fries out for a garden salad!" 

"Will do, Jenny. Oh. And.. should we just get all water bottles? I mean, apart from Sour Cream's shake, that is." 

"I'm fine with that." said Jenny

"Powerade." Buck said.

"And make that shake vanilla." said Sour Cream. 

Lars gave them a thumbs up and a nod and turned back around. Steven was slipping on the flip flops. "Come on, Lion." the dog was being good, sleeping near a rock not too far from him. He got up, gave himself one good stretch and stood there. His tail wagging behind him.

Lars and Steven started walking away. "Come on boy. Let's go get some food." 

Lion ran towards them, kicking up sand in his path.

"Keep an eye on that dog." they heard Jenny.

Steven didn't bother turning back around, trying to focus on the positive that he was finally leaving them. Even if it was just for a little bite.

"Oh, don't worry, Jenny. Lion's really good." he assured her.

"I was talking about the other one walking beside you." she and the boys laughed.

Steven stopped in his tracks and turned. "What's your deal-" he felt a hand quickly grabbing and squeezing his shoulder. "Leave her, Steven. Let's just go get the food." 

"Lars! She keeps-"

"I think we're all just hungry and.. a little bit tired. I think all of this will blow over once we start eating." 

Steven and the Cool Kids kept their stare down until Steven finally turned back around. "Doubt it.. but, let's just go.."

The three of them had drove to the small eatery, that didn't have a drive thru. And because of their no dog policy, Lars suggested Steven could stay in the car with Lion while he went to go get the food and Steven gave him seventy dollars from his drawstring bag. 

Lars had came back ten minutes later with two big bags and Sour Cream's shake, the smell immediately spreading throughout the interior of the car as Lars handed the bags to Steven and Lion was determined to get to the bottom of the smell. 

He squeezed into the front, sniffing Steven, trying to hop up on the storage compartment between the seats. "Hey, Lion. No!" Steven leaned away as he tried to gently push the canine towards the back. "In the backseat." 

Lion yowled, sniffing the area as his claws scrapped across the compartment as he hopped back on it it.

"Whoa, careful." said Lars. He pulled Sour Cream's shake from the holder before Lion was able to kick it out with any of his big paws.

"Lion, bad boy." he ignored Steven and stepped towards him. Two front paws on his thigh, the other two, still on the compartment. And his tail, hitting Lars' face. He leaned away, bringing an arm up to shield the hits. 

"Sorry, Lars." Steven pulled the bags to one side, by the door and Lion walked over top of him. "Fine, just. Sit on the floor then, at least." Steven compromised. He moved his legs and guided Lion, gently directing him to the mat on the floor. The canine sat down, keeping his front paws on the edge of Steven's seat. He sighed. "Mine if I start feeding him a bit of food now? I'm not sure if he's going to wait that long. He's a big baby." he chuckled.

"Sure, I don't mind. As long as he stays down there." He wedged the shake back into the cup holder. "I don't want him hopping back over and causing any accidents." 

"Oh, as long as he's eating, he'll stay right here." Steven opened one of the big bags to find his. Lars having told the lady to mark their bags to prevent any mix ups. Steven found a bag labeled S.U and opened it. He took out a rectangular container (he told Lars to get five burgers, three just the patty) and opened it. The three plain patties stack on top of each other and Lion was already leaning in to eat them. "Whoa, okay." he held the tray up. "I'll give you them. Don't worry." he laughed. He took out one of the patties and held it in his hand. Lion immediately took it from him and started munching on it.

.......................

They pulled up to the parking lot once again and Lars parked the truck, pulling up the parking break. The three got out, Steven helping Lion out the truck and Lars took one of the bags from him.

The Cool Kids were sitting down on a few smooth rocks. "We're back!" said Lars.

"Great. Now we can stuff our faces." said Jenny. Then he eyes went to the bag Steven was holding. "So long as nothing has been tempered with. 

Steven looked at her and Lars cut in. "Nope! Everything is uh, safe." 

"Yeah, Jenny." said Steven. "I'm just bringing it over from the car." 

"Well, you never know. A LOT could happen just to here from the car." 

_Well if you don't want the food, then don't eat it._ He shook his head, not bothering saying anything else. 

The two placed the bags on the ground and everyone started going for their bags and drinks, Steven having to wait like some low on the rank animal, before he could grab his bag and two water bottles and an empty bowl for Lion.

Everyone was already going for their food and Steven poured water in the bowl for Lion. He placed it on the ground and the dog came in to quickly lap it up.

Everything was going fine, everyone eating their food, with Steven sharing his burger and fries (hopefully fries aren't too bad for doggos he hoped) with his buddy Lion.

"Hey, Lars. Could you pass me some ketchup packets?"

"Sure." he wiped his hands off with a napkin.

"It's over by the hoe." 

Steven noticed Jenny looking at him. "What did you just call me?"

"Steven. There's a hoe by you."

He looked to where Lars was pointing. The handle of the hoe laying beside him. The ripped open bag with the ketchup packets sitting just a few feet from the handle. "O, oh.." though he still didn't believe her..

He heard Jenny snort and Sour Cream and Buck snickering. 

Lars grabbed a few. "No, I just need one." he put two packs back and handed her the packet. "Thanks."

"No problem." he sat back down.

Jenny ripped open the packet and started spreading the ketchup on her burger. She began chuckling to herself and everyone looked at her. "Steven _is_ a hoe though. They both plow to plant seeds.." he looked up at her. The two having a stare down once again. "The only difference is that a hoe tool breaks up soil while _he_ just breaks up with women."

"Whoooaaaa!!!" Sour Cream and Buck instigated.

"Um.. Jenny?" Lars began. 

"Jenny, what's your deal with me!" he kept his self sitting down.. but he wanted to get up and walk over there to her. "What is it with all three of you?! All I've been doing is, TRYING to get on everyone's good side and all of you just. just CONTINUE to nitpick stuff that I do and call me names!" 

"What is it with us? What is it with _you?"_ she pointed. "You do all of this bad stuff and then try to put on this façade by trying to do something_ GOOD_ for the Earth. Look Stephen-"

"It's. STEVEN!"

"I don't care! We know the kind of person you are! And YOU can't fool us! Just, drop the act already! What do you need this for? Some kind of, community service or something?! For your parole officer?!"

"What?!?! I don't have a parole officer! I never even BEEN to jail OR gotten arrested!" 

"Yeaaaah right. You expect us to believe that?"

"Yes!! But I KNOW you're not because you're too clouded by your own judgements! I'm doing this because I _want_ to do this! I _ wanted_ to help out with cleaning the beach-."

"But then you turn around and try to stop us in cleaning up the moss."

"Because I think it's dangerous! Somebody told me that this is dangerous!"

"That old radio station again? Or did you lie and hear it from someone specifically?"

Steven looked at her. He couldn't _truly_ tell her who told him.. That would be blowing not only his cover.. but the Crystal Gem's cover.. 

"That's it. I'm going to clean up this moss _right_ now and there's NOTHING you can do to stop me." 

"What about the rest of your burger?" Sour Cream asked.

She fanned her hand. "I don't want anymore. Lost my appetite. You can have the rest of it."

"Sweeeet." he grabbed her burger and took a bite of it. 

Steven go up. "Jenny, really. You shouldn't touch the moss." he wanted her again.. Despite of it all.. he was still trying to help her.. but he could feel his patience wearing thin.. 

She turned back around. "You're not giving me any valid reasons BUT that they _"may"_ cause harm. But, you don't really know!" 

Then.. he remembered how he saw the moss latch on to the tools from earlier. "Wait, the tools! The moss grabbed Sour Cream and Buck's tools and Lars's rake and kneeling mat! You can see for yourself that they're gone!" 

"Or you just simply. _dumped_ the moss on them." she shrugged. "What a juvenile move on your part." 

"I'm not making this up!" 

Sour Cream had finished his and Jenny's food and got up. "Just ignore him, Jenny." he placed the trash inside one of the trash bags. "If he wants to continue acting like a Ronaldo, then let him continue." he snorted.

"I'm NOT acting like Ronaldo! STOP comparing me to him!"

Buck drunk from his Powerade and set it down on the rock and got up. He burped. "Yeah, let's just do this already. I'm not trying to be here all day hearing him whine and ramble on." he walked pass him and Lion.

"But guys!" he got up and Lion looked him, wagging his tail. "This is serious! Once the moss latches on to you-"

"We'll be covered in moss and blah, blah, blah. Yeah, you told us that already." said Jenny. "You know, maybe you actually _didn't_ hear it from anyone and you're just trying to mess with us." 

"Why would I even do that?! That doesn't make any sense!"

_"You_ don't make any sense!"

"What?! What does that even m-.. Why can't you three just listen to me for once?!"

"We're NOT going to listen to some unruly, out of control, miscreant."

"I'M NOT-" he cut his self off, shaking his head.. He wasn't.. those things.. he wasn't..

Or.. at least not to that extent?

"Look at him.. He know he is." Jenny said smugly with a grin.

"Hey, think his own father knew that and that's why he left him?" Sour Cream asked. "Like, he knew his own son was going to be a screw up and so he left out of his life?"

With that blow.. bringing his father into it..

He was slowly losing that last nerve of cool he'd been trying to cling on to throughout the whole day.. and he felt his body, once again, start tightening up. His hands clenching into fists. 

After sitting on the sidelines throughout the whole ordeal, Lars finally got up from his seat, still not sure on what he would say or do.. 

Lion stood close by to Steven.. sensing something wrong with the boy. 

"Yeah, maybe so." said Jenny.

"HA. Now _that's_ tough." Buck said right at him. The glare from Steven making him, casually, step back. His belittling stare still right on him. 

"That's not true." he whispered coarsely, with a slow head shake.

"And how would _you_ know." Jenny asked.

Steven opened his mouth to say something, trying to find what to say, but couldn't..

It was true.. How _would_ he know. He never met his dad.. and he didn't know _what_ his motive was for leaving him. He.. didn't even know if he was still _alive-_

"Exactly. You _don't_ know."

"NO! He would.." he thought of anything. "he would've wanted me to have a good life and to be a good, successful person!"

Sour Cream scoffed as he cut in. "And what good you did at that."

"I HAD A ROUGH LIFE!" 

"Having a rough life doesn't teach you to steal and do drugs and have sex with lots of women! _You_ followed that path yourself!"

"I don't steal! OR do drugs! And. and what I've done with women doesn't concern ANY of you! And again. THAT. was in. the PAST! And, none of you are perfect either! So stop acting like it!"

"And stop acting like you're not a horrible person! You are!" Jenny cut back in. "And we don't want to associate with you. We're better than you in every possible way and you need to get that through your dense head!"

He was shaking at this point. The Cool Kids kept hitting him where it hurt.. Continuing to judge and belittle him.. Like he had been many times with SO many other people. HHis uncle, stupid kids throughout elementary and all the way through high school, Amethyst.. Connie's parents.. It seemed like everyone _always_ had something to say and he could never hide from it.. Could never run from it..

"NO! YOU'RE the worse! JUDGING is the worse!" he was tired of being judged.. and he couldn't bother to hear anything more they had to say.. "So.. therefore YOU three are the worse! Judging me.. bullying me.. belittling me.. I'm sick of it!" he swallowed. Feeling himself come more undone as his emotions reach his face and behind his eyes. His throat feeling tight..

He felt a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, Steven-"

He pulled his shoulder away from him. "And what are YOU doing! Just, standing there doing nothing!" 

"I.. didn't want to intrude-"

"Intrude?! Lars, it's THREE against ONE and they've been doing this ALL day! How are you not seeing this?!

"I.." he sighed. "Steven, I think.. Maybe something is going on? with.." he hesitated.."you?" 

He couldn't believe what he was hearing.. Lars actually thinking that something was wrong with _him_ and not _them_... "WHAT?!"

"Steven-"

"YOU'RE SIDING WITH THEM!? HOW COULD YOU SIDE WITH THEM!!"

"I'm not.. picking any sides." he said gently.

"Nothing is going on with me! Nothing is WRONG with me!" he shouted at Lars, but more so at _everyone_ who'd ever said that to him. He had to let _every_ one of those people hear that, even though the weren't there..

And the growled shout made Lars jump. Leaving him speechless for a few moments. 

And Steven really needed those quiet moments then.. because something was definitely going to happen if he didn't get just a few quiet spells amongst the chaos..

Lars hesitated once more, before saying slowly. "Steven.. I don't know what is going on with you and the others.." he glanced over at the Cool Kids before looking back at him. "You.. said that you wanted to do this and help out and.." he took a breath, hesitating once more. "then.. you act.." he stopped and started again." and then you.. start getting into it with Buck like.. really bad earlier-" 

"HE WAS TALKING ABOUT CONNIE!!" 

"I.. didn't hear him say anything about her.."

"THAT'S BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T READ BETWEEN THE LINES LIKE _I_ DID, LARS!" 

"But.. we still don't really know that. We've both interpreted it differently.." he shrunk under Steven's glare and rubbed at his neck. "Um.. anyway.." he mumbled. "with everything that happened today and now.. with you yelling and acting like _this_ now.." another swallow as he looked up slowly at Steven. "Maybe.. it'll be best to.. sit this one one? Ya know? To.. take a breather and to relax?" 

Why was Lars acting like this.. Couldn't he see that it was THEM that kept saying stuff?! THEM that kept provoking him?! 

He shook his head fervently. "Lars! They were talking about me again! And THEN bringing my FATHER into it! He had NOTHING to do with this!"

"Yeah, Lars. His dad _did_ have something to do with this." Jenny cut in. "He left him. and in a strange unfortunate of events, here we are now with him. And who knows, maybe he _could've_ been a pretty cool and decent person had he not left him but, ya know."

"DON'T YOU THINK I KNOW I WOULD'VE BEEN A DIFFERENT PERSON!! I KNOW THAT!! I KNOW!!" he yelled.

"But you're not. Because "YoUr LiFe HaS bEeN sO rOuGh"." Buck mocked with air quotes. 

"IT HAS!!" 

"Steven." Lars said calmly. "See, this is.. what I mean.. I think Jenny and Buck was just stating that.. Since you never.. had a father figure in your life.. and on top of your upbringing.. you're acting out.. um.. _certain _ behaviors." then he thought of an example, completely oblivious of how it could effect Steven. "Like, uh.. take your mother, for example" his heart nearly stopped and all rationality left out his mind. "unfortunately.. events happened where she couldn't be there for you and.. without a mother figure as well, how you're acting is.. pretty telling to say the least. And.. well..I.. think that.. you may be a bit overreacting to everything that they're saying." he bit his lip, hesitating once more.. "This is all.. you're own doing. Everything seemed to be going wrong today between you and Jenny, Buck and Sour Cream. And now it seems that you're digging a deeper hole with these guys and not seeing eye to eye to at least work together to clean the beach. And.. I think it may all be because of your upbringing and.. because of your parents."

Steven narrowed his eyes at him.. shocked.. hurt.. angry.. Not having his parents wasn't even the HALF of it.. it was SO much more.. And Lars wasn't even thinking TWICE about what the Cool Kids were saying!! But no.. he had to focus on _him_ and be play a fake "therapist" who was only seeing the conversation one sided and not even fully bring the Cool Kids to the fore.. 

He stepped up to him. Tears burning at his eyes. "What do YOU know about my parents?! I DIDN'T EVEN GET TO KNOW MY PARENTS!!!" a tear slid down his face. "And I BARELY know ANYTHING about them. And I don't know if I ever will!!" his voice cracked as he sobbed. "But.. I DO know.. that what has happened. has happened. It's ALL in the past. And I'm here now! And I'm here trying and WASTING my time trying to stop all of you from getting killed!" he pointed at them. "But you know what!? FINE I don't care anymore! If YOU want to walk into your own deathtrap then BE my guess!" 

".. Steven.." Lars looked at him.. a sorrowful expression on his face.

He couldn't bother to tell anymore. Tired of everything.. "I'm out of here.." he wiped the side of his face as more tears fell. "I'll call a cab.. I'm not staying here any longer." he turned around. "Come on, Lion.." he walked away from the group as Lion walked close by him.

"But.. Steven.."

He ignored him.. continuing his walk up the beach and away from those giving him distress.


	106. Getting rid of ani-moss-ity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaand the other long chapter I was telling y'all about.

Steven kept his hands tucked away in his pockets as he trudged through the gray, gritty sand.. Lion whining beside him as he looked up at the hurt, angered boy beside him..

_Stupid Lars.. and the stupid Cool Kids.. and EVERYONE else who had something stupid and belittling to say to me.._

_No matter what I do.. _

_The cycle seems to never end.. _

He kept up his pace, seeing the two cars in the parking lot, finally realizing that his bags were in the car.. and, hoping that the doors were open..

That would be all he need and at this point he would probably scream out in frustration if the doors were locked.

Or if they were unlocked too..

He just felt like screaming out in general.. Just shouting out everything that was rumbling through his mind like a tornado..

He tried the door. 

_CLICK _

He opened the door. 

And he didn't scream. 

Though he could still feel it roaring in his gut.. 

He took the bags out the car and closed the door back. He started walking away, tears still seeming to not want to stop.. 

He used his shoulders, rubbing both sides of his face as he carried the bags. 

A day that started off great, only to start going down hill.. And he couldn't help but think that it all started to snowball from that baby talk with Lars that had dropped his mood slightly.. then the Cool Kids just kept going on.. and on.. talking about him, talking about Connie.. talking about his dad.. then Lars bringing in his mom.. bringing in BOTH of his parents.. parents that had died/ walked out of his life.. parents he didn't really know anything about.. just a photo of his dad and that he left him.. and he didn't even know how his own mom looked.. and he just knew that she died in childbirth.. and that she didn't want him in the first place.. And if the Cool Kids had known that, they would've brought that up too..

He sniffled, feeling his nose run and being even more angry that he didn't have a tissue with him.. 

Just more fuel to the mess he was in..

He placed the bags on a bench and took out his phone to call the cab service. He put in the code and unlocked the phone. The screen showing a picture of him and Connie.. in all smiles. 

And he loved that old photo..

Which was why he still had it as his cover, despite of having so many new photos of them in the gallery.

The tree in the background, the leaves, the flowers, the lighting, how he was holding her so closely to him, her beautiful smiling face and he just looked so content, so stress free, so.. in love.. as he kissed her cheek.

And it was beautiful.. and he wished he could go back to that day. 

He wiped away more tears with his sleeve as he stared at the photos for a few loving moments. Anger slowly seeping from him and bringing in a tinge of emptiness..

..And guilt..

He sighed, bringing his hand down to his side. 

What had gotten into him back there?

Even with him letting himself cry and trying to think on the bright side of helping people's lives out and feeling optimistic about changing the Gems.. his anger was still coming out..

..Maybe he wasn't done with the whole anger issues after all..

And.. he would need to do something about that issue.. 

That.. is _not_ the kind of person he is.. Telling people off like that, even if they were being jerks.. and that's definitely not him to tell people to 'go into their own deathtrap'.. that's something that he shouldn't even had THOUGHT of saying.. 

And he was horrible person for saying that to them.. 

He sighed deeply as the guilt ate through him even more. 

He locked his phone and slid it back into his pocket and picked up the bags. 

  
  


_CLICK_

He opened the door and put his bags back into the truck and closed the door back.

He started running back down the sand and Lion kept up with him. "I.. really hope.. we're not too late,.. Lion." he said between breaths.

........................

"He FINALLY left.. Good riddance." said Jenny. She, Buck and Sour Cream started walking into the moss, the GemTech substance quickly latching on to their boots.

"Right." Buck agreed. 

"Yeah, I thought that delinquent would never leave." said Sour Cream. 

"I.. don't know guys.." Lars turned to them. "Maybe we were too hard on him.." 

" 'Too hard on him'? Lars, that dude does EVERYTHING bad and you're worried about us giving him the truth to his face? Come on, Lars. Get real here." 

"But.. he said that he doesn't do those things.."he sighed. "And.. he looked really pained with everything we were saying.." 

"So?" 

And Sour Cream snorted. "Yeah, and then _you_ got in that final blow by bringing even his _mom_ into it. BOTH parents." he snickered. "Now _that's_ a low blow."

Moss began to climb up their boots. The substance going unnoticed by any of them. 

Lars felt even more guilty.. that he'd been the one to push the envelope.. 

"I.. think I should go after him.. See how he's feeling at least.." 

"Man, do you boo. _We're_ staying here and tackling this moss." said Jenny. 

He hesitated.. then said "Okay.. I'll be back." he turned around and started running, hoping that Steven hadn't gotten into a cab yet. 

As he made his way down the beach, he saw a figure running with a dog. "Steven?!" 

"Lars!! Oh no, does the mos have them already?!" he shrieked.

"Huh? No, I was just running to try and catch you before you left!" 

"Really?!"

"Yeah!" he finally caught up to him, huffing. "Steven, I'm sorry about-" 

_"You're_ sorry?!" he cut him off. _"I'm_ the one who should be saying sor-" 

Lars stopped him. Putting a hand on his shoulder. "No _I_ am the one who should be saying sorry. All you did today was try your best to get on their good side, but they.. just didn't want to hear it.. Didn't want to give you a chance.. and then I-" 

"But still!! I shouldn't had said all of those horrible things to ANY of you.. And I.. kinda, no, I _did_ take a lot of things out of context and out of proportion." 

"But.. I think I may have missed the contexts like you said though.. and then.. I made it no better by bringing up more.. personal stuff to the argument." he looked at him. "I'm really, _really_ sorry, Steven." 

"I'm.. extremely sorry too, Lars.." 

"So.. we're still friends?" 

Steven let out a chuckle. "Of course." he placed his hand on Lars' chest. A funny little hand gesture that Lars had made up years ago at The Big Donut. 

That made Lars laugh and he did the same to Steven. 

They put their hands back down. "So, are you still leaving? Or.."

"I'm just going to apologize to them, then I'll leave. I already overstayed my welcome-"

A scream was heard from down the beach. 

Lars turned around. "That sounded like Jenny."

They started running down the beach. 

More screams. 

"And Buck and Sour Cream!" Steven yelled. 

The three of them ran down, quickly getting a view of the Cool Kids. The moss up to their necks and slowly reaching their faces. They stood in the shallow water, unable to move as they screamed for help.

"Oh no!!" Lars shrieked. "Looks like you were right Steven!!" he ran up to Jenny. 

"Wait Lars!!

He stopped just a foot away from her, his finger barely touching the moss as he'd planned to grab at it. 

"You can't touch the moss, remember!" 

"Oh right!" he took a step back, looking back at his hand that'd been so close to her. He saw the moss on his finger start to grow. And he screamed out. "It got me!! Steven, what are we going to do?!" he panicked. "Uh.. uh.." he looked around, thinking, frantic now. "Um!!" 

He looked at the moss.. is fully covering the Cool Kids.. wanting to just _pull_ of that moss.. but he know he couldn't.. and ALL because it was GemTech moss.. and he had no GEMTECH GLOVES JUST HIS-

_Wait a minute.._

_Just my GemTech shirt.._

_Could that work? Or.. would I need specific GemTech equipment?_

He would have to try and find out.

"Lars!"

The boy was busy watching the moss spread down his finger. He looked at him, panicking. "Yeah?!"

"I need you to bring your truck down here. We can at least take them away from here before more moss starts caking up all around them. We can put them in the bed of your truck." 

"Okay!!" he ran down towards the beach and Steven ripped off his casual shirt, then his GemTech shirt. He flipped it inside out, hiding the bright yellow star on his shirt and he hrew the other shirt back on. 

"Oh, I hope this works!!" he ran up to Jenny and Lion ran after him. "NO! Stay." the dog stopped. "Stay, Lion. I don't want the moss to get you too." he jumped into the water and swiped his shirt across the moss on her pants. The substance rubbing off and falling back into the water. "It works!!" 

Steven started wiping of her back and arms and the back of her legs. Lars would be on his way and he needed to wipe off the area where he could pick them up and _not_ get any more moss on him.

He went to Sour Cream just as Jenny tried to walk away, the moss on the front of her pants making it hard for her. 

He ran towards Buck.

Moss was already forming back on Jenny and Sour Cream. 

The truck pulled up, skidding across the sand and picking up dust and grit. "Steven!" Lars jumped out the car and opened the door of the bed. He looked at the Cool Kids as he ran up. "You managed to get some of the moss off?!"

"Uh, yeah! Lars, take Jenny to the truck!" 

He ran into the murky water and picked her up, trying to be careful of the moss growing back. He put her into the bed of the truck. "Okay, now I need you to help me with Buck and Sour Cream." he tucked the shirt in his back pant pocket as Lars came up to him. They lifted Buck up from the water and put him in the bed of the truck. They went back into the cold water and rescued Sour Cream. They put him in the bed of the truck. 

Steven took the shirt out his pocket. "Give me your arm." Lars handed it to him and he started wiping off the moss from his arm. "Wait.. what kind of clothing is that?! Where did you find it?!" Steven wiped off his shoulder and his side and a bit of his waist, back and stomach. The two not knowing that moss had gotten on the other hand from when he picked up Sour Cream. "I found it over by some rocks." he lied. "Is there any moss inside the truck?" 

"No. I was careful." 

"Good, let's go. I'll start taking off more of the moss while you get us out of this place." 

Lars nodded and ran to the drivers side. 

Steven helped Lion into the bed of the truck and hopped in. He closed the door of the bed. "Ready Lars! Let's get out of here!"

Lars floored it back, turning the truck, the vehicle sliding across the sand. Lion slid across, his nails scrapping across as he tried to hold on. Steven grabbed him, holding on to him as Lars stopped, changed gears and sped off in a turn, the truck tilting off the ground slightly.

With the car driving straight, he let go of Lion and went to Sour Cream first, the one closet to him. He started swiping and picking up the moss and throwing it out the truck. Then he heard a scream and the car swerved, banking left sharply. Lion slid across and Steven fell back. "Lars?" 

"The moss!!! It was on my other hand!! And now it's on the steering wheel!!" 

"Just keep driving! I need to take the moss off of them first! But if it starts to spread to bad, tell me! But right now, we just need to get away from this area!" 

The truck accelerated. 

A minute passed and when Steven got to Sour Cream's face, he was already unconscious. Or so he hoped.. He leaned in. 

_Ba dum.. ba dum.. ba dum.._

He breathed a sigh of relief and started wiping around him, the moss having spread inside the bed. 

Then he went to Buck, just as Lars reached the parking lot. 

"Just keep going, Lars! Sour Cream is unconscious!" 

Lars drove down the parking lot and towards the meadow they'd drove down to get there.

Steven wiped the rest of the moss off Buck's face as moss he'd missed from the bed of the truck started calling back towards Sour Cream and spreading towards him. The moss latching on his jeans. "Oh no!! It just. keeps growing!! he wiped off his pants, then the part that was growing back on Sour Cream and he threw the moss out into the beautiful flowers.. feeling upset that he had to put the dangerous, GemTech moss on them.. and hoping that the moss wouldn't do too much damage.. though he had a feeling that the moss would..

He went to Jenny, wiping the moss from her and throwing it out the truck.

The moss steadily growing back on his jeans from a spot in the car that he didn't get to. He ignored it, wiping more moss off of Jenny.

He finally got to her face, taking the rest of the moss off. He started going for the moss surrounding her and he heard a whine from behind him.

He turned around. Moss had grew pass him and along the bed of the truck ... and all on Lion. The substance growing towards his face.

"Lion!" he threw the moss out the truck and crawled to him, the moss getting on his hand. He quickly wiped it off and started wiping the moss from the dog. "Don't worry. I got you buddy." 

There was a other scream. "I'm sorry, Steven! But I gotta stop!" the truck came to a rushed stop and he threw open the door and ran out the car, leaving the door opened. "The moss is everywhere!"

He wiped the rest of the moss off Lion and threw it out the side of the truck. "Lars! I told you to tell me before it got that bad!" he got up. "Lion, stay here." he hoped out and ran to the driver's side. Lars was running through the meadow. Moss had grown from the top half of his shins and up towards his neck. He started scratching at his neck with his moss covered hands. It didn't work.. and he screamed. 

Steven wiped off the moss from his pants and jumped into the car, quickly wiping down the moss that'd taken up nearly half of the interior of the car. He sighed, frustrated. The moss getting into some of the crevices into the truck.

Back and forth, back and forth, he kept wiping down the truck and double checking and triple checking for any moss and moss residue. He fanned out his shirt once more, watching the moss cover the flowers. And the moss.. just shrinking on the petals and some of it, sliding off and sinking into the soil.

"..What?" he looked up at Lars now laying unconscious on his side amongst the flowers. "Lars!" he jumped out the truck, noticing how the moss was now only covering his other side.. the side that _wasn't_ touching the flowers.

_What kind of flowers are these?! _

Then he thought. _Wait.. no way these flowers can't be..GemTech as well..?_

He knelt down to him, rolling him over on the side and watching the flowers wipe away the moss. Their petals growing brighter and bigger. The flowers that were closed were starting to bloom. 

"Just.. what kind of GemTech flowers are these?" he whispered to himself. He wiped the rest of the moss from Lars' face and hair and he heard a few warning barks from Lion.

"Oh, that's right!!" He ran back towards the truck, quickly remembering the moss that was spreading in the bed of the truck. 

He jumped up and climbed back in. The moss had covered the Cool Kids up halfway and nearly covered all of Lion. He opened the back of the bed and picked up Lion. He placed him in the flowers and went back for Sour Cream, then Buck, then Jenny. Sliding each one out and putting them in the flowers. The moss sliding off of them. He jumped back into the truck and cleaned the moss off. Again, double checking and triple checking the area before jumping back out. 

He ran back to the driver's side to inspect the area. 

No moss. 

And he ran back to the Cool Kids to wipe the remaining moss off of them. Lion was busy running through the flowers and sniffing them and rolling in them and getting moss off of him the fun, doggy way. 

Steven fanned the last bit of moss from his shirt and sat back, taking a breather for just a few moments. Then he quickly, took his shirt off and slipped on the inside out Crystal Gem shirt backwards then slipped the other shirt on. 

And he sat there.. taking in the comfort and the relief of at least taking the moss off of everyone. But, he would still have to somehow take them to the hospital.. none of them were getting up-

A whimsical chime rung in his pocket and he took out his phone. Not sure what Amethyst would say about everything.. "Hey Amethyst."

Laughing roared on the other end of the call. "HAHAHAHAHAHAH!!! DUDE, ALL OF Y'ALL ALMOST DIDN'T MAKE IT!!" she laughed. 

"Uh.. eheh? Yeah.." he let out a dry chuckle with her boisterous laughter. "But, we made it." 

"Yeah, you did. Surprisingly." 

"See, told you I would do it." he felt a smile starting to come. 

"Yeaaaah.. but." and the laughter was over. "then you ended up waisting a bit of our moss.. throwing it on the GemTech flowers.. it's all gone now." 

"Oh.. yeah.." and the feeling to smile was gone.. "Sorry, Amethyst.. I was just trying to save them and.." he trailed off.. then he realized she said the word 'GemTech'. "GemTech flowers?"

"Yeah, man. The flowers that your friends are laying in." _Only_ one_ of them is my friend. _ Though he didn't bother saying that. It wasn't important.

"You didn't tell me about the flowers.."

"Because they're not important. It's just some flowers that Lonny planted before he started going bonkers. They're not important. Not like our moss."

"Well I'm glad he planted them.. The flowers helped us out." he saw some of the flower heads start to snap off their stems and fly in the wind. The petals spinning gracefully as they floated down. He got up and started walking towards the top of the hill to get a better look.

"Eh, sure, whatever. Anyway, dude. I called Peridot. Had the geeky technician to get one of her Peridots to get hold of the mayor's office. She hacked into the system, banning the beach once more and firing off multiple copies throughout the whole network system AS well as giving Mayor Dewey a personal scare letter to keep quiet and forcing him to keeping this beach closed off for good." 

"But.. wouldn't he just get his staff and bodyguards and like, other important officials to look at it and try to hunt you down? And can't he just.. change the law again?" he stepped to the edge of the cliff, watching the petals fall into the deep green mushy moss below. The GemTech moss.. seeming to.. grow? 

"Wow, are you really underestimating us? That Peridot hacked _deeply_ and ingrained that law deep within the depths of the internet itself-"_ ..whatever that means.._ "-and that scare letter.. ain't no ordinary scare letter." she chuckled lowly. "That mayor is definitely going to keep quiet for good." 

"Oh.." his mind was more focused on the moss growing rapidly down below him, as if the flowers were.. somehow feeding it.. or.. making more of it..

Was this.. what Lonny made the flowers for? 

Was Amethyst still looking at her cameras? 

She probably would've said something by now if she was.. so.. should he tell her? His gut was telling him no.. 

Who knows what she would do if she knew the Crystal Gems had more moss.. and that it was because of these GemTech flowers..

"Anyway man. Good job not dying out there." she said casually. "And don't forget, we have that trade to do with Onion tomorrow. We're picking you up at oh ten hundred hours. And. bring the gun with you." his stomach dipped.. and he immediately started to feel the gun he still had wedged behind the hem of his pants.. and he was also thankful that Lars hadn't seen it when he took his shirts off.. 

"Okay, Amethyst. I'll be there." 

He started walking away from the edge of the cliff and saw Lion running across the meadow to the other side. That warmed him up for a bit and he tried for a very small smile. "Yeah, both Lion _and_ I will be there."

"Alright man. Just make sure that dog doesn't get in the way. And you better be training him right. I need that dog to be ferocious!" 

Lion was busy rolling in the flowers, panting happily. 

"O, of course I'm training him right." 

"Heh, you better be." then a beat later. "Alright, yo. That's it for right now. We'll see you tomorrow. Noches. (Night)"

"Night, Amethyst."

She hung up and he pocketed his phone and looked at Lion "Okay, boy. Now we have to figure out what we're going to do with Lars and the others."

"I.. heard my name.." Lars grunted behind him.

Steven turned around and saw Lars slowly getting up from the flowers. "Lars! You're okay!" he ran up to him.

"..What happened?" he looked around.

"The moss!" he exclaimed. "It got to you and everyone else! The moss even almost had Lion AND me! But then-" he stopped himself.. He couldn't tell him about the GemTech flowers surrounding them.. "but, we're safe now. Everyone is.. fine." he gave him a nervous smile.

Lars looked at him, raising a skeptic eyebrow at him..

_Uh oh... He knows I'm leaving out some important parts!!_

..and a knowing look spred across his features as he nodded slowly, appreciating. "Ah, looks like someone is humbling himself." 

"Huh?" 

"Yup. You saved us and you're trying to take the attention away from you." he smiled. "I know what you're doing Universe."

"Oh, well.." he trailed off, giving him a nervous smile. 

He helped out, sure. But it was mainly the flowers that helped prevented the moss from growing.. Then he just helped out a little bit after that..

"Heheheh, okay, okay. You don't have to admit it." he chuckled. "But I do appreciate you helping all of us." then he looked over at the truck. "So how's the others?"

"They still haven't woken up. They're over by the truck."

"Hmm.. still not up, huh?"

"We should take them to the hospital.. right?"

"Honestly, Steven. I'm not so sure. I feel fine, but I know that it doesn't mean that they will.. But I just have a feeling that they're still out because they've been under the moss longer than me and that they're going to be okay." 

"You know, I think so too."

He returned to him. "Also, I wouldn't know how to explain it to the folks down at the hospital on how we found three unconscious teenagers."

"Ooooooooh..right." Steven nodded. "Yeah, that's not a good look.."

The conversation went to a lull for a few moments before Lars spoke back up. "Well, I'll go check up on them." 

"Okay. I'll just go get Lion and meet you down." he looked, trying to find the dog within the tall, beautiful flowers. 

He didn't see him.

"Lion? Hey, Lioooon!" he started walking to the other side. "Liiiioooon! Where are you?"

He heard some panting behind him. The dog. The very _muddy_ dog running towards him. "Lion! What the heck happened to you?" 

The dog ran up to him, covered in mud and leaves. Steven tried to suppress a smile. "Lion. You're a mess. How did you even-" the dog ran off again, wanting to play. "Hey! Lion!" he ran after him.

Lion stopped and looked back at Steven, chasing after him. He turned back around, dashing across the flowers and Steven kept his pace, running after the dog and watching him disappear behind the edge of the hill. He gasped. "Lion!" he ran, clearing more of the flowers towards the edge of the hill- "Whoaaa!" he stopped, nearly slipping in the start of the mud at the side of the hill.

Lion was down below, running and jumping into the muddy mixture at the end of the drop. "So THAT'S what happened!" he shouted down to him. 

Lion shook his fur, mud flinging everywhere and Steven watched him run out of the mud and into the rocky, flowery terrain just a few feet away. The dog climbing back up the hill.

Steven waited for him until he got back up to the top. "Okay, you had your fun. Now it's time for us to go."

Ignoring him yet again, Lion broke pass him, running and sliding back down the muddy hill. "Lion!" he ran back to the edge. Lion was rolling around in the mud.

And, in one little split second of his mind, a tiny voice in his head was saying how fun that looked. 

But he quickly dismissed the thought.

Pfft he's a grown man.. he would NEVER..

He looked at the mud..

And Lion.. running and sliding through it.. Just having a great time-

Nope.. wasn't going to happen. He was _way_ too mature for such trivial stuff.

Looks at mud..

AND he was to be a SERIOUS, Crystal Gem.. well, in his own little Steveny way of course.. But STILL a Crystal Gem.

Lion ran up the hill and slid back down, spinning slightly across the mud.. 

  
  


Steven guffawed as he ran to the start of the mud. He lunged forward in a belly-flop. He slid down "YEEAAAHEEEE!!!! AHCK! BLEECK!!" specs of mud flew in his mouth. "Plth, plth plth, plth." he spat out and coughed. He pulled up his shirt, wiping his mouth off with the inside of it as he slid all the way down, sliding pass Lion to a stop. He thrusted his hands up in the air. "Woooo!!!!" 

Lion come over, licking him in the face and he laughed. "Lion!" he scratched the top of his head. "Okay boy. _Now_ it's time to go." he slid over, pulling himself to his knees as his hand grazed pass a stick. He picked it up. _Hmmmm..._

A wide grin spread across his face. "Don't be a _stick in the mud_, Lion." he laughed at his joke. He got up. "Hey, you want the stick? You want the stick?" he waved it in his hand.

Lion eyed the stick in his hand.

He threw it and Lion ran for for, kicking up more mud, some if it, getting on Steven's face. And he could only laugh as he wiped his face.

Lion grabbed the stick and started running around with it. "Nooo, you're supposed to give it to _me."_ he chuckled. 

Lion either didn't understand the concept of playing fetch or just ignored him. The dog running pass him with the stick held securely in his mouth. 

"Fine. You keep the stick then. I'll just have fun by my lonesome." he guilt tripped the dog used the time to do a bit of sliding across the mud. "Wooooooo!!!"

Looking at his friend sliding around, Lion wanted to join in. He ran towards Steven, the stick still in his mouth as he bulldozed him over. "Whoa!!" he fell back in the mud. And laughed.

Lion dropped the stick, panting playfully and Steven leaned over, snatching it up quickly. "Uh oh! I got your stick now!" he waved the stick in Lion's face and he tried to grab it. "Nope! Too slow!" the dog lunged forward and Steven leaned back into the mud. "Nope! Ya can't get it!" Lion leaned off him, and jumped, going towards his head and Steven sat back up and Lion jumped back, trying to get the stick.

"Ahhh, try to get it! Try to get it!" he waved the stick in his face again. Lion tried to nab it and Steven pulled the stick back. Then he did it again, waving the stick in his face and Lion lunged for it once more, grabbing it. He pulled it back and falling into the mud on his back. "I still have it!" Steven tugged left and right at the other end of the stick and Lion bit down harder, growling playfully. 

He thrashed his head back and forth, continuing rolling on his back and exposing his belly.

And giving Steven an idea.

He let go of the stick.

"Belly rub!!" he leaned in giving the canine's muddy belly pats and rubs. Lion dropped the sticking lolling out his tongue as he kicked out his leg. Steven laughed.

After a few moments of rubbing his belly, Steven heard his name being called from the top of the hill. "Down here, Lars!"

The young man came to the edge of the hill. "There you are. I've been looking for you. I was calling your name." 

"Oh, sorry. I didn't hear you." he stopped mid scratch. "Um, except for that last one." Lion got up and shook his fur. More mud splashing on his face and the dog ran back towards the flowery, rocky terrain.

"I was just checking up on you. But.. I see you're doing okay." he folded his arms. "All.. muddy.."

Then he realized that he was a complete mess. That he _and_ Lion was a mess. "Oh! Sorry, Lars! I uh, just wanted to-." he cut his self off. "I mean, Lion was down here! And uh, I had to come and save him and.." 

They watched as Lion walked effortlessly up the hill and Lars looked back at him. 

"Weeell... I didn't know he could do that. Heheh.." he scratched the back of his muddy hair. "Um..."

Lars stared at him for a few moments, arms still crossed..

Until a smirk appeared on his face that slowly spread into a full on smile. 

He ran up and jumped. "WOO!" and slid down the mud on his butt. 

"Yeah, Lars!" he cheered. Then realized that he was coming right at him.

"Whoa! Steven, look out!" 

He screamed and got up, only to slip over and over again on the mud.

Lars screamed as he knocked into him, sending the two sliding farther down the mud and into the gravelly dirt and grass. 

Lars got up, groaning, rubbing his back and Steven leaned up on his arms, spitting out a leaf and bits of grass. "Bleeeck, I think I swallowed some dirt." 

They both turned and looked at each other.

and looked at each other..

and moments passed..

"Again?" Lars asked. 

Steven looked at him.. 

Then quickly got up, stumbling a bit. "I'mma beat you there!" 

"Hey!" Lars got up and ran after him.

  
  


The three of them continued to slide and play in the mud.

That is until.. they found some huge logs farther down the path.. And with their newfound discovery, they went...for the final..

..showdown..

Steven.. and.. Lars..

The two now on either side of the mud each wielding one large log in their hands.

And the two waited..

And waited..

Their eyes narrowed in deep focus..

And they waited..

Until Lars started walked up slowly towards him.. the log lowered in his hand.

Steven raised the log up, taking a stance.

"I have been waiting for you, Steven Universe." Lars whispered coarsley. "A last, you and I have met again." he raised his log up, closing the distance between them. "The cycle has been completed. When I went my separate ways from you, I was but a trainee.. a mere novice." then a smug grin swept across his face. "But now, _I_ am the one who is the new master."

Steven scowled at him. "Only a master of atrocity, Lars." he threw the first swipe, throwing the log up and Lars blocked it easily with his own.

Steven swung down, then up again. Lars blocking both shots and meeting the log with his. The two trying to push the other's log out of his hands and they pushed back. 

Lars went in, stepping up and jabbing the log side to side, but each time, Steven had barely blocked it. He spun around as Lars brought the log back down and he held up the log, stopping the strike. 

The two went back and forth striking and blocking each other's attacks. Steven throwing his log down close to his face and Lars blocking it yet again and the two went back to striking and blocking each other's attacks up and down.

They threw their logs down, blocking their strikes again and Lars stepped up, using his upper body strength to overpower Steven. The boy slipping in the mud, losing his balance as he slid to the left. His arms strained under Lars' strength and Lars pushed down and brought his log up and back down hard. Steven broke out of character. Making a scared. "WhoOaA!!" as he just by a hair dodged out the way as Lars' log hit the tree. Bark from the tree and pieces of his log broke off. 

Lars went in for a quick side strike as Steven was running away and Steven barley clipped his log with his as he ran to the other side of Lars. A couple more blocked hits and Steven pivoted around to face him. The two at a standstill. Their logs just a few inches apart as they took their stance.. glaring at each other. 

"Your abilities are inept, young one."

Steven eyed him cautiously, waiting for another strike. "You will not obtain victory, Lars. For if you take me out with a strike, I shall emerge with more ability and power than will ever possibly envision." Steven threw the next strike and Lars blocked him and the two held their stance, pushing their logs and trying to overpower one another. Then more strikes and blocks as Steven and Lars tried to knock their logs out of each other's hands again. 

Steven threw his log down towards Lars' face again and Lars blocked it. He pushed the log down farther, but Lars overpowered him once more, pushing him back with his log and the two took another stance. 

"You should not have returned." said Lars. 

Steven didn't say anything, instead, letting the log do the talking for him as he threw it towards Lars in another strike. 

The two went at it yet again, longer this time, as the other continued to strike and block up and down against their foe's attacks. Back and forth. Their logs cracking and breaking off with every hit and block. 

Steven was slowly losing his strength and energy and Lars pushed him back again. He took another quick stance just as Lars went for him again in another strike, this time, forcing Steven farther and farther back to where the mud reached the stoney dirt and grass.

More strikes and blows, farther apart now as Seven kept his long distance, but still trying to stay away from the edge of the mud.

Steven had moved his log in a potential block, thinking that Lars was going to strike but he didn't. The boy paused for just a long movements before striking back again and the two began striking and blocking once more. Steven was at the end of the mud now and he ran up, closing the distance and striking and blocking the attack as he ran to the other side, switching sides with Lars once again. And the two continued to strike and block a few more times before they striked their logs together, holding it there as they took another standstill. ..Eyeing each other cautiously.. 

Lion came running along the mud, watching the two duel. 

Lars glared at him. "Steven." 

He met him with a narrowed eyed look as well. "Lars." 

The two.. still at a standstill.. 

Then a smirk started to creep onto Lars' face. "You better think fast, Steven.. Looks like your log is just about done for." 

"I will not fall for such trivial mind tricks, Lars."

"Hm, hm, hm, hm, hm, hm." he chuckled. "Are you sure about that, Steven? One more blow from my strike and you will have no other weapon to shield you from my final strike."

Steven was wavering internally.. Not sure whether his foe was playing a trick on him or not..

..But.. he kept his stare on him.. paying no attention to the log.

"Okay." Lars said casually and leaned up straight. "Then you better hope that ladybug on there survives my strike." he raised his log back for a deadly blow.

Steven broke out of character once more. "Huh?! Ladybug?!" he lifted the log up and looked at it. 'Oh no! Don't kill it!!" he looked around, twisting the log in his hand. "Where is it?!" 

Lars used ALL of his strength, swinging down hard and putting EVERY single muscle and energy into his final blow!! 

And he tapped Steven lightly in his side. 

He gasped as he looked down at the log touching his side. Then he looked at the log in his hand, then at Lars. "You tricked me!" he shouted out in surprise.

"Hahahahaha!! Yuuup!" he lifted the log off his shirt and swung it, throwing the log a few feet into the mud. 

"I, uh, let you do that." he threw the log. 

"Sure you did." 

"Pfft, buuuut, I guess it was a pretty good duel while it lasted." Steven said in a shrug. 

"Indeed it was, Universe." he held out a hand and Steven took it, giving him a professional "good game" handshake. 

"OH! I have this other game we could play!" Steven suggested.

"And what's that?" 

"We can try out log rolling! We just have to find a bigger one somewhere.." 

They two started looking around-

"Lars!"

They looked up the hill. 

"Lars!" said another voice. 

"Sounds like Jenny and Sour Cream are up." said Steven.

"Lars." said a monotone voice. 

"Yup and Buck." 

They started up the path up the hill and Lion ran passed them, which have them their sneaky idea.. and they started running up, trying to beat the other up the hill.

They scrambled up to the top at the same time, laughing and sliding on the mud just at the edge of the hill and they laughed some more as Lars fell back hard on his butt and Steven right on his stomach. They helped each other up, still in all laughter. 

"Lars! THERE you are!" Jenny ran towards them, with Sour Cream and Buck on either side of her. She gasped at his attire. "What happened?!" 

"Oh, uh. Steven and I-"

"Lars here drove us all up here after you three got taken over by the moss." Steven cut in quickly. 

_"He_ was the one who saved all of us though. I was just the driver." 

"But _you_ drove us away from the beach before more moss could get on us." 

"But driving up was just a small portion of it. _You_ actually found that piece of clothing that was able to wipe the stuff off."

The Cool Kids looked at the going back and forth pushing the compliments off of one another and throwing it back to the other.

"Okay, okay." Jenny stopped them. "So, Lars drove us up here, good on him." she nodded. "And.. then _you_ found this.. raaaandom cloth.. that just so happened.. to get rid of the moss.." 

Steven nodded. "Kinda.. yeah." 

"The moss that _you_ had said was "dangerous"."

"Yyeaaah?" he raised an eyebrow. 

"Eh, sounds like a setup to me." 

"What?!"

"Yup. Sounds like you just put all of that together yourself."

"But how?! How could I possibly had made the moss do that?!" 

"Heck if I know." she shrugged with her arms crossed. "But I know you did it. Why else would you come back but to continue with your stupid joke.

"That's not what I-" he shook his head. "I came back to apologize." 

She scoffed. "What?" 

"Yeah I.. came back to apologize to you three for what I did." he looked at them. "With me overreacting, with me yelling and then what I said at the end.." he grimaced at his choice of words to them on the beach. He sighed. "It was wrong of me to talk to you three like that and.. I'm really sorry for how I've been acting all day.. That wasn't right of me to do that.." 

Jenny looked at him, giving him a levelled stare before bringing her hands down to her hips. "Apology _not_ accepted, delinquent." she did to his face and leaned back up as Sour Cream and Buck started snickering.

"And look at you. So filthy and just.. covered in muck and who knows WHAT else." she shook her head at him. "Then you brought in poor Lars to suffer the same fate." she looked at his caked up, muddy attire. 

Steven shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, _I _ had fun."

"S, same here.. actually.." Lars admitted. 

"Lars, no need to take the blame or take pity on him." 

Lion came running over to the group. 

"Oh, great. And now this filth bag-" Lion shook his fur, mud flung out, going all around and Buck and Sour Cream moved back, Jenny taking the most of it, while the mud splattered on Lars and Steven. The two not caring at all and laughing at the more mess they were in. Sour Cream and Buck were laughing at Jenny. The girl in opened mouth horror.. shocked, disgusted. The mud having gotten all on her clothes and her face. 

Her mouth.. still open in utter shock and disgust. She wiped the mud off her cheek. And opened her eyes in a glare at the dog panting away. "That filthy dog.. just flung mud.. all over me!!" she yelled. Then, she started smacking her mouth. She looked down as she took a piece of grass from her mouth. Sour Cream and Buck laughed out more, holding onto their stomachs. 

She screamed, stomping her feet. "So gross!!!!" she shrieked. "This is all YOUR fault, Steven!!!" she pointed at the boy who just couldn't stop laughing at what had happened. "I knew if something went wrong today it would be because of you!!! Now I'm covered in disgusting filth!! All because of your.. weird mut!!!"

That made him laugh more and that made her even more angry. She screamed out and turned on her heels. "Buck! Sour Cream! We're leaving! Now!" the two snickering boy's followed after her. 

Steven was slowly coming down from his laugh. "Well at least she remembered my name this time." he crouched down to Lion. "Good boy." Lion jumped up, licking his face. "Ahahaha!! Not the slobbery kisses again!" 

Lars shook his head, chuckling. "Ah, when will she ever learn." 

Steven leaned up from Lion's kisses. "Don't know. Soon? Never?" he shrugged. "This is Jenny we're talking about." 

"Yeah.. I guess you're right." his smile wavered slightly as Steven got up.

He turned to him. "You know, Steven. I really _am_ sorry for how they treated you." 

"Aw, Lars. Not this again." he gave him an apologetic smile. 

"I know.. But I just wanted to say it at least one more time.. What they did was wrong and, I'm sorry for how _I've_ treated you.. Especially with.. what I said about your parents, especially your mom." his stomach dipped, but he forced that sad smile to stay. "I made it seem like it was her fault that she wasn't there in your life when what happened was out of her control.. And your dad's situation may be different, but that doesn't give me the right to talk bad about him." he frowned. "Steven, seriously, I'm really, reaally sorry.-" 

"It's okay, Lars." he said as casaully and as leveled as he could. "I accepted your apology the first time and I accept your apology again."

Lars looked at him and managed a slow nod. The smile slowly coming back. "Okay." he said and he turned his attention to the dog running through the flowers again.

Steven did the same, smiling at the canine having fun. 

A few moments later and Lars spoke back up. "Come on, it's getting late." he pat him on the shoulder. "I know the Missus is probably wondering where you are and what's taking so long." 

Honestly, with him not coming back home and him giving her a fright.. Yeah, she _was_ probably wondering if he was still alright or not..

"I have a feeling that you're absolutely right, Lars." 

The three of them made it back towards the truck. Lars having laid down tons of old newspapers for them to sit on and Steven kept Lion in the front with him instead to prevent the dog from tracking a lot of dirt in the back.

Lars turned the car on, shifted gears and turned around, heading down the meadow and back to the parking lot. 

.............................

Lars turned left, driving down the winding road.

The car ride was a calm silent between them, as the radio played the baseball station. 

Steven looked up from his phone, taking in the scene on the side of them. They'd driven out the parking lot and was now going the opposite way, passing the GemTech flowers again..

Some of the flowers that had bloom were still on the ground, while a few older petals were floating gently in the air. The warm, orange and pink sunset mixed with the violets and the blues of the sky complemented the beautiful spinning petals in the air and the flowers that danced in the wind on the ground.

He looks at the beauty of nature.. watching the flowers as they drove pass.. having a sudden thought. 

He turned to the driver. "Hey, Lars?" 

"Hm? Yeah?" 

"Can we stop at a store real quick? I want to get something."

"Sure." he turned on his left blinkers. "There's a little market not too far from here." he merged into the next lane.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If the log fight seemed familiar, it's from the 1977 original version from Star Wars.  
Obi-wan Kenobi vs Darth Vader xD


	107. Stepping Stones

Steven opened the door and Lion jumped out. He opened the back door, and grabbed two bags. He slid the two on one arm and moved the bouquet of flowers in the same hand to slide the other two bags on the other arm. He closed the door and went back to the front. "Thanks again for the ride, Lars. And um.. sorry for that wacky adventure.." 

"Heheh, it's alright. And it certainly was something different than what I normally do, I can tell you that much." he let out a dad chuckle. "And you know I don't mind giving you or Connie rides." 

"Right. But I still appreciate it." he leaned out from the door. "See ya, Lars. And, thanks again." 

"See ya, Steven. And again, it was no problem. Stay safe."

"Same to you." the window rolled up and the truck backed up and drove away from the parking lot. 

"Okay, Lion. Let's go." they walked towards the side of the apartment, then he looked down at the canine. "If you have to do your business, do it now." 

The dog looked at him. 

"Alright, come on." Steven started walking along the alley and Lion started walking with him, sniffing around the area. 

He caught scent of something and went over to a patch of grass by the apartment. 

Steven waited for him.. and realized that he didn't have any baggies on him if he did go number two-

Aaaaand he was going number two..

Steven sighed and looked around.

There was nobody there.. and Lion _did_ go close to the apartments in the grass instead of out there in the concrete open so.. the waste should eventually turn into like.. fertilizer.. right? 

The dog ran up to him and the two started walking away. 

They made it inside the main door and up the two flights of stairs and down the hallway. Steven stopped right by the door and rummaged through his pockets, the bags around his arms making it just a smidge difficult. Some of the bags, hitting the door. 

"Ah, come on.. where are- there we go." he pulled the keys from his pocket and sifted through until he found the one for their front door. He put it in the lock and turned it with a click. 

He opened the door and Lion ran in, stopping just a few feet from Steven as he watched his owner step in and close the door behind him. "Hey, Connie. It's me." he slid the mud encrusted sandals off. 

She put the phone down. "Hey, Steven. I was just about to send you a message." she was sitting on the bed. The laptop placed on her lap. She looked at the boy fumbling with the bags.. and covered.. in mud and grass.. 

..with.. a.. bouquet of flowers in his hand? 

She slid the laptop off her lap and slid off the bed. "What happened to you?" she looked down at the dog who was _also_ caked up in mud and bits of grass. The dog happily wagging his tail and completely unaware of how dirty he was.. "and the dog?" she stood in front of him, keeping him away from the carpet.

"Oh, Lion and I helped Lars and the Cool Kids with a bit of gardening and well.. Heheh.. as you can see.. Things got a bit um.. way out of hand.. Heheh.." he stood there.. and she looked at them.. Just a boy and his dog.. completely caked up in dirt from their rowdy adventures..

Can't live with them.. Can't live without them..

She shook her head, focusing on the important matter. "Well, at least you two were helping people out and not just, out there rolling on the ground, just because." 

_Flashback of him, Lion and Lars rolling around in the mud and Steven going the extra mile pretending to swim in the guck. His back flat against the mud as he used backstrokes to push him across the mud.._

"Uh, right, right. Because pffft, who would do that? Heheh.." he said casually.

"Well while I do appreciate that, I'm going to have to tell you two.. to get cleaned up.." she looked down at Lion and the few dirt paw prints by the door. "and he's already tracked mud prints in the house.."

The dog wagged his tail, looking at her. 

"Yes. _you."_

Noticing that he was now the center of her attention, he took a step towards her, wagging his tail more.

Steven laughed. "He thinks you're saying something nice." he put the two bags on the ground and handed the flowers off to his other hand to slide the other bags off. 

"Well, too bad he doesn't know the English language.." she mumbled.

"You never know Connie. He could know English. He could even know. _Tamil."_ he wiggled his eyebrows at her. 

She rolled her eyes playfully, holding a smirk. 

"We don't know which languages he know. He could be an intergalactic space dog who knows multiple languages! You know, like how Cookie Cat is an intergalactic space cat who knows fifty different languages." he cheesed. 

And she loved seeing that smile. 

But she still shook her head, disagreeing with him. "Yeah, I doubt he's some "intergalactic space dog"." she made air quotes.

"Fine then." he smiled. "Don't believe me, Connie." he took a step closer to her. "Also, I'll go ahead and take my shower, but first." he changed into a low, suave voice. "This, miss lady. Is for you." 

She took them, giving him a genuine smile. A light snort from her. "Thanks, Steven. They're really, really pretty. And you got my favorite." she sniffed them. "These are really nice." she breathed out, in awe.

"Yeah, I'm.." he rubbed the back of his neck, feeling some of the mud flake off and slid under his shirt. "really, really sorry.. about earlier.. and.. I wanted to make it up.. I mean! Not saying that _this_ should be it!" he added quickly. 

"Yeah, I know." her smile fell slightly.

"I really am sorry, Connie." he whispered. He brought his hand up to her chin, lifting it up slightly. "But I do want to continue making it up to you. These flowers are just apart of it." she stared at him, blushing.. and slowly, he leaned his face in, giving her one, soft, light kiss.. And he broke away slowly and he saw her looking at his lips. Then she looked up and he gave her a wink. And she felt her whole face heat up. He leaned in, giving her more lovely, gentle kisses from him. 

He leaned away, only slightly. "Told you I was going to make it up to you with lots of kisses." he leaned in, kissing her once more. "And I would hug you.. buuuut." he chuckled, looking down at his attire. "But I guess this is my cue to take a shower since I _do_ want to give you a hug."

"Yeah.." she tried to sound uninterested. But the blush was still there. "You do that." then she remembered and looked at the dog. "You _and_ the dog."

"Aye, aye, captain." he cheesed with a salute. He gave her a kiss on the cheek and bent down to pick up the dog. "Alright, Lion. Time to go get cleaned up."

..........................

After giving both the dog and his collar a good washing, Lion was finally done with his scrub down. Then it was his turn. And after what felt like twenty five minutes of nonstop scrubbing and picking between crevices and lathering up and down and here and there, and rinsing and scrubbing some more, it finally seemed like he got every piece of dirt and rock and twig and.. whatever else was in the mud, off of him. 

Then he had to give the tub a scrub down.. then wash his feet again.. then give the tub _another_ wash..

Lion was laying by the hamper and being a good boy. 

Steven stepped out the shower and Lion got up. He opened the door and the dog ran out the room and Steven felt the cold hit his skin and his nether regions. He shivered, stepping onto the fuzzy gray carpet. 

Connie had put the flowers in a vase already and laid it out on the counter. Now she was putting the dog food in a cabinet, her back facing him and he used that time to throw the wet GemTech shirt and the gun under the bed. Then he put the rest of the cash back in the Cheeseburger backpack and went to the dresser. He saw Lion's round, light blue bed over by the corner with a few toys. The other half, she most likely put away in the closet. 

She closed the cabinet and stood back up. "I moved all of our cans out this cabinet, so this is his personal one. And it has his medicine in here too." 

His slipped on his boxers. "Awe, thanks." He threw a plain shirt over his wet hair and turned around fully to her. "But now I feel bad that I didn't put anything away."

"No, I wanted things a certain way." he saw that side smile. "I know how you can put things just anywhere."

"Hey. I take offense to that."

"Uh, you do, Steven." she had that "I know I'm right" look on her face. "If it wasn't for me, you would've lost a thousand things by now. Majority of them being your earphones and your socks. Which, Steven. I honestly have no idea how you do that."

"It's easy." he whined.

She held in a chuckle. "I literally wash AND put your socks away. All you do is put them on your feet and you somehow _still_ lose them. And I have to be the heroine and find them for you." 

"It's not my fault, Connie. I'm telling you, those socks have a mind of their own." 

"So they just, get up and.. walk away.." she fanned her dainty fingers. 

"Well.. yeah." he started walking over towards the kitchen. "Between you and me Connie, I think it's these small little crystals that crawl in them and like, make them come to life. And." he nodded, pleased with his theory. "that's how they walk away." 

"Crystals that.." she chuckled. "Wow, you really do have a wild imagination, Universe." 

"Gotta keep the conversation entertaining." he shrugged. "Can't have you getting bored with me." 

She met him at the counter. "I could never get bored with you." she gave him a peck on his cheek. 

And she saw his grin turn into a huge toothy smile as he raised his hand up to touch at the part she'd kissed. As if he'd just been kissed for the first time on his cheek. 

She chuckled and when he wrapped his arms around, giving her a nice, warm hug she chuckled more and she wrapped her arms around his neck. And he pulled her in close as he kissed the bridge of her nose, then down to her lips. 

..............................

The night went by great. She'd already eaten and left his food in the fridge. He fed Lion and put the medicine in his food and started eating his own.

Afterwards, he told Connie about his light schedule for the next two weeks, but also telling her that his schedule could _also_ change. 

They chose Friday to hang out and after a light discussion of what they could do on their _hopefully_ full free day, they decided on going to the movies to see the new DogCopter movie. The reviews had been good for the movie and they'd been meaning to watch it for quite some time.

And after watching a bit of shows online, he'd offered her a foot rub, still on the path to making things up to her. And after reassuring her that there was no funny business and he told her, with a side smile that he couldn't quite get rid of, that it would just be a massage, she had agreed to it. 

Besides, she _really_ did miss his foot massages. And the last one she got was.. well, about two months ago.. 

That particular massage..

..having led to one thing..

..which had led to another..

Which had led to why she had to take her pregnancy vitamins every morning for the next following months.. 

  
  


And after the amazing foot massage, they used the rest of the night to cuddle up close to each other and giving each other little pecks amongst their light conversations until one of them had fell asleep. The other, falling asleep shortly after. 

And Lion, right at the foot of their bed.

The dog relaxed and comfortable, in the light blue cushion of his bed. 

.................................

Even though it had been a few days, Steven was already getting in a routine of waking up between one and two in the morning to take Lion out. He'd even tried to teach him to sit, thinking about finally training the dog. But, Lion wasn't having it and he proceeded to bulldoze Steven and run towards the door. And after getting up off the floor, he gave up easily and opened the front door to take him out to do his business. 

They came back ten minutes later. And Steven gave him a doggy biscuit from the PetGenius store (even though he didn't sit earlier) and he let the dog eat it in his bed (already breaking Connie's rule of not letting the dog eat on their bed.. which _technically_ wasn't _breaking_ her rules persé, since he was eating in _his_ own bed. Which, just so happened to be _on_ their bed.) 

And Steven gave Lion a few ear scratches, gave Connie a loving kiss on the temple and laid down beside her, going back to sleep. 

  
  


Steven woke up before his eight o'clock phone alarm, waking up at seven fifty seven instead ..And laying in bed and resting his eyes until he heard the alarm ring beside him, waking Lion up with its chirps and chimes. 

He turned it off and sat up. A bit upset that he missed Connie before she left. He would've loved to had given her a hug and a kiss before she left for work.. 

He unlocked his phone and clicked on her name. 

**Have a beautiful day. I already can't wait to see you when you get home. I lo-**

He backspaced a few times. 

**Have a beautiful day. I already can't wait to see you when you get home. XOXO, your jammie buddie.** He giggled at the little nickname _of_ a nickname.

He clicked. 

**Message Sent**

He slid off the bed. "Alright, Lion. Time for some breakfast." then his bladder hit him. "Uh, after a quick bathroom break." he ran into the bathroom.

  
  


Steven opened the cabinet. _Lion's_ official cabinet, which made him happy that he had his own. Especially since _Connie_ was the one who did that. 

She really _was_ giving him a chance. 

He took out the bag and Lion hopped down, running towards Steven, wagging his tail. 

"Whoa, okay. Calm down, calm down." he almost lost his balance with Lion toppling all over him. "Lion." he laughed. "I can't pour the food if you're in the way." he gently pushed him back and tipped the bag over the bowl. The kibbles and bits clunked inside of his _new_ bowl.

Lion dove right in his delicious meal. 

Steven rolled the bag up and took the medicine out the cabinet. He carefully placed the pill within the food while he was still eating and he put the medicine back in the cabinet and got up. Then he rinsed out his _new_ water bowl and poured fresh water in it and set it down in its pristine, sturdy holder. 

He washed his hands. "Now, I wonder what Connie made." he opened the fridge and took out his plate and unwrapped the cover. He gasped. "Blueberry French toast!!" he did a little happy dance and put the plate in the microwave. He poured his self a glass of orange juice and set his fork and the syrup on the counter, getting ready.

He heard a ding and popped open the door. Immediately smelling the blueberry, cinnamon goodness. The butter she put having melted all over and between the cracks in the squares. 

He sat down at the counter, prayed over his food and went RIGHT in, devouring the breakfast with such bliss and awe. Every bite, exquisite, impeccable. Absolutely scrumptious.

He took his time eating the food, savoring every delicious flavorful bite. 

But alas, it came to an end eventually.. and he'd finished his food. He finished the rest of his orange juice and washed the dishes and walked over to the bed. He sat down in front of Lion who was already nestled inside his bed.

He looked at the clock on the wall. It was almost nine o'clock. He looked over at the canine. "Okay, Lion. In a little over an hour, Amethyst will pick us up for our mission. It should be pretty easy. It's just a little trade with some dude, so it should be pretty quick." then a smile spread to his face. "Then we have a few days ooooofff!!!" then he remembered. "Well, hopefully we do. And IF. we do, then it'll be just you, Connie and I actually having fun!!" Lion put his head on the bed, closing his eyes. "Yeeeeesss." he drawled. "And of course relaxing is good toooo." he chuckled. 

He heard a chime from his phone and stuck his hand under the covers to find it.

He found it and unlocked it. It was a message from Connie and instantly he started feeling butterflies in his stomach. 

With a smile on his red face, he clicked on the message. 

**Jammie buddie? Okay, that earned a literal laugh out loud chuckle from me 🤣. And I just got at work. I get off at five, so I shouldn't be getting home too late, but with rush hour, anything goes. And I can't wait to see you either. Have fun at work. I'll see you soon. IXOXO, jammie buddie**

Steven laughed at her using the same nickname. And just like that, he was in an even BETTER mood because she texted him.

He locked his phone and placed it back on the bed and crawled over to Connie's side. He picked up the laptop from off the table and crawled back to his side. 

He had about roughly an hour left to relax and surf the web for a bit and he opened the laptop up and turned it on, putting in the password and going to TubeTube. 

He went to his "Saved For Later" history, clicking on the first video. Already anticipating the next two weeks of hopefully nothing but nonstop relaxation and fun.

The video came on and the ad popped up. He waited for the skip button. 

And just like how he simply had a _feeling_ he, Connie and Lion were going to have an interesting outing on Friday, he had a feeling that these next two weeks.. were going to be something interesting as well.. Like something huge and shocking was going to happen.

He clicked on the skip button. 

He just, couldn't put his finger on it.

The video started playing. 

But whatever was going to happen, he just couldn't wait. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woooohooo!! I actually passed one hundred chapters!!
> 
> And I'm still trying to piece together Onion Trade 😫  
Buuuut I'm getting there :3


	108. Onion Trade

Steven closed the laptop and crawled across the bed, laying it back down on the table. With just fifteen minutes to spare, he wanted to leave out so he could take Lion out for a bathroom and to start his training again. He wanted to at least teach him how to sit. 

He put his clothes on (once again, forgetting the damp Crystal Gem shirt under the bed and the.. gun that Amethyst wanted him to bring..) and he went over to Lion's cabinet and dumped a few dog biscuits in his hand. Then he walked over to the other cabinet, grabbing a few sandwich baggies. He stuffed them in his pocket. "Okay, Lion. Time for another mission. Let's go." he slipped on the clean flip flops that Connie had cleaned off for him.

Lion looked at him. 

"Coooome on. We're not doing this again. You have to come with me. I can't leave you here." 

Lion huffed and put his head down on the bed.

Steven sighed, with a small smile on his face. "Alright, Lion. Would you.." the dog looked up again as Steven grabbed one of the treats in his hand. "do it for a.. doggy biscuit? Eh? ..ehhh?" he waved the treat down to the floor enticingly. 

Lion hopped down, running towards him and Steven leaned back up. "Uh, uh, uh. You have to sit first." 

Lion huffed, tail wagging for the treat. He sniffed the air. 

"Nope. Ya gotta sit." 

Lion looked at him, tilting his head. 

Steven leaned over, pressing the dog's back gently to the ground. "You have to siiiit, Lion." he pressed his back farther to the ground until the dog was sitting on the floor. "Sit." he emphasized and leaned back up, just as the dog stood back. "Aw, no, Lion. You have to sit. That's how you'll get the treat." he showed Lion the biscuit and Lion jumped up, Steven making a startled yelp as the dog knocked him into the door. His front paws on Steven's stomach and the sudden jump from the dog and the impact from the wall.. causing him to drop _two_ treats. One that he'd grabbed for Lion and one from the other hand that'd slipped through his fingers. 

Lion leaned off, quickly nabbing the first treat. "Hey!" Steven managed to pick up the second one. He leaned back up. "Pfft.. that's your one and only freebie, Lion." he opened the door. "We'll practice outside while we wait for the Gems." he waited until the dog finished the treat before walking out and Lion followed him. 

He locked the door and the two walked down the two flight of steps and out the main door. Steven walked around the corner. "Alright, Lion. You should know what to do by now." the dog was already sniffing the area.

Steven waited for Lion to come back from the grass and the dog watched him intently as Steven grabbed a biscuit from his hand. "Alright, let's try this again." he smiled. "Lioooon. Sit." the dog looked at him. 

"Okay, here I go again." he mumbled to himself. He leaned down, pushing the dog gently towards the ground until he was sitting down on the gravel. "Sit. Siiiiiit.... Sit." he commanded and leaned up. And Lion stood back up.

He sighed. "Lion. Sitting should be pretty simple.. Come on, let's do it again." he leaned down again, pushing the dog towards the ground to a sitting position. He kept his hand there for a few moments. "Siiiiit. Siiiiiiit." he waited a few more moments. "Sit. Siiiiit." he lifted his hand up slowly as he started leaning back up. "Siiiit. Sit.. Sit.." 

The dog stayed and Steven smiled. "Yeah!! Good boy!!" he threw the treat down and Lion nabbed it.

He grabbed another treat in his hand. "Okay, let's see if you can do it again." he cheesed.

Lion crunched on the last pieces and looked up at him. 

"Sit... Siiiiit." 

The dog leaned down halfway. His butt not fully to the ground before he stood back, tail wagging for another treat. 

"Nooo. You didn't sit down all the way." he leaned over, using the same method again of pushing him towards the ground to a sitting position. "Siiiiit." and he leaned back up. And Lion stayed. 

And Steven waited. "Sit. Siiit." he looked at the dog. 

Lion continued to sit. 

"Good. Boy!" he gave him another biscuit. 

Steven continued his small training session with the last four treats, until the armored Inkas truck turn into the alley from a side street. 

"Hey, looks like the Gems are coming." he stood up straight, still in a great mood. Not even seeing the Gems getting him nervous or dampening his mood in the slightest.

The car stopped just a few feet away. 

"Okay, come on Lion." 

He opened the door. "Good morning Amethyst, Garnet, Pearl." Lion jumped in and he hopped in after, closing the door behind him. 

" 'Sup."

"Hello, Talc."

And Pearl gave him an acknowledgement nod and a "Hey." 

"Now. For our last mission for this week, we're just going to meet up with Onion at the pier. Literally, just get the jewels from him and give him this." she raised her hand up, holding a big black bag. 

And with that, Steven had a couple questions. 

"Amethyst?" 

"Yup?" 

"If it's that easy then.. Why do all of us have to go? It seems like a simple enough mission to just, _hand_ him his stuff and we get our jewels."

"Dude, it doesn't matter. If it's a mission, no matter _how_ simple it is or how simple we _think_ it is, we all have to go. Besides, anything could happen. For all we know, he could have a few guys waiting for us so he could take, both this bag _as_ well as the jewels." then a beat later. "Well, _try_ to take both the bag and the jewels. Obviously he wouldn't be able to. Buuuut, he could be dumb enough to try."

"R, right." 

"Anyway, I doubt he'll be that dumb to try anything funny with us. So, we'll just hand him his stupid collectibles and get our jewels."

_So_ that's_ what's in that bag.. Well, that answered my other question.._

_Still.._

He raised an eyebrow. "Just.. collectibles?"

"Yup." 

"But.. wouldn't it'd been more money and more valuable for him to just _sell_ the jewels? That would make more sense." 

She scoffed. "We would've killed him if he done that." Steven swallowed.. "And we made that very clear to him. He found some jewels or stole them or.. however he got them, we don't care. We demanded him, _while being in our Crystal Gem attire mind you_, to give us those jewels." she scoffed once more. "The dude had the audacity to ask for a trade and, while we _could've_ just ended it right then and there, I decided to humor him. Why not? He wanted to do a trade for these stupid G.U.Y figures." she shrugged. "Told him sure." then a mischievous smile swept across her face. She chuckled. "I didn't mind one bit." 

Was.. there something he was missing? The chuckling and how she was acting made it seem like it was something else to what she was doing..

Not only that but.. he couldn't imagine the Crystal Gems, especially someone like _Amethyst_ to do a trade and not just.. outright _steal_ from him..

"Well, looks like you're lost in the sauce." he kept his confused look on her through the rearview mirror. "Surprised you never questioned us doing this trade." that sly smile was still on her face. "Che, the Crystal Gems _don't_. do. trades. BUT, I've made an exception."

He hesitated.. Should he ask?.. He tried to not look away from her stare. "..Why?" 

"Simply put. We want to try _this_ baby out." she put the bag down and pulled up a teal colored tool. On top of the handle was a small yellow sphere. Within it, a small pink ball. Two antennas protruded from the yellow sphere and on the end of the antennas were two pink spheres. "It's a replicator wand." 

"To like.. replicate stuff?" 

"Ah, what a bright boy." she mocked. "Yes, it's in the name. 'Rep.licator. wand'." She twirled the wand in her hands. "A couple of Peridot's workers made this a couple days ago. She wanted us to try it out. See if it worked or not." she threw the wand in the air and caught it by the handle. "We already used it on our stuff, but that doesn't mean that nothing could happen. Also, it would be fun jipping _him_ off if this _doesn't_ work. I mean, come on! We're robbers! Thieves! We don't care about trading! We wouldn't dare deal with some silly, stupid trading when we could EASILY just steal it from him! And, we _were_ going to do that actually. Just straight up rob his ass unlike last time when he told us he wanted to trade. But theeeeen, Peridot sent us this little gadget. So, I decided to use this for a bit of testing fun. It's like those stupid wrestlers that we were fighting after the match. They weren't anything serious and _this_ mission isn't serious. So this is just something to mess around with. See what the replicas of these G.U.Y toys do.. Blow up? Eventually disintegrate? The material turns into acid? Who knows, but I'm quit curious." A beat later. "And if it _does_ end up working, then we can start replicating jewels." and there goes the mischievous smile once more.

Steven thought of it pretty mean for her to play around and possibly jip him off with the toys.. Even if he _was_ apparently famous for doing the same thing to people..

But.. to have him give them the jewels all for the toys to break up or explode, leaving him with nothing? That wasn't right.. but, at the same time, at least she was taking a more gentle approach and not.. stealing or.. _killing_ him.. 

Even if that _was_ a potential option for her-

"Hey, Talc." he looked up. She'd turned around in her chair. "Think fast!" she pressed the button on the replicator wand. "Ya got TWO arms on one side now!!" she laughed as the white light hit his arm. 

He screamed, flailing his arm in the air. "NOT THREE ARMS!!!! AAAHHHHH!!!" he unzipped his jacket and yanked off his two shirts. He inspected his arm and his side, looking for another appendage to protrude through as Amethyst roared with laughter. "Duuuude! I'm kidding! I'm kidding!" she cackled. "The replicator doesn't work on humans or like, replicates body parts." he looked at her, his breathing slowly calming down. "It only works on inanimate objects." 

"O..Oh.." he panted. 

She snorted. "You _really_ do get riled up soooo fast.. Look, see for yourself. Garnet, Pearl and I already tried it out a few times." she threw the wand and he caught it. "So I just.." he looked at the wand and found the button. He thought about what to replicate and slid the flip flops off. He pressed the button and the white light shot out of it. Then nothing happened.. He looked up at Amethyst. "Gotta press the button again." she said and he pressed it. In a quick flash of light, a pair of pink and pristine flip flops fell to the floor. "Whoaa.." he whispered.

"Yup, pretty cool." Amethyst agreed. 

He slid the new pair on. "It feels just like your average pair of flip flops!" 

"Ah doy."

"So cool." he looked at the wand close to his chest. 

Amethyst's eyes trailed up to his bare chest with the two wounds stitched across. "Hm, and nice stitches, by the way." she gestured at the work on his chest.

"Huh?" he looked away from the replicator and down to his chest. "Oh.. y, yeah. Those.." he couldn't remember who did the work.. "Gems really helped me.." the back of his mind regurgitated a few moments of him being shot.. to Amethyst.. _leaving_ him for dead.. and to him going under the anaesthesia and waking up in the hospital room.. "Yeah.." he mumbled. "_They _ helped me out a lot.."

"HA! So what's that supposed to mean?" she leaned in. "Awe, widdle Talc is upset because we left hiiiim." she cooed, mockingly.

He looked at her, resisting the urge to scowl.

"Well, sucks to be you. We told you about our motto. Every. Gems. For. Themselves. Now, had you been with _Garnet_ like how it was planned, that wouldn't had happened."

He sighed in his mind. She was right.. If he'd stuck to the task at hand and had not been lured in by Ki.. that most like wouldn't had happened..

Still.. to be left for dead.. was pretty intense.. and scary..

But, he nodded. Not saying anything.

She shrugged. "Buuuut, you did manage to find the jewels. Aaand at least you managed to make it out alive. _Again."_ she leaned back up. "But, it would behoove you to still go with our plans. Lest you want to mess things up." 

"R.. right.." 

Amethyst scoffed and turned back around in her seat. "Alright che. That's all I gotta say to you." she propped her feet up and leaned back. "Just sit back and relax your stitches." she snickered. "We should be at the pier soon." 

  
  


  
  


Ten minutes later and there was a, "Alright, we're here." by Amethyst. Then a beat. "And I see Onion already with someone else." she started putting on her mask and everyone else started doing the same.

Steven slipped his over his face, then leaned over, putting the mask over Lion's face and tucking his collar inside the mask. 

Amethyst raised her hand up. "Hold back, Garnet." and the woman stopped the car. "Let's see what's happening here.." 

In front of them, on the dock was Onion and a short, hefty man with a thick curly blond beard and gentle eyes. He wore a bright yellow rain hat, a big yellow raincoat with two light green stripes near the bottom, and light blue rain boots.

The two were talking amongst each other, seemingly having a nice little conversation.

"Could be a back up." said Amethyst. "Let's listen in." she, Garnet and Pearl pressed a button on their earpiece.

And Steven.. sat there.. Still without his gadgets.. and having to wait for what Amethyst had to say.

The three listened in:

"Muh-muh, muh muh MUH muh muuh, muh-muh muh-muh." the fisherman said to Onion.

Onion nodded. "Muh, muh muh muh-muh, muh, muuh muuh muh."

The fisherman scratched his beard in thought, then asked. "Muh muh muh-muh muh-muh?" 

Onion shrugged. "Muh-muh muh."

Amethyst, Garnet and Pearl exchanged confused glances. "The heck kind of language are they speaking in?"

Garnet and Pearl shrugged.

"We're going to translate this." she turned to the tablet. "C. G. V. U. Code number zero, seven, one, seven, one, nine, eight, nine. Translate language being spoken at one hundred and one degrees left." said Amethyst.

"Locating." said the male voice. Then there was a ding. "Found. Now translating."

The tablet screen turned to a bright white page with three blue horizontal lines going across the screen. The lines spiking up and down with their voices.

"Muh muh-muh, muh-" there was a sound of a low-frequency static then a deep, robotic voice (that sounded like the male voice from the car that purposely made his voice deeper.) "-when I get home."

"Okay, I'll see you when you come back, father."

The fisherman ruffled the young man's blond tuffs of hair and walked away.

"Darn it! Looks like we we're too late.." Amethyst growled out.

"Do you think he's to help Onion?" Pearl asked.

"Not sure. But we should keep an eye out, just in case."

The four of them watched as the fisherman stepped onto his little tugboat and untied the knot from the dock. He gave his son a wave and dropped the sail. 

Onion waved to his father as he sailed away from the dock.

"Let's wait a couple minutes until he's completely out of sight." said Amethyst.

  
  


With the boat long gone and Onion still by his self, Amethyst gave the nod. "Let's do this. Garnet, the security system." 

Garnet nodded and Pearl, then Steven got out, with Lion hopping out after him.

Pearl opened the door for Amethyst and she got out. 

A few moments later they heard the doors lock up and Steven realized that he still had the replicator in his hand. 

_Oh no! What am I going to do?!?!_

Garnet was making her way around the front of the vehicle.

"Okay. Let's go." Amethyst led the way and Steven quickly stuck the wand in his back pocket. The three of them with Lion sniffing the wood of the dock and lagging a bit behind, walked down the wooden dock of the pier and towards the young man on the bench.

"Yo. Onion." he turned around. His arm relaxing on the top of the bench. His blank expression towards the group.

They made it over towards him, walking around the bench and his unblinking eyes followed them until they'd stopped in front of him. He stood up.

"The jewels." said Amethyst.

His unblinking eyes never left Amethyst's glare.. 

Then he shook his head and pointed to the black bag in her hand.

"No." she said bluntly. "You give us the jewels first, _then_, we give you the bag." 

He raised an eyebrow at her. He looked at the bag, tilting his head at it. Then looked up at her again.

"Think they're not in here?" she opened the bag, taking out one of the G.U.Y figures. A man going by the name of Ranger Guy. "See?" she turned the plastic toy around in her fingers. "And there's plenty more of these G.U.Y.'s in the bag." she shook the bag in her hand. "Now." she put the toy back in the bag. "The jewels, Onion. I won't.ask you again." 

He looked at her, then over at the group. His eyes landing on Steven. He pointed at him.

The group looked at him.

"Uh.." he resisted the urge to step back from the eyes on him.

Amethyst looked back. "What. You trust him to do the hand off?" 

Onion nodded twice.

"Fine." she looked down the line. "Yo, Talc. Come here." 

Steven walked slowly towards them.

"Onion feels more comfortable with you doing the honors." she raised the bag in her hands. "Here. Keep this in your hand until he gives you the bag."

Steven grabbed the bag and looked at Onion.

The boy nodded with a very small smile and took one step to his side, revealing a lumpy gray bag on the bench.

He picked it up and handed it to Steven.

"Give the jewels to us first." Amethyst quickly demanded.

He handed it to her and she quickly started undoing the knot in the bag as Steven handed the other bag to Onion. He opened it and peered inside, taking out two G.U.Y figures and inspecting them. Then he opened the bag up wide, looking at all of the G.U.Y figures in the bag.

Amethyst was inspecting the third jewel. An orange agate. She nodded and held it out. Pearl grabbed it and held it in her hand with the other two jewels. Amethyst picked up a fourth one.

Onion closed the bag up and nodded to the group. He quickly went for his moped.

"STOP." Amethyst ordered and Onion froze with his hands on the handlebars.

"You're. not going _anywhere_ until I have fully inspected _all_ of these. You got that?"

Onion nodded silently. Though he kicked his leg over the moped and sat down on the seat. Amethyst glared at him for a few moments before looking back in the bag.

  
  


Moments passed with Amethyst looking at the gemstones thoroughly.

She sighed, shaking her head. "I can't believe this idiot.." she mumbled under her breath. She looked up at him. "Yo. Did you really think that you could pull a fast one on us and actually _mix_ the real gemstones. with the fake ones?" she stood back up. "Where's the other eight gemstones, Onion?" 

Onion looked at them. His expression unreadable.

And they waited for him to answer..

And he sat there..

And they waited some more.. Amethyst growing more and more impatient.

And he sat there..

And turned the key in the moped. The engine roared to life and he does off. 

Pearl and Garnet looked at Amethyst. She scoffed. A smug grin on her face. "Okay then. He wants to jip off the Crystal Gems? Heh.. Then let's play a little game. Let's make this fun and interesting." she took out a gun from the back of her belt and Steven gasped at the small pistol in her hand. "We'll play a nice little game of freeze tag. We'll all split up and whoever's the one to find or _tag_ Onion first.. they _ice_ him." 

Garnet and Pearl took out their pistols.

And Steven was feeling the gun against his back..

But he didn't dare take it out..

He couldn't..

He didn't want to..

Even if Onion wasn't a good person.. That doesn't give them the right to kill him.. 

Maybe they could find him and ask him again for the jewels? And.. maybe this time he would give the jewels to them?

"Talc. Don't tell me you forgot your gun." 

He swallowed. "N, no Amethyst." 

"Then. _ what._ are you waiting for?" she whispered lowly. "Take the gun out." then, in such a quick change of her voice, she said casually. _"We're_ going on a nice little hunt for our dear friend, Onion." 

"But.."

" 'But'. _what?"_

"Can't we just.. ask him again?"

"He had his chance, Talc!" she shouted at him and he jumped at the sudden change of character. "We asked him for the jewels. And he didn't give all of them to us. So _now_, it's time to cap his ass between the eyes." she held the gun up.

"But.." he tried to think of something.. anything.. "but wouldn't that prevent us from getting the jewels?.. If we kill him?" 

"We'll get it out of him ONE way or another! THEN we kill him!" 

"But what if he doesn't tell us?! What if he.. doesn't respond well to threats and he ends up dying before he even tells us?-" As if a sudden switch, Amethyst started to think back at the arcade.. and the guy that she'd tortured. He didn't tell her anything and he died not telling her anything.. Same thing goes for the other guys.. They all died before telling them _anything_.. all except one and he barely knew anything-

"Maybe we should.. take another approach?" she heard Steven say.

She shook her head of the thoughts and looked at him.

"Maybe if we take a less abrasive approach.. he would tell us where they are?"

Amethyst scowled at him, not wanting to listen to him.. They will _always_ take a more abrasive approach.. Even if it didn't work on those guys..

She held a hand up and he stopped talking. "Or _maybe_." she contorted her face into a snarl. "we should change our little game up."

"Huh?"

"You want to save him so much? _You_ go look for him." 

"What??"

She straightened her back up. "And we'll time you. We'll give you exactly thirty minutes." she took out her phone and unlocked her screen. "And if you can't find him and get the jewels, then we won't spare him." she pressed in the numbers on the timer, then hovered her thumb over the iniciar (start) button. "In other words, the three of us _will_ find you first.. and" she spun the gun in her hand and stopped it right at his face and Garnet tensed up. Amethyst's index tapped on the trigger and Steven closed his eyes, flinching. He heard her snickering. "one of us will cap _you._" Garnet suppressed a look of worry.. trying to keep her stoic composure. "Then, we'll start with part two of our game and find Onion and cap _him."_

"But.. Amethyst." he whined. "How would I even-"

"Your search starts NOW, Talc!" she shouted with a wild smile on her face. Her eyes.. even more feral. She held the phone up for everyone to see as she clicked on the button. The timer going down and Steven started running on a full on sprint away from them and down the other side of the dock where Onion had sped down on his moped.

Lion heard the clonk of his flip flops on the board and looked up from a sardine bucket he was smelling. He licked his nose, tasting the fish residue. He saw Steven running away and he ran after him, passing the Gems and down the pier.

"Heh. There's no way he'll be able to find him in a city as big as Empire. Especially not on foot and without all of our gadgets." Amethyst locked her phone and put it in her pocket. "Okay you two. Back in the car. We'll be keeping a close eye on Talc." she turned to face them, heading towards the car. "We'll be using our nice little tracker again and we'll be watching his every move in the vehicle.


	109. The hunt and the hunted

Steven had been running for what felt like _too_ long of a time when you were being timed.

He'd ran up and down streets and alleys and passing various buildings and apartment complexes in the HUGE city of Empire..

Just _hoping_ that he would somehow find Onion AND get the jewels from him before it was too late. 

This was both his AND Onion's life he was trying to save.

And if he was too late..

He continued to panick, looking everywhere around him.

  
  


But alas.. just a couple minutes passed and he was out of breath.. Tired.. exhausted.. 

He nearly collapsed on the wall, his lungs burning and he remembered why.. berating himself harshly for forgetting what'd happened to him just not too long ago.. 

"Lion." he wheezed. "Onion.. could be ANYWHERE!!" he took a few deep, painful breaths. "And I know... I must have like.. twenty minutes left.." he huffed, holding his chest. "I don't know if... I'll ever find him.." he thought about what Amethyst said. "And.. Amethyst is going.. to kill me and... him.." he tried to hold back his tears. "This might be it for me.." 

Lion whined, sensing Steven's stress.. He licked his hand. 

Steven looked down and pet him, failing to smile at the canine as he scratched behind his ears. He sighed. "Come on, let's just.. try to keep at it." he leaned off the wall slowly. "Where am I anyway?" 

Three prestigious skyrise buildings were in front of him on the other side of the street and various expensive looking cars were parked all along the valet strip of the street. 

Steven kept to the street he was on. Instead, going up the smooth-paved sidewalk, passing an expensive looking hotel and passing a.. random car wash that looked very out of place in such an expensive, rich looking spot such as this. 

He read the plain, neon sign at the top of the building. **It's a wash**

He looked at all of the expensive, luxurious cars parked behind each other as they waited for the cars to be washed. The valet boys, waiting patiently in the cars.

_Ah, that makes sense now.. This person must make a lot of money cleaning these rich people's cars.._

As he walked pass, reaching the other side of the building, he saw a very familiar Winnebago van parked right at the side of the building.

He kept his pace, going up the sidewalk and just as he was about to turn his head, he saw a familiar guy on the other side of the van. He looked to be talking to someone hidden by the front of the vehicle.

_Wait is that my neighbor?! The one that talks a lot and has that.. goofy, annoying son that sprayed me with the hose that one time?!_

_Oh, that's right.. He _ did_ offer me those free car wash ticket thingys.. But I can't remember him saying he actually _owned_ the car wash._

He watched the man with the farmer's tan scratch at his mullet. His hand then moving up and scratching the top of his bald head. He had an apologetic smile on his face as he talked to the person in front of him.

_Eh, whatever. This isn't important.. I have other important matters to attend to.. like finding.. -ONION?!?!_

His neighbor had moved out the way as Onion walked around from the front of the vehicle. The black bag in his hand.

"It's Onion, Lion!! Come on, we have to go." he ran passed the cars, looking around, at the same time _not_ trying to draw attention to himself as he slid just behind a few trees off the edge of the huge, cemented driveway.

Lion followed him, until he caught a scent and stopped to sniff a bush. Then sniffing the ground. He hiked his leg up.

Steven slid farther down the patch of trees, getting closer to the two. 

"I'm sorry Onion but.. I just don't feel.. uh.. comfortable. with giving you my 25V power share hydroshot portable power cleaner.. or the Hydro jet high pressure power washer.." then he sighed. "or the handheld steam cleaner.. Sorry there, kiddo, but these things aren't for playing-." 

Through the leaves, Steven saw Onion open the bag in front of the man.

  
  


His eyes went wide, looking at all of the collectibles in the bag. He brought his hands on top of his head in absolute shock. "G.U.Y.S.!! Guys, Under, Your, Supervision?!?!" he shouted in awe. "There's Ninja Guy, Construction Guy, Cop Guy, Eye Guy, Invisible Guy, Jagged Guy, Cat Guy, Apple Guy, and my son's main man, Ranger Guy!! The best of all the guys!!"

Onion nodded. A smug grin on his face. He shook the bag enticingly as he wiggled his eyebrows. 

"Oh.. well uh.." he thought about it. "Okay, deal! You can have the hydro jet high pressure power washer!" he shook the boy's hand and Onion handed him the bag. "My son is going to LOVE this! Hey! Gregory! Gregory!" he shouted for him.

Then he turned back to Onion. "The power washer is in the back." he followed the man to the back of the van and he opened the two back doors and balloons flew out of the back.

"Cool balloons." Steven whispered behind the trees. 

"Here ya go, kiddo." he handed Onion the power washer. "Don't know what you're planning on doing with that, but.." he gave him a nervous, yet hopeful smile. "I think I can at least trust you enough to put this to good use." Onion nodded. "and.. be careful with the pressure on there. Don't want it to hurt your arm." Onion nodded again. "Okay, well. That should be it right? Or.. am I missing something?" Onion shook his head and gave him a thumbs up. Then, he started walking walking away.

The man's expression went to a tinge of worry. "Oh, I hope I didn't make a bad decision just now.." he whispered to himself as he watched Onion walk away.

"Dad? Daaaaad!?" his son was calling for him as he walked down from the back of the building. 

"Gregory! There you are! Look what I just got for you son!" he cheesed. He opened the bag open and his son gasped. "G.U.Y.S!!!!!" he cheered as he grabbed the bag from his dad. "How did you get all of these?!?!"

"Eheheh, well, your old man has connections."

"The most AWESOMENESS of connections!!" he jumped on his toes. "Thanks dad!! You're the best!!"

"Ah, anything for you, Stu-ball." he ruffled his son's hair and he let out a guffaw. 

Steven was glued to the interaction.. something that he couldn't place.. but his chest tighten the more he watched the dad and his son having a good time.. and the son.. seeming to not have a care in the world.. and the dad.. just having a fun time bonding with his son..

He would've kept watching the wholesome interaction a bit longer as he tried figuring out what the feeling was.. but Lion nudged his hand. "Huh?" he looked down.

Lion looked at him, then turned his head, looking away from him and towards where Onion had walked down from. 

Then Steven remembered. "Oh yeah! Onion! Thanks for reminding me." he scratched at the dog's head. "Now let's go." he slid his way back down the trees and out into the clearing. He looked down, then up the sidewalk, catching Onion right at the next block. The boy was getting on his moped. 

"Oh no, Lion! He's getting away!!" he started running up the block.

Onion turned on the moped and started riding away, turning the corner and going up the street.

"No!! Aw man, aw man, aw man!! Now he could be ANYWHERE by the time we get to the corner!!" 

He passed a few buildings, ran pass a small park and finally got to the block. He huffed and heaved, trying to catch his breath _with his still recovering lungs_.. 

"See.. Lion.. he.. could be.." he panted, hands on his knees. "anywhere.. by now.." he looked up where Onion had rode and.. saw the moped just a few yards from him. The scooter having been parked just in front of a small suitcase store. 

"Suitcase Sam's? What's he doing in a store like that? Is he planning on travelling?" he walked up to the store, staying just off to the side as he stared into the glass window. 

Onion was inside haggling with a middle-aged man wearing a brown suit and an eye patch. The boy wanting something from the man in exchange for the power washer. 

The man was showing him a briefcase. 

"Oh, guess they sell briefcases there too.. What does Onion want with a briefcase?" 

He opened it and Onion looked at the interior. He shook his head and pointed to something that Steven couldn't see. A poster blocking the part of the counter he was pointing at. 

"Is he haggling with that guy? He's a tough customer." 

Sam was shown pointing at something and Onion nodded. 

"Looks like they worked something out." Steven observed. 

The man was taking a few things out that looked like bottles and cans and a few packs of food out of something. He placed the edible items all on the counter and picked up something and walked back over towards Onion. "Oh looks like Onion has a snazzy suitca- wait a minute.. That's a mini fridge!!" 

Onion nodded and gave the guy a thumbs up. He laid the power washer down and slid the fridge off the counter. 

"Onion just traded a power washer for the guy's personal fridge?!" 

Steven hid behind a newspaper dispenser as Onion walked out the store. He laid the heavy mini fridge on the front of the moped and started walking with the moped back down the sidewalk. 

"I wonder how this is gonna play out." 

  
  


Steven and Lion followed Onion, for a few minutes, _from a distance_ to a less crowded area away from the hassle and bustle of the city.

They hid behind a tree, Steven having to hold Lion to prevent the dog from running out. 

They watched as Onion put the kickstand out from the moped and picked up the fridge. "Now what is he going to do with that? Is there an outlet somewhere?" 

Onion placed the fridge on the cemented ground and opened it. He flipped it, mouth open, on the ground.

"That's odd.. What is he doing?"

Onion went back to the moped and popped the kickstand back in. He turned it on and turned around speeding up the park and away from the fridge. "OH NO!! HE'S GETTING AWAY!! Oh wait.. no, he's coming back." he saw the boy coming in hot on his ride. "Huh?" 

Onion accelerated on the scooter, changing gears. He flew pass Steven and towards the make shift fridge ramp.

He twisted the handles, cranking up the gears as he rode over top of the fridge, breaking it instantly as he lifted off into the air just slightly. He landed back on the ground and rode for a few feet, then turned the scooter, drifting the wheels to their side Akira style cross the rubble and cracked cement. His foot sliding across the ground until the moped came to a stop. 

"Did.. did Onion just DESTROY that perfectly good mini fridge just for fun?!?!" 

He couldn't believe it..

Onion rode by on his moped and stopped in front of the fridge. He looked down, inspecting how great the damage was. He nodded, pleased with himself.

"Man, I can't believe Onion just did that.. I, _I_ could've gotten that fridge!" 

Onion slid off the moped and opened the seat compartment up. 

"Oh now what is he doing.."

He opened up a gray bag and picked up a small can of soda. 

Steven gasped. Inside of the bag.. were also the rest of the jewels. 

Then he remembered _again_.

"Oh yeah!! The jewels!!" 

_And I probably only have ten or fifteen minutes left before it's too late!! _

He stepped out from the tree just as Onion was getting back on the moped. He threw the can down on the ground. "Onion, you're littering!" he pointed to the empty can. Then he said gently. "Also, could we please get our jewe-Hey!!" Onion rode pass him. 

He turned around. "Onion! Onion!" he sighed and ran down and picked up the can, before running back up the sidewalk towards Onion. 

The boy was watching him at the corner.

"Oh, come.. on.. Onion." he panted. "We just.. want our jewels.. please?" 

Onion rode down the block. 

"No!" he ran the rest of the way and stopped at the corner, panting. 

Onion was already at the next corner. 

Steven took a few deep breaths and started running again. 

Onion kicked back the stand and rode off. 

"Oh, come.. ON! How can.. I... catch up to.. him?" he leaned back on a pole to catch his breath. Something hitting the metal pole with a _CLINK_.

"Huh?" he reached behind himself and touched the replicator wand. "Oh." he leaned back once more. "Forgot I still had that.." he took in some more breaths.

His mind.. getting a small idea.. 

_Wait a minute.._

He grabbed the replicator wand from out of his pocket and looked at it. "That.. that just might work." 

He ran up to the next corner, hoping that Onion was still waiting for him at the next corner. 

He still was. 

As soon as he started running down, Onion rode down the sidewalk. 

"Come on, side alley, side alley, side alley, side-Yes!" he cut down a side alley, running down and seeing afull dumpster. "There we go." he pressed the button on the wand and white light shot out of it. It hit the dumpster and he ran passed it, hoping that he would cut Onion off at the next corner. 

He exited the alley and looked up. Onion was looking the other way, looking for him. 

Steven took a few deep, painful breaths and ran up.

Onion saw something from the corner of his eye and looked up to see the pink masked figure running up towards him. He jumped in shock before quickly turning his moped around and speeding off.

"Oh, no you don't." Steven held the wand up. "Man I hope this goes far enough." he pressed the button and in a split second beam of light the dumpster appeared and landed right in front of Onion. He stopped abruptly, just a foot away from it. 

He turned left and Steven pressed the button again. 

Another dumpster appeared, blocking his path and he turned around, going for the other way when Steven pressed the button again. A third dumpster slammed down on the ground. Onion being blocked three ways. 

The boy turned around as Steven slowly walked up to him. Lion right by his side. 

Onion leaned his self up slowly. One leg on the ground and keeping balance as he popped open the seat again. He grabbed the jewels out of the seat and sat back down. 

"Now, Onion." the boy was revving up the gear on the moped. "You're cornered. Can we please just get the rest of the-" Onion let go of the moped, the scooter driving fast right towards them. "WHOA!!" he swiped across the ground and the bubble formed around them. The moped crashed into the bubble, the bubble not even making a ripple. "Phewf now _that_ was close." he saw Onion squeezing between the two dumpsters and running off. "You can't get away from me now, Onion!" he waved the sand in the air. He kept the bubble, running towards him as onlookers gawked and pointed and shouted at the two, more so at the masked figure in a pink bubble with a masked dog.

Steven pressed the button on the wand again and the dumpster landed right in front of Onion. The boy turned around. Steven was just a few feet away from him. 

He panicked. Looking left, then right. Then he looked left again and ran up the stairs of an old abandoned row house. He climbed onto the banister and jumped, grabbing the ledge of the broken window. He climbed in. 

"Looks like I have to jump in." he swiped across the bubble, the bubble disappearing instantly and he ran up the stairs. He climbed up the banister. "Whoa." and nearly lost his balance. He jumped and grabbed onto the edge of the window and pulled himself up. He climbed in, falling hard on the bare floor. 

He got up, groaning as he looked around the dimly lit, dingy, disgusting house. He took a few steps and heard some scratching. He turned around and saw Lion slinking his way in through a small hole in the thin piece of wood that'd replaced the actual door.

The dog walked over to him. "Careful, Lion.. This place looks pretty unstabled.." he pressed his foot down on the weak floorboards. "Hm.." he walked away. "We need to be _really_ careful.."

He heard the sound of footsteps above him. "Onion." he jogged up the stairs, being careful to not put too much pressure on the stairs and looking out for any wide cracks and holes. 

There were two bedrooms on the floor and he opened one of them. He peered in. 

Empty.. say for the filthy carpet.. And a closet with the door cracked open.

_Hmm.._

He walked towards the closet, cautiously..

And opened it.

Empty.

He heard the sound of footsteps going up the stairs. "Onion!" he turned around and left out the room, going up the last flight of steps.

Three rooms were on the floor. "Now which one can he.." he looked at the three opened doors before choosing the one on the left. He walked in, hearing a noise in the closet. "There we go.." he walked towards the closed door. Hand slowly reaching the doorknob. 

He grabbed it. 

And twisted, pulling the door opened. 

And a flood of rats poured out the closet and he screamed, jumping as he felt a few of their little feet hit his bare feet. Some jumping up and hitting his leg. 

Lion barked at them and ran out the door after them. 

"Lion, no!! Lion!!-" he clicked his teeth. He ran out the room and ran to the middle room. The closet door was opened and he could see the pulldown latter. 

"No.. don't tell me he went up on the roof?" he walked inside and went to the closet. "No way he did that.. There's no way to get down from the roof if he.." he grabbed hold of the ladder and pulled it down. "Hm, seems sturdy enough." He grunted, lifting himself up. 

He pushed open the unlocked square door, sunshine instantly hitting him in the face and he blinked a few times in the sunlight. He climbed up onto the asphalt of the roof and looked around. 

Nobody was there. 

"He must still be in the building-" he heard some barking below him and he ran to the edge of the roof. Lion was running after Onion. "How did he get down there that fast?!" 

Onion hopped on the gate in the alley and started climbing it as Lion took a lunge towards him. He missed him. His paws on the gate as he barked at the boy climbing up and over the fence. A piece of his red pants getting snagged on a piece of wiring. He pulled, the fabric tearing at the knee as he climbed down to the other side. 

"Onion!!!!!" both the boy and Lion looked up.

Steven stood there. Not sure what to do since he was _all_ the way on top of the roof.. 

He didn't have a rope like Amethyst.. 

And he couldn't super jump and land from tall heights like the Gems could.. 

The boy hopped down and landed on the ground. He looked back up at Steven. 

"Give us those jewels!!" he pointed at him. 

Onion stared at him.. and stared at him.. before bringing the bag up to his face and kissing it. He started walking casually away. 

"Onioooooon!!!!" he ignored him, not even turning around as he walked towards the street. He threw the drawstring bag over his back.

"Now what am I going to do?! I'm not gonna have enough time to go _all_ the way downstairs!" 

He heard a chime as his phone vibrated in his pocket. He snatched his phone out and unlocked the screen. The message was from Amethyst.. And his heart skipped a beat..

**You have three point five minutes remaining.**

Then there was another chime. 

**And we're close by.**

Panicking now, he looked around as he jammed his phone back in his pocket. 

_What am I going to do?! What am I going to do?! What am I going to do?!_

He saw a bird fly pass and down towards the ground. Onion was walking across the street now.

_If only I could just FLY.. but I can't!! I'm not a bird!! I don't have wings!!_ He looked around the roof. _And there's nothing that could help me float or glide down and!!-" _

_Wait.._

He looked down. 

_Except for my GemTech shirt!!_

_That.. I've yet to use.._

_I don't even know how to.._ He opened his arms up, hoping that the wings would come out. 

They didn't.

And he failed his arms around more. "Come on!! Come on!!" he jumped up, throwing his arms and flapping them in the air.

Nothing

Onion was walking down the other side of the sidewalk.

_NO!!_

He slid his elbows down. 

Nothing. 

"Come on now.. How do I-" he dragged his elbows up and behind himself as he raised his arms up. GemTech, glider wings sprouted from the base of the shirt, attaching to the end of his short sleeves.

He gasped. "I did it!" he took a few steps and stood on the edge.

Immediately getting terrified of the heights..

Not being sure how to work the wings on the shirt..

_What if I ended up falling on my face?_

He heard a chime and felt his phone vibrate. His thoughts immediately flying out of his mind.

_If I fall on my face, I'm dead! And if I don't get those jewels in time and Amethyst catches me, I'm dead!! _

"Well.. here goes nothing." he took a few steps back and started running towards the edge. He jumped off, already screaming before he started gliding down fast and banking left hard as he fell forward. His feet way above his head. 

He tried holding in his terrified screams as he tried focusing more on his steering as his feet came back down. The rush of the wind hitting his face and hitting the wings on his shirt, pushing his torso farther up.

_H, how do I steer this thing?!_

Halfway towards the ground now and nearing an edge of a building, he tried to bank the other way before he crashed into it. He put his left arm down, closing a bit of the left wing and the air pushed him hard to the right, missing the edge of the building and his feet pushed up above his head with the force.

The force pushing him too far right and he opened the left wing back up and closed just a bit of the right wing as he tried pushing his torso up, the wind pulling him back to the left as his feet leveled out with his body, before dipping back down, the wind pushing his torso up as the wind pushed up on the gliders.

Onion was just in front of him. 

And below him.

He grunted against the wind, pulling his elbows in slowly, pushing the wings in to grab less air in order to lower himself down more.

_Now I got you._

He banked left, then right, then left and right again as he continued to raise and pull his arms in to steer. His legs tilting up and down.

Steven opened his hands, ready to crash into Onion as he pulled his elbows in more, closing more of the gliders. 

Then, right behind him now, he pulled his elbows all the way in, closing the wings and he dove in, crashing into the boy. The two tumbling down the sidewalk. 

Onion kicked him in the side, trying to get up from under him and Steven held on to one of his arms as he used his other hand to swipe across the ground. The bubble forming around them.

He let go and got up. Ignoring the wings still protruding from the shirt.

Onion stepped back, his back pressed up against the bubble. He held his hands up in a stance. 

"Onion, the jewels! You're already stuck in the bubble, there's nothing you can do! Now hurry up and give me the bag before Amethyst comes and kills BOTH of us!!"

Onion dropped his hands immediately. He took the bag off and held it up.

"Thank you." he grabbed the bag of jewels.

He heard a chime and his phone vibrated. "Oh no!! I think the time is up!!" he swiped across his bubble and it disappeared.

"And you have to hide, Onion!" he watched as Steven pressed the button on the replicator. A dumpster fell to the ground just on the side of them. "She'll probably still kill you even if I do have the jewels." he pressed the button and a white light shot out of the wand and to the trash bags inside. "So she can NOT see you!" he held the wand up towards Onion's and he scrunched up his face as he held his hands up, not know what Steven was going to do.

"Sorry, Onion." he pressed the button a few times and in split seconds of lights, trash bags started to form all around him, covering him.

The Inkas truck shot around the corner and Steven saw the vehicle from the corner of his eye. He spun around, away from the trash bags and put the replicator back in his pocket. He tried pushing the gliders back in. "Come on.. Now how do you put them back in?" 

The truck stopped abruptly in front of him and he threw his hand in the air with the bag. "I got the jewels in time, like you told me to!!" he blurted out. 

A few moments later and the driver's window rolled down. Amethyst leaned in over Garnet in the driver's side. "Hm.. so it appears." she said. Then she looked around the trash filled area. "And Onion?" 

"Uh, he left! Yeah, uh.. Ran off. Faaaar away from here." he gave her a nervous smile

She gave him a leveled stare. 

And he swallowed.

She looked just below his face. "Looks like you finally tempted to use those wing gliders."

He looked down. "Uh, y, yeah." he raised his arms up and the wings spread out wide on the side of his shirt. "I just don't.. know how to put them back.." 

"Eh, you'll figure it out eventually. It's pretty obvious. Now, come on. We got the jewels and the missions over. Time to talk your sweaty tail back home."

_I'm THAT sweaty?!_

He took a few steps then stopped.. remembering his trusty canine friend. "I have to find Lion!"

"Yeah, _you're_ going to do that. Not us. Hand us the jewels."

Steven walked over and lifted his arm up. Garnet grabbed it and handed the bag to Amethyst. "Let me double check these.." she sat back in her chair.

Steven waited for her, using that time to try and put the wings inside his shirt. With the fifth try of him doing the opposite of how he opened the wings up. He dragged his elbows downwards, down his sides, this time, farther down his torso. The GemTech wings keeping closed against his shirt.

_I did it!_

He couldn't help but smile and he looked up. Garnet was staring right at him. She had a hint of a smile on her face. She nodded. 

And that made him smile more.

"Okay." and Garnet quickly went to a more stoic look as she looked to her boss as she stood back up. "These are all real. Looks like you managed to get us our jewels, Talc. Heh, I honestly can't believe it." she tied the bag up. "Well, we got our stuff. Now have fun finding that dog of yours." she leaned up. "Garnet, let's go. We're going back to the base."

Garnet nodded and rolled her window up and Steven watched as the truck pulled off from the sidewalk.

Steven waited for a few moments before turning back to Onion. "Okay, Onion. Close is clear." he started pulling the trash bags off of him. "Sorry about putting all of that trash on you.. But I panicked.. And I didn't want Amethyst to kill you."

Onion pushed a couple trash bags from his shoulder and shook his head smiling as he gave Steven a thumbs up. 

"What's that? You didn't mind that?"

Onion shook his head, still smiling.

"No hard feelings?!"

Onion shook his head again.

"That's SO great to hear, Onion! Glad to see that we're on good terms!" he smiled.

Onion nodded and opened his arms.

"What's this now? You want a hug too?"

Onion nodded. 

"Sure! I LOVE giving hugs." he hugged him, giving Onion a pat on the back. 

He leaned back up. "Well, Onion. Guess I'll see you later if we end up doing another trade. But right now, I have to find my Lion." he struck a heroic pose before turning back to him. "See ya, Onion." he waved and the boy nodded. Hands behind his back.

  
  


Steven ran back to the abandoned row house. Lion wasn't by the fence _or_ anywhere around the house.

"Lion? Lion!!" he called out for him. He walked up the street, passing a few row houses and towards the main street. He stopped at the corner, looking at all of the eateries and small stores. "Lioooon!!" he crossed the street and walked down. 

"Liooon!!" he looked around. 

He stopped at the next corner, watching a slim, tall man waving something off and shouting out.

Steven gasped. "Lion!"

The man waved his apron at the dog, trying to shoo him off. "Hey! Hey, get out of here!! Git!!" 

The dog growled playfully, trying to get to the man and his hot dog stand.

Steven ran over. "Lion! Bad dog!" he grabbed him.

"This is YOUR dog?!"

"Y, yes." he held on to Lion.

"He should be on a leash!!" 

"I know.. Sorry." he whined. 

"You trying to play some game or something?! You and your dog, wearing masks and letting him run about!" 

_I almost forgot about my mask!!_ Steven shook his head. "No, I wasn't." he got up. "I'm really, really sorry." 

"That dog could've hurt me!" 

"He wasn't trying to! He was just trying to get the hotdogs! He doesn't know any better!"

"Then you need to train that dog! AS well as keep him on a leash!"

"I know!"

"Because I'm SICK of you young people thinking that you can just let your dogs do ANYTHING around here!"

"But I wasn't doing it on purpose!-"

A truck drove up on the sidewalk and stopped abruptly. 

The man hollered out profanity as he jumped out the way. "Now what's the big idea!"

The window rolled down, revealing Amethyst still with her mask on. 

The man stopped talking.. knowing all too well who they were. He backed up slightly, looking at Steven and the dog in their mask and piecing everything together.

"You're.. you're one of them.." he whispered.

".. Yeah.."

The man swallowed. "L, look man. I, I'm sorry." he stuttered. "Please just, I don't, I... don't hurt me please."

Amethyst pulled out a gun and the man looked at her. "Please!! I didn't know he was with you!! Please.. don't hurt me!!"

"Get outta here." Amethyst said bluntly through her voice changer.

The man booked down the sidewalk, away from them and his hotdog stand.

Amethyst put the gun away and looked over at Steven. "Cool. You found the mut."

"Yeah." he pet Lion.

"Anyway, that's not what we came back for."

"Huh?"

"Came back for that replicator I gave you earlier. We need it back man."

"Oh, okay." he went for the replicator in his pocket..

And.. quickly noticing that.. it wasn't there..

He looked up at Amethyst.

She raised an eyebrow. "I'm waiting." 

"Uh.." he pat at the other pocket. 

It wasn't there. 

_No, no, no!! Where did it?!"-_

_No... he didn't.._

Steven remembered earlier.. how Onion was so eager to give him that hug..

And him giving Steven a casual nod as Steven walked away..

The boy's hands.. behind his back..

"He.. he took it.. He tricked me into giving him a hug.. so he could take the replicator wand.." he whispered to his self.

"What? What was that?" Amethyst asked. "Dude, WHERE'S the replicator!!"

"A, Amethyst I.. I don't have it." 

"You... WHAT?!" she shrieked. 

His heart was thudding hard in his chest.. Not knowing what Onion was going to do with the wand or what he _already_ did with it. And.. worrying for his life what Amethyst was going to do to him.. 

He looked up slowly at her.. "I.. I lost the wand.." he couldn't dare tell her that Onion took it.. Even after everything, he didn't want anything bad to happen to him.. 

Amethyst spat out something fast in Spanish as she banged her hand on the door.. and he could only assume it was nothing but profanity and threats.. which made him even more afraid because he didn't know _what_ she said exactly. 

"Amethyst, I'm sorry, I, I." something hit him in the arm and he ignored it. Too afraid to leave his eyes off of her glare. 

"That was a ONE of a kind replicator wand!! AND.. you LOST it!!!" she yelled. 

He felt something hit him in the back and the arm a few times as Amethyst looked up. She had a confused look on her face as a few round items fell in front of him, rolling down the sidewalk. 

He looked down. _Wait are those.. onions?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Steven finally used his shirt! =D


	110. Cloudy with a chance of Onion

More and more onions started to fall from the sky, hitting Steven and the truck and rolling pass him down the sidewalk and in the street.

Lion started to sniff them. He bit one of them and leaned back up, licking and trying to flick the piece of onion skin from his teeth. 

He covered his head. "What's going on?!" 

"Just get in!!" Amethyst ordered. 

And he ran to the vehicle. "Come on, Lion!" he opened the door and let Lion hop in first before jumping in. 

"Floor it, Garnet." the woman pressed hard on the gas before Steven sat down. "Whoaa." he nearly lost his balance and grabbed onto the seat and pulled the door to a close.

Garnet shifted gears, accelerating and passing the vehicles on the road. Cars honked and swerved out of her way as she shot down the busy street, changing from lane to lane towards the onions.

Pedestrians on either side of the sidewalks were getting hit with them. Some running for cover under the awning of shops.

Onions pummeled down hard on the windshield. A group of them, stacking above each other on the glass. Garnet turned the windshield wipers on to clear the area and she turned them back off.

"Onions.." Amethyst mumbled.. "He think he's funny.." she narrowed her eyes at the road in front of her.

  
  


They eventually found Onion, (having seen the massive mountain of onions from afar.)

Garnet turned the truck sharply and sped down the street. The mountain of onions right in front of them and Steven realized that he'd been down the street before and looked to his side. 

The car wash was completely surrounded by onions. The shallots covering up all of the cars in the area. 

And there.. right in front of them.. was Onion. 

The boy on top of the mountain as tall as one of the three story buildings in the area, over towering the car wash right beside it. 

He had the replicator in his hand. The wand firing out a steady stream of onions in the air. 

"Stop the car here, Garnet." 

She stopped the car and turned it off. "Everybody, out." 

Everyone, except for Amethyst got out the car and Pearl opened the door for her.

"Let's go before this gets any worse." Amethyst ran for the base of the onion mountain.

Onion had his back facing them, shooting more onions out into the air left, then right.

The Gems trudged through the heaps of onions and Steven took a few steps, immediately getting stuck. 

"There he is.." Amethyst snarled. "Time to get his ass once and for all." she climbed above the onions, balancing carefully on them and took out the whip from her belt, keeping it coiled. "Come on Gems." she started running up the hill towards him with Garnet and Pearl on either side of her. The two taking out gauntlets and spear from their belt.

Onion turned around, firing the onions at full blast at them in one straight line and the three jumped out the way. 

Steven grunted, trying to move through the onions. "Guys!" he grunted, only moving slightly. Then he sunk in more, waist deep in the onions. "Wah!! How do you MOVE in this stuff?!" he felt something grab his arm and he looked down and saw a hand. He screamed out and tried to move his arm out of the hand's grasp. "Someone's got me!!! Someone's got me!!" 

The hand pulled him down as the pile of onions protruded up as the figure emerged from them. 

Then he noticed.. 

_What?! My neighbor/car wash guy?!_

The man gasped for air. "Oh my gosh! I just wanted to get some ice cream for my son!" he sucked in some more air. "Then I just started randomly getting bombarded with onions! What in the world is going on?!" 

His son opened the window of the carwash building and crawled through, flopping down on the onions. He started to laugh. "Cool!" he shouted. 

His father turned around. "What in the?! Gregory! You get back in the building right now! You can get hurt out here! It's too dangero-" Pearl had landed on his side and he made a startled grunt. The woman unfazed, seemingly not even noticing him and immediately jumping off of him, her feet stepping on his face as she jumped back off. "OW! My face!" he threw his hands over his nose and cheek. "Who in the?!" he watched Pearl lunge towards Onion in a super jump. 

The boy held out the wand towards her and pressed the button. A stream of onions shot out and she spun her spear around in front of her. The onions being deflected off.

"Oh, come on!" Steven tried moving once more, trying to get towards the top with the Gems. "It's impossible to move through these!" 

"Try and act like a rich duck!" Gregory shouted from his spot. 

"Gregory! You're still out here!!" he whined. "You have to go back inside!" 

"Rich duck? What does that even mean?" Steven looked at the boy.

Onion zapped a valet ticket booth, then held it out towards Amethyst and Pearl. He pressed the button and five valet booths shot out of the wand. They jumped out the way. 

One ticket booth was coming right towards Steven and his neighbor. The two screamed.

"It means dive down!" Gregory shouted.

They dove down under the onions, the valet booth barely missing them and sliding down the hill and onto the ground.

A few moments later and they crawled back up.

"Okay! That's it!!" Steven yelled out. He tried pulling himself above the onions this time, grunting as he slid his waist up, then his knees above them. He managed to pull his whole body though. "I MUST get that wand from him!!" he started crawling across the onions on his hands and knees, staying low as Onion tried to throw the valet booths at the Gems..

"Uh you do that.. And uh, ..I think I need to hurry up and get out of here." his neighbor tried shuffling away, barely moving through.

Amethyst, Garnet and Pearl were climbing the massive pile of valet booths. Amethyst stood back up. "Onion! Hand the replicator over! Or else." 

Onion turned the wand to her and the wand shot out a steady stream of booths at them. 

The three dodged out the way. "Onion. This ISNT a game." Amethyst grounded out.

Onion stopped and zapped something below the other side of the mountain of onions.

"What did he shoot?" Pearl asked Garnet. 

"I'm not sure." Amethyst snarled.

Onion turned back to them and pressed the button on the wand. A minivan appeared right above them. 

They sprung out the way, the SUV crashing hard onto the valet booths.

While Onion was focusing on the Gems, Steven was steadily moving in towards Onion. The boy just a few feet in front of him on top of the hill.

His neighbor took a small break, barely having moved a few inches from his spot. He took a few breaths. "Wow, this stuff really _is_ hard to move through." 

He saw something from the corner of his eye.

"Dad! Rich duck!" he heard his son yell out.

He turned, seeing an SUV coming right at him. He screamed and dove back down.

Steven was right behind Onion now..

"ONION!!" 

The boy turned around, a shocked expression on is face as Steven grabbed onto the wand. "You stole from me!!" Steven yelled. "And.. and I SAVED you.. TWICE" he quickly added. "And THIS is what you do!" he tried pulling the wand from Onion's hands. "You tricked me into giving you a hug and.. you pickpocket me!" he tugged on the replicator. He grunted, trying to pull it out of the boy's grasp. "And look at me.. STILL trying to save you! You just have to." he pulled. "give me the replicator wand!" 

Amethyst, Pearl and Garnet were steadily pulling themselves up from the pile of SUV's.

"Just.. give it!" Steven tugged.

Onion shook his head. He took his foot and kicked it up, going right between Steven's legs.

The shot of pain going up his genitals and up his stomach. A bout of stomachache and nausea mixed with his balls screaming in pain.. He fell to the ground, rolling down the hill, but too busy holding himself to stop his fall.

And he rolled all the way to the ground, wincing in pain. "Low.. blow.. Onion." he grunted, in fetal position, weighting out the pain in his stomach and between his legs.

Onion held the wand up. He pressed the button and a stream of SUV's shot out of it, the vehicles making a hill towards a tall building. 

He jumped on top of one of the vehicles and started climbing up. 

Amethyst was the first one to emerge from the hill of SUV's. "Hey! He's trying to get to the roof! Hurry up!!" she jumped down and started running towards the mountain of SUV's. A few moments later Garnet, then Pearl emerged. The two ran after her. 

The pain was finally subsiding and Steven crawled to his knees, then got up slowly to his feet. He watched as Onion neared the top of the.. thirty story building.. The Gems easily super jumping towards the top. 

_Oh no... more heights.. And I _still_ can't super jump.. _

He sighed, running up the onions once more and towards the stack of SUV's, not hearing the muffled sound of someone asking for help.

Lion came by that specific area, sniffing around. Until, he caught a scent and his tail wagged with excitement. He started digging the onions out the way and he ducked his head down, biting a piece of fabric. He started yanking on it, slowly pulling up the neighbor. 

He gasped for air and shrieked as he saw Lion's face directly in front of him, only to quickly calm down. "Oh phew. Sorry for yelling in your face there. Heheh." he grunted pulling an arm out to pet the dog. "You saved me! Ah, you're much better than some Beethoven or Lassie dog." he chuckled. 

And Lion panted happily at the head scratches. 

  
  


Steven was steadily climbing the top of the vehicles, being sure not to look down and trying to not pay too much attention to his peripheral vision..

He climbed up, pulling himself up and trying to be careful of his hand and foot placement.. until am errant SUV was flying over the roof and towards him. He screamed, quickly scrambling to get out the way and he placed his foot anywhere, slipping on a mirror that'd folded in and he started to fall down. He screamed louder, his heart thudding in his chest as he pummeled down the SUV's and falling into something metal, right on his face. He groaned, leaning his face up and he looked down the holes of the suspended scaffold he was on.. looking at just how far up he was.. 

And he froze.. 

And he could hear the Gems fighting above him on the roof.. and more vehicles were being flung over the roof and towards the ground.

He panted. "C, come on, Universe." he whispered. "It's just heights.. it's just.. heights.." he stood up slowly on the metal platform. "It's just heights.." he turned around, bumping into a bucket. It fell to its side and water spilled through the cracks as the broom fell on the rail. 

And he looked at the broom.. and had an idea..

He grabbed the broom and climbed carefully onto the rail and right to the SUV. He began climbing up once more.

  
  


Onion was still firing SUV's at the Gems. The roof surrounded by vehicles. Some, hanging halfway off the edge of the roof.

Steven climbed up and started running for him and Onion turned around, firing the vehicles at him. 

He screamed, trying to dodge the five vehicles as they appeared in the air.

The Gems rushed towards him and he turned back around quickly, shooting the vehicles at them. 

Steven walked around the first few vans and stopped just on the side of one, watching Onion as he tried to hit the Gems with the trucks.. The women, being way too agile and quick for him. 

Steven looked down at the wand in Onion's hands.. 

The broom held securely in his.. 

He inched his way farther towards the boy as he hid amongst the vehicles. And he waited for the boy to possible come closer.. 

And he took a stance.. remembering what he'd learned in his frisbee classes.. 

Steven waited for a few minutes, his muscled coiled for the throw.. until Onion was close enough to him. 

And just as Onion stopped briefly.. then took one step towards him, watching the Gems in front of him, Steven uncoiled, twisted his torso and throwing his arm out. The broom spinning towards the boy and hitting him in the face and his wrist, his arm flinging out and the wand flying out of his hand and sliding across the roof and hitting a tire of an SUV.

Steven ran towards him and Onion quickly ran for the replicator. He picked up the broom as Onion grabbed the wand back and he swung the broom down and Onion blocked the strike with the wand. 

Steven tried going for another strike, then another, but Onion blocked them both times with the wand and Steven couldn't help but be reminded about the game that he and Lars were playing just yesterday. 

The Gems emerged from the pile of cars once more, watching the two go back and forth as they pulled themselves up from between the vehicles. 

Steven continued to strike the broom up and down towards Onion and the boy effortlessly blocked each strike. 

_How is he so good at this?! _

Onion took a step, feigning right and Steven went to block it, Onion quickly flipping the wand down and jabbing the handle of the wand into his side and Steven wince, bending over in pain and Onion striked his left side and threw the wand out, striking on the right, then flipping the wand back and hitting the broom out of his hands. 

Holding his side, Steven tried to grab the wand with his other hand and Onion hit him in the neck with the wand and he lost his balance. He fell to the ground as Onion jumped off the building, holding the wand out and shooting the vans down below him.

Steven groaned, holding his neck as the Gems ran pass him. "We got him now while his back is turned!!" Amethyst yelled. She and the Gems jumped off the roof and she threw her whip as he landed on the new hill of SUV's. The rope wrapped around him and he turned around, shooting an SUV at her. She let go of the whip and jumped out the way. 

Still in the air, Pearl threw her spear at the boy right as he held the wand up towards her, shooting out another vehicle. The spear hit his shoulder and he opened his mouth in silent screaming. 

The car was coming right towards her and she held her hands and arms at an angle as she ducked her head down. The windshield met the side of her arms and the back of her head as she rolled in a summersault up the windshield, in a make shift ramp as she rolled up into the air with the momentum. 

Amethyst jumped up, clearing a few feet over a few cars and she landed just a few feet behind Onion. She took out another whip and threw it just as he turned around, holding up the wand in his hand, the rope tying his hand to the handle of the replicator. He tried using his other hand to press the button and winced at the pain from the spear.

Pearl landed right by Garnet as Amethyst took out another whip and wrapped it around his other hand. The woman, holding Onion by both his hands with the two whips. She chuckled lowly at his worried expression. "Looks like we got you now, Onion."

Steven was peering over the roof. _What is she going to do?.. Her hands are full now..-_

  
  


"Garnet." the woman stood up straight. "Gun."

_Wait.. what are they doing? _

Steven watched as Garnet started walking towards Amethyst. She took out a gun from her belt and Steven gasped.

"No,.. Garnet.. please don't.." he whispered.

The woman continued to walk slowly towards her and Steven saw her look up, right at him for just a second, before turning back around and continuing her walk towards their boss.

"Come on, Garnet." Amethyst ordered. The mischievous look on her face as she anticipated what Garnet was going to do to him.

The woman stopped just beside Amethyst and feigned smugness as she took the bullets slowly out of a small box on the side of her belt.

"Ah, going slow I see." Amethyst observed. "Hmm.. I understand.." she looked back at Onion with the devious smile. "Drawing it out.. the anticipation is worth it.." 

Garnet looked over at Steven again and stopped for a few moments.. before turning back around and putting the bullets in the gun it one by one.

_Why does she keep.._

_ Is she.. buying me some time? _

Then.. realization struck him..

_Our talk... _

_She's doing this on purpose to buy me some time to save him! _

He took a few panting breaths. "I have to do something.. but what?!" 

He was so far up..

Garnet put the last bullet in the gun and closed the compartment. 

..and it was just like being on the- He gasped.. It was _just_ like being on the roof of the abandoned row house!

Except.. at least three or four times taller.. or more.. 

_But Onion! I can't let him die! DESPITE of all that he did!_

He saw Garnet walking up closer towards Onion. 

Steven took one feel, calming breath. "Here I go.." he looked down at the cars below him. He swallowed. "_again."_he looked down at his shirt. "Now.. how did I do this... wasn't it something like.." he dragged his elbows up and behind himself as he raised his arms up. The GemTech glider wings sprouted out of his shirt. "Yes! Got it my first time!" he cheered. "Now." he took a few steps back. "Here.. I.." and started running. "go!" and he jumped jumped off the edge of the roof.

He lowered his elbows, trying free fall faster towards them as his legs continued to tilt up and down with the rush of wind hitting his body. He banked left and right as he tried to steer his self straight and towards the boy.

  
  


"Alright, come on Garnet! Now you're just drawing it out _too_ long." 

Garnet threw the gun up towards Onion's face amd he started shaking. 

And with her now being in front of Amethyst and not being able to look back and blow her cover, she used a small mirror just in the corner of the inside of her shades to look back. 

She could see Steven coming towards them. 

She held in a smile as she took a few more casual steps to the side and out of Steven's line of flight and towards Onion. 

  
  


Steven was just half way there.. trying to figure out what he could do. 

_If only I could summon my bubble as soon as I reach him! But.. I have nothing to scrape the jewel across! And it will be too late if I try scraping it on the ground! _

He watched his arms move up and down sporadically and clumsily and without proper rhythm or technique. 

_Wait.. unless.._

  
  


Garnet clicked the revolver. "This. is for stealing from us, Onion." she stalled. 

Amethyst snickered. "Take this as your first _and_ last lesson." 

Something big flew pass Amethyst's head. "What da?!" 

Wind rushed up his nose and ruffled his hair all around. And he ignored it, focusing on the task at hand and quickly sliding the ring across his arm, the wings stretching as he did, causing him to bank left and jerk right as he fell forward, the jewel having popped off sometime within the dizziness of it all. -And he'd heard Amethyst just a couple seconds earlier telling Garnet to fire.. and hearing the sound of gun shots..- and him losing control of his gliding. He slammed head first into Onion. The bubble forming around them as a fire of bullets hit the surface. And Amethyst's two whips had been captured within the bubble. The two ropes having gone through the surface, stuck with in.

Amethyst held a hand up and Garnet stopped firing. 

The woman growled out, running up to the bubble. She pulled on the two whips. They didn't budge. "Talc! Deactivate this bubble, now!" she shouted. 

He got up slowly, wincing at the pain in his back from falling on top of the replicator. He helped Onion up, then dragged his elbows down his sides towards his waist, closing the wings correctly the first time. He suppressed a little cheer. "But Amethyst-" 

"Now!" 

"But he didn't steal from us!" he lied. He untied the first whip she'd thrown. The rope falling from his torso. 

"Talc!! Stop covering for him!! And STOP untying him!!"

He stopped untying the third rope on his hand. "It's true!!" he whine. "He uh.." _Quick! Think of something Universe!_ "We both decided a plan to show you how far I've come!" he blurted out. 

She scrunched up her face. "What? You expect me to believe that nonsense?!" 

"Yes! Because.. it's not nonsense! Everything was one big setup! To show you.. how.. strong.. and.. serious I am.. in being a Crystal Gem.." his stomach tightened in knots for saying that. "He and I.. made it all up.. a few days ago.. We wanted to see if I could somehow find him in Empire and I did and-" 

She stuck her chin up, skeptic. "But how did you know I was going to tell you to find him in the first place?" 

_Crap!_ "I didn't! Uh, _we_ didn't.. But, I was going to offer.. and-" 

"But how was the replicator in the plan when you two didn't know anything about it a few days ago when you "talked"." she made air quotes. 

_CRAAAAP!! _ "That's the thing! We DIDN'T know anything about it! When you let me hold the replicator and I didn't give it back to you, I thought about the idea then! And after I gave you the jewels, _which we planned for him to "take"_, we quickly discussed and made up a part two!" 

She looked at him, giving him a deep.. leveled stare and he tried not to look away.. 

And the stare lingered on for a few long moments..

Then there was a "Hm.." 

And he didn't know how to feel about her 'hm'. 

"For some reason.. I believe you.." she nodded slowly.. then looked at Onion. "Especially since I should've known that Onion wouldn't be that stupid to _actually_ jip AND steal from the Crystal Gems." 

Onion nodded in fake agreement.

"Hm.." she said again and looked back at Steven. "That was a nice plan.. I'm impressed. And, you've done pretty well on your own in finding Onion." 

"Well, I uh.. had help from Lion and his nose as well." then he thought, as he looked around frantically. "Wherever he is.... Li-" he quickly shut his mouth. Quickly realizing that he would be saying the name Lion as a Crystal Gem and _not_ as Steven Universe.. And Amethyst caught on, nodding proudly. 

"Where are you buddy!!!" he yelled instead.. Hoping that the canine would catch on to the little pet name.. and hoping that the canine wasn't hurt or hidden under any of the cars or the or onions or the valet booths..

He heard the dog barking and they looked over. Lion was running towards them from the car wash. The man at the door of the building and peering out of it. 

_He must've heard me.. And saw me looking around. _

"There you are!" he threw his hands in the air. 

"Huh, looks like the mutt's still alive too." she shrugged. "Anyway, as I was saying. You and, I guess the dog too.. did good." a beat later and she said with a small smirk. "Also, you're finally using those wing gliders on your shirt. Nice. Very nice." she looked back at Onion. "Guess I won't be putting a bullet in you after all." stepped back. "Alright, Talc. Deactivate the bubble. I need the replicator." 

..Should he trust her? 

If she tried any funny business and take out a gun or order anyone to shoot, he could easily summon his bubble before they getting the first few shots in.. The bubble was _extremely_ quick to activate.. 

But first, he started untying the third whip from Onion's hand, then went to the second rope to get the replicator and- 

..his heart skipped a beat..

One of the top yellow spheres of the replicator was cracked from him falling on it..

He turned back around. "Uh.." 

"What.. don't tell me something happened to it." she scowled at him. "Let me see it.. Now." 

_Just do what she says, Steven.. you're still in the comfort of your bubble, she can't hurt you.. _

He untied the second whip from Onion's hand and turned around, the yellow sphere was still cracking more across the surface. 

He whined out. "It's still cracking, Amethyst-" the yellow sphere shattered. The pieces and the small pink sphere that was inside it, falling into the bottom of the bubble.

_Oh no.._

He looked up at her.

And the glare she was giving him..

"You broke it." she whispered out lowly in a growl. 

He started to panick. "I'm sorry Amethyst! M, maybe Peridot can fix it!! She's REALLY good at fixing stuff-!!" the flip flops on his feet crumbled underneath of him. "Huh?" he looked down at the pink crumbs under his feet.. Then started to hear the sound of metal breaking and a clash various noises and he looked up. And everyone watched on as all of the dark blue SUV's, valet booths and onions start to crumble up into small pebbles.. the hills sinking and spreading across the street in crumbled rocks of yellow, brown, gray, black and dark blue. And the small dark blue pebbles, pouring from the roof of the building.

Then moments past of them being quiet..

Until Amethyst spoke back up. 

"Hm.. So_ that's _what happens when it breaks." she shook her head. "Freakin' prototype.." 

He hesitated before speaking back up "..Prototype?" 

Amethyst looked at him. "Yeah. That's what that was." she pointed at the gadget in his hand. "That's why it broke so easily when you landed on it." she said bluntly. "It didn't have the actual, sturdy GemTech material. Still, it's a good thing that you broke it after all. We know now that whatever formula they used, that the items don't stay permanent when the wand is broken." she gave another shake of her head. "Good thing we didn't replicate any jewels and mix them in with the substance for our weapons and other GemTech stuff. They would've disappeared, meaning that our stuff would've unraveled or broken up.. We definitely have to tell Peridot that." she nodded in thought.. then said casually. "Welp, we're not cleaning this mess up. We're not Apatites." she scoffed condescendingly. 

"Now. Come on, Talc. Our job, or should I say, _you and Onion's little plan_ is done. So, we're heading out. Deactivate the bubble and let's get a move on." she turned around. "Garnet. Get the car."

The woman nodded and ran down the small pebbles and towards the vehicle. 

Steven swiped across the bubble, the bubble vanishing and Amethyst's whips falling to the ground. And when he looked down at the whips, he noticed the glass and the pink sphere from the replicator and the first whip he'd untied were on the ground and he wondered how the ring worked in regards to cleaning itself..These were solid materials.. but what would happen if he tracked mud in the bubble? Would it self clean the mud out? And.. are there a few pieces of fine glass from the replicator still in the ring? How does all of that work?-

Garnet was driving over the sand and she stopped just a couple feet from them. Pearl opened the door for Amethyst and the woman turned around. "Yo. Come on, Talc." she turned back round and hopped in and Pearl closed the door. 

Steven looked back at Onion, not sure what to say.. but just hoping that through his silence and facial expression, that Onion was realizing that he'd helped him out _again_, despite of how he treated the Crystal Gems. 

And with that, he started walking away just as Pearl got in on her side. He opened the door for Lion and the dog hopped in and he got in after, giving Onion another long stare before closing the door. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So! Steven uses the shirt for the SECOND time AND he realizes that, if he's not on the ground and can't find anything to swipe across, he can easily use his body. Which makes things WAY more easier for the future, if he's ever to be in the air again :)


	111. Glide and Tide

Garnet stopped at the side of the apartment. 

"Goodnight guys." said Steven and he opened the door. 

"Noches, dude."

Garnet and Pearl said their goodnight's to him and he got out the car (purposely leaving the gun in his seat) and Lion hopped down after him. 

"Also, Talc." he looked up at her. "I'll be giving you a call soon. So get ready." 

"Oh, we have another mission? What time?" 

She looked at him. "Be ready for the call, dude." 

"Uh.." he would've felt a bit uneasy.. but she had a small smirk on her face and he was more so curious if anything. ".. ookay? I'll.. be ready?" 

She nodded. "Good.. Alright che. That's it." she threw her feet up in the car. "You and the mutt can bounce." 

"Okay, Amethyst." he closed the door and the car pulled off moments later. He looked down at Lion. "Huh.. I wonder what kind of call she's talking about?"

Lion looked at him. 

"Yeah, I don't know either." he turned around, going to the front of the building, then stopped. "Oh! Since I'm already outside. Lion." he started walking back up the alley. "Go on ahead. Do your stuff." 

Lion jogged away from him as he smelled the area around him and Steven waited a few minutes until he was done. And this time, having a few sandwich baggies in his pocket to clean up after Lion. He took two out of his pocket and cleaned the area up. Then the two walked back to the front of the apartment and Steven threw the baggy inside of the small trashcan out front.

He opened the door and they started walking up the first flight of steps.. Steven, getting a small little idea as they made their way to the first floor.

_Hmm.._

Maybe he could do that just a few little times?

That wouldn't hurt.. besides, he _does_ need to practice more as a Crystal Gem.

Aand it might just be a liiiittle fun to practice a bit.

"Hey, Lion." he stopped at the banister. "Think I could glide down safely from here?"

Lion tilted his head up at him.

"I think I should try. I already did it twice." he took his second shirt off and fixed his GemTech shirt back down. "I'm just going to try and see." he dragged his elbows up and behind himself as he raised his arms up and the glider wings sprouted out of his shirt. "Yeah. There we go." he climbed up the banister, losing his balance a bit when he stepped to the top and he held his arms out to keep him stabled. Then, he bent his knees, held the position as he psyched himself up.. and he jumped, spreading his elbows out wide to open the wings as wide as he could as he glided slowly, but his legs still tilted up and down as he tried levelling himself with just one part of him being able to glide. His legs, having a hard time as they tried to match up with the torso's glide and speed. 

_I'm gliding! I'm gliding!_ He lowered his elbows down to increase more speed and his legs started to tilt back up. He pushed his torso up to counteract it, pulling his elbows back more and he kicked up a bit more speed as his torso kept lifting up. He tried leaning back down and he banked right. "Oh no! AHHHH!!" he ran into the main door with a loud thud. He slid back down to the floor.

He groaned, getting back up slowly to his feet. "Okay.. that.. wasn't _too_ bad." he rubbed his elbow. 

Lion came running back down and Steven chuckled, giving him a few head scratches. "I'm okay, boy." he got up and walked back up the stairs to the first floor again.

He climbed back up the banister. "Okay, Lion. I just.. have to focus a biiit more." he bent his legs and pushed off, not widening his elbows out all the way as he glided at a medium pace. He focused on levelling his legs and getting a feel of what it felt like before his torso start to push up with the air and how it felt right before his legs would tilt up or down. And, he kept his knees slightly bent as he glided down towards the door. Then he opened his elbows out wide, slowing his descend down to a near float and he gently tapped the door with his fingers before lowering his elbows gently, falling back down to the floor in a light thump. "Now that. Was much better." 

He practiced a few more times off the first floor before going up to the second flight of steps. The dog right behind him. He turned around. "Okay, Lion. I think I'm getting the hang of it. But NOW I'm going to see if I can try and steer with these." he moved his elbows, flapping the gliders at Lion. 

He turned back around and started climbing back up. He bent his knees and jumped off, holding his elbows out and gliding at a nice, medium pace. His legs only tilting up and down slightly as he leveled them out with his torso. 

Then, the wall was approaching him.. and carefully, he raised his left elbow out as he lowered his right one. He turned his wobbly legs just slightly under him as he neared the wall and pushed off it gently as his left wing captured the air, banking him to the left in a turn and he was gliding back down to the first floor as he raised his right elbow back up to keep straight. Then, he was nearing the main door again and he lowered his elbows, gaining a bit more speed as he held his knees bent and close to his chest. He landed a bit faster and harder, (but safely), on his feet safely. 

Another few tries, with the last try of him crossing his arms and patting them, to simulate as if he were to slide the ring across one of his arms, he went back up to the second floor again. And this time, he wanted to see if he could use his bubble.

"Here I go again, Lion." he climbed up on the banister and jumped off instantly. He glided down and raised his left elbow in a turn, his feet barely touching/needing that extra push off from the wall as he turned. Then he brought both arms up and cautious of he had his legs and how far apart he had his glider wings, he slide the ring across his arm. The bubble forming instantly around him-

-And the bubble pushing him down with it as the bubble fell down towards the steps in loud thumps and Steven giving an array of "oof's" and "ah's" and grunts as the bubble rolled him roughly down the steps and rolling him to the main door. He hit the door and stopped. 

And he got up and groaned. "Oh yeah.. guess that makes sense since it's not the bubble that can glide, but the gliders itself.." he was about to deactivate the bubble and looked at the stairs..

In another attempt to practice more, Steven used up four attempts as he tried jumping up the stairs while being in the bubble. He slipped a few times, one time, going all the way back down to the main door from the top step.

But now, he'd reached the fifth and last flight of stairs by jumping in the bubble. 

He swiped across the interior, the bubble disappearing and he took a few breaths to relax himself and to give his hurting chest a bit of a break.

A few moments later, with his trusty Lion right behind him, he climbed up the banister and looked down, nearly losing his balance from them metal thought of falling. He shook his head. "I have my gliders. I'm okay." he took one sharp breath out. "Okay. Let's see if I can turn without using the walls to push off of." and bent his knees and jumped. 

He glided down at a good speed. Not too fast, not too slow as he glided down the fifth level of the building. He was nearing the fourth floor and he raised his left elbow, keeping his legs at an angle with his right arm lowered. He cleared the turn without the wall and glided down to the third floor, then the second, then the first floor, clearing them, holding in a cheerful "wheeeeee!" as he did.

Then, he was approaching the main door and he had a thought.. wondering..

_I could always check.._

He turned slightly around until he was upside down. And.. he was still gliding.

So it works upside down as well!!!!

He resisted another as he turned right side up and he held his left elbow back out to turn away from the main door and towards the end wall. He raised both arms out, slowing his descend to a near float again as he landed daintily back on the floor.

He heard Lion running down the steps, panting happily as he caught up to Steven. 

"Lion, I think I'm actually getting the hang of this already." he pet him. "But, I know you're getting hungry. So, let's go." he smiled.

They walked up to the second flight of stairs and Steven wanted to do just one more thing. He took a few steps back. "Come on, Lion." and took a few steps forward and lunged forward, gliding down the hall, finally staying straight and not jerking left or right and paying close attention to how he had his legs.

Lion looked up at him gliding just a few inches above him. The two staying at the same pace down the hall until Steven raised his elbows up to slow down and Lion ran for a few steps and stopped. He ran back up to Steven who was just setting his feet back down on the floor. He dragged his elbows downwards and closed the wings on his shirt.

"That's enough exercise for one day." he chuckled and he threw the second shirt over his head. He took the keys out of his pocket, unlocked the door and opened it and Lion ran right in.

"Hey, Connie." he closed the door and slid her flip flops off.

"Hey, Steven." she was ironing her work shirt on the ironing board by the closet. She set the iron down and flipped the shirt over. "How was work?" she picked the iron back up and pressed the button, giving the shirt a little spritz of water before bringing the iron back down.

"Oh, uh, it was good. Same 'ole, same 'ole really." he walked over to the counter and saw the mail laying on the counter for him. He picked them up and leaned back. "How was _your_ work?" he read the envelopes; E.C.G E (Empire City Gas & Electric), rent, insurance for a car he didn't even have and other random promotions. He put the junk mail back on the counter and kept the first two. He opened up the E.C.G.E envelope.

She sniffed the air a few times and looked at him, raising an eyebrow at him as he read the letter, before going back to the shirt in front of her. "It was pretty good. Nothing really happens there." she ironed out her sleeves. "It can get pretty boring at times, but at least I have a few coworkers to keep me company."

"Ah, that's good."

_$156_

He put the letter down and opened up the last envelope. Both reading the letter and trying to keep the conversation piece going. "So, uh. Ready for Friday?"

_..So rent is going up in two months.. Great.._

"Yeah, I am." she set the iron down and turned it off. "It's been a pattern with just us seeing each other at home at night." 

_Aaand this month's rent is due.. and I spent majority of the money we _did_ have on Lion.. _

_I wonder when I get paid again from the Gems? Or.. how does that really work? This doesn't seem like your average weekly or bi weekly system.._

_And who says I even get paid? They did give me four thousand dollars.. but it could've just been a one time bribe sort of thing.._

"Huh?" he looked up at her. "Uh huh, right. We uh, need to do something different. And um, which will be Friday!" he put the letter down on the counter with the other one, pushing his thoughts of the Gems to the back of his mind as he walked up to her. "Anyway, I can't wait to go to the movie theater. It's been awhile since I got to sit down in those huge seats and getting the luxury of feeling the sticky floor under my shoes."

Connie chuckled for a few moments before her face scrunched up again. She sniffed the air again, looking at him. 

"Aaaand." he raised his arms. "it'll be you and I cuddled up together and sharing a box of good 'ole, cardboard tasting movie popcorn!" he cheered and went in for a hug and she took a step back holding her arm out. "Uhg, Steven. Is that really you smelling like that?" she covered her nose with her other hand.

"Like what?"

"Like.. onions? I don't know like, really, really bad B.O."

For a split second he didn't know why.. until he remembered about the mountain of onions he was practically swimming in..

"OH! The co-workers and I had to unpack a lot of onion crates today." _Onions come in crates.... right?_ "So that's probably what you're smelling." 

She made a disgusted noise, taking a couple steps away. "I don't know if it's just _that_ bad.. or if my nose is just getting even more sensitive now.. or both. But you need to take a shower. Like _right_ now. Right this second."

He let out a little chuckle to lighten the mood as he held his hands up in a placating manner. "Okay, Connie, okay." he gave her an apologetic smile. 

Lion came walking over to them and she looked at him. "The dog too, since he was with you." 

"Okay." he picked the dog up. "Welp, looks like you have to take another bath, boy. Sorry." 

He walked away, then stopped. He turned back around. "Oh, I need my stuff." 

She was still covering her nose. "No, you go on ahead and take those clothes off. I'll give you your stuff." 

"A, alright." he walked into the bathroom and set the dog down. Then he started putting the clothes into the hamper, except for his Crystal Gem shirt.

She came back with his clothes and toiletries. "Here." her head was turned away from him, still covering her nose. 

"Thanks." he smiled, though she still wasn't looking and he closed the door.

................................

After washing both him and Lion up of their onion smell, Connie decided to do the laundry instead of waiting for the next night, not wanting the bathroom and in extension, the house, to smell like onions from his clothes.

She grabbed a few quarters from the jar on the table and walked out the apartment with the hamper in her hand. 

And while she was doing that, Steven and Lion was enjoying their food. And both having taking their medicine. Steven for his aching chest and Lion, for his kennel cough.

Afterwards, he and Connie watched just one episode of Laughing Dinner Enemies before Steven started to doze off, completely exhausted from his missions throughout the week and from a very tiring day of running and gliding around. He was snoring back before the second episode's intro started to play and Connie turned it off. She placed the laptop on the table, walked over to his side to turn the light off and she crawled back in bed. She kissed him on the forehead and got comfortable under the covers.

Lion grabbed one of his chew toys and walked over to the bed. He jumped up on the bed and crawled into his own. He circled around and laid down, dropping the toy right by his paws. He pushed the toy over with his nose and started to chew on the other side of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo hoo!! Steven got a bit of practice in with his shirt AND a bit with his bubble =D


	112. A rude awakening

Steven woke up abruptly to the sound of a whimsical tune that sounded much more loud and blaring within the deep, still quietness of the blackened room. 

He could barely open his eyes. His body feeling like lead and his eyelids glued shut..

He groaned, slowly trailing his hand in an arc behind him to find the source of the loud beats.

He found it, grabbing the phone as the whimsical tune started up again in its loop and Connie started rustling in front of him, saying something indistinct under her breath.

He brought his arm around, still laying down on the soft pillow. He cracked open his bleary eyes, the screen shooting beams of bright light into his sensitive pupils. He read the name through the slits of his eyelids. 

It was Amethyst. 

He suppressed a yawn and a sigh at the same time as he swiped the screen and brought the phone up to his ear. 

"..Mmm, hello?" he whispered hoarsely. 

"Yo!" Amethyst shouted in his ear. "Wake up!" 

"Wake.. huh?" 

Connie took a deep breath and mumbled something about being on the phone.

Amethyst snickered on the other end. "Aww, woke your girl up too?"

"Yeah.." then he said a bit too bluntly. "_and_ me.." and he was going to add Lion, but he didn't bother saying it..

"Alright, dude! Don't get smart!.. Now. we're going to pick you up in forty five minutes. You BETTA be outside." 

He was slowly drifting back off to sleep and he nodded awake. "Huh?.. uh.. uh huh.." 

"Good." she hung up and he kept his phone to his ear.. slowly closing his eyes and falling back to sleep. His hand sliding off the phone and down his face and back on the bed between him and Connie.

".. ven.."

"... even..."

He was slowly coming to.. hearing someone talking to him. 

"Steven....... Steven." 

"..Uh?" he barely spoke out.

"..your job?" she half asked.

He was trying to register what she was saying.. but his brain was too fogged up. 

He was just soo sooooo terribly tired.. _and_ it was supposed to be his day off..

Connie was right.. the lack of sleep from so many sporadic " work shifts" was getting to him now.. and yesterday's mission really did him in.. 

And he was just.. so... tir..

He felt his self going back to sleep..

" .. even.." he woke up groggily again to the sound of her voice. "Was that your job?" she whispered. She sounded just as tired as him. 

"..Mm hm.." he answered her. He scooted up closer, pressing up gently against her soft backside. He leaned in more into her hair. 

And he was just.. so comfortable.. all cuddled up to her under the soft, warm blankets. The mattress being extra soft under him.

He could already feel himself going right back to sleep.. 

"... ven.. even..."

"Nnnn..."

"Steven.."

He woke up groggily again to Connie calling his name softly..

"Hm?" he mumbled into her hair. He tightened his arm slightly around her waist. Surpressing a yawn against her soft dark brown hair.

"Wasn't.. that your job?" 

"Mmmmnnnnn..." he took a deep breath, taking in her nice shampoo.

Connie moved slightly away and he instantly missed that pressure that she was putting between his legs. She turned her head to look at him.. looking just as tired as him. "Steven.." she stifled a yawn. "wasn't that your job?"

His eyes were still closed as he answered her. "Yeah.." he grumbled. 

"Another shift they want you to pick up?" she whispered.

He was so annoyed... Not at her.. but the whole situation with Amethyst. He just wanted to be with her.. wanted to stay in bed and snuggle up to her again.. and he was just sooooo exhausted.. and he could feel himself going back to sleep.. 

"..ven.. when?"

".. uh... soon.." he grumbled. At this point he didn't know. He didn't know how long he'd been drifting off and on for and he lost track of time.. For all he knew, he could have only five more minutes until they were to pick him up. 

But.. he was just too tired to even care..

"Steven." he didn't answer her. Already fallen back to sleep. Snoring softly. She turned all the way around to face him. "Steven.. Steven." she shook his shoulder.

"Nn.." he grumbled more indistinct mumbled words under his breath.

"You have to get up."

He took a breath.. he grumbled, taking another deep tired breath as he dramatically mumbled some more and purposely made more tired noises as he buried his face farther down into the pillow. 

She pulled the blanket off of him halfway. "Come on, Steven. You have to get ready."

"Mmnnnaa.." he grumbled. He threw his leg around her waist and scooted up close to her, pressing his boxers up against her leg feeling that nice pressure again. And he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, bringing his face to her chest. 

And the new position he was in.. was so much better.. and he didn't want to move.. She was just so warm.. and her body was so soft up against his skin.. And her chest was better than any pillow and he rubbed his face up against them, resisting the urge to give them a little kiss or a nip with his teeth. 

He felt her brush his hair off his forehead and he felt the softest lips he'd ever felt right above his eyebrow, that powerful kiss sending one nice tingle down in his boxers.

He smiled, eyes still closed as he laid his face on her soft chest.

"You know you have to get up." she said softly, still stroking his hair gently. 

He was really liking this. Just laying in bed with his Connie.. relaxing..-

"Okay.. come on, Steven." she moved his chin. "You really have to get up. Now."

He let out an exhausted breath on her shirt and lifted his head back up, opening his eyes to see her beautiful face. "K.." he mumbled. 

Then, he started to close his eyes back.

"Noooo, come on. Get up." she leaned up and he unwrapped his arms around her and she pushed his leg gently off of her. He was still laying down. "Come on, Steven. You need to get up." she took his arms, pulling him up. And he groaned.. whining as he was forced to get up from the comfortable bed with his girlfriend. 

He was pulled to a sitting position. But his eyes were still barely open as he grabbed at his phone. He unlocked it and read the call log. **Last phone call 32 minutes ago.**

His brain slowly began to register that he only had a little more than ten minutes to get ready. 

He let out another tired breath. "Okay.." he started slidding away from her and off the bed. Lion looking right at him. 

"Did you need me to cook anything for you real quick?" 

"No.." he grumbled. "..no time.." he dipped his hand under his boxers, scratching his backside as he made his way to the bathroom. He turned the light on only to turn it back off.. the bright light shining too brightly in his eyes..

_Okay.. hopefully I'm right by the toilet.._

He raised his foot up, touching the side of the cold toilet. _Yeah, I am.._

He didn't bother lifting the seat up and started going.. hearing the water in the bowl and safely assuming that he'd aimed properly. 

Finished.. and he gave his self a few shakes and hoping that no access drips fell on the seat.. but he was so tired to not really care at that point and he found himself shuffling out the bathroom.

"Didn't wash your hands Steven." Connie was in the kitchen, taking out a carton of eggs. The pan already getting hot on the stove. 

He blinked his tired eyes a few times, his brain still trying to catch up to him. "I.. didn't?" 

"No." 

He shuffled back and turned the faucet on, scrubbing his hands for a few moments before turning the sink off. He took a few steps and stopped just at the doorway. _Wait.. did I use soap? Eh, whatever.. not like I peed on my hands.._ He proceeded to walk back out of the bathroom, drying his wet hands on his boxers as he shuffled towards the closet. 

He heard the eggs being poured in the pan and his brain was finally realizing that she was cooking for him. "Connie.. youu didn't have to do this. You could've stayed in bed. It's early." he ripped a shirt and a pair of jeans from off the hangers and closed the door back.

"t's okay." she started tapping a bit of salt into the food. 

"Besides, I might not have time." he remembered the _wet _ GemTech shirt under the bed and walked towards the bed.

"Steven, I don't mind what I'm doing. Now _you_ just get ready." she said gently. "It doesn't take a long time to fry some eggs." 

What did he ever do to deserve her~

"Thanks Connie." he smiled, though her back was turned to him. 

He quickly took his night shirt off and grabbed the damp GemTech shirt from under the bed and put it on, then threw the second shirt on. 

He noticed Lion eating his food that she must've just put out for him. He slipped on his jeans. "Did you put the medicine in his food?" 

"Yeah, I did." she started sprinkling the cheese over the eggs.

He grabbed two water bottles from the fridge and put each one in his pocket. Then he walked over and grabbed the sandwich baggies he hadn't used yesterday. He stuffed them in his front pocket. 

"When do you have to leave?" he heard her say. 

Four pieces of toast popped out the toaster oven and she grabbed them. 

He checked his phone. "In about five more minutes." he said tiredly. 

"Okay, I'm almost done." she put the butter on the four pieces of bread, then placed the scrambled eggs and cheese on two of them. She sprinkled more cheese on the eggs and closed the sandwich up with the other pieces of bread. She placed a napkin over the food. "Here you go." 

"Thanks Connie." 

She walked him over to the door and Lion lifted his head up from the water bowl and followed them. Water droplets hanging from his fur. 

"Not sure when I'll be back, but I'll send you a text." he slipped the flip flops on and opened the door. 

"Okay." and he leaned in, giving her a kiss and she leaned back, raising an eyebrow at him "..Did you brush your teeth?" 

"Uh.." he shrugged. ".. forgot.." 

She sighed. 'Alright, just.. _try_ to wake yourself up." she pat his cheek. 

"Mhm." he nodded and gave her a quick peck on her cheek and leaned away. "See you, Connie." 

"See you, Steven."

She closed the door and he and Lion started down the hall. 

Steven shuffled down the stairs and out the main door to the side of the apartment. The inkas armored limo was already there. 

He shuffled up to the door and opened it. Lion hopped in and he slid in after. "Good morning Amethyst. Garnet. Pearl." 

"Buenos días."

And Garnet and Pearl greeted him back with their good morning's. 

Amethyst snorted. "Wow dude. You look rough." she looked at the exhausted looking boy in the rearview mirror. 

"I'm just.. really tired.." he took a look out the window. Looking at the stars in the sky. 

"HA! What, too early for you? You're a Crystal. Gem. There's no such thing as an early time for you!" she cheesed. 

"I'm.. just not used to it.." 

"Pfft, well _get_ used to it, che. Because nothing is going to change that." she scoffed. 

He resisted a sigh..

He was just soo tired..

What time was it anyway?

He looked at his phone. _2:12a.m_

He resisted a groan this time as he slid his phone back in his pocket.

Man what he would do to be back in bed, snuggled up to Connie as he fell back to sleep.. 

"Well, hold tight che. We're going to my arena for a little special something." 

"What 'special something'?" 

"You'll see when we get there." and there she was.. sporting that smirk again.

"Okay.." 

Amethyst turned her attention to the woman beside her. "Garnet. Let's get a move on." 

Garnet shifted gears and drove from the alley onto the street. 

Steven prayed over his food and picked up the first half the sandwich. 

He managed to eat the first half of the delicious sandwich and ate half of the second one when he started to drift off to sleep with the smooth car ride.

His head bobbed a few times.. before officially falling asleep.. The other half of the sandwich held loosely in his hand. The rest of the second sandwich, not even touched.

But Lion, being the amazing friend that he was, wasn't going to let Steven's food go to waste.. 

The canine took the other half out of his hand and used his snoot to push Steven's hand off the plate. His hand falling limply down to the seat. 

He jumped up on the seat and Pearl watched as the dog started eating the food off his plate. 

Then, she simply went back to her phone as the dog devoured the last few bites of the sandwich. 

..........................

"Alright man. We're here." 

"Nn..huh?" he blinked his tired eyes.

"We're at my arena."

Garnet and Pearl were getting out the car.

He leaned up in his seat, rotating the muscles in his shoulder as he massaged the back of it.

Pearl opened the door for her. "Come on, che. You had a good two hours of sleep. Now wake yourself up." she got out the car and Pearl closed the door.

Steven watched the three women head over to a wide, huge set of white stairs. He quickly checked the time on his phone. _4:24a.m_. "Come on, Lion." he wiped the drool off his face with the back of his hand and opened the door. "Let's see what we're going to be up to today." he got out the car and Lion hopped down beside him.

He started walking down the white tiles towards the women as he looked around the unfamiliar area around him. They looked to be on top of a mountain of some sort.. and what he could assume were GemTech clouds to simulate a feeling of being in the sky. Scattered debris of various metal, wood, stone and marble littered the area. Along the edges of the mountain top were a pillars in varying sizes. Some of them broken in half, scratched, crumbled or cracked. And they all had that.. GemTech writing that Steven couldn't understand.

Amethyst was standing a few yards away in the open center tiled in white, facing the one set of stairs located to one side. 

The sun was slowly rising along the horizon.

"Che. Tomes asiento." she gestured at the stairs. 

"Uh.. huh?" 

She sighed, shaking her head. "Take a seat." 

"O, oh.." he took a seat right beside Garnet. The woman, holding a huge golf bag and Lion laid down on the ground by the bottom step. 

"Okay, che. We brought you here because you suck at sword-esque weapon handling." 

"Huh?" 

"We saw you and Onion on the roof going at it. You suck. He hit the broom right out of your hands. _Easily.."_

"Oh.. yeah." 

"So. It's time. For a bit of sword training." she nodded. 

"Wait, I'M going to be using real life swords?!"

"Uh, doy. You're learning the basics of proper hand holding on weapons." then a beat later. "Well, for swords, that is." 

"Sword handling looks pretty hard.."

"Well, you would get the basics down eventually. And it's not like you have a choice anyway. Every Crystal Gem knows about the basics of swords, whips and hand to hand combat. Those are the three core basics that Crystal Gems know." he looked at her, taking in the newfound information. "For example, all three of us know how to use the weapons that we predominantly use. Pearl and I know hand to hand combat like Garnet and her brass knuckles and gauntlets, Garnet and Pearl know how to use whips and Garnet and I know how to use spears and swords. Just like Peridot, Wascoite, Jasper and every Crystal Gem out there. _However_, we each have our own personal weapons and techniques that set us all apart as a gem. Garnet is really good at hand to hand combat, Pearl specializes in swords and spears and I'm the best one out there with using whips, ropes and chains. All of the Peridots have their technology, Lapis Lazuli has that.. water schtick that she does and she has her fancy water wings or whatever and Jasper has a helmet for his big head and every Quartz can spin dash. And the list goes on and on and on. And when _you_ finally get your weapon, you'll be specializing in shield bearing and using your shield for both offense and defense." 

He was at a lost for words..

That sounded.. pretty cool how she was saying it..

But then he quickly had to remind himself that.. this wasn't a game.. and that these people were mean.. and brutal.. Crystal Gems..

"Okay, now with that out of the way, we're going to get right down to training. Two of us will be showing you proper stance and hand holding as well as a few attacks and blocks." she looked at the woman beside Steven. "Garnet, hand me two swords."

The woman unzipped the bag and Steven saw six different, types of, _incredibly sharp_ swords. 

Garnet grabbed two and handed them to Amethyst and sat back down.

"Okay, Talc. Watch closely because after these lessons, you'll be doing a bit of sparring on your own." 

He swallowed. 

Amethyst held one of the swords out to the side of her as she looked to the group, her eyes landing on one person in particular. 

"We'll start with the best of the best of sword fighters." she announced. A pleased smile coming to her face. "Pearl. You'll be my sparring partner." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> P.S, when Amethyst said that it was her arena, the place that they are now is literally called Amethyst's Arena so I can play homage to the one in canon which apparently is called Pearl's Arena. I thought it was the Sky Arena, but apparently those are two different things xD lol, whoops!
> 
> Aaaanywho, stay tuned for Steven and the Sword fighter!
> 
> This chapter was actually supposed to be apart of the Steven and the Sword fighter chapters buuuuuut, I wanted to be mean and leave off with a tad bit of a cliffy hanger.  
...If you would even call it that xD
> 
> Anyway yeah, stay tuned guys! =D


	113. Swordfighting 101

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blood in these next two, three chapters guys, just giving y'all a heads up. 

Pearl got up from the stairs and made her way down towards Amethyst.

"Pearl." she gestured at the sword with her chin and the woman grabbed it out of her hand.

"Okay, Talc. So. First thing is stance and proper hand holding. For our stance, we like our feet to be shoulder width apart." she stepped her left foot in front of her and Pearl did the same. "Don't be on your heels. Take a comfortable step forward and sink into it. Also, it's more important to where your knee is facing." she tapped her knee. She moved her knee slightly to the left, her body turning with it, then to the right, then she put her knee back in the center, her torso facing straight behind it. 

"Knees comfortably bent and shift the weight on the balls of your feet. You put the weight on your heels, you fall off balance. You also can't move your leg easily and with that, you become a target. Go too far forward and this becomes dangerous for the knee. You put stress on it and you can potentially injure yourself." 

"Okay, now we're going to try actually moving around. An advance or retreating step." said Amethyst. She and Pearl kept their stance, their legs a comfortable width apart, with their left foot forward. Holding their swords close to their right shoulder. 

"Here we'll take a step forward while maintaining our stance. To do this we push with the back foot while raising our front foot first and moving forward." both she then a split second later Pearl demonstrated the movement. The two pushing off as they raise their front foot forward and taking a single step in front of them. "Notice that at the completion of the step, the feet are the same distance apart." the two kept their stance. "And to go backwards, it's a similar motion. You push with the front foot and lift the back, going a step backwards." Amethyst and Pearl demonstrated it. They pushed off with their front foot as the back foot lifted up and back, taking one full step backwards. Their feet the same distance apart from before. "It's important that you're doing this while keeping a strong base of support and not lurching your body weight forward and back. It should be one, swift, balanced motion." They performed a few more advance and retreating steps, moving their feet forward, then back, forward and back again. A rep of five.

The two kept their stance. "And now for passive steps. You use the same steps as you would for you advance and your retreating steps. The only difference is that your changing your weak foot. The ultimate goal to accomplish this is to keep your body as leveled as possible." she and Pearl demonstrated, throwing their right foot in one quick motion in front of their left foot. "What you _don't_ want is your energy going _up_ and forward." she set an example, doing it incorrectly as she lifted up with her toes, pushing her body slightly up as she went forward. "You want your energy to be going _forward_." she performed it correctly, keeping her body levelled and balanced as she brought her right foot in front of her left. They performed a few passive steps for their audience. Another rep of five.

"Then we have the triangle step. This is a step to the side while you switch your weak foot. First, your foot moves out to the side slightly." she and Pearl moved their front foot slightly to the side. "Then you switch your weak foot forward and to the side of you." they pushed their back foot off the ground and moved it forward and a foot apart of their front foot." and quickly put your strong foot back behind it, resetting to your original stance." they moved their left foot back and behind their right foot. "You can now move sideways and change your feet while moving around your opponent.

Steven sat their beside Garnet. Trying to remember all of the steps so far. And with every step, he tried to replay it a few times in his mind before Amethyst would go to a other stance.

But as she showed more and more stances and different steps, all of those steps he'd learned before started to intertwine and bleed into one another.. and he was slowly starting to forget which step was which.. 

  
  


"And now we're going to show you a couple more stances." said Amethyst. The two went back to their original stance. 

Steven resisted a sigh. _Oh no.._

.................................

"And now that we've showed you proper hand holding and wrist exercises, we can start showing you actual maneuvers." said Amethyst. 

_Oh no.... Now here comes the difficult stuff.. _

"Now swordsmanship. Defenses." the two were now face to face, standing just a couple feet apart. "If someone comes at you with a blade, or _wand_ or.. _broom_." she mocked. "There are several basic responses or defense reactions you can do. If someone throws a proper cut at you. Pearl." 

The woman demonstrated, going for Amethyst as she slowly brought her sword in a downstrike. "You can just evade." she took a retreating step back, pushing her left foot back as she lifted her right foot a step back. "Be it a step back or to the side. Evasion is a simple and effective defensive action but it can also be risky. For example, say I'm at high guard." Amethyst raised her sword up and above her head. "And it looks to her like I'm about to cut vertically straight down." Amethyst gestured at Pearl's torso in a cut down motion. "So she goes to evade that." Amethyst looked at Pearl and Pearl demonstrated by retreating to the side. "but then it's actually a diagonal cut." Amethyst threw her sword down to the other side of Pearl, hitting her shoulder- 

-And to Steven.. Unlike the strikes that Pearl had done, she either barely hit Amethyst or didn't hit her at all. But just now when Amethyst had been the one to do a strike, it looked lie she threw the sword down on Pearl's shoulder pretty hard.. Though the woman didn't protest, so perhaps he was just over analyzing it? 

"Or say if she steps back when I throw the cut." Amethyst swung down and Pearl stepped backwards. "but I _CHASE_ her." she jabbed Pearl in her stomach "in a thrust." Now that time Steven thought he saw Pearl wince.. but.. it was such a split second thing, maybe.. she didn't? "So the drawback here, is that you're just relying on being where the opponent's blade is_ not_ at the time. Now if you misjudge their timing or reach or screw up in any way, there's no failsafe." she turned to Steven. "You _will_ get hit. BUT. if you _do_ pull off an effective dodge you've put the opponent in a very bad spot." a beat later. "Unless of course if your opponent is skilled and experienced enough to not expose themselves any more than necessary during the attack, that makes follow ups after an evasive action a bit more difficult." she turned back to Pearl. "So anyway, moving on to the _next_ defensive action. A block." 

Steven saw, _or he assumed he was seeing,_ blood seeping into the top sleeve of Pearl's shirt. Right where Amethyst had strike her with the sharp blade the first time. 

"So the opponent cuts at you." she stood there in a stance and Pearl threw down her sword. "so you just raise up." Amethyst threw her sword up, keeping the blade downward. "and put the blade between yourself and the opponent's blade. You just stop it dead in its tracks and you're safe." she, then Pearl brought their swords back down. "This can be done in different ways. You can also, when the opponent cuts at you." Pearl threw another downstrike. "that you throw your blade up. "Amethyst threw her sword up in front of her and grabbed the other end with her hand, Pearl's sword clinking the middle of Amethyst's blade. "Support the blade with both hands to catch it." she moved her sword away from Pearl, still holding her sword up with both hands as she turned to face Steven. "like so." she held the sword up for a few more moments before bringing it back down. "Which could then lead to grappling and other follow up techniques. You see a lot of these kind of static blocks in movies." she turned back to Pearl. "For example, Pearl throws a cut at me." Pearl threw her sword down and Amethyst threw her sword up, holding it with both hands as Pearl's blade hit Amethyst's sword. "You can overpower them and slide the sword." Amethyst pushed up and at an angle, Pearl's blade sliding down to the hilt of Amethyst's sword and Amethyst thrusted her sword in Pearls other shoulder. "and jab them in their shoulder, neck or in their sides." she dropped her sword back down and Pearl did the same. 

"The next one you sometimes see but much more rarely. This is Pearls favorite. And it's called a parry. And you can debate which terms to use but in this case I apply the term parry to a deflectional defence. So rather than just dropping the opponents blade dead when she cuts" Pearl threw a down strike. "I'm just going to." Amethyst threw her sword up, blocking the strike. "and use the momentum." and went straight for another up strike hitting Pearl's neck and Steven just _knew_ he saw Pearl wince that time. "to let the blade push my own out of the way and I can counter directly using the opponent's energy to power my own counter cut." she turned to Steven who quickly looked away from the blood sliding down Pearl's neck to Amethyst. "This can often be used in lateral movement evasion and blocking.. or parrying _can_ be combined. And in fact that _is_ the safer way to do a dodge. So if you step to the side." she retreated a step to the side. "and still raise up your blade." she raised her blade up in front of her. "just in case something happens, it's still there to protect you." she tapped on the sword above her. "So it's a failsafe." 

Amethyst turned back to face Pearl. Steven clearly seeing the blood stains on both shoulders, her stomach and the blood steadily sliding down her neck from the cut. But Pearl, acting like it was nothing. "Then we've got the counter cut or what some folks may call it, a master cut. In which a particular master cut can defeat another master cut. For example, if Pearl throws a downward cut at me." Pearl threw her sword down. "I can use a zwerchau." Amethyst threw her sword to the opposite side of Pearl's striking zone, pushing the blade down and hitting the side of her face and Steven saw Pearl clench her eyes just for a second in anticipation of the hit. "That can break her strike and cut her in the head. So what this does is breaks the line of the attack. It displaces the opponents cut and strikes them in the head at the same time. And this can be done in a variety of ways. For example, the wrath cut does the same thing." Pearl threw another down strike. "I just simply." Amethyst threw her sword fast and hard, hitting the hilt of Pearl's sword and stopping the strike and hitting her on the other side of the face, cutting just below her chin, deeply. "cross the line aggressively and displace her blade and hit them. So this is arguably the best defensive action." she turned back to Steven, ignoring the blood dripping from Pearl's face from the last strike. "Also, a little tip. Hitting the opponent matters a lot less than not getting hit because if you get maimed or mortally injured." she gestured at Pearl. "Then you've lost." 

"So the counter or what is more accurately called a single tempo defense. As in you do your defensive action at the same time as the opponent attacks, _that _ is a very effective way of dealing with that. Counter cutting can also be used in combination with evasion. If you step back, you bring yourself out of the reach of the opponents blade but the opponents _arm_ is within _your_ reach. So if you step _back_ and cut to the opponents arm, then you're safe and you break the attack because.." she looked back at Pearl and said smugly. "severed muscles, tendons and broken bones do not lend themselves to effective attacks." she let the side smile linger on for a few moments before looking back at Steven.

"Okay so those are the fundamental basic defenses that you can use to keep yourself safe from the opponents attack if they fall under one of these categories aside from binding and winding. So if an opponent threatens." she thrusted out he blade towards the audience. "you with a blade but with a thrust, be it a repier or a longsword and you bind and gain control of the blade, constrain and thrust." she thrusted her sword forward before putting the blade down "on your own or do something else from the bind. Grappling or wrestling, that's a different sort of defensive action you could, in a way, put it under deflectional maybe reflectional and counter so the different categories can definitely mix to an extent but overall that about sums it up." then she quickly added. "For _ those_ categories."

There was _noo_ way he was going to remember all of this.. 

And it didn't seemed like she wasn't going to let up anytime soon..

"Now. Speaking of binding and winding. We're going to learn the basics on them too." 

_..... yeah I definitely won't be able to remember all if this.._

.................................

At this point, just about everything was running together in one huge mush.. The stances, the maneuvers, the strikes, the blocks.. everything.. they were ALL running together now and after two hours, Amethyst was _still_ going on, hopping from basics to intermediate and going to a few advance maneuvers as well. (Whatever happened to 'just learning about the basics'?)

"The oberhau, or the strike from above-" 

And he was learning even more.. 

He didn't even have a break or a refresher of anything.. They were just, plowing through everything all at once.. 

".. now, the starting position. Left foot is the leading foot, while the right is to the back." she and Pearl took the stance. "And remember, the weight is evenly distributed. The hips are facing the opponent _not_ sideways." she turned her hips before turning them back towards Pearl. "And the sword is held at shoulder level." she held the sword blade up. "Now first, you want to close the line between you and the opponent by bringing your sword forward." Amethyst threw her sword forward slightly. "protecting yourself from any last minute counter attack. Then, you step towards the opponent." she made an advance step and shifted a bit to her right. "at the same time a little bit to your right and out of line of attack of your opponent, should there be any counter attack. And then." she brought her sword down on Pearl's blood drenched shoulder. "bring down your blade in a straight line and hitting your opponent." Steven was wincing _for_ Pearl.. The woman cut up.. but _still_ not saying anything.. 

"This way you should be protected against any last second counter attack." Pearl threw out her sword, but it was blocked by Amethyst's without the woman having to move her sword. "You have removed your head away from the strike zone and secondly your hands are protected by the crossguard of the sword itself." she, then Pearl dropped their swords. "And that concludes the Oberhau." "Now to fend yourself _against_ an Oberhau, you can go for the Zornhau or the wrath strike. Pearl will be leading first with an Oberhau." the woman advanced, taking a step and throwing her sword down in a potential strike. 

Amethyst retreated a step back and leaned back slightly and to her ride side. "The first thing you want to do is to get out of the way by leaning back a little and to your right side off center or, take a step off-center if need be. The second step would be to bring your blade down on your opponent's blade in once decisive motion." Amethyst threw her sword down against Pearl's, stopping the attack. "The big difference between the Oberhau and the Zornhau is that with the Oberhau you go for the opponent's body and with the Zornhau you are actually aiming for your opponent's blade. Like so. We'll do it again Pearl." the woman stepped back. Then, went for her again, taking a step forward and throwing her sword down. Amethyst moved out the way and threw her sword down, hitting Pearl's sword. The two keeping their swords together. "From here you want to maintain steady pressure on your opponent's blade to better control her." 

"The next step would be to reorient the tip of your sword." Amethyst turned her sword flatwise. "so it faces your opponent's throat or head or whatever you want to go for. And from there it's going for the thrust." she thrusted her sword, their blades grinding across the other as Amethyst slide her sword towards Pearl's throat. 

She stopped, _just_ at the middle of Pearl's throat and Amethyst stared at her throat. Pearl resisted a swallow.. looking at Amethyst's mischievous grin on her face. 

Then.. she slowly started to move the sword away from Pearl's throat. She held the sword up to her shoulder. "And now, the Zornhau ort." 

The two got into position again, getting into a stance just a few feet apart. "Pearl." the woman took a step towards her and threw her sword down and Amethyst blocked the sword and twisted her sword flatwise and slid it up slightly and stopped. "I have moved in a thrusting position here. And, what a lot of people tend to do when they are confronted with a thrust, like what Pearl is now, they tend to intuitively raise their arms up." Pearl raised her arms up, her sword moving Amethyst's up along with it. "But, in doing so, they open up a lot of their body for a follow-up attack. Now again there's a lot of ways to do this but we've picked a very simple way of attacking from here which is a kick to the groin or the abdomen. Then we'll get to the other ways of following this up. Now the execution of the kick is straightforward. Just raise your right leg." still keeping block with her sword, she picked her leg up and placed it on Pearl's bloody shirt and kept it there. "and push them backwards. When you push them backwards they're basically opening their head up for a follow-up attack. Like so." she pushed Pearl off with her foot, the woman leaning in slightly and her sword falling just slightly down with her and Amethyst thew her sword down, hitting her on top of the head. Steven looked at Pearl flinching for a second, her eyes almost shutting as the wave of pain coursed through her. Blood started to mix with her short, peach colored hair. 

...........................

Steven sat there, feeling more and more sorry for Pearl as he watched the woman get cut up from Amethyst's sword. 

And he couldn't help but wonder if.. If it wasn't for Pearl simply being a target practice/ lesson for Steven, if Pearl could easily defeat Amethyst in a sword fight..

Because with Amethyst getting all of these strikes in.. It just wasn't fair..

And if Pearl specifically specializes in swords and spears, maybe she _could_ easily beat her.

Especially with such a height advantage. That.. plays a role in sword fighting.. right? .. or.. maybe not? 

Majority of the time Pearl had to bend her legs a bit for Amethyst to carry out her example, the woman being so much taller than Amethyst.

The woman being taller than _him_.

And.. Garnet being so much taller than all three of them-

"This next one is a counter technique against a thirst called the Absezten. Now, I'm going to attack with an Oberhau." Amethyst advanced, taking a step and throwing her sword down and Pearl threw hers down, blocking the attack. "in which Pearl counters with a Zornhau and goes for a follow-up thrust." Pearl twisted her sword flatwise and thrusted up slightly towards Amethyst. "Now from here, the first thing you want to do is to remove your head from the dangerzone." she moved her head away from the direction of Pearl's sword and then took a step to her right. "You might also want to take a step to your side to be on the safe side. The second step would be to push your opponent's blade to your left side." Amethyst pushed her sword up, moving Pearl's up with it and tilting her sword down towards Pearl. "bringing your blade to the upper left side. And one tip here is to change your grip to a thimb grip. That is a thumbs up gesture on your sword so that at the end if this half circle movement your thumb supports your blade below. And from here, you are ready for the thrust in their chest or throat." Amethyst thrusted her sword down to Pearl's chest, adding another cut across her shirt. 

Amethyst dropped her sword down and inspected Pearl. The woman bloodied and cut up, but still standing as tall and straight as ever. Putting on a completely unfazed façade as she looked at her boss. 

Amethyst held up the sword to her side in one swift motion. "Yo, Talc." his stomach dropped at his name. 

He just _knew_ what she was going to say next.. and he wasn't ready-

"You're up. Come down here and show me what you've learned." 

_Oh no.. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope y'all enjoyed the tutorial.  
To be honest I had to shorten it a bit, which was why I put stuff like (and he also learned dot dot dot) because if I were to put EVERY single stance and pivot and maneuver and strike and block and etcetera, etcetera, y'all would be reading like ten chapters, lol.
> 
> But just know that Steven _did_ learn a looooot about footwork and handwork and a lot of basic defenses and attacks and even a few advance stuff during those few hours.
> 
>   
Also, I had to watch a few sword videos, lol.  
For those who are curious as to which ones I completely ripped the dialogue of on YouTube:
> 
> -An introduction to stance and footwork in sword fighting HEMA  
-Swordsmanship: The basic types of defense  
-Learn sword fighting 1: Basic Attack  
-Learn sword fighting 2: The Zornhau  
-Learn sword fighting 3: Kick to the groin  
-Learn sword fighting 4: Countering the thrust-Absetzen
> 
> -Hot to spin/ twirl/ flourish


	114. Steven and the Sword fighter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, um... Things definitely take a freakin' turn..
> 
> And things just go up and down up and down in general with these people's feelings. Just about everybody's getting on each other.

Steven got up on unsure legs of lead. And he hesitated. Garnet, desperately wanting to tell him 'Be careful out there'. But with Amethyst looking right at them, she couldn't. 

"Come on, Talc. We don't have all day." 

Steven walked down the off-white steps and down to the arena. 

"Here." Amethyst handed him the bloody sword and he grabbed it. "You and Pearl will be sparring until I tell you two when to stop." 

That didn't sound good.. 

Maybe if he could just.. stall?

He looked at the sword, then at her. "Hey, uh, Amethyst?" 

"What?" 

"Of all the things you showed me, you didn't show me any of those sword spinning attack thingies." 

She raised her eyebrow at him and scoffed. "You mean those flourishes and spins you see in those fake kung fu movies?" 

"..Uh.. yeah?"

"Yeah, you don't have to worry about any of that. Those twirls are pointless. People just do that because it looks cool. Here. Give me those swords." Pearl and Steven handed Amethyst the swords and she started spinning one fast, forwards and backwards and around her arms. Then she started with the second one. Both swords barely missing her face as she spun and twirled them in quick, flawless motions. 

And Steven looked at her in awe. 

It in fact, _did_ look cool like she said.

"Doing this." she continued to twirl the swords all around. "Just looks cool and intimidates the enemy. And it helps you gain confidence as well, since you know how to properly handle swords." she threw them up and they spun up in the air, and spun back down. 

Easily, she caught the two. "But that's all it is to twirling them. Spinning swords and doing flourishes is actually pointless in dueling." she handed Pearl her sword then Steven his. "Alright, now enough chit chat, I want to see some good 'ole sword fighting!"

_Aw no... Here we go.. _

He held the sword in front of him, looking at his own red, pink tinted reflection in the mirror from the smeared blood. He swallowed. 

"Yo. Come on man." he looked up at her. "Let's get on with it." Amethyst demanded with a few claps of her hands.

He stood there, frozen.

Amethyst sighed. "Pearl." she snapped. "show him how it's done. Let's get him to start playing." 

Pearl advanced, taking a step towards him and he saw her throw her sword down and he screamed, nearly dropping his sword. He held it up over his head and he heard a light clink right above his ear. 

He opened his eyes. 

He'd blocked Pearl's strike. 

Though with how he threw his sword up and at such a last minute, he had a feeling Pearl could've easily countered it or found another spot to hit him in. 

"Hm. Not bad. Not bad." Amethyst said. "Now, Pearl. Again. The Oberhau this time." 

In a complete mush of sword fighting stances and strikes and blocks in his mind, he tried to quickly remember what an Oberhau was and how to counter attack it.. 

He couldn't remember.. The zort something? Sornhaus? 

Pearl raised her arm up. 

_Oh yeah!! An 'Oberhau' means an attack from above!_

He threw his sword up and blocked it, realizing that Pearl wasn't putting a lot of pressure on her sword. 

Good thing he wasn't sparring with Amethyst.. Pearl was much more gentle..

Pearl countered his block and took a step to the side and thrusted her sword up, and he barely held on to his sword as she lifted the blade up. 

_Oh no! What am I going to do now?!_

"Talc! She made it easy for you! Look at what she's doing!" 

He looked from his sword to Pearl. The woman had her arms all the way up. 

"Talc! The Zornhau ort!!" 

"Huh?" he tried pushing his sword back down, but each time, she would match his strength with a bit more of her own. 

"The abdomen or the groin, Talc! Her whole torso is open!" 

"OH!" then he lifted his right leg up and Pearl pushed his sword back, causing him to stumble back on two feet. She thrusted her sword back up to his, making her torso still open for the attack.

"Pay attention to your footing, Talc! Do you see what Pearl is doing with _her_ feet? Notice where she keeps her center of gravity! You need to do the same if YOU'RE to keep _YOUR_ balance!" 

He tried to mimic Pearl's footing as he tried to remember how to properly stand for a block and a maneuver. 

Pearl kept her sword up, just awaiting his next move.

Steven kept his legs shoulder width apart, and staying on the balls of his feet. He shifted his body forward, being careful in not moving his body up and forward. 

He lifted his foot up and Pearl let him place his foot on her abdomen. He pushed off and threw his sword down, going for her head (though not really.. he didn't want to agitate the cuts she already had on her head.)

But before he could even get close and simply stopping just above her head, she blocked his sword with hers, and pushed up, sending his sword up once more and she placed her ballet-like flats on his stomach and pushed him off. He stumbled back, his sword lowering down beside him and just a second later, he felt the sword stop just above his thick, curly hair.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk." he looked over at Amethyst as Pearl was raising her sword away from his hair. Amethyst was shaking her head. "Looks like she did the exact same thing that _you_ tried to do.. Your stance needed more work, but also you need to actually _look_ and _pay_ attention to your opponent. What she's doing with her own feet, her own arms. You have to try and plan ahead. See if there's any openings and also making sure that you _yourself_ are keeping well blocked and at the same time, ready to strike at a moments notice."

He sighed. "She's just really, reaaaally good." he looked at his hand holding the sword, then back at Pearl. "How did you even _get_ this good?"

She looked at him, then her expression went to something of "uneasiness". "Oh, well.." she rubbed the back of her neck.

"Eh, don't be a stranger, Pearl." Amethyst said.. annoyance in her voice. She turned to Steven. "Lonny taught her." 

"Lonny?"

"Yeah, Rose's husband. Or late husband? since she's freakin' dead now." she shook her head. "Anyway, he was the one who taught Pearl. Who taught all three of us." 

"He was that good?"

She shrugged. Her face a mixture of contempt and disgust. "Yeah, he _was_. But THAT was all before he got all soft."

"What do you.. mean by that? As in.. he got.. too old or.."

The three women shot him a glare.

And his heart skipped a beat at the stern looks.

If life had taught him one thing, it was that one should be very cautious of an angered woman.

And he had three of them.

"Uh.."

"Hey, watch the o word, che. I'm a little over a decade older than you and I'm plenty fine." she shot him a glare. "And Pearl over there has literally over two decades over you. And she can still whip ANYONE. ANY day. And eh, Garnet's the youngest, but Pearl and I can still take her on. Anyway, no. That's not why. The dude had.. I don't know, something going on with him. He wanted to started changing the empire for whatever reason." she fanned her hand. "I don't know what the heck happened. He was this force to be reckoned with one day, then he wants to start talking to the Dia-, uh." Pearl and Garnet gave her a quick glance. "talk to people about, who knows what." she shrugged. "pointless stuff really."

"Like.. to make the empire better? Or.."

She scoffed. "Better? NO!" she threw her hands in the air. "To make it WORSE, Talc!" 

"O.. oh.." he didn't know what to say to that exactly.. not wanting to open up a can of worms for the umpteenth time.. But he was so curious now. He'd only heard about this Rose Quartz person a few times and mainly from Garnet who said she'd changed for the worse.. but what about this Lonny character? He seemed to had changed too, according to Amethyst.. And she is not happy. at all.

"So.. what happened to him? He just.. left? Because.. nobody wanted to deal with his new um.. plan?"

"Tsch.. some think that, yeah." she was silent for a few moments before coming her teeth. Eh, whatever. I can tell you." she gave him a levelled stare. "People THINK that he left because nobody wanted to go with his plans. So, he stepped down and put Mr. Wascoite, Peridot's grandfather in charge. HOWEVER, it was after Rose died, that he was never seen after that. EVER again. And that's _very_ bizarre if you ask me." she whispered, with such venom in her voice. "He starts changing and acting different and wanting to undergo different stuff for the empire.. then wouldn't you know it, while we're out there trying to do our work and right as we're trying to stay at the top, Rose gets murded and he just UPS and leaves. Yeah, I call CRAP on that, but NOBODY seems to want to believe _ME_."

"But.. there were no witnesses to make sure if anything had happened between her and him when that happened?"

"THAT'S WHAT I FUCKING SAID!!!! THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN SAYING FOR FUCKING YEARS NOW!!! HOW WERE THERE NO WITNESSES!! HOW CAN SOMEONE LIKE THE ROSE QUARTZ. GET MURDERED POINT BLANK!! AND NOBODY!! ABSOLUTELY NOOOBODY SEEING ANYONE LEAVE OUT HER ROOM OR EVEN HEARD ANYTHING!! IT DOESN'T. MAKE. SENSE!!!" she shouted out. A snarl on her face that made Steven intuitively step back.

"I.. don't know how Amethyst.."

"I'LL TELL YOU HOW!! BECAUSE HE WAS THE ONE WHO MURDERED HER!! I KNOW HE DID!! SHE WAS THE BEST WE HAD OUT THERE!! AND SHE WAS THE ONE WHO KEPT TELLING HIM NO ABOUT HIS PLANS!! AND I JUST KNOW HE KILLED HER BECAUSE SHE WOULDN'T GO ALONG WITH HIS PLANS!!" 

Pearl and Garnet kept quiet. The two looking extremely uneasy. One more so than the other.

Steven had his back to the wall again.. seeming to anger her even more. And, he just didn't want that..

"Sorry, Amethyst.. maybe-"

"HOW CAN YOU BE SORRY! YOU WEREN'T EVEN THERE!!!!"

"I.. I don't know.." he mumbled.. "I was just saying sorry about the whole situation and giving my condolences.." he took another small step away from the fired up woman. "And, I don't know.. maybe something will come up? Something tells me that someone will come clean or they'll have a lead."

"HA! Now THAT'S funny. Those Peridots haven't found out ANYTHING about ANYTHING either!! You know sometimes I think that even THOSE Peridots are up to something! They don't know WHO killed Rose Quartz, the don't know WHERE Lonny ran off to or if he's still even ALIVE and they CAN'T even find ANYTHING about the D-" she growled. "about ANYTHING!!" 

"M, maybe they just need more time?"

She pivoted to him, giving him a glare. "More time, Talc?! More time?! They've had over FIFTEEN YEARS to find anything!! And they haven't! Now I'm telling you, Talc." she waved a finger at him. "Things have been pretty fishy once Lonny started acting weird. And things are starting to act even more weird now." she took a few steps towards him and he took a few steps back. "And _I'm_ going to be the one to get to the bottom of it. Yeah. Best believe that. All of this weirdness and skepticism and, and paranoia is ALL going to stop." she panted a few times, a weird look in her eyes. "This is going to stop. All of this crazy weirdness is." she shook her head, snarling. "_all_ of it."

"O, okay Amethyst." he held his hands up in a placating manner. "I, I understand."

She scoffed. "Like you know what I'm going through in my own mind, Talc." she spat out. And he looked at her, about to say something to her as she took a few steps back away from him and on the edge of the arena. "Look. I'm done with this Lonny crap. He taught Pearl. Good for him. Now Pearl is better than him. Now. I want to resume this match. Pearl, go for another Zornhau ort and see if Talc has learned his lesson yet." she narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't mess this one up, Talc!" 

He swallowed and took a stance. Paying attention to how his left foot was. Out and in front of him. His waist towards his opponent. His right foot right behind him and he was keeping at the balls of his feet. His sword at shoulder height.

"Good, good. Now THAT'S what I call a stance." he heard Amethyst clap. "Pearl, now."

The woman advanced a few steps toward him, her sword held out in front of her and at an angle.

_Okay, Universe. With the zornhau ort, she's going to try and push your sword upwards. DON'T give her that advance. Keep low._

Pearl swiped down and Steven bend low and threw out his sword, facing the blade low to the ground, blocking her hit.

"Ohohoho, P!! He's trying to keep you towards the ground!" 

He put more pressure down on her sword and Pearl only matched his with even more strength.

The woman was just.. so freakin' strong!!

_Okay.. maybe I can go for another of those.. sword twist thingies Amethyst was talking about. And I can try to go for Pearl's sword and try to use that momentum to push my own sword towards her if she tries to push me up._

Steven kept his body centered. Keeping a steady, sturdy balance on his feet. He pulled his sword back and leaned back and to the right as Pearl went for a strike and she missed.

She actually missed!!

Unless she purposely did that.

STILL!!

"OOOOOOHH!! I HOPE YOU LET HIM DO THAT P!! IF NOT, THAT BOY JUST GOT OVER ON YOU!! YOU SLIPPIN'!! " 

Pearl scrunched up her face at Steven who was now sporting a determined smile on his face.

That smug smile..

She brought her sword straight towards him in a thrust and he gave a startled "Whoa!" and barely blocked her sword as he retreated back a step, still being mindful of his core balance on his legs and torso.

Her sword, right at his face now as his sword was pointing up and stopped right at the hilt of her sword. He quickly twisted his sword and turned it downwards and turned it flat wise as he changed his grip to a thumb grip, keeping the bottom of his sword supported as he kept the tip of his sword to her face now. 

"OHO!! Talc just did an Absetzen! He can practically just END the fight now!" Amethyst instigated. "He's RIGHT at an angle to throw in a jab!!" 

She looked away from Amethyst to the smug look on the boy's face. His dark brown eyes showing conceitedness and confidence. The bridge of his small nose right in front of her.. And the way his soft, rosey lips curved up in that smug smile. And the round curve of his chin..

She despised it.

ALL of it.

Yet there was still something there that she-

She ignored the feelings, keeping her sword right by his face. His sword, still right in front of hers.

"Looks like I'm gonna beat, Peaaarl." he teased, playfully.

So conceited.. Why was he so conceited?!

She twisted her face up at him. "Hey, _kid_." she spat out. "I'm only _letting_ you do this. Me letting you dodge my strike, me letting you go this far to go for an Absetzen. ALL of that was on purpose. NOT because of you. _I_ am the best sword fighter of the Crystal Gems."

Okay, that was.. weird..

He simply thought they were playing around.. Unless this was her version of playing around? He really couldn't tell.. Pearl was up and down too.. just like Amethyst. She was kinda like Amethyst in that aspect, just turned down a few notches..

Well.. a _lot_ of notches..

"Okay, Pearl." he waved in and out of character, still not sure if she was playing or not. "You've already made a mistake by challenging me. Heh, but let us. Compete." 

_Compete.._

"Lonny.." she whispered out coarsely.

"Heheh, wait.. huh?"

Pearl shook her head. Realizing what she said as she added. "Lonny made me the best sword fighter. And I'm not going to have some.. discount pipsqueak get over on me."

"Pearl.." okay, maybe she wasn't playing. "I was just going with the flow of the duel." she pushed her weight towards him _easily_ because she _was_ holding back. She'd been doing this for at least thirty years! Of COURSE she was good. She was great at what she did. Because that stupid, loveable Lonny taught her. And because she kept training DESPITE of what happened between them..

And she DAMN sure was better than that homewrecker Rose Quartz too..

"I'm _better_ than you. And I'm a damn good sword fighter. And I'll show you three.."

_She will.._

_Because she doesn't like competing. With ANYONE._

She. _won't._ compete with anyone.

In one swift motion that Steven couldn't catch as it happened so fast, the woman somehow bringing her sword to the side and below his. Then thrusting her sword to the other side of his sword as she took a side step to his right. Her sword lifting up and catching the hilt of his sword. Then she brought her sword in, taking his sword with her and she threw her sword up and diagonal in a hard thrust. His sword literally flying out of his hands and flying a few feet behind him. In just one second that happened.

One second he had a sword to her face. 

Then the next, the tip of her sword was right between his eyes.

He held his hands up in defeat. "I give!" he squealed.

She held the sword there. Her form not moving. 

The blood still dripping from certain cuts on her shoulders and neck. And dripping from a few strains of her hair. The blood, dropping from her sweaty bangs to the hilt of her sword.

"Ard, Pearl. You got him." she started walking up to them. "I think Pillsbury here is about to pee his pants." she snorted. 

Pearl kept her sword there for a few moments before slowly. _sloooowly_ pulling the sharp blade of the sword away from his face. Her face, in a scowl and still dangerously close to his.

Then, she started to lean back up.

Amethyst raised an eye up to Pearl, then looked at Steven. "Wow, dude. The heck you did to her."

"I, I don't know!" he still had his hands up. "I.. guess she didn't like my playful taunting.. I told her about it being a mistake to challenge me but that we had to compete!"

"Com._pete?"_ her expression changed to something of annoyance. "Oh, don't tell me.." she shook her head in disbelief. She looked at Pearl. "Don't tell me you got mad.. ALL because he said the word compete!! You NEED to STOP this, Pearl!!" 

Pearl wanted to keep the scowl at the boy.. But with Amethyst, her boss, telling her otherwise.. she was conflicted.. Her scowl slowly going to something more.. of disgust.

"Pearl. I _know_ you're not still bitter about what happened... TWENTY OR WHATEVER YEARS AGO!!" 

Pearl kept the stare going at Steven.. looking at the scared little boy who had know idea what was going on.. because.. he had nothing to do with any of it.. It wasn't his fault.. 

She looked down to the ground. Sad.. 

"Pearl." she heard Amethyst. "Stop it with this competition crap." she leaned in. "You know Lonny. He _always_ did what he wanted. It never failed with him."

Steven was trying hard to figure out what happened.. What they were talking about.. But there weren't many clues to piece together..

"Lonny did what he did, Pearl."

The woman kept a plain face. As anger, love, jealousy and self-loath boiled behind her façade. 

"Deal with it. Now. both of them are gone. You have. to move. on." she grounded out in a whisper. "I'm sick of this with you, still thinking about the past... hand me the sword!" Amethyst snatched the sword out of Pearl's hand. 

"Amethyst." the woman was walking away to get Steven's sword. She turned around to him. "What!"

Steven hesitated, before slowly saying. "Was.. Lonny a good person?" 

"What? Talc, what kind of a question is that?!"

"I don't know." he said meekly with a small shrug of his shoulders. "I was just.. curious if he built the empire as a good person or.. if he was trying to change? ..Also.." he hesitated once more before speaking back up "you two seem to.. have some strong feelings towards him.. maybe?"

"Oh noooo. That's HER! SHE'S the one who's still thinking about him!" she answered the last part of his sentence. "I'M the one who can't stand his GUTS because HE tried to ruin this whole empire!! His. OWN. Empire!"

"He.. made it?"

"Duh, Talc! Have you _not_ been paying any attention?! Lonny is the one who made up the Crystal Gems in the FIRST place! Where do you think the code zero, seven, one, seven, one, nine, eight nine came from?! THAT'S when it was founded! THAT'S the date of it!" 

_WHAT?!_

_HOW DID HE NOT REALIZE THAT?!_

"Talc.. I hate him. Pearl likes. _loves him_. And then there's, other people who are still on the fence or whatever." she gestured at Garnet. He looked over. The woman had been extremely quiet and as still as a board all day.

"Lonny is just some ass who tried to ruin the empire. But, now, he's gone or whatever. So, fuck him. He's nothing to us. Absolutely. _Nothing."_ she started walking away from him and towards the sword once more. "Isn't that right, Pearl?"

Steven looked at Peal. The woman still holding in the façade. A forced neutral expression on her face.

"Pearl?"

She cut her eyes at him and he took a step back.

She gave him a leveled stare. "Yes, Amethyst. That's right. He's nothing to us. And he never will..be." the corner of her lips twitched. 

Steven closed his mouth.. simply giving Pearl a sullen look.

Pearl shook her head slowly at him. "Despite of what good he did," she whispered. "he still left m- us." her eyes flickered to Amethyst as the woman was walking back up to them with the other sword. "Okay, Pearl. Yes, yes, yes, yes. He left. I don't want to hear anything else about him. I'm tired of it. Sick of just hearing his name alone." she walked pass them. "I don't want to hear anything more." 

"R, right." Pearl rubbed her slim, dainty hands. "Enough about him.." 

"Okay guys. Time for a cool down. You know what that is, Talc?"

"Like.. to warm down after a workout?"

"Huh.. so you do know a bit about exercising. You _can't_ tell." she scoffed.

He scratched his belly, self conscious. "We uh, did that in High School in gym class.."

"Well, you're right. A cool down is an easy exercise, done after a more intense activity, to allow the body to gradually transition to a resting or a near-resting state. And depending on the intensity of the particular exercise, cooling down can involve a slow jog or a walk. Whereas with lower intensity exercise, stretching can be used as a cool down. And this time, we'll cool down with a bit of stretches."

Amethyst dropped the swords on the ground and stood up tall with her feet hip-width apart. Her knees were bent slightly and her arms were by her sides. "Standing Hamstring Stretch." she said simply to Steven. And she exhaled as she bent forward at her hips, lowering her head toward the ground. Her purple ponytail touching the marble flooring. 

Pearl, with Steven noticing her wincing and moving slowly, performed the stretch and Steven tried doing the same, though he wasn't anywhere near as flexible as them, not going nearly as close to his legs like they were.

"And keep your head, neck and shoulders relaxed." he heard Amethyst say and tried relaxing more, taking a deep breath and letting gravity do most of the work on his head and neck. 

"And you wrap your arms around the back of your legs and hold them there. And you can hold onto the lower part of your calves as well." she held her hands behind her legs. And Pearl and Steven did the same. 

Amethyst counted, going to sixty seconds before bending her knees as she leaned back up. "And you bend your knees and roll your body back up." And Pearl and Steven did the same, again, with Steven seeing Pearl wincing slightly from her cuts.

The three of them had performed a few more stretches with Steven wanting to ask Pearl if she was okay or if she needed any help..

They were on the ground now, doing another stretch. They were sitting on the floor with both of their legs extended out in front of them. 

Amethyst crossed her right leg over her left, placing her right foot flat on the floor. Then she placed her right hand on the ground behind her and placed her left hand on her right quad. The two mimicked her.

Then Amethyst pressed her right leg to the left and she twisted her torso to the right.

Steven did the same and he saw Pearl stop and flinch. Then, she slowly started twisted her body to perform the last part of the stretch.

"Aaaaand hold. One, two, three-"

He kept watching her.. The woman badly cut up from her and Amethyst's practices.. He saw her take a deep breath, holding the pose.

Amethyst counted to sixty. "Now the other side." 

The two of them followed after Amethyst and Pearl happened to see Steven looking at her.. again.. and looking at her as if she was pitiful..

Throughout the stretches he kept staring at her like that..

"Stop looking at me like that." she whispered out coarsely.

"S, sorry.. I just.. thought you might needed some help.."

"I don't need any help." she quickly said back. "So drop it."

"I.. sorry.. it just.. looks like you're really hurt.."

"I said I'm fine." she scrunched up her face.. looking at the boy who kept looking at her with those sad eyes..

She grinded her teeth.. getting a bit more defensive the longer she looked at him.

"_Stop._ looking at me like I'm some lost cause!"

"Yo, what's going on?" 

"Uh." she turned around quickly. "Sorry Amethyst. It was.. nothing."

Amethyst narrowed her eyes at her. "It better be nothing.."

Pearl's expression fell, her eyes downcast and to the ground. She slowly turned her head away from Amethyst, still keeping her stretch.

The woman got up. "Last stretch. We're going for the neck and the shoulders." Amethyst started rotating her head around.

Steven did the same.

And Pearl performed it slowly.. The movement agitating the cuts around her neck. She caught a glimpse of Steven again.. still looking at her with his apologetic eyes..

"WHY do you keep staring at me like that?!"

"Sorry, Pearl.. but, you're.. bleeding a lot. I'm.. just worried."

"Well _stop_ worrying. I told you. I don't need your help.. And I _don't_ need your pity.. I haven't needed _anyone's_ pity longer since you've been born.." she mumbled.

"Pearl!" the woman quickly looked at her. "That better not be another Lonny reference.." the woman swallowed as Amethyst glared at her. "That asshole took pity on ALL of us.. But. that. was in. the past. Stop. Thinking about him. I _need_ you to stop this. now."

The woman forced another neutral look. "O, of course. Amethyst."

Amethyst kept her glare. "Stretching is over. We're done here." she turned around and picked up one of the swords. "Garnet. The disinfectant wipes and a towel."

Garnet unzipped a compartment on the side of the bag. She handed her the box of GemTech wipes and unzipped the other side, handing her a towel.

Amethyst wiped the sweet of her face and hung the towel on her neck. Then she sat down and opened the box. She pulled a few wipes out and started cleaning off the sword.

Steven went over to give Lion a few head scratches. "You've been really REALLY good today, Lion." he scratched behind the dog's ear. "You're definitely getting some treats when you get home." 

Pearl made her way over to Garnet. Blood still dripping from her hair and down to her face. She growled out a sigh and swiped her wet bangs off her forehead. "Garnet. I need a towel." she said bluntly.

Garnet pulled one out of the side of the bag and handed it to her.

He leaned up from the dog. "Mind if I get one too, Garnet?" 

She pulled another one out. "Here you go, Talc." 

He walked up two steps and grabbed it. "Thanks, Garnet." he smiled. 

"No problem, Talc." she smiled back. 

And just then, looking at that beautiful smile of hers and her dimples.. he realized that the welps on her face were nearly gone already. And he was happy, thinking that the creme he gave her must've worked within those few days. But then, he wondered if she just simply used the GemTech moss for her scars.. Or, if she used both of them? 

But, he didn't bother complimenting her skin or asking about it. Instead, he started wiping off the sweat on his forehead.

Pearl was busy patting and wiping the blood away with the white towel. Then she took the towel and squeezed her bangs dry and went to the top of the head, keeping the towel there. She resisted letting out a hiss from the pain.

But Steven could see that she was in pain.. That cut alone seemed to had been the worse.. Dying her whole hair red.

And as much as he wanted to say something comforting to her, he stayed quiet. He sat down, hearing and feeling the two water bottles crunch underneath of him.

And just like that, he changed his mind on not saying anything to her, him getting just one more idea.. 

He could always be professional. And he'd seen people do this countless of times after a match from any sport.

He got up. "Hey, Pearl?" 

Blood was still dropping from the strands of her hair. The towel nearly tainted in blood. "What?" she frowned, whether at him or the pain.. or both, he didn't know...

"That was a good game out there." he gave her a kind, professional smile. "You really are an amazing swordsman." 

She just looked at him. The frown going up to a thin line.

"And, I know you really played hard out there with Amethyst." he reached his hand behind his back and took out a water bottle. "Here. I know you have to be parched." she looked at the bottle bottle, then at him. His smile grew wider, cheesing. "Staying hydrated is very important." he gave her a thumbs up.

She looked back down at the water bottle. 

But in her eyes she _didn't_ see a water bottle.. What she saw was a hand.. a hand from a condescending person who'd one.. 

Her hands reaching out to her.. but in a belittling way.. not for truths or an apology.. 

She knew she won.. and she put out her hand in a boast.. narcissistically holding out her hand to pick Pearl up like the sad, pitiful loser like she was.. 

_I don't need her pity.._

Pearl smacked the water bottle out of her hand and Steven and Garnet looked on in shock as the water bottle slid across the steps. And Lion looked up from his spot on the ground.

Amethyst looked up from cleaning the sword.. looking up at what was going on.

"You think that you could just look down on me like that?" she glared at Steven. Her face in a tight scowl.

"Huh? W, what? I wasn't-"

"I _told_ you to stop looking at me like that."

"Like.. what?" 

_How was he looking at her?_

"Why do you always have to TREAT me like this! I don't NEED you to rub stuff in my face! I am FINE! There's NOTHING wrong with me! I'm FINE. With_out_ you treating me like this!" 

Amethyst got up and handed the clean sword to Garnet. "In the bag." she commanded and Garnet did so, without saying a word.

"Pearl, I have no idea what you're talking about! I was just offering you water!"

"And I don't need your water! I don't need ANYTHING from you! So. just. STOP pestering me!"

"Pearl."

She snapped around. "Amethyst." she took a sharp breath. "I'm sorry, it's just that he's acting like Ro-" she shut her mouth.

Amethyst glared at her. "Like.. Rose?"

Pearl didn't say anything.

"You mean.. one of the best Crystal Gems that we have who sadly lost her life most likely to some asshole that you loved who didn't even love you back?" she started walking towards her. "That Rose? That Rose who you can't despise because she won him over?"

Pearl tried the façade on.. Her mask breaking and showing her down curved lips. "Amethyst.. it's not that. I.. I mean _she_-"

"What, cheated? Got over on you? What, Pearl? Just face it. She got everything that you wanted. Deal with it! It's nothing you can do about it now!"

Pearl held in a scowl. More so to Rose..

Amethyst turned away and picked up the second sword. "We're leaving. Life. goes on."

Pearl took a breath that didn't calm her nerves. Too worked up from thinking about Lonny.. from thinking about Rose.. and to dealing with this new Talc person in their group now..

But at least she would have to deal with that horrid Rose Quartz.

She turned around, ringing the blood out of her towel onto the ground. "You're right. I need to move on." she said.. with a tinge of ice in her voice. "She's dead anyway, so it's not like I have to worry about her anymore."

Pearl rung out her towel one more time and felt a sharp hot pain that spasm from her abdomen and throughout her body. Not being able to scream out, her body still registering what happened as severe pain crashed through her body.

Excruciating seconds and she screamed out, hearing another scream, much louder, deeper and more frantic than hers as she dragged her hand to the part of the stomach that..

She felt a long, thin metal blade..

And looked down. 

A blade right through the right side of her stomach. Blood dripping from the wound and onto her shoes.

She started panting.. fear.. and panick rushing in..

She turned her head slowly..

Amethyst had a wicked expression on her face. Her mouth tight in a pout and her eyes narrowed up at the woman. 

The sword still in her hand. 

"She's dead so you don't have to worry about her, huh? Is that what you said?" she said in a coarse growl. "Well. how would _you_ like to be next." she spat out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Pearl was wearing a regular shirt. That's why it was easy for Amethyst to cut her up through her shirt**
> 
> ALSO If Pearl's up and down behavior was a bit odd and jarring, then good. I was trying to write it like that.
> 
> There's a lot we don't know about her, but it looks like she has some type of stuff going on with her emotional.. especially when it comes to Steven.
> 
> ...For whatever reason ;P
> 
> Also, I told you that Amethyst was going to do even more.
> 
> Not caring about who she kill, threatening Connie and forcing Steven to kill people, abusing Garnet and stabbing Pearl..  
Yeah you would think she would end it there right? Well, no.  
There's still plenty for her to do unfortunately..


	115. The Sword fighter

Pearl had turned to Steven and he could tell that she was holding back her true feelings.. or, _trying_ to at least.. 

"You're right. I need to move on." she said.. And her voice sounded a bit.. coarse. "She's dead anyway, so it's not like I have to worry about her anymore."

That was.. pretty mean..

Suddenly, he saw Pearl's face shot up in a mixture of terror.. and pain. The towel falling out of her hand and he followed it, but his eyes stopping mid way and landing on the blade through her abdomen. Blood slowly sliding out from the stab wound.

And.. just the look on her face.. 

So much pain.. and horror..

And she wasn't screaming..

And he stood there, looking at the sword through her stomach.. his own dear creeping in that he'd actually saw someone get stabbed.. 

And.. it happened SO quick.. and out of NOWHERE..

He actually saw somebody get stabbed.. 

And all he could think about.. was Jesse from the Acid Pant..The first person he'd.. made a mistake and killed..

Then Amethyst forced him to watch while she killed four innocent bystanders at the restaurant.. and they were killed.. because of him.. because he was crying..

Then he was forced to put his hand inside Mohawk's chest cavity to get the jewel.. making him the second person he killed..

And he thought he was going to see another person get killed right in front of his eyes..

And he couldn't take it.. He _wouldn't_ be able to handle seeing ANOTHER person die right in front of his eyes.. 

He screamed out, clenching his eyes and he heard her finally scream out in pain and he brought his hands up to his ears, not bearing to hear her scream out. 

It was Pearl..

Someone who he'd wanted to talk to..

To help..

And now she was going to d..

He heard Amethyst saying something.. and he opened his eyes, slowly dropping his hands from his ears.

Pearl was panting.. looking at Amethyst.. her dainty, bloody fingers on the even bloodier blade of the sword.

Whatever Amethyst had said to her a few seconds ago, Pearl had shook her head, stiffly.

"Then you _might_ want to watch. what you _say_ around me." she yanked the sword hard out of her and Pearl screamed out, holding her side as she fall hard to the ground.

"PEARL!!" Steven ran up to the woman, laying in fetal position.

"DON'T you go to her." Amethyst warned.

He stopped just a few steps beside her. "But, Pearl!" he whined. Tears were already forming in his eyes.

"You want to be next!" she held the sword up and he took a step back. "Yeah. That's what I thought." 

He looked down at Pearl, heavy breathing.. In the pool of her own blood.. and shaking..

"Pearl.." he whispered. And he felt a tear slid down his face.

"Oh, we are NOT having that crying crap again, Talc!!"

Pearl heard her.. opening her eyes and looking at the boy crying.. for her?

She moved her eyes down to Amethyst behind her.

"STOP THAT CRYING!!"

No.. 

He _wasn't_ going to stop crying.. He knew what happened when he tried to stop.. And he'd been miserable.. And he wasn't his self..

And.. crying was okay..

No matter WHAT Amethyst said about it..

And the woman continued to watch more tears fall from his face.

"Talc.." she growled.

No.. she wasn't going to stop him from crying.. from being who he truly was.. And he was going to stop her.. He _needed_ to point out her errors..

He kept his stare, trying not to look away from her glare. "What." she spat out.

There were SO many things he wanted to say. SO many feelings and words fighting to get out all at once.

But, of all the things that came out, it was "You hurt Pearl!!"

"SO!" she yelled. "I DIDN'T LIKE WHAT SHE SAID!!"

"So you stab her?!"

"She should KNOW better than how to properly talk about certain. people." she looked over at Pearl before looking back up at Steven. "I TOLD her first, to stop talking about Lonny and she was still slowly bringing HIM back into the fore. THEN she has a nerve to talk about Rose Quartz!" 

Lion looked at the two.. sensing the bad vibe going on between them. 

He kept watch. 

"But that DOESN'T give you the right to attack her!"

"NO, Talc. That gives me EVERY right to do that!" 

"But it's wrong!!" 

She scoffed. "Try telling that to Lonny or Wascoite or ANY of the higher ups. It's in the Crystal Gem rulebook, Talc." she had a smug look on her face. "If I see that ANY of the two are out of line. Heh, then I'll put them back in it." she gestured with the bloody sword at Pearl. The woman still holding to her side looking up, taking turns looking up and back down at the both of them. 

"Then they should change the rules!" 

Garnet and Pearl kept quiet.. The two of them.. couldn't believe a boy would actually go head to head with his own boss.. and AMETHYST of all people!

What was he thinking?!

Another scoff from the woman. "The rules will never change, Talc. Deal with it. Deal with your life as a Crystal. Gem. Deal with the rules and. _know_ your place. Not only in this group. But under the Crystal Gem empire. in general. Because quite frankly.. I don't think you truly know your place. BUT. Keeping acting out like this. you will.." 

He looked at her.

And she stood there. Sword in hand with her back straight and shoulders squared. A proud stance. "Have anything else to say Talc? But be warned.. you say the wrong thing out of your mouth.. that'll be the _last _ time you'll talk out of it.." 

He looked at her for a few more moments.. before looking back down at Pearl.

The poor woman laying on the ground..

Why was Amethyst like this?

Why was the.. Crystal Gem _rulebook_ like this..

And Amethyst was most likely just abusing her position as the boss to abuse them..

And to hurt Pearl like this..

It was.. like Garnet and the whips all over again..

Those deep welps on her face and hands..

He looked over at her.

The woman was shaking her head hard. Index finger to her lips.

He looked back at Pearl still laying there.. Not saying anything.. not moving.. And just the scared look in her eyes he was getting from her. 

_Look at them.. They're _terrified_ of her.._

Sensing more distress fro Steven, Lion got up, wagging his tail defensively. 

_And.. that's not right.. that's not right at all!!_

Fresh, new tears started to fall from his eyes and he heard a growing sigh from Amethyst. "STOP THE CRYING TALC!! AND SHE DESERVED IT!!" 

_No.. I will _not_ stop crying.. And she did _not_ deserve it.._

"Pearl.. you need a doctor." he whispered.

The woman looked up at Talc, then at Amethyst's glare. She kept her mouth shut, too afraid to say anything whole she was there. 

"Pearl.." he took a couple steps towards her. His hands out. 

_"Don't_ touch her!" she threw her sword in between them, the blade almost hitting his hands.

"Amethyst, WHY do you have to do stuff like this!!" he sobbed. 

"Talc. Back up. Now." 

"But.. she's hurt Amethyst." he said gently. "Please Amethyst." he took one step towards Pearl. "Could I just.." he crouched down with the towel in his hand. "She's bleeding out.." Pearl looked up at him and right as he got close to her, Amethyst swung the sword, the two of them seeing the sword swipe across his face and him falling back. Garnet moved just a second from her seat, stopping immediately after and Lion got up, going towards him. 

"Better get that dog too!" she warned. "Unless you want him to get the same treatment." 

Steven held on to the dog, hugging him both to keep the dog still and for comfort. He could feel the blood rolling down his cheek. 

"I warned you, Talc. I said don't touch her." she turned to the woman. "Pearl." she looked up at Amethyst. "Get up. NOW." 

Pearl slowly started to get up, holding on to her side as she got up to her knees, then steadily standing up, crouched over. Her shirt and pants damped in blood and the ground.. 

And Steven started reading up more as more tears fell. 

"Stand up straight Pearl. And drop your hands."

The woman flinched as she leaned up straight, trying to ignore the pain. She dropped her arms. Her sleeves and her hands covered in blood. 

"Now. What do you have to say to Talc.. about what just happened." 

Pearl swallowed, getting her thoughts together before speaking. "Talc.. she's right I.. kept on going with the conversation with Lonny first. And.. then I had the audacity to disrespect Rose Quartz... I shouldn't had done.. What I did.. It's my fault." 

"Good." Amethyst nodded. Then she turned to Steven. "You see that, Talc? Pearl knows what she did was wrong." then, she turned away from the two. That's it. Lesson's over." she grabbed a few wipes from the GemTech bag and handed the box to Garnet and she put the box back into the bag as Amethyst started cleaning off the sword. "Once I'm done, we're out of here. And Pearl _isn't_ coming with us." 

Steven looked at her.. appalled.. 

"You better not say anything, Talc." she cleaned the rest of the sword and threw the bloody wipes on the ground. 

"But.. Amethyst.. What is she-" 

Amethyst flipped the sword around, thrusting the swird in the middle of his face and he flinched. 

"You say _one_ more word. Just _one_." she leaned in and whispered. "And I'll personally send your dead body to the door of your apartment for your girlfriend to find you." 

And his whole body felt like ice as fear and disgust ran through his veins.

"Now. Do I make. myself. clear?" 

He nodded quickly.

She kept the sword at his face for a few moments longer before sliding the blade away from him. She handed Garnet the sword and the woman quickly put it in the bag. 

"Garnet. Talc. Come on." she started walking towards the car. And Garnet picked up the duffle back and started walking with her. "Pearl has some stuff to do on her own." Steven looked back as they started walking away from her. "Like, getting that wound taken care of and reevaluating her life." he watched the woman steadily crouching forward, but still not holding her side. He saw her pull out her phone. 

  
  


Garnet opened the door for Amethyst and the woman got in. Then she put the dufflebag in the trunk and got into the car. She pressed the button on the car. 

Steven was holding the steady bleeding cut on his face. Already worried about what Connie was going to say with this new, very deep gash just below his eye and down his cheek. 

Garnet shifted gears and started to pull off and Steven looked out the window. 

Pearl was now holding her side, but still standing up, though more crouched now. 

And Garnet kept going, driving away and Steven looked from his window and farther back until he had to turn around and look out the back window. Pearl getting smaller and smaller in the distance as they made their way back down the mountain. 


	116. Weathering this out

During the quiet ride on their way back to the city, the weather changed drastically. They went from a sunny with hardly any clouds in one place to the thunderstorm in Empire City. 

Lightning flashed across the sky and rain pelted hard on the car. Steven kept looking out the window from time to time, looking at the miniature waves of ripples sliding down the glass.. and his mind, still on Pearl.

Eventually he started noticing the area they were in. Garnet making the specific turns and turning up into the alley way of the apartment complex. 

She stopped the car.

"Okay, Talc. Remember, we have nothing else to do until Sunday. _Unless_ we get any random calls from Peridot."

"R, right." he tried to ease his mind away from Pearl. At least long enough to focus on the conversation.

"And we'll be picking you up Saturday night for Sunday's mission. We're to be in Los Angeles at two a.m. That's when Peridot and her crew will be there. So, we'll have to pick you up at twenty one hundred hours and take you to our Crystal Gem base. From there, we'll take one of our jets and land right at the Communication Hub."

He would've been excited about going to Los Angeles for the first time and going on a JET for the first time AND seeing the inside of the Crystal Gem BASE for the first time! 

But.. he kept thinking about Pearl..

..and how she was doing at the moment..

And just _hoping_ that she was okay..

"Okay, Amethyst. I'll be there." he did the math. "at nine o'clock p.m." he opened the door. His eyes glancing to the empty spot where Pearl sat. He opened the door wider. "Goodnight guys."

"Noches."

"Goodnight, Talc."

He slid out the car and Lion hopped out after him. He closed the door and the car pulled off moments later, the tires splashing the water out the potholes. And he watched the car as it turned out the alley way, and up the street.

He sighed, looking at the empty street.. His mind _still_ on Pearl..

And he kept staring at the street.. or, nothing in particular..

And he felt Lion lick his hand.

He looked down. The dog looking at him and he nuzzled his nose into his hand.

Steven managed a small smile. "Aw, Lion." he whispered, sadly. He scratched at the dog's head. "I'm just.. really worried about Pearl.. I hope she's okay." he gave the dog's ear a few more scratches before leaning back up. "Actually.. I wonder if I have her number.." he pulled his phone out and went to his contacts. He scrolled down to the P's and his heart skipped a better at just looking at her name. 

_Great! So Peridot put ALL three of them in my phone!_

_Which, makes sense._

He wiped his phone on his shirt of the raindrops and clicked on her name. Then he looked at Lion. "And since we're outside Lion, you might as well do your business now." the dog looked at him, wagging his tail. "Coooome on." he took a few steps up the alley and gestured up with his hand. Lion followed him, then jogged pass him, scouting the alley. 

Steven used that time to go to his messages to write. 

_What should I write to her?_

He stood there, wondering.. 

A flash of lightning overhead lit up the alley for a couple of bright seconds. Then he heard the loud crackle of thunder a few moments later.

He decided to go with something to break the ice.

**Pearl, this is Talc. Are you okay?**

He wiped off his phone again and tucked it in his pocket. 

Lion was just coming up from his squatting position.

Steven took out the two plastic baggies and walked over, cleaning the area. Then the two walked towards the front of the building and Lion started running around in the puddles as Steven threw the bag away in the trashcan.

Though he wasn't up for running around in the puddles and playing with Lion (if he wasn't in a such a down mood and so worried about Pearl he would've), he didn't want to spoil the canine's fun and he let the dog run around for the next fifteen minutes, getting drenched in the downpour. The apartment not having an awning to hide under.

"Okay Lion. Let's go." Lion looked up. "Come on. We're heading inside." he started walking up the steps and Lion ran the other way, still in play mode. 

Steven shook his head. "Okay, Lion! I guess I'm leaving you then!" he shouted to the dog all the way down the sidewalk. He walked up the stairs and stopped. Lion was looking right at him. "You see me? I'iiiiiim leaving yoooou." he opened the main door slowly and walking even slower in the apartment. Lion ran down towards him, splashing in the puddles and he ran up the steps to meet him. "Good boy." he pet his head and he walked all the way in closing the door behind them.

Lion shook his fur, the collar jingling around his neck and Steven rung his shirt and jacket out in the carpet as they walked up the stairs. Then he took out his phone, checking his message.

_Read at 11:47a.m. _

He sighed. _Well.. at least she read my message.. So I at least know that she's okay.._ He put his phone back in his wet pocket and took his keys out as they walked down the hallway. He stopped at the door and put the key in the lock. The key.. sliding in loosely in the teeth of the lock. 

"Huh?" he turned the key and the inside of the lock turned freely, not clicking. "What?" he turned the doorknob and the door opened.

He was starting to have a bad feeling.. the lock not clicking and the door already unlocked. 

He stopped just at the foot of the door and Lion had stopped just a few feet in front of him. The dog having ran pass him like he always did, but this time, he stopped. Not going any farther then the corner of the counter. His tail swishing side to side. Alert. 

Anxiety started building in his gut and he took out his phone and went to Connie's name. 

**Hope you're enjoying your day at work! Can't wait until tomorrow!! Movie theatre popcorn! 😃 **

He played it off.. Not wanting to ask her where she was or if she was okay.

He stared into his apartment. Watching Lion sniff the air. The dog now looking at the right side of the house. Tail still swaying side to side defensively.

He heard a chime that made him jump slightly accompanied with the vibration in his hand. He unlocked his phone. It was Connie and he clicked on her message quickly.

**I was just thinking about you! It's pouring where I am and I was going to ask if it was raining out there where you were and if you and your co-workers were being safe out there in the rain.**

Then another message.

**And I can't wait either. AND the weather is going to be nice tomorrow! **

Relief washed over him. 

She was safe. And alive.

He sent a quick message. **Yeah, it's a thunderstorm over here. But I'm fine. And I can't wait to enjoy the nice weather with you. 😘😘😚** He sent the message, feeling relieved that.. whatever happened in their apartment, that she had at least been safe from it-

He heard a low, warning growl from Lion. He looked up to see the dog walking over towards their closet.

"..Lion?" he hesitated.. before finally walking inside. He put the phone in his pocket and cautiously started walking over, only to stop..

Maybe he should have something in his hand.. just in case.

He walked over slowly.. The carpet creaking softly under him.. and the rain pounded against the window pane as the thunder roared in the gray sky.

He opened the cabinet and took out a frying pan and he started making his way back over to the closet.

And as Steven got closer to Lion, the dog started to warn him more, growling louder at the door.

He gently moved Lion farther out the way to get in front of him and to the door. The dog let out a few warning barks and continued to growl.

Steven grabbed the knob and took a deep breath, getting his self ready for what may in the closet..

He turned the handle. And waited, listening. He didn't hear anything and he cracked open the door, then slowly opened it-

-And the door was pushed open, the edge of the door hitting him in the side of his face and a knife came down to his side. And he screamed, barely doing the blade and he fell back. 

It was a man wearing all light blue from head to toe. And a light blue mask over his face. He was holding a long stick and at the edge of it was a knife. And a big, black backpack on his back.

By instinct, he was about to activate his bubble to protect the both of them, but quickly remembered where he was and that he didn't have on his Crystal Gem attire. 

And so he sat there, frozen as the man stood in front of him.

Lion kept barking at the robber and he lunged for his legs and the man pointed the dagger stick right in front of the canine's face as he backed away from him.

"Stop!" Steven got up and held the dog, keeping the frying pan in front of them. 

The thief was quiet. The man most likely just as scared as Steven now that he'd been caught.

The boy got up, standing in front of Lion. The frying pan held securely in his hands. 

Should he say something to the guy?!

There is. an actual. THIEF in their house!

And the man was just standing there. Holding the stick in both his hands.

"Uh.. if you stole anything.. Then I want it all back." his voice wavered. 

The thief didn't answer him. And Steven saw him look pass him and at the front door behind him.

_No way he's trying to-_

The man lunged to the side, trying to run pass Steven and he lunged after the guy and he swung the stick to the side of him, and Steven jumped back, the knife cutting his second shirt and scraping across his GemTech shirt, the tech protecting his stomach from the blade.

Lion jumped for the guy again, grabbing the back of his pant leg and the man turned around with the stick in his hand. He brought down towards the dog. "No!!" Steven threw the frying pan towards him, stopping the stick. The man looked at him. The two holding stick and pan as their weapons stayed together.

Steven pushed up, seemingly a bit stronger than the man as he struggled to push the stick farther towards Lion. Then, it finally clicked to him. And he tried too think back on what he'd learned just earlier. 

He didn't want to hurt the thief.. even if he did steal or was trying to steal from them.

So, maybe he should.. aim for the stick which was the.. 

Zornhau? Where one would aim for the blade of the sword.

He was pretty sure that that was what it was called.

Steven remembered one of the key points about sword fighting and he checked his footing, a part of his attention to going for a more stabled stance as he put the other part of his attention in eying the guy and keeping the frying pan up. Then he went for the passive step, putting his right foot out in front of him and stepping forward, keeping his body leveled. 

Lion was still keeping hold of the thief's pant leg. The guy balancing on one leg. 

Steven pushed up on the man's stick and the thief quickly brought it back down and to the side. Steven retreated a step, putting his weak foot back behind his left as he threw the frying pan, holding it with both hands as he blocked the stick from hitting his side.

Then he tried remembering how Pearl hit the sword out of his hand. Though with a frying pan and a stick.. It may not work that well..

It happened so quick.. all he saw was a downwards and an upwards motion and his sword was flying back.

_Come on, Universe.. you can do this.._

He brought the pan to the inside of the man's stick and pushed it away, then he feigned a vertical strike bringing the pan straight down to the thief and the man leaned back, barely bringing the stick down to block and Steven instead, stopped the line of attack and went in for a diagonal strike, hitting the bottom of the stick and the man barely held on. And in a quick motion, Steven rolled the pan beneath the stick, keeping a thumb grip on the handle of the pan to keep the handle stabled and he swung up hard, hitting the bottom of the stick once more. The stick flying out of the man's hand and behind him. 

Steven ran for it, quickly picking it up and pivoting around, holding the stick close to him. 

Lion was still holding on to the thief's leg.

The man looking right at Steven. Scared. 

Steven stepped up towards him. Frying pan in one hand and the dagger stick in the other. 

"Please! I'm sorry!" he held his hands up. "Don't hurt me!"

"I'm not going to hurt you." he stopped in front of him. "Just, give me the bag." 

The thief stared at him. Not believing that someone that he'd robed was actually being nice to him.

He slid the bag off his shoulders. 

"Dump everything out of the bag." 

He complied, opening the backpack and pouring every single thing out. And Steven saw their laptop amongst the stolen items.

He put the drying pan in his other hand and picked it up. He looked at the man. "I'M SORRY!!" 

Steven walked away and placed the laptop on the counter. Then, he pulled out his phone.

"PLEASE, DON'T CALL THE COPS!" 

Steven looked at him. "I may had decided not to hurt you.. but that doesn't mean I'm going to let you off Scott's free." he pointed at the items on the ground. "You stole from other people. I can't let you just get away that easily."

The man began to plead more and he ignored him. Dialing 9 1 1.

....................................

The cops had arrived twenty minutes later to arrest the man.

Apparently they'd been trying to find the guy for over four months. The man going all around Empire City and breaking in apartments and row houses.

That is, until he'd tried to steal from their place. And Steven just so happened to had came home early.

And Steven _also_ just so happened to had learned about sword fighting, using that to his advantage and disarming the man.

With a huge help from his canine budy, of course.

One policeman had took the man away I'm handcuffs while the other threw did a mixture of gathering the items, taking pictures of the evidence (including the frying pan) and asking Steven questions (one of them being about the cut on his face to which he replied that it didn't come from the man. Though they seemed to not believe him, assuming he was trying to get the guy into less trouble) and they put the information to their police system as well as gave Steven copies from the car's printer. They also faxed off a report to Steven's landlord, informing him about the incident and that it wasn't Steven's fault. His landlord then called one of his maintenance men to come install a new lock and issuing Steven two new keys. 

The policemen left, leaving him the papers on the counter, if he ever wanted to look at them.

He didn't want to.

He never read papers like those. It was like reading all of those hospital discharge papers. He never reads them. Connie always does. And she would most likely read these papers too.

He sighed, as he rubbed the side of his face, then quickly flinching as he agitated the gash below his eye. And he started to feel the blood start to trickle down again.

He decided to just take his shower and tend to the cut.. Then he realized that Lion hadn't eaten OR taken his medicine. 

He washed the blood from his hand, washed the frying pan and gave Lion some clean water and food, putting the pill inside the kibbles and bits. Then he put some treats on the dog's bed. (He _did_ tell Lion that he'll treat him to some treats for being so well behaved at the arena.)

While he ate, Steven took off the damp clothes and took his warm shower, washing the GemTech shirt he was thankful he had on at the time.

Or else he would've been cut..

Almost like..

He thought about Pearl.. getting stabbed.. and he tried to rid his thoughts of her pained face and her scream.. 

And instead, he started to wonder if she decided to text him back yet. 

He quickly took the rest of his shower and tended to his cut. Cleaning it, putting a bit of ointment on it and placing a white cloth over it. He put two pieces of clear tape to hold it.

Then he went out the bathroom. Lion was on the floor, chewing on one of his squeak toys. 

Steven threw the GemTech shirt with the ring under the bed and put his clothes on. Just his boxers and a shirt. Then he went over to his phone.

And his heart sunk.

She hadn't texted him back..

Maybe he should send her another message? 

He hesitated before clicking on her name again.

And he started writing out another message.

**Hey, Pearl. It's me again. I hope you're doing okay. I just want to see how you're doing. **

He sent the message and sat down at the edge of the bed. He sighed and looked over. "I really hope she's okay, Lion." the dog looked up and squeaked his toy at him. His tail, wagging across the carpet.

That earned Lion a sad little smile from him. 

Still.. the worry was there and he felt the slight smile that he did have start to falter back to a frown. 

He looked back at the phone in his hand.

_Read at 2:34p.m _

He sighed once more. Placing his phone on his lap.

...........................

Steven stayed in bed majority of the time within the following four hours. He didn't go on the laptop and he was barely on his phone. His attention still on Pearl and wondering how she was doing..

Then the maintenance person had finally came a little after six thirty to come and install the new lock. It was a quick job. And he left a half an hour later.

Now being able to lock the door, he took Lion out for a quick bathroom break, sent a third message to Pearl and went back upstairs. And about twenty minutes later, he heard Connie knocking on the door. 

And.. just a bit frantic in her knocking.

He opened it up and he saw how uneasy her face looked. 

"Hey, Connie." he managed a smile.

She looked at him. Her eyes going to the cloth under his eye. "Steven. What happened?"

"Um.."

"Steven." she tried a leveled voice, but he could still hear the edge of uneasiness in his name. 

"Someone.. broke in.." 

"WHAT?!" 

"Yeah." he took her hand, pulling her gently inside the house. And he closed the door behind them. "The police came and everything.. The papers are over there." he pointed to the papers on the counter.

She ignored the papers, turning to him. "But Steven. What. happened?!" 

He shrugged. "After my co-worker dropped me off, Lion and I came upstairs and I noticed that the lock was broken." he scratched idly at his chin. "Then.. Lion started growling and.. the guy was hiding in the closet. Aand.. he tried .. attacking me." he saw her face scrunch up, grimacing. "and I managed to get the weapon from his hand and I called the police." 

"Steven that was dangerous! What if he had a gun!" 

"He didn't. He had a knife taped to a stick."

"Ste.ven." she scolded. "He _could_ have had a gun as well!"

"But.. he didn't. And besides Connie, he was a THIEF. He stole our laptop AND other people's stuff too." 

"So you would risk your life over someone else's stuff and for .. a laptop?! Steven that's- Do you even hear yourself?" 

"He wasn't even dangerous Connie. He was even trying to run away-" he stopped himself.. but he knew he already messed up.

"The thief. was trying to run away and YOU ran after him?!"

"Ah, well, I mean.. he was just there and I.. I mean it was easy-" 

"That's besides the point, Steven. What if something happened?" 

"But nothing happened, Connie."

"Except for him getting your face!" she pointed at the bandage.

"Connie, he didn't-" he stopped and thought about it. "I mean.. he didn't get me that bad."

"You're not getting the point, Steven. He could've-!" she stopped.. and swallowed down the feelings. "You." she sighed, raking her hand through her long hair. "You just don't get it.."

"I do, Connie. But.. I'm fine." he said casually. "Also, _he_ was the one who broke in. I just happended to be there while he was still there. I'm not the one at fault here, Connie."

She looked at him. Then down to the bandage under his eye.. She closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath. "Steven, why does stuff always seem to.." she cut herself off, letting out another sigh. She opened her eyes back up. "Okay, just." she took her flats off. "Alright.." was all she said instead and walked away from him.

And he did feel bad at that.. Getting her worked up and worried again. He walked over towards her and grabbed her hand again. "Connie.. please." she looked at him. "Maybe I.. should've thought about what could've happened.." he trailed off.

"You see where I'm coming from, right?" she strained out. "Doing that and trying to be the hero? It's dangerous.. Something.. something could've happened to you, Steven." 

He took a couple steps towards her, closing the distance between them as he wrapped his arms around her in a hug. "But nothing happened to me, Connie." he kissed her on her temple. "I'm here." he rubbed her back. "I'm here and.. I'm okay." 

Connie squeezed him back. Ignoring all of the negative thoughts that could've happened to him. "..Okay.." she finally whispered out.

They kept their tight hug going for a few long moments before Connie started to break away. And he looked at her. "Sorry for.. making you worried again."

"Yeah.." she said sadly. 

He brought his hand up, slowly sliding it just behind the back of her head and he pulled her in. Giving her a small peck on her forehead. He kept his lips there as he mumbled. "You know I don't like seeing you like this." he slid his other hand to the lower part of her back, massaging her gently as he gave her another long kiss on her forehead.

And she loved it..

Being so close to him in this embrace.

And he always knew exactly where to touch her.. exactly _how_ to touch her.. and exactly what to say that would make her melt or make her feel so at ease with him.. and..that would make her all his.

He always had that effect..

And she leaned into him, feeling his warm arms and the thud of his heartbeat against her chest.

She just loved him.. 

Soo much..

And.. she was always worrying about him.. 

"And I don't like _feeling_ like this.."

He kept massaging her lower back as he brought her in closer. She felt the warmth of his breath on her forehead as he exhaled through his nose. "I know, Connie."

He fingers massaged her back, her shirt getting bunched up in his hand as he rubbed small circles just above her waist. And she craved so much more of his touch.

"But." his voice massaged her forehead as he spoke. "Maybe tomorrow I can show you a great time." his hand trailed from the back of her head and down to her back with his other hand. He started rocking side to side slightly. "You know.. Like the good 'ole times." she felt him kiss her forehead again and another spark went through her body.

She loved it.

She loved _him._

"Yeah.. I.. think we both deserve a good time."

He let out a sad chuckle and his chest vibrated against hers. "But you deserve it more, Connie." she felt his lips leave her skin as he leaned up. "You always deserve more. So much more."

For some reason. She was at a lost for words as she stared into his dark brown eyes.

And he leaned in, kissing her deeply.. slowly..

And there was something to his kiss.

And just the way both of his hands were caressing her back.. One just above her waist and the other, just above her back.

And the way his soft lips rubbed along hers..

And the way warmth spread throughout her chest.

And how her hands grabbed along his sturdy shoulders.

And the way he started to bite at her bottom lip.. as he grabbed at her sides..

And how his hips rocked gently side to side as he pressed up against her.. 

And how his heart was beating faster in his chest.

And the way she felt him ..poke her in his boxers.

Everything.. every touch.. every movement getting to be more and more heated and hungry.. 

She opened her mouth slightly to let out a light gasp as he grabbed her hips.

He gave her lip a light tug before leaning back up. 

And she opened her eyes up slowly.. panting.. her body wanting his lips back on her.

And.. she saw a smug grin on his face.

Then.. she realized that she'd.. been so eager.. so into it that she was like putty in his hands. And actually let that little breath slip out..

And she could feel her face heat up. Feeling a bit embarrassed at how easily he was able to do that to her.

To make her so worried.. to him comforting her and making her relieved and happy.. to making her whole body crave him sensually.. 

How was he so good at doing that to her.

He raised an eyebrow at her, that smug smile still on his face. "You say something, Connie?"

She knew she was blushing hard.. she just knew it. "I- no." she shook her head.

"Are you suuurre?" he wiggled his eyebrows. "Because it sounded like you wanted us to-"

"I didn't say anything, Steven." she rolled her eyes, giving him a bored look.. still feeling that wave of arousal in her.. That ache right where she wanted him to be-

She took her arms off of him and leaned back still feeling that phantom touch of him on her front. "Anyway, I have to get some stuff done." 

"Like what?" that side smile still there.

"Like, take my shower.. cook.." the blush was still there.. she knew it.. "And I need some rest for tomorrow anyway."

"Aah, okay." it was his turn to roll his eyes, playfully. " "Need your rest"." he made air quotes.

"Uh yeah. I _do."_ she walked into the kitchen and turned the faucet on, washing her hands.

"Mmmm, I don't know Connie." he teased. He walked into the kitchen and leaned on the counter. "Seemed like you had a lot of energy just a few moments ago."

And she was glad that she wasn't facing him. Seeing her embarrassed reaction at that. She turned the faucet off and dried her hands off. "Well, you thought wrong, Steven." 

"Oooookay, Connie." he lifted his shirt up, feigning a "scratch" on his belly.. The boy _actually_ lifting up his shirt away from his shorts and Connie getting a look at.. him sticking up in his boxers. She looked back up at him and he winked.

And.. there goes the heat in her face again.

And she ignored that ache she was still feeling. She wasn't going to prove him right about her wanting him..

That's what he get for being so smug earlier.

She walked to the fridge, opening the freezer door. 

.................................

The night went by with them having a good time together. After Connie had prepared the food, she'd taken her shower (Steven, thinking about Pearl once more, used that time to send a fourth message to her) they ate their food, watched a few shows on their laptop (with Steven inspecting it for any damages. There were none) and they talked a bit after. Just laying down in bed and under the covers until one of them fell asleep.

Which had been Connie this time.

And Steven have her a kiss on the forehead and pulled the blanket up to her chin.

And she looked so beautiful. And so peaceful when she slept. And that only made him think about Pearl. Wondering if she was doing okay herself..

He looked at his phone again. The fourth message being on read..

He started typing once more.

**Please, Pearl. I just want to know if you're okay.. Please text me back.. I'm.. worried about you. **

He sent the message and slid his phone under the pillow and got comfortable, thinking about what happened earlier.

How Amethyst just.. easily stabbed her.. 

..like it..wasn't nothing..

And Garnet's face.. The woman shaking her head, fearing that he would say something to Amethyst.

They were both so afraid of her..

How could they work together like this?

It.. just wasn't healthy..

..And it wasn't right..

He _really_ needed to end how they were treating each other.

Or better yet, how _she_ was treating _them_.

He _had_ to end it..

He slid the phone back from under the pillow and unlocked the screen. The bright light shining on his face and he turned the brightness down, not wanting to wake up Connie.

_Message read 9:43p.m _

He sighed and locked the phone. He slid it back under the pillow and laid his head down. He brought the covers up to his face. 

_I really hope you're okay, Pearl.._

............................

Steven's alarm went off and he quicky slid the phone from under the pillow and turned it off. Berating himself for not wearing earphones to hear his alarm.

He looked over at Connie. She had her back to him now. Sleeping soundly.

And snoring lightly.

Good. He didn't wake her.

And, those little snores were still cute as ever to him.

He smgsve her a kiss on the temple and slid off the bed. "Come on, Lion." he whispered. "I gotta take you out." he walked to the kitchen and picked up two baggies.

Lion hopped off the bed and Steven slipped on the flip flops and the two left out the door.

They walked down the two flights of steps and out the main door and to the side of the apartment.

While Lion was sniffing around, Steven's mind began to wonder over to Pearl again.

Still.. terribly worried about her.

He shivered a bit in the cold as he turned the phone in his hand. He unlocked it. And went to her name.

This time hesitating.

Over the call button..

He took a breath. "Come on, you have this Universe. Just." his thumb wavered over the screen. "call." he pressed the button.

He waited.. then the phone began to ring.

And his stomach began to bubble.

And the phone kept ringing.. and ringing..

Until it went to voicemail.

While the robot on the other end was talking, he wondered if he should even _leave_ a voicemail.

She'd ignored his previous messages AND his call.

So.. maybe he was just doing a bit too much and stepping out of bounds?

"..the tone, please record your message." there was a beep at the end.

He thought about it..

And swallowed. 

"Hey, Pearl. It's.. Talc. I just.. wanted to know if you were okay or not." he paused, trying to figure out what to say.. And then. He took a breath. "Pearl I know you're a strong person and.. you might not feel like you need me or.. need any help." another pause. "But, I just want you to know that.. If you need me, for anything, that I'm here for you.. And.." he thought about them leaving her alone at the arena.. and all of those times Amethyst had yelled at her.. "that I'll always be there for you. No matter what." he lifted the phone from his ear and sent the voicemail.

He had to help her..

He had to help _Garnet.._

All _three_ of them..

He just _had_ to..

He _had_ to try.. 


	117. You remind me

She laid in bed in the dimly lit room. Her head, her arms, her neck, her chest and her shoulders well bandaged.

And the stab wound being a surgical success. And well stitched up. 

She was listening to the last bit of his voicemail, again, for the fourth time..

".. ow that.. If you need me, for anything, that I'm here for you.. And.. that I'll always be there for you. No matter what." 

Pearl paused the voicemail and sighed lightly. ".. no matter what.. you'll always be there.." she whispered plainly. 

............................

_He held her hand, their fingers laced as they started walking across the small bridge in the park. The stars shining above them and the wind gently blowing her pink ankle length skirt._

_They two of them, going on their nightly stroll as they've done plenty of times before._

_Though this time, they'd been talking about the new woman he'd just recruited just a little over a month ago._

_"You have to believe me, Pearl. She's just another person who I recruited. Nothing more." the man said to her. She looked over at him. His thick, black hair sticking up freely all over his head and down his back._

_Pearl wanted to believe him. She and him had been through so much and she'd been with him every step of the way since day one. Before he even came up with the Crystal Gems._

_And now, years later of this relationship and she'd been.. hearing things about him and the new woman._

_"I.. suppose that they could just be saying stuff." she played with the light blue shawl over her yellow blouse. Pinching the fabric along her dainty fingertips._

_She wasn't looking at him. Putting her attention instead on the dark blue water below them. _

_And he stopped. Just at the middle of the bridge._

_Fingers still laced together, he took her other hand and turned her towards him. "People talk Pearl. And unfortunately they like to talk and be apart of things that doesn't have anything to do with them." he brought his thumbs up, massaging her knuckles gently as he stared into her eyes. "You have nothing to worry about between her and I."_

_Pearl looked into his dark brown eyes.._

_Those irises holding so many secrets.._

_She bit her lip. "But.. you and her have been so close for the past couple of weeks.. And I see how she looks at you."_

_"How she may feel about me has nothing to do with how I feel about her. And I have been training her. That is why we have been seen together for the last two weeks." he pulled her in, putting her hands on his shoulders. And he held her, keeping her close to his chest. "Pearl." the woman trialed her eyes from the roundness of his chin, his lips.. his nose.. and up to his eyes once more. "You're the love of my life. And. _nobody_ can ever change that." he placed his hand under her chin, lifting it up. "You have nothing to worry about Pearl." he leaned in. "You know that I love you. And you know, that I'll always be there for you."_

_It seemed genuine to her. How he was holding on to her and what he was saying. _

_She was going to ignore those thoughts.. Ignore what she'd been hearing._

_And when she continued to stare into his handsome eyes, he could still see a bit of untruth in them. But, she quieted those negative feelings, those negatives thoughts.._

_If he said that she had nothing to worry about, then she shouldn't worry._

_And, how he smiled at her made it seem like he really was genuine about his feelings toward her._

_And she felt just a bit of heat on her face. And she knew he could see her blush under the lamplight._

_"No matter what, Pearl. I'll always be there for you." he trailed his hand from her chin to her cheek. Caressing her soft skin. And she let one of her hands leave his shoulders to grab at his hand on her cheek. She squeezed it lovingly as she pressed her face up against his touch. She smiled. _

_It was just her. and him._

_And the world around them._

_They would be there for each other. Because she believed him when he said that to her._

_And all she wanted was to be by his side forever. _

_And as he'd said earlier.. There was no competition. No tug of war for his love.. for his affection. _

_And nobody was going to come between them. Not the stress and pressure of keeping up the Crystal Gem empire, not the Diamonds and.. not even Rose Quartz. _

_No matter what he'd put her through before and what he was putting her through now. She was always going to be there for him. And always be by his side._

_She was always going to be his knight. _

_She nodded gently into his hand. Still squeezing his fingers. "No matter what." she murmured. "you'll always be there for me." _

_"Of course." he gave her a gentle smile and leaned in, kissing her softly._

.............................

Pearl looked at the phone.. the screen now blurred with her teardrops..

_Would he.. lie to me too?_

"..ou need me, for anything, that I'm here for you.. And.. that I'll always be there for you. No matter what." 

"If you like to replay this message, press one. To delete, press seven. To save, press nine." 

Pearl pressed the number on her phone. 

"Message saved. There are no new voicema-" she hung up the phone. The device going back to the last app she was on, going to Steven's messages. She read the fifth and last message he'd sent to her.

She swallowed down the mixed feelings, her dainty thumb hovering just above the keypad of her phone.. 

She sighed and wiped at her eye and locked the phone. Ignoring his messages once more..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry these chapters were a bit of a downer. I still hope some of y'all enjoyed it as it did show Steven's slow progression of getting a better handle of weapon combat, as well as showing just how mixed Pearl's feelings are towards him AS well as showing a bit of vague~ish backstory with her.
> 
> Aaaanywho. Next up is Lion 2: The movie and then we have a.. little bit of fun with the Pizzas in the Beach Party chapters.


	118. Can hard.ly wait

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter gets pretty cringey with the sexual talk. Sorry guys xP  
BUT it's only in this chapter _and_ it's only a little bit of it, so yeah.

Steven woke up to the sound and the smell of breakfast cooking. 

He groaned, leaning up slowly. The covers falling off his shoulders. 

He looked over to see Connie in front of the stove, frying what he could smell was definitely French toast and scrambled eggs.

Lion was in the kitchen with her. The dog eating his food.

He slid off the bed and got up. And with him being in a pretty good mood, especially having that this would be their FIRST day out in soo long, he decided to use a bit of Tamil on her for fun.

"Connie!" he cheered and she turned around. The spatula in her hand.

"எப்படி இருக்க. Eppaṭi irukka? (How are you?)" he walked into the kitchen.

She looked at him. A side smile on her face that quickly turned smug as she raised an eyebrow at him. "நான் நன்றாக இருக்கிறேன் .... இன்று திரைப்படங்களுக்கு செல்ல நீங்கள் தயாரா? Nāṉ naṉṟāka irukkiṟēṉ.... Iṉṟu tiraippaṭaṅkaḷukku cella nīṅkaḷ tayārā? (I'm doing fine. Are you ready to go to the movies today?)" 

His smile fell in puzzlement as his brain tried to register at least _one_ word of what she said. "Uhh..." 

He'd only known four other things to say in Tamil.. And that was 'delicious', 'goodnight' 'thanks' and 'kiss me'..

She continued sporting the smug look as his mind kept going back and forth, trying to figure out what she could've said.. Until he finally gave up and went for a different approach. He went for a huge smile and started walking up to her. "Why, of course I'll give you a kiss." 

She chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her. "That's not what I said-" he went in for a kiss. Then a second one. Then a third, the last one, lasting a bit longer. Then he leaned back up slightly. "Whoops. Thought that's what you said. They sound pretty similar." 

She scoffed. "Then _you_ need to practice your Tamil more if you think they sound even _remotely_ similar."

He shrugged. His shoulders rubbing up against hers. "Well a certain _someone_ doesn't want to teach me."

She sighed with a smile. "A_gain_ Steven. It's not a language that you have to learn. If anything, with living in Empire City, you're better off learning Spanish or Mandarin."

He thought about Amethyst.. with her Spanish.. Then quickly shook his head of the thoughts about that woman.. _And_ shaking _more_ thoughts of her harming Pearl. His mood dampening a bit now as he thought of Pearl.. though he tried not to dwell on it.

"Well, yeah. But my _girlfriend_ doesn't speak Spanish or Mandarin. So I'm not thinking about those two languages." he leaned in. Lips pursed in a mock pout. "Besides, your Tamil slips out from time to time. And it would be nice if I actually know what you're saying."

"But more times than not, I speak to you in English so."

"But what about those other times? Like that one time you got mad at me for throwing away those toothpaste bottles? You said something in Tamil."

She threw her hands up. "Because you TWIST and roll. You TWIST and roll! Otherwise you'll be wasting all of that toothpaste!"

"But you never told me what you said to me!"

"It's not important." she said casually. "You haven't done it again since anyway."

"Still. I wanted to know.. And also, there was that one time when I." then he stopped and decided to word it a different way. "when I let you sit on my face. You said something in Tamil at the end." then he corrected himself. "You _screamed_ something out in Tamil at the end." 

Connie nearly choked. Her face heating up as her boyfriend's smug look was right in front of her.. How he brought it up so casually in their close proximity..

"I..well..I.." she stammered.

"You never told me what you said! Connie, YOU sat on my face. for two hours! And you never told me what you said in Tamil!"

"Because I-" she continued to stammer. "I.. Steven, I'm just not going to tell you." 

"But why? It sounded SO hot." he hugged her closer. "I was just curious."

Connie couldn't shake the heat from her face. "Steven, I'm just.." she inched away from his embrace, gently pushing his hands off of her and taking a few steps away from him. Embarrassed. "I think we should be getting ready. We don't want to be late for the movies."

He turned to her. Faking a bored look. "Connie. TWO hours." he held up two fingers for emphasis. "on. my face." he placed his hand over his face. "TWO hours. you sat.on. my face." he then pointed to his lips. 

She tried to ignore the heat on her cheeks. "The bus leaves in about an hour, so that should give us more than enough time to get ready." she took out two plates from the cabinet.

"Fiiiiine. _Don't_ tell me, Connie." he mocked a sigh. "But, just thought that you should know. My tongue was tired, Connie. Incredibly tired. After TWO hours of nonstop work. My tongue.was very. tired." he tried to guilt trip her.

"I'm, not telling you what I said." she could feel the embarrassment just seeping off of her skin. She couldn't even look at him as she walked back towards the stove. "Look, breakfast is almost done. So get ready. Use the bathroom, wash your face, whatever you have to do. Just, get ready to leave."

"Ah, yes. Wash my face. Something that I _also_ had to do after our little session." 

That time, she ignored him fully. Letting the embarrassment and the heat engulf her as she scrapped the eggs from the pan. 

..............................

They ate their breakfast (Frenchtoast and scrambled eggs and cheese) and they got dressed. Steven having the idea that they should wear matching colors. Because, nothing screams out cringey, wholesome couple goals than two lovebirds wearing the same exact clothing or close to it.

Connie agreed, but said that she was feeling overalls today and so they met halfway. She wore a teal and white striped short sleeved shirt and Steven wore a plaid green and white striped shirt with light blue jeans that matched her light blue overalls. And the two, both wearing red shoes, that they put at the front door. 

She brushed her hair and laid it down passed her shoulders.

And Steven looked at her through the mirror as he sat at the foot of the bed. His girlfriend looking so beautiful, being so confident and being able to pull off overalls that some may view as so-called "juvenile".

But, at the same time.. if he had to be honest.. there was a very small part in the back of his mind that was a bit upset that she was wearing overalls.. As that part of his mind.._ low-key_ wanted to.. slide his hand in her pants and let her have a bit of fun during the lull parts of the movie..

She turned around. "Okay, ready." 

He got up. "Great." he smiled. "Come on, Lion."

The dog was busy chewing on one of his bone treats Steven had given him earlier. The canine halfway done. 

"Oh, wait! Lion needs to match too!" he jogged over to the drawer and opened it. He shuffled the clothing around before pulling out a green bandana.

"And I'll get his leash." said Connie.

"Oh, uh.. about that.." he stopped in front of Lion.

"What?"

"He.. doesn't really like leashes.. I guess with him being chained up and.. everything.." 

"But, Steven. We can't have him just walking around Empire without a leash. There's a leash law."

He sighed. "I just hope he won't have a fit like last time at the vet."

She opened the closet door by the bathroom. "We don't have a choice. If he's coming with us." she picked up the leash. "then we have to put him on a leash." she closed the door and started walking over. "_And_ it's for his safety too." 

"..Okay.." he held the bandana in front of Lion and he sniffed it. "See boy? It's just a bandana." he carefully and slowly lowered it down and below the dog's collar. Lion seemingly okay with it and being too occupied with his bone as Steven tied it behind his neck.

"He seems occupied with that bone. So it shouldn't be too much of a hassle." she lifted the end of the leash up. "Besides, I just have to clip it on him." 

Steven was on the other side of Lion, scratching behind his ear.

Connie pressed down on the arm. The piece opening up and she leaned her arm down, clipping the piece to the back of the collar. "See? Easy. You were worried about nothing." she said gently and handed him the handle.

"Yeah.." he said sheepishly and took the collar.

Connie walked to the front of the door and put on her red vans and Steven took a few steps away from the bed, pulling on the leash gently. "Come on, Lion."

The canine took his small piece of bone and jumped off the bed. Steven put on his red tennis shoes. His feet already feeling weird inside of socks and shoes.

The two left their apartment and out the main door and Steven walked to the side of the apartment for one last bathroom break for Lion. Connie was sitting down on the steps out front, waiting for them.

As he waited for Lion to do his business. The dog now sniffing around the dandelions on the side of the complex, his mind went to Pearl again. Still hoping that she was okay. He stood there, leash in hand as Lion walked around and he pulled out his phone. He went to Pearl's name and texted with one hand.

**Good morning, Pearl. I hope you are having a great day today. I'll be out for awhile, so if you need anything, please don't hesitate to tell me.**

He sent the message and had another thought of what to say.

**Speedy recovery.**

He sent the second message and put the phone back in his pocket. 

Lion finally found a spot and squatted over the grass.

Steven took out the baggies from his pocket and cleaned up the area and the two walked back to the front and he threw the bag in the trashcan.

Connie got up and took out a small pocket hand sanitizer. "Hold out your hand."

He did and she squirted a few drops in and he rubbed the liquid in.

Then she put some on her own hands and put the container in her pocket.

"This movie theater is pretty far away." said Steven. "But it's the only one that welcomes pets." a beat later. "Also, it has a nice little Thai restaurant just a couple blocks down from it. I figured we could go out there for lunch." 

"Sounds like a plan." she gave him one of her beautiful smiles and he felt his heart skip a beat. 

"Though of course I know the food won't be as good as _your_ food, Connie." he headbutt her softly against her chin and she chuckled, gently pushing him off of her. "No need to kiss up, Steven."

"I'm not kissing up. And it's true." he went back to nuzzling against her chin again.

She laughed, this time not pushing him away. "Well, I appreciate the compliment." she rolled her eyes playfully.

He leaned back up, wrapping his arm around her waist as he moved her in close. "Yeah, Connie. You have that kind of food that can." he started moving his hips side to side. "make a grown man dance. It's so good." he moved her body along with him back and forth with his hips as he went back to snuggling close to her face.

"Steven." she giggled.

He let out a low chuckle as he brought his face just an inch closer, kissing her passionately. He stopped moving his hips as he focused more on her lips and the way her arms held his shoulders in the embrace.

He pushed in more, going deeper in with the kiss that was.. painfully reminding him that they hadn't done anything last night after their short make out session just yesterday evening.. 

His mind taking him places and thinking about what they could do.. like.. maybe go see the movie later and head back into the apartment and-

"Ewwwwwww. Kissing!" 

Connie was the one who leaned up from the kiss. Steven too busy feeling himself stiffen in his jeans. His face still positioned where as he was kissing her.

And in a cloud of thoughts he finally looked over.

Noticing that same goofy kid that sprayed him with the water hose..

He couldn't help but feel a bit irritated..

That annoying boy spraying his clothes and now the boy ruining his time with Connie..

He was hoping to kiss her a bit longer.. then maybe convincing her for them to go back up to the apartment and rub one out before heading right back out and catching the next movie..

"You two were kiiissiiiiing." Gregory teased as he pointed.

"Come on kid. It's not that serious." Steven knew he most likely said it a bit too harshly.. but that was just the pent up frustration talking.. that and his boxers were hugging him too tightly now.. and his tight jeans weren't making it any better..

Connie was blushing. She turned to him. "Steven, be nice." she looked at his irritated face.. also with a blush of embarrassment.

His dad closed the door, unaware of what was going on. He walked around the van with a box of nachos in his hands. He saw the two and cheesed. "Oh, hey!" he smiled, wiping the crumbs off of his beard. "How have you been?" he said to Steven. Then he looked over at Connie. "And I see the Missus is with you today." he nodded to her and she waved back with a "Good morning, Mr. Vecino."

"I'm doing good." Steven said plainly. He watched as the preteen jogged back over to his dad. "My girlfriend and I were just going to the m-"

"Dad! They were kissing! They were all like mm mm mm mmmm." he made kissy faces.

"Huh.. what? Heh." he shuttered as he gave Steven and Connie a nervous gin. "Uh, Shtu-ball you don't uh, heh.. do that son. That's." he cleared his throat. "not right."

"Hey, they're the ones who were doing it out in the open." he countered.

"Heh, oh, Gregory that's.. still not nice." he placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "Hey, how about you help your 'ole man get some stuff for the car wash?"

The boy gasped. "Would I!"

Mr. Vecino took the keys from his pocket. "Here ya go." and handed it to the bouncing boy. "I'll meet you up there." 

"Car wash items!" the boy ran pass Steven and Connie and through the main door of the complex.

"Uh.." the man scratched at the bald soot on his head. "Sorry about Shtu-ball there.. he can get pretty.. uh, hyper."

"I see." he deadpanned.

"Steven." Connie warned him with a nudge to his side. She turned back to their neighbor. "Yeah, it's.. no problem at all. Your son has a point actually." she shrugged meekly. The blush still on her face from being caught by a little kid and.. talking to his father about it. "Actually PDA is not even heard of in other countries." she added with a slight nervous chuckle. 

"What about cockblock.." Steven mumbled under his breath. Still feeling that annoying throb in his pants..

"Steven." she hissed out another warning at him.

"Weeeelll." Mr. Vecino drawled an octave higher. "I.. still want to apologize for my son. I know how he can be at times. Personal space isn't something that he thinks about." 

"No kidding." Steven continued to deadpan.

Connie cut her eye at him, but didn't say anything.

"Heheh, no I'm not kidding at all." he said, blissfully unaware at Steven's jab at his son. "I think he gets it from his mom." he chuckled with a head shake. A sad smile as he did. "That and he gets his love of eating from me." he picked up a cheesy nacho chip and threw it in his mouth. He crunched on it. Then looked at them. "Want some?" he held the box out to them. 

Connie shook her head, waving her hand politely no. 

"No." Steven said bluntly. "I was actually planning on eating something else." 

Connie wondered if she was over thinking what he said, but the slight squeeze of her side was evidence of what he meant by that. 

"Oh! You two are going to a restaurant?" Mr. Vecino asked, crunching on more nachos.

"We were thinking about going for Thai food. But I'm personally thinking Indian now." 

Connie was trying to think of another wholesome meaning.. but she couldn't help but assume he was still on a different meaning that Mr. Vecino was talking about. And she felt the blush on her cheeks. Steven somehow keeping a straight face as he talked to the guy. 

"Indian?!" he stopped a chip just by his face. 

"Yes." 

"Man, they have some great food!" 

"I agree. It's really good. Delicious even." 

Connie resisted groaning into her hand. She had to look away from the two. Instead, looking at Lion laying in the dirt. The canine having his eyes closed as he neared slumber. 

"Yes, especially biryani. That's really good. And that, sweet bread they have too." Mr. Vecino nodded. 

"There's other sweeter things." 

Connie was about to combust from all of the embarrassment.. and the quite.. cringy dialogue with Steven's double meaning.. and the man being completely oblivious by it all.. 

The man chuckled. "Maybe so. Hm, maybe I'll take Shtu-ball and I to a nice Indian restaurant sometime this week." 

Steven shrugged.

Still with a bored, slighty irritated look.. 

Still feeling the arousal eat at him.. 

Still wanting nothing else other than to pick her up and take her back to the apartment and dip her back down under the sheets of their bed..

And still with the boner he wondered was noticeable with the kind of jeans he had on.. 

The man gave them a warm smile. Pieces of jalapeño stuck between his teeth. "Well, I'll let you two be. You don't need a crusty 'ole guy like me wasting your time together." he gave them a dad smile. And to Steven, it reminded him of how Lars smiled. He somehow had both the dad smile _and_ the dad laugh _and_ the dad jokes without being a dad himself.

"Yeah, you're ri-"

"Okay, see you Mr. Vecino." Connie cut off his last jab to the poor guy.

"See you kids." he waved and walked pass them.

They waited for a few moments as the guy walked through the front door.

Then Steven looked at her. That slight annoyed look still on his face and she met his eyes with a stern look. "Care to explain what that was all about?"she folded her arms.

Another shrug. "It's that boy. It all started with him spraying me randomly with a water hose one day. Then, he does something like this."

"Steven." she gave him a sad smile with a shake of her head. "He doesn't even realize what he did." 

"I don't know, Connie. He could've." he looked at her. "Here I am, hoping that we could head back to the apartment and.. go see the movie later." he hoped she read between the lines. "Then, he comes and messes it up."

She raised an eyebrow at him. To Steven.. it looked more as an "as if" .. kind of expression.

"Ah, so you expected us to go back and push back our plans?"

"Well.. see it wasn't supposed to happen like that. He messed up the mood we were having." _More like.. messing up the mood that _I_ was trying to set._

She scoffed. "Only you, Steven." she took his hand from off her hip and held his hand as she tugged him along.

_..away_ from the apartment..

Lion got up from the ground, stretched and started to follow them on his new leash.

"And if it makes you less angry at him and makes you feel any better, I wouldn't had agreed to go back in the apartment. I really want to watch this movie and it's only being shown four specific times today. I rather hang out and watch the movie, then eat at that restaurant. We could always do that other stuff later." she said casually.

Actually that _didn't_ make him less made at the boy.. because they could've continued kissing each other for a bit longer. And it _didn't_ make him feel better because he thought his charm would've worked on her.

But.. despite of her saying that at the beginning, he didn't bother sulking about it.. but rather putting attention on what she said at the end. He looked at her. "You said we could always do that stuff.. later?" he tried to hide a smile that was coming.

She shook her head. "I knew you were going to say something about that." she mumbled under her smile.

"Heyyyy, I just wanted to be clear Connie." he said nonchalantly. "I didn't know if you meant, 'later' in general terms or.. 'later' as in.. later on today. Like. for example, when we come back home."

She looked at him.

And he went from a small smile.. the grin spreading to a huge toothy cheese as he wiggled his eyebrows.

Another scoff from her. "Let's just, think about the movie and the restaurant for right now." she suggested.

He chuckled. "Okay, Connie." he gave her a quick peck on her cheek.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, the car wash dude isn't Hispanic. He's Caucasian. I was just being lazy and wrote his name down as "neighbor" in Spanish.. because I'm _that_ unoriginal xD  
Besides, Mr. Vecino has a nice little cool ring to it. I like it.


	119. Trespassing in charted rhinestone territory

Steven and Connie got off the bus with Lion. The three of them only being just two blocks up from the movie theater.

Steven grabbed Connie's hand and started walking down the sidewalk. Lion was still getting used to the leash. The dog still trying to walk away, only to get stopped by the leash with Steven giving a gently tug of the leash to pull him back towards them.

Steven felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and his heart skipped a beat as he thought of Pearl. "Someone just gave me a message." he stopped and let go of Connie's hand to take his phone out. He unlocked it, only to realize that it was a fifteen minute alert for the start of the movie. He went to his messages to Pearl.

It was read..

He sighed, locking his phone and putting it back in his pocket.

"What's wrong?"

"Huh?" he looked at her. "Oh, just.. my co-worker doesn't feel well.."

"..It's that bad?"

"Yeah. He had to get surgery.. Or at least I think he had to. And, he hasn't replied back and I'm worried about him."

She reached in to grab his hand. Giving it a gentle squeeze. "Don't worry Steven. I think he's just resting. Maybe you should give him just for today to let him have his rest? Maybe he just wants a bit of space."

_Maybe she's right.. Maybe Pearl really did need her space.. _

And he was to work with the Crystal Gems this coming Sunday (in just two more days) _and_ they were to pick him up Saturday evening.. So hopefully he would see her then?

"Yeah.. yeah, maybe he does." and he appreciated Connie trying to cheer him up. 

_And_ it was there first day out together. All three of them. So he didn't want to ruin it with his sulking.

He turned and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Sorry. I don't mean to be such a downer." he went in to hold her hand once more. "He's probably resting." _hopefully_.

"You're not being a downer, Steven." she cuddled close to him, laying her head on his shoulder. "You're just a bit worried about your friend's health. You're a caring person like that." 

And he leaned his head on hers. The two walking so lovingly and so close together. "Yeah.. But. This is supposed to be a day for you and I." he kissed her on top of her head and leaned his head back down. Lion yanked on the chain and he grunted, trying to hold him back and he let out a chuckle. "And uh, Lion too. Heheh.. It's supposed to be a day for all three of us."

  
  


The two were on the same block of the theater. The building just in front of them and a few people were in line in front of the ticket booth.

Lion had been acting a bit anxious. The dog trying to get off of the leash ever since they got closer to the builder. 

Steven had a hard grip on the handle. "I don't.. know what's gotten into him." he grunted. "Lion!" he warned. The dog lunging forward on his two legs, growling and sniffing the air.

Connie stopped them. "Maybe it's the people.. It could be that he hasn't been properly conditioned and that he's getting a bit anxious around them."

"But-whoa!" Lion pulled him forward. "Lion, what has gotten into you?" he turned back to Connie. "I don't think that's it. We've been around people plenty of times and he hasn't acted like this. Maybe it's something else." 

The people in line were watching them. Leery and cautious of the wild acting dog.

"Maybe he sees something or.. smells something?" he tried pulling the leash back. "I think he'll calm down once we get inside. You can get the tickets. I'll wait here."

"I don't know Steven.. If he's acting up now, who know how he'll act up in the theater."

"Don't worry Connie." he was pulled forward again. "I have a feeling that it's just something outside that's bothering him." he took the money out of his pocket and handed it to her.

Connie grabbed the money, then looked at him, then the dog. The girl not being so sure about it.

"Relax, Connie." he tried to sound casual. "He's a good boy. Just.. a bit hyper at times. But he should be fine once we get inside and take our seats."

"_Should_ be." 

"Connie. He's fine. Just.." he pulled the leash back, not trying to sound too annoyed. "get the tickets."

She hesitated and raked her hands through her hair as she took a breath. "Fine.. But I have a bad feeling about this." she walked away from them to the line.

Lion started barking and she and everyone else turned around in line. 

"Don't worry, don't worry." Steven held his hand up. He started pulling on the leash as he walked over to the dog. Closing the distance between them. 

He crouched down, holding the leash close to his collar as he pat at the dog's flank. "Lion, what's going on boy?" the canine turned around to face him. Tail wagging as he leaned in towards Steven and he started scratching his head. "You really need to calm down. You're making everybody nervous." Lion seemed to calm down slightly now that Steven was close to him, but the dog continued to sniff the air. "What do you smell?" he wondered. The dog turned away from him, staring at something and Steven looked up. Nothing out of the ordinary. Just people, a few shops and an intersection. And over off in the distance was a small forest area.

"What do you see?" he looked at the dog, then looked back up, trying to follow his eyes. But, he saw nothing. Nothing seemed out of place to him.

He stayed over by Lion, trying to calm him down until he saw Connie come over with the tickets. "Since we didn't have a rewards card, we still had to pay the regular price, even though we ordered the tickets in advance." she handed him back the change but he waved her off. "You can keep it." he smiled. 

Then he turned to Lion who was still sniffing the air and looking at the area in front of them. "Okay, Lion." he pat at his head. "We're gonna watch a movie about a wacky, flying dog!" he cheered. He turned to his girlfriend. "Isn't that right, Connie?" 

She adjusted her glasses. "That's right." he got up and held her hand. "In a world where humanity is pushed to the brink, it turns out that the one who is most human, is a dog! -Copter." 

"And we're finally going to see it!!!!" he cheered louder and people started looking at them. 

"Steven." she hushed him with a chuckle. And a light smack on his chest with her hand.

"What? Dogcopter is amazing! Why should I have to dial my excitement back?" he winked at her. "Those people are just mad because we're seeing a cool movie _and_ we're matching.

She snorted. "They're jealous because we're matching?" 

"Of course. And we're looking good in our attire." then he wiggled his eyebrows. "Especially you."

She rolled her eyes. "I should've known you were leading up to something."

"Ah, you know me so well." he leaned in giving her a kiss. Then a second one. And _another_. 

She broke away. And he saw that cute blush on her face. "Come on. I don't want to miss the previews." she started pulling him towards the building.

And he followed her towards the door.

That is.. until Lion started pulling on the leash once more and Steven was pulled forward, along with Connie. He let go of her hand to prevent her from being pulled with him again and he grabbed hold of the leash. "Lion! What is going on?!" he pulled on the leash. 

"See, I knew this was a bad idea." said Connie. 

Lion started barking as he jumped and lunged forward, tugging on the leash. 

"Ueeeuhhgggg!! Lion!! Stay boy!!" he tried pulling the leash back and Lion pulled him forward. "Lion!!" the dog bucked hard and jumped forward roughly, pushing all of his weight forward and Steven struggled to hang on. The leash finally snapping out of his hand and Lion ran down the side walk, barking. "Lion!! LION!!" he ran after him.

"Steven!" and Connie ran after _him._

Cars honked and tires screeched as the driver's tried to avoid the dog running across the intersection. 

Then they had to avoid the boy who paid no attention to the vehicles as he ran across the street. Connie shouting out "Steven!!" terrified at the boy running across as the vehicles honked. A couple cars almost hitting him and her heart was thudding in her chest as she waited on the other side. Then feeling a wave of relief when he made it safely across. 

But then another wave of fear as she wondered where he was following the dog to. 

She looked up at the traffic lights on the other side still showing green. She sighed as she looked back at the street in front of her. Her patience wearing thin as she grew more and more worried where he could already be. 

  
  


Steven was running down the muddy, grassy terrain of the woods. Dog nowhere in sight. And he wasn't barking anymore.

"LION! LION!!" he looked around as he ran over a fallen log and towards the Creek. He ran across the muddy water, getting the bottom part of his pants wet. "Where _is_ he?" he whispered.

He stopped to look around in the woods. Upright and fallen trees all around. And in the left side of him, a huge dirt mound as tall as a building filled with twigs, moss and tiny bugs and insects.

He took a few breaths and went for a jog around the hill, looking at more uprooted and burned down trees with empty patches of grass and crushed boulders.

He looked around once more.

"He could be _any_ where!" he panicked. "LION!!"

"Steven! ..Steven!" Connie shouted out.

He was too busy looking for Lion.. worrying about him to even notice her calling him. "LION!!" 

Connie turned in the direction of his yelling and ran towards him. Taking a different route of running through the mud to avoid the muddy water of the Creek.

And there he was looking around and she sighed a breath of relief. "Steven!" 

He turned around. "Connie!"

"Steven! What the heck were you thinking running across the street like that! You could've gotten hurt!" 

"But I had to go after Lion!" he whined.

"You were going to risk yourself getting hit because of that dog?!"

"I.. I mean it wasn't like I was trying to do it on purpose! And it's Lion! It's our dog!"

She grimaced. "More so _your_ dog.. I'm _still_ getting used to him." she mumbled.

He growld out a sigh. "The point is, Connie. _He_ ran off and now I need to find him." he started walking away from her. "I _have_ to find him.."

And despite of her wanting to leave the area, she didn't want to leave _him_ and followed him anyway. "Of course I'll still help you _find_ him, Steven." she jogged towards him to catch up. "But you need to pay more attention to your surroundings."

How many times was people going to tell him that..

Another growling sigh out of him as he again, tried not to sound _too_ annoyed. "I know.. Everybody tells me that." 

They walked close together, Connie being cautious of what they may encounter in the oddly torn down woods. It was just that particular spot they were in. The torn down trees, where some of them looked like they'd been burned in a fire. And the cracked or crushed boulders and the flat laying grass, with other areas just bald spots with dirt. 

But then.. as one would go farther out, the trees were upright and had their luscious greenery. 

It was as if something had been going on in that one spot.. But what? Connie didn't know.. but she definitely had an extremely bad feeling about the area-

"Lion's bandana!" she jumped, nerves already on high alert for anything sudden. And his voice quickly snapping her out of her trance.

He ran down towards the cloth snagged on a fallen tree branch and she ran after him. He snatched it off as he quickly noticed an opening on the hill and some movement. He turned his head, seeing Lion sniffing around on the floor inside. "Lion!" he started running when he heard a "Steven!" and a pair of hands grab his arm.

He turned to Connie.

"Don't get too close! What if it's a trap or something!"

"But." he looked back at Lion, then at her. "Lion's in there!"

"Steven, this place could be dangerous!" she squeezed his arm tighter. "I've been getting bad vibes from this area as soon as I got here.. And now.. there's some kind of place hidden in some hill or cave or.. whatever heck this is supposed to be." she gestured at the dirt mound. "I don't trust this one bit.." 

"But.. Lion." he whined. 

"Steven." she pulled him back. "I really don't think we should go in there." 

He stood there, looking at the uneasy expression on her face. Then back at the dog.. Then,.. at the bandana in his hand. Torn.

"I.." he bit his lip. "Connie, I'm sorry, but.. I have to get him." he gently pushed her arms off. "You can stay right here. I'll be back." 

"Steven.."

"I'll be right back Connie." he gave her a quick peck on the forehead for good measure and ran towards the entrance.

And she stood there.. debating on what she should do. 

Stay there alone in the woods? Or follow him and protect him..

She ran after after him.

  
  


Steven ran inside of the cave and on the smooth, gray, dusty platform of the floor. A moat around the platform filled with murky water.

Lion was still busy sniffing the platform.

"Lion!" the dog looked up, wagging his tail happily and Steven knelt down by him, petting him. "Oh man, don't scare me like that, Lion. I thought I almost lost you." he hugged the dog and Lion began licking his face. And he laughed, scratching the dog behind his ears. 

He heard some footsteps running up to him and he turned around quickly.

"Okay, Steven." Connie tugged on his shoulder "We have the dog. Now let's get out of here!" she looked around the smooth, gray interior of the dome above them.

"But.. what is this place?" 

"Steven! Who CARES! We shouldn't even BE here!" she took a few steps back. "Please, let's just go."

".. okay.." he got up and the two went for the opening. 

The hole of the dirt mound closing from the ceiling on down. 

"The entrance is closing!!" Connie shouted. And they picked up their pace. 

Only for the door to shut all the way.

Closing them in. 

Connie banged on the metal frame. "We're stuck!!" she shouted and pivoted to him. "I TOLD you this was a trap!!! Now who knows WHAT'S going to happen to us!!"

The ground suddenly lit up in light pink beneath their feet and the two gasped, backpedaling to the wall. The light started to leave their feet as the pink glow started to recede in towards the center of the platform to a small circle, where it then shot up in a short beam of pink light. 

The beam faded away just a few seconds later and a pedestal raised out from the middle of the platform. 

"What is going to happen now?!" Connie panicked.

"I.. don't know." Lion lunged forward, yanking the leash out of a distracted Steven's hand. "Lion!" Connie pulled him back. "Steven! Don't go near that thing!" 

They watched as Lion started sniffing around the dusty pedestal. Then he jumped up, sniffing the top of it. He licked it.

Though nothing happened.

"Maybe.. it's okay..? Nothing seems to be happening." said Steven. 

"Maybe that's what they WANT us to think! I still don't trust this place and DEFINITELY not that thing that just rose up from the floor." 

"But.. what if it's a way to get us out of here?" he took a step.

And she grabbed him back. "And what if it isn't?!" 

"But.. I won't know unless I check it out." he looked at her. "If we stay here and do nothing, we could get caught. And if we check that pedestal out, we could get caught OR possibly get out. But, staying here isn't going to do us any good." 

"I mean.." she thought over what he said.. trying to think of a counter. But she couldn't. She sighed. "Just.. be careful.." 

"Don't worry. I will." he gave her another quick kiss on the forehead for "reassurance" and he started walking up to the pedestal. Lion was still licking across the top of it. Doggy saliva showing where Lion had stopped at. The other parts still caked up with dust. 

Steven noticed that the pedestal was shaped like a hand. And in the middle of it was a top view of a rose flower, though the edges representing the petals were sharp at the tips. Surrounding the flower was a long vine that spiraled around it. A few thorns on either side of the vine. 

"Hmm.." 

"What do you see?" he heard Connie ask him from the wall. 

"Um.. it's shaped like a hand? And.. there's a rose flower and a vine with thorns." then he quickly specified. "I mean, not an_ actual _flower. But it looks like it's been engraved in the stone. 

He traced a finger along the edge of the pedestal. 

"Be careful Steven." she warned him. 

"..Maybe if I.." he placed his hand in the middle of the pedestal, right on top of the rose.

And he waited. 

Nothing happened. 

He turned to Connie and shrugged. "It doesn't seem to be working." 

"Okay, then hurry up and come back here. Maybe we can think of something else." the poor girl.. still ever frantic. 

"Okay." he took a step as he pulled his hand away. Quickly realizing that he _couldn't_ pull it away. "Huh?" he tugged at his hand. It wouldn't budge. "Connie." he tried pulling his hand harder. "I'm stuck." 

"WHAT?!" 

"Yeah." he grunted. "My hand is stuck on here." 

She ran away from the wall and right to him. She tried pulling his hand off as he pulled with her. 

Nothing.

"This just keeps getting worse and worse!" she freaked out. "This was probably another trick!-"

"Code please." a woman's voice echoed from the dome. 

They looked around the building.

"What was that?!" Steven asked.

"Sounded like it came from the building. Like a.. robot?"

"Code verification please." the voice said from the speakers.

"What code?"

"Obviously WE'RE not going to know it, Steven! This is someone else's place! For.. who knows what!"

"Maybe it's something that has to do with Empire City?" he looked down at the pedestal and said the date when Mayor Dewey was elected. 

There was a low beep that made both of them jump. "Code incorrect."

Then he said the date when he was actually sworn in. 

Another low beep. "Code incorrect." 

Connie sighed. "Of COURSE it wouldn't be that easy!" she looked around the room. "There _has_ to be a way out of here.." she started massaging his hand in comfort as she looked all around them. Inspecting the area closely. 

She didn't see anything. 

Lion hopped down from the pedestal and started sniffing around the area.

"Wait." Connie turned back to him. "I think Lion smells something. You can go follow him while I try to think of more numbers." 

"I don't really want to leave you like this." 

"I'll be fine, Connie. Besides, it's not like we'll be too far apart from each other." he tried pulling his hand off again. 

Nothing.

She hesitated.. before saying a small "Okay." and following Lion away from the platform and towards the wall of the dome.

"Now.." Steven looked back down. "What else can I say?" 

He tried for the date when the Big Donut opened. 

Then another date, then another.

All three of them being incorrect.

"Code has not been established. Temporary lockdown in 20, 19, 18.."

"Steven!" 

"Just focus on Lion. I'll try to think of more numbers."

"They could literally be ANY numbers Steven! And Lion is just sniffing this wall!"

Lion jumped up and started pawing at it.

"And now he's pawing at it." said Steven. "Maybe something's behind there. Try to find something to break it through with. Maybe it's dry wall."

Connie looked around, looking for any kind of stick or object of some sort while Lion continued to scratch and paw at the wall.

Steven began to call out every date he could think of. Even the date Connie was born and when Delmarva became apart of the U.S and he continued to call out various dates.

"3..2..."

Panicking and with no other dates, he used his own birth date. "Zero, eight, one, five, nine, nine, nine, eight." 

"Access. Approved."

_What? That.. actually worked? _

The dome lit up a light pink and the pedestal lit up under his hand. 

Connie looked up from her scouting. "You actually managed to figure out the date?!"

"Yeah." then he tried to lift his hand off again and he was able to move it off of the surface. "And my hand's unstuck. Huh?" the surface of the pedestal flipped over, revealing a blue screen. A few moments later and what looked to be like letters mixed with symbols appeared on the screen and Steven had to suppress a gasp.

He knew those letters from anywhere.

It was Gem writing..

Something that the Gems hadn't taught him yet.

And he started to panick.

_Oh no! Oh no! Oh no!! Is this another one of the Gems' places like that moss area?!?! Is.. is Amethyst going to call me?! What if she see's Connie!!! Then she's going to know how she looks!!! And then it'll be easier for her to find her!!_

Okay, _now_ he was panicking.

They HAD to escape!

Connie was running up to him. "Come on, help me find-" she looked down at the screen. 

"That just happened." said Steven. "I don't know what it says but I have a feeling that we can use this to get out somehow." he pressed the first button and Connie grabbed his hand. "Steven! What the heck are you thinking!!" 

The ground in front of them started to shake and Connie grabbed on to him. "Steven!" 

The ground opened up in front of them and they ran back as a white case emerged. It opened up, revealing several different swords of different eras in a line-up. 

"Hey, swords!" Steven said a bit shock, but interested. 

Connie panicked even more. "No!" 

"Don't worry, Connie." he gave her a reassuring rub on her forearm. "I have a feeling that I know what this place is already." he started walking away from her embrace. "I think this place is some kind of secret armory." 

"Then THAT gives us even MORE reason to get out of this place!" she jogged up to him. "I don't think you should press any more.. What if we end up pressing some, deadly button or something." 

"But we finally got this to work, Connie." _and apparently because I used my birth date to unlock it.. _ "Maybe we can press something on here that'll get us out." he pressed the second button. 

Connie took a couple steps back as the white case closed back up and retracted back into the platform. Then a ring of the floor lowered and a series of European and Japanese Samurai armor suits rose out of the platform all around them. 

"Whoa, look at all this armor." said Steven. He gawked at the fearsome looking armored plates.

He pressed the third button and the suits of armor retract back into the platform and three laser light cannons attached together emerged from the front of them. 

_Why do they look famili-Gasp!- We used that when we were fighting the ladies in the helicopter!!! And that was.. my first somewhat mission that I was dragged into without even being a Crystal Gem yet.. _

Just looking at those cannons felt.. _eery_ to him.. and he quickly pressed the fourth button. 

The laser light cannons retracted back into the floor and various axes rose out of the platform. 

He pressed the fifth button and the axes retracted back into the platform and a statue of a woman with her arms outstretched and three spikey chain balls hanging on each arm then rose out of the floor. 

"Whoa, spikey chain balls too?!" 

"Creepy.." and Steven felt Connie step close to him. Her shoulder brushing up against his back. 

He pressed the sixth button on the screen and the spikey chain balls retracted back into the ground and a large penny rose up out of the platform. 

He'd assumed that there were going to be more deadly weapons.. But with such a sudden turn, he felt it a bit of a relief and a bit comical that the place would have a giant penny of all things. And a joke started to brew within him. He turned to Connie and in a husky, low gutteral voice, he said. "Do you see this, Girl Wonder? A giant penny." he turned to the coin, still keeping his acting voice. "Does that mean it's worth more than a regular penny?" she didn't say anything back and he looked at her. She still didn't say anything. A serious frown on her face. 

He dropped the act, going for his regular voice. "Oh, come on, Connie. You were supposed to say. 'Well that would make.. _cents_'." he started grinning widely. 

She folded her arms, the serious look still on her face. "Steven, are you seriously playing around right now?" 

"Um.." he coughed. "Right.. y, yeah you're right." 

"We _need_ to try and get out of here."

"Right.. Yeah, I know.." he pressed the last button. But this time, no more weapons came up and the screen went to a different menu showing one red button on the left and one black button on the right.

"What.." Steven looked at the screen. The Gem writing not making it any easier..

"See.. this could be something dangerous.." said Connie. "_This_ is what I mean by pressing buttons that could be hazardous."

_This_ time Steven hesitated his hand over the screen.. Then slowly lowered it down, pressing the red button on the left. 

A small compartment slid open on the pedestal and a pink octahedral object rose up from it. And Steven went to reach for it when Connie grabbed his arm. "Okay, now I'm getting a _really_ bad feeling about this one."

"But.. this could be a way out." he told her. "And it's not like we have much of a choice. If we stay here and do nothing we might not get out or.. someone might come for us anyway.." 

She hesitated.. before slowly loosening the grip on his arm and he went to press down on the pink object. 

Nothing.

"Okay, maybe I have to.. turn it?" he grabbed the object with both hands and twisted it right. It didn't budge and he went the other way and the object turned and stopped with a click at 180 degrees to the left.

The floor rumbled in front of them as the giant penny retracted back down into the ground and a large rectangular screen rose up from the platform.

They heard a sound of a phone line..

.._ringing_..

"Wait! Steven, are we calling someone?!" Connie shouted. "Twist it back the other way!!"

Steven tried to, but it would work. "It's stuck!" they both tried pulling the object the other way while the line continued to ring.

"Steven, let's just leave it and get off the platform." she yanked on his arm and the two turned around just as they heard a click accompanied by a bright light from the screen that shone across the floor in front of them.

"HOLD it.. _right_ there." they heard a deep voice from a voice changer. 

They stopped and Steven was about to turn around. "Don't turn around." Connie warned him. And the two stood there with their backs facing the screen. 

"_Turn_ around." the voice demanded. 

"Don't listen to that person, Steven." Connie whispered. 

"Do not want to do as I say?" 

They stood there. Quiet. Terrified.

Suddenly a small rectangle piece of the floor retracted and fire shot up from in front of them and they backpedaled back from the flames. 

Then another panel opened up on the side of them as flames bursted out of the floor and they screamed, taking a few more steps back. Panting. 

"Maybe.. maybe we should listen, Connie." Steven whispered to her. He found her hand and squeezed it. Trying to comfort them both.

Connie looked at him. A worried expression on her face. She opened her mouth to say something when the person cut her off. 

"So disgusting.. STOP holding her hand." the voice shouted. "Now.. you two turn around.. Or I will set this whole place into flames." 

"Connie." his voice was shrill and frantic. "We gotta listen. There's no other way out of this." he hesitated before slowly letting go of her hand. He looked at her. Then slowly started to turn around.

"The other.. as well." the person spat out. 

Connie took a breath.. then slowly started to turn around. 

The two of them, finally facing the screen. 

"Good. Now _that_ is more like it." the person blinked their dark brown eyes behind their black ski mask. "Now. Tell me. Who _are_ you two? And _what_ are you two doing in here?" they hissed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UH oh!  
Now I don't remember _that_ happening in the canon episode xD ;)


	120. The masked person

The person blinked behind their mask. Waiting for them to speak. 

They didn't.

"I have asked you two. a. question." they leaned towards the screen. "Answer me."

Steven couldn't take it anymore.. and he stepped up. "Steven." Connie said in a hushed tone.

"Silence!" the person held their black gloved hand up. "He. is speaking."

"Uh.." he trembled. He licked his lips nervously. "I'm.. Steven.."

".. Steven?" they turned their head slightly as if trying to hear him better. 

"Y, yes.." he swallowed. "I.. I don't know what this place is. Honest!" he held his hands up. "We.. found this place by mistake. We were just trying to get out."

The person turned their face back, looking fully onward at him. Their eyes staring right at him.

Then, they leaned back in their chair. And Steven could only see an empty white wall behind them. And a plain white robe around their shoulders. ".. Steven.." they were looking pass the camera, as if trying to remember something. 

Then, they shook their head. And their eyes went back to him. "If you and .._that."_ they pointed to Connie. "just 'found this place by mistake', that does not answer me how you were able to use the- ..to call me."

" 'That'?" he repeated after the person. "And, I don't know!" he couldn't possibly tell the person that he used his own birth date.. 

They shook their head once more "Impossible." they spat out. "Nobody knows about this place. And while I _will_ accept you finding the ways in which to get in.." they turned their head, mumbling. "and I had warned her about such a trivial way to open up this place.." they let out a breath before looking back at him. "NOBODY knows how to get into the system. I am the only one who knows about the password." they leaned in towards the screen again. Eyes narrowed. "What I do believe. is that the one other person who actually _does_ know about this place could have only guessed what this new personal password code could've been. So. That leaves me with the one and _only_ answer being that _you_, Steven." they said his name with such venom through the voice changer. "are a Crystal Gem." Connie looked at him in complete shock. And the person continued. "_She_. was the one who told you about this place.. and found this new code."

His heart skipped a few beats and ice hit his gut at the person knowing what he was.. But knowing what he was under a wrong accusation..

He shook his head. "I don't.. know what you're talking about. I'm not a Crystal Gem."

"Steven." they said his name accusingly. "There is no other explanation as to why I am receiving this call from you. There. is absolutely. NO one else who could have guessed this password. But that.. _coon_.. and.." they sighed lightly. "The late Rose Quartz."

His heart skipped a few more beats and more ice crashed into his gut at hearing that name.

_Her name again!! _

"And.. well that is impossible as she is no longer with us." their eyes were downcast for a few moments and they looked off to the side, looking at something off the side of the camera, presumably on the table. 

A few moments later and they turned back to him. Their eyes looking rather tired.. and misty.. "Now. I will give you one more chance to come clean." they whispered coarsely. 

And they waited.

"H, honestly.. I'm not a Crystal Gem. I just randomly came up with the-"

"I SAID THERE IS NO OTHER EXPLANATION!!" they banged their hands on the table and the two jumped as the person's voice echoed throughout the dome.

They leaned in close to the screen. Only their dark brown eyes being shown. "Steven. you-" the person cut themselves off as Lion came running up to the video monitor. Tail wagging curiously. He jumped up, pressing his two front paws on the edge of the t.v. He huffed and a small part of the screen fogged up briefly. The person looked down at the dog. "And.. you brought a filthy mutt with you as well.." 

Lion leaned off, tail wagging. Then, he ran back towards the wall of the dome. 

Steven was trying to figure out and piece together what this person meant.. but he couldn't. It was like Amethyst and Pearl again when they were talking about Lonny and Rose. He had no idea what they were talking about. And he had no idea what _this person_ was talking about. (Or who this person even was).

And he still barely knew anything about Rose Quartz.

And who was this other person they were talking about? He wanted to ask.. but he didn't want to feed into it and have them think that he is any more of a Crystal Gem than what they thought he was..

The masked person sighed and leaned back. "I see that you are still not wanting to tell me the truth. And as to why you are here."

"We found this place and.. and I just made up the numbers." he said again.

"I DO NOT BELIEVE YOU!!" they slammed their hands down on the table again. "THAT coon told you! And she's probably hiding in here now!" they looked around in the dome. "Does she not want to face me? Where is she?!"

"I.. I don't know who you're talking about."

"Liar.." the person glared at him. 

"Please just.. just let us go!" Connie cut in.

"I will ignore the.. little creature." Connie's expression dropped to disbelief and shock and Steven was the one who went for a glare. "The fact that the Crystal Gem have such a token despises me." 

"Just who are you!!" 

Talking to him any kind of way was one thing.. but to disrespect Connie is a death sentence. ESPECIALLY since this person had said something to her more than once.. And saying all of that just now?!.. No..

"Oh my.. Now I have a bit more emotion out of you." they scoffed. "How sickening it is really. This whole thing is one huge filth. You break in with that thing. On behalf of another creature that's even worse. Then you lie to me. multiple times." 

"That doesn't answer my question!!" 

The person tilted their head, mockingly. "Oh? You want to know who I am?" they did a single chuckle. "I am someone who is coming back after many years of hiding.. and mourning." they straightened up their shoulders. "And I am someone who is coming back to get rid of the Crystal Gems once and for all.. and to avenge my Rose Quartz." 

Steven was a mix of emotions. Angry.. upset.. that the person would talk to Connie and disrespect her like that. Frightened.. at just what this person would do to him and Connie.. and the Crystal Gems... And confused as to who this person was and what they were going to do exactly to get _rid_ of the Crystal Gems.

"That.. still doesn't.. Who are you!!"

"I have given you the important information. You should be glad that I have given you that much. But, my plan is almost in effect and I was comfortable enough to give you a heads up at least. Though." they let out a snicker. "It will not do much once I come with my own army to your little city of.. Empire."

Ice ran down his spine.

_How.. how did this person.._

"Okay, that is enough. I have already wasted WAY too much of my time with you. And it is very early in the morning and I refuse to waste any more of my energy on you." they clicked on a few buttons off screen. "Ah, there we go." the person looked at them. "I _do_ hope that you two enjoy the plus one that I've invited in there with the both of you."

Steven and Connie looked at each other, exchanging frightened glances.

"Take this as a little.. a little _parting_ gift, if you will." then they said lowly. "as you two _will_ be parting from this world."

They screamed out at the screen and the person chuckled. "Welcome to my domain, commoners." they said, mockingly sweetly. And they did something with their hand on the side of the camera and the screen winked out. The rectangular screen retracted back into the platform and the pink object on the pedestal stopped glowing and the screen below it winked out. Then the surface flipped over revealing the rose symbol again and the pedestal stopped glowing and started to sink down. 

Steven and Connie ran back as a wider circle in the middle of the platform opened up. A whirring noise echoed from the hole as a robot rose out of the hole in the platform. 

The robot head had three cannons protruding from the bottom of its cylindrical face and numerous opaque crystal shards protruded from its top. With glowing white eyes.

Glowing white eyes that were staring.. right at them. 


	121. The robot machine

Steven and Connie gasped at the robot in front of them. 

"Connie!" Steven went to grab for her hand and she reached out when a triangle wall shot out in between them as triangular walls began to shoot up from all over the platform.

The triangular walls began to glow white all around them and the shards on top of its head, its eyes and the inside of the protruding canons started glowing yellow. A crackling sound was heard as the robot started generating a ball of electricity from its cannon. 

Steven and Connie screamed and ran opposite ways out of the way as the electricity ball was fired in their direction, hitting a triangle wall and disintegrating it upon impact. 

The robot started to glow blue and floated after Steven. Chasing after him through the triangle walls. Connie followed them on the other side of the room. She could see the robot flying pass him. "Steven! Look out!" 

The robot lowered itself right in front of Steven and he halted to a stop. It shot out a beam of ice at him and he quickly jumped out the way, hiding behind a triangular wall and the beam of ice froze up the piece of platform where he was previously standing on.

He crouched there, cowering behind the wall. "Steven! What do we do?!" he heard Connie shout from the other side. 

_Oh no, Connie!!_

He saw her hiding behind a triangle wall as well. "Don't worry, Connie! Just stay there! I'll come to you!"

The robot spotted her and started glowing orange and began floating towards her. 

She screamed. 

"Connie!!" he ran from the wall only to slip on the ice from earlier. "Ah. Damn!" he tried getting up, but continued to slip and slid across the floor. 

The robot started shooting fireballs at Connie, as she barely dodged three of them. The fourth fireball, the flames just grazing pass the side of her shoe as she jumped behind a triangle wall. 

Steven had finally made it over to her and hid behind the same triangle wall. "Connie. Are you okay?" 

"Yeah." she whispered. "But.. how are we going to get rid of this thing?" she asked him. 

He sat there..trying to think of something practical.. Something that he could do to destroy the robot _and_ get them to safety.. Something that he'd learned from the Crystal Gems-No! That was a bad idea.. Since he didn't have his GemTech OR his bubble.. And even if he _did_have those things with him, he wouldn't be able to use them because.. he was with Connie.. and.. couldn't reveal his identity..

"Just.. stay close to me, Connie." he said eventually.

Just as they were about to get up, they saw some movement out the corner of their eye.

It was Lion, still sniffing and pawing at the same wall he was by earlier. 

"We should go check that wall out. Maybe we could escape from there." he grabbed her hand and helped her up and the two ran towards Lion. "But how are we going to break through the wall?!" Connie asked him. 

"U..uh.." dag.. he hadn't thought of that.. Maybe they could break apart of one of the triangle walls?-

"Steven, the robot!" Connie pointed behind them. 

The robot started shooting out fireballs at them and Steven picked the dog up with one arm and the two barely jumped out the way, stumbling across the smooth, dirty platform. The fireballs hitting the wall, destroying the gray material. 

They groaned, getting up and Lion slipped out of Steven's arms and shook his fur. The collar jingling away.

Steven got up slowly, helping Connie up. Then he looked. Within the wall had been what Steven assumed was a secret compartment. Inside it, was a sword. A sword that was different than any of the other swords he'd ever seen before. 

The sword was a straight bladed saber that had a slightly dark pink with a hint of red pommel resembling a rosebud with rose quartz embedded in it. The guard and knuckle bow of the sword were pink with the guard having an image of a four-petaled white flower in the middle. The grip was a dark pink, and the grip, guard, and knuckle bow were inscribed with a twirling thorn design. The sword had a cupped hilt and a broad blade with a tantō and at the base of the blade, the rain guard was shaped like a pink rose with the two outer petals being dark pink. 

It was.. magnificent..

"It was a sword!" Steven shouted. He turned to Lion. "Did you sniff that out?! How?! Lion! Why don't you tell me you can do these things you do?!" 

Connie saw the robot coming towards them. 

Lion let out a low growl and a soft bark, answering Steven. 

Steven threw his hands up in exasperation. "What does that mean, Lion? What does that even mean!"

"Steven, the robot!" she pushed him out the way and the two slid across the floor and to the edge. The dirty water of the moat underneath of them. 

Lion hopped over the burned areas of the platform and jumped up on the edge of the wall. His nails scratched along the surface as he hopped onto the ledge. 

"He's trying to get the sword. Maybe we can defeat it with that." Steven helped her up to her feet again. 

The two was about to run towards Lion when the robot lowered itself down between them and the dog. "But we can't even get to him." said Connie.

The robot started charging up for another shot. "Uh, umm.." frantic, Steven let go of Connie's hand and put a foot on the back of a triangle wall. He pulled with his two hands and broke a piece of it off. "Maybe we can use this as a shield." 

The robot shot out another fireball, the ball of fire flying quickly towards them and Connie clenched her eyes, bracing herself for the impact and Steven stepped in front of her. The fireball hit the piece in his hand and immediately disintegrated it and the flames brushed them as the impact of the hit bowled both him and Connie across the floor. The two laid their, visibly hurt from the fire. 

Steven leaned up from the floor, burns across his skin and his clothes were scorched. He looked over and gasped. "Connie!" his girlfriend was covered in burns as she laid on the floor. She groaned into her arm. 

He crawled on his knees and grabbed one of her arms, being cautious of the burn marks. "Come on, Connie." he said softly. And he helped her up as she winced in pain. And he tried to ignore his own injuries. 

The robot was glowing orange again as it recharged for another shot. 

"Come on, we have to hide." Steven grabbed Connieas hand and they slow jogged away from the spot and the robot turned around and started floated after them. 

"We have to find a way out. We can't keep doing this." said Connie. She looked back. "Look out!" Steven turned back as another fireball came their way. The two jumped opposite ways from the attack and the fireball flew pass them, hitting the bottom of the wall. The fire disintegrating the material and conveniently.. oh so conveniently.. eating up the wall enough to show just a small portion of the outside. 

"Steven! We have our opening!" said Connie. She ran to the edge of the.. dirty moat. 

He caught up to her. "But I can't swim." 

"And _I_ don't want to swim in this dirty water. But we have no choice."

"And what about Lion?!" he whined. 

The two turned around and saw the dog running towards them with the sword in his mouth. 

The robot began to charge up behind them. 

"Come on. Maybe he'll catch up." she grabbed on to him. "Just hang on to me and hold your breath and kick out your arms and legs." he threw his arm around her and they jumped into the thick, slimy water. 

And Steven was already panicking. Flailing his arm and legs about. He didn't want to drown and all he could think about was drowning. Despite of Connie holding on to him, his mind automatically went to _just_ how dainty of a girl she was compared to him and his gut alone and he could only worry that she wouldn't be able to hold him afloat too. 

And the burns on his arms weren't helping.. and he continued to panic. And he swallowed some of the disgusting water in his panic and thus, started panicking more, both hoping that he didn't digest anything toxic and fearing that he was officially drowning. 

And then.. he felt himself being lifted up as he continued to flail his limbs as Connie told him to do. Well, maybe not _flailing_ persé, but it was close to kicking out his limbs. 

And he felt his head being lifted up and he quickly spat out the water and sucked in some air. Connie was putting his hands on the edge of the platform. "We're here. Now let's hurry up and get out of this place." she was already pulling herself up. 

Steven pulled himself up on the dirty platform and slid across his stomach before pulling himself up to his feet. 

Connie was crawling her way through the hole and Steven looked back to check on Lion. 

Whirring and crackling noises sounded as the robot started glowing yellow as it faced the dog. It shot out an electric ball towards him. "Lion!!" Steven shouted out. 

Lion jumped away, dodging the attack. 

"Steven! Come on!" he heard Connie shout from outside. 

"But.." he turned back around. Lion had just hopped into the water, coming towards him. 

He sighed a breath of relief and crouched down, crawling through the hole in the wall. 

Connie helped him up to his feet. "Steven, are you okay?!" she looked at the burns on his skin and the charred marks on his soaked clothing.

"I'm okay. But what about YOU." he went to grab her arms in an embrace and looked at the burns on her own skin. And he frowned. "Connie.. I'm so, so sorry.. If I had been more careful in there-"

She shook her head as she fanned her hand. "Let's just get away from the this place." 

His frowned deepened.. but he obliged, jogging away from the cave. 

And just as they were about to pass the flowing Creek, a fireball flew overhead pass them and hit a tree disintegrating it just in front of them and they screamed as they backpedaled back.

They turned around, keeping each other close. "What the?!", "Oh no!!" Steven and Connie said over each other. 

The robot had exited from the door they'd entered in earlier. The door closing behind it as it changed from orange to yellow. Electricity crackling as it recharged. 

"It's coming back!" Connie tugged on his arm and started running away as a bolt of yellow energy was fired their way.

The robot started getting more hostile. Changing back and forth from blue, to yellow to red as it began firing of ice, bolts of electricity and fire all around, destroying more of the area around them as they tried to dodge them. 

They jumped away from a fireball and hid behind a tree. Panting as they tried to catch their breath.

"Steven!! How are.. we going to get..rid of it?!" she panted. "It's still.. following us!!" 

"Connie." he turned to her. "Don't worry! It's okay! Maybe we can-" 

"It's NOT okay!!" she cut him off. 

"Uh.." 

"You KEEP saying. "Oh, Connie, don't worry" or "it's fine" when it's not, Steven! You keep saying these things but you DON'T know what you're doing! _WE_ don't know what we're doing! First LION kept acting weird and you went to go look for him! Then we went into the cave! And.. and you kept touching stuff!! Then that masked person!! And now THIS!!!" she put her hand under her glasses as she started to cry. "This is horrible.. And now we're probably going to die out here because of this thing." 

He looked at her.. sobbing in front of him. He felt terrible. 

This was supposed to be their special day. No, _her_ special day and he ruined it.. And it was ONLY because of him.. it was all his fault.. Just like so many other things..

"Connie." he leaned in, being careful of the burns on her arms as he hugged her close to him and she immediately leaned into him as she cried. "I am so sorry,.. I'm always messing stuff up.. And I.. I should've listened and I'm sorry. I couldn't hold onto the leash.. then you warned me about the cave..and I just kept.." he sighed. "Connie.. I'm sorry.." he felt a tear slide down his face. "It's all my fault that you're hurt." he leaned in, looking at the teardrops on her lenses. "But.. I know we can get out of this.. You just.. have to trust me.. please.." 

She took another long breath before looking back at him. "..Okay.." 

He held her hands as they got up. "Stay behind me. Maybe we can-" 

A ball of electricity crackled as it flew right behind Steven. 

"Come on!" he pulled her to his side as they ran for cover behind another tree. "There must be a way to stop it." he said. 

"But _what_?" Connie's voice cracked. She saw a shadow behind him and pointed. "Steven!" she fell back and he turned around, bracing for the robot- 

Lion came around the tree with the sword in his mouth. He dropped it on the ground, tail wagging. 

A bolt of electricity flew pass them. The bright light shining pass them and casting a white hue over Lion. The dog's eyes and fur seeming to glow white briefly as the bolt of energy flew pass. 

"The sword!" Steven cheered. "Good boy." he gave the dog a few nogging scratches and leaned down, picking up the hilt of the sword. "Wow.. has a bit of weight to it." he lifted it up, holding it close to his shoulder as he remembered from his sword class with the Gems. 

The robot flew towards them and began to recharge for another shot on the side of them. 

Steven trembled slightly. "H.. here goes nothing." 

A bright yellow light formed inside of the canon and they could hear the crackle of electricity. He turned slightly. "Go for cover, Connie." then he turned back to focus on the robot as it shot out the yellow ball of energy at them.

Connie didn't want to leave him. Instead, staying close behind him as he took a stance, raising the sword at an angle. 

He hit the electric ball, deflecting the ball of energy back at the robot. It hit it, pushing the robot back slightly. And Steven smiled, relieved. "Great! This sword can deflect the robot's attacks!" then his smile faltered slightly as the robot started turning orange. "Or.. at least the electricity one." the robot shot out a fireball towards them. "Ohh.. I hope this works!" he swung to his side, up in an arc, the sword smashing into the fireball and sending it flying back towards the robot. 

The robot turned blue and shot out an ice ball and Steven, confident now, advanced a step, keeping his core balanced as he swung again. The sword hit the ice ball back into the robot. 

Steven stood there. Waiting for the robot to fire off another attack. He kept the sword close to him. Waiting. Eyes narrowed on the robot. 

The robot rose up higher and pointed the canon down towards them in a click. 

"Uh oh.. This is different." Steven mumbled nervously to Connie. Immediately losing that newfound confidence he had just moments earlier.

The robot started to light up a mixture of orange and yellow as a ball of fire started to form inside of the canon. Electricity started to crackle around the ball. 

"It's mixing the two attacks!" Steven yelled. He stood there, watching the robot as it fired the fireball of electricity at them. 

He screamed as he raised the sword up, the ball of emergies crashing into the sword and pushing his arm back. He grunted, trying to push the sword down and deflect the ball back to the robot. But the energies were too strong and he struggled to keep the fireball of electricity at bay. 

Connie looked at the boy struggling and in that few moments she tried to shake away her fear.. 

She needed to do something..

She needed to help him..

  
  


Connie stood close behind him, grabbing the hilt of the sword and Steven turned to her. "Connie!" she was focused on the robot in front of them. "Come on.. Let's do this, Steven." 

"Hm." he nodded and turned back around and he, with Connie's help, started to bring the sword down. They leaned in pushing their arms forward and they swiped the saber down in a down strike, the fireball of electricity being launched back towards the robot and into one if its cannons. The robot started shaking as it glowed a quick set of blue, yellow and orange before glowing red, making whirring and clanging noises as the metal started to crack and fall to pieces. Red and white light started to shine out if the cracks until.. it exploded and Steven dropped the sword and turned to cover Connie as the pieces of robot was flung everywhere in the area.

He waited.. making sure that everything was clear before slowly leaning off of Connie. "Are you okay?" he held on to her.

"Yeah.. yeah, I'm okay." though the frown on her face said otherwise.

And Steven leaned in for a hug, relieved that she was okay. But also guilty.. for being the blame for her being out here and injured in the first place. He gave her a small kiss on the side of her head and leaned back in and she laid her head on his shoulder, trying to relish in the comfort that his embrace always gave her.. And she felt him start rubbing her back. And it felt so comforting.. but at the same time.. she was still on edge just by still being in the area.. And all she wanted to do, was leave. 

She was the first to lean back up. Looking at him in his sorrowful eyes and guilt ridden face.

And there was silence between them for a few moments as they looked at each other.. until Steven spoke up meekly. "Um.. Now that.. that's all over." he continued to rub her back. "Did you.." he paused before starting back up. "still want to go to the movies? I mean.. I know we're.. kinda scratched up and everything. And.. our clothes are soaked.. But maybe we could buy some dry clothes and catch a late movie?" 

She grimaced. That was the _very_ last thing on her mind. At that point, she didn't even want to be outside..

She shook her head. "That's okay... L, let's just forget about it." she mumbled.

And he felt even more terrible..

He knew he'd messed up _tremendously_.. 

And he could imagine how she was truly feeling.. With the danger he'd put her through..

"I've ruined everything.." he whispered.. "I can't say sorry enough, Connie." 

She took a breath. "I just.. want to get out of here. I want to go home."

He tried to think of a silver of something good they could do.. just one little thing that would possibly help ease the situation.. Even if it was only slightly.

"Did you.. want to order a pickup at that Thai restaurant? We could.. order the food now and stop by and get it."

"..No.. I just.. _really_ want to go home now.."

He frowned.. feeling more and more terrible as the seconds clicked by.. "..okay.." 

The two got up and Steven looked down at the sword. "I'm.. not sure what to do with that."

She sighed. "Me either.. If we take it, then someone is going to see us with it. But if we leave it here, then someone that's apart of this place or.. the person who's sword this belongs to could dust for our fingerprints." she eyed the sword. 

"Maybe.. we could try and hide it?" Steven suggested with a meek shoulder shrug. "We could hide it inside one of these trees. Or if you think someone could still find it, I could wrap the sword up in my shirt and we could hide it all the way back in the closet."

She sighed deeply. Torn.. Tired..

"I don't know.. I'm still afraid that someone could find the sword.. But I also don't think that bringing the sword is such a good idea either.. What if this thing has some kind of tracking device on it?"

"Oh.. yeah.." he honestly hadn't thought of that.. And she was right.

"Then.. we could try and hide it." he gave her a small, sad, reassuring smile. 

She thought about it.. then nodded and whispered out. "Yeah.. Hopefully that'll work out better." 

Steven picked up the sword and the two started looking around for a good place to put it. Lion was running out of a certain part of the forest, wagging his tail and huffing happily. A stick in his mouth.

Just a couple minutes later they'd found a tall tree in the deep center of the forest, just behind the cave. It had a few charred marks up and down its body and a few broken branches. 

Steven poked his arm through one of the crevices of the tree, sliding the sword in thin ways and sliding it through the thin crack. Then he pushed it up, slicing the blade inside of the bark and having it catch on the inside of the tree. He moved it slightly. It stuck. And he slowly let go of the hilt and rubbed his hand on his pants. Wiping off the dirt and pieces of bark from his fingers. "There we go."

"Okay." Connie squeezed his other hand. "Now let's get out of here." 

"Right." he turned to the canine who was sniffing around the dirt mound of the cave. He pat his leg. "Come on, Lion." 

The dog looked up and ran towards him. Panting happily.

_NOW he listens to me.._ Lion jogged over beside him and Steven picked up his leash and the three of them began to walk out of the woods.

With Connie looking back every now and again to see if anyone was coming after them.

And thankfully each time, she saw nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tooootally had to rip just a biiit of that scene from le actual show with the robot going after them and Lion ;P ;)


	122. Lion 2: The movie

They made it up to the second floor of the apartment complex in silence. And Steven dug into his pockets and took out his keys as they walked down the hall. He unlocked the door and opened it and Lion ran into the house and he let go of the leash. He let Connie walk in first and he closed the door behind them and the two took their shoes off, then their wet socks off.

Connie walked towards the dresser and started taking out her clothes. "If you have to use the bathroom, use it now." she said.

"Yeah, I'll do that now.." he walked into the bathroom. Both using it and then taking off his wet clothes and putting them in the hamper. He walked back out the bathroom with just his boxers and Connie was waiting by the wall. "It's uh.. all yours." he tried for a small smile as he pointed behind himself.

"Mm hm." she didn't smile back as she walked pass him.

  
  


While she was in the shower, Steven used that time to feed Lion and give him his medicine and clean water. Then he sat down on the carpet, leaning back on the side of the bed as he search for a few ideas on his phone. 

He _really_ wanted to do something for Connie.. 

He'd gotten her so worried that time when he went to the GemTech hospital.. and now their special day. _Her_ special day was ruined because of him..

And.. that was just more "making it up to her" piled on top of him already trying to make things up to her from his previous time of worrying her..

He just didn't want to end the day/ night of bitterly.. Especially between them.

He clicked on another site and started reading.

  
  


Once Connie was done in the shower, he'd just finished going over his little plan in his head. Hopping that it would lighten her spirits up even if only slightly.

He gave Lion a bath, then quickly hopped into the shower. Going for a more cooler shower to not agitate the burns on his skin. And he wondered if Connie had to do the same.. And then he wondered how she was doing with her injuries..

He walked out the bathroom with a new pair of boxers on and a t-shirt and he saw Connie laying on the bed. Not on her phone, not on their laptop, just.. on their bed and looking at herself in the mirror of their dresser. And he could only imagine what was all going through her head.. 

And he could see the faint shine of cream she'd put along the burns of her arms and face. 

He hesitated for a few moments before walking over to the bed. He slid over the covers and beside her. He gave her a little nudge with his shoulder with a small smile. "Hey." he whispered.

".. hey.." she didn't return the smile.

"Um.." he scratched at his earlobe. "How are you feeling?" 

"Okay.." she whispered tiredly with a shrug. Then, she sighed. Closing her eyes for a few months before opening them back up. "No. I'm not okay actually.."

"Then.. let's talk about it." he leaned into her.

She let out another breath. "Where should I begin? We invaded someone's place and got mistaken for one of the WORSE gangs ever." he felt his guts twist inside of him, but he nodded to her. "then.. that person didn't seem to care.. _too_ much for who I was.." she paused. Hurt in her eyes. "then that person let out a robot to attack us. We.. could've died."

He swallowed.. thinking over what she'd said to him. And.. slowly, he wrapped his arm around her and brought her in and she leaned her head on his shoulder as she wrapped her arm around his chest. He gave her a kiss on the forehead. "All of this is my own fault Connie.. Not including letting Lion go.. but as soon as I got him, I should've left then instead of worrying about what that place was. And it was all my fault we got locked in. I should've listened to you.. I really should've.." he could already feel the tears stinging in his eyes. "And then.. when I called that person and the stuff that they were saying about you." a tear fell down his face. "But, you shouldn't listen to them. Because, you're an amazing person, Connie. What they said.. it's just what they think. That doesn't make it true.. And it's not!" he quickly added. He wrapped his other arm around her. "Connie, you're a very special person.. And I don't want anyone telling you otherwise because of their own.. stupidity.. And then they tried to.." _kill us_ "hurt us with the robot, but, we survived it." he hugged her tightly as more tears fell from her face and he heard a sob from her. "And it's my fault you got hurt.. but Connie I'm SO happy that nothing bad happened to you! I don't know what I would've done.. knowing that I was the cause of something terrible happening to you! Connie I-." _ love you._ "I.." he swallowed. "..I'm so happy to have you in my life and.. you're so special to me. I'm.. sorry, Connie." 

She took a breath as she wiped her eye. And she put her arm back around him. "I know you are, Steven.. And.. you're special to me too.. Really special to me.. but.. even though we made it out safely -and I'm happy about that- but I keep thinking about that person. We have no idea who that person is and.. and they sounded pretty serious about what they were going to do to us. AND they know we're in Empire. Steven, this could be something very serious and we're probably in the middle of something now. I mean.. this whole thing just feels like a nightmare."

And he knew how that felt. 

His life feeling like one huge nightmare where he hoped he would just wake up from. 

For the first couple of weeks he'd felt like that and he was now slowly being accustomed to being a Crystal Gem.

And here she was just getting a small taste of what it felt like.. Almost being killed and having someone after you.

It was like looking at him in the past.

Except this was Connie he was talking about. _His_ precious Connie..

AND another huge difference was that this person knew their faces.. 

So of course she would feel like this.. 

Of course she would be so upset and paranoid..

"Yeah, I understand." he whispered. "But I don't want to see you worrying about this too much. I mean." he tried to correct his self. "of course you can't just sweep this under the rug but.. I also don't want to see you this distressed and worried. I don't want you to have to think that your life is in danger.. It's not Connie." _if anything it would be me.. _ "I don't think you have anything to worry about.. It's probably just some person trying to play a prank on us.." he hoped so.. but something told him that it wasn't. And he had a feeling that she wasn't too convinced either. It was way too left field and highly unlikely..

"Maybe.." she lifted her head up. "But.." she sighed. "I'm sorry, Steven. I just.. still can't stop thinking about today."

He looked at her. Shocked. _"You_ have nothing to say sorry about. It was all me!" he took a breath. "Everything's always me.. and my fault.." 

"Come on, don't say that." she said gently. "That's not true.. So don't go down that road." 

They sat there in their hug in silence.. until Connie looked at the burn marks on his arms. "Do your arms still hurt?" 

"Hm?" he looked down at the red blisters and the red scrapes across his arms. "Oh, only a little.. But what about your burns?"

She slid her arms away from him and she got up from his arms. "They're fine." she picked up the bottle of Tamil cream from off the table. "Hold you arms out." 

"But.. it's only a little bit in there." 

"Hold out your arms, Steven. We have to put something on your burns."

"But I could just put some Neosporin on it or some burn cream."

"I know. That's what I used on _my_ skin. But this is better and you know that." she squirted some on her hand.

"Connie.." he stopped her hand gently. "Why do you do this?" ... and why could he feel his self tearing up again..

She looked to be taken aback at first, then she looked.. a bit embarrassed at the question. "I mean.. because I-" she cut herself off, her face a mixture of emotion as she fought through her thoughts. "I just want to see you get better." her voice sounded a bit on the defensive side. "Why can't I just want that? To see you get better?" 

"I'm.. sorry." he said sheepishly as he looked up at her. "I didn't mean to get you all upset." a beat later. "again." then he said softly. "I just think you deserve the cream. Why can't you have something good for _yourself? _You need it more for _your_ skin."

"Steven.."

"Please, Connie?" he blinked the tears back. The guilt still eating at him. "You keep the rest for yourself."

She gave him a leveled stare, before sighing. "Okay.. but let me at least put this little bit on your skin." she held her hand up with the dalloo of the cream.

"Okay." and he held his arm up. 

Connie carefully and strategically managed to spread the small spot of cream she had on her hand and put it on both arms and on his face. "Did you put a new bandage on?" she asked looking at the bandage under his eye.

"Yeah. Earlier after I got out the shower. Same thing for my ace bandage." he lifted up his arm.

"Okay. Did you put anything on it? And how's your wrist doing?" 

"I put some Neosporin on it.. And it doesn't hurt as much anymore." 

"We should keep your wrist bandaged up for another two or so weeks, just in case. And I'm going to put the rest of the cream over the cut." 

"Okay." 

And she peeled back the bandage slightly and sucked in some air as she saw the deep gash. "What did that robber cut you with.. a sword?!" his stomach twisted at the _correct_ accusation. Though, it hadn't been from the robber..

She started massaging the cream delicately over the cut. 

"No." he answered her. "It was a dagger." 

"Then it must've been some dagger.." she covered the cut back up and smoothed the tape across it. Then she leaned over, kissing the bandage gently. "There." 

"Thanks Connie." he smiled. Sadly. 

Guilty.

She deserved so much more..

He got up and gave her a hug. Without saying anything and she returned the hug back. 

The two stood there in silence.. And Steven kept thinking about how he still wanted to make things up to her.

And he _had_ found something on his phone that he could do. And he still wanted to follow through with his plan.

He leaned up and she looked at him. 

He leaned over, giving her a kiss on the lips. "Also, I want to show you something." he said vaguely.

She raised an eyebrow at him and with the uneasiness in her expression he quickly said. "It's a good thing, don't worry." and he quickly cringed at himself saying the word 'Don't worry' since according to her.. apparently he says that a lot to her..

".. Ookay?" 

"Just sit down and relax." he smiled and gave her another kiss.

He went over to the closet door and opened it. She heard him rummaging in there for a couple of minutes before taking out something. He had his back facing towards her and his arms was covering whatever he took from the closet. "No peeking." he crouched down, then turned around and set it down on the floor by the bed. 

Lion came over and started sniffing the new object on the floor. He bit it. 

"Hey, hey. Noooo." Steven warned him. "Don't do that." he picked up one of his chew toys and waved it around. _"This_ is your toy." Lion wagged his tail and let out a single bark. Steven threw it by the door and Lion ran after it. 

Then he went over to the edge of the dresser and started slowly pushing it across the carpet. Being mindful and careful off his lungs.

"Okay. Now I _definitely_ have no clue what you're doing." said Connie.

"You'll see." he grunted. He took a few more breaths and pushed the heavy dresser slightly over more.

"Did you.. need any help?" 

"No! No!" he panted. "I said for you to relax remember? I'll do all of the work."

"Ooookayyy." she sat back down on the bed.

He pushed the dresser just bit more and stopped. And he walked back to the foot of the bed, ignoring the sharp pains he was now feeling in his chest. And he resisted the urge to scratch at one of the stitches and he crouched down, picking up the object. He moved Lion's little bed and placed it in the middle.

"Steven.. is that that old projector that we used like.. a couple times?" 

"Yup." he nodded with a smile. "But with this new app I downloaded while you were taking your shower, it converts the media into HD. So it's not going to have that old school faded look, even though it's an old projector." he unwrapped the wires around it and plugged it up. Then he turned to her. "I told you we were going to have a good day, Connie." he got up from the floor. "Or.. at least try. I don't want this day to be a total bust." he gave her an apologetic smile. 

He saw her force out a small smile, no doubt still thinking about the events from earlier.. "Yeah.. we could still always try." she whispered.

"That's the spirit, Connie!" he cheered to brighten up the mood.

It took him five minutes to set everything up. Hooking the projector up to the phone and going to the app and setting everything up in the app, then plugging up a small speaker to the phone. He placed the speaker in the middle of the bed. Then he went to their Hooloo account and clicked on a random movie to see if everything had been set up properly. It was and the movie started playing on the wall. 

"Great! It works!" he stopped the movie and got up and went to the kitchen. He took out three popcorn bags and put two of them in the microwave. Then he went to the same cabinet and took out the half big bag of family sized tortilla chips. He unraveled the bag and tasted one. 

Good. Still fresh. 

The popcorn bags started to pop in the microwave while he took out two huge round bowls out of another cabinet. He poured the rest of the tortilla chips in one bowl and snuck another chip in his mouth before throwing the bag away. He opened the fridge and took out a bag of shredded cheese. He poured it along the tortilla chips and put the cheese back in the fridge. 

Then he waited until the bags of popcorn were ready.

He opened the microwave door and took the pipping hot bags out and placed the bowl of tortilla chips and the other bag of popcorn in. He pressed the button on the microwave and the contents started to whirl behind the screen. 

"I'll use this time to wash my hands." he heard Connie say behind him. "I still have that cream on my hands." 

"Okay." he smiled. He turned back around and opened the microwave back up. He took the bowl of tortilla chips out and closed the door back. He pressed the button to continue cooking the popcorn. 

He looked at the cheesy goodness on the tortilla chips. They may not be nachos. But hey, you have to work with what you had and this was close enough. And they didn't look half bad.

Connie was coming out the bathroom and he picked up the bowl. "Nachos à la carte, ma chérie." he said in a French accent. 

Connie gave him an incredibly cute smile as she snorted. "Nachos aren't French, Steven." 

"I know." he shrugged. "But I wanted the snack to sound extra fancy." a beat later. "and loving." he smiled as he handed her the bowl. "And the popcorn is almost ready." 

"Great. I can't wait." she kept the smile as she made her way back over to the bed. Lion was following her, sniffing the air. "Noo, you can't have any." 

Steven chuckled at that as he popped open the door of the microwave. He heard some crunching behind him. "Hey." he turned around. "You didn't wait for me." he mocked whined.

"Sooo? I heard you sneak a couple chips too." 

"That's different." he opened one of the popcorn bags and steam filled the air in front of him. "That was a taste test Connie." 

_"One_ was a taste test. The other was a snack." 

"_You're_ a snack.." he mumbled with a sly smile. 

"Huh? What did you say?" 

"Ooooh, nothing." he poured the pre-buttered popcorn in the bowl. 

Connie narrowed her eyes at him, playfully. ".._suure _ you didn't." 

He poured the other two bags in the bowl and went to the fridge. He took out two water bottles and walked to the bed. Lion right on his heels as he sniffed the air. "Hey, Lion-whoaa!" the dog jumped on him and he stumbled, almost dropping the bowl. "Hey, no jumping, Lion. That's bad. Bad boy." he handed Connie the other bowl and set the water bottles on the bed. "How's the cheese du le nachos du le Steven à la carte?"

She snorted with an eye roll. "Really? All of that?" 

He nodded, grinning away. "It's fancy." 

"It's okayyy." she lied. The smile giving it away.

He chuckled. "Okay, don't tell me the truth." he slid off of the bed and went to the small couch in the corner. He took the two thick cushions off and moved the small pillows over and placed the thick cushions in front of the headboard. "Now we can sit farther back and lay back on here." 

Connie scooted her butt back and leaned back. "Mm, maybe out it at an angle." she moved the bottom of the first cushion slightly forward then leaned back. "Much better." 

Steven moved his own cushion at an angle and slid off the bed again. He closed the blinds on the window and walked over towards the kitchen. He slid the light switch down, dimming the lights of the studio apartment. (One good feature of the apartment with those fancy slider dimming lights.)

He started walking back to the bed. Looking at his beautiful Connie in the dim glow of the screen on the wall. "There. Now, we have our own little movie theatre. And everything is snugged and dimly lit and cozy. And BEST of all, it's only us two." he slid into bed, going straight for her temple and placing a small peck on it. "Just for you." he smiled. 

She seemed to had calm down a bit while he was setting up and he was happy that he was able to brighten her mood up with their DIY movie theater. 

She gave him a genuine smile. "I really appreciate this, Steven." 

"And I really appreciate _you_" he leaned in, giving her a kiss on the lips. Tasting the salt from the tortilla chips. He leaned back, licking his lips with a giddy chuckle. "Salty."

She looked away with a smile. "Whatever.." ah yes, her go to word when she was embarrassed or flustered oor, couldn't think of a comeback. 

He gave her a kiss on the side of her face and threw his arm around her shoulder. He found his phone under the covers and went to the movie selection on their Hooloo page. 

They heard a whine coming from the side of the bed and they turned their heads to see Lion looking up at them over the edge of the bed. 

Steven turned to her. "Looks like Lion wants to join in." he.. somewhat indirectly asked her.. without actually asking her, but putting that statement out there. 

Connie thought about it. Then gave him a casual shrug with a smile. "Sure. He can join." 

"Yay! Come on boy." he leaned over and pat the bed. 

Lion jumped up and laid by their feet. Ignoring his bed and eyeing their delicious snacks. His tail sliding side to side across the sheets. 

Steven grabbed a handful of popcorn. "Heheheh. I think he wants some." he plucked a few kernals towards him and Lion went for them. 

"Steven, I don't think popcorn is good for dogs." she warned him gently. 

"Mmmm, I only gave him a few Connie. That shouldn't be too bad." 

She looked at him. 

"Oookay, oookay." he said casually as he held his hands up. "You're right." 

Lion looked at the two. Waiting for some more. 

"See? And now you started something aaalready." 

"Whoops.. heheh. I'll just give him his own treats then." he slid back off the bed and walked into the kitchen. He took out a few treats and placed them at the foot of the bed in his little bed. Lion went for them.

And Steven was just about to slid back in bed when Connie stopped him. "Not going to wash your hands after touching the dog food?" 

"Oh, uh, yeah." he went to wash his hands, then came back, sliding into bed for the umpteenth time. 

He snuck in a few kisses and leaned back, putting his arm back around her shoulders. He picked up his phone again and went to their movie selection and scrolled down to a movie they'd already seen before. And one of Connie's favorites. The English translation of the movie was called 'Lion 2: The movie'.

It was a movie in Tamil (with English subtitles for Steven) and it was a nice little animated film from the nineties. The movie was a popular franchise in India and the sequel they were about to watch was about a magical twelve year old boy with a magical Lion and his non magical father. The three of them, along with his three magical aunts set off on a quest to find a magical queen in the mystical lands of Avram Led. 

He chose that movie, not only because it was her favorite, but because they'd also watched the movie being played in one of the small theaters on their eighth date (fifth _movie_ date). And though he found the movie pretty good and wholesome, he mainly liked the movie more, _simply_ because at the end of their date, that was when she let him kiss her for the first time. Being _her_ first kiss ever.

He had the movie cued up on his phone. He looked at her. "Comfy?" 

She was already crunching on their popcorn. "Very." she smiled. And this time, she didn't seem as on edge as before. A bit of edge was still there, BUT it definitely wasn't as much as earlier and that made him happy. And he could only hope that watching this movie, along with other movies and talking to her would shake more of the edge off of her.

He gave her a long kiss on her forehead. "Okay, let's start the movie." he pressed the play button on his phone and set it down as the projector played the movie on the wall. 

He dug into the popcorn and ate some. Movie logos from well-known Indian campanies started to play on the wall. The name of the companies in Tamil and their names being translated below the screen in English. 

Then, the movie started to play. The scene opening up to a Gulab jamun desert shop. The screen shaking dramatically as the young boy cried out "இல்லை!!! Illaaaaaaaaii (NOOOOOOO!!") 

The scene cut to the inside of the shop. A chubby brown skin boy with jet black hair was looking at an empty container where they usually held his favorite sweets. இது நடக்காது! இது ஒரு கனவாக இருக்க வேண்டும்! Sral! Sral. Itu naṭakkātu! Itu oru kaṉavāka irukka vēṇṭum! Sral!! Sral!! (This can't be happening! This has to be a dream! Sral! Sral!)" he gabbed hold of the slim Baker boy's waist. " கனவு காண்கிறேன் என்று சொல்லுங்கள்! Nāṉ kaṉavu kāṇkiṟēṉ eṉṟu colluṅkaḷ!(Please tell me I'm dreaming!)" he looked up at him, teary eyed.

Steven leaned over, making a snide comment. "What a baby." he grabbed a handful of popcorn. "Crying over some sweets."

Connie smiled. "Well that _is_ his favorite sweets, Steven." she grabbed her water bottle. "And you know you would act the same way if they discontinued Cookie Cats."

He mocked a gasp. "Like they would ever do such a thing."

She shrugged. "You never know."

He pouted. "Then you and I would have to find out the ingredients and start making some at home." he threw the popcorn in his mouth. 

  
  


The two fed each other the last bits of tortilla chips and the last few kernels of popcorn and ended up finishing the movie. Then they went for a second one. Connie's second favorite movie. This one American-made (which meant he didn't have to solely rely on subtitles!).

They laid back this time as they watched the second one. The two getting more and more comfortable _and more tired_ and barely making it to the end with one or the other nodding off for a few seconds towards the end.

Then they talked for a bit. Steven being Steven and sneaking a few kisses on her lips and on her neck. 

And then they went for a third movie. 

And only ten minutes in and the two had fallen asleep in each other's arms. 

Lion already having fallen asleep just an hour prior in his own little bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah yes. The ace bandage is still there folks (from the time he punched the wall at the jewelry store when he was having his breakdown with Garnet) in chapter 53: Bottling up.. current percentage 100.2% warning. Overload  

> 
> Also, Sral is just Lars backwards xD
> 
> Aaaaand yeah, stay tuned for the Beach Party chapters! :D
> 
> Then we have.. the Rose's room chapters ;)


	123. பின்விளைவுக்காக காத்திருக்கிறது (Piṉviḷaivukkāka kāttirukkiṟatu)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***Woohoo! I finally thought of a title!! xP ***  
I just hope that the few people who are reading this hasn't glossed over this fic thinking that it's something else. Especially since I rewrote the summary as well xP
> 
> Aaaanywho, sorry I took so long to post. But I hope y'all like these because BRUH I could nooot think of what to put for this episode. Like, when I said my brain was just blank. It was just, like. _done._ Seriously, I had barely an idea or two.(Which is why it took so long for me to post these chapters). This is THE first episode I had a writer's block on. So yeah, I just put any darn thing in here. I fgured I just come up with aaaanythang and just post this rather than keeping this fic at a standstill for weeks, because I _do_ want to finally get this fic officially rolling xP  
So yeah, I hope y'all enjoy this slop even a tad bit. Eeeeeeeven just a sentence or two xD
> 
> **BUT** on the bright side, I already have ideas for the next episode Rose's Room ;) as well as some ideas for the one after that, Coach Steven.
> 
> And on an even BRIGHTER side, I've OFFICIALLY typed out my plot points and ideas for The message (which is when canon Lapis (or my OC version of Lapis) warns Steven about the Homeworld Gems coming to Empire City), Political Power, The Return AND Jailbreak AAAAND Full Disclosure!!! So I. Am. STOKED. Like SERIOUSLY =D
> 
> Aaaanywho, we got a ways for those episodes, but I'm just so giddy already x3

Steven woke up to Connie massaging his head gently, softly playing with the curls of his hair. His girlfriend close to his face with her eyes closed. 

She would do that from time to time.. But usually when she's worried..

Or more specifically when she's worried about _him._

He let out a soft breath. "Good morning." he smiled as he whispered. Not trying to startled her.

She opened her eyes, still massaging the side of his head. Her hand grazing across the top of his ear. "Good morning." she didn't return the smile. A plain expression on her face as she looked into his eyes.

He didn't want to ask.. but with what had happened yesterday with them.. And how she was playing with his hair and massaging his scalp out of nervous habit.. he had to ask..

"How are you feeling?"

She shrugged under the covers. Not saying anything.

".. How.. did you sleep?" 

Another shrug as she trailed her hand down towards the front of his face. She brushed his hair back and started playing with a loose curl by the edge of his hair. "I slept okay.." 

Another bad sign..

Just "okay"..

And.. he just _didn't_ like seeing her like this.. And he wanted to think of something funny to brighten the mood. "You trying to say I need a haircut?" he joked with a smile.

She shook her head. Still playing with the curl. "No.. I like your hair just the way it is." she whispered.

Okay.. that didn't work. "I was.. only joking.. Heh."

"Yeah.. I know.." she kept the plain expression as she looked from the curl she was playing with and down to his facial features. His thick eyebrows.. his dark brown eyes.. Then down to his nose and to a few dark spots on his left cheek from the sun. Then down to his lips and to his chin and jawline.. 

She loved him so much.. 

What would she do if something happened to him?

Her eyes trailed back up to his lips subconsciously as her mind raced with those horrible thoughts.

And Steven caught her eyes and went for another joke. "Connie, if you just want a kiss you can just go for it. You don't even need to ask." he started puckering his lips. "Mmmmm" he hummed.

He looked at her. Her eyes refocusing as if she'd just been snapped out of her trance. She looked up at him. "Huh? Oh, no. I was just.. thinking." 

"Ouch.. so you didn't want to kiss me?" he mocked pouted. 

"I mean.. I was just saying that that wasn't the reason why I was staring.." she trailed off. 

He resisted a sigh. 

Okay, he definitely had to get to the bottom to this.. Especially since he knew what it was about. 

He wrapped his arm around her and scooted his self closer to her. "Still.. thinking about yesterday?" he asked. 

She nodded silently, now pinching the curl between her thumb and forefinger. 

She loved how soft his hair was on her skin..

"Did you.. want to talk about it some more?"

She shook her head again. "No." she stopped pinching his curls and placed her whole hand on his head as she raked her fingers through his hair. "What's done is done.."

His expression dropped.. even more worried for her. He leaned up on his arm. "Connie. Please don't think that.. I don't want you to start thinking like this."

Her hand stopped at the front of his hair as she gave him a leveled stare. Then she dropped her hand and leaned up. "Steven. I _can't_ stop thinking about this. We had someone threaten us yesterday. We can't just.. BRUSH that off and go on our daily lives just thinking that it's nothing." 

"But." he tried to think of something. But she _was_ right. He was acting so casual and nonchalant about it all.. As if nobody_ hadn't_ threatened them from in undisclosed spot.. and then talking about taking down the Crystal Gems..

.. which, he _still_ was unsure on whether or not telling them about what had happened...

..and then they said they were avenging Rose Quartz..

..and that they were coming out of hiding and mourning..

His stomach was beginning to tighten.. as he finally thought through what the person had said.. and how that directly effects him as a Crystal Gem, along with the other Gems.

And.. how that person had Connie on their list too..

_His_ precious Connie..

And.. he _couldn't_ let anything happen to her.

He _wouldn't._

He looked up at her. All of the joking aside as he felt himself grow more cautious.. and serious. "What do you think we should do?"

She sighed. "I don't know." she growled out. "That's what I've been trying to figure out all night." she narrowed her eyes at her own incompetence. "But I couldn't figure out ANYTHING."

"But, what about calling the cops and having them investigate the area? Or.. have someone try to hack into the system? Maybe try and.. find out the person's location?" and he couldn't help but think about Peridot as he said that. Surely she could eaasily do that.

But.. he had second thoughts on even telling her as well..

"Of course I thought about that!" she said in a hushed tone. "That was the FIRST thing I thought about. But then I was worried that, if we called the cops that, not only would they question us on how we were actually able to find the place AND find the EXACT numbers to the system.. but if they try to investigate, then perhaps that person will somehow know that and they will start with that plan they were talking about and come and get us first before the cops even get their first lead!" she had her hand entangled in her hand. As panic and fear crept in. "And then our fingerprints are on that sword TOO if they find it! Which they most likely will, with those police dogs!" 

He hadn't thought about that.. 

About _any_ of that. 

Actually.. he wasn't one to really think a lot of things through and just go with the moment and follow his heart or his gut.. And sometimes his heart and his gut both, resulting in two different plans mashed together.. 

But Connie was different.. She saw things in a much broader picture.. And she opened up his eyes to these different scenarios.

Also.. she was right about the cops most likely questioning them on how they got into the system.

What if he didn't tell them that it was his birth date? And then they had one of the hackers to somehow find the code? And then they put him in their system and find out that his birth date matches with the password? And then they ask him why they didn't tell him and he becomes a suspect?! 

And if he tells them up front that it was his birth date, then that would only raise more questions!

But.. back to the first scenario.. what if the hackers found a different password because the masked person changed the password? 

_If_ the person changed the password..

Hmm..

Did they?-

"And I've been racking my brain nearly ALL night trying to think of something safe and logical to do!" she shook her head. Defeated. "But.. I just _can't_.. and." she looked up at him. ".. I'm scared, Steven."

.. you did this.. 

You know that right?

Ruining a special day because of your curiosity..

Stupid.

He leaned into her, sliding his other arm underneath of her and giving her a hug and she retuned it as she laid her head on his shoulder.

"You don't have to be scared, Connie. Nothing's going to happen." _Maybe to me.. but not to you.._

It was Connie.

He couldn't imagine anything happening to her.

Only to him.

And he would try his hardest to not let ANYTHING happen to her.

He would protect her.

For as long as he lived, he would.

"Don't worry about any of this." he hugged her tighter. "That person is no one to be feared." ..he hoped.. "And you and I will be safe. Somebody will find that person and they'll never find us and we won't ever have to live worrying about them." again.. he _hoped.._

"But.. right now, we _have_ to be on a look out for anything suspicious." he felt one of her hands leave his back and slid towards his hair again and she moved his head gently towards her. "That person is out there.. somewhere, Steven."

"Then we'll do that. We'll keep an eye out for each other. And we'll be safe." then he whispered. "We'll always be safe." -he truly wanted that- "And before we know it, somebody will find them and.. and we won't have to worry about them anymore."

"Steven, we _want_ that to happen.. But I don't think it'll be that easy.."

"No." he shook his head. His curls rubbing against her head. "It'll be easy. And we won't have to worry about anything. Even now. Because.. nothing will happen to us." and he kept telling himself that.. He'd been telling himself that ever since he became a Crystal Gem..

He'd been telling himself that when they started _going_ together.

"Nothing will happen to us." he said again. Nothing will happen to _her_.

"Steven-"

"Nothing." he cut her off. He took a breath to calm himself.. But the emotion was still there at the fore. _"Nothing_ bad. will happen." because it was her.. and he wanted nothing bad to happen to her.. 

She opened her mouth to object, but decided otherwise and took a defeated breath. ".. okay.." she laid her head back down on his shoulder and the two laid there, hugging under the covers. Connie playing with the small tuffs of curls at the back of his neck.

And they continued to lay there.. until Steven spoke back up. He leaned up to look at her. "Everything will be okay. Nothing will happen to you." 

"To _you_" she countered.

"To _us."_ he corrected. Then he went for a smile. "We're jam buds, remember?" 

Connie gave him a sad look, before sighing. Though a very small smile came to her face. ".. right.."

And there was that smile he was trying to get earlier.

He wanted to keep that smile going and he leaned in, rubbing his nose on hers in Eskimo kisses. "My jammie buddie~." he cooed.

And he heard a snort. "Okay.. that nickname is still pretty funny to me."

"Yeah." he stopped his Eskimo kisses to nuzzle her face. "It's a cute little nickname for _my_ little cutie." he murmured.

A few light chuckles from the girl. "Stooop."

"Stop what? Saying the truth." he nuzzled her cheek with his nose once more and lowered his face down slightly, giving her a kiss. 

She leaned away. "Steven. I didn't even brush my teeth."

He gave her a sly look. "You know after all of these years, I still don't care." he leaned back in, giving her a few more kisses. Then moving up and giving her a kiss on her forehead. "So, my queen." there was a small, light chuckle from her and he continued. "since we have the whole day to ourselves again, maybe we could just. stay in bed." he suggested with a smile. 

She raised an eyebrow at him. The smile still there. "Stay in bed?"

"Yeah." he shrugged. "Why not? We can just stay in bed all day! We can watch some movies, some t.v shows, cuddle. OH!!" he had another thought. "and I can give you another foot massage AND we can start all of that off with me cooking breakfast today! And _you_." he booped her nose with his(and he got a genuine smile from her.) "can keep relaxing in bed."

"Hm. That sounds really nice." 

"Yeah." he agreed. "I can make something for us and we can eat in bed." he couldn't resist as she stared at him and he gave her another kiss. "and we can watch a movie while eating breakfast. Then we can start watching a few shooows or you can get your massaaage." he wiggled his eyebrows.

She still had that beautiful smile on her face. "Yeah. I would like that."

"Great! Then I'll start fixing breakfast now." he leaned in, giving her a few more kisses and slid his arms off of her. Then he sat up and scooted his self to the edge of the bed. 

There was a whimsical chime underneath of the pillow behind him. He turned around and saw Connie's downtrodden expression. "...ooor not.." she whispered sadly. 

_..Not the Gems again.._

He leaned over and slid his hand underneath of the pillows, eventually hitting his phone. He pulled the device from under the pillow and looked at the screen.

Amethyst.

He resisted a sigh as he swiped across the screen.

"Yes.." he half acknowledged plainly. (Mainly due to him not being able to say her name with Connie being right behind him).

"Pfft, wow. _Some_one's happy to get my call."

"Yeah." he scratched at his head. Already feeling a bit irritated with her cutting into him and Connie's time.. He knew all too well what she called him for. "I just.. woke up." he made an excuse.

"Yeah, well. Wake yourself up. We got a call from Peridot. I'll explain everything in the car. Just hurry up and get ready. We'll be there in a half an hour. We're already on our way." she went straight to the points.

"Okay, A-" he almost said her name. "I'll be there." and he just knew he sounded.. sad. And definitely too sad for her liking.

Though she didn't seem to either notice or care. "Good." then she hung up.

Despite the quick hang up, she didn't seem like she was in a bad mood. Which was good, because with how a bit down he was feeling, he just didn't want to deal with that today.

"Aand, when is he coming to pick you up?" he heard an even sadder voice ask behind him.

He turned back around. Looking at Connie's sad expression. "In a half an hour." 

"Guess you better get ready then.." she threw the covers off of her and slid off the bed. "I can make you something to eat while you do that.."

He was going to tell her that she didn't have to. He was already still feeling bad and guilty about what he had put her through, but he knew she would just ignore him and still cook something for him anyway.

"Okay." and he got up and started walking towards the kitchen. He opened Lion's cabinet and took out the dog fod bag and Lion hopped down from the bed. His tail wagging in anticipation for his food. 

He poured the food in his bowl as Connie walked pass him. She opened the fridge door.

He rolled the bag up and put it back in the cabinet and took his medicine out. He put the two pills in the food and put the medicine back in the cabinet and closed the door. Then he gave him some clean water.

  
  


Twenty minutes later and Connie was done making his food and she put a paper towel over it to cover it up. Steven was cuffing his pants up, Steven style. (And in extension, _Crystal Gem_ Steven style since Amethyst preferred that to be apart of his Crystal Gem attire.)

She waited for him while he finished with his other pant leg. Then he got up.

"Here you go." she handed the paper plate of delicious food to him.

"Thanks."

"It's no problem." she looked at him. Sad.

Then he began to wonder.. "What's.. wrong?" 

She kept her stare on him. Her expression torn and _looking_ as if she wanted to say something.

But, she shook her head. "It's nothing. Nothing's wrong."

_"Connie."_

"Nothing's wrong, Steven." she sounded tired.

_..Maybe she'll tell me later.. _

"Okay." he didn't want to pry into it and let her have her space. 

He wrapped his other arm around her and leaned in, giving her a kiss-

-that she returned back instantly as she raised her hand to his cheek. Kissing him hard.

Though it wasn't one of those.. _hungry_, lustful kisses.. but it was just.. a more firm, serious.. perturbed kiss? 

He leaned up from the heavy embrace. A bit stunned at the kiss. 

She looked away, _not blushing_. "Be safe." she said. ".. _please_.." 

"O, of course." he held her close as he hugged her and slowly he slipped his arm away from her back. "See you later, Connie." he smiled. And he made his way to the door.

She waved. Her expression still.. torn.

Again.. he _really_ wanted to know what was going on with her.. But she still seemed a bit reluctant..

He called out to their dog instead. "Come on, Lion."

Lion jogged ahead. Tongue out of his mouth as he wagged his tail happily at him. He opened the door. "See you, Connie." 

"See you later, Steven." she whispered meekly as she scratched the back of her neck.

He frowned. Okay, _this_ time, he had to say something.. "Connie?"

"I'm fine, Steven." a small, sad smile came to her face. "I'll.. see you when I get back." she hoped..

"..Okay.." the frown still on his face. He stepped out and Lion jogged out behind him. He closed and locked the door and stood beside it for a few moments. Debating if he should go back and try to talk it out of her for not.

But.. he decided not to..

He'd asked her more than once and she didn't seem to want to tell him what was on her mind.. That and he needed to head down to meet up with the Gems. (Though if he was being honest.. with how he was feeling, he could care less if the Gems had to wait. Even if it meant suffering the consequences.) If Connie needed him, then he would be there. _She_ was more important than _any_ of them.

He turned around.. worried that something was eating at Connie and upset that he wasn't able to talk to her about it..

He looked at his canine friend by his side. He sighed. "Come on, Lion." the two took only a few steps down the hall before Steven heard the door open back up. 

It was Connie. With a jacket over her night clothes and a pair of vans. "Connie?"

She looked at him. "I'm.. coming with you." then she quickly clarified. "I want to walk with you and wait until they come. Well. _if_ they're not there already." 

So, that must've been it the whole time. Perhaps that's what she was debating about? To accompany him and to look out for him?

But, if anything _she_ should be staying home where it was safe. She should jeopardize her life for him.

"You don't have to go, Connie." he gave her an apologetic smile. "Lion is here with me." he pat the dog on the head. 

She didn't look so sure. She shook her head and locked the door. "Just in case Steven." she went up to him. "I just want to make sure.." she trailed off. "I, just want to see you off." she said instead.

"But, then you'll be alone once I get in the truck." 

She grabbed his hand, lacing their fingers together. "I'll be fine."

It didn't make sense to him. And knowing Connie, a smart cookie she was, he knew that even _she_ knew that her staying back at the apartment while Lion accompanied him was much smarter and safer than her walking with him, then walking back alone.

He squeezed her hand lightly. "Then _you'll_ be walking by yourself." 

She shrugged. "I have mace in my pocket." she countered.

The two started walking down the second flight of steps to the first floor. 

"And, I have Lion." he somewhat indirectly _countered_ countered.

"But you can't really rely on him. He wouldn't know who to attack. It's not like he was trained for it. If someone is coming after you, he wouldn't necessarily know if it's a friend or an enemy."

Well that could hold true, since there had been times when Lion wouldn't go after majority of the bad guys during their missions, but he _did_ help him out with that robber a couple days ago (-most likely due to territorial reasons-)Though he didn't bring that bad memory up to her..

And there were times when Lion would take a defensive stance and growl at people when he sensed Steven being in distress. Still..

.. he was still not _100%_ reliable just yet, when it came to defending Steven.

They made it down the last flight to the ground floor. "M, maybe.." he mumbled.

Then, as if a sudden bulb lit up in his head, he realized that.. if Connie were to walk with him.. that Amethyst would finally know how she looked. Making Connie an easier target out in the streets if Amethyst were to ever threaten her again.

He stopped by the main door as Connie opened it. She raised an eyebrow at him. "What's wrong?"

"Uh, I, uh.. really Connie. I have Lion. It's not fair for you to walk with me and for you to walk back. Mace or not. That's just not fair to you. And besides, Connie. I'm a young man." he pointed to his self and she resisted a scoff. "I think I can handle myself."

She gave him a leveled stare before opening the door up more. "For the last time, Steven. I'm fine. Lion isn't a reliable guard dog and you being a "young man" should not be a reason. You need someone to look out for you regardless of that. Now come on."

Reluctant.. though he let her drag him out the complex and out the door. "But the same applies to you Connie. You need someone to look out for you too." 

She took a breath, biting her lip. Hesitating on saying something. Then she sighed. "I'll be fine." despite of her being scared out of her mind.. both for her AND his life. But she was more afraid for _his_ life. 

Steven was about to object when she cut him off. "So, we'll just wait here for him."

"Uh.." he said slowly.. already fearing for Connie's life once Amethyst sees her. "We.. usually meet on the side of the.. Apartment." he swallowed.

Still holding his hand, she pulled him along. "Okay." 

His heart was racing.. not wanting Amethyst to see her.. he couldn't out Connie's life in any more danger-

They turned the corner.

The car was slowly coming up the alley. 

And his stomach dropped.

"Is that him?" Connie asked.

"Y, yeah."

"Okay." she turned to him. And her eyes.. how she was looking so worried.. and lovingly towards him. "Be careful at work." she leaned in, giving him a hug. And he leaned in, being careful of the food in his hand. "I will." he heard the car pull up. 

Not behind them.

But. _right_ beside them.

The car's passenger window just a few feet from beside them. 

No doubt Amethyst telling Garnet to stop there so she could get a good view of what was going on.. And getting a good view of Connie as she leaned up from the hug. Her arms still around him and holding him close.

"See you later, Connie." he managed a smile and she leaned in, giving him a deep kiss. And she gave him another one before leaning back up. "See you, Steven." she brushed his hair back. And _still_ not letting go of him.

He felt a bit _Amethyst_-conscious.. Wondering what his boss could be thinking about the trivial interaction and her most likely getting more impatient as she waited for him. 

"Uh.. yeah. And uh, I'll be sure to be careful at work." he replied again to what she'd said before and tried leaning his arms away, but she was still holding on to him. 

"Yes." she agreed. She leaned down, kissing his cheek, then down to his lips. And he opened his eyes a crack as she kissed him, looking to his side at the car and of course _not_ being able to see the Gems through the tinted windows.

He looked back. Looking at Connie's closed eyes as she continued to kiss him.

"Uh,.. Connie?" he mumbled through her soft lips. "I.." she leaned up just slightly. "I.. kinda have to go.." she could feel his warm breath on her lips. He was still there. And still alive. And she loved it. She loved_ him._ "Right..okay." she kissed him again as she trailed her arms up to his shoulders, pulling him close. Then she pulled away and leaned her head on his chest. She laid there, hearing his heartbeat. She sighed. "Have a great day at work."

"Yeah, uh." he looked back at the car before looking back at her. "Will do."

She leaned up. "Sure you'll be careful today? With work and.. everything else?" she started looking tense.

"Of course. You have nothing to worry about." he smiled. 

_That_ seemed to tense her up even more. And she squeezed him tighter. "Just.. be even _more _ careful." 

"Yeeees Connie. I will." she looked at him. "And I'll text you once we get to the produce building. Okay?" he leaned in, giving her a kiss on the cheek, though with the slight pucker of her lips, she must've assumed he was going for her lips. 

He leaned back. "And I'll text you throughout the day." He tried reassuring her. 

This eased her, if only _slightly._

It was different when she was worrying about him when they were together and at home.. but _now_ he would be outside.. _and_ without her.. Making her even _more_ worried. She sighed as she finally leaned away from the hug and instead, running her hands to both his arms. She squeezed them. "Okay." she whispered as she looked at him. 

"Ooookay." he said slowly and he took a step back and she hesitated, squeezing his arms again before slowly letting them go. Only to grab his other arm and stopping him and he looked at the car, giving what he hopes was a very apologetic expression before turning back to Connie. "And, it _is_ a group of you all, right? So..you won't be alone." 

"Yes, Connie. I, won't be alone." 

"Okay." she was still not letting go of his arm. 

"..Connie?"

"Give me another hug." she pulled on his arm and he went back to her, giving her another hug and she slid her hands up to his face, placing her hand on each side as she pulled him in, kissing him deeply. Remembering how soft his face was under her fingerstips and remembering how incredibly soft and moist his lips was. 

And, she couldn't get enough of it. Couldn't get enough of him. And she couldn't imagine being without him. She just. wanted him. to be. safe.

Steven opened his eyes again in the mix of their kisses and he saw the vehicle move up slightly. "Connie." he mumbled. His breath sliding into her mouth. "I.. _really_ have to go." he leaned up from the kisses. "Really, Connie. I'll be fine." he looked at her worried expression and he placed a gentle hand on her cheek. "I'll see you when I get home." he kissed her. Then leaned in, giving her Eskimo kisses as he rubbed his nose on hers. "See you, Connie~" he cooed. And he leaned up, placing a quick peck on her forehead.

"See you, Steven.."

Despite her frown, he cheesed at her. Trying to brighten up the mood. He gave her a thumbs up. "See you later." he smiled.

Then he looked down at their dog. "Come on, Lion." the two walked over to the vehicle and Steven opened the door, immediately seeing Pearl looking out her side of the window and getting both sad that she wasn't looking at him and happy that she was still alive and okay. 

Lion jumped in and he hopped in after, closing the door behind them.

"Garnet. Step on it."

The vehicle drove pass and Steven was waving at Connie. The girl looking at the vehicle as it drove off and he quickly remembered that.. the windows were tinted..

He leaned back in his chair. "S, sorry about that Amethyst." he began.

He could only imagine how upset she was.. especially with how quickly she told Garnet to drive off.

"B, but-"

He heard a snort from the front and he looked at the rearview mirror to see her eyes. "Wow, now _that_ definitely had to be your girlfriend. The way she was kissing and touching all over you." she snickered. "Girlie didn't want to let you go."

He felt his face heating up.. Was he embarrassed? Flustered? He couldn't tell at the time.. but he slowly answered her. "Yeah, she's uh.. she's.. not usually like that actually." he scratched at his cheek. "But.. someone broke into our apartment and tried to hurt me and, now she's just a bit paranoid." 

Of course he couldn't tell Amethyst that she was _really_ liked that due to what had happened at the armory..

"Oh damn. Really?" she snorted. "See, if you had GemTech in replace of that regular lock, that wouldn't had happened." 

"Yeah." he shrugged. "But it's not like I can just _order_ GemTech from a store or get it from my landlord."

"Heheh, true, true."

"Yeah.." he said softly. Just saying anything as a filler.

And she didn't say anything back. The car in silence for a few moments before she spoke back up. She looked back at him through the rearview mirror. "Also, che, you didn't strike me as someone with .. _jungle fever."_ she wiggled her eyebrows with a rather, smug expression on her face.

"Huh?" he didn't understand.

"What is she? Some kind of.. Cuban, African American mix? Indian?" 

"Oh." he looked at her, shocked. "Uh,.. I, Indian.. Well, Indian American. She was uh, born here. Her parents are from India."

"Ah." Amethyst nodded slowly. Then she went for a side smile. "Wow, Indian _and_ Caucasian. Your baby's gonna have that good ass hair."

His stomach twisted. Thinking about the baby that he.. actually forgot about. Or rather, he wasn't really thinking about it?

_Why did she have to bring that up-_

"I also find it cute" she stopped him before he could go into his thoughts. "that home girl is taller than you."

He pouted.

He'd been.. a _bit_ self conscious of that ever since they started going together.. Even before he even asked her to be his girlfriend.

"She's not.. _that_ much taller than me.." he grumbled. 

Amethyst snorted. "Come on dude. That girl has a couple inches over you. Anyone can easily see that."

He pouted even harder.. blushing more and this time, he knew it was from embarrassment. 

"Hey, heyyyy." she said casually. "No need to be embarrassed." a pleased smile on her face. "You have inches where you _really_ need it." she winked at him.

And his face felt even more hot as she stared at him through the mirror with those.. _bedroom_ eyes she was giving him.

She cackled. "Dude it is SO easy getting you flustered." she shook her head. "Also." he looked back up. "You know I have to ask. What's up with your face. The same thing with your girlfriend as well."

"Huh? Oh, uh.. grease stove. Um, some pans caught on fire and uh, she and I had a bit of trouble putting it out."

"Oh damn. Sucks to be you two." she snorted. "Anyway, I have yet to tell you about this mission. We got a call from Peridot. Some robber stole from this jewelry store on the outskirts of northern Virginia. The cops couldn't catch her and this woman stole jewels with tracking devices on them. Though, good thing for us, one of Peridot's little henchmen hacked into the jewelry store's computer and changed the codes on these jewels. So, the old tracking codes have been erased and the cops have no way of finding her and that same Peridot sent us the new tracking codes." she pointed at the tablet in front of them. The screen showing a blue dot heading up north. "From her coordinates, it looks like she's going to try and head for Oceana City Beach." 

She looked at him through the mirror once more. "And _we'll_ be the ones waiting for her _at_ th at said beach." 

Now, Steven _knew_ it was a mission.. but having that they were ACTUALLY going to the beach made him feel pretty giddy. It'd been yeaars since he went to the beach!

Maybe.. they could enjoy the sand for a bit before the guy comes and ruins everything?

"It's a quick ride there. We should be there in about an hour." she leaned down and grabbed a water bottle. "So don't get too comfortable." she untwisted the cap off and started drinking it.

"Okay, Amethyst." he pulled out his phone and sent a quick text to Connie saying that he was okay and on his way to the building. As he was putting his phone back in his pocket, he felt his phone vibrate almost immediately. Connie replying back to his message. He replied back with XOXO, Jammie Buddie and put his phone back in his pocket. 

Then he uncovered the food on his plate. Ready to chow down on his delicious breakfast before going to the beach (and just hoping that _if_ they had enough time and Amethyst was okay with them having some fun in the sun, that he won't be getting any stomach cramps as he played in the ocean.)


	124. At the beach

Garnet was pulling towards the cliffside, stopping the car behind the cliff and closer towards the not-so-busy boardwalk and away from the deeper part of the beach. The car, near secluded within the crevice of the cliffside.

Amethyst, then Garnet looked at the tablet. "She should be here in about about an hour and thirty eight minutes." she leaned back in her chair and Garnet turned the car off, sitting back herself.

And Steven's heart skipped a beat. His question right on the tip of his tongue as he anticipated Amethyst's answer.

"Um.. Amethyst?"

She looked at him through the rearview mirror. "Yo."

"I was wondering.. that.. you know _since_ we have some time before the woman comes that.. we could." he shrugged. "Maybe have a bit of fun" she scrunched up her face. "uh.. at the.. beach?" she gave him a leveled stare. "We're on a mission.. And you're thinking about playing in the sand. like some kid?" 

"I.. well.. teenegers and adults have fun too.." he mumbled. 

"Yeah, but they're there to waste their time building sand castles and splashing around." she fanned her hand. "We're Crystal Gems. We have no time for that." a beat later. "And besides, we already went to a Wrestling match AND went to an arcade. What more do you want?"

"S, sorry, Amethyst. Just.. thought I would ask.." he said meekly. "I just thought we could relax and have fun. And, I don't know, maybe even stretch and get ourselves ready before she comes?" he added that part.. hoping she would see the positive points in actually playing at the beach. They would have fun AND they could do a bit of stretching and.. light exercise? It was a win win. 

She looked at him. And, he gave her a hopeful smile.

"Yeaaahh.." his smile widened. "No." he frowned.

"We're not doing that. We're just, staying here and. being on a lookout."

".. okay.." he looked outside. Looking at the yellow sand and the blue water. The two twinkling and shining enticingly under the hot sun.

And the car was back to being quiet, say for the seagulls and a couple cars driving down a road not too far from them.

Steven leaned back in his chair, looking at the blue dot seeming to move soooo slow. Soooo very slow up the map..

He resisted a sigh as he looked away.

It was going to be a very.. long.. wait..

If _only_ they could hang out at the beach..

And he imagined Connie being there.. And her covering him up in the sand.. or, them running deep into the water and playing in the sea and kissing each other as the waves crashed around them.

And that nice thought reminded him of what he'd told Connie earlier. 

He wasn't at some produce building, but he was at his destination. 

He took out his phone, sending her another message and being sure to tell her that he was safe. 

  
  


Amethyst looked out her window casually. Looking at the beach in front of her. A seagull flew down and picked something up in its beak and flew away. She watched it as it disappeared over the cliff. She looked back down. Watching the waves flow along the shoreline. Then she closed her eyes. Ignoring it all. 

Only to crack open her eyes again to look at the tracker. The blue dot heading north east and underneath of it, the time. They had roughly a little less than an hour and a half.

She looked from tablet and back out into the ocean in front of them and then at the sand that the car was currently parked on..

Steven read the message that Connie quickly sent him and he replied back to her. Then he put his phone back in his pocket when Amethyst called out Pearl's name. 

The woman looked up from her phone.

"The door."

She pocketed her phone and got out the car and opened Amethyst's door. "Everyone out. We'll be.. hanging outside of the car for a bit. Garnet, pop open the trunk." she slid out the car and Steven caught Amethyst's eye. A sly smile on her face.

_Wait a minute.. Is she?.. Are we..._

Garnet pressed the button the door. The trunk popping open and she got out.

"Come on, Lion." the dog woke up. He opened the door and hopped out. Lion stretched before jumping out the car after him. The dog landing in the sand below and immediately sniffing and pawing at it. He sniffed around some more, then jumped on the sand and start running away from the group as he slid across the sand. "LION!- ..eh, he should be fine.."

The Gems were already at the trunk of the car. Amethyst was opening a brown box.

"So, Talc." She threw a few beach attires by the box. "Doing a bit of stretching isn't half bad." she threw more swimsuits out. "And maybe even a light jog as well." she was still sporting that grin. "So, we'll be doing a bit of that for the next hour out here in the sand." then she gestured at the sea. "and in the water." 

He almost squealed. 

They were actually going to go out on the beach!!!!!!!

And.. something told him that maybe.. just _maybe_, that Amethyst was probably trying to have their training/ exercise disguised.. her really wanting to have fun and disguising that under their stretching and light exercise.

Or at least that's what he was telling himself.

"We'll be putting on our swimsuits since we're at the beach. And we'll take our GemTech swimsuit shirt, shorts, sandals _and_ mask with us, just in case he ends up coming earlier."

_Oh yeah, she's definitely disguising their beach fun with exercises._

And he resisted a smile.

"Alright ladies. Let's suit up. And Talc, you can just borrow Lonny's trunks and shirt." she said casually and Pearl resisted a glance at the two.

"Uh.. okay? I just hope it's.. clean? It's kinda weird wearing someone else's trunks.. Heheh."

Amethyst grabbed her bathing suit amongst the pile. She shrugged. "Clean enough."

He looked at her. An uneasy expression on his face.

"Duuuude, I'm kidding, I'm kidding." she stepped away for Garnet and Pearl to get their swimsuits. "They're clean. ALL of this is clean." 

"O, oh." he.. _figured_ he could believe her or.. at least tell his mind that.

Garnet and Pearl stepped out the way and Pearl went to the side of the car for some privacy while Garnet and Amethyst unzipped their jumpsuits from the front.

Steven grabbed the pair of trunks and shirt and turned around. His eyes had went to Garnet and Amethyst. Garnet's sports bra and underwear and Amethyst's push up bra and underw-

He turned back around and took off his two shirts and threw the muscle shirt over him. Then slid out of the flip flops. He unbuttoned his jeans and slid them down and threw them in the car. Then he figured that.. because he didn't have an extra pair of boxers that.. he should take them off as well. He wouldn't want to be riding back in the car with wet boxers.. 

But.. would it be okay for him to just take his boxers off in front of them? 

No.. it was private.. he knew it wouldn't be okay.. but..

Maybe if he did it quickly.

He slid his boxers down and put one of his legs in the trunks.

"Ooooooo, nice pasty butt you have there, Talc." he heard Amethyst.

He could feel the blush already coming to his face as he quickly put his other leg in and pulled the trunks up. He turned around at the ladies.

Garnet with her bikini and a nice skirt tied at the hip. Her whole, _very toned_ leg out.

And then it was Amethyst.. her bikini only-

He looked away.

..only covering up her nipples. And her bottom was a thonged bikini.

"That gut looking good in that muscle shirt, Talc." he saw Amethyst giving him a thumbs up. "Looks like you're losing a bit of weight already." she complimented.

"Oh, uh.. thanks." he touched his belly. He _was _ feeling a bit toner and healthier these past few days.

"Yeah. That's really nice."

Pearl was coming back from the side of the car with her jumpsuit in one hand and the GemTech swimming attire in the other. She leaned on the corner of the vehicle. And Steven turned his head slightly, catching a glimpse of Pearl's two piece from the side.

And also noticing.. all of the red cuts up and down her neck, arms and side from the sword..

And the long, red line of stitches on her side from.. where the sword had went through her.

Chills spread down his spine. He could only imagine how that felt when it first happened.. 

And even with him getting shot twice, he could only still imagine what she went through at that time-

"Well" he looked back at Amethyst. "now that we've suited up. Talc, hand me that sunscreen behind you." 

"Hm?" he turned around. The bottle of sunscreen was by the box. He picked it up as Amethyst brushed by him. She threw her clothes in the trunk and took the bottle from him sat down. "Yeah, get that shiny, glistening caramel color going on." she squirted the cream in her hand and started spreading it on her arm.

Garnet walked over and threw her jumpsuit into the trunk and leaned on the car and Pearl turned around, going for the brown box. She threw her jumpsuit into the trunk with everyone else's and took out another bottle of sunscreen. 

Amethyst went to the other arm. "Yo, Talc. There should be another bottle back there in that box. You may not be as pasty and white as Pearl." the woman in question resisted a pout as she smeared cream on her skin. "but you're still going to need some too." 

"Right." he dug into the box, Amethyst getting a nice peak at his trunks as he did.

He saw two bottles and pulled both of them out. He turned to Garnet. "Did you need one Garnet?"

She raised an eyebrow at him. A pretty and humorous smile to her expression. "No, I don't need any." 

Amethyst snorted. "Her skin _is_ her own sunscreen." Amethyst joked. "You're talking to le Africana Queen right here."

"But.." he looked at them. "Those with darker skin can get exposed to harmful UV rays too. Just, not as easily as far-skinned people. But it's still possible. Dark skinned people can burn and get skin cancer too." 

Both Amethyst and Garnet looked at him, the latter more shocked. "No kidding?" Garnet asked. 

Steven shrugged. "That's what my girlfriend told me. I thought the same too." 

"Hm. Guess I'll grab a bottle after all." she raised up her hand and he threw the bottle. She caught it.

"Wow, G. Looks like you've just maxed out your skin protection by over 8,000. Ain't no way the sun's getting to you now." Amethyst joked with a reference that.. Steven remembered was probably from an anime but couldn't remember which.. And.. wait.. wasn't it over 9,000 and not 8? Though he didn't bother asking Amethyst or correcting her.

He sat down and popped open the top and squirted some in his hands. Then he went for his face first. He turned his head getting his neck and seeing Pearl beside him. The woman gently rubbing the cream on her skin. And, even _that_ was graceful. Amethyst just slathered her skin up with sunscreen, but Pearl.. she was being careful, caressing her skin with her long, dainty fingers as she spread the cream on her skin. 

It was like staring at one of those soap commercials..

She glanced at him and he looked back, rubbing the cream to the rest of his neck.

The four of them continued to rub the sunscreen on their skin and Amethyst finished first, throwing her bottle behind herself. She slid out of the truck, keeping her extra GemTech clothes with her as she walked across the sand and into the sunlight. She looked at her arms. "Ah, there we go. That's that glow I was going for." 

Pearl got up and put the bottle of sunscreen back in the box and walked away from the truck with her GemTech clothes. And Steven put his bottle back into the box while Garnet was still putting the cream on her skin. 

She leaned back up from her legs and twisted the top back in the bottle. And Steven noticed that, just like the dark freckles on her nose that she also had freckles across her shoulders and the top part of her arms and down towards her chest.

"Yo, Talc." he looked over. "Come here." Amethyst was over by the cliffside. "Time to do a bit of stretching." 

"Uh, okay." he glanced over at Garnet. The woman putting the sunscreen back into the box and he walked away from the trunk of the car. He heard Garnet close the trunk behind him.

Pearl was in her own corner, carefully stretching as not to aggravate any of her cuts or the stab wound on her side.

Steven stopped just a few feet in front of Amethyst. "Now. We'll be doing a few simple stretches."

Garnet came by and stood beside him, waiting for Amethyst's instructions.

  
  


Their light stretching only lasted for fifteen minutes. The three of them together stretching their necks and shoulders and their arms and down thier backs and down to theirs legs.

It felt nice. Especially with the sun shining down on them and the warm sand beneath their toes.

Amethyst shook her limbs out and Steven and Garnet did the same. "Okay." she said and she picked up her GemTech clothes and her sandals and Garnet did the same and Steven picked up Connie's flip flops. "Pearl." the woman stopped her stretch and looked up. "Now it's time for a bit of running." she pointed to the side of them towards the ocean. "We'll start by running along the shore." she jogged pass them and Garnet, Steven ran behind her and Pearl, while holding her side, followed them, ignoring the pain as she kept close behind. 

Steven tried to keep his mind on "exercising before the robber comes", but feeling the soft, grainy sand spread beneath his feet and smelling the ocean air and feeling the sun on his skin, he could only think about how fun it was to actually be out on the beach. 

And then, they hit the refreshing water. Lion wa still enjoying his own self in the crystal blue waves when he looked up at them. The dog running towards them, wanting to join in on their little activity.

And they ran down the shore, splashing through the water with the full body of ocean on one side of them and the sand on the other. The damp sand squishing between their toes and the cool water hitting and grabbing at their shins.

It was nice.

Really nice.

And Steven wondered that maybe they could play a game? There were plenty of empty volleyball courts on the beach or maybe they could build sand castles or something else for fun. Surely they wouldn't be exercising for the _whole_ time.

And he could see other people having fun in the sun too.. wanting to have fun just like them.

And Amethyst _did_ seem like she was in a good mood, so maybe he could ask her again-

"Ah, boy.. Look what we have here." Amethyst stopped, making them all stop and look at her. And even Lion stopped, looking at the crew.

She turned to the crew and stuck out her thumb. "Looks like those laaaame Pizzas are here." she had a smirk on her face. "They better not eff up our mission when the dude comes here." 

Steven looked over, watching the people who were having fun, actually being the Pizzas.. The family having a little get together.

"Of course.." he grumbled.

Amethyst turned her head to him. Her lips curling up as she scoffed. "What. Don't like them?"

"Not.. _really_. I mean, except for maybe _one_ person. And it's more like, the rest of them don't like _me_ because of the things that I've done and the things that they _think_ that I've done.."

"Whatchu poutin' for? If they want to act like that, who cares?" she shrugged. 

"I just thought I could.. maybe get them to like me but.. no matter what I do, they always seem to have something to say."

"Then, move on. Dude, seriously. Stop with the "I want to be friends with everyone, oh, I want everyone to love me" crap. Some people are going to like you. And some people won't. You shouldn't waste your time worrying about that crap. Especially if it's people like them." she snickered.

"Y, yeah.. but-"

"But, nothing." she said casually. "Move along and carry your attention somewhere else. Don't waste your time on them. I mean _we're_ banned from their crappy restaurant, but you don't see _us_ complaining."

"Wait, y'all are banned?!"

"And you're not? Heheh, wow. Guess you're not as bad as us then. But hey, I guess that makes sense. All of those times they caught us acting wild and messing up their sign on their building." she chuckled. "Good times." 

"Wait it was _you_ three who messed up the restaurant's sign all of those times?!" 

"YuuuUUP." she nodded proudly.

"That time when the letters were turned backwards and upside down?!"

"Yup." she nodded again.

"And the time when their sign was swapped for another restaurant sign?!"

"Yup." another nod.

"And the time when the letters A, P and S were stolen?!"

Another nod. "Yup, us too. Got those letters for our names. Though Garnet had to improvise and break the S apart to make a G." 

"What?!?!??!"

"Yeah, man. Those people are SO high strung and animated, it's fun messing with them. Heck, it all started when I got wasted and ended up ralphing over their floor. Dude, you should've seen their reactions!" she cackled. "And they were already talking about us badly when we came in with skimpy outfits! Man after that, we just started effing with them for fun and started doing bad stuff on purpose."

Steven looked at her and she continued, pleased with what she and her crew had been doing to the family's restaurant. "Yeah, we've played pranks, Pearl has brought in various men on her shift and did the do with them in their bathrooms, I've came in plenty of times wasted and acting a fool and Garnet? Well Garnet doesn't do much but help us with the pranks." then she remembered a thought, something that happened years back and she turned to Garnet. "Oh wait! It WAS that one time when you and that boyfriend of yours were on their roof and making out by the sign!" Amethyst cackled. And Garnet didn't find that funny. The woman looked uneasy. "The restaurant owner was all like." then Amethyst imitated his deep, Ghanian accent. "Whut da heck ah you tew doin' up dea! Iz dis ah luv hotel!" she laughed more.

Steven's mind went right to Garnet actually having a boyfriend. It seemed like it would be pretty difficult being in a relationship if one was a Crystal Gem.

But then again, _he_ was a Crystal Gem.. and he was still with Connie, so..

Amethyst nudged Garnet in the side with her elbow. "Ah man, G. What ever happened to that guy anyway? That dude was something else."

"It.. ran it's course.."

She scoffed. "Man, that sucks. He seemed right up your alley." 

"That guy turned out to be such a tool." she grumbled.

"I don't know, G. You _did_ let that so-called "tool" hit it a few times." she twirled her hips sensually. 

Garnet's face twisted in shame and disgust before forcing herself to a neutral look. "Well, once he started acting differently I broke it off with him."

_So_ that's_ what happened.. he changed.. not because she was a Crystal Gem._

Amethyst looked back at the Pizzas then at her crew. "You know what? Let's mess with them." she turned around.

"Wait!" 

She looked back at Steven. "What?"

"Maybe we.. shouldn't mess with them? You know.. just, drop the pranks and.. stop bothering them?" 

"Ah, here we go again with Talc being "nice"." she drawled. 

"But, you have a bad reputation with them because of this. Maybe show them that you three aren't all bad?" 

She scoffed. "If you hadn't noticed what you basically said earlier. _You_ apparently have a reputation too."

"But, that's different. I've done a few things.. and then they're listening to rumors.. But I've been trying to get on their good side. But _you_ three are actually going out of your way to prank and bother them. Maybe you _could've_ been on good terms with the Pizzas if you hadn't done that." 

"See Talc. You just gave us a reason to keep going." 

"What?!" 

"Yeah. If you said that you keep trying to get on their good side and they're not trying to hear it, then I know they won't care about _us."_

"But-" 

"Yup, thanks to _you_, Talc." she pat his hair and started walking away and the Gems started following her.

"But Amethyst." 

"Come oooon, Talc. Time to prank it up!" 

"But.. but, but!" he turned around. "What if they could help us?!" 

"What?" she turned to face him. 

"What if.. they could be of use to us?" 

"Like when you said the same thing about that dog?" she gestured at Lion. The dog panting beside Steven. "That won't work this time. So what are you talking about? They _are_ of no use to us." 

"Uh." _Think, Universe.. think.._ "But.. what about that one time when we were coming from the diner, you told me that Crystal Gems also did normal jobs so they can have connections to things? Like that hostess talking to non Gems yet somehow obtaining information that could help us? You told me that the Crystal Gems get to talk to people and interact with people, with some of them meeting other under cover gems or getting bystanders to give us information. Like how you gave me an example with Pearl. You guys were after some guy that stole some jewels and Pearl had been.." he spared the details of what Amethyst had told him. _"with_ his friend and she ended up getting information from him. Maybe that could happen between us and the Pizzas?" 

"Yeah, I doubt it."

"But you never know. We can't be so sure. Maybe.. maybe they know stuff that we don't know or maybe they'll come across something that we won't.. know?"

She looked at him.

And he tried to keep his eyes on hers. ".. Amethyst?"

She thought about it.. Pondering on if such a thing would even happen.

And, he was right. That _could_ happen.

And it would definitely help out the Crystal Gem empire.

Steven's stare started to waver.

"Hm. Yeah, perhaps we could, _settle down_ with our pranks for a bit. See if we can "make peace" with them." 

"Yeah!'

Garnet and Pearl looked on. Shocked at Amethyst agreeing to go with Steven's plan so easily.

"So we can show them how good we really are AND maybe you three won't be banned from the restaurant anymore!" he cheered. 

"Eh, I wouldn't care if they lifted the ban or not. The pizza wasn't that good anyway." 

The group, with Lion running around them, made it towards the family.

And this was it. The Gems would have another crack at getting on the Pizzas good side and possibly making amends with them.

_If I can't help them out as Gems, then maybe I can help them out as humans with non_ related Gem stuff. Like, having a good time with the Pizzas_._

_  
_

A nice, small little trick on Steven's part for getting Amethyst to give the Pizzas a chance, (for making her _think_ about Gem related stuff and disguising it as only that) despite of him just simply wanting them to, make peace with the Pizzas~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way, that over *8,000 was an obvious Dragon Ball Z quote, but in the Spanish version (as well as pretty much EVERY single dub BUT English) it's 8,000 instead of 9,000. But yeah, she was quoting from le Spanish one ;D


	125. If there's a will, there's a wave

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The words in Italics is the Pizzas talking to each other in Akan/Ashanti Twi which is like, one of the many languages spoken in Ghana.

Jenny and Kiki were passing the soccer ball to each other, while their dad had his backed turned to them as he put more meat on the grill over towards the cliffside. His mom, a small, elderly woman was not too far from him as she continued building a tall sand castle. 

Jenny kicked the ball to her sister. Kiki kicked the ball up with her foot, the ball bouncing up to her knee and she kneed the ball up and head-butted the soccer ball back to Jenny. 

_"This is going over the head!"_ said Jenny and Kiki started retreating back. Jenny shuffled the ball from her left foot to her right and kicked the ball with the side of her foot.

The ball soared up into the air and Kiki ran for it. _"I got it!"_ she jumped up, stopping the ball with the side of her head and she caught the ball with her knee. She bounced it up a few times. She laughed. _"You better get ready for this one, Jenny!"_ she bounced the ball to her other knee and caught sight of the Gems coming there way. _"Uh oh.."_ she kicked the ball up and grabbed it.

_"What?"_ Jenny turned around. _"Not _them_.. What are they doing here?"_ then she saw.. _Steven_ amongst the group. _"Eww.. and _he's_ with them too? I should've known.. ALL of them are no good.." _ she glared at them.

Amethyst held her hands up casually. "Heeey, heeey, J. What's with the sour look?"

_"Don't_ call me that." said Jenny. And with just a small glance, she looked away from Amethyst's extremely revealing attire. "Why are you here?" then she mumbled. "Dressed like that.."

"Ah, come on Jenny. We're both girls." she stretched her arms up, arcing her back. "You act like you've never seen boobs before." 

And Steven has definitely seen a pair.. a lot of times during his life. Though he still found himself staring..

"Girls or not.. I don't want to see that.." she turned to Kiki. The both of them in their conservative one pieces. _"She really has no respect for herself, does she?"_

Amethyst scoffed. "Oh, so you want to do that, huh?" she turned to Garnet. "Garnet, what are they saying?" 

Garnet shrugged. "I don't know."

"What?" she said. Shocked.

".. They're not speaking the same language that I speak."

She shook her head. "Of course they don't.." she turned to the twins. "Alright you two. So you're gonna keep saying stuff in your own language or actually act like adults?" 

They stopped in mid conversation to look back at her. Jenny scoffed. "Yeah, we rather _not_ talk to you."

"Welp, we gave them a chance." Amethyst shrugged casually and she turned to her crew. "Let's prank 'em." 

"No! Please!" Steven grabbed her arm. "Maybe we can try again!-"

"What are YOU four doing here!!" 

Kofi was stomping up towards them. The spatula still in his hand as he waved it around. "Steven!! I didn't know you knew THESE three wild women!!" he shouted. "But WHY doesn't it surprise me!' he growled out.

"It's not what you think! And, and they're not like that!"

Then he realized.. that the Gems _now_ know his name..

Amethyst stepped from in front of Steven. Kofi getting a look at her revealing attire and with a startled noise of disgust, he looked away, shielding his eyes. "Yeah man." she began. "We're trying to make amends or whatever." 

"Not looking like THAT you aren't!" he kept looking the other way.

"Ah, what?" she said casually. "It's only a little bathing suit. No big deal." 

"It IS a big deal! Look at you!" 

"Heheh, I know right? Look _at_ me." she posed. Though the man was still looking away.

"Uh.. Amethyst?" Steven whispered as he scratched the back of his head. "Maybe.. if we want to try and make amends.. that you should put the rest of the clothes on?" he politely suggested.

"What? As if man, it's a free country. Freedom of speech."

Jenny looked at her dad. _"Freedom of speech to dress like that?" _ she shook her head.

_"Such a shame."_ said Kiki.

Amethyst growled as she rolled her eyes. She turned to the group. "Okay. They want to keep stalking smack in their language? Then everything's off. We're pranking them." 

"Wait, Amethyst. Please." said Steven. She narrowed her eyes at him and he stopped in mid speech before starting again. "Uh. Maybe. you three could do it just this once?" he looked at them and his eyes stopped at Amethyst. "If everyone does it just this once and we show them just how nice and awesome we are, then we could get on their good side and make them as our allies remember? It would benefit _us."_ they looked at him. Amethyst being incredibly quiet as she glared at him. "And.. also. Wouldn't it be easier to put the clothes on _now_ just in case the guy comes? That'll save everyone else more time and for us to go right up to the guy and get him." 

The group was quiet.

And Steven wondered if he somehow crossed some kind of line.

Especially with Amethyst still glaring at him.

"I mean.. that's just a suggestion." he shrugged meekly.

More silence.

Until Amethyst made a grunt of approval. "As much as I don't care about what they think about my swimsuit, putting on our clothes now _would_ save us more time and thus, benefiting us in the long run." she dropped the clothes to the sand and picked up her shirt. She threw it over her head and Steven instantly missed her.. very revealing bathing suit.. 

And Garnet and Pearl started putting on their attire and slipping on the sandals and Garnet slid the shorts under her skirt. Steven kept the flip flops in his hand. It wasn't like it was GemTech anyway. And he wanted to continue feeling the hot sand under his feet.

They put their masks in their pockets and Steven realized that he'd forgotten his mask AND Lion's mask back in the car..

Though he didn't tell them that..

"Okay, ladies." she looked at Steven. "and Talc. Time to get these suckas to be our fake allies." she joked.

_".. sides. We don't even know if we could trust them. It must be a reason why they want to "make amends" all of a sudden."_ said Kofi.

"Yo." Amethyst cut their conversation off as she and the group approached them.

Kofi looked at them.

She held her arms out. "Good enough?" 

Kofi scoffed. "Well at least you're covered a little more." he grumbled.

"Good." she nodded with a pleased smile.

"BUT, that STILL doesn't mean that we would like to make amends with the four of you!" he clarified. "We do not trust you ONE bit. NONE of you."

Amethyst laughed. "Ouch, dude. You wanna tell us how you _really_ feel?"

"But Kofi." Steven whined. "You can trust us. We really _do_ want to make amends. We want to put everything behind us." 

"Steven! As many times I keep hearing stuff that you are STILL doing despite of what you're saying?! I will NOT believe anything you say." 

"But.. those are all rumors."

"Steven. I am still seeing the things that you do with my own eyes!"

"Hey, hey man." Amethyst cut back in. "I think this time he _is_ being serious. Give us a chance, yeah? We just want to put this silly past behind us and, start out fresh." with the casualness of how she was saying it and the complacent look in her eyes, it didn't seem like she, herself, was being serious.

And Kofi stood there. Eyes narrowed. Arms folded. Skeptic of the group. His daughters on either side of him.

"I just have a bad gut feeling about you four." he grumbled.

_"And_ you're messing up our beach party." Jenny added. Then she glared at Steven. "And _he's_ just making stuff worse."

Steven frowned and Amethyst kept her complacent look for a few moments, until her eyes trailed up, looking behind them. "Hey. You're burning something on the grill." 

"What?!" he turned around. "The burgers!!" he ran back to the smokey area.

Jenny and Kiki walked up to them. 

"Sup ma sistas." Amethyst held her arm out. Her hand clenched in a potential "dap" of a social greeting gesture.

The two ignored it and Jenny went for putting her hand on her hip. "We still don't trust you."

"Come on." said Kiki. "Why are you _really_ here?"

Amethyst put her arm down. "Told ya already. We're trying to make peace. Water under the bridge. Let bygones be bygones." 

_"There's something about her that I still don't trust." _ said Jenny.

_"Yeah, same here."_ said Kiki.

Amethyst kept her eyes on the twins, but addressed the group on either side of her. "Bueno, quieren seguir hablando en su idioma. (So, they want to continue speaking in their language)." Garnet and Pearl listened in and Steven just looked at her. Not understanding. "Esto está a punto de ponerse feo en un minuto. Y va a ser de nuestras bromas. (This is going to get ugly in a minute. And it's going to be from our pranks)." 

Garnet and Pearl nodded.

"Wait, what did you say?!" 

Amethyst kept the stare going at Jenny. "So you see how annoying it is when someone is speaking in their own language to someone else. How about we keep it at English then."

The sisters kept silent. But their skeptic glare never looked away from Amethyst.

And their was silence..

Say for Kofi in the background as he shouted his frustrations out in Akan Twi at all of those burger patties he'd just ruined.

Steven looked from his group to the twins, then back to the group and the twins again. "So." everyone looked at him. He found himself stopping in mid speech once more at all of the eyes on him, before continuing. "I was wondering if we could all.. just try to give each other a chance?" he looked at everyone. "Please?" 

The group and the twins looked back at each other.

"Well?" Amethyst asked. "You wanna try believing us this time?" 

The twins exchanged uneasy glances before looking back at her.

Amethyst held out her hand again, this time, going for a handshake.

And with much contemplation, Kiki was the one to take Amethyst's hand. Still skeptic of the whole situation. "Okay." she gave her one firm handshake before letting go. 

"Great. Glad we're starting somewhere."

"But you BETTER not try anything." Jenny warned her.

"Relaaax, relaaax. I'm not."

Kofi was coming back up to them, stomping across the sand once more in his sandals. "Look what you four made me do!!" he showed everyone the piles of burnt burgers on the large plate. "I've wasted. SO many of my precious premium burgers!!"

"Whatcha mean?" Amethyst joked with a snort. "They look pretty good to me." 

"They're not even edible anymore!"

"Sorry, Kofi.." said Steven. "Maybe I could try eating some?" 

Kofi groaned. "So _I'd_ be responsible for YOU getting sick?! No!"

"Okay? So just make some more." said Amethyst. "It's that simple. Versus wasting your time showing us the mistake that _you_ did."

Kofi sputtered a few times. "This is not _my_ mistake! This is _yours_ and. everyone ELSE in the group!"

"Nuh uh."

"It is! And now ALL of this will be gone to waste! AHHCK!!" Lion jumped on him, and kofi stumbled to the ground. The patties tumbling to the sand. _"Dad!"_ the twins shouted. 

"Lion! Bad dog!" Steven ran towards him. 

Amethyst started laughing as the twins helped Kofi up. "Steven! You need to control that dog!"

"Sorry, Kofi." he held Lion. The dog still had a piece of a burger in his mouth as he munch away on it.

"But look, dude. At least the patties aren't going to waste. The dog seems to like it." said Amethyst. 

"Yeah, but he can't eat all if it." said Steven.

A seagull came down and snatched up a patty before flying back up. 

A few moments later and another seagull came down, then two more. 

"Okay, so the problem has been resolved." said Amethyst.

Steven slowly let go of Lion and the dog bolted out of his arms, trying to catch one of the birds. "Lion!" they all flew up and he looked up into the sky.

And, quickly losing interest of not being able to get them, he started on the patties on the sand.

Steven got up. Everyone was still at an awkward standstill. "So uh.. how about we start having some fun on the beach?" 

"We _were_ having fun _before_ you all even _got_ here." said Jenny. "And there's no way having fun with any of y'all is even possible."

"Yeah, Steven. We just.." Kiki shrugged. "I'm still having second thoughts about this."

"But.." he looked at everyone.

Nobody looked like they were having fun. Or even remotely happy.

But he couldn't let them feel that way.

He could help them ALL out!

He could make things better.

And he would continue on trying.

But..

He looked at them.

What could he..

He saw the soccer ball still in Kiki's hand.

_Wait.. THAT'S IT!!"_

"We could play some soccer!" he shouted out.

Jenny raised an eyebrow at him. "..Really, Stefan?"

"Steven." he said plainly. Then he tried for a reassuring smile. "And.. yeah? Why not? It's... fun and it looks like you two are really, really good at it." he tried for a smile.

The twins opened their mouths to say something, still debating it and Amethyst jumped in, placing an arm on each girl's shoulder. "I LOVE that idea! I can WHIP these girls tails in fútbol." 

"You mean soccer?" Steven asked.

Amethyst didn't answer him. Instead, shaking her head as she leaned off of the two girls. "So, what do you say twins?" she looked at Kofi. She snorted. "And what about you old man?"

" 'Old man' ?!" he shrieked. "Don't let these bones fool you now! _I_ can play you in a game just fine."

"HA! If you say so." she looked at Garnet and Pearl. "This'll be waay too easy." 

"Wait, you guys." said Steven. "Maybe we could-"

"Ooooohohohohohooo. Don't underestimate us!" Jenny said with a grin. "We're. the best."

"Hey!" they heard a raspy voice from afar. They looked to their side, only seeing a gray bun from within the sand castle.

Nanefua poked her head up from within the castle that was just as tall as her in the front. The sides and the back soaring high above her and the moat dug around it. "I hear you all are about to play some soccer?!" 

"Yeah, Gunga." said Kiki.

Amethyst snickered. "Oh please.. don't tell me little old lady is going to try and play too?"

Nanefua crawled out from a small hole on the side of the castle and carefully stepped over the moat sporting her little on piece and a waterproof bonnet over her hair.

Amethyst grinned back. "Heheh. Yeah, this'll definitely be waay too easy." 

"Wait. You guys." Steven tried cutting in once more.

Everyone looked at him.

"What?" said Amethyst.

"I thought maybe we could.. mix up the people in each team? You know, that way it won't be just between the Pizzas and us?"

"WHAT?!" the twins, Kofi and Amethyst exclaimed.

"Yeah, I thought.. what.. better way than to make peace and get closer than to.. help one another and.. be in a team together?" he shrugged meekly.

Everyone stared at him and he swallowed. "Um.. or.." 

Nanefua walked up to him and slapped the top of his shoulder. "Steven here is right. No matter how many _many_ past squabbles we've had and no matter how much we do not like them, we should still give each other a chance and try our best to make peace and work together in a team." 

Despite of _half_ of what Nanefua said, Steven nodded his head fervently as he smiled widely. "I agree!!" 

The group looked at each other. Exchanging various glances to one another and amongst themselves.

Then, Kofi resisted a sigh. "I'll go with what my mother says." 

"Yeah, what Gunga says go." said Kiki. The three of them looked over at Amethyst.

The woman gave each of them a levelled stare before saying a small, short "Fine." 

"That's great!" Steven threw his hands up. "So-"

"But _I'm_ picking the teams." Amethyst cut him of.

"What?! As if. We don't trust you!" Jenny pointed at her.

"You can trust me. I know EXACTLY who to pick!"

"If anyone, it should be ME." said Kofi.

"No way, old man. Now I don't trust _you!_ Don't think I don't know you reuse your grease on Saturdays!" 

He sputtered before shouting out. "I have NO idea what you're talking about!"

The three of them began to shout over the other until Nanefua put her index finger and thumb in her mouth and whistled sharply. They stopped.

"Since you four are trying to get in our good graces, it should be one of _us_, the initial trusted group to pick the teams."

"That doesn't seem fair." said Amethyst.

"Why, of course it is. You all are coming back to _us_ to show how far you've claim to have come. So." she looked away from her to look at her family. "it should be one of _us._

Amethyst rolled her eyes. "Whatever grandma. S'not like anyone is going to win against _my_ team anyway. No matter WHO your family chooses."

"So, who's it gonna be?" Jenny asked.

"I say Gunga." said Kiki. "Eldest takes the lead."

Steven raised his hand. "I say Nanefua too!"

"Steven!" Amethyst warned him and he put his hand down.

"I accept." said Nanefua. "Now." she looked up. Looking at all of the faces of the group. Looking at their physiques and making her own personal assumptions and putting into consideration her own families' strengths and weaknesses.

"My son will cover for the pink haired one." she pointed.

Pearl looked at Amethyst. 

She nodded with a pleased smirk of Pearl being cautious of disobeying her. "Go on, P. You heard her."

Pearl went to the other side of Kofi.

"Then we have me and Steven here. Steven, you stand over by Kofi." 

Amethyst snorted. "You got the easy way out."

"Hey! I may be old, but I know I can still play a mean fame of soccer!" she went back to picking assigning teams. "Now, let's see here." she kept looking at Garnet. then at Amethyst. Then back at Garnet. "You look like you're really good at soccer." she told her.

Garnet felt a little smile tug at her lips. "I am." she said lightly. 

Nanefua nodded knowingly.

"Whoa, grandma! I'm good at soccer too!" Amethyst boasted. "Been playing soccer since I could walk! AND I've been playing soccer MUCH longer than her!"

"Yes. But something tells me that she's better."

"And something tells me that you're being _biased."_

"Hush now, chile. I can read people _very_ well."

"Pfft. Yeah, that ain't it." 

Nanefua looked at the two again and then to her granddaughters. 

"Hm." she took a step back. "Kiki, you're covering for the tall one. Go stand over there with your father. And Jenny, you're covering her." she pointed at Amethyst. And you're on my team." she told her granddaughter.

Everyone took their spot. Four on four looking at each other. 

Until Kiki spoke up first. "You know, this team isn't half bad, Gunga." She looked to her left and her right at her teammates. "Looks like we have all of the all-stars on our side." 

Amethyst nodded her head. "Hey, I like her already. She knows her facts."

"Well _you_ might want to fact check that." Jenny sassed back. "Now _our_ team on the other hand? Aha, yeah. We got this in the bag." she bent down and held out her hand in a five at her grandmother.

Nanefua met her hand in a hi five. "I haven't played in ages but I'm sure I can whip all of their butts." 

"I know you can, Gunga. And they're gonna find out. the hard way."

Kofi scoffed. "Oh don't humor me, young lady."

"Daddy, you know it's true. Gunga's really good at soccer."

"Well let's hope she doesn't lose her dentures while playing the game." Amethyst joked.

Nanefua shook her little fist in the air. "These dentures shall sink their teeth into victory!" then she brought her hands together. "Now. We have our team. Let's choose our captains and start setting up the area." 

"I call captain!" Amethyst and Kofi shouted over one another. Then Amethyst pivoted towards him. "Come on, old man. I'm better at giving out direction. I'm a natural born leader!"

"A natural born-? HA! You wish. _I_ am the one who have the proper skillset for giving out orders." 

"Yeah! At your PIZZA restaurant!"

He gasped and sputtered. He opened his mouth to say something when Steven cut in. "How about this time we have one captain from the Pizzas and one captain from the C-, from us." _That was close.._

"I don't know about that one." said Kofi.

"Yeah, me either." said Jenny.

"Well _I_ agree with Steven. We should have one and one." said Nanefua. 

Kofi resisted another sigh towards his mother. "Though that still doesn't tell us who's going to be picked for which group."

"I say Gunga." Jenny interrupted. "Like Kiki said before, 'eldest takes the lead'." she looked at Garnet and the woman nodded. "I agree. It's the right way." they looked at Pearl and the woman gave them a shy shrug. "Sure." 

Jenny looked back. "Okay, then it's settled. Gunga will be our team captain. So that leaves either _him_." she fanned her hand at Steven and he resisted a frown. "or.. uh.."

"Just call me A."

"..A... riiiight.." 

"And that automatically means that_ I'll_ be team captain then." Amethyst looked at Kofi and the man folded his arms with a scoff.

"Great! Also, each one of us will have to work as both a defender, a midfielder, a striker and a goalkeeper." 

"Sure", "Yeah", "Mhm.", "I can go with that." they all agreed (except for Pearl and Steven. The two not having a clue to what she meant.)

"Great. And now that everything is settled, let's set up!" said Nanefua. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully them playing soccer instead of Volleyball isn't too jarring ;P  
Since they're apparently Ghanaian, I just figured they would go for something that's pretty popular in their country. *Shrugs* :)  
And yeah, it's nice to also have a bit of competition from Garnet who's from Nigeria AND some competition from Amethyst who's from Argentina. Both countries being pretty huge on soccer =D
> 
> And yeah, that just leaves our little babies Pearl and Steven to fend for themselves ;P


	126. D.M.L.S.   Crystal Gems V.S Pizzas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> D.M.L.S  
Delmarva Major League Soccer 
> 
> Haha, xP
> 
> Also, the team is like this:
> 
> Kofi, Steven, Kiki and Amethyst  
v.s  
Pearl, Nanefua, Garnet and Jenny
> 
> Also, I don't know a darn thing about soccer sooooooooo~~

As the twins and Garnet (having been ordered by Amethyst) were setting up the parts of the home made soccer field with seaweed, seashells and two actual, foldable goalies, Steven decided that it was time to come clean.. He walked towards his boss.. "Hey.. Amethyst?" 

"Yo." 

"Uh.. what exactly do I do? In uh.. soccer?"

She groaned. "Pleeeease don't tell me you've never played before."

He shook his head.

She mumbled under her breath as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Are you kidding me.." she opened her eyes. "Look che. Just block the old woman. Don't let her get the ball. And if a sad, unfortunate opportunity of you actually getting the ball, just RUN to the goal and kick." she looked at the three women. Almost done setting up. She looked back. "Okay, real quick. You can dribble, you know what that means at least, right?" he nodded. "Good. You're not that dense. Anyway, you dribble, take the ball away from people, as well as kick the ball, with the outside." she pointed to the outside of her sandal. "the inside." she pointed to the inside. "and the heel." she pointed to the heel. "Be full aware of your surroundings. Try not to let anyone take the ball away from you and when you think that's about to happen, kick it hard to me, Kiki or pops over there." she pointed at the man doing his old man stretches as he sat on the sand. 

Steven nodded. "Okay. I think I got it, Amethyst. Thanks." 

"Good."

"Alright you guys!" Jenny shouted with a wave. "We've finished setting up the field! Now let's do this thang!"

Amethyst turned back to Steven. "Remember. Dribble with the three parts of your feet and stay close to grandma. And, if and when you get the ball, try to get to the goal and kick OR kick it to one of us." he nodded. "Good. Now, I want a good game." she smacked him on the butt. 

"Amethyst!" he blushed.

"Come on, che!" she started running up towards the middle of the "field".

  
  


The eight of them stood there in the field. Four on each side spread apart and on opposite sides of the person they were to cover. 

After a quick squabble, they'd agreed (some of them reluctantly) that Nanefua's side would have the first kickoff. The older woman chose the youngest one of the group, Jenny, to do the honors. 

The teen walked inside the center circle and placed the soccer ball in the center spot, right in the middle.

She looked at Amethyst, a few feet away from her and outside of the seaweed-tied center circle. The woman glared at her. Muscles tensed and ready to run.

Then Jenny looked at the rest of the opposing team, before looking at Garnet who was just outside of the center circle. And in silent communication through their eyes, Garnet then nodded to her and she nodded back with a smile.

She waited.. allowing more tension to fill the air..

Until she kicked the ball towards Garnet and she ran to her left just as Garnet kicked the ball to her right. 

The game was officially on.

And everything just happened so quick to Steven as everyone dispersed all over the field. 

Amethyst was already running towards Jenny as she dribbled the ball through the sand, Kiki was already by Garnet and staying close to her heels to cover any shots Jenny may try to kick towards her, and he saw Pearl, looking as clueless as him as she looked around while running towards their goal and Kofi was coming up to the front to cover her. 

And Steven, started jogging towards the action, but still purposely staying far away from it.

Jenny switched her footing, passing the ball from foot to foot as Amethyst tried to clip the ball away from her. "I got you now." she hissed.

Jenny scoffed. "That's what _you_ think." she kept the ball close to her, hitting the sides with her heels. She looked up. Garnet was just on the other side of the field. And Kiki was right in front of the woman. 

Garnet nodded.

With another scoff, Jenny switched to her left foot. "Try to get _this."_ she kicked the ball far and up. The soccer ball cleared the rest of the field as it soared towards Garnet an Kiki.

Amethyst growled and ran towards the ball and Jenny kept close to her.

Kiki jumped in front of Garnet and went for a headbutt. The ball bounced off of her head and just as the ball landed on the ground, Kiki managed to kick the ball once before Garnet clipped it away from her.

In her run, Amethyst saw Steven still a ways from the action. "Yo! What are you doing?!" he jumped. "Uh-"

"The goal!! Go to their goal!!" she pointed and turned her attention back to the two women.

Steven ran down the sand and..

..saw Nanefua. The old woman with a determined, wicked smile on her face. "You cannot get through ME, Steven."

"Oh no!" he ran to his right and away from her as he neared their goal. He turned around. The old woman was steadily jogging up towards him.

Garnet was still dribbling the ball quick and with ease. Kiki was just slightly in front of Amethyst, Amethyst being on one side of Garnet and Jenny being on the other side. The two trying to get the ball away from the woman. But failing.

Garnet was way too quick and agile. The woman constantly switching her footing and clipping the ball back and forth under her. Then she looked up. "Pearl!" 

The slim woman looked up. Scared. An uneasy expression on her face. 

But she ran to her left, remembering their game plan.

And Kofi tried to catch up.

Garnet kicked the ball sharply and at an angle. And she, Kiki, Jenny and Amethyst ran towards it.

The ball was about to roll towards the touch line and she stopoed the ball with her toe. And she winced. She turned around, ignoring the pain of her front toe being bent back and she tried to dribble. The woman clumsily kicking the ball a few inches towards her and half jogging half stopping as the ball tried rolling away from her.

Kofi finally caught up to her, clipping the ball away from her. He cackled as he ran away. 

"P!!" Jenny shouted. 

Pearl frowned. Embarrassed.

Jenny was already running towards their goal and Garnet ran towards the man. Amethyst ran towards Jenny and Kiki ran behind Garnet.

Steven, still uneasy, stood their in front of the goal with Nanefua right beside him. The anxiety creeping inside him as Jenny and Amethyst started to run up towards them.. 

He could only hope that he would play the game correctly-

He saw Garnet clip the ball from Kofi and ran away from him. Kiki went in for a slide and Garnet kicked the ball away as she shifted her footing. Kiki got back up and she and her father started running towards her.

Jenny ran across the field and Amethyst followed her.

Garnet kicked the ball towards the teen.

Jenny caught the ball and started dribbling towards the goal. "Gunga! Heads up!" she kicked the ball.

For a full second Steven couldn't move. His brain running at one hundred miles per hour as he tried to register what had happened and what he could possibly do.

"Steven! The ball!!" Amethyst shouted.

He jumped, snapping out of his many train of thoughts and ran towards Nanefua. She caught the ball with her little foot and began jogging towards the goal. Steven ran in front of her. He held out a leg, trying to kick the ball and she kicked the ball back and away from him. He lunged to the side to stop her but she banked sharply to the other side, going the other way. He turned the other way just as she ran towards the goal.

"Steven!!!" he heard Amethyst yell.

Nanefua kicked the ball and it went into the net.

She and Jenny cheered. Then the teen turned to Garnet. "Come on, girl! Cheer with us! We all deserve it!" 

Garnet looked over at Amethyst cautiously. Her boss gave her a casual smirk and a nod. And Garnet looked back at the teen and gave her a nod and a small smile just as Pearl was slowly jogging up to them.

"Girl, you gotta work on your dribbling." Jenny told her.

Pearl nodded sadly.

"Okay." said Nanefua. She was holding the ball in her hands. It's time for the other team to do the kickoff."

"I'll do it." Kofi and Amethyst said over one another. They looked at each other.

"Since Jenny was the one who did the kickoff, I believe it's fair to have the other team kickoff." said Nanefua.

Amethyst looked at Kofi. A proud, smug grin on her face. "Then that. will be. _me."_

He grumbled something under his breath.

"And I can be the one you kick it to!" Kiki raised her hand.

"Chssst.. fine.. I'll allow that just this once.." said Kofi. 

"Great." said Nanefua. "Alright everyone! Back to our spots!" she threw the ball at Amethyst and she caught it.

Everyone started to take their spots again.

Amethyst jogged over to Steven. "Yo, Steven." 

_Oh no.._

And then the _constant_ use of his name too..

It was just _too_ personal..

"What the heck was that out there man? You just let that old woman BEAT you!" 

"I know.. I just..I don't know how to play.."

"Dude, it's simple! You dribble the ball and kick! Now, just go back to the goal and stay there. You need. to keep watch. and cover. our goal!"

"Y, yes Amethyst." he whispered.

"Good." and she said quickly. "And careful using my name!" 

"Oh! Uh, sorry.."

The woman gave him a leveled stare before running towards the center circle that Jenny and Garnet was fixing back up.

Garnet walked back towards her spot and Jenny started walking to the other side.

Amethyst placed the soccer ball in the middle. Kiki stood in front of her, outside of the circle. 

Unlike Jenny, Amethyst wasted no time in starting the game back up. She kicked the ball to Kiki and the teen kicked the ball back to her.

And the game started.

Amethyst was coming up fast towards their goal as Garnet, Jenny and Kiki ran up to her. 

Pearl, still holding her side and Kofi were running back to the goal and Steven was already running back to the opposing team's goal. 

Nanefua was already there. She chuckled. "Looks like you're here for another butt whipping." 

"I just let you get the ball." he said back.

"Ha! Yeah right." the old woman took a few steps towards him. "Call me Mrs. Elevator, because YOU are going down!"

Well.. her smack talk wasn't the best.. but at least she was trying to be even a little bit intimidating.

  
  


Amethyst was just halfway to the goal. Kiki was right beside her, trying to hold off Garnet who was steadily running up towards them. Jenny was on the other side of Amethyst coming in just as fast.

Garnet ran up to Amethyst with Kiki in tow. The woman now in between them. 

"Heheh." Amethyst dribbled along. "Now _you're_ trying to get it from m-"

Garnet clipped the ball easily from her.

"WHAT?!" 

"Yeahhh!!! Yeah!!! Yeah!!!! Go girl!!" Jenny cheered on. 

Garnet turned back around going towards the opposing team's goal. 

"How did she even do that?!?!" Amethyst growled under her breath. She, Jenny and Kiki ran after her.

Nanefua took a stance close beside Steven. The older woman determined to cover him and getting ready for a potential shot towards her.

Amethyst was directly beside Garnet, with Jenny on her other side. And Kiki was running close beside Garnet.

The woman looked up. Nanefua was open. Steven didn't know what he was doing. So she could easily kick it to the woman again like last time.

Except, she didn't.

She stopped abruptly and backpedaled a few steps, dribbling backwards and the three lunged back towards her. Garnet clipped the ball from foot to foot to trip up both parties before dashing forward again. They lunged forward at her and Garnet took a jump to one foot and switched the ball to the other and went for a side power kick, clipping the ball underneath. 

The soccer ball flew towards Nanefua and Steven, back spinning towards them. "Whoa!!" Steven lunged away, the ball barely missing his face as he dove his face towards the sand. 

The ball hit the net hard.

He heard cheering from the other group, with Garnet giving a smile to their victory and Pearl and Kofi were coming back up towards them.

"Looks like another win for us." said Nanefua. She picked up the ball. "And it's our turn to kick again." 

"Fine. Whatever grandma." said Amethyst. She started for her spot once again.

Everyone was walking to their spots.

"Hey. Pink haired one."

Pearl's heart skipped a beat as she turned around to face the woman.

Nanefua held the ball up in both hands. "How about you try kicking this time?"

"Huh?! Me?! But, I, uh.." she rubbed the back of her neck. "I'm.. not good at it."

"Well that's how you get better, right?"

"Uh, y, yeah.. I mean-"

"Great! Now here." she handed Pearl the ball. "Just kick the ball to your tall friend or my granddaughter." 

"Uh.. okay.."

The two made it to their spots and Pearl walked to the middle of the circle.

"BWAHAHAHAHA!!! You chose. _her_ of all people?! Oh-Ho! Hope you're ready to lose, P!" Amethyst laughed. "Oh, this'll _definitely_ be easy."

Pearl looked at Nanefua. 

"Don't you worry. We have your back! Just. give it all you've got!" she encouraged her with a wrinkled, determined smile. 

Pearl didn't seem so sure.. but still placed the ball in the middle of the circle. She looked in front of her. Nanefua was towards the other side of the field and Garnet and Jenny was on the either side of her towards the front. Jenny being much closer to her. 

So, she kicked it haphazardly and diagonally towards her instead. 

The teen ran to get the ball and she kicked it a bit softer towards her in a straight line.

Pearl barely caught it, the ball popping up and over her foot. She could hear Amethyst cackling and she felt even more self conscious. And she ignored the pain in her side and she kicked the ball in front of her just as Amethyst slid in. "Here I come!" she intercepted the ball and ran. 

"Oh, not again!" Jenny shouted behind Amethyst. Pearl frowned as Jenny ran towards Amethyst just as her sister and Garnet ran towards the front of the woman

They were getting ready to crowd around her. "Yo! Old man!" she kicked the ball hard, before Garnet or Jenny could get it.

Kofi caught it and with Pearl and no one else blocking him, he started running towards the goal.

Four of them were gaining on him now. And Kiki was steadily coming up beside him. "Dad! Pass it over!" she stood close by him just as Jenny, Garnet and Amethyst were directly behind them. 

Garnet fanned her hand towards Jenny and the teen ran up closer to her. She leaned in. "I got this." Garnet whispered to her. "Run pass them. I'll kick the ball to you."

"Gotcha." Jenny nodded and Amethyst watched, curious, as the teen started to run pass. She followed her. 

With two less people now behind them, Kofi used that time to try and pass the ball over.

Garnet went for a long jump and she slid down on the sand, kicking the ball between the two. "Kiki! You said you were open!"

"I didn't think she would do that!" she whined.

The ball rolled across the sand and Jenny caught it just as Garnet got back up. Amethyst clipped the ball from her. "Hey!" 

"Gotta be quicker than that!" Amethyst shouted. 

Jenny, Kiki and Garnet were already close by.

And Kiki was right on her heels. 

"Steven!" Amethyst kicked the ball hard across the rest of the field towards the penalty line, just in front of their goal. 

"Huh?!" he saw the ball flying towards him.

Nanefua started running for it and he ran just a split second later, quickly passing the woman. He caught the ball and started half jogging and half stopping with the ball, as Pearl did. 

And he saw them coming after him and he tried to pick up his speed, losing more control over the ball.

"Yo! Kick it straight! Kick it straight! Amethyst yelled. He could see Kiki running away from the group with Garnet running behind her now. 

Steven kicked the ball as hard as he could and the ball banked to the side. "Uh..ha!" Kiki caught it just before it reached the touch line and continued her way towards the goal.

"Nicely done, Kiki! That's my girl!" her dad cheered her on. He and Pearl were already by the goal. Waiting.

Garnet came in and Kiki shifted the ball to the other side and Garnet _still_ managed to get the ball. Using her heel to kick the ball back and she jumped back and twisted herself around as she dribbled the ball forward.

"How the heck did you let her do that?!" Amethyst yelled.

"You act like I did that on purpose! Besides, she got the ball from you too!" 

The two tried going for her again.

Jenny was running towards the goal. "Hey! Pass it to me!"

Garnet kicked it over to her and she caught it and started making her way down to the goal.

"Steven, get her!" Amethyst yelled.

Steven ran towards the goal. Nanefua just a few feet away from him as she tried to make it towards the goal as well.

Jenny stopped in front of him and just as Steven tried to go for the ball. She kicked it over to Garnet who was just a few feet on the side of him. The ball going right pass Nanefua to go to the other woman. 

Kiki tried to clip the ball from Garnet, but the woman kicked the ball up in the air and jumped up, going for a side spin as she kicked the ball with the side of her foot. She landed on her stomach and everyone watched as the ball beamed pass Steven and Nanefua and crashing into the inside of the net.

"Are. you. KIDDING me!" Amethyst pulled at her hair.

_"Incredible."_ said Nanefua.

"How the heck did she do that.." Jenny asked.. breathless..

"Wow, you're good." Kiki looked at Garnet as she got up.

The woman shrugged with a smile. "Had a lot of practice." 

"Okay, okay!! That is IT!! I call time!!!!" Amethyst yelled. "Steven! Old Man! Other girl!" she waved them over.

Nanefua allowed it and the three of them made it over towards Amethyst in a huddle. They crouched down with her.

"We. are getting CREAMED out there!!!" she whispered shouted. "We can NOT let them get in ANY more goals!!" 

"Hey, um.. A? Look, we're trying!" said Kiki.

"Well we need to try harder! You have Old Man here who can't keep up." Kofi scoffed. "But yet he's covering for Pearl who doesn't know how to play." she pointed over at the opposing teammate. "and she's injured! And then you have." she pointed at the boy. "freakin' Steven over here who's PLAYING as if he's injured!"the boy frowned and she pinched the bridge of her nose. "And then he have their aaaaaall star." she waved her hand at Garnet. "who's just a, a walking professional soccer player! Like, how the heck does her body move like that!" she growled. 

"We.. have to face it. She's just. _way_ too good." said Kiki.

"No." Amethyst shook her head. "We have to do something. If we are to win, we have to take down their prize player." she looked at them. "We have to take her down." 

"How?" Kiki asked.

Amethyst sighed as she placed her hand on her chin. She closed her eyes as she crouched there in the sand.

There was silence before she spoke back up. "Wait.. I can't believe I didn't think about this before."

"What?"

Amethyst snickered and she held up one hand and covered her left eye.

"I don't get it." said Kiki.

"Cover your eye." 

She did.

"Everyone." Amethyst ordered.

Steven and Kofi did the same.

"Can anyone see to their side with the eye that's covered up?"

The three gave their own 'no's' as they shook their head.

"Exactly." Amethyst nodded. "You see, _that's_ Garnet's weakness. She has a glass eye. The left side is her blindspot. We stay behind her on her left and we can try to intercept the ball from her." 

"But wouldn't someone warn her?" Steven asked.

"They hadn't been doing that before. Besides, they're not going to be expecting any one of us to be able to get the ball from her anyway. The only thing is that, we'll have to come up with another plan since this may only work one or two times before she realizes what we're doing." 

"Right." said Kiki.

"Hmm.." Kofi thought. "You know, I think I have _just_ the plan as well" he told them with a grin. "I have just the plan for Jenny. And that's, being an authority."

"What do you mean?" Amethyst asked.

"You'll see."

"O... kay?" she looked from him to the other two. "Okay, let's win this thing!" she got up and they got up with her, Kofi's back cracking and he grunted as he rubbed his lower back. Amethyst snorted, shaking her head.

"Alright, Grandma. You can pass your son the ball." 

They were having their little huddle as well and they leaned up. Nanefua walked away from the group and her team mates started walking to their spots.

She threw the ball towards Kofi and he caught it. She went to her spot as he walked into the circle. He placed the ball in the middle. Amethyst was right in front of him, standing outside of the circle.

He kicked the ball to her and she kicked the ball back to him.

A new game was on, yet again. 

Kofi was running towards the goal and Pearl was jogging up towards him. He kicked the ball back to Amethyst and started running for the goal. She caught it as Kiki tried to go for the ball, just missing it. And she, Garnet and Jenny ran up towards Amethyst. 

Garnet was coming up and Amethyst turned, quickly dribbling around Garnet's left side as Jenny kept to Amethyst's other side. Everyone but Kiki being on Garnet's left side. She turned her head all the way to her left to watch them and Jenny ran up pass her. 

Amethyst kept to Garnet's left as she dribbled and Jenny tried to clip the ball from her and Garnet turned and charged towards her. Amethyst kicked the ball up and over them to the other side of the field and Kiki head-butted the ball and started dribbling towards closer to the goal. Pearl and Kofi was right in front of it.

"Here it comes!" Kiki yelled and she kicked the ball towards them. 

Kofi advanced in front of Pearl and the ball hit his chest. Then he popped it up with his knee and dribbled the ball. Pearl jogged behind him and just as she got close to him, he kicked the ball.

The ball going right inside the net.

"Awwwww yeah!!!" Amethyst cheered.

"Pffft, whatever!" Jenny pouted. "You just got one shot in, that's it!"

  
  


The team's settled back into their spots and Garnet set the ball in the center spot. She kicked it to Jenny and the teen kicked it back to her and she mad a dash towards the goal.

Amethyst ran up to her left and Kiki ran down the field to cut Garnet off at the front while Jenny stayed by Amethyst to cover her.

Amethyst slowed her pace down as Kiki lunged in front of Garnet. She backpedaled as Garnet continued to jog cautiously in front of her and Kiki kept to Garnered right. 

Then Amethyst used that time to run up, keeping her body low to the ground as she sprinted towards Garnet's left side and Jenny tried to keep up. 

"Hey! Uh, tall one! On your left!" 

Garnet turned around just as Amethyst slid under. Her foot barely hitting the ball away as Garnet tried pushing Amethyst's foot away and keeping the ball at bay. Kiki clipped the ball and Garnet clipped it back and ran down the field.

"Crap!!" Amethyst jumped up and ran. "Almost had it!!" 

"I got this one!" Jenny waved her arms. 

"Jenny!" Garnet kicked the ball across the field towards her and she, Kiki and Amethyst ran towards her. 

The ball was coming down right towards Jenny-

"Jennifer!" Kofi yelled out her first name from the goal. "You touch that ball, you're grounded!" 

"Whoa!" she stopped and the ball rolled pass her. "Daddy, you cheatin'!" 

Garnet, Kiki and Amethyst ran pass.

"HA-HA-HA!! The look on your face!! Hahahaha!" her father cackled.

Amethyst caught the ball and kicked it towards the goal. Steven and Nanefua ran up to it and Steven caught it with the side of his foot.

"Kick it back over!" Amethyst yelled and he kicked it back.

She caught it back. "Aha!" and started dribbling the ball. "¡Chicharito NO tiene NADA que ver conmigo! (Chicharito (nickname of famous soccer player) has NOTHING on me!). 

Jenny was coming up. Garnet and Kiki right behind her. 

Amethyst saw Jenny come up right beside her. "Oohoo~~ Ahí, AHÍÍÍ la tiene Yenni (Oohoo~, there, THERE is Jenny.) she kept up with Amethyst with the ball as she tried to get the ball from her and Amethyst continued with her commentary. "Yenni estás tratando la juega por abajo. (Jenny is trying to play it from underneath.) she looked up to see Nanefua and Steven at the goal. "Y los arqueros sale. (And the goalkeepers are out.) Y la tiene yo. (And I have it(the ball) ). She sprinted down a few more steps and Jenny jumped in front of her and she looked back at Nanefua at the goal. "No hay arquera, no hay arquera, no hay arquera, no hay arquera." (There's no goalkeeper) she joked. Jenny tried to clip the ball from her from the front and Amethyst kept switching her footing as she shuffled the ball in front of her. ¿Quién la pega, quién la pega?" (Who's going to hit it? Who's going to hit it?" she shuffled the soccer ball from foot to foot in front of Jenny and she took a step back and pivoted. Jenny tried clipping the ball from her once more but failed, Amethyst kicking the ball at an angle. (¡¡Yoooo!! Meeeee!!). Nanefua jumped up to headbutt the ball, but the ball flew over her head and hit the top corner and into the net.

"Ohoooooooo!!!" Amethyst jumped up in the air. "¡Golaaaaaaasooooo!!!!! Golaso!!! Golaso!!!! Golaso!!!! Golaaasooooo!!!!" (Amazing goal!!!!!) she ran down the sand throwing her hands up as she cheered. "¡POEMA DE GOL! APAGO LA LUS Y ME VOY!"((Rough translation) Beautiful goal! Close the stadium, I am OUT of here!!)

Jenny rolled her eyes as she folded her arms. "Whatever. It's not even that serious." 

Amethyst kept going. "Golaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaassoooooooooooooo!!!!" (Amazing goal!!!!!) she yelled. 

"Uhg, just quit it! It was ONE little goal!" 

Amethyst ignored her. ¿¡Qué me IMPORTA que me asesinen la garganta mientras se maten a goles!? (What do I care if my throat is killed while goals are killed?) Golaaaaso!! Golaaaaaso!! Golaaaasooooooo-aso -aso-asoooooo!!!!!"

"Big deal!" Jenny stomped. "We're still winning!!"

Amethyst cheered for a few more moments before calming down slightly. "Not for long!! ¡Oye! (Hey!) Hand me the ball, abuelita! (Granny). We're gonna tie this game up!" she held her arms up. 

Nanefua threw her the ball and she caught it.

  
  


Everyone was standing at their spots again.

Kiki set the ball down in the center. She kicked the ball to Amethyst and she kicked it back to Kiki. 

Steven ran towards Nanefua and Pearl jogged towards Kofi.

Garnet and Jenny were running up to Kiki and Amethyst ran back to their opposing team's goal. Jenny realized what they could be planning and ran back towards her to cover her, leaving Garnet to take on Kiki. 

Amethyst ran down the field and away from her and Kiki kicked the ball up in the air, over Garnet and towards the penalty box and Amethyst stopped it with the heel of her foot and pivoted around just as Jenny ran up towards her. "Yo, Steven." she kicked the ball towards him. 

He caught the ball and tried to dribble it towards the goal.

Nanefua came up towards him and he tried lunging left, then right, trying to shake her off and Nanefua advanced a couple steps, clipping the ball away from him and he tripped, falling into the ground as she ran pass him.

"Whoa, hey, hey, hey!!" Amethyst yelled. "Your grandmother tripped him! He deserves a penalty kick!"

"What?!" Jenny exclaimed. "She. did NOT!" 

"Steven tripped over his own feet. He is like a lamb." said Nanefua.

"No. NU uh. I saw you!"

"You. saw. WRONG-"

Nanefua held her hand up. "It is okay. If the purple haired one wants her teammate to have a penalty kick, then we'll let him have it."

Jenny looked on. Shocked. 

Nanefua handed the ball over to Steven.

"Uh.." he looked at her.

"Just kick the ball inside the net!" he looked farther up to see Amethyst.

"Okay.. just.." he turned around.

"No. Farther inside the penalty box." said Amethyst.

He walked farther inside of the line and set the ball down. 

_Okay.. here I go.._

He kicked the ball, forgetting how to properly kick the ball, kicking it with his toes instead. And his digits screamed in pain as the ball rolled towards the goal. It hit the net.

"Yayayeeee! We got that third point shor!!" Amethyst boasted.

Nanefua went to go get the ball. 

"Tsh.. because you're cheating!" Jenny shouted.

"No I'm not! Your grandmother did the boy dirty and tripped him! So getting that penalty shot was fair and you know it!"

"IF she had tripped him, yeah. But she didn't!"

"Girls, girls." Nanefua intervened. "Let's not make such a fuss of things." Nanefua handed the ball over to Garnet. "Now come. Let's play another game."

  
  


Garnet set the ball in the middle of the circle. Jenny was right in front of her. 

The woman kicked the ball to her and she kicked the ball back and Garnet started running with the ball.

Kiki was already right on Garnet's heels, staying to her left, with Amethyst running a couple feet away from the right side of her. 

Jenny stayed behind, not covering Amethyst and deciding to go over by the goal instead. She saw Kiki getting closer to her roommate. "Tall one! On your left!" she warned Garnet. "Kick the ball to me!"

"No!" Amethyst yelled. She tried going for Garnet and the woman pivoted around and kicked the ball.

Amethyst, Garnet and Kiki ran towards her as the ball came her way. "I got it now!" she ran for the ball- 

"You can't use the car for a month!" Kofi yelled from the other side of the field.

She barley missed it, jumping over the ball. "Daddyyy!" 

The ball rolled pass the touchlines and away from them.

Amethyst and Kofi cackled.

She pouted.

"Looks like someone from your team has to throw the ball and we get to kick it." said Kofi.

"But you two aren't even playing fair! Your group has cheated these last to games!" Jenny whined.

"That is not true!" said Amethyst.

"It SO is!"

Nanefua shook her head. "This is getting out of hand." she started walking to the two squabbling groups. 

Steven sighed. "I'll run and get the ball." he said to no one.. And went to chase after the soccer ball towards the shore. 

He picked up the ball when a sudden strong gust of wind crashed into him, sending him flying _and screaming_ towards the crew. 

Gusts of winds started to hit the group as sand and seaweed started to kick up in their face. Amethyst shielded her eyes with her hand. "Hey, why is it getting so... WINDY!?" 

They saw a bulky woman flying towards them, wearing a green jacket and pink pants. Her helmet, her clothes and down to her pink and green boots were decked out with spikes, with larger, sharper spikes from the torso on up. She was holding on to the handles of what looked to be a sort of jetpack. With one helicopter rotor on each side. On her back was a black backpack and slightly above it, hooked up to the two rotors was one canon-like object above it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nearly that whole Spanish commentary that Amethyst was doing was homage to the beginning of this clip:
> 
> https://youtu.be/S3sArIWHzrk


	127. What a breeze

The Pizzas, but Nanefua started to shout out in fear as the woman moved the joystick on the handle between her fingers. The canon shifted down towards them and she pressed the button on top of the stick and a sudden burst of air blew into the group knocking everyone towards the cliffside. Both the Pizzas and the Gems being blown in opposite ways. The wind knocking over the grills, their bags and Lion along with them. 

"What is going on?!" Jenny yelled. She held on to her father.

  
  


"Crap! We wasted our time!" Amethyst whisper shouted to her crew. She got up slowly as the sand storm slowly started to abate. 

"And.. we don't have our weapons." Pearl said meekly.

Amethyst growled. "I _know_ that Pearl. But we OBVIOUSLY don't have time to go back to the car to get them. So, we'll JUST have to take her down. with_out_ them." she looked at her, then to Garnet and then to Steven. "It'll be a bit more tedious, but we can _still_ take her on. And. we _will."_ she looked back to Garnet. "Now, Garnet. You and I can-"

Steven gasped. "Wait!" Amethyst looked at him Glaring. "Uh.. sorry, Amethyst.. But, maybe this would be a good time to work with the Pizzas!" 

"What?!" she and the rest of them looked over at the Pizzas cowering behind two fallen grills. Nanefua comforting Lion as she pet his head. Not fazed by the robber in the sky.

"Look at them! Terrified!" Amethyst scoffed. "Like _they_ could help." Then she looked back at Steven. "Besides, we don't need THEM" she gestured with her chin at them. "to help us."

"But.. it's eight of us and only one of her. And, it'll be a great bonding experience! We already played a few games with them!"

"What?! What are you- It doesn't work like that! What kind of alternate universe are _you_ living in?!" 

"I.. just figured that we could possibly work together."

"We don't need their help." she turned to Pearl. "Pearl, you and Talc stay on the ground for the woman. Garnet and I will climb the cliffside and get on her back. We'll destroy the propellers and all four of us will take her down as soon as she hits the ground." Pearl nodded. 

"But, Amethyst-"

"That's an order, Talc." she started walking away from him. "Garnet." she walked away and Garnet followed her. The two of them started climbing up the cliffside.

"But.. I really think that they could really help us.." he looked at Pearl, _with his dark brown eyes_ that caused a pain in her chest, that _wasn't_ from the many cuts from Amethyst's sword..

She looked away and shrugged. "That's an order." she said bluntly. "So you and I should pay attention for when they come down." 

He sighed. "Yeah.."

They two looked up at the woman cackling as she started blowing everything in her path up and down the beach. Sand debris, seaweed and water sprayed everywhere.

Pearl shielded her eyes and started walking away from the edge of the beach and Steven followed behind her silently. 

  
  


The two twins were still cowering on either side of their father. And Kiki saw something moving at the corner of her eye. She turned her head to see Amethyst and Garnet climbing up the clffside. "What are they doing?!" she pointed at them and everyone looked at the two women climbing up.

"Doing something STUPID!" Kofi shouted.

"Looks like they have a plan to me." said Nanefua. She gave Lion a few more head scratches before standing up. Lion looked at her, tail wagging. She started running out into the windstorm with Steven and Pearl. 

"Mom!" 

"Gunga! What are you doing?!" Jenny shouted.

She turned around, still shuffling over. "I'm not afraid of her one bit!" she turned back around. 

"Gunga! No! Please!" Kiki yelled 

  
  


Amethyst and Garnet were looking down from the cliff. Looking at the woman wreaking havoc for fun along the beach with her wind machine. 

"Now if she would just be still for a freakin' second, we could easily jump on her back." said Amethyst.

"Right." 

"Not only that but we _also_ don't have our gloves or the rest of our Gemtech clothing. So we need to be extra careful in not hitting those spikes." she crouched down at the edge of the cliff. "For all we we know, they could have poison in them." 

Garnet nodded. "Right. I was wondering about the same thing."

Amethyst took her shirt off and covered her hands. "This will have to do."

Garnet turned her skirt around to cover her legs and she took her shirt off and did the same thing.

"When the right time comes, I'll give my signal and we jump.

"Affirmative."

  
  


Steven and Pearl saw Amethyst and Garnet waiting on the edge of the cliff.

"Looks like they're waiting to jump." said Steven. He looked at Pearl. "But maybe it's difficult for them to do that. Maybe we can figure out something to do so we can help them-"

"So, what's the plan." Steven jumped as they heard Nanefua shout behind them and they turned around.

"Nanefua?! What are you-"

She held a hand up to stop him. "I am here to help you four get rid of that woman. She's not threatening. Just a nuisance! Playing around with her wind cannon!"

"But." he _did_ wanted them to help the Crystal Gems out. But not Nanefua. The older woman could easily get hurt. 

Even _if_ the robber was "seemingly" just toying around and simply being a nuisance, the wind could still easily hurt her.. 

Besides, winds are dangerous.. Hasn't she ever heard of a tornado? 

Just as he was about to try and politely dismiss the offer, he saw Kofi, Jenny and Kiki running up to them. Lion was trying his best to make it towards them. The winds pushing the dog back farther towards the cliffside.

"I can't believe we're doing this." said Kofi.

"But we can't have you do it alone, Gunga." said Kiki. Then she looked up at Steven. "And we can't let you four do it alone either." she smiled.

Steven smiled back at her.

Suddenly another gust of wind hit them and they tried to stand their ground as more sand debris and seaweed swung around the air. 

"Steven, look out!" Nanefua pointed and Steven looked back. One of the goals was coming his way. He jumped to the side, the goal barely missing him as he landed hard on the sand.

"How are we going to get to this woman?!" Jenny asked.

Steven looked at the goal in front of him. Nanefua came over and helped him to his feet. Both of them looking at the goal and getting an idea. They looked at each other. "You thinking what I'm thinking, Nanefua?" 

"Perhaps we can try to use that net to trap her." 

"Yes! But, we'll need her to come down first.. And she can't come down unless.." he looked up, making Nanefua look up at the two women still waiting on the edge of the cliff.

"Unless they _bring_ her down." said Nanefua.

Steven nodded. "But how.."

"Easy. We'll distract her." 

"Yeah." he thought, slowly nodding. "Yeah, that'll work." 

Nanefua turned back around and started walking towards the group. "Steven and I have a plan. Us two will go and distract the woman, while you four get our two goals. We keep her in one spot, then the two on the cliff can get to her, bring her down and then we put the two nets on her, trapping her." 

Steven nodded, agreeing all they way.

Her family looked at her. "Are you.. sure about this, Gunga." Kiki asked.

"Of course I'm sure!" she turned to Steven. "Come, Steven. Let's see if you can keep up with me!" she jogged away from him.

"Of course I can!" he grinned. 

"Gunga! Careful with your back!" said Jenny. She, her sister and Kofi ran towards the first goal that'd been blown away a few yards from them.

And Pearl stood there. Contemplating. She should obey Amethyst's orders.. 

But, if she helps them.. then she would possibly be helping Amethyst out and perhaps even much quicker as well..?

  
  


"Oh! Oh! Over here!" Nanefua flailed her arms around.

"Yeah!! Over here!! Come on!!" said Steven. 

The two ran towards the cliffside.

The woman flew over towards them and moved the joystick forward. The cannon shifted down at them. She pressed the button.

Steven grabbed Nanefua's hand right as the gust of wind blew into them. He kept a firm grip on her hand, as he tried to shield her away from the wind. 

The woman only laughed above them. She twisted the knob, increasing the winds and Steven and Nanefua tried their best to keep their selves grounded. Nanefua was slowly sliding across the sand and he went in for a hug to keep Nanefua from being blown away.

  
  


Amethyst got up. "I have the left side! Now!" 

She and Garnet jumped off the cliff and the two landed on each wing. Garnet landing on her hands and knees and Amethyst being careful to land her knees on the shirt. 

"Hey!" the woman screeched. She used the other two controllers on the handle to spin herself around as she moved the propellers on the rotors.

Amethyst and Garnet held on tightly as they crawled towards the woman on their shirts. 

  
  


Pearl looked at her boss.. and then Garnet. 

Then to Steven helping Nanefua up and then to Kofi and his daughters walking back up to the beach with only one of the goals.

More contemplating. 

For just a few moments. 

Before making a decision. 

  
  


The goal laid there by the cliffside. Not too far from the grills on the sand. With Lion just beside one of them, trying once more to get to Steven.

Pearl took the top edge of the heavy goal and started dragging it. Ignoring the pain in her side and trying to see through the sand filled air. 

And she trudged through the sand, wincing slightly at her injury.

Until she saw someone running up to her. Kofi. 

She looked at him.

"Let me help you." he took the other side and started walking with her up the sand.

And.. they walked up towards everyone else. 

And Pearl looked at him. "Um.. thank.. you.."

"Hm." he nodded. A determined look on his face as he looked in front of him. "Any time."

  
  


Amethyst went in for a reach, grabbing the woman's chin and lifting her head up. "Get OFF of me!!" she screamed. Amethyst bent the lady's head to the left and she let go of the handles to grab at Amethyst's hands.

"Garnet! The controllers!" 

The woman was already crawling pass the woman's face to grab the two controllers. 

"Forget about a safe landing. Destroy at least one!" said Amethyst. She grabbed the woman's arms and bent them back and she screamed. 

Quick thinking, Garnet took her hand to the joystick and turned it to the left. The cannon shifted towards the left side of the rotor and Garnet pressed down on the button. The gust of wind blasted into it. They could hear the sound of metal bending and cracking under the pressure. 

"Come on, Nanefua. Let's get away from here." said Steven. The two ran away from under the woman as bits of the rotor started ripping apart. 

"Steven, you help my granddaughters and I'll help my son and the pink haired one."

"I'm on it, Nanefua." he ran towards the two teens and Nanefua went to help the other two. 

Jenny and Kiki were walking up with the net when Steven ran up to meet them.

"Steven!" Kiki smiled. Jenny only stared, unimpressed. Though she didn't say anything.

"Hey! I'm here to help out." he went to grab the bar of the net.

The three of them, with Pearl, Kofi and Nanefua coming from their side, walked towards the action.

The robber, along with Amethyst and Garnet, were being flung all around as the last pieces of the rotor broke off. A chunk of one piece finally breaking off and flinging across the beach.

The cannon jetpack started to spiral out of control, spinning them around as it haphazardly took them to the sand below. 

"Come on, everyone!" said Nanefua. "Now's our chance!" 

The six of them starts to run over, being careful of the cannon jetpack's trajectory. 

  
  


"You MAY have destroyed my jetpack!" said the lady. "But YOU will NOT take ME down!"

Amethyst let go of her face with one hand and brought it down to the woman's face. 

Knocking her out cold.

Amethyst ignored themselves being turned around all about in the sky as they continued to make a crash landing. 

She looked at Garnet, shaking her head. "Okay, this has been, BY far. THE lamest robber we have EVER encountered. Paaaathetic." 

She let go of the woman's face and her head fell forward.

"Has me wondering how she even stole from a jewelry store in the first place." Amethyst unzipped the bag on the lady's back. "Unless she just worked with tech and wormed her way through the systems." she started taking the jewels out the bag and stuffing them in her pockets.

"It's possible." said Garnet. She let go of the controls and crawled back up and started grabbing the rest of the jewels from the bag.

And the three of them made a crash landing. Debris, sand and smoke filled the air. 

The two groups walked cautiously up to the wreckage as everything started to settle back into the sand, say for the smoke that was still wafting into the air, but slowing thinning.

Amethyst and Garnet got off of the metal structure of the jetpack and Amethyst, then Garnet slipped their shirts back on. Hiding the jewels in their pockets.

The two groups came into view as the smoke seeped up into the sky.

"Ah! There she is!" said Nanefua. "Quick! Before she gets up!" the two groups ran towards her.

"Hey, hey. At ease, folks." Amethyst held up her hands. "This woman is out cold. Besides, it's not like those two goals could cover her up AS well as the whole structure of the jetpack on her."

They looked at the goals in their hands, then at the woman, unconscious and underneath of her own jetpack. Trapped.

"But hey, y'all tried." she shrugged. 

"Yes! We have tried and we have concured!" Nanefua shouted with triumph. "Justice! Has been served!" she kicked the lady in her arm with her little foot. 

Amethyst snickered. "You know you got a lot of moxey, Grandma." 

"Well they don't call me Mama ɔsebɔ (Tiger) for nothing."

"Cool, cool." Amethyst nodded with a side smile. "Whatever that means." 

"It means Mama Tiger." 

Kofi took out his phone and dialed 9 1 1 as he walked away. And looking at Kofi on his phone reminded Steven that he hadn't texted Connie in almost two hours and the he should be doing that. VERY. soon.

"Yeah, well anyway, _Mama ɔsebɔ."_ she snorted. "With everything that just happened." she looked at the unconscious woman on the ground. "I think it's best that we leave." she stuck her hands in her jewel filled pockets. "Don't want to overstay our welcome.' she said casually. 

" 'What?! Nonsense! We have yet to officially have our Beach Party yet. So, you four have to stay."

"Oh? Whatever happened to "Not trusting us"?" she joked.

"Well if you leave now you four give me a REASON to not trust y'all." Nanefua challenged with a small smile.

And Amethyst mocked scoffed. "Well, since you put it like that." she looked at her crew. "I _guess_ we have some time to hang out for a bit at the beach."

Steven squealed ad he threw his arms in the air. "Beach Party!!"

"But, we _do_ have to wait for the police to come and get her first." Nanefua deadpanned.

"Uh.. right." he put his arms down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first time the Gems took down a robber without the use of their weapons ;'P  
Aaaand yes, with some help from the Pizzas of course ;3
> 
> But then again, it was a pretty easy robber to take down so 🤷 That chick was just a nuisance at best.


	128. Beach Party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOF! Initially I was going for a short chapter :0
> 
> ..Aaaand, looks like it didn't quite turn out that way :0

After the police locked the robber up and once the area was cleaned up from the debris of the jetpack and the cops made their reports, the authorities left and it was just the Pizzas and the Crystal Gems once again.

They'd played a few more games of soccer, with Amethyst still being a sore loser, with Garnet still being their all-star player and with Steven and Pearl getting just one percent better at playing soccer. The latter getting better with her dribbling and her kicking.

Afterwards, Steven and the Gems (except for Garnet who'd apparently knew how to play all of them) were introduced to a handful of traditional African-style games that the Pizzas used to play when the twins were younger. 

It all started when Steven was having some trouble breaking down one of the goals. (The Gems were laying down and relaxing by the twins and Nanefua was playing with Lion. She threw another stick across the sand and the canine went running for it.) While in the process of folding one of the sides back, the other side had snapped back out, spooking Steven. The boy jumping away as the goal snapped back into position. The twins thought it was hilarious and in the mix of Kofi walking back to help Steven with the other goal Kiki piped up. "That just reminded me about the game we used to play." Kiki laughed. "The way Steven jumped just now. Remember Ampe?" she asked her sister.

Jenny thought about it then gasped and in a fit of giggles she said. "Yes! I can't believe I forgot about that game! Aw man, we used to play that everyday!" 

Steven was following Kofi back to the car that'd been parked not too far from the site. The men each holding a goal in their arms as they walked pass them.

Kiki got up from the sand. "I think I still remember it." she bounced. 

"Oh noooo." Jenny rolled her eyes playfully. "You wanna play it?" 

"Yess!" she held out her hand. Jenny grabbed it and Kiki pulled her up. "Okay, I think it went something like.. we jump" she jumped. "and clap.. no wait. We _clap twice_, then jump. Then we jump again amd clap as we kick our foot out." 

"Yeah, I think so. So it went something like." The Gems watched as Jenny clapped twice, then jumped. Then jumped again as she clapped and kicked her foot out.

Garnet looked at them. Her heart skipping a beat as she watched Jenny try and remember the game that _she_ used to play when she was younger.

And a sense of longing to be back in her village rushed to the fore.. 

And she would've asked to play or to at least help them out, but being a Crystal Gem.. and being with her boss at that time.. she sat there silently instead.. letting the bittersweet memories of her and her family, neighbors and friends.. and letting the nostalgia eat at her. 

Nanefua picked up the stick that Lion eventually brought back to her and she turned around to throw it. She saw her granddaughters standing in front of each other as they clapped their hands and jumped up, kicking their foot out as they did.

Nanefua smiled at the interaction. The scene taking her back to when the twins were little. 

She threw the stick and Lion ran after it and she jogged towards the two girls. 

  
  


"No wait! If we both kick out our left legs.. then player one gets the point." said Jenny.

"I thought if one of us kick out the opposite legs, then player one gets the point. Because I'm pretty sure it goes by throwing out the same foot. But, it's not mirrored." said Kiki. 

"Uh.. Maybe? So technically it's not throwing out the same foot. But we're throwing out our feet to the same side." 

"Yeah, I.. think so? I don't know.. I haven't played it in soo long." 

Amethyst snorted. "Can't even remember their own game." she whispered to Garnet and Pearl.

"Aw, look at you two." Nanefua cooed as she caught up to the group. "You two haven't played Ampe in SO long." 

"Yeah and it looks like they don't even know how to play it." said Amethyst.

"Hey! It's been awhile!" said Jenny.

"Well _I_ still know how to play it." said Nanefua with a pleased, wrinkled smile. "And you are even welcomed to play." 

"Heheh, me? Eh, I'm good. I'll just watch." 

"Oh? Afraid to lose?" said Jenny.

"Pfft. That simple game? It looks _way_ too easy for me." 

"Then you wouldn't mind playing a game or two. Besides. Aren't we supposed to be "booonding." " she made air quotes.

Amethyst looked at her. "You know what." she got up. "Let's do this. I'll get you back for cheating against _my_ team." 

"Uhhgg, for the last time. We WON. Fair. and. square." 

"Whatever." Amethyst turned to her. "Yo, Granny. How you play this?"

"The leader and another player start off by clapping their hands twice. Then, they jump up and clap as they thrust one foot forward and land back down with another clap. If the leader and the other player kick their legs out and both feet are on the same side, the leader wins the point. If they are different than the other player becomes "it" and plays against the remaining players. If there are multiple players in a line, the leader moves down the line, playing against others in turn. You can also play it in a circle, but playing in a line would be easier." she looked at the group. "That's if your two friends want to play as well." she looked at Pearl then Garnet. The latter's eyes holding so much.. longing.. nostalgia.. 

..sadness..

She saw the two look at Amethyst. Something that she noticed the pink haired one do earlier when she picked her to be on a team.

Amethyst shrugged casually. As if she hadn't noticed. "Sure, whatever." 

Garnet was the first one to get up. And Nanefua could see a small smile she was trying to hold in.

"Have you played this before?" Nanefua asked her.

"I used to play it a lot when I was in primary and secondary school." and there was that small, _and sad_ smile. "Though we don't call it Ampe-"

Nanefua was about to say something more when Amethyst cut back in. "So! I'll be the leader this time. Since _your_ team cheated and won the soccer match." she told Nanefua.

"We did NOT cheat!" Jenny yelled.

"Nevertheless, she can still be the leader." said Nanefua. "She's the guest after all."

Jenny looked at Amethyst, pouting at her and Amethyst scoffed with a smile. "You heard her.

"So, let's start in a line." said Nanefua. "The purple haired one will go against Jenny first, then Kiki-No. Actually, we can split up the teams again and Kiki can be on your side, while the tall one stands beside Jenny." she looked at Pearl. "Did you want to play?" 

"Yeah, sure." she got up." 

"This time you'll be on your purple haired friend's side." she saw Steven and her son coming up. Lion was running around them. The stick still in his mouth. Steven tried to reach for it and Lion ran away from him. 

"Ah, maybe they would like to play as well." said Nanefua. She waved them over with her hand. And she waited until they were just a few feet away from them. "We're playing Ampe."

"Ampe? Really? The twins haven't played it in so long." said Kofi. 

"What's Ampe?" 

Nanefua explained the game to him and he already couldn't wait to play it. "What team am I on this time?!"

"You'll be on Jenny's team." she gestured to her granddaughter and he walked over and stood beside Garnet. 

"Kofi, you're playing too."

"Me?! Ampe isn't for grown men."

"Hey." Steven pouted.

"Kofi, there is nobody watching but us. Now you come over here right now and play Ampe with us."

He resisted a sigh.. or even a frown as he walked up to the line. He stood in front of his mother. 

And the four of them stood on the opposite side of each other.

"Now. The two of you would start." said Nanefua.

Amethyst and Jenny looked at each other. "Wait, real quick." said Amethyst. "Let's see if I go this right. So I, clap twice." she clapped. "and jump up." she jumped. "then jump up again and clap and throw my foot out." she performed the action and landed with her left foot out.

"Yes. And you clap again when you land." said Nanefua.

"Okay." said Amethyst. "I got it."

"On the count of three." said Nanefua. "Start it off."

"Okay." Amethyst held her hands up. "One, two, three." 

The two clapped their hands twice and jumped the first time. Then on the second jump they clapped and they both stuck out their left leg and they landed with another clap. "Okay, my point." said Jenny. 

"Wait, what?! I'm out like that?!" 

"Yup." she immediately went straight to Kiki on the other side and the two clapped their hands twice, then jumped-

"This game doesn't play fair.." Amethyst mumbled.

-they jumped again and clapped and they both stuck out their left leg and landed with another clap.

"Aw, man." Jenny stomped.

"Ha! Looks like you got _got."_

Kiki and Garnet, with a nice smile on the face, clapped twice and they jumped. They jumped again and clapped and Kiki stuck out her right foot and Garnet stuck out her left foot.

And Kiki won, going to the next person. Steven.

"Wait, it's." Steven tried to clarify and Kiki had clapped twice already and he clapped with her trying to mimic her and he clapped _a third time_ as she jumped. And he jumped a couple seconds after. And she waited for him and jumped a second time and clapped and he went for another quick hop as he clapped and they both stuck out their left leg. 

And Kiki stopped. 

And Steven looked at her. 

"You won." 

"What?!" they heard Amethyst say. 

"Huh? Oh! Uh." he turned to Pearl. "Uh.." he looked at Kiki. "Clap.. then jump..?"

"Clap two times and jump." 

Steven turned to Pearl and the two clapped their hands twice and jumped. And Pearl went for another jump, ignoring the pain in her side as she clapped and he jumped with her with a clap and the two kicked their right legs out. 

"Uh.. did I win?" 

"No, P did." said Kiki. 

And Pearl went up against Nanefua. The older woman jumping with Pearl as she clapped. The two landed with a clap as they stuck their right legs out. 

"And the point goes to me." said Nanefua. She turned to Kofi and she and her son, still a bit embarrassed, and they clapped twice and jumped and they jumped again with a clap and Nanefua stuck out her right leg and Kofi stuck out his left and they landed with a clap. 

"Woohoo! My point again!" she cheered. She turned and looked all the way down at Amethyst. "It's you and me."

"Alright, Grandma." 

Two claps and they jumped. And they jumped a second time and clapped and Nanefua stuck out her right leg as Amethyst stuck out her left. And they landed with another clap. "My win again!!" 

"Oh, are you kidding me?! I lost to Abuelita?!" 

Kiki and Nanefua had already started. "You mean, Mama ɔsebɔ (Tiger)? Yuuuup." said Kiki. She and her grandmother jumped a second time and Kiki stuck out her right leg and Nanefua stuck out her left. "Aaand.. she beat me too." 

"HA!" 

Nanefua turned to Pearl.

....................................

After playing Ampe, the Pizzas started suggesting other games they used to play with each other. The next one being a game called 2-4-6-1-1, where they had to clap their hands according to the numbers and if you get the sequence wrong, you're out.

Steven thought it was pretty simple, but when they started playing the game, he noticed how hard it actually really was. 

One _really_ had to pay attention to the hand claps.. 

And it was even harder when it was your first time playing it and you had to remember the numbers.. 

And it was even hard_er_ with how fast they were going.

He was the first one out..

Then it was Kofi, then Pearl, then Jenny and then Amethyst.

And the five of them were gathered around the three as Garnet and Kiki (both crouched down lower to Nanefua's level) and the older woman as they stood in a circle. The three of them clapping faster and faster as Amethyst started shouting out random numbers of six's one's, two's and fours to mess them up. 

They clapped each other's hands, then clapped twice. "Two, two, one, six!" Clapped each other's hands and clapped four times in front of them. "One, one, one, four!" Clapped each other's hands and clapped six times. "Two, four, four!" Clapped each other's hands and clapped once. " One, one, two, six!"Clapped each other's hands and clapped once again. "Six, one, one, two!" Clapped each other's hands and clapped twice, with Kiki finally tripping up over Amethyst finally getting to her head.

Kiki groaned. "You!" she pointed and Amethyst laughed.

"Okay, it's just you and me." said Nanefua. 

The two stepped in front of each other, with Garnet still crouched to Nanefua's level and they placed their hands over one another.

"One, two, three." Nanefua started it off.

And the two clapped each other's hands and clapped twice in front of them. Clapped each other's hands and clapped four times in front of them-

Amethyst went to use her method again, shouting out one's, six's, four's and two's at them.

And it didn't trip them up.

Both Garnet and Nanefua continuing their game at a fast pace.

And three minutes passed..

Amethyst sighed dramatically. "Okay, SOMEONE has to lose!" she turned to Nanefua. "Grandma! I KNOW your hands are getting tired! Just admit defeat!" 

"These hands have gardened MANY crops and have whooped Kofi's hindquarters MANY times! These hands have the endurance of a Pronghorn Antelope!" 

Amethyst groaned more and she fell back into the sand on her back.

Lion came over to her. "Yo, what you want, dog-" he licked her cheek. "AH!!" she sat up, whipping her face. And she growled at the canine. "Vos sucio- (You dirty-)" she got up and the dog ran away, in play mode. She growled more, wiping her cheek.

  
  


Two minutes later and the two were still playing the game. And in the middle of the game, Garnet looked back at the lady again, as she'd been doing since they started playing the game with each other. 

The older woman reminded her of her own grandmother. How funny and determined and strong-willed she was. 

And even down to how she styled the bun in her hair. 

It was a nice.. _sad_, but a nice little blast to the past. Especially having that this very game was what she used to play with her own grandmother. 

And just like Nanefua, she wouldn't let up.. and they would keep going.. and going.. and going.. 

The old woman in front of her wasn't going to let up.

Just like her Nne Nne (grandmother). 

And.. she did what she always did when the game seemed like it was never going to end..

And, out of both love. and respect for her grandmother-

They clapped each other's hands and clapped twice and clapped each other's hands and clapped, Garnet clapping over the four limit in the sequence. 

"Woohoo! Nanefua has won!" the older woman cheered for herself.

"It's about tiiiiime." Amethyst groaned.

"Yeah." Garnet said lightly. "Looks like I couldn't keep up with Mama ɔsebɔ (Tiger)." she looked at Nanefua with a smile and the woman looked at her, giving her a nice, grandmotherly smile back. 

And, whether Nanefua knew that she had let her beat on purpose, Garnet would never know. But, it was nice seeing a pleasant, comforting, happy smile of an elder. And, that was all that mattered to her.

................................

After playing a couple games of 2-4-6-1-1, they played many others. Like the game Suwe, which reminded Steven of what he would call "Hopscotch" which seemed quite similar. And they drew the outline of the boxes in the sand and they used a seashell to throw instead of a rock.

Then they played a game called "African Bend Down" which Amethyst thought the name was.. _ooohh_ so funny. 

They stood around in a circle, hitting each other's hands as they let the Pizzas sing in their Native language. The rule having two people clap over the person between them and the person between them has to duck down (where some may even do a little dance.) In which, when Amethyst heard that, she purposely bent a bit too far down and belly danced with a shake of her hips at one point.. The action being scolded immediately by Kofi and, she found that hilarious and had done it once more before promising she wouldn't do it again.

And the game keeps moving around until someone makes a mistake and forgets to bend down before the two people clap their hands above them. 

The next circle game they played started with the Pizzas saying "Willy, Willy, Willy." Where they swing their arms and clap their hands together as they let the Pizzas sing. Then, at some point during the game, everyone pauses and they each had to do different poses and then stop. Any movement after that and the person gets disqualified. And once again, with Amethyst making rather _"sexy"_ poses and claiming she'd promised to not _belly dance_ and _shake her hips_ and that he didn't say aanything about not being able to pose.

In which Kofi quickly clarifies that she can _not_ do that either.

Then.. when Steven didn't think that their games could get any MORE fun, the Pizzas suggested to play Boju Boju which means "cover your face/eyes in Yoruba" (in which he learned that that was another language that they could speak) and it was a game that Steven and his friends would call it as "Hide and Seek." Which was actually his favorite game to play since he was so good at it. And Jeff was so bad at it. Pee Dee was also extremely good at it. (And he found himself wondering how his best friend was doing.. Though he didn't want to dwell on it too much.) 

And the Pizzas were kind enough to have him and the Gems recite the game in English after translating it from Yoruba to them. With Amethyst asking Garnet why she didn't even know Yoruba, despite of actually being born in Nigeria. 

Her response? Was that she was from a very, very small village where she only grew up learning Igbo and no other neighbouring languages.

Which made Steven _also_ JUST learn that Garnet was actually from Nigeria and not from the U.K like he'd assumed all of that time because of her accent. The boy assuming that, when Amethyst had told him that one time that she was banned from her country that she was banned from the United Kingdom.

And, now Steven could safely assumed that she'd learned British English instead when she had to learn English. 

And quite frankly, he couldn't blame her. If he had a choice to pick either American or British English, he would choose British English as well.

  
  


The eight of them played Hide an- _Boju Boju_ and this time, Steven was the worse at playing the game... due to his most dear, most trusty companion, Lion, who kept wanting to hide with him. The canine not being a good hider and always having his paw, his ears or his infamous tail showing. And occasionally he would like his head out to look from his hiding spot and get caught, which would result in _Steven_ getting caught.

Eventually he let Nanefua, who was the seeker at that time, to keep Lion so he could properly hide.

Only for the dog to help Nanefua out..

The canine sniffing everyone out from their hiding spots..

And thus, the next two games they played, the seekers Kofi, then Amethyst, kept Lion as their co-seeker to sniff out everyone.

With their last game of Boju Boju, it was already starting to get dark and the Pizzas had more games for them to play, like a popular hand game called Tinko Tinko. Then they played Omoba Fausa and Bread and Butter, (which reminded Steven of Tug of war) however much, _much_ more rough. Though he enjoyed the game, despite being constantly thrown to the grown.

And they played many other fun, exiting games, with their last one being a game he could definitely see himself playing again and playing with his friends Pee Dee and Jeff. And that was a game called Chaskele. A "bat and ball" kind of game where it's instead played with crushed cans, a stick and a car tyre or a bucket. (Or in their case, sea shells, one of Lion's many sticks, and Nanefua's pail she used earlier for her sand castle, (that got messed up from the robber and her jetpack).)

One begins as the defender and the other, the scorer. The defender is to make sure the opponent does not throw the ball into the bucket or car tyre to win. _(And_ the defender has a stick to hit the crushed can out of the way.) 

They played a few games and every time, they would change up their teams.

  
  


Amethyst took a step back with the sea shell in her hand. She looked at Kiki who was standing by the pail. Stick in hand. 

_"Kiki, you are going to lose!" _ Kiki taunted in Ashanti Twi from the sidelines.

"Heh, yeah. What she said." said Amethyst. 

Kiki scoffed. _"That's what youuu think, Jenny."_ then she turned to Amethyst. "Show me what you got."

Amethyst fixed her eyes on the bucket in front of her and. threw the shell. 

Kiki took a step forward as she swung the stick, hitting the shell.

And the eight of them watched as the shell soared, far above them.. with Amethyst running under it for just a split second before stopping almost immediately as she realized that, she wouldn't be able to catch it. The shell having soared too far above her. 

And hitting the cliffside. Shattering.

She turned around. "Kiki! This isn't baseball!"

"Whoops." she giggled. 

"Alright! ALRIGHT! Whatever!" said Amethyst. "Our Mama ɔsebɔ (Tiger) is next up anyway." She left the field as Nanefua walked up to take her place. A new sea shell already in her hand.

Kiki handed Kofi the stick and left to sit between two of her teammates Jenny and Pearl.

Nanefua threw the shell and it hit the pail and fell into the sand.

Kofi walked up to it slowly and took his stance. Then, he raised the stick up in the air. "Kofi time!" and threw it down like a golf club, swatting the shell up and high into the air.

And over Nanefua's head.

She started running for it as the shell started to descend.

And she jumped up, as high as she could.

And caught the shell in her hand.

She turned around, still in the air as she threw the shell back. Quickly.

And before Kofi knew it, he heard the rattling sound of the shell going into the bucket. He looked down.. looking at the shell that he'd missed.

He looked at her and she turned slightly to give him a side eye. A side smile on her face. _"Mama ba. _ (Momma's boy)"

He gasped and started sputtering.

The twins started laughing and Amethyst jumped up on the opposing side, laughing with them. "Aw man. I don't know what she said to you, but I think you just got. SERVED!" 

"It means "Momma's boy"." Jenny laughed. 

The mother and son went back to their groups and Garnet and Jenny stood up and walked to their spots.

Garnet stopped yards from the pail. Shell in her hand. 

Jenny looked at her. "Last game. Let's see if you can get one last point." 

Garnet met her look with a determined one. She gave her a minute nod. Then she stood up straight and took a step back. 

And stood there.

Analyzing the bucket and how far she was from it.

"Well, I'm _waiting."_ she snickered.

Garnet analyzed the surroundings for just a few more seconds. Then she looked at Jenny. "I'm ready." and, with the shell in hand, turned the hand backwards. A smug expression on her face.

And Jenny gasped at Garnet's stance.. the woman having turned her hand, with the back of her hand facing her now. _"Oh no! She turned her hand for the backhand technique!"_ she whispered in Twi with such awe and fear.

_"Wawa aba._ (Skillfulness)" Kiki said to her father. 

"Hm." he nodded in agreement.

Garnet turned her body to the side and threw the shell. 

At such a fast speed. 

And Jenny swung.

Missing the shell.

And she heard the clink of the shell as it hit the inside of the pail.

_"What.."_ she heard cheering from her team beside them as she looked up at Garnet. The stoic woman looked at her for a few moments.

Before breaking out of character, for the umpteenth time that day and she started laughing. She jumped up in the air cheering.

"Yeah!!! Now THAT'S another way to end a game!" Amethyst shouted. "Short. Simple. Nice!" then she thought with a nod. "¡Golaso!" she went for a soccer reference.

"I.. I LET you win!" Jenny stomped. She turned to the opposing team. "I LET her win!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Sure you did." said Amethyst. "Keep telling yourself that."

The girl pouted. 

.........................

After that last game, the Pizzas wanted to do just one more thing that they used to do when the twins were younger and they wanted to share it with the Gems, with Garnet being all too familiar with it. Steven noticing the woman looking a bit misty eyed as Nanefua sat down in front of them.

He looked over at Amethyst first. She was sitting farther in the front. Her attention solely on Nanefua as she laid down comfortably on her side in the sand. 

With her being distracted, he went to hurry and scoot over near Garnet. He sat down right beside her and she looked at him. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Hey. Are you okay?" 

There was just a flicker of something.. sadness.. longing.. before he saw a small smile on her face. "I'm fine." she whispered. 

He knew that that wasn't the case persé. Or, solely the case. But, he nodded, giving her shoulder a rub before bringing it back down. He wouldn't pry into it. And with a friendly, reassuring smile first, he looked away from her and to Nanefua. The older woman was getting ready to tell them a story. 

What Nanefua was doing was something called Tales by Moonlight. It was something very calm and relaxing to be apart of. Tales by Moonlight was usually done during the night when the moon was out, where an adult or an elderly person tells a group of children fictional stories with good, moral lessons.

It reminded Steven back to when he was in elementary school. From kindergarten to first grade. 

But this was different. It was much more personal, much more calm, much more serene and heartwarming and homely. 

Like, he was apart of the family.

And he felt this weird feeling.. The same feeling he got when he was watching the car wash guy and his son interact so carefree and lovingly together.

It was hard to explain. And a bit contradicting..

It was both a feeling he wanted more of, but he could also feel just a faint corner of jealousy for.. some reason.

He brought his legs up.. for comfort? And, he rested his chin on his knees as he wrapped his arms around his ankles. Listening.

And as everyone was huddled around and as Nanefua began to tell the story of Little Curly Hair, a brave young girl who escapes the swamps of an evil alligator and saves her village, he could feel tears come out of nowhere. 

Maybe it was the atmosphere.. or something else.. But he could feel something tugging at his mind and his chest.

And after moments of simply existing in the group and being around calm people and bonding.. a tear slipped pass and down his cheek. 

And he felt a hand on _his_ shoulder.

He looked beside him.

Garnet had a sad, somehow knowing, smile on her face. She rubbed at his shoulder, not saying anything. Both not wanting to talk while Nanefua was talking and going for a more silent, calm approach of facial expressions. And, sometimes just doing that could help immensely. Especially if one was not sure of what to say. 

And he understood the silent help, the silent reassurance. He felt like Garnet was somehow speaking to him in some.. knowing, calming connection in a way. 

He wiped the tear off with the back of his hand and managed to return a small smile back to her. 

And the two looked back to Nanefua as she continued on with her story.

................................

After the story, that Steven thoroughly enjoyed, Nanefua and Kofi went back to check on the food they'd had cooking while they were still playing the last few games of the night.

Amethyst laid down on the sand and closed her eyes, saying that she, as a queen, would not want to wait too long for her food.

Pearl and Steven had stayed by her, but he saw Garnet getting up. 

The woman went over to Nanefua and Kofi. Nanefua was sitting on a small stool as she flipped what looked to be dough inside of a brown bowl. Her son was holding a large, wooden tool in his hand. Nanefua moved her hand as he brought down the tool, pounding the dough.The two in the process of making Fufu. 

Steven watched as Garnet said something to them. Nanefua said something back to her with a smile and Kofi nodded, saying something as well. 

Nanefua looked forward and looked to had called to her granddaughters. The two looking up from preparing the food. She gestured at Garnet as she talked and the twins gave her a nod and said something to their grandmother and to Garnet with a smile.

And with a smile brighter than theirs, Garnet said what Steven assumed was "Thank you." and she walked over to the twins. Kiki handed her a bowl and some water and Garnet proceeded to rinse of her hands. Then Kiki handed her a mortar and pestle and gestured at the various vegetables and spices in front of them. And Garnet nodded and picked up a few red peppers.

And Steven continued to watch as the three of them worked on grinding up the spices and the vegetables together. The girls talking and laughing with each other.

_Hmm.._

He looked back at Nanefua and Kofi still working on the dough.

.. Well.. maybe he could help out too? It would be nice to bond while making authentic Ghanaian food as well.

He got up just as Amethyst opened her eyes. She and Pearl watched him go over to Nanefua and Kofi.

  
  


"Hey Nanefua. Hey Kofi."

Kofi stopped right as Nanefua flipped the dough again in the bowl.

"Steven." she said with a smile. 

"Hey. I was uh, wondering if.. I could help out as well. You know, with the food." 

Her smile widened. " Of course you can, Steven. You can help with making Bissap." 

"Yay!" he cheered. Then he thought. "What's 'bissap'?"

"It's a type of Hibiscus tea. It's a very popular Ghanaian drink. It's made from dried bissap flowers mixed with sugar and ginger juice as the main ingredients. And we're going to take it the taste up a notch by adding some mint, orange water and pineapple peels in it as well."

"Whoa, sounds refreshing." then he grinned. "And delicious."

"It is."

"And what do I do first?" 

"Just go tell one of my granddaughters to hand you all of the ingredients. And get a saucepan. We're going to use the heat of the grill to cook the ingredients." 

"Okay." he ran to the group. 

"And go over and wash your hands, Steven." 

"Will do, Nanefua."

  
  


Amethyst and Pearl watched from the sidelines. Looking at the family and Garnet and Steven helping them out. 

"Look at them, P. Actually helping them out when they could be sitting here and letting the Pizzas do all of the work." 

"Heh, yeah.. Guess they couldn't resist for whatever reason."

Amethyst shook her head. "Well, let them continue to do it." she scoffed. "The food isn't going to make itself." 

"Right." said Pearl.

The two continued to watch. 

Garnet and the twins having a good time as they talked and laughed.

Nanefua and Kofi just about done with the fufu.

And Nanefua telling Steven the next steps on what to do next for their tea.

Everybody had smiles on their faces. Even Kofi. A pleased smile on his face as Steven seemed to work like a natural with making the tea.

"And boring." Amethyst added. "Can't forget that."

"Right." Pearl agreed.

And they watched. 

Lion woke up from his nap beside them and stretched. He sniffed the air, smelling the delicious food. He jogged pass the two in the sand and towards Nanefua.

"Hey! Hey!" they heard Kofi yell out and Amethyst snickered and Pearl then, let a little giggle escape her.

"NO!" Kofi halted the dog with a hand. 

Lion stopped and looked at him, wagging his tail, then he looked over at Nanefua. 

The older woman picked off a bit of dough and threw it and Lion ran for it. 

Then the older woman picked up the dough that was just as big as her and walked up her stepping stool to the top of one of the grills. She placed the ball of dough in the deep pan that was already being heated and walked back down the steps. She told Steven the next step and he started on it and she walked towards Garnet and her granddaughters. She walked up her second pair of small steps and got some more ingredients for the next huge serving of fufu and she made her way back to the small stool. She placed the ingredients on the towel and picked up a plantain and started to peel it. 

And they watched. 

And watched.

And watched.

And Pearl heard Amethyst let out a breath. "Welp." she got up. "Since it's _so_ boring watching them fix the food, we're going to help them out. Make this all go a bit quicker." she said. "Come on."

Pearl got up and followed her.

"Che, abuelita." Amethyst stopped in front of the elderly woman.

"Ah, hello." she smiled.

"So." she gestured at her chin at the ingredients. "Looks like you two need some help. It was getting pretty boring just watching you two take so long in making the dough." 

"Fufu." Kofi clarified.

"What?" she turned to him.

"It's called _fufu."_

She shrugged with a grin. "Okay? And what's "fufu" but like, cooked dough, yeah?" he pouted. "It's not just some _"cooked dough"._" he grumbled. And she turned back to Nanefua. "Anyway, I want to quicken this up. She and I will help out, since you two really need it." 

Nanefua nodded. Keeping a complacent grin on her face.

"What's with the smug look, granny? That's my thing." 

She gave a small shake of her head. "Oh, it is nothing important. Now. you two go over and wash your hands and we'll get started on the fufu."

..........................

Everyone was crowded around the food. Various pots and dishes were placed in front of them. 

Kiki was making Nanefua's plate. The woman, being the eldest, getting the first plate. Her granddaughter filled one plate with jollof rice and then picked up a second bowl, pouring the fufu and goat light soup into it. She walked over and placed the two dishes in front of her, then went back to give her the bissap tea. She placed the warm drink beside her. 

Then Kiki made Kofi's plate and placed his tea _with ice_ beside him. Then she went back to the food to pick up another empty plate. She looked at the Gems. "Uh.. wait, who's the oldest? You three.. kinda looked the same age."

"Wow Keek'z." said Amethyst. And the teen cringed at that name. "I don't know if I should take that as you saying we both look old or young." 

"Oh! No, no! I mean, you three look young. Seriously." she told the truth. They _did_ look young. Extremely young. Perhaps in their mid twenties..

"I'm kidding." said Amethyst. "Also, you don't have to make my plate. I can make my own." 

"No, no." Nanefua cut in. "You four are our guests. So, Kiki will be handing everyone their food."

Amethyst shrugged. "Okay, whatever you say Grandma." she turned to Kiki and the food between them. "To answer your question from before, P is the oldest. Then me, then this soccer player over here." she pointed at Garnet. "Then last and the least, Steven." he caught what she said and pouted. 

"Okay." she turned to Pearl. "Was it anything you didn't want or.." 

"Oh, no. Everything is fine really." she went for being polite. "Just a little bit of everything." she said lightly. 

Kiki made her a plate. "And did you want ice in your bissap?" 

"Uh, yes. Please." 

Kiki fished out the ice and placed it in a cup. Then she placed the drink in front of her and she picked up an empty plate and bowl and turned to Amethyst. 

"Keek'z, you can give me just a small bit of that stew. No offense but uh." she scoffed. "I haven't delved into any fancy African dishes. Don't want to give myself a stomachache." 

Garnet resisted to cut her eye at her.

"What?!" Kiki pouted.

"Hey, hey. I'm just being honest. I'm not trying to talk about the food. I just, know y'all put a lot of stuff into your food." she snickered at the teen. "I mean, if I'm eating like, something exotic, I don't want to be gettin' the bubble guts out on the road, you know, what I mean? Again, this is about my stomach, not the food." 

Kiki opened her mouth to say something when Nanefua held up her hand. "She has made her point, Kiki. Not everyone can handle such rich, delicious food." she went for the complacent look again. Amethyst's casual jab rolling off of her. "What a pity really."

"Heh, uh yeah. "A pity"." Amethyst mocked with a playful eye roll.

Kiki poured her a small bowl. 

"Hey, but you can double up on that rice. Now _that_ doesn't look as exotic. AND I'm a huge fan of rice. Also, before you ask. Yes. I _do_ want ice in my bissap." 

Kiki made her a plate, piling the jollof on it. Then she handed her the bowl and the plate and made her tea. She set the iced drink beside her.

Then she went to Garnet and the two smiled instantly. "You just want me to pile it on?" she asked.

Garnet smile deepened and Steven couldn't stop staring at her dimples. 

"Of course." she said. 

Kiki made her a very generous plate and bowl and set it down in front of her. "And did you want ice in your bissap?"

"Sure."

She put ice in her cup and poured the tea in and set it by the food.

Then she went to Steven. 

"You can.. just give me a little bit of everything too." he didn't want to seem rude, like Amethyst.. but she did have a point.. And his stomach wasn't the best at digesting exotic foods.. And he'd learned that the hard way so many times when he went on dinner dates with Connie at Indian and Asian styled restaurants.. And he'd never eaten any African dishes before.. So, he didn't want to set his own self up for failure..

Kiki made his plate and he went for ice in his tea and she placed it beside his food. Then she made her sister's plate before making her own and sitting back down. 

"Wait, Kiki. You can not forget about our guest who has been waiting here ever so patiently." said Nanefua. She pet the dog with her left hand. 

"Oh.. uh?" she looked at Lion before looking back at her grandmother. "Like what?" 

"Just give him some of that goat that hasn't been dipped inside of the stew."

Kiki got back up and picked a few big pieces of goat. 

"Give him more than that, Kiki. We have plenty more to go around." 

She picked up some more and placed it on the plate. 

"And grab a water bottle from the cooler. He needs some water too."

Kiki walked away from the group to get the water. And Steven couldn't help but smile at Nanefua's kind act. Actually thinking about his buddy Lion and caring for him. It was really nice of her. 

Kiki was coming back to the group. 

"Pour it in one of those bowls." said Nanefua. 

And Kiki untwisted the cap off the water bottle and poured the cold water into the bowl. 

And, Steven also noticed how strictly they followed Nanefua's orders. And just the outmost respect and love for her (and for each other in general) was something that he.. honestly never seen before in a family. Ever. 

Not Pee Dee's family, not Jeff's family, not even Connie's family and.. definitely not in his family, which was only he and his uncle.. 

And he had that same feeling again.. A feeling that he both wanted more of, accompanied with that nagging jealousy in the back of his mind. 

Kiki had sat back down. Lion's plate and bowl still in front of her. 

"Okay! Time to dig in!" said Amethyst.

"Wait!" the twins, Kofi and even Garnet, (the latter quickly recoiling and hoping that her boss hadn't heard her) stopped the woman. 

"The dinner starts with the eldest eating first." said Jenny.

Amethyst scoffed. "Figures.." she mumbled before turning to the older woman. "Alright, hurry and get those dentures chopping." 

The woman placed a napkin over her lap and picked up the bowl of goat light soup. She used her right hand and dug the fufu from the bottom of the bowl with her thumb and two fingers and scooped some of the goat and vegetables with it. She ate it.

"Okay!" said Amethyst. She picked up the plate of jollof rice. "Let's eat!" 

Kiki passed Lion's plate and water bowl down to Jenny as everyone else started to eat. And Jenny passed it down to her grandmother who set the food down beside her. And Lion wasted no time diving into the plate. 

Steven prayed over his food and then ooked at the dishes in front of him. Wondering what he should eat first. 

He went to grab the goat light soup and he heard Pearl coughing. He looked over. The woman was turning red and blowing her tongue. 

He looked back at his hand over the soup.. 

The apparently _spicy_ soup.. 

..and went for the jollof rice instead.

He grabbed a small portion of rice and ate it.

And immediately felt every single pepper and spice in the dish.

He started coughing.

Both him and Pearl went in a coughing fit.

Amethyst snorted. "Americans.. Can't even handle a bit of spice." she dug into the jollof rice. "By the way, this rice isn't half bad, Grandma. I mean, it's no arros y frijoles refritos (rice and refried beans) but eh, it's still pretty good." 

"Our rice is the best and I shall stand by that." she waved her small first in the air. "Especially since my dear son was the one who made it." she pat him on the leg.

And he beamed with such confidence with a nod and a smug grin on his face. 

Amethyst snorted. "Mama ba." (Momma's boy).

And his expression dropped to a mixture of embarrassment and annoyance as everyone (say for Steven and Pearl who were too busy trying to drown out the spice with their tea) laughed at Amethyst's jab. Even Nanefua had gotten a kick out of it. The woman belly up in laughter. 

He didn't find any of it funny.. And he grumbled something inaudible as he continued to eat at his soup. 

.............................

The dinner went really nice. Extremely nice really. In general, the day had been great, apart from a few small squabbles here and there and a few jabs and the robber coming.

It'd been a pretty fun day, with both the Pizzas AND the Gems.

But alas, the night was ending as Amethyst had told the Pizzas that they "had to go to work" the next day and that they needed to get some sleep.

Then, everything started to wind down only slightly as everyone started finishing up their food and their conversation. 

Steven and Pearl were almost done with their food. (The previous food being extremely spicy to them and they had to unfortunately give their rice and their goat light soup to the group. Kiki handed them plain fufu and goat meat that hadn't been marinating in the stew).

Garnet was finishing up her second serving of goat light soup and jollof rice and Amethyst had finished everything on her plate and went for her third refill of bissap. 

And Lion had finished the last bit of goat meat that they had.

Nanefua, Kofi and Kiki were done with their food and Jenny was still finishing up her second plate of jollof. 

With the Gems just about done, Nanefua wanted to give them something before they left. "You four." she called out to them and they looked at her. "We still have just a bit more jollof rice and goat light soup. "Please, take some with you." 

Amethyst piped up quickly. "Heck yeah man. Pile some more of that jollof stuff on a plate." then she added. "And what about that tea? Got anymore of that?" 

"Yes, we have some more of that too." Nanefua continued to pet Lion as he rested his head on her lap. She turned to her son. "Kofi, make her a plate. And pour some of that tea into a container." 

He got up, taking both his and her empty plate and walked away from the group. 

"And now that you're done Jenny, you two help him clear all of this stuff." she gestured at the empty pots and pans. 

"And, I could help too, if you want." said Garnet. Completely forgetting about Amethyst and how she might not had wanted her to do that. Especially since they had to leave soon.

"Mm. You really are a helpful person." said Nanefua. And Garnet felt herself wanting to tear up at that simple compliment. "Sure, you can help my granddaughters. And feel free to make yourself a plate as well." 

"Thank you." she poured water on her hands, cleaning them. Then she got up with her empty plate.

Steven wiped his mouth off. "I can help too, Nanefua." 

She chuckled. "Of course, Steven." she pet Lion along his back. The dog laid there. Eyes closed and relaxing on her lap with one front paw on her leg.

He got up with his plate and followed Garnet.

  
  


After helping the twins and Kofi clear out everything and helping them put everything back in the truck, they all walked back to the others. 

Amethyst drunk from her container and closed it back up. "Hey, I have to be honest. This is one delicious tea." 

Nanefua chuckled. "I am glad that you liked it. Though, I did not make it. Steven did." 

Amethyst looked at him.

"He's a natural." 

The boy smiled sheepishly.

"Oh." she looked at the tea in the clear container. "Yeah, the tea's alright." she said casually with a shrug.

He pouted.

"Well, folks." said Amethyst. "We got our stuff." she held up her bowl with the clear container of tea on top of it. "And now we must go."

Nenefua nodded. "I hope that you all drive safely. I did enjoy your company." 

"Yeahhhh." Amethyst drawled.

Steven looked at her. 

Well, if she wasn't going to say it, then _he_ was.

He turned to the woman. "Nanefua, thanks for giving us a chance." he looked at the rest of the family. "I appreciate everyone for giving us a chance today. And for teaching us a lot of classic games and for inviting us over for dinner. None of you had to do this." the Gems looked at him. "but, you did. Thank you."

"It was not a problem, Steven." said Nanefua.

"Yeah." Kiki agreed. "And I already know Steven, but I finally got to know you three." she told the Gems. "You three aren't half bad. Right, Jenny?" she nudged her playfully. Her sister barely mad an audible "Mm.. Uh, yeah." 

"Yeah, you four aren't half bad yourselves I guess." Amethyst said with a casual, wan smile. "Anyway, we really do have to get going pronto." she said. "I bid everyone a buenas noches." 

Nanefua and Kiki waved to her and Pearl, who'd followed her away from the group.

"I really did enjoy myself today." said Garnet to the family. "It's literally been years since I've had this much fun." she kept her composure. "You two made me feel like I was back in grade school with my family and friends. It was really nice." 

Nanefua looked at her. Reading the wistful look on Garnet's face. "The pleasure is all ours. And it was very nice spending time and bonding with one another through our culture." a sincere smile came to her face. "I certainly look forward to more outtings."

Garnet smiled at the elderly woman. "Of course."

The two shared a small moment of smiles before Lion walked up to her. He nudged the back of her hand with his nose. "Oooooh, and I look forward to seeing you as well." she cooed as she scratched at the dog's head.

"You know, Lion. You think you're such a charmer, don't you?" Steven asked him. The dog ignored him, laying his head on Nanefua as his tail swished the sand on either side.

Nanefua pet the dog for a few moments more before she stopped, not wanting to hold them up. "See you all later." she told them.

"See everyone later." said Garnet. And she truly hope that she would.

And Steven waved. "See you all later. And, thanks for the food." he held the two bowls in his hand. It wasn't for him, but he had a feeling that Connie would like the food. Especially since she didn't mind spicy food.

The two of them, with Lion right beside them, started walking away when the heard a "Steven!" he and Garnet turned around. "Apart from today, for saving my family from the robber, the three women are all officially unbanned from my restaurant."

"That's great news!" said Steven.

"Thank you." Garnet added. 

"I'll tell the others. Thanks, Kofi!"

The two turned back around and back towards where they'd parked.

  
  


"You know something guys?" Kiki asked. "I really think that they came to make amends." 

"I agree." said Kofi.

And Nanefua smiled. "I'm very glad that we got to know the three of them a bit more. Especially the tall one." 

Jenny didn't say anything as she walked with her family back over to their truck.

  
  


Steven and Garnet walked together across the beach. Lion had ran pass them awhile back to run towards their vehicle.

And the two walked along. Letting their sandals step across the soft sand and listening to the calming sounds of the waves crashing back into the shore. The moonlight shining across the ripples of the water.

They could see the car just at the edge of the beach by the cliffside. Lion sitting right beside it and the Gems already in the car.

"I really wish we could do this again." Garnet spoke up softly. 

Steven looked at her. The beauty herself walked in a slow stride across the beach, taking up more time. The mysterious black of night and the twinkle of stars behind her acted as a backdrop, making her look even more breathtaking. 

"It's been so long since I've experienced something that'd reminded me of my country." the corner of her mouth twitched. "It was like, I was home. Everything that we did today with the Pizzas today... I was _home."_

Though Steven hadn't went through going to a different country due to.. whatever reasons, like being in a mob like Garnet, he could still imagine how nostalgic she felt with the Pizzas. Especially with the Pizzas bringing in a slice of culture with them as well as being a respectful, loving family in general that had made Steven teary eyed as well.

And, today was the only time he'd seen Garnet so happy. It was the first time he'd saw Garnet smile and laugh throughout the day. 

And he wanted her to have more days like that.

"Then I can try talking to them again. They seemed to like us. Um, apart from Jenny, but I don't think she likes a lot of things." he went for a dry chuckle. "And, maybe we could even play it ourselves." she looked at him. "Uh, if you want to. I mean, it probably wouldn't be.. _as_ fun with just me but.. the offer is still there." she smiled at him. "I really liked a few of those games. Especially that one with the seashell and the stick."

Garnet laughed. "Chaskele." she told him. "And, I wouldn't mind that at all, Talc. It would be fun."

"And.." he thought as he looked back at her. "If you're.. feeling homesick, maybe we could do other stuff? You know, maybe you could teach me a few other things and, we could have a day like this." 

Garnet's expression brightened even more as she gave him a toothy grin. "I would love that, Talc.. Thank you."

  
  


A couple minutes later and the back door opened and Lion jumped in, then Steven. Then the front door opened and Garnet slid into the front seat. She set the food down beside her.

"Alright Gems. Another easy, successful mission." Amethyst began immediately. "And we even got those suckers to start falling for us." she started snickering.

"Aw, come on Amethyst. I know you had a lot of fun too." said Steven.

"Ehh, that was called acting, Talc. I'm good at it."

He didn't believe her, though he chuckled and said. "Okay, Amethyst." 

Garnet started the car up and Amethyst gestured for her to pull off.

Steven looked out of the window, taking in the scenery of the serene beach at night, just one more time.

The sand looking gray underneath of them and the water flowing onto the shore and the moon reflecting off of the water. 

And he couldn't stop smiling as he relived the activities they'd done and he hoped to do it again.

If only Connie was there.. he knew she would've been good at that Chaskele game. 

And he felt butterflies in his stomach as he thought about her. He couldn't wait to see her when he got home. 

He took his cell phone out and texted her again, for the tenth, eleventh time that day, telling her that he was still okay and that he should be home in about an hour or two. Then he placed the phone on his lap.

And with such a happy mood he was in, he spoke back up to the group. "I really had a great day guys." he smiled. "We had fun with the Pizzas and we smoothed out our differences." then he took a few seashells out of his pocket. "And I even got the time to pick a few seashells for my girlfriend." then he looked at the canine laying on the floor with his eyes closed. "with, Lion's help of course." he saw Lion's ears move back upon hearing his name, though the canine didn't bother opening his eyes as he feigned sleep.

"I can't wait to show her these. I think she'll really like them."

"Well, looks like your little girlfriend of yours is going to have to wait on her seashells." said Amethyst. 

He stuffed the shells back in his pocket. "What do you mean?" 

"Yeah dude. We're not taking you home." 

"Huh?"

"Yup. We've spent so much time with the Pizzas, that we don't have time to do much else but get the jewels for Peridot, grab like a short power nap and then hop on the jet to L.A." 

"Wait, so.. so that means I'm going to the base?!" 

"Yeah, che. We head to the Crystal Gem base, get the jewels that P-Dot needs, get a nap in and get ready and take one of our jets to the Communication Hub and destroy it. Another quick and easy mission."

"Cool.. I can't believe I'll finally see the Crystal Gem base for the first time!! Well, the _inside_ of it." he clarified. "I still remember how it looks from the outside."

Amethyst leaned back and popped open the footrest on the seat. "Yeah, well. Don't think you're gonna be getting a tour, che. We're going to head down to one of the rooms where we keep our jewels, then head up to the roof of the base. And." she gave him a half shrug with her arms relaxing behind her head. "one of the guest rooms to chill out in for an hour or two. So that's it. This isn't no MTV Cribs or whatever. Though we _will_ kick you out at the end." she joked with a scoff. 

Wow.. 

He.. was actually.. going.. to see.. the. Crystal. Gem base!!

He couldn't believe it. And he wondered how lavishing and exotic it was going to look. Or if it was going to look like a villain lair like the ones he saw in the cartoons. OR if it'll be ironically plain looking.

He couldn't wait to see the place.

And, quite frankly, he was also looking forward to a nice nap when he got there too. All of those games wore him out and even Lion was completely out. The dog fast asleep now in front of him.

He leaned back in his chair and popped open the footrest, still smiling from everything today and up until this point.

He felt his phone vibrate and read the message from Connie. 

_Oh, that's right. I need to tell her that there's been a change of plans._

He quickly sent another message telling her that an employee couldn't make it and that he would be covering his night shift tonight and that he would be home tomorrow morning. _And_ that he would still be checking in from time to time. 

Then he ended the message with an XOXO 😘 and sent the message.

He felt a bit sad that he couldn't see her tonight to give her cuddles and to reassure her that he was fine and more importantly, to make sure that _she_ was fine.. but he would continue to text her and he would just have to give her lots of hugs and kisses when he got home in the morning.

He placed the phone on his lap and felt his phone vibrate. He unlocked his phone and read the message. The words on the screen seemed sad. Especially with the amount of dots ahead typed in. 

**Okay... Then I guess I'm off to bed then... Please be careful as usual and.. stay safe, Steven.. **

He sent her another reassuring message as he tried to brighten the mood before she went to bed. And then he sent a 'Goodnight and sweet dreams' accompanied with another XOXO and a 😴😴😪. 

He tucked the phone back in his pocket and closed his eyes. Getting comfortable in his recliner as Garnet drove him and the crew towards the base.

And he laid there, wondering just how cool the place would look and how even cooler it would be to actually fly in a private jet AND how cool it would be to ACTUALLY be in Los Angeles for the first time! 

Yes, he definitely couldn't wait. 

He just, had a good, gut feeling about going there for some reason. Maybe it was because he was in a good mood? Or, maybe it was because he was going to a place to just get the jewels and sleep, only to go to an easy missing to destroy a hub (and not destroying an enemy's base and hurting or killing people). Or, maybe it was something else. But, he just, had this.. _feeling.._ that _something_ life changing was going to happen. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Little Curly Hair isn't a real story. Just in case anyone was going to look it up x)**
> 
> And I'm SO happy I'm finally done with this episode. As I've said before, hope y'all liked this even just a bit.
> 
> And uh, yeah. Y'all stay tuned for the Rose's Room chapters ;)
> 
> **Also, for aaanyone who is curious with what they were playing:**
> 
> **Ampe**  
https://youtu.be/yCmIAXL4Zto
> 
> https://youtu.be/wZPeon377mM
> 
> **2-4-6-1-1**  
https://youtu.be/yDoSCqf1fXc
> 
> **Various games played in *Nigeria (but is also played in Ghana and other various parts of Africa.)**  
https://youtu.be/gKSxJb3_seg
> 
> **Chaskele**  
I definitely ripped a lot of the stuff off of this video xD  
https://youtu.be/48VH_S0BCC8
> 
> **And the food**
> 
> **Fufu**  
https://www.google.com/search?q=what+is+fufu&client=ms-android-metropcs-us&prmd=isnv&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiXjeKjqtvpAhWzlHIEHeLNBsEQ_AUoAXoECBEQAQ&biw=360&bih=514
> 
> **Pounding fufu**  
https://images.app.goo.gl/WdAAtoLduwytYzZB7  
  
**Fufu and goat light soup**  
https://images.app.goo.gl/UrV9NhCRjYS3Rxka7
> 
> **Jollof rice **  
https://images.app.goo.gl/K1PCVtry2N4sGY4e7
> 
> **Making fufu**  
https://youtu.be/xHMDbqdvE3c


	129. Steven takes a look inside of the Crystal Gem Mansion for the first time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I definitely enjoyed writing these five chapters!!! =D
> 
> And uh, yeah. I hope y'all enjoy these five chapters :)  
(and four of them are SUPAH long) :0

Steven had dozen off on the ride to the base. He woke up to the sound of Amethyst calling his name as Garnet was approaching the mansion. 

He grunted as he stretched in his chair. "Yeah.. I'm up, Amethyst." he mumbled. 

He took a look out the window as Garnet neared the tall mountain. And he'd almost forgotten how it looked, having only seen it once before when they drove to the garage unit to exchange vehicles. 

A rose had been chiseled in the huge, shiny brown face of the mountain. And below the gawdy rose were four diamonds. From left to right, the first diamond was a side view of a round cut diamond. The second one was shaped like a rhombus. The third one was shaped more like a diamond "tear drop" and the last one was shaped similar to the first one, except it was upside down, the round cut facing the bottom with the point facing up. And there was a diagonal crack from top to bottom of it, the crack going as far as pass the chisel of the diamond and into the mountain.

_So cool.._

And the base looked even more cool and mysterious at night..

Garnet drove pass the mountain, stopping just a few feet away from it. "CGVU. Scan area two zero one three." 

"Scanning." said the male voice and a red light shot out from the front of the car, scanning the empty area of dirt and gravel. 

The red light scanned the area left to right before blinking out. "Garage unit detected. Please verify."

A long pole with a tablet at the top, sprouted up out the ground to driver's height. Garnet rolled down the window and put in a code. Then a small pole as big as a pen stemmed up from the tablet, then bent at an angle towards Garnet. She looked right at it as a red light shot out, scanning her hazel eye. "Approved." said the male voice. The pole went back inside the tablet and the device snapped back towards the pole as it sunk back down into the ground.

Then she, Amethyst and Pearl dug into their respective doors beside them and took out a pair of glasses and put them on. And Steven quickly realized how he had yet to get any more GemTech items.. The boy only being equipped with his red, GemTech rose shirt and his forcefield bubble. 

There was a low rumble in the ground as a square door opened in the ground in front of them. Garnet drove down into the opening, driving down the ramp into the tunnel. 

She drove down the metal tunnel as the door behind them slid close and everything was pitch black. 

After Steven felt the car turn a few corners, he felt the vehicle slow down to a stop. Then he heard Garnet put the window down and the sound of typing as she put in the code. Then he saw a bright red light coming from another security pole. 

There was a low, sliding, whooshing sound in front of them. The sound lasting for a few seconds. Then he felt the vehicle drive up slowly as the door closed behind them. The car coasted for a few moments and turned to the left to another stop as she parked the car.

Then he felt the vehicle turn off. 

"Alright, Talc. Time to get out." said Amethyst. 

He heard the driver's and Pearl's door open and shut. 

"Okay." he told her and opened the door. "Come on, Lion." 

The dog had woken up from the sound of the doors moments prior. His eyes glowing in the dark. Steven saw the eyes raise up and shift back slightly as the canine stood up on all fours and stretched. Then the eyes moved forward as the canine came back up. He could hear Lion's name tag jingling as the canine walked towards him. 

Steven grabbed his bowl of food and opened the door slowly, not wanting to hit anyone. He slid out the car and heard Lion jump out and he closed the door. 

He heard an "Access Approved. Lights On." from a male voice and the first row of lights came on with a loud click, accompanied by a buzzing sound. Then the second row, then the third row, until the rows trailed down across and pass them, down to the last row. And after his eyes finally adjusted, he immediately gawked at all of the limos, luxury cars, jets and helicopters all around them. Garnet had parked the car between a stretched hummer and a Ferrari LaFerrari (two of the many vehicles they had _yet_ to use yet.) 

"Might as well suit up now." said Amethyst. She took her glasses off. "Then, we grab the jewels and get in the jet and leave." she and the Gems went to the back of the trunk and Garnet placed her hand under the trunk of the car. A small scanner scanning her fingertips. She was approved and the trunk popped open. 

Steven tried his best to focus on just himself as the Gems started taking their shirts off (aside from Pearl who'd grabbed her jumpsuit and walked to the side of the car.)

He threw the shirt into the box. Then he took out all of the seashells from his pockets and put them in his jean pockets, took the trunks off and threw them into the box with the shirt and slipped on his boxers, then his jeans. Then he threw on the Crystal Gem shirt, then his second one and turned around. 

Amethyst and Garnet were already suited up. They threw their bathing suits into the box as Pearl came from around the corner. She threw the bathing suit in the box with theirs and Garnet and Amethyst handed her their glasses. She went back to the passenger's side, then the driver's side, then her side, placing the glasses back in the door and she went back over to the trunk.

"Pearl. The box." Amethyst ordered. And the woman picked up the box, ignoring the pain in her side and Amethyst gestured her chin up at Garnet. Garnet got the memo and closed the trunk and went back over to the driver's side to lock the car. 

Then Amethyst started walking away from the vehicle and Pearl and a few moments later, Garnet, with Steven holding onto Lion to prevent him from running off, walked pass the row of vehicles and towards the back of the shiny metal garage.

Steven looked to his right, looking at the three jets and wondering which one they were going to take.

The group approached an elevator not too far from the helicopters to his left. 

Garnet typed in the code on the tablet and the elevator doors opened up. Garnet and Pearl waited as Amethyst stepped in first. Then they stepped in after her and Steven and Lion followed behind.

And Steven waited. On bated breath.

This was it. 

He was actually going to see the inside of the mansion! 

He looked at the panel on the wall. Writing in what he could safely assume was GemTech was etched beside five buttons.

Garnet pressed the fourth one and the elevator lifted up to the next floor. And with a ding, the doors slid open, into a small hallway. They walked down to a dark gray door and Garnet put in the code on the tablet. The door slid open and she stepped to the side for Amethyst to walk in. Then she, then Pearl and then Steven and Lion walked through and the door closed behind them. 

And Steven was immediately awestruck as they walked out the door and Pearl placed the box down on the floor.

And he kept staring at the area in front of him.

The shiny, cream colored flooring. The silver-colored walls and high ceilings. The golden lights that hung from their fixtures bringing in warm light..

Then it was the black, gold and silver colored, futuristic looking furniture. On his left was a circular, leather couch. In the middle was a round black table. Underneath it a silver rug. In front of it all was a map layout of the world. Various pins of all colors were pinned in various places. Beside the map on either side were drawing easels filled with GemTech writing, scribbles where certain ideas had been scratched out and diagrams of buildings and what also looked to be "game plans". On the wall on the right of the couch were four vending machines, a fridge and a coffee maker. 

On the right side of him of the building were three reclining chairs and a Contessa couch behind the chairs. The furniture all golden with a silver colored rug covering the area. In front of the furniture was a silver rectangular table and on the wall in front of it all was a white pull down board with GemTech writing on it. 

Across from him on the other side of the huge, spacious floor, was a stone wall in the middle. A waterfall that reached up to the top of the ceiling flowed down it and into a small pond. Medium sized rocks were surrounding it, dividing the pond off from the glass floor. The glass reaching a few feet away from the pond before meeting with the cream colored flooring of the rest of the room.

There were two silver doors on one side of the waterfall and farther down was a wide, gold, spiralling staricase reaching the next floor. The golden banisters mixing in with black as the railing reached the top floor.

Just behind the staircase was a wide hallway.

And on the other side of the waterfall was one door. It was light blue with a top view of a rose flower. The edges representing the petals were sharp at the tips. 

And Steven thought the little symbol looked familiar, but he quickly turned away from the door to gawk all around the room again. It was just SO much going on and there was SO much he tried to take in. Like the red rug at the door, the huge chandelier on the ceiling in the middle of the light fixtures, the various fengshui waterfall sculptures sitting across the many tables around the room, random pieces of golden-colored specs on the rugs and the walls and.. just SO much more. And, everything screamed out pricey and extremely expensive. 

  
  


In the mix of Steven staring in complete awe at the scenery and being distracted at the room, Lion broke away from his hold on him. And Steven quickly snapped out of it. "Lion!-"

In just one second, Amethyst took out her whip and threw it. "Dog!" the rope wrapped around the canine's torso and he yelped. 

"Amethyst!" he ran after the dog.

"Yeaah, _not_ sorry. Talc, dude, you really need to train him. He can't go around running everywhere." Steven tried to undo the knots but couldn't. "Especially when he's in the Crystal Gem base." she said and she gave the whip a tug to the right and twisted her wrist back. The rope unraveled from the dog.

Steven sighed. "I know.."

Still, she didn't have to be so rough with Lion.

Then again, it _was_ Amethyst he was talking about,.. Of course she would do something like that..

She wrapped the whip back up and clipped it back on her belt. "Now come on. Let's go." she walked away. "And keep that dog from getting into anything."

"Of course, Amethyst." Garnet and Pearl walked pass him and he followed behind them.

And she lead the group to the other side of the floor, with Steven still looking all around at the futuristic, but at the same time.. modern? and expensive area. And as they reached the spiraling staircase he looked up to see two huge, double doors in the middle of the wall on the second floor. And he managed to see a couple more doors farther down the hall as they passed by the stairs and towards the hallway he'd saw earlier. 

Then he looked back, taking in the room at a different angle as he saw the tripled bolted double front doors and the left side of the room again as he looked to his left, then to his right as he saw the waterfall again. Then, looking slightly back to see the lone door with.. that rose symbol that.. looked oddly familiar.. and.. there was this _pull_ he felt towards it-

"Yo, keep up." he turned to see Amethyst. She, Garnet and Pearl were halfway down the hallway. 

He hadn't noticed he slowed down..

And he hadn't noticed Lion getting a bit rowdy, staring at the door. 

Good thing he had a tight grip on the dog..

"S, sorry, Amethyst." he jogged up, still holding onto Lion." 

"Told you. We're just getting the gemstones and leaving. We're not doing any tours." she turned around. "Especially of Rose's room.." 

_Rose's room?! As in.. the former Crystal Gem?!_

He looked back.. 

The door getting smaller in the distance..

Steven thought about what else to say when Lion started sniffing the air. Undoubtedly smelling the jewels they were going to get from a particular room. He started to yowl, getting restless and he tried to pull from Steven's hand. 

Amethyst looked back. "Hey, what did I say? You betta keep that dog under wraps."

"Yeah." he grunted. "I'm. trying to." he held the dog back.

The group continued down the spacious hallway and on the soft, silver carpeting under foot. Silver walls and a silver ceiling surrounded them.

They passed by a few more doors before hitting the end of the hallway. Another elevator was placed, not in the middle, but at the left corner of the hallway.

Pearl picked up her pace, walking pass them. She typed in the number and the elevator doors opened. Amethyst walked in first, then Garnet and Pearl quickly squeezed in before Steven could.

The doors closed in front of them. And Steven noticed that _this_ particular elevator had _three_ buttons instead of four like the other one. Though this elevator had GemTech writing as well.

Pearl pressed the first and second button from the top at the same time and the elevator started its descend.

_Wow.. pressing _two_ buttons at the same time AND pressing the ones at the top for the elevator to go _down_ instead.._

"Amethyst?" 

She turned to him. "Yo."

"So.. we go up in one elevator.. then we take another one to.. go back down?" 

"Yup." she nodded. "We have four different elevators here with specific purposes and to go to different areas. It's a tactic. It helps spread out certain valuables and weapons throughout the house and it prevents any possible thieves from stealing everything in one spot. Though nobody is ever dumb enough to steal from us. Also, it's next to impossible to even get into the base anyway with all of our cameras, motion and light sensors and our coding systems." The elevator doors opened to another hallway. And he noticed a drop in temperature. She walked out and they followed her down to a door. 

"That sounds cool."

"It is." 

Pearl put in the code and the door opened and he immediately felt a rush of cold air from the room.

They walked inside. 

_Why is it so cold in here?! Do the gemstones.. stay fresher in this temperature or something? _

He looked around. 

The room was a shiny chrome. The floors, the walls, the ceiling.. Even the table (which was the biggest table he'd even seen in his life) and the furniture. The large rectangular table took up a quarter of the room. And on top of it were magnifying glasses of all sizes, gloves, tweezers, microscopes, papers both clean and others written on and various other items and tools he'd never seen before. On the other side of the room where they were, were two long, chrome couches that, didn't look quite comfortable to lay on. And four recliners that also didn't look comfortable to sit on.

And on one side of the room was a washing station, with the sink stretching from one corner and down to the next. On the wall above it were various bottles of different solutions. 

And on the other side, to their left, where the Gems were going to, was a black GemTech glass door that reached from the top of the ceiling on down and was as wide as the table.

Pearl placed her hand on the glass for a few moments and pulled her hand back. A touchscreen of numbers appeared on the glass and she put the code in.The numbers blinked a few times before the glass door started to pull back, revealing..

Steven's jaw dropped.

Various colors and various sizes and shapes of gemstones were resting along the ten's of shelves and sparkling under the lights. There were so many. Rows and rows of them going down the shelf and he wondered just how far back the gemstones went as well..

And Lion tried pulling away, his nose sniffing the air. And he let out a few loud barks. 

"Lion, quit it." 

"Yo. Dog." a puff of her breath was shown in front of her. _"Now_ isn't the time to sniff out any jewels." she took out her phone. "We're not on a mission." then the woman looked at Steven. "Just take that dog over there." she fanned her hand over by the lounging area. "and wait while we get these jewels." 

"Okay." he saw his breath in the cold air. He walked over and stopped. Wondering which piece of furniture would be less _un_comfortable. 

And he sat down on one of the very cold chrome recliners, still trying to keep hold of Lion.

He watched Garnet take out a knapsack from under the table and place it on top.

Amethyst had the phone up to her ear. 

And Pearl went to grab three chrome glasses from a small container on the table. She handed one to Amethyst and the woman placed it on her forehead. "Yo, P-Dot. It's about time you answered." 

Pearl put hers on and handed the other to Garnet and she slipped on hers.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, excuses." she drawled. "So what's up? We're down at the cellar now. Which gems are you looking for again?" she walked over to the table and slid a piece of paper in front of her and she grabbed a pin. "Uh huh.. uh huh.. Let me just write those down." she pressed a button on the phone and set it down beside her." 

"And we need a yellow topaz facet-" Peridot said on speaker phone. 

"Hold up, Perry Berry. Still writing down the first four you told me." 

There was a growling sigh on the other end.

"Aye yo, don't rush me." Amethyst scoffed with a smile.

Steven sat there for what felt like five, six minutes as Peridot gave her a huge list of gemstones to get. And while Amethyst was writing them down, Garnet and Pearl were busy getting the ones she'd written down earlier. 

Pearl stepped on a chrome stool and grabbed a handful of Jades while Garnet was already at the table holding a green gem in her hand. She used her sharp, magnifying glasses to see the cut and facet of it. It didn't match the description that Peridot had described and she set it aside and grabbed another green gemstone to inspect.

A few minutes more and on the fourth piece of paper, Amethyst had written down the last few gemstones that Peridot needed and she hung up the phone. Garnet and Pearl had already found eleven out of the four hundred jewels that they needed to get and had placed them in the knapsack. They each had one paper in front of them with the jewels that they found crossed out.

Amethyst placed the pen on the table and read from the third sheet. She got up and grabbed a few red gemstones from a shelf and sat down. She pushed the glasses down to her face.

  
  


Steven sat there in the cold as the Gems looked for the gemstones. And, he would've stayed there quietly as they worked as not to distract them. _However_.. as the minutes passed..

Steven looked around, trying to distract himself.. shaking his leg.. the inevitable from drinking so much tea finally bearing down on his bladder..

"Uh.. Amethyst?" 

She looked up from a red gem she had in her hand. "What?" she sounded distracted.

"Is.. there a bathroom in here?" he looked around, seeing no doors. "I have to go."

Amethyst went back to the gemstone in her hand, turning it around in her gloves fingertips. "Just take the elevator up. You go all the way down the hall. It's the first door you see." 

"Uh, okay." he got up, leaving the bowl of food on the chair. _Good thing it's cold in here to keep the food from spoiling._ And Lion lifted his head up, looking at him. He turned to Lion. "Stay boy. I'll be right back." 

Lion laid his head back down on his paws, staying in his curled up position to conserve heat. 

Steven walks over to the door and stopped. "Uh.." he turned around.

Amethyst didn't look at him. But sighed, shaking her head. "Dude, you _still_ don't know the number? It's zero, seven." she pause. "one, seven." she paused again. "one.. nine...... eight.... nine.."

Steven tried to say the numbers over in his head, not wanting to ask her again.

He turned around and put the numbers she thought she said, into the tablet.

And the door slid open. _Phewf.. Okay, geat! That worked! Now I just need to remember the numbers.._

"Press all three buttons, then the third button." said Amethyst. "And remember, to come back down, you press the first and second button at the same time."

"Okay, Amethyst." _Hopefully he'll be able to remember that.._

He walked though the door and it closed behind him as he walked down the hall.

Then he reached the elevator. He put in the number in the tablet, hoping that they were correct..

And the doors slid open.

_Yes!_

He walked inside and the doors slid to a close in front of him and he pressed all three buttons. The _warm_ elevator started its ascend and he shook off the chills from the cold.

With a _DING_, the doors slid open and he walked out. The doors slid back to a close and he started down the hall.

He reached the end of it, looking at the prestigious room all over again. And.. that majestic staircase right beside him, towering over him.

The first door Amethyst had told him about was just a few feet beside him. 

He walked over, looking at the second door beside it, with the waterfall in his peripheral vision.

And he raised his hand up to the knob. And paused.

Standing there.

Hearing the waterfall splash back in the pond and across the rocks.

..All while thinking about Amethyst giving him that small piece of information..

He grabbed hold of the doorknob.

But leaned back, looking pass the waterfall and down to the light blue door with that.. rose symbol on it.. The symbol that looked _so_ familiar to him, but he just couldn't quite put his finger on it..

And.. he stayed there..

Contemplating..

There were just.. _so_ many secrets it seemed.. and he had so many questions that the Gems either wouldn't give him the answers to, half answer them, or get mad when certain information was given out..

Especially when it had something to do with Lonny.. and.. 

Rose Quartz

Who apparently still had a room in the house..

Perhaps out of respect for her..

And he felt bad, with what he wanted to do just then..

The woman was gone.. So may her soul rest in peace.. And he should _not_ be-

..he let go of the doorknob.. and felt his legs walk over to the door..

He should _not_ be doing this..

This was wrong.. The woman was gone and he shouldn't be invading the privacy of her room and he should not be meddling into this.. 

_And_ there was the Gems too..

They wouldn't like him scooping around in their base..

And even Amethyst herself said that she wouldn't give out tours, _especially_ with Rose's room..

But why?

Was it out of respect? 

Or was it because.. Rose or they had hidden something in there that they didn't want him to see?

He was.. just curious, that's all..

The Gems were holding back SO much and he just knew it..

And, all he wanted was some answers..

But what exactly?

He supposed he would start off trying to learn something about.. THE Rose Quartz herself..

He stopped in front of the door, just a couple feet away.

Still contemplating..

He swallowed.. trying to calm his breathing as he already felt himself getting worked up.

Anxiety and the fear of being caught was already grabbing at his skin.

_What _if_ they catch me.._

He would be done for..

And they would lose all trust for him.

If they even trusted him at all.

Though he figured Garnet did.. And, he would feel awful if he ruined the trust between them..

BUT.. his curiosity..

He looked at the symbol.. longer.. 

What was it about this symbol that looked _so_ fami-

Then it finally clicked and he felt his veins turn to ice and his breath halted as a wave of fear hit his back like a block of ice.

And his fight or flight responses were kicking in.. wanting to run away from the Gems and far away from the house.. But at the same time, wanting to stay and pry into all of this and investigate more.

He looked at the ominous flower in the middle of the door..

A top view of a rose flower. The edges representing the petals sharp at the tips.. 

Just.. like the one.. at that building he and Connie were at just yesterday.. 

It was the same exact symbol that was on the hand pedestal.. except this door didn't have the long vine that spiraled around it. 

Though, if he could remember correctly.. the same symbol _with_ the vines amd thorns were also on that sword that Lion had found hidden within the wall of the building..

Okay.. that was it for him..

Obviously the building.. and the sword.. had something to do with Rose Quartz..

And whoever that masked person had been was still a mystery.. Was it a friend? A family member?

He had so many questions..

And, he took a few steps towards the door and felt a pull.

The same pull from earlier when they were passing the door.

And, when he lifted his arm up, taking more steps towards it, he felt a spark and warmth trailed under his skin. It was the same exact feeling he had whenever he put his ring on. That sudden spark. That warmth.

That _connection._

He felt connected to the door.. 

Just like he felt that connection to the ring..

He took another step and the rose on the door started to glow. And he stopped. Taken aback.

And he felt a small part of his thigh started to warm up and he looked down. The ring was glowing inside of his pocket. "What.." he dug inside and took the ring out. The pink jewel on the band was glowing a bright pink. Just like the rose in front of him.

"What's going.. on.."

He hesitated, wondering if he should go any closer..

But his curiosity got the best of him and he lowered his hand towards the knob.

The rose grew brighter and when he grabbed the doorknob, the doorknob pulled from his hand and slid into the door and he gasped, stepping back. The symbol of the rose spun around quickly and minimized in on itself to a tiny circle before a white light engulfed it as it grew bigger, spreading out until the whole door had slid until the door frame.

The door completely gone and Steven looked down at the hall, afraid that the Gems were going to come bursting out the elevator at any moment.

But, after moments of waiting, that didn't happen.

And the rose symbol, in white light, spun out of the door frame, closing the light blue door back as it spun in a circle. The rose then growing bright pink as it stopped.

And he stood there. With both the ring _and _ the rose still glowing.

And, curiosity got the best of him still and he looked down the hallway to double check if the gems were coming.

They weren't.

And he grabbed the doorknob. It pulled out of his hand and slid back into the door and Steven watched as the door opened up once more. 

He took a few steps to the foot of the door and peered into the room. Nothing was in there from what he could see. It was just a pink. and empty. room. 

No windows, no closet door, no items laying around. Not even a bed or a single mattress.

The Gems could've just cleaned out the whole room, which was why it was so empty. Which, made sense. But, he had this gut feeling that, maybe he was just looking just on the surface of things and that was what they _wanted_ him to think..

Maybe something was hidden in the room.. like a, secret wall where you hit it a certain way and a secret door opens up.

At least that's what happened in those old, mystery cartoons..

He stepped in, not wanting the door to close on him again.

He looked around the empty, pink room.

Nothing.

And he took a few more steps in as he looked around himself. 

Nothing-

He saw the light of the room grow dim as the door started to close in, the symbol of the rose spinning back into the middle in a bright white light.

"Oh no!" he ran towards it. 

Watching as the symbol sealed the door in the middle. The room dark, say for the now bright pink light from the rose. "NO!!" and right as he was about to touch the sealed off door, it vanished in a puff of clouds. And the room was dark. The light of the ring was gone from the gem as well. "What?! But how does that?!" he felt around the wall. 

It was as if a door was never there. 

And he couldn't see in front of him.

He fumbled with the ring, sliding it on his finger and he turned the ring downwards and swiped across the floor. He needed to protect himself just in case anything or anyone would try to get to him. 

And he hoped the ring had popped off and formed a bubble around him. He leaned forward and hit the surface. 

Good. 

But, he was _still._ stuck. in there. 

And his mind started to race. 

He was stuck. STUCK!

And he couldn't see.

And he was in a room he shouldn't even BE in in the first place.

And the Gems weren't even there to tell him what was going on. Like they ever would though-

He gasped.

_The Gems!!_

Dread started to pull at him.

He could only imagine what they would do once they found him in their late Crystal Gem's room..


	130. Rose's Room

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is how Rose's room looked when the lights came on. Except it's yellow lines over a pink background.
> 
> https://images.app.goo.gl/31Yj51mC3rmk6fyp7
> 
> And this is what the Banquet resembles:  
https://images.app.goo.gl/qBFCykcBsoNuRjJa8

Steven stood there, where the door once was just a few moments ago. And he leaned on the wall, hoping that the door would just suddenly appear once more..

"Come on.. come on.." he whispered. Eyes closed as he leaned his head on the wall. His hands grasping at the pink surface in the dark.

Then, he suddenly saw light from within his eyelids and he opened his eyes. The room was now huge and stretched as far as the eye could see. And the whole room was blanketed with a hologrid; yellow lines over a pink background on the floor, walls and the tall ceiling above him.

"W, what's going-"

"Unspecified matter inside the perimeter." said a male voice. 

"Uh.." 

"Please verify with code." 

_The code!! Aw man.. How did it go again?! THINK, Universe. THINK!_

"Uh.. zero, seven.. one.. eight-" 

There was a loud buzz that made him jump. "Code incorrect. Will start the termination process in T-minus twenty, nineteen, eighteen, seventeen-" the room started to flash red and pink.

"No, no, no, no!! Uh.." he clenched his eyes, thinking back on the numbers. "Uh.. zero, seven, one.. seven?" he waited and the voice continued to countdown. "eleven, ten, nine-" 

"one.. nine.." he tried to remember all of those times the Gems said it.. and just recently when Amethyst said it. 

"four... three-"

"Mmmnnnnnn.. eight.. nine?" 

"Pass code. Approved." said the male voice and the lights stopped flashing. 

"Phewf.." he leaned back on the wall.

_Too bad I _can't quite remember what I said though..

He stayed on the wall, wondering if the voice was going to say anything more. When it didn't, he pushed off with his hands and stared walking away and towards the wide open area of the room. "How do I get out of here." 

_Wait a minute.. Maybe it's.. voice activated? The room _did_ just talk to me a few moments ago.. And it seems to be.. okay with me? For.. now?_

He stopped. "Uh.. room? I want to get out of here." Silence from the room. "Please." Steven added. 

Silence.

"Maybe.." he thought hard on the numbers once again. "Zero, seven, one, seven.. one..? Nn..Nine? eight nine?" he looked around and there was a "Code Activated. Please state your request." 

_Yes!!! _

"Room. May I please, get out of here? I.. I want to leave this room.... please." he stood there. Hoping that it would wo-

"Request not found-" 

"What?!-"

"Would you like to log into the database? 

"Uh.. yes?" 

"Switching to normal formatting." 

In just a blink of an eye, with just a flicker of light, he found himself in the clouds in the pink sky. "AAHHHHH!!!! Oh.. oh, phewf.." he took a step, pressing down on the floor within his bubble. "I'm still in the room.." he looked around the pink sky full of small, fluffy clouds. "Though, I would rather be back on the ground actually.." he spoke aloud and in a split second, he was on the ground. The bubble on wet grass. Small plants and flowers tapped against the surface of it. And a few trees loomed over him in the late afternoon. "Huh?" he looked to be in a park. A small bridge was not too far from him and there was a small river of water underneath of it. And on the other side of him was a fountain. Blue Jays and Robins flew overhead to join the rest of the birds having a dip in the water. Some, having perched on the edge of the fountain.

"I'm on the ground now." he looked around. "And.. in a.. park? Wait.. is this?.. hmmm.. I want to be.. back up in the clouds." he found himself back in the pink sky with the clouds. "Hmm.. in the rainforest." he found himself engulfed in a heavily forested area. Heavy greenery of big, leaves and trees were closely knit together and looming over him. Grass and mud and colorful flowers covered the area.

"Whoa.." a red eyed tree frog hopped in front of him and into a nearby bush on the other side. He could hear the sounds of toucans and he saw a maccaw fly and land on a branch. It started preening it's feathers. He heard a loud rustling sound and quickly turned around. Two chimpanzees were swinging far up in the trees and leaves began to fall where they'd swung. "This is so cool.." he took a few steps and heard a low growl behind him. He stopped and turned around. A pair of predator eyes were looking right at him. "Uh oh.." he took a step back. His eyes focused intently at the animal hidden behind the leaves.. his mind completely ignoring the fact that he was in a bubble..Having also ignoring the pink tint around him.

The predator jumped out, revealing itself to be a Jaguar. Steven screamed, falling back. "Uh, uh.." he looked around, his mind going blank as he tried to think of a destination. The Jaguar ran and pounced and Steven screamed as he covered his face. The big cat began scratching at the bubble, not making any dents or scratches on the surface. But Steven never looked back up, still cowering and hearing the loud screeching call of the cat as it hit the bubble. "S, somewhere safe! Somewhere safe!!" he managed to shout out. 

He stopped hearing the thudding paws of the Jaguar, but he still didn't open his eyes until a few moments later. 

And.. he looked to be in a girl's room. Pink walls with a pink ceiling. And on the pink ceiling were small pink, white, yellow and blue twinkling diamonds scattered across it. He looked down, seeing a closet and a pink fluffy bed with pink and white fluffy pillows on it. There was a small bookshelf with four shelves filled with books. Beside it on either side was a chest. Both opened and revealing Barbie dolls, teddy bears and play clothes. Above the two chests and the bookshelf was a window with pink curtains draped across it. And in front of the bookshelf was a tall white chair with a book laying opened, more than halfway read. And in front of the chair, on the carpet was a long, flat pillow with a pink blanket. And on the other side of him was another bed. Also pink with pink and white fluffy pillows and a closet. This one opened, showing various skirts and dresses and underneath of it, flip flops, boots and sandals. 

_So I'm in.. some kind of house now? Some girl's room?-Wait.. this can't be.. Rose's room? Or.. old room? _

"This place must be some kind of.. holodeck of some sort?" he said aloud. He walked over to the bookshelf and tried looking out the window through the curtains. He could just faintly make out a backyard. 

"Hmm.." he looked around himself. 

And, from what he could see, there was no danger and, he ran his hand across the bubble. The bubble snapping back into the jewel and back into the band.

He leaned forward on the bookshelf and lifted the side of the curtain up slightly. It looked to be very late in the evening. From what he could tell from the leaves, the wind was blowing slightly outside. The backyard was plain and surrounded by a tall, white gate. The gate looming as far up as the trees. And, he wondered what was beyond that gate.. 

But he turned around to look at the room. His mind going back to Rose Quartz. "Maybe I could find something in here?" he went to one bed, checking underneath of it. Empty. And he went to the closet and, slowly.. he opened it. Apart from clothes and shoes, there was nothing. 

As he was walking to the other side, he saw a door. He went to grab it, wondering if he could leave the room to another party of the house or if that was his way out. But his hand only went through the doorknob, unlike the other objects he could touch like the curtain and the closet door.. 

Maybe the door was just for show since he wasn't in a real room and he couldn't actually _leave_ out? 

He went to the other side of the room, checking under the other bed and the other closet. Nothing. And, he wondered why there were two beds in the first place. 

And he looked at the two closets and the two opened chests..

Was this place mirrored?

But that was quickly debunked as one closet was closed and the other wasn't. And the two chests had different toys and outfits in them.

He walked back over to the chests and stood in front of the bookshelf. He took out one book. It was a plain white book with the words **How a proper woman should act** printed on it in a dull orange. 

He.. felt a bit.. _uncomfortable_ at the title..

He put it back in the same spot on the second shelf and took out another book, on the bottom shelf. **Beware of the Coons that are plaguing our country.** Another plain white book, with just the letters. And the title, unsettling. He pushed the book back in.

And dared to look at another one from the bottom shelf.. **How to be a female leader in a man's world. ** He pushed the book back and tried for another one, on the first shelf. This one, with a longer title.

**It is not narcissism. You have the right to feel above lesser people. Be the queen you were raised to be. **

All of these titles sent.. a nerving chill down his spine.. And he put the book back and stood up. He checked a few other books on the second, third and fourth shelves. Them having unnerving titles or being history books.

And his eyes went to the one that was laying face up, and halfway read in the white chair. 

He lifted the book up, keeping his finger in between the two pages. 

The book was on chapter 15. **How to purify our country: It starts with segregation.** Another chill down his spine and a jolt in his heart as he flipped the book over to read the front of it. **The supreme race: keeping our nation protected. **

With a few calming breaths he set the book back down and stepped back. 

He had a pretty good idea what kind of household this was now.. And he wondered if Rose had carried that mentality into adulthood.. but, changed when she met the Crystal Gems? 

It was unsettling.. Seeing books like these in real life.. He didn't even know they made books like those. 

He walked away from the area..

He wasn't going to find anything here..

And now he was just torn with wanting to try and leave this place.. and wanting to find out more about the mysterious woman.. 

And then, an obvious thought came to mind.

_Duh.._

This is a holodeck that answers requests.(Or apparently certain requests?) And so, if he wanted to know stuff about Rose Quartz, then he should simple _ask._

"Room. Show me Rose Quartz." he went straight to the point. 

Amongst all of the questions he wanted to ask, he definitely wanted to know how she looked so he could finally attach a face to a name. 

A flash of light blinked in front of him, growing as big as his hand. Then it winked out, showing a light pink, lumpy rock as it fell to the soft carpet. 

"What.." he picked up the rock. He clicked his teeth. "No, room." he waved the rock in the air. "Not the gemstone!" he placed it back down on the carpet. "I mean THE Rose Quartz. You know, like the Crystal. Gem." he paused. Then started again. "I want to see Crystal Gem Rose Quartz."

"Locating.. Match not found."

"What?!" 

"How is that even.. this was HER room!! How is Rose Quartz _not_ found in the database!" 

"A 'Crystal Gem Rose Quartz' has never been downloaded into the system. Did you want to download a 'Crystal Gem Rose Quartz' into the database now?" 

Steven sighed. "No.."

"Are you sure?" 

"Yees.." he resisted an eye roll. 

"A 'Crystal Gem Rose Quartz' has been disregarded." 

"Come on.. There has to be.. _something_ I could do?" he sighed dramatically and sat down on one of the soft, comfortable beds. 

And, he sat there.. Looking at the bed, then looking across the whole room.

He took another breath. "Room, I need some help. There must be.. some kind of way I can learn about Rose Quartz? Or.. maybe even the Crystal Gems? Isn't there some type of.. formatting? Or, I don't know.. help assistance or instructions on how to go about this?" 

"Assistance activated." said the male voice. "Converting into holographic substance."

There was a flash of white light in front of him and Steven got up from the bed, bracing himself.

The light shifted into a figure as big as a basketball. And within the light were shapes of two fins and a tail. The light winked out and a small pink whale was floating in front of him.

"What is.." he shifted his eyes around the room before looking back at the figure. "Who _are_ you?"

"I am the room." the whale said in the same, male voice.

"Whoa! You can talk." 

"Yes. You have asked for an assistant and so I have converted my energy to a hologram."

"Cool.." then he wondered. "But, why a whale?" 

"I simply chose one of the stuffed animals on the floor." the whale floated to the left and Steven followed it's eyes to a stuffed whale next to a stuffed kangaroo in one of the toy chests.

The whale floated back to look at him. "Do you not like this form? I can change it if you like." 

"No, it's not that. I was just.. curious. I thought a whale would be.. I don't know, significant or something?" he shrugged. 

The pink whale stared at him. "No." he said plainly.

"O.. kay.." then he had another thought and raised an eyebrow. "And you said you can change into something else?" 

"Yes."

"Hm.." he dug into his pocket. He took out his phone and went to his pictures. "What about.. my buddy right here?" the whale looked at the picture. "He's a man's best friend." Steven added.

The whale mewed and it's eyes turned a bright white. Then the form was engulfed in white light and it started to grow and take shape as it descended to the floor.

Four legs sprouted from the medium sized figure and two ears sprouted from the head. 

Then the white light vanished and a light brown, short haired dog with a dog collar around his neck stood in front of Steven.

He squealed. "You look JUST like Lion!!" he put the phone back in his pocket. 

"A lion?" the Pitbull shook his head. "I am a dog."

"Huh?- No, his _name_ is Lion. I know you're a dog."

"Hm." the canine sat down. "Weird name for a dog, don't you think?"

"N, no?" he scrunched up his face, confused. 

"It very much so is." he said dryly. "Anyway, what can I do you for, Sir?"

"Uh.. well, actually I'm trying to leave.. but, I was also trying to learn more about Rose Quartz. But it seems like you don't have any records of her."

The canine closed his eyes for a few moments. "Hmm.." then, he tilted his head. "Hmm.....mmmmm...." he opened his light blue eyes. "Nope. Nothing on a human Rose Quartz. Just the gemstone that I had shown you before." he turned back, looking at the lumpy rock on the carpet.

"But, this was her room! This is _Rose's_ room!" 

The dog gave another tilt of his head. "This is the Queen's room." 

"Wait.. then maybe THAT'S what she put herself as! The Queen!" he stood in front of the dog. "Room, I want to see the Queen." 

The dog leveled his head to look at him straight on. "Sorry, Sir. I cannot do that." 

"What?! Why?!"

"You are not authorized to ask me anything about the Queen."

"What?! But, but how can I learn about her! How can I.." he trailed off.

"I am sorry, Sir. But that is against my programming." 

He sighed. "Of course it is.." he rubbed his face as he sighed into his hands. "Then _what_ do I do now?!" he mumbled into his fingers. "Maybe I should just.. leave then?" he slid his hands away from his face. "The Gems are probably going to wonder where I am soon anyway.. _If_ they're not al_ready_ looking for me.."

"Oh, Sir. Unfortunately I am unable to let you out."

"WHAT?!?!"

"Well not without telling me that specific request. In which _then_ I can open up the door to the Crystal Gem base for you."

"But I don't KNOW how to "SPECIFICALLY" ask to be let out of the room!! What, is there some kind of secret phrase or something?!" 

"Well, of course, Sir. That is how my programming works. The Queen has stated it as such."

"But how am I suppose to get out of here?!" 

"Simple. You have to think about it and then, say it."

"That's not simple at all! There's like, literally aTRILLION times a TRILLION things I could say!"

"Then it is best if you start now. Perhaps you will find the right one, Sir."

Steven ignored him. "It's not FAIR!! The GEMS won't tell me about anything!! Then I can't even find out anything about Rose Quartz in her own room!! NOW I can't even leave out of here because I don't know the proper code!! And I have to use the bathroom really bad because I drunk all of that Bissap tea!!" he held his belly. "So.. much.. Bissap tea.." he whispered. 

"..Holding that in is definitely not good for your prostate, Sir." the canine deadpanned. 

Steven crouched down as he buried his hands in his face once more with another defeated sight. "All I wanted was to know more about Rose Quartz because the Gems are holding so many secrets from me.. And, now I just want to leave this room.. I shouldn't had even done this in the first place.." 

The dog looked at him as the boy sat there, face still buried in his hands.

Then, he finally spoke up. "Look, Sir. How about I do this for you." Steven looked up slightly. His fingertips just under his eyes. "I can show you the Queen's top five achievements. Perhaps that may help you in getting to know her." 

"Really?!"

"Yes."

"Oh, wait.. but, isn't that telling me her information?" 

"One could argue that, yes. But see this, _you_ are not authorized to ask me any questions about her. And what I can show you is actually from her memories. And while memories can be looked at as information, that doesn't mean it's the specific piece of information you were looking for." 

"I.. kinda get that but then.. kinda don't..?"

"That's okay, Sir. So are we to start our journey? I can cue up one of her achievements in a second."

"Uh, s, sure." 

"Top Five Achievements Accessed." the canine's eyes turned white. "Name of achievement: The Banquet." 

In a split second as a flash of light engulfed the room, the pink Rose Quartz gem had vanished and they were in a very, fancy looking dining area. Many people filled the dining hall. Some with fancy dresses and suits and others, with Butler outfits and carrying food horderves on a white plate. 

"Whoa.." Steven looked around in awe. 

Everything was golden, silver and white. And everything looked expensive. Even the white plates on the tables. 

Steven and the canine were right in the middle of the smooth floor. On either side of them was gold carpeting. And above it, were six round tables, sitting two and two together on either side of them. Well-dressed men and women were sitting down and eating their fancy looking food. 

Above them were golden colored chandeliers and lights on a silver and gold ceiling. And in front of them on either side were golden staircases. 

"So her first achievement is..?" he looked down at the canine. 

"I cannot give you that information." 

Steven grumbled out a sigh. "Not that either?" 

"Come, Sir. Let us get a closer look. Perhaps you can find out on your own." 

The canine started walking down the crowded floor and Steven tried to follow him. The boy shuffling pass and trying to not bump into anyone. 

The dog turned back. "Don't bother doing that. This is a memory. Therefore, these people will phase through you and they will not talk to you. Unlike if we were in an actual holodeck simulation." 

"You mean.. like those times when I was in the park.. and the room." then he thought about the Jaguar and gasped. "AND the jungle?! So.. so that Jaguar could've-" 

"Torn you to shreds and killed you?" he nodded. "Yes. Yes, he could've. Had it not been for that pink forcefield bubble of yours, you could've been a goner."

Steven swallowed. Feeling incredibly thankful that he had his ring with him. He looked at his hand. The jewel sitting neatly in the band. 

"Also, is that all you can do? Most Crystal Gems would've used their weapon." 

"I uh.. only have my bubble.." he mumbled. 

The dog looked at him. Another head tilt as he raised his eyebrow. "Really?" a server phased through the dog as she walked over to the other side of the room.

Steven rubbed at his neck, giving a sheepish head nod. "Yeah.. I, just have my bubble.. No.. weapons or.. fancy jumps or anything.." 

"Not even a single leap? Hm. That's odd. You're a Gem, right? Most Gems can at least super jump and activate a weapon." Steven frowned and the dog turned back around. "Very well, Sir. In due time." 

The two walked to the head of the dining area and Steven noticed that there was a rectangular patch of red carpet starting from the base of the two staircases and towards the long table that was right in between them. The table sporting a white tablecloth. On top of it were various dishes and platters and fancy looking drinks. Behind the table on the golden colored walls in a dazzling pink, were the letters **The Diamond Authority.**

And, right at the long table, were two chairs. Both occupied. One, being a young girl. No older than at least fifteen, or sixteen Steven assumed. Her pink, fluffy, curly hair was down to her back and she had a pink, even fluffier strapless dress on. She had on pink lipstick with pink eye shadow above her dark brown eyes. 

She was talking to a middle aged woman with white hair. The top of her hair combed down neatly and the back in stiff spikes, held in by strong hairspray and gel. She was wearing a white dress with shoulder pads and a gray, black design in the middle that Steven could hardly see from how she was sitting in the chair. And on her shoulders and attached to her arms was a long, white cape. When the woman moved her arm up to push back the teen girl's curl from her forehead, he noticed the inside of her cape was with black and gray lines, with small diamonds that seemed to glimmer and sparkle in the light. And when she pulled her hand back to slide it down to the girl's face, he noticed the black nail polish on her fingertips. The polish complementing the woman's black lipstick and black eyeliner. Silver eye shadow just slightly above her thick, black lashes. 

"Come, so we can hear them better." said the holographic canine. He jogged up and sat directly in front of the table. Steven followed him, stopping right beside the dog to listen into the conversation. 

And closer to the girl and the woman now, and at a different angle, he noticed that the woman had on colored contacts. White irises with diamonds for pupils. She had a pleased smile on her face, though her smile seemed anything but friendly and endearing as she listened to the girl sitting politely in front of her. The girl's knees and ankles tightly together and slanting her legs to the side. Keeping her posture modest with her hands in her lap as she held onto the small, pink clutch purse.

"... and I keep, thinking that something may mess up. I have been up all night for the past few nights now, thinking about this very, important day." the teen said. And Steven noticed a particular accent with her voice, though he couldn't pinpoint where it was from.

"Ah, Starlight." the woman's voice was.. eerily light.. and calm. And, Steven noticed a strong accent with the woman as well. "This has gone on long enough." she ran her hand to the girl's chin, lifting it up. "You. are a Diamond. A fine, young Diamond indeed and I know that you will be perfect in upholding this Authority."

"I.. I know, mother, but.." she wanted to look away, but knew all too well that that would be rude and disrespectful. 

"But what, my dear? Why do you hesitate?"

The girl took a breath. "As a new Diamond in the authority, everyone will be looking up to me... I am supposed to know better, I am supposed to _be_ better. I am supposed to make everything better!" she swallowed. "And.. it is a bit, _unnerving_ to say the least." another breath. " I am, sorry for feeling like this, mother." 

Her mother gave her a leveled stare. The smile completely gone from her face. "I am sorry you feel this way too." she said with ice in her voice. "Listen, daughter. I have raised you well, just like all of my other, very successful, ruthless daughters before you. And, I am proud of each and every one of them and I _know_ I will be proud of you, as well." 

Her teenaged daughter looked at her. Silent. Not wanting to speak over her mother.

"But I have never. Not once. Raised you as a coward or someone who is indecisive. You are a well behaved, strong, important, young female who will continue to run this authority, as your father did and as_ I _am still doing." her diamond eyes were looking directly at her. "You _shall_ be perfect in everything that you do. Just like your father, just like your sisters and just. like. me. Now, my daughter." she pinched the girl's chin with the corner of her thumb and index finger. "Do I make myself clear?" 

"Yes, mother. You always make things clear for me." 

"Good." the woman nodded and slowly let go of her daughter's chin. Then, she got up and Steven noticed just how elegant the woman's dress and high heels were. "Now, you stay put here. The coronation is to begin very soon and I would like to make my final walkthrough to make sure that everything is in place and perfect." 

"Yes, mother." 

The teen (and Steven and the dog) watched as the woman walked up one of the staircase's to the next floor.

Then Steven looked down at the canine beside him. "So this party is.. for her..? And she's.. or _was_ supposed to be apart of some Diamond Authority?" the dog looked at him, not saying anything. "But, the Gems never said anything about that." then he slowly thought. "Wait.. but.. how can she be a Rose Quartz _and_ a Diamond?" the dog continued to stare. "Unless.. she decided to be a Crystal Gem instead?" he scratched at his head. "But.. then why is _this_ her greatest achievement? If.. she ended up being a Crystal Gem?" 

The dog chuckled. "Come, let us depart." he started to walk away and Steven looked back at the teen. She was now facing the table, looking at the crowd. Her expression rigid as she tried for looking more intimidating. 

Then a brown skinned man wearing a tuxedo came walking up to her. He bowed at the waist. "My Diamond. Care for an horderv?"

"No. I do not." she said plainly.

"Terribly sorry, my Diamond. Please forgive me for disturbing you." he bowed once more.

Someone phased through Steven and he turned back. The dog was nowhere to be seen. "Oh no! Uh, Room?" he jogged pass the crowd of people, walking through them until he finally came across the dog sitting at the opened doors of the hall. 

Steven jogged his way. 

"Ah, there you are, Sir." the dog got up, wagging his tail. "Are you ready to head to the next achievement? This next one is less busy." 

Steven was about to give him the okay, until the lights started to dim down and people started to get to their seats. Servers started to walk towards the back and stand at the back wall. 

Then, he saw who looked to be the teenaged girl again. Her dress was a darker shade of pink and less frilly and floofy like the one he'd seen earlier. The dress more straight and slimmed down to her figure and with sharp shoulder pads. And he noticed that she had on dark pink gloves as she raised her hands up to fix her hair. Her hairstyle, also looking different. It wasn't big and curly and down her back, instead, it was up in a stylish afro, with five sharp curls held neatly behind her head.

She was walking with a woman who looked a bit older than her, perhaps in her mid to late twenties. The young woman was very tall, with light blue hair that draped pass her shoulders and an elegant blue dress. A modest cloak draped over her head and down her shoulders and back. The end of the robe swayed at her stylish heels. "Now, sister." the woman said. The two had stopped right in front of the doorway, but continued to look at the crowd as they began to disperse and head to their assigned seats. Other servers began to clean around them, making sure everything was well cleaned for the coronation.

"This is it." the woman said. "You are to officially be in the Diamond Authority. Such an extravagant day, this is." her blue lips curled up in a dastardly smile. "The Diamond Authority will be forever, dear sister. So long as we are all here, this Authority will continue on and forward, long after both you and I are long gone. This is a wonderful tradition and I cannot wait for both Yellow and I to have kids of our own to continue on this legacy. Then, you will do the same with your children. And we, will be perfect. Just like mother is." 

The teenager nodded once. "I cannot wait either. As I have told mother many times before, I have been looking forward to this very day and now, it has finally come. It, truly is a sight to see."

The two were silent before the woman finally looked to her sister and Steven realized the woman had on contacts as well. Blue irises with diamond pupils. "I know you will make mother very proud and" she kept her stare at her younger sister. "if father was still alive, I know that he would have been extremely proud of you as well." 

"I appreciate the kind words, sister. And, I plan to make everyone proud of me. Especially our father and our mother." 

Her older sister nodded. "You will be an amazing asset to the authority, _Pink."_ there was a small hint of a smile.

A woman came in from the outside hall wearing a bright, rigid, golden dress with wide shoulder pads. Her dark blonde hair was up and forward in two spikes. And she had on yellow gloves that reached her elbows and dark brown heels with dark brown laces that travelled up to her knees. 

Her expression. Stone faced. Stoic. Serious. Her lips up in a sour pucker. And her yellow irises with diamond pupils narrowed at her younger sister. "There you are, Blue. Mother and I were wondering where you were."

"Pink and I were having a quaint conversation before the coronation starts."

"There is a time and place for everything. But talking now, before coronation, is not. Pink should not be late and she needs to be focused. And, there will be plenty of time to talk later." their older sister looked at the two of them, stopping at the youngest. "Now, pay very close attention Pink, to what mother tells you. You can not mess up on any words as you are sworn in." 

"Yes, Yellow. I know. Mother and I have practiced for weeks as well as my speech for after I am sworn in."

"Good." then she turned to her other sister. "Blue, you are to come with me. You will sit on the left side of Pink while I sit on the right side." 

"Yes, Yellow." the two walked out, leaving the girl by herself. The girl, staring off into the crowd. 

_Poor girl.. She can't _really_ be happy.. Can she?_

Steven felt a tug on his hand and looked down. The dog let go of his hand with his mouth. "Come, Sir. Off to the second memory." 

"Uh." he looked back at the emotionless girl. "S, sure-" 

"Pink Diamond." said her mother through the microphone. "Your presence is required." 

The girl took a deep breath and turned around and Steven was caught off guard. Before, her eyes had been dark brown, but now, they were pink, with diamond irises. She walked pass him and out into the hall, assumably on her way to her mother.

"Second Achievement." he heard the dog say and he turned around. The canine's eyes were white. "The Garden." 

In a flash of white light, he and the dog were standing on luscious green grass with various flowers scattered around the area and flowing in the springtime breeze. There were benches one one side of them and a large playground on the other. 

"Okay, mother. I am going to win this game." Steven heard a little girl say. He and the canine turned around. 

It was a little girl. No more than three or four years old. She had on a pink skirt with white stockings and a white shirt with pink puffy sleeves. A dark pink heart in the middle of the short sleeved shirt. And she had on pink dress shoes and pink gloves. Her pink dyed hair was up in two ponytails and being held by pink ribbons. 

She had a goofy, happy smile on her face as she bounced up and down in one spot. Her dark brown eyes with such innocence and awe as she giggled happily.

Steven looked around. He didn't see anyone there. He turned back to the holographic dog. "Where is everyone?" 

The dog looked at him.. staring.. before saying. "This is a memory of her playing."

"But.. why is _this_ an achievement? She's a little girl playing a game." the dog stared at him. "Un.. unless fun times like these came rare to them? That would.. kinda make sense? Their mother didn't seem like much of a fun, loving type.."

The dog walked away. 

"Hey, where are you going now?" they walked pass her. The little girl still giggling and bouncing on her toes.

"This was a pretty short, simple memory. I would like to move on to the third one." 

"Um.. sure? Though." he pointed behind himself. "I'm kinda curious how this all ends-"

'Third achievement." he cut him off as his eyes started to glow. "The doctor's office." 

In a flash of white light, they were in a doctor's office. And Steven's anxiety spiked instantly. Both being in a hospital-like scenery and quickly thinking that something bad had happened, until he heard a giddy laughter behind him. He turned around. 

There was a woman sitting in a chair. In front of her, another woman. On the plus size side, with voluminous, pink, curly hair around her head. And she was laying down on the rest of her curly hair that went pass her waist. She had on a strapless dress with frills that had been pushed back to the top of her stomach. She was giggling and smiling away at a figure on a monitor. A young man with dark brown hair that also reached pass his waist was standing beside her, also smiling. 

The sonographer continued with her job as she went over the woman's stomach with the cool gel. 

"Are you sure?" the woman being examined asked. 

"Yes, ma'am. I'm sure. You two will be having a boy." 

The woman squealed. "Oh, we were hoping for a boy." she looked up at her husband as she squeezed his hand. "Weren't we, honey?" she smiled. 

"We sure were." he lifted up her hand in his and gave the back of her knuckles a kiss. "And now, we'll have our young man soon." 

"Then we'll train him to become a fine Crystal Gem. He'll be the absolute strongest of them all."

The man chuckled. "I couldn't agree more."

Steven turned to the dog. "Is that.. is that Lonny and Rose Quartz? Er.. the Queen?" 

The dog looked at him. 

"The Gems didn't tell me they had a son!" 

The dog looked at him, before finally stating. "Unfortunately their son died at birth, due to stomach complications with the umbilical cord."

Steven raised his hand up to his belly button. "O.. oh.." he frowned.. and looked back at the happy couple as they continued to talk to the doctor. "I'm.. sorry to hear that.."

"Yes. Tragic." said the dog. Then he turned away. "Okay, now off to the next one-"

"Wait.. now how was _that_ an achievement?! They lost the baby." 

"The memory itself _was_ an achievement, Sir. They've been trying for a baby and wanted a boy and in this very memory, that was what was happening."

Steven looked at the couple once more. The man, who, looked oddly familiar, was hugging his wife, happy and laughing with her. 

"Come, Sir." he looked at the canine. He was wagging his tail. "Let us depart for the next memory. This is the second to last one." 

"O.. kay.." he kept staring at the young man. 

"Fourth Achievement." the dog's eyes glowed white. "The plan." 

They were in a plain, underground hallway. Lights were flickering overhead. Steven heard some whispering from down the hall and he looked down at the canine. "It is okay. Remember. It is only a memory. So nothing can hurt you." he reassured the boy. 

Steven started down the dimly lit hallway as lights continued to dim and flicker above him. The clanking of metal was heard from behind and on the side of him. "Is.. this some kind of factory?" the dog looked up at him, then looked back down, continuing his walk with him. 

They heard someone running down away from them as they neared a side tunnel. They stopped. A young girl, the same girl from the coronation was there. She turned around and Steven went to look at her eyes. They were dark brown. 

"This is incredible!" she smiled. A determined smile that reached the glare of her eyes. "We. will take over!!!" her voice echoed down the metal halls and Steven jumped "And nothing. And NOBODY. will get. in our. way!! The Authority. will be. forever. And my sisters and I.. will continue to make mother happy." a dark grin spread across her lips. "The Crystal Gems. will be. no more." she snickered to herself, quickly becoming a belittling chuckle as she walked towards them, phasing through them as she made her way down the tunnel. 

"I can.. only assume that.. with what I've seen so far" Steven began. "is that.. she was a diamond that was suppose to take down the Crystal Gems but ended up.. switching sides and.. being one instead? And.. becoming Rose, uh, the Queen?" 

Another stare from the canine before he said. "Now it is time for the fifth. and last. achievement." his eyes started to glow white. "The War." 

"Wait. WHAT?! WHAT WAR-" 

The room was engulfed with a split second of light before loud explosions were heard all around them. Fire and smoke erupted from all sides of them and the ground trembled as piercing screams broke through the rumbles of armored trucks and the shots of bullets from machine guns. 

Steven screamed and ran off as bombs landed and exploded by him. He looked around, seeing a tipped over car just a few feet in front of him. He ran over, trying to ignore the dead bodies laying all around and stepping over weapons. He jumped behind the car, cowering, with his hands over his head. The melted and burnt up car being his cover. 

People ran from everywhere. Behind him, in front of him and above them as he saw some of them soaring overhead with what looked to be see through wings. 

Arrows flew pass his head and he screamed, ducking down even more. Then something huge jumped over him and he threw his body flat on the ground. The huge figure landed on her tiptoes in front of him. And, he looked up slowly. It looked like Opal with her bow and arrow. 

She fired off three arrows, each hitting three different people. She jumped away, clearing a few trees and disappeared. 

"This is some war-" 

"AHHH!!" Steven screamed, jumping away from the dog. 

"Sorry, Sir. I didn't mean to startle y-"

"THIS she felt, was one of her greatest achievements?!" he whined. Scared for his life.

"Not _one_ of. THE best achievements."

"No! This is wrong! Why would she-"

They saw someone running pass them. 

It was Rose Quartz.

Steven noticing the same big, pink sword from the weaponry room, in her hand. She threw it up, stabbing two people in their necks and Steven clenched his eye. "I don't want to see anymore!" 

"But this is apart of her memory."

"I don't care!" he shouted. "This is all wrong!" Eyes, still closed. He felt himself tearing up as he heard more screams around him. He felt a tear slide down his face. "I don't want this."

The canine leaned in to the boy who's face was still on the ground. "What _is_ it, that you want, Sir?"

"I told you already! I was trying to learn more about Rose Quartz! And I was trying to leave! And that's what I want to do now!" he sobbed. "I don't want to see more of the war! I don't want to see any more people getting hurt! I just. want. to leave!" he cried.

"But I have already told you, Sir. You must give me the request first, in order for me to do that."

More tears slid down his face as he tried to muffle out the sounds of the screams as he covered his ears. "But I don't know the request!" he cried. "Please! Just let me go!" more explosions sounded by him as the ground broke apart from just a few feet besided him and he screamed, flailing back from the crack in the ground. He panted. "This is all my fault! I shouldn't had even went into the room! I shouldn't had been nosy! And, and I should've just went to the bathroom and went back to the Gems! All of this is my fault! This was all one. big. mistake!!" 

Everything went quiet and still, but Steven still kept his head on the ground until he heard a "Access Approved." he looked up and the dog blinked his eyes. And his eyes started to glow white. 

The room was engulfed in a white light before going back to the hologrid. Yellow lines over a pink background. 

A door slid open on the other side of them.

Steven gasped as a loose tear slid down his cheek. "The door!" he got up and started running.

"No! Halt, Sir!" the dog yelled out.

Steven slid to a stop, starlted at the shout. "Huh?"

"That is not the door, Sir. You can not go through there!' the holographic dog warned. 

"But.." Steven looked at the door, then back at the dog. 

"That is not. the right. door." the dog warned again.

"But.." Steven's curiosity was leaked once more. "Why can't I go through there? What's through there?!"

"You KNOW I am not authorized to tell you!" the dog yelled, getting more hostile.

"Uh..." Steven walked back slowly, away from the canine. 

"I said halt!" he shouted. "N.... NOBODY IS TO GO THROUGH THERE BUT ROSE QUARTZ HERSELF!!" 

"But.. wait.. you just said her name!! But, you said she wasn't in the datab-"

"AAAAHHHHHH!!!!!" the dog charged at him, his eyes glowing red. 

Steven screamed, running for the door.

"NOBODY IS TO GO THROUGH THERE!!!" said a .. female voice? It sounded.. much like the woman in the doctor's office. He turned back around. The white light engulfed the dog and he turned into a Lion. He picked up speed, mouth open and showing his sharp teeth. 

"No!! No!! No!!" he ran the gem across his arm and the jewel popped off, the bubble forming around him as he made his way towards the door.

"THAT DOOR IS OFF LIMITS!!" the male voice was back.

Steven felt the Lion headbutt his bubble and he screamed, running though the door, immediately hitting a wall that was just a few feet away from the door. He bounced off and stepped on a certain part of the bubble, instantly stopping it and preventing it from rolling back towards the door.

The Lion jumped and Steven screamed, throwing his arms in front of him. An invisible barrier stretched with the Lion, before pulling him back into the room. "NOOOOO!!!" he shouted.

Steven slowly lowered his arms from his face. 

The holographic Lion was trying to break through the invisible barrier of the room, but to no avail. The Lion not being able to leave itself.

Steven watched as the Lion continued to struggle..

..until the door started to slid up from the bottom.

"YOU CAN'T GO IN THERE!! YOU. CAN'T. GO IN THERE!!!!" he pawed at the barrier until the door slid up to a close.

Steven sat there in his bubble. Panting hard. Not sure what to do now that he was confined to what was actually a small.. closet? The space just big enough for the bubble.

He heard the sound of metal thumping. "Huh?" before free falling straight down and he screamed at the top of his lungs as he grabbed for the side of his bubble. Just a second away from wetting his pants.

Just moments later, _the apparent elevator,_ slowed down to a stop and Steven sat there, heavy breathing as he tried to calm himself. 

Then, the door slid open and he quickly scrambled out with his bubble, not wanting to get stuck in the elevator.

He leaned over, hands on his knees as he tried to calm his nerves and his breathing.. and his heart..

It took him a couple minutes before he calmed down slightly.. and he started to look around. 

He was in a very small, empty cellar, say for a mirror that was built into the wall opposite him.. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHOA NOW!


	131. The Cellar

"Uh.. am I.. in another part of the room?" he said aloud. 

Nobody answered him.

He hesitated, slowly going over to the silver-blue metallic mirror that reached no more than five feet up.

And as he got closer to it, he began to realize that, the reflective blue glass was not mirroring the room he was in. It wasn't mirroring the cellar, but was showing a small, skinny woman rocking in a corner. Arms in front of her. And his heart skipped a few beats.. Not sure what he was seeing exactly.

He took a few more cautious steps. He couldn't tell the color of her hair or her dress through the pink tint of his bubble and the blue tint of the mirror, but he could tell that both the short bob of hair and the clothes were of a darker color.

"Is this.. some kind of a holodec thing? Is this.. another one of Rose's memories?" he looked into the small room. There was a small seat of a toilet on one side of the closet sized room and on the other, balled up newspapers. Chains hung from the ceiling. One clamped to her neck and he saw three more chains that hung in front of her.

With every step towards the mirror, there was another shock of fear up his legs that would go up his spine. And he could feel his heart start to race once more.

The shadow of his bubble had covered the woman. The shadow, raising up on the wall in front of her. 

And, now knowing that someone was directly behind her, she stopped rocking. Not daring to turn around.

Steven noticed the woman now sitting still. And his heart began to race more.

It felt like being in a horror movie.. And he was just _waiting_ for a jump scare.. He was _waiting_ for the woman to turn around and lunge forward in an attack as she revealed her spooky, ghostly face.

Oh, he waited..

And, waited..

But nothing happened.

"Hm?" he took just two more steps before his bubble tapped on the glass. He crouched down, now at the woman's level. 

The woman sat there.. her back and a part of her side towards him.

"..Hello?" Steven said softly. 

The woman stayed in her spot. Still. 

"Are you.. even real? Or.. is this another holodec thingy? Like.. in the room?" 

He _really_ wanted to know.. 

If she was real, then perhaps he could help her.. 

And, if she _wasn't_ real, then that would give him even more reason to never._ ever_ go back to the scariness that was Rose's Room.. 

He leaned in closer, placing his hand on the bubble.

"Hellooo~."

He stayed there, crouched. Leaning on his bubble.

There was a tiny flash of light as small as a pen dot by the woman's face and he wondered if that was in his mind or if it had been a glare from the one light bulb above him.

Then he saw the woman reaching to her ear- quickly and he saw the chain attached to both wrists- and, as if remembering something, quickly brought her hand back down just as Steven felt his phone vibrate in his pocket..

_OH NO!!!! THE GEMS!!!!!! THEY'RE PROBABLY WONDERING WHERE I AM!!!! AND.. AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE I AM!!!_

He pulled out his phone to see a percentage and a downloading bar filling up as the number blinked from 94%, to 95%, then jumping to 98%, then 99%, then to 100%. Then the red bar and percentage number disappeared and the words _Downloading complete. Would you like to play audio file?_ appeared on the screen.

"Audio file?"

The woman heard him and looked into the direction of his voice.

Steven saw movement out the corner of his eye and looked up.

The woman was looking right in his direction. Her irises a chalky white and the rest of her eyes bloodshot red. And her face, skinny, sunken in with dark rings under her eyes. Whip marks were along her cheeks and neck.

Steven jumped back, caught off guard again as he looked back at the middle aged, fragile woman.

"Uh.. hello.. there?" he managed to say.

She said something to him. But he couldn't understand her. 

"Sorry, I.. don't know what you said.." 

It was in a foreign language.. but if had to be a bit on the assumption side, based on appearance, he loosely assumed it was .. an Asian language? He didn't know.. He was so bad at languages.. 

And he _still_ didn't know if she was a hologram or not..

But he _did_ know, that he wasn't suppose to be down there..

The lady frowned. Her express grew tense and she looked frightened and uneasy. She scooted herself up to the dirty, cellar wall. And, turned back around.

"Wait, are you.. real?" Steven asked again.

The woman stayed still. Head to the wall like before. It was similar to the same posture she had before when he first seen her.

Maybe it was some kind of.. sick video on loop?

He felt his phone vibrate again and he checked it.

It was from Amethyst.

_OH NO!!!! AW MAN!!! SHE'S GONNA KILL ME!!_

He stuffed the phone back in his pocket and started searching around the small cellar. There was no door. Even the elevator door had vanished within the wall.

"Ohh, come on.. come on.." he walked around, searching for a button of some sort. 

Until he felt his finger start to warm up and he looked at his hand. The jewel on the band started to light up pink. Just like how it lit up before with the rose symbol on Rose's door.

And he felt a spark, a warmth again and, he looked up at a plain wall in front of him. He started walking towards it and the jewel started to glow brighter. And the heat and connection grew stronger within him.

An outline of a door traced itself on the wall in front of him and a door slid open, showing blackness behind it.. 

He looked at the ring. It was still glowing.

Then, he looked back at the mirror. Or.. see through door that _looked_.. like a mirror?

The woman was still seated by the wall with her back turned towards him.

He watched for a few more moments to see if she would move.

She didn't.

And he turned back around and cautiously, walked through the door and into the black hallway. The door vanishing back within the wall.

He heard a loud bang and jumped, looking down the hall, but not being able to see anything too far down.

More banging. And clanking. And chains rattling. Accompanied by groans and moans and shouts.

And his heart began to thud in his chest. 

With the groaning.. and the screaming and the shouting, his mind went right to one thing. 

He must still be in the room..

Still hearing the war going on in her memory..

He held the jewel up in front of him, using the small bit of light to see where he was going in a.. tunnel of some sort? .. from what he could see, from the metal paneling around him.

He felt the phone vibrate in his pocket and he picked up his speed, jogging down as he tried to look for some kind of exit.

The tunnel seemed to stretch on and on.. 

Until he came across two separate paths. 

"Oh no.." he looked at the left passageway, then the right one. 

The phone started to ring a third time and he quickly bolted down the left one. 

And just halfway down the tunnel, he nearly ran pass the elevator. He ran back up, quickly thinking hard on the security code and he swiped across the bubble, the bubble disappearing instantly and he pressed the numbers on the tablet. 

He failed the first time, but quickly put in the correct numbers the second time and the elevator doors slid open. 

He ran in and looked at the two buttons on the elevator.

With the Gems.. he could only assume which buttons to press..

But he tried for pressing the two buttons together, just like the other elevator. Then, he pressed the bottom button (to go _up_).

Nothing happened.

And he tried to calm himself, quickly going for the top button. Just.. _hoping_ that would work instead-

The elevator started to ascend and he schedule a breath of relief.

The heat started to leave his finger and he looked down at his hand. The ring wasn't glowing anymore.

He lowered his arm back down and stood there as the elevator continued it's way up.

He took a few breaths to calm his self down-

The elevator stopped and with a _DING_, the elevator doors opened. 

He stepped out of the elevator and the doors closed behind him.

He looked to be back in the Crystal Gem base. Or.. he _hoped _ that he was.. 

Dark blue carpeting was underneath of him and the walls were cream colored. Doors, all of them closed were on each side of the hall. Four on one side and three on the other. And there was one lamp sitting on a table on each side of the hall. 

And Steven stood there, wondering if he should go left or right-

A door in front of him opened up and he jumped, quickly going for cover behind the lamp. He squeezed close to the wall, trying to hide his body behind the table and the hall lamp.

He waited.

And when nobody walked pass, he peered just slightly behind the table. 

A woman, dressed in a maid's outfit, was walking down the hall and away from Steven. A vacuum cleaner in one hand and a duster in the other. 

Steven waited until she turned the corner, then waited a bit longer, before running down the hall opposite her. 

He passed by a couple more doors and he could see the hall start to open up. The end of the hall looking much brighter and more golden and sparkly. And he could see a mottled black and golden-colored banister. 

_Wait, isn't that the spiral staircase that I saw when I first walked in?_

He picked up his pace, hoping he was correct..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 0_0'


	132. Leaving the Crystal Gem Base

The Gems were just about finished with finding every jewel that Peridot needed.

Amethyst crossed out the last name on the third sheet of paper and went to the fourth and last paper. Just ten more gemstones to find. 

Pearl was looking for the last two on her paper and Garnet was looking for the last five gemstones on hers. The woman holding a square, yellow gemstone in her hand.

Pearl put the second to last gem in the knapsack and crossed the name out. She then went to the last pile of green gemstones in front of her. She picked two of them up and examined them through her glasses.

Garnet found two gemstones within the pile in front of her and she placed them in the bag and crossed out the two names on the sheet. 

She put the other gemstones back into their respective shelves and cut her eye at the empty chair in the lounging area. Lion was still fast asleep, curled up in a little ball in the cold room.

"Looks like Talc must've gotten the bubble guts from the food." she joked. "See, told ya I was weary about some of that exotic food. Some people just can't handle it." 

Garnet and Pearl looked at each other, wondering if they should say anything. 

Amethyst grabbed a few more gemstones and placed it on the table. "But whatever. It's best if he gets all of that out now before we hop on the jet to L.A." she sat down. Then, looked up at the two women.

They quickly nodded their head, agreeing with their boss. "Yeah, especially since we're going to be doing a lot of moving around." said Garnet.

"Right, so it's better to get better now than later."

Amethyst nodded with a smile at the two. "Exactly." she went back to the gemstones in front of her and they went back to theirs.

The three of them continued to work for another few minutes before Amethyst's phone started ringing. Ominous piano keys breaking the silence in the room. 

She swiped across her screen, answering her phone. And she put the call on speaker.. "Yo, Peridot." 

"Hello, Amethyst." 

"Yeah, what's going on?" 

There was a tired sigh on the other end. "Well, apparently, the group who was supposed to get the Wailing Stone got injuried and-" 

"Don't tell me it was by.. _them."_ she hissed out. 

"Negative. It was not by the men with the white shades and black suits." Peridot reassured her. "Something happened during their mission wear a gas tank blew up, injuring them as well as bystanders. Thankfully they still managed to get the jewels and escape, but they are way too weakened and wounded to get the Wailing Stone, which was in their next mission. So-"

"You need _us_ to go get it." 

"Er.. yes." she cleared her throat. "As well as still be at the Communication Hub on time. I take it that you four, er, _five_ can do that." 

"Of COURSE we can, Perry Berry. We _are_ the best at what we do after all." 

"..Yes.. _sure.."_

"Hey! Give us our recognition, P-Dot!" Amethyst joked. 

"Anyway." she ignored her. "I'll send you the coordinates to the building. And I'll meet everyone down at the Hub in a few hours." 

"Heheheh, oookay, Perry." 

Peridot hung up the phone and Amethyst locked her phone back. "Okay, you heard P-Pod. Looks like we have another short mission before we head to L.A. Gotta retrieve the Wailing Stone." 

"So we'll be leaving after this." said Pearl. 

"Yup. So let's hurry up and find the rest of the gemstones and get out of here." 

****

Within just a span of ten minutes, the Gems had found all four hundred gemstones. Pearl was putting the rest of the gemstones back qin the shelves and Garnet lifted the knapsack on her back. Then she picked up her bowl of food from off the table. 

Amethyst was walking over to the lounging area. The plate that Kofi made her, in her hand. "Che, perro." (Hey, dog.) she woke Lion up and he lifted his head up. She gestured with her hand. "Ven acá." (Come here.)" 

The dog looked at her, not understanding.

"Ven" (Come) she gestured down with her hand, pointing to the floor. "acá." (here.)

Seeing her point to the floor, the dog got up and walked over to her.

Amethyst started for the door and Lion followed her. 

Pearl pressed a button on the wall and the glass door started to slid back, covering up the gemstones. It slid to a close and locked with a heavy click.

She followed Amethyst towards the door and Amethyst had stopped, letting Pearl get in front of her to put the code into the tablet. 

Garnet grabbed Steven's bowl of food from off the chair and met them at the door.

The door slid open and they started down the hallway to the elevator where Pearl put the code in the tablet.

The doors slid open and they walked in. And the doors slid back behind them.

Pearl pressed the two top buttons on the elevator, then pressed the third, last button. The elevator rose up to the floor and with a _DING_ the doors opened. They continued their walk down the hallway, eventually reaching the open area of the living room. 

Amethyst knocked on the bathroom door. "Yo, Talc. You better be finishing up in there. We have a quick mission to go to before we head to Cal."

No answer.

"What?" she tapped on the door. "Yo, Talc." 

No answer.

Garnet's mind started to race. Hoping that nothing happened to the boy. But she stood there. Knapsack on her back, as she watched her boss tap on the door again.

"Yo. I'm not one for privacy." she said to the door. "I'm going to open the door." she raised her hand to the doorknob and grabbed it. 

And Garnet braced herself for what she might see-

Amethyst opened the door..

.. to an empty bathroom..

"What?!" she backed up, looking around the area. "He's gone.." then she shouted out. "Yo, Talc!"

No answer. 

"Garnet, you check the second floor. Pearl, the third floor. Quick! Check each and every door." 

The two ran up the spiraling stairs.

"This boy better not be snooping around.." she grumbled as she took out her phone. She clicked on his name and the phone signalled out a call.

She let it ring all the way out until the voicemail came on. She hung up the phone. Then she walked over and checked the second door, by the bathroom. A closet. He wasn't there. 

She closed the door back and began walking around the area, looking all around. She didn't see him and she turned around, her eyes locking onto the front door.

She pressed the numbers on the tablet and a small pen shaped speaker came out. "Deactivate all alarms." she said into it. 

"Alarms deactivated." said the male voice and the pen went back inside.

She opened the front door and with Lion in hand, preventing him from running out, she walked out into the dirt and gravel in the area. She looked around as she took a few steps away from the front door.

Nothing.. 

She took out a flashlight from her belt and clicked it on. She surveyed the area, starting from her right, trailing the light on the ground to see if any alarms had been set off or of Steven's body laying lifeless on the ground.

She cleared the area in a full one eighty. 

She didn't see anything.

And she clicked the small flashlight off, clipped it back on her belt and walked back inside.

She closed the front door and locked it back up, then put the code into the tablet. The pen came out in front of her again. "Activate alarms." 

"Alarms activated."

She heard footsteps coming down the steps and she turned around.

"He's not on the second floor." said Garnet.

Amethyst growled out. She took out her cellphone again and called him. She let it ring out.

Voicemail.

She narrowed her eyes, locking her phone back. "Where could he be.." she grounded out.

A couple minutes later and Pearl came jogging down the stairs, being careful to not bring her hand up to the pain in her side as she saw her boss looking right at her. Stifling her pain, she made it down the steps. "He wasn't upstairs either." 

Amethyst had a snarl on her face and Pearl cowered in on herself. 

Her boss gave her a leveled glare before looking at her phone again. She clicked on his name a third time and brought the phone up to her ear.

Voicemail.

She grit her teeth as she locked her phone back. "Where _is_ he.." she said coarsely. She looked at the two women. "Whatever, we don't have to time for this. We're going to the security room." said Amethyst. She started to walk pass them. "We should've done that in the first place."

Lion started sniffing the air and Amethyst kept her hold on him.

Lion looked over to the staircase and started barking. His tail wagging happily.

The three looked up at the second floor.

Staring.

And just a second later they saw Steven running g down the hall and to the top of the stairs. He froze upon seeing them. Terrified.

"YO! THERE YOU ARE!!" Amethyst yelled. Then she turned to Garnet. "I THOUGHT YOU SAID HE WASN'T ON THE SECOND FLOOR!!"

Garnet held her hands up. "He wasn't, Amethyst. Honestly. I checked every door."

Steven looked at Amethyst.

Taking out her whip and Garnet.. just putting her hands down to her side. Her face hung down with her eyes closed.. 

..Accepting the fate..

_No!_

"It's true, Amethyst! I wasn't upstairs before!" the woman stopped in mid walk to Garnet. Pearl simply standing there. Not wanting to intervene or having Amethyst think that she was intervening in any way. 

"Then where. _were_ you.." 

"I.." he hesitated.. Sighing.. "I was in Rose's room.." he half admitted. Afraid of saying the second part of being downstairs in that cellar.. and _still_ not one hundred percent sure if it was actually apart of her room or not. 

Garnet and Pearl looked at the boy. Shocked. 

"WHAT?!" Amethyst yelled out and Steven jumped.

"Y, yes.." he looked at her. "I'm sorry, Amethyst!" he made his way slowly down the stairs. "It's just.. I was so curious about who she was and.. and honestly it's.. hard getting information out of you three and.. and I just wanted to get to know her." he looked at Amethyst's glaring face. "Amethyst I'm SO sorry! I just.. wanted to know who she was.. That's it, Amethyst.. honest.."

Amethyst looked at him. Her glare changing to a more skeptic look. She shook her head. "That doesn't make sense.." 

"What.. what do you mean?" he made it down the stairs.

"..Nobody can access that door but Rose herself."

It was his turn to look shocked. "What?"

_"Nobody_. BUT Rose. can get inside her own room." Amethyst took a step towards him. And he looked at the whip in her hand. _"How_ did you do that."

"I just.. opened the door." he whined. "That's it. I didn't do anything else. I-" 

"Show me." her voice was faltering between authoritative and disbelief. 

"Uh.. o.. okay.." he walked pass her, slowly going to the room. 

And hoping that the dog.. or lion or.. the room itself wasn't still on and still very much active..

And the three of them watched as he walked to the door.

And as he neared it, he felt that warmth, that spark again..that.. connection. And when he inconspicuously looked at the inside of his hand where the ring had been turned down, he saw the jewel glowing and hoped that the other three didn't see it. 

And the road on the door started to glow and he could feel the tension in the air from the Gems.

He grabbed the doorknob and the doorknob pulled from his hand and slid into the door. Then the symbol of the rose spun around quickly and minimized in on itself to a tiny circle before a white light engulfed it as it grew bigger, spreading out until the whole door had slid into the door frame.

There was a gasp from Amethyst beside him.

"See Amethyst?" he proved to her. "Maybe the door is just getting really old now and the locks are faulty? And.. maybe that's why I was able to open it?" 

She didn't answer him. Her eyes focused on the room. She walked up to the door, peering inside. Just a hologrid. Yellow lines over a pink background.

"It's.. just like how it was before.." Amethyst whispered. And she sounded.. a bit different to Steven just then.

She stepped back. "Well.. as much as I would like to explore this room, we have to go." and the authority in her voice was coming back, though there was still this.. softness to it. She turned to him. "And if you were in _there,_ how did you end up on the second floor?" 

"I uh.. there was.. a secret door."

"Secret door?" she looked to Pearl, then Garnet. Trying to read their faces. "Rose never told us anything about a secret door in her room." Garnet and Pearl looked their boss. Neutral expressions on their faces.

"I don't know where it is.." Steven said and she looked back at him. "But it opened up to an elevator." .. yes _an_ elevator.. not THE elevator that had been the one to take him up to the second floor..

Amethyst stared at him.. and he tried his best to keep a neutral look on his face. 

"Hmm.." then, she just walked away. "You know, I can actually see Rose doing that." she said oddly.. _extremely_ casually. "Having her own personal door to probably check up on-" she stopped herself. Then said "us." Garnet and Pearl looked at her, but she kept her face forward, not looking at either of them to not draw attention to herself.

"Alright, let's get a move on." she said. "We've waisted a lot of time already." she walked to the elevator on the other side of the room and Garnet and Pearl followed her. 

"Uh, Amethyst? Could I use the bathroom real quick-"

"No. You had all of the time to do that. Now come on."

Pearl was typing in the code.

"There's a bathroom on the jet. You can hold it till then." the door opened up and she walked in. "You held it in this long." Garnet and Pearl walked in and Steven ran to catch up. 

The rose symbol in white light, spun out of the door frame, closing the light blue door back as it spun in a circle. The rose then growing bright pink in the middle of the door as it stopped.

  
  


The five of them walked down the hall to the elevator. They stepped in and Amethyst gave the dog back to Steven to hold on to and they made it down to the ground floor and Steven was wide eyed and in awe yet again as he looked around their huge, spacious garage. 

They walked pass the limos and luxury cars and down to the jets. 

_Oooooo.. I WONDER WHICH ONE WE'RE GOING TO GET ON!!!_

They walked up to the first jet.

The Gulfstream G500.

Though it looked much, muuch bigger than other Gulfstream G500s. 

Pearl walked ahead and put in the code on the tablet by the door. Then a small red light shone into her eyes, scanning it. There was a green light and a loud click as the door unlocked. Then, the door began to lower down towards the ground, revealing steps to go up into the plane. She stepped back, allowing Amethyst to walk up the golden carpeted stairs first before walking up the stairs herself. Garnet used the time to do a check on the jet, going to the front of the jet first. 

And Steven ran up the stairs and turned to his right to see the bright, golden and tan room in front of him. But he quickly bypassed it, looking right at Amethyst who was walking towards a brown, sliding door. Pearl was right behind her. "Amethyst, where's the bathroom?!"

She turned around. "It's right beside you, dude." 

He turned round, seeing a door right beside him. He opened it, already pulling down his zipper before even running into the bathroom. 

He slammed the door behind him and went right for the toilet.

  
  


Relieved and most likely a pound lighter, Steven zipped up and went to wash his hands in the sink. He looked around as he scrubbed his hands with soft, lavender soap.

There was a shower right beside him with a see though door and in front of him was a full bathroom sink, equipped with full sized brown bottom cabinets and an extremely clean mirror in front of him.

He splashed some water on his face a few times. His mind going to Rose's memories.. like her being at her coronation.. and then.. her at the war.

He felt chills down his spine as he relived what he saw.. Rose killing those people and hearing the screams of them and of other people around him. 

He splashed more water on his face, drowning his thoughts out with the coolness of the water and the rushing sound of it. 

He sighed into his hands. His mind going to the room trying to prevent him from leaving out of the door.. and then, coming across a.. hologram? 

He, still wasn't so sure..

He splashed some water on his face one last time, then rubbed his hands up his face and down his curls, dampening his hair slightly.

With another deep breath, he exited out the bathroom and turned to what he assume was the lounging area. A golden-colored carpet, with tan furniture. A couch on one side with a few pillows on it and a small blanket and the other side, two swivel, leather recliners. A brown table in between them and right on the wall beside them, a flat screen TV. 

And as he slowly moved his mind away from what'd happened earlier, to the present, he started to realize that he was actually on a private jet. 

And it felt so surreal.

His thoughts played tug of war as Rose's memories and the cellar tried to pick at his mind, but he tried to not dwell on them as he tried to focus on the present.

He didn't want to think about that.

At least not now..

And he walked across the soft, golden carpet when the brown doors slid open in front of him. It was Amethyst holding a bottle of water in her hand. She pointed behind herself. "Kitchen's in the back." she said and sat down in one of the recliners. 

"Okay." he walked pass Lion who was busy smelling the area and he slid open the door. 

Pearl was fixing herself some tea at the kitchen counter. She looked up at him as he slid the door back and they locked eyes. 

Silence.. Tension.. 

But he still went for a wave and she turned back, pouring the water into the cup. 

He lowered his arm back down and walked pass her to the fridge. He opened the door, checking out all of the various snacks and beverages inside. He grabbed a Gatorade and a water bottle and closed the door as Pearl was putting the pan in the dishwasher. She closed it back and quickly left through the sliding door without saying a word.

He sighed. 

_What.._ is_ it with her.._

He closed the door back and passed by the kitchen on one side and the two chairs and table on the other. He slid open the door. 

Pearl was laying on the couch with the cup of tea in her hand and her phone in the other. And Amethyst was looking right at him. She gestured at the other recliner in front of her. "Have a seat, Talc." that didn't.. sound too good.. but, he shuffled over and sat down like he was told. 

"So, I was wondering." she began. "Now that we have a bit of time to talk now." she slowly added. Then she placed her bottled water on the table and leaned back in the chair. "Seen anything in Rose's room?" her eyes never left his. "You're looking kinda.. _spooked."_ there was a slight curve of her lips. 

"Uhhh.. well.." he didn't know if he should tell her everything.. the dog showing Rose's top five achievements.. the cellar.. the room getting angry at him when he tried to leave out the door-

"You saw her memories, didn't you?" 

His mind paused for a split second before he tried to get his bearings together. 

He nodded slowly. 

"Hm.." Amethyst had a no nonsense look to her face. Her mouth a thin line. "Looks like the cat's out the bag then." 

Steven didn't know what to say to that.. Not wanting to respond incorrectly..

"Well, I suppose you would have to know eventually." she said.. calmly... 

.._so._ very. calmly.. 

"Rose Quartz being apart of the Diamond Authority, her planning to sabatoge the Crystal Gem empire, then her meeting Lonny" Pearl resisted to look up at Amethyst. "and switching teams. And. then. we had the huge war." Steven grimaced. Thinking back on what happened at the war.. 

But then, he noticed that Amethyst had left out two memories.. and wondered if she'd done that on purpose, deeming them .. "not important"?

He watched her. Debating if he should bring them up.

"Looks like you have something to say, Talc."

..Maybe.. he should just bring up.. just one..

"I.. also seen that.. they were going to have a son together?"

Pearl cut her eyes at him. 

He didn't notice and added. "But, then something.. happened.."

Amethyst nodded knowingly. "Ah, yeah. Lonny and Rose Quartz was going to have a son. But, stuff happened.. during the birth." Steven thought she had a slight frown on her face as she shrugged. "He probably would've been a damn good Crystal Gem too."

"I'm.. sorry to hear that." then he clarified. "Sorry for their loss."

Pearl jumped up from her seat. Meeting Steven with a glare before stomping off. She slid the brown door opened and walked through to the dining area, shutting the door hard behind her.

Steven looked at the closed door. Shocked. Confused. "I don't know what she has against me.." 

Amethyst shook her head. A small grin coming back. "Nah, that's just Pearl still being a heartbroken lost cause." Amethyst snickered. "That woman still has it bad for Lonny." 

"Wait, they used to.. go together?" 

Garnet walked inside the jet and pressed the button on the wall. The stairs/door started to lift up towards her. It closed and she locked the door. Then she placed the duffle bag down and turned around to the two. "Excuse me." 

Amethyst turned around. 

"Please excuse me for interrupting.. But everything looks good on the outside. I'm just going to do my interior walkthrough and we should be preparing for lift off in about fifteen minutes." 

"Good." was all Amethyst said and she turned back around. 

Garnet started from the front, going to the cockpit first. 

"To answer your question, Talc, yup. Sure did. Shoot, she knew him before he even _became_ Lonny. Before making up the Crystal Gems and everything. She and Lonny go waaaay, way back. They were like, neighbors or whatever back in elementary." 

"All the way back then?!" 

Garnet opened the door, leaving the cockpit and she started her checks in the lounging area beside them. 

"Yeah. Known each other when they were little kids apparently. Got older, went to middle school and high school together and dated for years. You know. First love, first kiss, first bang, all that stuff." she said casually. "Then years later, he started the Crystal Gems. And then with the empire getting a bigger name, the dia-" she mocked coughed. "Then with stuff that started going on with different rivals trying to show us up, Lonny started recruiting people. And within those recruits, was. none other than, Rose Quartz. And months later, they started getting close and well, heheh, you know how that ended. He broke it off with Pearl and started going with Rose and, Pearl has held that grudge ever since."

He hadn't known all of that.. Or, any of that really.. apart from Pearl telling him one time when they were in the car to get Frybo, about having emotions for people and heartbreak.. And now in hindsight, he could properly put the pieces together that she was speaking from her own personal experience.

  
  


Pearl was listening in to their conversation from behind the door. A hurt, solemn expression on her face as she tried to hold back her tears. 

"I can see how that would make her feel upset and angry." she heard Steven say.

There was another shrug from Amethyst that she didn't see. "Meh, she should just give it a break already. Stop dwelling on it. Rose is dead and Lonny hasn't been seen in years. She needs to let go."

"But, it's just not that simple, Amethyst. You can't just _stop_ loving someone.." he couldn't ever see himself stop loving Connie..

Pearl looked up, though she was only looking at the wall in front of her. Her expression slightly shocked and taken aback. 

"Uuuuuuhg." Amethyst groaned with an eye roll. "Looks like we recruited a male Pearl." she looked at him. "Look, you and Pearl are so into your feelings, it's making you two weak. Both of you, need to stop it with these stupid, feelings stuff. All this love, friendship stuff is pointless." 

Garnet slid the door open and Pearl jumped in her little corner. They locked eyes, before Pearl turned away. Embarrassed. Shamed that she'd been caught listening in. Garnet didn't say anything.. and placed her and Steven's leftovers in the fridge and continued with her checks. 

"And.. you've never been in love? Or.. had any friends?" Pearl heard Steven challenged with a soft tone in his voice. "What about family?"

"Nah, never been in love. I just see guys as something to fulfill a lustful need and that's it. And friends? Don't have time for them. Family?" she scoffed. "They're probably the reason why I am the way I am and why I act like this" she started laughing. "Ah, gotta love that good 'ole upbringing to really, _mess_ up a person's mentality, right?" she smiled. 

"Well.. I guess-"

"You know I'm right. I mean, what about you? I've seen how you can get."

"What?.. What do you mean?"

"I seen how angry you can get." she nodded with a side smile. "Don't think I didn't forget about those outbursts you did before." she pointed at him. "You got a lot of anger in you, Talc. You still do." 

"What? N, no I don't-"

"Yeah, you do. You got a lot of pent up feelings in you." a knowing grin spread across her face. "I don't know what exactly happened in your life, but you definitely have a lot of emotions that's still brewing inside of you." 

He sat there. Quiet. 

..This wasn't suppose to be a therapy session...

Especially not with someone like Amethyst who can.. pick at someone's mind so easily.. Especially when it was someone who can fall into her trap so easily.. like him..

Garnet walked pass Pearl, still listening in on them in her corner and she open the door and closed it gently behind her. She walked pass the two in their recliners and opened the door to the bathroom. 

"We both have stuff that went on in our lives." said Amethyst. "But we're just dealing with it differently. I, for one, love being bad. I LOVE being the jack.ass. I _live_ for that. I _feed_ off of that shit." she picked up her water bottle. "And then there's you, Talc. Trying to help everyone around you. Trying to make the world a better place and trying to help others and make them feel oooh so happy and special inside." she twisted the top off. "Despite of you not feeling good about your own self and not feeling worthy in your own mind." she lifted the bottle to her lips, then stopped. "You're a hypocrite, Talc. That's what you are inside and you don't even know it." she started drinking from her water bottle. 

He looked at her. Feeling as if he'd been inwardly burned. Like a huge cast had been ripped off of broken bones. He was feeling the pain that had slowly been healing back up. And, she'd broken the cast off.. recracking the bones so he could feel the pain again and even worse, with her telling him that she was breaking his bones while doing it.. She was throwing his own self conscious and his own self worth and emotional and physical baggage back in his face.

And, he didn't know if she was right.. or if she was wrong or.. half wrong or right at that point. But he did feel extremely emotional. Being hit personally and so quickly.. He didn't even see it coming.

He sat there. Quiet. 

Garnet came out of the bathroom, drying her hands off. She opened the door to the cockpit and closed it behind her. Buttons and levers of all colors laid in front of her. 

She threw the tissue in a small trashcan behind her and sat down in the chair. With a few clicks of a few buttons, she turned the jet on. One of the engines roaring under the right wing. She rode the plane out between the car and the other jet and she used the right pedal to turn right, going towards the tall doors. 

She stopped in front of them and unlocked the window. She pushed it open and started to press the code on the tablet on the elongated pole. Then, the tablet scanned her hazel eye. 

The light turned green and the doors opened up. She rode in and stopped. The doors closed in behind her and the ground started to rumble underneath of them as a small circle of the floor started to lift up.

The ground opened up above them and the platform raised up to the ground and stopped. A long runway was in front of her. She put the headset over her head and clicked on a few more buttons, turning the left engine on. 

  
  


"See? I'm right, Talc." she twisted the top back on and placed the bottle back on the table. "Also, Talc." he looked up at her. Tears in his eyes. "That's what you get for trying to challenge me." she smiled. Smugly. "You can't break me down, Talc. As much as you truly want to, I'm the last person you would ever be able to get through to." she nodded. "Remember that, Talc. Less you want me to break you down mentally once more." she snickered. 

Steven swallowed, wiping a tear that left his eye. "All I was saying is that.." he said hoarsely. "is that love is a strong and powerful feeling.. And, that we all need it.. Whether receiving it or giving it and no matter what has happened in our lives-"

Pearl continued to listen in. 

"everybody needs love, Amethyst."

The woman shook her head. "You just don't get it, Talc." she crossed her arms as she kicked back her feet. "But you'll learn.. Yeah, you'll learn how love truly is.. the _hard_ way."

The two of them felt the jet ride down the runway, gradually picking up speed as it neared for takeoff.

Steven let a few tears fall and he wiped them off, ignoring Amethyst's protest of him crying. 

Maybe she was wrong about love.. 

Or maybe she was right..

Or. maybe. she was. _wrong._

And he was determined to make her see that.

To make ALL of the Crystal Gems see that.

She may had peeled back a few deep wounds. 

But he could learn to heal back up.

He was Steven Universe.

An emotional person who cares all too deeply for other people more than his own self. Who wants to help everyone with their problems despite of having many in his life and who would continue to look on the bright side of things and seeing the bigger, more hopeful and loving picture. 

And he was going to show everyone, including Amethyst, just how strong and important love truly was.

He would get through to her.. And everyone else..

He took a deep breath, letting everything sink in. 

He was already feeling better.

And when he felt the jet take off, he felt his own negative thoughts slide off and fall to the ground below them. His positive thoughts lifting off with the jet and he felt physically lighter as the jet made its ascend and he felt lighter, mentally. A nice blanket of hope soothing the cracks of his mind.

He smiled, and he even let a little giggle leave his lips and Amethyst raised an eyebrow at him. 

He shook his head, disagreeing with her "Goodness. And love, always triumphs over everything, Amethyst." 

She scrunched up her face. "Looks like you can't get what I said through your thick skull, Talc." she spat out.

He shrugged. Letting that jab roll off of him. "That's just what I believe." he smiled. 

She didn't smile back. "I'm warning you, Talc. You keep this mentality of yours like this, it's _not_. going to end. well."

"I'll keep that in mind." he threw that out, casually. His smile grew wider, even with the glare that Amethyst was giving him. That only made her even more aggravated. The boy smiling and joking under her authority.

"Watch it, Talc. This isn't a joke."

Steven held in a chuckle, not wanting to aggravate his boss even more. And he went for a small smile. But, he had to say just one more thing to her. He had to repeat his self just one more time.

He lessoned his smile even more, trying to go for a content, yet a dash of stoic in his expression as he looked at his boss. "Goodness and love triumphs over everything. And, everybody needs love. No matter who they are. Or what they've done or been through. Every single person needs love." 

  
  


Pearl didn't bother wiping off the tears down her cheeks. She agreed with him. Every word. 

Amethyst began to protest back and Pearl had enough. She walked over to the chair sitting opposite the kitchen and sat down, sniffling just once as she finally wiped at her eyes. She placed the steaming cup of tea on the table. 

And she sat in the chair, staring at the design of the dark, polished swirly lines of the table. She traced her dainty fingers along the edge of the surface.. 

"Everyone needs love.." she whispered to herself. 

And with a sigh, she dropped her hand back into her lap. 

Feeling dejected..hopeless.. undervalued.. ugly.. rejected.. 

If only someone could give her love just like she'd given Lonny all of those years.. 

Love. 

Fondness.. tenderness.. warmth.. 

She craved it.. 

_Love_

..If only somebody could give that to her..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone who is wondering
> 
> This is the jet they were flying in. The Gulfstream G500
> 
> https://images.app.goo.gl/kZBKLoY97jk8R85SA
> 
> Also, for those who are wondering, this is what the inside of the jet resembles.
> 
> From front to back:
> 
> The guest bathroom right by the cockpit and right across from the door.
> 
> https://images.app.goo.gl/tkd9LocQ5FekcP7e8
> 
> The lounging area:  
https://images.app.goo.gl/gvJ7jafrnpwAdn4W6
> 
> The kitchen/dining area
> 
> https://images.app.goo.gl/XKzjPvxPMPk1pKiJ8
> 
> And the bedroom, that we didn't see.  
(And it's one bed instead of two like the picture)
> 
> https://images.app.goo.gl/ceiNhzaidbK3hTEs6


	133. As *par* as the eye can see

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Literally kept going back and forth in my mind if I should add this chapter of them getting the wailing stone or just scrapping the idea altogether and just start with the next episode Coach Steven.  
But, I eventually figured, eh, I'll add a weird chapter playing homage to the fact that the Gems in canon got the Wailing Stone off screen AS well as paying homage to the mini golf game Steven was playing.
> 
> Aaaaaalso, I didn't want to end the episode on a solemn note. I've done that plenty of times before ~o~

Steven had eventually let Amethyst tell him off. Not because he started to believe her, but he wanted to deescalate the situation.

The two sat there in silence for a half an hour, until an announcement came on. "Amethyst." Garnet's voice echoed through the speakers. "We're almost here. We should landing in about four point two minutes." 

Amethyst put her phone in her pocket and leaned up in her chair. "Good. Let's get this over with." 

Steven gave Lion the last bit of water from the water bottle and twisted the cap back on. "We're in California already?"

"No-Ah, that's right. I never told you. Yeah, Peridot called us. We have to pick up the Wailing Stone for her before we meet up with her in L.A." 

"What's a Wailing Stone?" Steven reached down to scratch behind Lion's ear.

"It's a long-range communication device. It's designed to send and receive audio messages." 

"Cool. Is that why we're meeting her at the Communication Hub place? That makes sense since the device is designed for communication stuff." 

"Well that wasn't the initial reason." said Amethyst. They felt the jet start to descend. "We were just going there to destroy the old hub so all of the Peridots can build a new one. The _other_ group was supposed to be getting the device for her, but, their incompetence made them eff up on a mission and they got injured. So now we have to retrieve it instead."

Steven hoped that the injured group was okay. But he didn't dare outright say it to Amethyst. Especially since they'd just had a little squabble earlier.

"Alright. Two easy missions. We get through this building, watch out for guards and nab the device, then we fly to the Hub and destroy it." 

"Landing in T minus two minutes." they heard Garnet say through the intercom.

Steven drunk the rest of his Gatorade and threw it in the trash, along with Lion's empty water bottle. Then he took those last couple of minutes looking out the window. Looking at the buildings and highways underneath of them.

Only to go pass them and flying above a dirt area.

He leaned to his other side, trying to look out the window on the opposite side of him. He could see a huge, plain white building as the jet neared the ground.

And he braced for the landing as the wheels of the jet hit the ground. The wheels grinding across the dirt and he could hear those infamous plane sounds. The wheels gripping the ground, the air hitting and sliding across the jet, the jet engines on both sides. 

It was so cool.

He actually flown inside of a private jet!

They waited until the jet had made an official stop. And just a few moments later, Garnet came out of the cockpit. 

Amethyst jumped up from her seat and put her mask on as Garnet was sliding the glasses on her face. Then she slid her mask on. 

Steven took his second shirt off, revealing his GemTech shirt underneath of it. Then he got up and pulled the two masks from his pocket and the brown door slid open. Pearl came out. The woman looking tired. She saw everyone with their masks and took hers out of her pocket and slid hers on.

Steven fixed his onlver his face, then knelt down towards Lion. He pulled the mask down the dog's face as Pearl put in the code into the tablet. She pressed the button and the door popped out of the lock and started to slid down towards the ground. 

Amethyst, then Garnet and Pearl walked down the steps and Steven and Lion followed them down. 

Garnet went to the front of the jet to do a quick check and Pearl was typing in the code into the tablet. The light on the top of the tablet turned green and the door began to slid up towards the jet.

"Come on." said Amethyst. "Garnet will catch up." she started down the dirt path. The area nearly black, say for one lone light in the middle of the building. Underneath of it, one door. And just a few feet away, the three of them could see two guards dressed in black.

"Alright. I'm going for the one on the left." said Amethyst. She took out her whip and Pearl took out her canister. And Steven.. simply swiped across the ground, forming the pink bubble around Lion and his self. He laid low as the three of them and Lion walked steadily towards the men from the side of them.

Amethyst held out her arms, stopping the two. "Okay, I'm stopping here, before they see us." Amethyst unraveled her whip and jumped up, clearing fifty feet in the air and Steven watched as Pearl jumped up after her, spinning her canister counterclockwise. The spear flung out and she threw it. She landed just a few feet from Amethyst's target just as Amethyst threw out her whip. The two guards took out their guns right as Pearl's spear hit her guy in the chest and Amethyst's whip wrapped around hers.

Pearl's guard shouted out in pain, trying to take the spear out of his chest and Pearl unclipped another canister from her belt. She flipped it counterclockwise to open the canister and the spear snapped out. She threw it, hitting the man in another part of his chest.

Amethyst yanked on the whip, bringing the hulking man down to the ground. He tried budging, but to no avail. His arms wrapped tightly to his body. The gun underneath of him.

With the two keeping the guards at bay, Steven ran pass the two pairs with Lion right beside him. 

"There you go, Talc! We'll meet you in there!" Amethyst shouted with a smile.

"You will NEVER get the Wailing Stone!" the guy shouted underneath of her foot.

She brought her first down, hitting him straight in the jaw and the impact sent his head towards the ground. "SHUT UP!" she spat out.

Pearl's guard managed to take out one spear from his chest right as she side kicked him in the head. He lost his balance and she picked up the bloody spear, throwing it down towards his face-

Steven opened the door, trying to ignore the man's screams as he forced his self to not look back at Pearl.. killing the man.. 

He walked through the door and looked around the huge, open area. A smooth patch of green grass laid in front of him. And few yards down from the cut grass was a patch of _tall_ dark green grass that was taller than him. A few trees stoid within the greenery. And all the way at the end of the building was a windmill. 

"Is this building made into an over sized golf course?!" Steven looked on in shock. He gasped. "I love mini golf! Especially the glow in the dark ones!-" 

A fire of bullets pummelled into the bubble on both sides of him and he screamed, jumping and Lion looked at the pellets as the bullets hit the surface.

After a full round, the fire ceased and within the smoke of the aftermath, Steven saw three men walking up to him. Two on one side and one on the other.

"Uh, h.. hey?" he waved meekly. Then he turned to the one by himself before looking back at the other two. "I.. like what you did with the place. It's really nice. I love golfing-"

"We don't care _what_ you like." one of them said. He nudged the one beside him and the guard handed him another round. He opened the back of the gun up, reloading it. 

And a loud crack of what sounded like metal sounded behind him. The lone guard had threw the gun down into the bubble, trying to smash it open. The gun in question, shattering on the surface. "What da.." he looked at the remnants on the ground, then looked at the pink bubble. 

"Y, yeah, about that.." Steven started stepping away, the bubble moving with him. "It's kinda uh.. indestructible." 

The guard looked at him. "I paid a lot of money for that gun!" he shouted.

There was another round of fire from the one guard who'd reloaded and Steven ran off, running down the green grass just as the doors were kicked open. And the firing ceased. He looked back. Amethyst, Pearl and Garnet ran into the building. A pile of five or six guys were outside on the ground, Steven assuming the backup tried to get them, then suffering the same fate as the first two.. 

He turned back around as he neared the tall grass.

The guard started to fire at the three women instead and they dispersed. Amethyst tackled the lone guard and Garnet went for the one with the gun. The bullets bouncing off of her jumpsuit and mask. She raised one if her gauntlets up, punching the guy in the middle of his face. 

The third guy tried running away and Pearl threw her spear hard and she winced, messing up her throw. She grabbed at her side as the spear nicked the man's ankle. He grunted, and lost his balance slightly before ignoring the pain and continuing his run towards the green.

"What the heck was that Pearl?!" Amethyst shouted. She had the whip around the guard's neck. "Get him!!"

Pearl was already running for the guy. 

Determined to get him.

She threw the other bloody spear in her hand and grabbed the one that'd hit his ankle. 

The spear hit the man in his lower back and he stopped. Screaming as he grabbed hold of the handle of the spear. And Pearl threwthe second one, hitting him in his upper back. He screamed out louder.

  
  


Steven was just nearing the tall, green grass that towered over him. Another guard was running down towards him, firing bullets at him. Shells bounced off of the surface of the bubble.

Steven hit the edge of the grass and.. couldn't go through it. The grass being too thick for him to move the bubble through. "Aw man, Lion.. Looks like we'll have to do this without the bubble." 

The man stopped firing. Out of bullets. And Steven saw him dig into his pocket assumably for more ammunition.

"Now's our chance!" he swiped across the bubble and the bubble disappeared instantly and he ran through the thick, rough grass.

And, just like that.. with just a few steps in, he'd lost Lion within the thick foliage. He started to call out his name but decided against it. Not wanting to draw attention to himself or having someone go after Lion knowing that the dog was all alone. 

He kept his pace, until he heard a rustling noise not too far beside him and he stopped and turned to the noise. Hoping that it was Lion, but still being cautious.

And the noise was approaching him as twigs snapped underfoot..

A heavy figure jumped on his back, opposite of the noise and he screamed as the impact pushed him to the ground. "A wild Amethyst appeared!!" Amethyst shouted with a cackle at the end. 

"What?!" he looked up. "Amethyst?!"

She sat there, not getting up off his back. "Dude. You need better situational awareness." she held the whip in her hand. "Like, this." she looked up at the thick grass in front of them. Steven didn't see anything, but Amethyst had thrown her whip. 

They heard a startled yelp and she pulled the rope back. She had one of the guards held securely in her rope and she lunged forward, putting him in a headlock. The man's feet right in front of Steven's face as the two tussled over him.

Amethyst bent to the side, rolling off of Steven as she brought the guy with her. The man struggling to free himself of the whip as she pinned him down to the ground.

Steven got up. "Uh.. I'm just going to uh.. keeping going." 

She was enjoying the one sided wrestling match with the guard. "Yeah, you do that." then she looked up. "And remember. Situational awareness, dude."

"R, right." he ran off, combing through the thick foliage once again. And this time, looking all around him. 

Or as _best_ as he could, with the grass being taller than him and blocking most of his line of sight.

And he kept his ears open for any rustling noise or anything that would alert him that a guard may be coming by..

Or a Crystal Gem..

Or Lion!

But, it seemed like nobody was near him as he paved his way through to the other side-

He took a next step in the mix of his jog and his foot went down, not hitting the ground. And as he fell forward with a scream, he fell through the grass and saw sand underneath of him.

The tall grass having stopped abruptly with a sand bunker right underneath of it. 

He tumbled hard down the sand pit, stopping eventually at the very bottom of it. And he laid there, groaning. And berating himself that he didn't even think about using his bubble to help protect him from the nasty fall..

What if he'd hit any foreign objects? He would've gotten injured..

He got up, looking to his left. The edge of the ground to the other side was so high up. 

And right then, he wished he could super jump like the Gems..

He heard a few barks from farther own and he turned his head to see Lion running towards him. Happy with his tongue out as he pawed his way across. 

Steven got up. "Lion!" he ran to him, meeting the dog halfway.

Then, something told him to look around.

Mybe it was from Amethyst telling him about being aware of his surroundings, but he had a gut feeling and he looked around the sand.

Nothing.

But when he looked up to his left, he saw a guard pointing a gun at them right as they met each other. Lion went to jump up on him and Steven had to ignore the warm welcome, swiping the jewel across his arm. The bubble formed around them and the bullets hit the surface instantly. 

Steven panted. "Now that. was close.."

Lion leaned up, licking him in the face and, that made him giggle. "You and I really have to be more careful." he pet the dog on his head.

The shots ceased and he stood back up. "There has to be a way to get out of here.." he saw Garnet running above him on the other side. The woman running towards the guard that'd been firing at him just a few seconds earlier. 

He heard her and turned around just as she threw out a kick, sending him flying to his side and down the side of the bunker.

She followed him. Jumping off the edge and sliding down the dusty sand with her boots.

And Steven watched. 

She picked the guard up by his shirt as he laid dazed on the ground. 

She brought her brass knuckle up, glaring at him. And as she brought her arm back for a hit she saw Steven out the corner of her eye as he made his way to her. She looked at him. And he looked at her, then glanced at the guard in her hand. 

And, hesitating. She looked around. It was just them two. And, slowly, she let go of the man and he fell back to the ground, still in a deep daze from the kick.

She got up.

And he saw a hint of a smile on her face as she nodded. "Thanks for reminding me." she said. And, she jumped up, clearing the bunker easily.

"Wait! Garnet! But I can't!-" he sighed. The woman was long gone and going towards the other side of the building.

Steven looked at the tall hill in front of him. Then he looked to both of his sides, then behind him and above him. 

He didn't see anyone.

He looked at Lion. "Okay boy. Looks like we're going to have to try and climb this up." he looked up at the pink tinted area in front of him. "without the bubble. Again.." he swiped across and the bubble went back into the jewel on the band. "Okay, stay close." he kept his hand on Lion, keeping him close to his leg as he trudged up the gritty hill.

And, with the boy both sliding back a few times and pulling Lion's attention away from digging into the sand, he eventually made it up the steep climb of the bunker.

To see a body of water.

The windmill just on the other side and he could see Garnet and Amethyst fighting off more guards in the distance. 

"I.. can't swim.." his shoulders slumped. 

Pearl was just coming from the sand bunkers. She landed, immediately flinching from the impact of her land irritating her side.

He didn't say anything as he watched her look pass him and jump into the water. Two spears in one hand as she swam across.

He sighed, trying for a small, hopeful smile. "Well, looks like we have to try and get across this somehow." He walked slowly towards the water and Lion broke away from his grip, happily jumping into the water. "Lion!" Steven jumped after him, the boy belly-flopping into the water and the the water rushed up, hitting his face and rushing into his nose. He grabbed on to the dog with one arm as he swallowed some water, trying to pull his head up to the surface. 

He turned around, throwing his other arm around the dog's body and pulled himself up. Lion's body dipping back into the water slightly under Steven's weight.

He lifted his head up, coughing up the water and trying to catch his breath. Lion was steadily paddling across the water with Steven clinging onto him, still trying to catch his breath.

And as he regained his bearings, Steven saw Amethyst fighting two guards. One guard running towards her and the other, trying for a sneak attack, running up behind her. She turned around, going for the one behind her and she threw out her whip, grabbing the guy's sword and pulling it out of his hand. She used that sword to cut at the second guard's chest, just as he tried for a punch. He shouted, holding his chest as blood started to dampen his shirt and she threw her whip around him and kicked him down.

The first guy had caught up, grabbing for her arms and she stopped the sword and took one of his arms and pulled him forward and over her shoulder, flipping him onto his back. She lunged forward, pinning him down and grabbing the other arm. The guard struggled under her grip and she overpowered him, twisting his arms and pulling them up over his head. Then she pushed him to his stomach and stepped on the middle part of his back and pulled his arms back, pulling the guy's torso back and he screamed out. 

Garnet threw two punches. One on each side of her guard's face, knocking him out cold. Two guards came up and grabbed each arm and she brought her arms in, pulling both of them towards her. She brought one elbow in and brought her knee up, kneeing the first guard in his stomach. He winced, leaning forward and she threw him into the second guy. He fell to the ground and the second guard barely hung on. He went for a punch and she held his hand, blocking it and she brought his hand down while she turned to the side, throwing him down to the ground. She threw in a pinch as the first guy was slowly getting back up.

Pearl had made it across. The woman pulling herself up to the smooth, green grass as water slid off of her GemTech jumpsuit. Three guards were already coming her way. She threw her spear right at the throat of the second one and as a whip came out of nowhere, wrapping up the first one. With his arms now tied to his sides he turned the gun upward in his hand and fired off. The bullets bounced off of Amethyst's jumpsuit as she jumped towards him. She put herself in a fetal position, spinning. Large, purple spikes shot out from the back of her jumpsuit, the side of her arms and the front of her legs. She crashed into him, the spikes digging into the guards face, peeling his skin. And he screamed out. He fell from the impact of Amethyst crashing into him and she jumped off of him and threw her first down towards his bloody face. 

Pearl was going after the third guy. She held the bloody spear in her hand. He went for a kick and she blocked it with her spear. She pushed forward on the guard's leg, making him lose balance and she brought her sword down and across his chest. He shouted, throwing his hands to his chest and she threw her sword down again, cutting both of his hands.

Steven was just halfway across the water and Lion was still doggy paddling towards the other side.

"Good job, buddy. We're almost there." he said to him. 

And the dog panted, content and happy. His tongue hanging out his mouth. 

Then Steven realized that he could help his buddy out and he learned forward, kicking up his feet, trying to make it a bit easier on the dog as he tried to pick up his own weight. Then he let go of the dog with one of his arms and tried paddling with it. His other arm still holding onto the dog's back. 

And the two paddled forward.

Now just a quarter of the way there-

The water around them started shooting up as he heard a round of bullets above him from a nearby guard. 

By instinct now, he threw his arm over, running the jewel over his other arm as he felt a stream of bullets hit his back. His GemTech shirt protecting him and cushioning the blow of the impact. 

The bubble formed around them, along with the water as the started sinking down to the bottom and he panicked, the bubble filled with water and Lion choked on it. Steven gasped, afraid for Lion's life and ended up swallowing the water himself. And he couldn't catch his breath after that. The two swallowing more water. And in the mix of choking and panicking, Steven tried to get to the lining of the bubble to swipe across it and deactivate it. His eyes closed now and burning from the water. 

He flailed his arms around, trying to feel for the bubble in the darkness of his eyelids. The boy not seeing the water start to push out of the bubble.

Until he felt the water leave his face and he cracked open his burning eyes as he lifted his head up for air. The water was leaving the bubble quickly and he lifted Lion up and the dog started to cough up the water as he breathed in the air.

Steven looked below him as the last bit of water seemed o be sucked up into the bubble. He set Lion down slowly as he coughed up the last remnants of the water in his lungs.

He cleared his throat, coughing again. "Are you.." he coughed. "okay buddy?"

The canine continued to heave and pant out as he breathed in more air. 

Steven pet the dog's wet fur. "Sorry, boy.." the canine shook his fur of the water.

The bubble reached the bottom of the lake and Steven looked around. It was like that time when he got stuck in the bubble with Konni. Except.. this time it was no fallen building for him to roll the ball up on to get out.

They were stuck.

And he couldn't swim or super jump out of the water..

And even if he could, he wouldn't want to possibly get attack by any guards without having his bubble around to protect them. 

He sighed. "Now what can we do, Lion?" he looked down. The dog seemed to be fine. Quickly recovering from the incident. "If only the bubble could float.." he sat down, trying to save up more of his energy from his coughing fit. 

Lion started walking in circles, sniffing the bottom of the bubble. Steven turned to him. "There must be a way to get out of here though.." he tried being optimistic. "We just.. have to think.." he sat there, trying to think of what to do.

Lion found a spot he was looking for and..

Hiked his leg up. 

"Lion, no! Not in the bubble!!" Steven lunged forward and Lion put his leg back down as the boy fell flat on his stomach. He sighed a breath of relief. "That was close." he laid there for a few moments, still trying to conserve his energy and his eyes just so happen to look at the bottom of the bubble below him. "Huh?" 

The bubble was just a couple inches off of the ground. As Steven leaned up on his hands and knees, the bubble floated back down to the ground. "Waaaaiit a minute.. Did it just?" he laid flat on the ground, stretching out his arms and legs once more and the bubble started to float up a couple inches. "But.. does it just.. float a couple inches?" then he had one particular idea. "Unless.." he stretched out his arms farther and his hands touched the other side of the bubble, while his legs were just a few inches from it. 

The front of the bubble where his hands were pressed against started to lift up higher than the back of the bubble.

"I.. think I know what's going on already, Lion. It looks like if I touch the sides of the bubble, then the bubble can float up." Then he looked back at his feet not being able to touch the other side of the bubble. "But.. it's too bad this bubble is too big for me to press both sides at the same time to lift this bubble up." he turned back to stare at his hands. "If only I could.. make it smaller?" then a beat later. "Actually, maybe I could try to.." he slid his hands together and, the bubble shrunk a couple inches. Steven gasped. "Lion! I can make this bubble smaller too!!" he slid his hands together a couple more times and the bubble shrunk a few inches and he felt the bubble hit his heels. Then, he started climbing up, hands on one side and feet on the other as he tried to climb towards the middle of the bubble and the bubble started to float up. Carefully this time, now that he was just holding on with the balls of his feet and his hands, he kept one hand on the bubble, trying out for a one hand slide and sliding his other hand towards the stationary one. It still worked and the bubble shrunk in more and he climbed up towards the middle and the bubble started to float up at a normal pace. 

Then Steven wondered if he could change the speed by how far up and down he was on the bubble and he climbed up more towards the top and the bubble floated up faster.

"AND I can change the pace of the bubble too!" he smiled. He climbed up farther, right at the top and the bubble shot up "Whoooaaa!!! the momentum of the fast motion sending them up into the air -and Steven screamed- and sending them free falling back towards the water- and Steven screamed louder-.

And he kept his body at the horizontal pose even as the bubble crashed into the water. The bubble absorbing much of the impact, preventing Steven from hurting his tensed back muscles or his limbs at the angle he was in.

The bubble floated along the surface and Steven could see at least fifteen or so men laying on the ground. And the happy, giddy feeling of him finding out a few new powers of his bubble diminished as dread filled his mind.

And.. he tried telling himself that at least majority of them were "unconscious." Especially thinking that at least Garnet was trying not to kill the ones that she was fighting against..

He tried to go back to the mission at hand. And right now, he was floating along the surface of the water. Still holding his self up at the top of it.

Now he was wondering how to move the bubble across..

If he were to put his feet back on the bottom of the bubble, the bubble would just sink back down.

_Hmm.._

He climbed down to the middle and, cautiously.. and slowly.. he slid his feet down towards the bottom but stretched his legs out, keeping one on each side. The back of the bubble dipped into the water slightly, but didn't sink.

He carefully took a few steps, keeping his legs far apart. The bubble moved slowly along the water. And he picked up his pace slightly and power walked towards the edge of the grass.

He reached it, transitioning from water to ground and he dropped his legs back to the bottom of the bubble and jogged pass the bodies and down towards the Gems. The gigantic windmill directly in front of them. And the blades of the fan spinning rapidly. A small opening right at the base of the windmill.

"There we go, Lion. We're just about done this mission." then he had a thought. "Hmm.. I wonder.." he placed his hands on the bubble and spread his hands out, the bubble grew and he had a bit more room for him and Lion to run in. "It works!" he ran his hands a few more times across the bubble outwardly until the bubble was big enough for them again. "Nice!" he picked up his place, now with enough room for the two of them.

The Gems were fighting off more guards a few feet in front of him. Amethyst fighting off two guards and Garnet and Pearl fighting off one.

Steven ran down towards them-

Immediately getting blown over by a heavy gust of wind. 

"Whoaaaa!!" he and Lion tumbled within the bubble as it rolled towards the side of the building, crashing into it. 

He got up, groaning. "Where did this wind come from?" he looked up, noticing a few wind cannons. Small ones a few feet down with bigger ones right in front of the windmill. The Gems had the spikes on the bottom of their shoes, keeping themselves grounded. 

"If there's something I learned, I learned that this bubble is _not_ good with winds." he took a breath. "Which means, we can't use this." he looked at Lion. "Sorry, boy." right as he was about to swipe at the bubble, another gust of wind blew, sending them tumbling the other way and pass the Gems. 

Garnet and her guard dodged out the way as he and Lion rolled by them and the two lunged at each other again. The woman with her sword and Garnet with her gauntlets.

The bubble hit the other side of the wall. And with another groan, Steven was getting back up. "Okay, Lion. Time for us to get out of the bubble." he quickly swiped across the surface and the bubble disappeared right as another gust of wind knocked into them. Steven held onto the dog as he held his ground. 

The gust stopped and Steven looked around for a hiding spot for Lion. "On a second. Maybe you should sit this one out. This mission is way too dangerous for you." he spotted a turned over golf cart. He walked over towards it, hiding onto Lion.

He walked around the cart and crouched down towards the dog. "Lion. Staaay. You. staaaaaaay." the dog looked at him and he got up and Lion did the same. "No." he held out his hand. "Nooo, Lion. Stay." he took a few steps back and Lion moved once. "No." he stopped Lion in his tracks. He held bother hands out as he steadily walked back. "Staaaaay. right. there. Staay." Lion didn't move that time and Steven nodded, taking a few more steps back as another gust of wind knocked into him. He kept his balance. "Staaaaay." the dog continued to stand there. And Steven smiled. "Good boy!" he ran off and towards the fights. 

Amethyst had her guy on the ground, with his leg bent and behind his back as she pulled on his foot, which reminded Steven of a wrestling move. Especially with the guy screaming and banging the ground with his hand.

Pearl wasn't looking to good. The woman looking extremely tired and hunched over in pain from her side. Another guard was coming for her. Another one she would have to fight while ignoring the pain from her stab wound. She held the bloody spear in hand and ran up to meet him half way.

Garnet was fighting a new guard. She'd put one gauntlet away and was fighting with fist, gauntlet and her legs. She threw out a punch with her fist, uppercutting the man in his jaw. Then she lifted up her leg, going for a snap kick and she flung out her leg straight and forward. Her foot slamming into the middle of his chest and he weezed, getting the air knocked out of him.

Steven ran pass the three groups, going towards the hole in the windmill. Within the fast spinning blades and on the other side of the windmill, he could see a tall, yellow and brown object. The object having a yellow button at the top of it and a small hole at the top face of it. It was enclosed in glass.

_There it go!! Now. if only I can just get to it.._

It was near impossible. The blades going incredible fast. There was no way any human could get through it without getting hit with the blades..

_But.. there _must_ be a way to get through there.._

He took a few steps and a guard jumped in front of him and he made a startle scream. The man laughed at him. He held a gulf club in his hand. "Yeah, I'm gonna stop you _right_ there." he threw the gulf club down and Steven jumped to his left, barely dodging the club and he backpeddled and tripped over something in the ground. He looked down at his feet. 

To his convenience, it was another club. And he noticed that there were actually a few gulf clubs laying around-

The man went with another swing and Steven screamed, quickly rolling out of the way, barely grabbing the top of the handle of the club. The guard swung down and Steven threw the club out haphazardly, just trying to block the club, which he managed to do. But then his brain went straight to the sword training he'd done with Amethyst and Pearl and he was quick to go in a more stabled stance. One foot behind the other as he found his core balance and paying close attention to how he had his golf club. The guard's club was right in the middle of it. 

Steven tried going through the many techniques in his mind. And. he advanced a step as he pushed the golf club up. The guard's club slid down to his hand and Steven lifted his golf club up more, moving the guard's hands up as well and he turned his hands towards the man, turning the club towards the guy's body. 

The guard retreated a step, throwing the golf club back, only to quickly take a step back towards him and swing the club to the side. Steven, still keeping his mind on balance and footwork, retreated a step and to the side as he threw the club up, meeting the guard's club with a clash. 

_I need to get this golf club from him.._

_I need an opening._

Steven tried thinking ahead. He would have to get this guy to be open for a potential strike.. 

And, vaguely remembering other techniques during the training session, Steven retreated a step, his golf club still blocking the guard's club. Then he stepped to the side and took a step towards the man and he pulled his golf club away from the guy's club and quickly feigned a strike to the man's stomach and the guard threw his sword down to block it. 

Steven inwardly chuckled to himself just then. 

_Heheh, he took the bait._

Steven blocked the guard's club and twisted the driver and slid it up slightly, confronting the guy with a thrust to the face. The guard intuitively raised his arms up. His club moving Steven's up along with it. 

And, there it was. An opening to the stomach or the groin. His arms still holding the club and blocking Steven's golf club. 

And, Steven went for the easy route, which he found was a cheap shot, but very effective. 

The groin. 

While keeping his golf club up, blocking the guard's club, he picked his leg up and threw it out forward as hard as he could, kicking him between the legs. The guard bent over, in pain, his golf club falling down slightly with him and Steven found the next opening. He moved his golf club out the way and threw it down, hitting the guy _hopefully not too hard _on the head and the man winced. Steven finished it off, the guy now in pain, distracted and both opened and not blocking him anymore, Steven swung his golf club to the side, hitting the club out the man's hand. 

_It worked.._

_It actually worked!!!!_

"YEAH, TALC!" he heard Amethyst shout out. "I SAW THAT MOVE!!" she cheered him on.

"Uh, y, yeah." he went for a shy smile. 

He hadn't known she was watching him.

She and the Gems were running pass them and towards the hole in the windmill. The guards seemingly all beat.

The man leaned back up, rubbing his head and Steven looked at him. 

They locked eyes and the guard growled at him.

_Uh oh.._

Right as the man lunged for him, Steven panicked, throwing the club down hard across the guy's face. And he fell to the ground. Unconscious. "Sorry!" Steven whined. 

He ran towards the Gems. The women standing there, trying to formulate a plan as the blades spun quickly in front of them.

"There's definitely a method to this.." Amethyst narrowed her eyes at the opening.

A gust of wind blew pass, harder than the others, the wind blowing stronger from the big wind cannons closest to the windmills.

The Gems stayed grounded with their spikes, but Steven was sliding across. The boy kneeling down and trying to keep himself grounded until another gust of wind erupted. Harder. 

He was blown up into the air and he screamed out.

The Gems ignored him as they discussed how to get through the blades of the windmill.

In the mix of flying up into the air and flipping around and seeing the world in a blur, he thought about his GemTech shirt. And his bubble. 

He went for the bubble, not wanting to crash into the side of the building and harm himself. He swiped across his arm and the bubble formed around him. The gust of wind ceased and the bubble started to free fall back down. "Oh no!" quick thinking, he swiped across the bubble to deactivate it and he dragged his elbows up and behind himself as he raised his arms up. GemTech glider wings sprouted from the base of the shirt, attaching to the end of his short sleeves. "Ah, there we go! I STILL know how to do it!" he wobbled to his left and his right as he glided back down. And he stuck out his elbows wider to glide slower back to the ground. 

Until another gust of wind struck him, sending him airborne and flying up towards the ceiling. 

"Whooaaaoooaoaa!!!" he flipped a few times in the air, clearing the height of the huge windmill and his heights anxiety flaired up for a split second before realizing that he still had his GemTech gliders on. 

He leaned forward, trying to keep his self horizontal to the ground and keeping his knees slightly bent and his legs stretched out and far apart. His elbows stretched out to the side to open the wings up all the way. And he started to glide slowly and safely back down.

And during his slow glide back down, he looked at the top of the windmill. Right behind the blades was a roof, with nothing but a small door that lead to the stairs underneath and.. what looked to be a small circuit box. A small black wire was attached to the box and trailed across and down the roof and to the fan of the windmill.

_Is that little box powering the fan?_

There was only one way to find out.

He glided back down to the ground and landed gently, softly right on his feet. 

And he waited for another gust of wind. He would glide his self to the roof and unplug the wire from the box.

Another gust blew immediately and he held his elbows up and to the sides as he stretched out his legs for balance. The wind blew him up and he tried to keep his self balanced as he leveled out his arms, waving his elbows in and out to keep his trajectory straight.

But, he didn't gain enough air time, only going half way up to the windmill. 

The wind stopped blowing and he brought his elbows in to drop faster towards the ground. Only throwing out his elbows once he got close to the ground to gently glide back down to his feet.

_Okay, that won't do.. I need something that would take me up there quicker._

Then, he thought about the bubble perhaps being useful in the wind in this situation.

Maybe it'll work, maybe it won't.. But he could try.

Steven swiped across the ground this time, going for something different and the bubble formed around him.

He placed his hands on the bubble and slid them towards each other. The bubble shrunk and this time he placed his arms a farther out and slid them together. The bubble shrunk even more, shrinking three times it's size. And he then realized he didn't have to make small slides towards his hands but that he could widen his arms and bring them in from a wider distance, quickly minimizing the bubble. 

There was another gust of wind and he kicked up his legs as he kept his hands in front of him and on the bubble. He climbed up towards the top and as if he was paper, the bubble shot up towards the ceiling. 

He swiped across the bubble and it disappeared and he held his elbows and legs out. He leaned forward and brought his arms in front of him and he started gliding towards the roof.

He brought his arms back towards him and stuck his elbows out more and glided slower for another smooth landing. Then he ran down the roof and towards the box. He popped it open, curious to see what was inside. 

It was just.. circuitry that he didn't know anything about.

And he ignored it, going for the black wire in the back. He yanked it out and made his way to the edge of the windmill. Within the blades he could see the Gems in their stance. The three bracing for something to happen as they looked around and Amethyst was the first one to look up. "Talc?" she raised an eyebrow. "You did this?"

"Yeah." and he felt a smile coming on.

She nodded. A pleased smile on her face. "Nice." she threw her thumb up at him. "Good job." then she, Garnet then Pearl ran through the opening. 

Steven ran back, planning to meet them over at the other side. He would rather jump off and glide down versus taking the steps. It would be much quicker to glide down. AND he would be practicing more.

Also.. it was pretty fun.

He ran pass the door that lead to those steps in question and he heard screams and shouts and the sound of a brawl, assumable from guards that were hiding within the windmill.

And that just gave him _another_ reason to not go down those stairs..

He ran to the edge of the building and jumped. He kept his limbs stretched out and glided down towards the grass. The yellow and brown device right below him behind the thick glass.

He landed on the ground and dragged his elbows downwards, down his sides and farther down his torso. The GemTech wings keeping closed against his shirt. Then he made a slow jog towards the glass. "Is this.. the Wailing Stone?" he went to touch the glass and within the reflection he saw a guard running up to him. He turned around just as the man punched him in the jaw. The impact sending Steven falling and then tumbling over himself as he fell down a small hill. Stopping himself only half way down.

The man was slow walking towards him. An evil smile on his face as he held his fists to his sides.

Steven looked to the opening on the base of the windmill. He could see a bit of the fighting still going on.The Gems still busy with the last few guards.

He sighed inwardly.

He had no choice but to try and get rid of this guy.

Maybe he could just trip him up and throw him down one of the hills that were surrounding him. Or, maybe into that pond that was right behind him. He didn't want to hurt the guy too bad like the one he knocked out unconscious with the golf club.

But, he couldn't let the guy know that. He had to sound tough.

He got up. "You want a piece of me?"

The guard scoffed. "I don't want a piece of you." he ran up to him. "I want the whole thing!" he uppercut Steven in his stomach and Steven grunted, bending over. The guard punched him in the side of his face with a right hook and Steven's head snapped to the right from the impact. 

And.. he slowly moved his head back to face the guy and the guard threw out another punch, with the left hand, directly at Steven's face. And Steven tried to dodge the next punch, but couldn't. The man throwing another left punch directly at his face. Then a third punch. And a fourth. In pain and in a bit of a daze, Steven stood there, not being able to dodge the guard's punches as he threw a fifth, a sixth, a seventh and an eighth punch with his left hand, then switching it up, giving Steven another strong right hook, knocking the boy off his feet and into the pond below. 

As Steven slowly got up from the pond, his jeans on down completely drenched once more, the man ran after him. Steven found an errant golf club sticking out of the pond and picked it up. Just as he tried throwing it down, the guard held his arm out, hitting Steven's arm and blocking his potential swing and he gave Steven a left and a right hook to the face. Then he picked him up and threw him on the ground, right on his back. 

Steven got up, holding his face in pain and the guard tackled him, knocking the boy back out the pond and sending the two tumbling down a hill. Then he pulled Steven up by his shirt and headbutt him, then let go of him. The boy groaning and laying flat on his back on the ground. His eyes blurry. "Looks like you can't take a beating, punk." he took his hand and grabbed Steven's throat and he got up, pulling Steven up with him. The boy choked under his grip. The guard brought him down by his neck and uppercut his stomach twice, before throwing another right hook to Steven's jaw, sending him to the ground. He scoffed at him. "I think you've had enough." he mocked fixed the black jacket he had on.

Steven coughed, groaning as he slowly.. sloowwwly got up to his knees.

"No?" he ran up, kicking Steven in his face and sending the boy straight to the ground on his back. _"Now_ you've had enough, you worthless pile of garbage." 

Steven laid there. In pain. Groaning. Not daring to get back up.

The guard laughed at the injured boy. 

And Steven continued to lay there.

"That's right, punk. _Stay_ there." he snickered and turned around. And took a step back.

Amethyst, Garnet and Pearl were right behind him. "That was pretty cool how you whipped his ass." said Amethyst with a side smile on her face.

"What? And you want some of that action too?" he snickered.

Amethyst shook her head. Then looked back up at the man. "Garnet, Pearl. You two crack open the glass casing. I'll deal with him." 

They nodded and ran pass him. 

"Hey, whoa." he looked at the two running pass. Then looked at Amethyst. "So we're doing that now?" 

"No." said Amethyst. She threw out her whip and wrapped it around the man. "We're doing _this_ now." she pulled him in towards her and threw her arm out in a solid punch right across the guard's face. He fell straight to the ground. Out cold. 

"Wow. That was _way_ too easy." she looked at the unconscious guy for a few moments before making her way over towards Steven. "Wow, dude. You REALLY can't fight. You suck at fending for yourself." 

He responded with a groan. 

She shook her head, tsking. "You have a long way to go as a Crystal Gem." 

  
  


Garnet and Pearl were just a couple hits away from breaking into the glass. The small dome having large cracks on its surface.

Then a whip came in between them, hitting the glass with one hard smack. The dome started to crack more and cave in, shattering above the device.

They turned around. Amethyst was twisting her whip back up. Then she clipped it back on her belt. "Pearl, the Wailing Stone." 

The woman nodded, despite of how she was feeling physically. She jumped down the little divut and hoisted the heavy device off the ground. Her side muscles clenched as she strained to keep the device in her hands. Her muscles irritating the deep wound in her side. 

She placed the device on the ground and lifted herself out of the hole. Then, she hoisted the object up off the ground once more. 

Steven was still on the ground, almost feeling like himself. The daze leaving him.

"Yo." she kicked him in the side and he grunted. "Get up. We gotta get a move on." she took a step back. "You can get your four hour break on the jet. Let's go." she walked away, with Garnet and Pearl right behind her.

He leaned up slowly to a sitting position, before rolling over on his knees and pushing himself off the ground. He followed them. Shuffling after them as he rubbed his sore face and stomach.

  
  


They retraced their steps. Steven going under the windmill with the Gems and retrieving Lion who'd been waiting very patiently by the golf cart. Then going through the water. Steven wanting to give Lion a break and using his bubble to glide across the surface of the water. Pearl having to swim across the water with the device on her back. Then through the sand bunkers, where he and Lion rolled the ball down the hill but not having enough momentum to roll all the way up the steep hill. The two having to jog the rest of the way up while Amethyst and Garnet simply jumped up and out of the sand. Pearl making mini leaps to prevent a lot of pressure on her side from landing. Then they went through the thick, tall grass and was back at the smooth green grass field.

Garnet jogged up, holding the door for them and they all made it back to the jet. She put in the code and the steps slid out and to the ground. As Amethyst and Pearl walked up the stairs, Steven told Amethyst he wanted to take Lion out for a bathroom break while Garnet did her checks.

Amethyst had given him the okay and walked inside of the jet with Pearl right behind her. "Pearl, set it down on the couch." the woman set it down, immediately feeling relieved of the muscle strain and the pain from her injury. She'd went into the kitchen and opened one of the cabinets, getting some pain relievers. She took two and washed it down with some water and went back to the lounging area at the front of the jet with Amethyst.

Ten minutes later and Steven and Lion walked back inside of the jet right as Garnet was checking the last couple of areas inside of it. Amethyst and Pearl were already knocked out sleep, masks still on their faces. Amethyst snoring loudly in the recliner that she laid all the way back and Pearl curled up on the couch. A blanket drapped over her.

Steven went to the dining room/kitchen part of the jet and took out another water bottle and Gatorade from the fridge and met the crew back in the front. He sat down and gave Lion some water before taking a few gulps of his Gatorade. He placed the two bottles on the table and tried to relax in the recliner with his soaked clothes..

The door slid open and Garnet was walking out and just then, he wondered if he should say something her.. 

..and she walked pass..

He looked at Amethyst. The woman fast asleep. 

Then he turned his attention back to Garnet. The woman opening the door to the cockpit. "Umm.." he tried speaking between a loud whisper and a quiet voice. Garnet turned around. "Just uh.. wanted to say goodnight.. That's all."

She smiled at him. I appreciate that, Talc." she smiled behind her mask. "Goodnight to you too." and with that, she turned back around and closed the door of the cockpit behind her.

A couple minutes later and he heard the first engine start to roar on the left side. 

And again, he tried to get comfortable.. but the wet clothes was making it difficult to do that.

And he tried to think of something to do.. 

Wring out his clothes? Just stand up the whole flight so he wouldn't have to sit down in wet jeans? What?

He sighed. 

Feeling uncomfortable..

Too bad his jeans weren't GemTech either.. Otherwise he would be dry, just like his head and torso was because of his GemTech shirt and mask..

He felt the jet start to ride along the ground, then turning to the left, keeping forward.

He sighed.. making up his mind.. and, hoping that the Gems wouldn't be upset about it..

But he put his phone on the table and went into the bathroom, taking his pants. He felt the jet take off and he had to hold onto the sink for a couple of minutes before continuing with what he wanted to do. 

With the jet more or less steady, but still inclining (and thus he should still technically be seated during this part) he used that time to take his boxers off as well and wring both his jeans and his boxers out in the shower. He slipped his boxers back on and hung the jeans up on the glass. 

He walked back out the bathroom and grabbed a couple paper towels from the kitchen and walked back into the lounging area quietly, sliding the door back softly. He wiped the seat dry from his jeans and threw the tissue away in a trashcan underneath of the tablet.

He sat down and gave Lion a few head scratches before popping open the footrest and reclining the chair all the way back, farther back than Amethysts chair, so he could properly lay down.

And he rolled over on his side.

This was definitely an improvement. He wasn't being held down in soaked jeans grabbing hold of his skin and his boxers weren't drench either. Just a bit damp and cold. But it was bearable. The jet was also pretty warm, _despite of Pearl with her blanket,_ which made things ten times better for his cold skin.

And just like that, almost instantly, with the heat of the jet and the smooth motion of it, he was beginning to doze off already.

He was wiped out. Dealing with that robot.. thing with Connie, then getting a bit of sleep and hanging out with the Pizzas and going up against that robber (who thankfully, was pretty easy to beat), then having to deal with Rose's room that he still didn't want to think about yet and then going on a small mission before heading to L.A for another one. And, he was just. wiped. 

But, he just had one more thing to do. 

And he took his phone off the table and put in the code. As soon as his phone opened up, he saw a pink dot in his drop down bar that he never seen before. He pulled the bar down to see the words 'Audio file'. 

He was tired.. he really was exhausted.. and he didn't really feel up for dealing with what happened down at the cellar either.. 

But, he clicked on it anyway and the phone opened up to a black screen with a red button. And that, definitely looked shady to him. 

_Oh I sure hope that this doesn't give my phone a virus.. _

He took the earphones off the table and plugged it into his phone and put one earbud in his ear. He clicked on the red button and there were three beeps before a female voice came on speaking in.. what sounded like an Asian kind of language? The audio lasted for thirty seconds before there was a pause and she spoke up again. Then it sounded like she repeated the last sentence once more before saying one more quick line and the audio stopped with three beeps. 

Steven sighed. So tired.. 

He didn't know what the audio was saying and he didn't know the language.. but he noticed that it did sound like that woman's voice that was down in the cellar.. or.. that _hologram?_ that was down in the cellar? He still didn't know..

With another tired breath, he blinked his heavy eyes and exited off the file and went to Connie's name, continuing with what he was doing before. And he sent her a small message saying how he was okay and that he was safe. He didn't expect to see a message, with how late it was, but he got a message back just a few seconds later. 

And he could be wrong, but he assumed she was waiting on a text from him before she went to bed. 

**You should be sleep. 😛** He tried going for a lighter approach.

**I know. But I just wanted to make sure everything was okay with you. I was actually just about to send you a message. **

**Yeah, I'm fine, Connie. 😚 Just working with the guys. Now you should get your beauty rest. Though you don't need it since you're already beautiful 😘😘**

**Only you.**

Then another message from her. 

**But I'm heading to bed now. I have work in the morning. **

**Okay. Goodnight jammie buddie 😴😘**

**Goodnight **

Steven tried not to let the lack of emojies from her get to him. 

Maybe she was still thinking about that building and that masked person and fearing for his safety. He really couldn't blame her really.. Though he hoped that she wouldn't constantly think about those things.. He didn't want her to stress out. 

He took the earbud out of his ear and set the phone down beside him. And he laid down on his arm, relaxing in the comfortable recliner. 

And within moments he was drifting off to sleep already, despite of Amethyst's loud snoring. 

The warmth of the jet.. and the motion of it putting him to sleep once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That scene where Steven gets his butt KICKED by that guard is from this part of this golf movie xD
> 
> https://youtu.be/87R0MZsO2BU
> 
> And WOOHOO!! Looks like Steven is getting even better with his skills :)  
Remembering the sword techniques, using his GemTech wings again AS well as learning more things about the bubble like expelling water out of itself and being able to adjust the size of the bubble and being able to float with it in the water and the wind :D
> 
> Aaanywho, hope y'all enjoyed these chapters. As I've said before, I definitely enjoyed writing them :3
> 
> Stay tuned for Coach Steven, where we get to meet Sugilite! :D
> 
> #You like that little man? 💪💪 😏
> 
> 🤣Lmbo, literally one of my favorite quotes of the WHOLE series and that INCLUDES SUF xD


	134. The Communication Hub

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the wiki fandom again for giving me the description of Sugilite. Totally ripped it off from there xP
> 
> And don't hurt me guys, but yeeees, Sugilite has four eyes instead of five since Garnet can't look into the future like Gem Garnet in canon. Thus, I decided to only have it as four o3o

Steven woke up abruptly by Amethyst slapping him in the face. "Yo! Talc!" she shook his chin. 

He groaned. Still feeling the previous slap on his jaw.

"Ah, there you go. You're finally up." she let go of his face. "We're landing in ten minutes. So hurry up and put your pants on." she sat back down in her chair.

"Mmnnnnnng.." he got up slowly to a sitting position. He was so tired. And being woken up like that only made it worse..

"Hurry up, man." said Amethyst. 

Steven stifled a yawn as he pulled his legs in, pushing the footrest back into the chair. Then he pulled the lever and the top part of the recliner slid back up with a click. He got up, slid the flip flops on and made his way to the bathroom. Since he was in there, he used that time to use the bathroom and he took the pants from off the shower wall. The jeans were damp and very cold in his hands. 

_Well this isn't going to feel nice.._

He walked back out the bathroom, feeling the jet start to descend. He sat back down in the recliner. Grimacing. Not wanting to out the ice cold pants on..

He heard a snicker beside him and he turned to his side. "What, too cold for you?" Amethyst asked him with a complacent grin on her face.

"Yeah.." he frowned. "I'm really not looking forward to putting it on.."

"You know, we have a heating box to warm stuff up." 

"What? Really?"

"Yeah, we have it for gemstones since some of them thrive well in warm environments." she gestured to a small tan box on the side of the couch where Pearl was sitting up. It looked like a microwave mixed with a washing machine. "It should be able to warm up your jeans as well." 

"I'll try it out." he smiled. "Thanks, Amethyst." he walked over, crouching down in front of the box.

"Eh." she shrugged. "Wasn't like I was trying to be nice" though she still had a slight smile to her face.

Steven opened the small door and placed the jeans inside. He closed the door and turned the top knob, cranking it up to 80 degrees. Then he turned the second knob, turning the pointer at five minutes.

The three of them sat in silence and after the three minute mark, Steven popped open the door. He felt his jeans. _Not quite. Just a little bit more._ He turned the jeans inside out and put it back inside. He closed the door back and turned the knob back on five minutes.

"We're just about there at the Hub Amethyst." Garnet said over the speaker. "Landing in four minutes." 

"Good." she said down towards the cockpit. "We're making good timing." she turned back around and took out her phone. She clicked on Peridot's name and brought the phone up to her ear.

A few rings and Peridot answered.

"Yo, Perry. We've just reached L.A. We're about to land at the Hub in a few more minutes." she was silent, listening to Peridot on the other end. "Yeah, uh huh. Yeah, so we should be done at exactly two in the morning. So, you better not be late." she said with a casual smile. Peridot said something back to her and there was a scoff which quickly turned into a chuckle. "Alright, P., relax. I know you're never late. Anyway, just wanted to give you a quick update." more silence and she nodded. "Yeah, so we'll be there in no time. Mhm. Alright, see you later, P." she hung up the phone and placed it back inside of the pocket of her jumpsuit. "Alright, good news." Steven and Pearl looked at her. "Peridot is already in her own jet, on her way here. So, we literally just knock everything down at the Hub and wait for her to come. Then when she and her crew comes, we leave them to do their work." she looked at Steven. "Then we land the jet back at the base, and take the Inkas and drive you back home. That's it. Then we have Monday off and Tuesday we go to the Sea Spire to retrieve this water jewel. And we have nothing else to do until Monday where we have another together breakfast." 

He nodded. "Nice. So just one more mission after this." 

"Right." 

And he was so happy! If Connie was off at least one of those days then perhaps they could hang out and have a do-over on having fun and go to the movies or perhaps to the park with Lion!-

"Unless of course something happens and Peridot calls us for another mission." 

_Oh.. right.._

"Right..Of course." 

A bright blue light out the corner of his eye caught his attention and he turned from Amethyst and looked at the window behind Pearl. The blue light was mixed with the black of the night and the atmosphere felt even cooler with him being in a jet. It felt. mysterious~ Especially since this was his first time being at this Communication Hub place. And in L.A no less!

"Wow.." he got up and pressed his face up against the window.

The jet was nearing a very tall structure. Where the base of it was wide and steadily got thinner as the structure reached the top. And he could see blue light steadily being beamed up into the sky from inside of the tower-like building.

"That tower looks soo cool." he said into the window, fogging it up slightly.

"Eh, yeah." said Amethyst. "But, too bad, so sad. We have to knock it down so." 

He turned his head to her. "Why do we have to knock it down anyway?"

"That piece of junk is old. And, with-" she stopped herself. "and Peridot just wants to built a better Communication Station for the Crystal Gems as well as put in a server that can pick up any interference from.. rivals that may be trying to.. I don't know.. get our jewels or whatever." she said casually. "Anyway, that's what that Wailing Stone is for. She's going to be using that to help make the communication stronger. With that Communication device plus the jewels that we have in the duffle bag, the new Hub will be ten time more effective than that one." 

"Ohh.." he nodded slowly. "I get it. That makes sense." he smiled. And he looked back out the window. The jet was now preparing for landing. "Uh oh." and he ran back to his seat to brace for the impact of the landing.

The wheels gritted across the dirt and the ground rumbled underneath of them as the jet rode fast across the area.

Steven held on to the armrests tightly and they all waited for the jet to come to a complete stop before Amethyst and the two got up. Lion looked up from his spot beside the chair. 

"Oh no! I forgot about my pants!" Steven ran to the small box and popped open the door. Smoke seeped out of it and he fanned his hand in front of his face, taking in that burnt clothes smell. He coughed. "Aw man, I hope I didn't burn it." he fanned more of the smoke away and picked up his pants. "Owch! Hot!" he dropped it and started blowing his fingertips.

Garnet opened the door from the cockpit and pressed the code in the tablet. The door opened with a click and started to slide down to the ground. Amethyst walked down, then Garnet and Pearl.

"Aw man.." he turned to Lion. "Come on, Lion. We have to go." he picked up the piping hot pants in his fingertips. "OWch, owch, owch, owch, owch." and he ran down the lounging hall and down the steps, passing his pants from fingertips to fingertips.

Lion stretched and jogged after him and out the jet.

Garnet was doing her checks and Amethyst and Pearl were walking up towards the tower.

And, now that Steven was closed to the structure, he noticed that the tower was actually made with very thin, tall pillars, where the too was layered with a floor, then more, small pillars, then another white floor until it reached towards the top. And within the tower of pillars were clumps of crystals sitting in the middle. The crystals emitting the blue light up in the sky.

He jogged after them and Lion decided to go his own route, digging into the dirt as he found that more interesting.

"This place held up very well." Amethyst looked up at the pillars. "I wonder how the new one is going to look."

"Definitely better than this one." Pearl said softly to her boss.

Steven finally caught up to them underneath of the tower and with the sightly scorched jeans cooled down in his hands he slipped them on, getting that nice, warm, toasty feeling on his legs. _Ahhhh~~_

But then he quickly realized that his jeans also shrunk..

He sighed. And tried to yank them up over his waist. He heard Amethyst cackle and he looked up at her. "You got too much cake in the bakery Steven." she looked down at his thighs. 

He blushed. "No, it's not that. It just.. the pants just shrunk, that's all.." 

"Mmmmhhm." 

Steven tried to button his pants, but couldn't. He sighed and gave up, leaving his pants unbuttoned.._and_ unzipped. And he pulled the hem of his shirt down over his pants to cover his wide open zipper.

Amethyst snorted. "Okay, so P-Dot is going to be here soon. So, let's get this started now. with _fusion."_

Steven gasped and he was about to go for a squeal as he thought about seeing Opal again! But then he looked at how drained and in pain Pearl looked and.. his expression fell. 

"Pearl, you-"

"Wait!"

Amethyst turned her head to him. "What?"

"You.. can't fuse with Pearl."

Amethyst raised her eyebrow at him. "And why. _not."_

"Uh.. because.. she's injured." he gestured at the woman. "She needs her rest. It's only been what, two days since she had her surgery?!"

Amethyst looked at Pearl and the woman held her hands up with a few shakes of her head. "I'm fine, Amethyst. Really." then she turned to Steven. "Talc, stay out of this." 

His shoulders slumped. "But.. you-"

"Look, Talc." he looked at Amethyst. "It doesn't matter if she's injured. It wouldn't had mattered if she was more bad off then what she is now. You know why?" he hesitated before shaking his head. "Because what I say._goes._If I say jump, she says how high? If I tell her to pick up the Wailing Stone again, despite of her injuries, she's going to go get it for me anyway. And." she looked at him. "If I say fuse. Then.we fuse."

_Wow.. That was.. that's definitely a disgusting attitude-_

"Talc. Fix your face." she ordered him. "And stand over there by those pillars." 

He resisted a sigh and walked over to his right by the pillars she'd pointed to. Then he turned back around to face her.

"I said 'fix your face'." she ordered him again. Then she looked over at Pearl. The woman visibly pained and tired.

And Steven looked from Amethyst's face, then to Pearl. 

"Pearl." Amethyst kept her stare at her and the woman straighten up. "Yes, Amethyst."

Another leveled stare from Amethyst looking at her.. And Steven wanted to say something more. He wanted to say something so bad.. 

And in a split second, he decided to and just as he was about to open his mouth to say something, Amethyst pointed over to him. "Go over there with Talc. You two will be destroying that side." 

Taken aback. He looked at Pearl who holding her surprised look. And then to Amethyst.

Did she.. actually think about what he said?-

"Don't think I said that because of what you said just now, Talc." his heart skipped a beat. "I wasn't going to fuse with Pearl from the beginning. Opal is way too dainty for this job." Pearl looked relieved that she wasn't going to fuse, yet, slightly ashamed as well with Amethyst thinking that she wasn't strong enough..

"We don't need to "dainty" or "careful"." she mocked. Then she squared her shoulders. "We just need to be _huge."_ then a smug grin swept across her face. "We're going to mash it up!! Bigger! Badder! Ahahahahaha!!" 

Steven was at a lost for words.. 

She.. was she going to fuse with-

Garnet was walking down towards them. The blue light bouncing off of the lens of her shades. 

"Yo, G. You. Me. We're gonna wreck this joint. We're forming Sugilite." 

Steven inwardly gasped.

_She and Garnet are going to fuse?!?!_

Garnet nodded. "Yes, Amethyst." 

Amethyst waited for Garnet to jog over. She stopped right in front of her.

"Synchroniiiiize!" said Amethyst. And she took a few steps towards Garnet. The tall woman herself began to move her body, it seemed to flow and move so effortlessly and Steven.. thought it looked pretty hot the way she moved her torso so sensually like that. Then she pivoted to the side, bringing her arms up and back down as she moved her body faster, bringing her leg up in a few stomps.

Amethyst started to shimmer her shoulders. A dastardly smile forming on her face, anticipating for them to fuse.

With a snap of her finger, Garnet brought her hand down and back up to the other, waving her arms up in a pop and lock as her legs stomped fast below her.

Amethyst twirled around, throwing her hair back and she lunged forward towards Garnet. The woman throwing her legs out and her arms open to catch her. And Amethyst jumped in.

In a blast of white light that formed into pink, then dark purple to black, Steven saw the form growing taller and taller and bigger. He could see two extra pair of arms forming at the sides as a flow of thick hair grew from the top. 

"Whoa.." the light was huge and he could see the figure start to form more within it until..

The black faded and he saw the new robot as Amethyst had called them before.

The robot woman.. was wearing a dark purple and black bodysuit and dark purple boots. 

And the robot so colossal..and so menacing looking.. with her stocky, bulky build and four arms, each pair sharing a shoulder joint. And.. it's face.. featuring four. _four_ lilac eyes located under a very strong brow (and he didn't know that fusions could have four eyes.) And her hair was in a giant plume of spiky, dark purple-black mane kept in an untamed style. 

"Sugilite's in the house!!" the fusion yelled as she put on her lilac visors over her eyes. And Steven noticed her mouth was filled with sharp, pointed teeth as she stood there with a twisted grin on her face. 

"Hahahahaha!" she laughed as she cracked her knuckles with her top two hands. "I almost forgot how GREAT it felt to be ME!" 

Steven looked at her. "Wow.." he looked at the gigantic fusion. "So you're Sugilite.." he said with such awe in his voice.

"You got it, baby." the twisted grin still on her face. "Hey, Steven." she straightened her back up more. Proud. "wanna see something cool?" 

"Yeah!!" 

Still keeping that proud, smug grin on her face, she took a long step back and held her top hands out into fists and her gauntlet-like hands shot up out of her wrists and into the air as two new pairs of hands grew from her wrists. And Sugilite took a whip from her belt and threw it up, and just as the two gauntlets came together and formed into a huge mace, the whip attached to it, forming into the lash. The flail came back down hard, creating a huge crater in the ground. 

Steven gasped loudly. Amazed. 

The flail was huge and with a purple ombre design on the mace. The mace also adorned with a silver, spiky ring connecting the bludgeon to the lash of the flail. And on the flail handle were two sugilite gemstones. One on the end and one connecting the handle to the whip. 

Everything about the fusion looked so.. strong.. and cool.. and.. also menacing..

"You like that, little man?" she murmured.

He was at a lost for words. He just nodded, numbly, mouth agape.

The fusion laughed. "Now let me show you what this bad boy is capable of." she raised the whip up, the flail lifting up so easily. And she threw the whip, the mace crashing through the pillars and sending rocks and rubble down to the ground in heaps of rocks, metal shards and debris under the dust of dirt and pillar remnants. 

"Wow, you're.. so strong." he looked at the huge pile of broken up pillars in front of him.

She scoffed. "Strong doesn't even cut it. Your girl Sugilite can take down this whole tower by herself." then she thought, as confidence, conceit and cockiness boiled within her. "In fact, you two step back. Y'all suckas can't come even CLOSE to me." she raised her flail up, crashing into a thick bundle of pillars and the mace, completely obliterating it with ease. An avalanche of metal debris and rocks crashed down towards them and Steven screamed, trying to dodge the debris coming down, some of them hitting him in his stomach and his arms an the too of his head and Pearl dodged every one, some with a side kick.

Sugilite threw her flail into more pillars and a mass of rocks and metal came down towards them again and one huge chunk of rock was coming towards Pearl. She threw her leg up, kicking threw the rock and snapping it into two. 

"Wow, how did you- OW!" a piece of rock from a pillar hit him across the forehead and all he thought about then wasn't the pain or the fear of getting hit and squished with more debris.

But it was Connie.. and how he would most likely have to think of something to say about the huge gash he had now because.. yeah, he definitely had a huge cash on his head.. He could definitely feel it..

And _then_ he started thinking about the pain.

And _then_ the fear of getting hit with more heavy debris and possibly getting squished came to mind and he started to run away from the area. Pearl stayed with the colossal fusion as she raised havoc on more pillars. She stepped her huge boot on the clump of crystals and they shattered underneath of her. She raised her flail up again, crashing into the other side of the tower. 

  
  


Steven watched from afar as Sugilite punched and stomped on the fallen debris.

The fusion was done.

She'd destroyed the whole tower of pillars but..

she just kept going.. and going..

And now she was punching the remnants, punching them into pebbles and forming craters into the ground from the force of her gauntlet fists. And she threw her thick legs out, stomping the pillars into the dirt and rubbing them down into the ground into tiny pieces.

And she kept going.

"What's going on with her, Lion?" the boy hid behind his dog as he pet him, trying to ease his nerves. "The tower is gone. Why is she still going?!" 

The fusion roared and he jumped and hugged the dog. "Why isn't she stopping?!-"

He heard a low rumble of engines as the ground shook below him and he jumped again as he turned around.

A huge, double decker, green airplane had landed and was coming up fast on the other side of him. And he watched as the hulking plane stopped just beside him. The airplane's wings just a few yards away from the wings of the Crystal Gem's jet. And, the double decker plane towered over the jet behind him. 

And he noticed that her airplane had a picture of the two main Camp Pining Hearts characters. The teenaged boy holding a small box of poutine and the girl right beside him with a bottle of maple syrup in her hand. Behind them, the forest and a group of other side characters huddled in front of a large cabin. The tail of the plane with the initials C.P.H. in dark green, cursive writing. 

A door had opened on the other side of the jet and he watched as it landed on the ground. Then a few seconds later, he saw a pair of feet walk from the steps and stopped. The legs close together. Then he saw another pair of feet. Electrical wiring and metal inside of green, shiny GemTech metal boots and he knew that was Peridot. The teen's skirt flowing gently in the cool breeze. She walked away from what Steven assumed was her pilot and he saw her walk from the nose of the jet. She noticed him and he immediately stood up and went for the salute to her. He raised one hand up to his forehead, with a two finger salute. His thumb holding down the other two fingers and his other arm held up, his fist clenched and at the middle of his chest. His feet and kegs together. And he tried going for a stoic, serious expression.

She nodded, acknowledging him and she started walking away and towards the chaos in front of them.

Then he started to see more Peridots exit out of the airplane. Twenty of them with green lab coats, dark green visors, green boots that reached their knees and thick, green robotic-looking gloves.

Steven dropped his arms and looked on as the group of them stood at the front of the airplane. 

Then he saw the pilot, also dressed in green, start doing his checks.

"AMETHYST!!!!!!!!!!!" he heard the teen shout with such rage and annoyance.

The fusion was crushing something underfoot. She looked up. Her lips curled up smugly. "Who you callin' Amethyst, pipsqueak? The name's Sugilite."

"AMETHYST I DO NOT HAVE TIME FOR THIS!!!! YOU KNOW HOW YOU AND GARNET CAN GET!!!! NOW UNFUSE THIS INSTA-" Sugilite threw her flail and Peridot jumped out the way and Steven saw the teen land on her hands, doing two more front flips and landing with a slid, her hand breaking her fall as her fingers scraped across the ground, forming deep lines in the dirt from her fingers. She got up. Back straight. Shoulders squared. Eyes narrowed at the cackling fusion in front of her. "Ame.. thyst!!!!!!!!" she hissed out.

"What's that? You want some more? If you wanna battle then, Peridot, let me know!" she threw her flail down towards Peridot and the teen sprinted to the side, dodging the flail completely as it crashed into the ground making another crater.

"Amethyst!!" Sugilite picked up two large piles of debris with two of her left hands. "For the LAST time. YOU two unfuse RIGHT-" Sugilite threw her flail with her two right hands and Peridot ran the opposite way just as Sugilite threw one pile of pillar remnants and rocks at her, blocking her run on the other side and the teen jumped up and Steven watched as she cleared twenty feet in the air. Fire shooting out of her tennis shoes as she hovered over the pieces of rock. Right as the next pile of debris was coming at her and Steven gasped. "Oh no! She's going to get hit!!" 

Peridot raised her arm in front of her face and a kite shield formed from her prestheitc wrist. The green, almond-shaped shield rounded slightly down at its side and curving to a point in the middle at the top of it and rounded to a point at the bottom. In the front were twenty silver-colored spikes, five-inched long, potruding from it.

And the pile of rocks and debris bounced off of the surface of the shield, some hitting the spikes and breaking up more into rubble. "Okay, Amethyst." she lowered her shield only slightly. "You leave me with NO choice." she said lowly. "Either you two unfuse." she raised her other arm up and pressed her fingers and thumbs together and green electricity started to crackle from it. "or I _force_ you two to unfuse." she glared at them. "Take your pick."

Sugilite scoffed. "HA! Is that your attempt to scare me?! Then you must not know how Sugilite be puttin' it down!!" she stomped towards Peridot. "Come on! Get me now!"

"Then you've chosen.. to unfuse." she spat out. 

Sugilite held her bottom arms down, hands clenched. Her top two up in front of her in a fighting stance. "I'm gonna take you down and before you know it, your ass is gonna hit the ground."

Peridot growled. Eyes glaring intensely at the fusion. She powered on, flying towards Sugilite with her rocket shoes. Shield one her wrist and the hand destabilizer in the other. 

Sugilite looked at her. Pleased. A dastardly smile on her face. "Okay, Peridot. Here I come." she ran towards her, meeting her half way. The ground shaking under her stomps. "Now let me throw you some." she picked up three huge piles of rocks and threw it, one on each side of Peridot and one right in the middle.

Peridot stretched out both legs in front of her, the GemTech fire from her shoes disintegrating the debris and the last pile in the middle smashed into her shield. The pebbles and dust fell from her and onto the ground. "UHG!!!! YOU'RE JUST.. TOO MUCH!!!" she yelled. 

"Naw I KNOW you ain't gettin' loud!" she snarled. "Watch it Peridot. You betta calm down before I smack your ass down."

"I like to see you try." more fire shot out of her shoes as she closed the distance between them.

"HAHAHA You just mad 'cause you suck!! But SUGILITE'S been hot since fifteen years ago! Face it Peridot! I'm the hottest 'round! Ain't NO way you can stop me now!" she picked up another pile of pillar remnants and she threw it. Then she picked up the flail and swung it.

Peridot dodged up, missing the debris right as the flail was coming down towards her. She banked left then decreased the fire on her shoes, landing on the mace of the flail. She started running up the lash and Steven thought it looked like something out of an anime. How effortlessly she was running up the the lash and towards the fusion.

"Time to see you lose!" Sugilite threw the flail up, sending Peridot with it. The teen held on by the spiky ring on the mace. Her other hand still crackling with green electricity. "Time to finish you off!" she threw the flail down and Peridot jumped off of the flail and dove straight for her head. Shield right in front of her.

"HAHA! Hit me!" Sugilite challenged. And she threw her flail up in the air towards Peridot once more. "Hit me!" she repeated with a cackle. 

The mace shot towards her and Period pressed a button in the middle of her wrist. The shield popped off her arm at rapid speed. It smased into the mace, sending it crashing back into the ground. 

For just a split second, Sugilite looked shocked, but the expression was quick to pass as she snarled up at Peridot right as she went to throw her flail again. 

Peridot threw her hand down, sending a shot of electricity towards the fusion's face. The blast pushing Peridot back slightly before she balanced herself with her rocket shoes.

The fusion yelled as green electricity crackled against her suit and Steven watched as the colossal robot stood there, frozen. Unable to move as the electricity coursed through and then-

In a puff of dark purple smoke laid Amethyst and Garnet. The two laying sprawled out in the ground.

Steven gasped. "They're back!" he ran up to the crew.

Amethyst was the first to sit up slowly, resisting a groan. 

Peridot was right in front of her. Looking down at Amethyst. Arms crossed and eyes narrowed down at her.

"Ohh, heheh. Whaddup Pear-Bear?" she said with a casual side smile.

"Really, Amethyst?" she whispered. Trying to keep her anger down. "Really?" she said through her teeth. "You. and bringing GARNET down with you" she gestured at the woman still on the ground. "You lost control. and then started taking it out. on ME. And.. that's what you decide. to say?.. _Really."_ she leaned in.

Amethyst shrugged. A casual expression still on her face. "Yeah, pretty much." she got up, her eyes not leaving Peridot's glare. "Ah, don't look at me like that, P-Dot." she pinched the teenager's cheek. And Peridot grumbled, smacking it away. "Don't touch me!" 

Amethyst snickered. "Chill it, P. We just gave you a little work out. So what?" 

" 'So what' ?! See, THAT'S the problem! YOU'RE the reason I gave fusions a set time limit to keep fused!!! You _could've_ done more damage had I not been here to stop you!"

"But. you _did._ Sooooooo." another casual shrug from the woman.

"Amethyst that's not the point!! -" she stopped. And took a breath. "You know what? Forget it. Just.. forget it." she took another breath. "So. The jewels and the Wailing Stone. I need it. You have already wasted our time. We Peridots need to get to work." 

"Sure, P. No problem." she turned to Garnet who was sitting up, holding her head. Lion was on one side of her and Steven was crouched down right in front of her, asking if she was okay. She nodded-

"Yo, leave her alone Talc." he looked up as Garnet turned around to face her. "Garnet. The bag of jewels. Get it." the she turned to Pearl who had been sitting on the sidelines as well, watching the fight. "The Wailing Stone." 

Garnet got up on wobbly legs and Steven held his hands out, cautiously watching her just in case she fell back down. But she didn't and she started making her way to the jet and Pearl was a few steps behind her.

_Fusion must really take a toll on their bodies.. or.. maybe certain fusions? Amethyst and Pearl didn't look even remotely tired when they unfused but Amethyst and Garnet look.. physically drained._ He looked back at the woman who was also getting up on wobbly legs.

Peridot gestured at the other Peridots to come over and they began to march towards her. Four in a horizontal line in a row of five as they walked behind one another. The twenty of them walking up to meet with their boss.

Peridot turned to Amethyst. "That is all I need of you five. Now, my Peridots and I will take it from here. All of you can leave." she held her arm up and to the side, still looking at Amethyst and Steven watched as the shield levitated off the ground and as if held by an invisible rope, the shield flew back towards Peridot, snapping back to her wrist. Then the shield minimized and slid back into a small, square compartment in her wrist. And with that, she walked away from Amethyst not saying another word.

"Aw, come on, Peeeeerry Berry. No hard feelings. What's a few jabs between co workers?" she said casually.

She was walking towards Steven who was petting Lion. "Hi, Peridot."he smiled. Then he quickly remembered who he was talking to and shot back up quickly, going for the salute. Trying to go for a serious face again.

Peridot held out her hand. "At ease, Talc."

_..What did that mean? Just keep.. going? Or.._

Peridot dug into her jacket pocket and took out a white, square looking piece of clay. "I'll need to see the pooch for a few moments." she crouched down to Lion. "Dog." she looked at him with her piercing green eyes. Lion looked at her, panting happily. 

She nodded. "Glad to see that he is doing much better than before." then she looked up at Steven who was still doing the salute. "And I see that you are looking much better yourself. How are the stitches coming along?"

"Oh, they're doing great. Half of them have dissolved already. It's pretty fast acting stuff." 

"Yes, well. That is GemTech stitches for you." she looked back at Lion. "Here, dog." she waved the square clay enticingly in front of his face. "Bite." 

Lion found the piece of clay interesting enough to want to grab at it and get it for himself. 

He grabbed the clay with his teeth and bit down on it. Peridot shook the square, causing him to grow playfully, biting down more. 

"Peridot.. what are you doing?" 

"Molding." was all she said. Then she pulled the piece of clay away and Lion's mouth didn't budge.

"Sorry, Peridot. I heard that like.. Pitbulls' jaws lock up and it's hard to open their mouths back up? Um.. or was it a myth?" he whispered to himself. 

"No, they don't lock." she let go of the clay and put her hand on the dog's jaw and the other hand on another part of the dog's face, pressing down on the dog's jawbone with force with her first hand.

And Lion's mouth opened, dropping the priece of clay on the ground.

"How did you do that?" 

"Easy." was what she said and she picked up the bitten clay and stood up. "Okay, that is all, Talc." she walked away from him just as Amethyst was walking up to them. She raised an eyebrow up at her. Peridot waved her off with the other hand. "I am just checking on the dog's jaw pressure." she told her, half telling the truth. "I wanted to measure how strong his bite was." then a beat later. "Honestly, he should really be trained. He's just a spoiled house pet. Not something that we would call a "Crystal Gem Dog"." 

Amethyst nodded. "Yeah, I can see that. Don't worry, P. We'll get this dog into shape in no time."

"Good." she adjusted the green mask on her face. "Well I'll bid everyone adieu. And as per usual, if any missions come up where I need you five, I'll give you a quick call." 

"Gotcha."

Peridot started walking away and Steven finally put his arms down. The teen was making her way owards the other Peridots. The dufflebag and Wailing Stone untouched and right in front of them as they waited for their boss before starting on anything.

Amethyst turned to Steven. "Alright, Talc." she walked away from him and towards the jet and he followed her. 

When they reached the jet, Garnet was on one side of the door and Pearl was on the other, waiting for Amethyst.

She clapped her hands. "Okay, change of plans you three." they looked at her. "We'll be going back to the Crystal Gem Base. BUT, I'm going to have you, Garnet to train Talc in hand to hand combat." 

Garnet and Steven looked at her. And Amethyst looked at the latter. "Yeah, Talc. You sucked at weaponry, so Pearl and I trained you a bit on swords and you're already getting the hang of it it seems. And, as I've said before, you suck at fighting. That guy earlier practically pounded you into the ground. And you couldn't even handle a rock hitting you in the head." she pointed at the bleeding gash on his forehead. "You got hit and you were down for the count. Then when you got back up, you just ran off to hide." she tsked. "We gotta make you stronger. Get you a fighting backbone. So, you'll be training with Garnet for the next few months so she can toughen you up." she nodded, pleased with what she was saying. "And she's one of the strongest Crystal Gems there are under this empire. You'll be fighting like a pro in no time with her training you." she turned to Garnet. "So, we land the jet back at the base and you take the Inkas to one of your training spots. Give him three hours to train. I want his muscles to _ache_ when you're done with him."

Steven swallowed.

_This is not going to be good.._

Garnet nodded and Amethyst walked up the steps. Then Garnet, Pearl and Steven and Lion walked up the stairs and into the jet. 

Having done her checks while Amethyst and Steven were talking to Peridot, Garnet opened the door to the cockpit and sat down in front of the controls. She put her headset on.

Pearl took her boots off and laid down on the couch and Amethyst and Steven sat down in the recliners and Lion laid down beside Steven's recliner.

Steven slid the flip flops off and took his phone out of his picket, quickly berating himself for having left his cellphone as WELL as the seashells in his pocket when he was heating up his pants earlier. And also being thankful that nothing happened to them.

He checked the time. It was a little over two thirty a.m and if he remembered correctly, then it was a little over five thirty a.m on the East coast.

Connie should still be asleep. But now that he was to train with Garnet for three hours and _then_ go back home, he definitely had to tell her that he had to pick up another shift at work. And, that's what he did. He clicked on her name, sent her a quick message about taking one more shift for someone who called out and that he should be home later and he sent the message and put the phone back in the tight pockets of his pants.

Then he looked over. Amethyst was already leaning back in her chair with the foot rest up, resting her eyes until she fell asleep and he looked over at Pearl. The woman already fast asleep, under her little blanket.

Well if he was to start his brutal training with Garnet, he should be getting some sleep in too.

He slid his tight jeans off and threw them over the armrest of the chair and laid down on his side. He got comfortable, laying his head on his arm. Relaxing.. feeling the soft movement of the jet as it once again, along with the warmth of the interior, drifted him off to sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Peridot's straight boss 👌👌 Change my mind.


	135. Steven trains with Garnet for the first time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Real quick, I have little clue about martial arts, so please take this with a grain of salt. Also, I don't mean to praise or belittle certain martial arts moves over the other. So uh.. don't hurt meh xD
> 
> I mean, I manage to do like, a five minute research on certain ones but that's it xP

Steven was slowly waking up, faintly hearing Amethyst calling out his name.

He blinked his tired eyes. Amethyst was right in front of him. "Che, rise and shine, man. We're down at the base already. Put your pants on and meet Garnet at the Inkas." she walked away from him and down the stairs and Garnet and Pearl followed her behind.

Resisting a sigh, he took the jeans off of the chair and slipped them on as far as he could get them. 

Okay.. if he was supposed to be training.. how could he possibly train with these jeans that he STUPIDLY shrunk?

He kept them unbuttoned and unzipped and simply pulled the hem of his shirt over his pants like last time. And, he turned around, making sure he didn't leave anything and he walked out of the jet with Lion right behind him.

Amethyst and Pearl were already nowhere in sight and Garnet was standing behind the stairs. "Good Morning, Garnet."

"Good Morning, Talc." she said back to him. She pressed the button on the side of the jet and the stairs started to slide up and it locked with a hard click. And she put the code into the tablet as Steven gawked at the jets, sports cars, limos and helicopters again. 

She walked away and he and Lion followed her to the Inkas truck and just as he was about to open the back door, Garnet said "You can sit in the front, Talc." 

"Oh, okay. I'm just so used to sitting in the back. Heheh." he opened the back door for Lion to get in then he opened the passenger's side and slid into the seat. And. it felt surreal to actually sit in the passenger's side of an Inkas limo. Especially when Amethyst, their boss, was the one who only got to sit in it. 

With the exception of right now, now that he was sitting in the prestigious seat. 

Garnet had opened the car door, took out the glasses from the side and put them on. Then she closed the door back and walked pass the car and he wondered what she was doing before quickly remembering that she had to lock the place down. A few moments later and he heard a male voice outside of the car saying "Security locks set. CGGU Lockdown in T-minues two minutes." Every row of lights clicked off at the same time and the room was now pitch black. He heard the drivers door open and close. Then he heard a small click and the car roared to life. Then he heard the sound of a seatbelt and he put his seatbelt on as well. 

"I want to go to a little store first." she told him. "We need to eat a bit before we start our training." she shifted gears and pulled from the sports car and the jet.

"That's fine with me. I can go for something to eat." he leaned up in his chair. "Also, where are we going?"

"We're going to a small little woodland area just off the north side of West Virginia. It has a lot of nature trails and creeks which will be great for your first day of training." 

He felt her make two turns, him visualizing her making her way to the door they'd come from earlier when they were getting into the jet. Then there was the sound of a window coming down, typing, then the red light scanning Garnet. He heard another loud whooshing sound and a few seconds later, the car drove off. He heard the low, whooshing sound again, as the doors came back down behind them. 

"CGGU Lockdown in T-minus one minute."

With a few more turns he felt the car stop. Another security procedure of Garnet rolling down the window, putting the security code in and the red light scanning her eye. A few moments later and the ground floor started to open up ahead of them. The rays of the sun spilling into the tunnel area. Steven had to cover his eyes as they adjusted to the light.

"CGGU Lockdown in T-minus twenty, nineteen, eighteen, seventeen, sixteen, fifteen, fourteen, thirteen.." Garnet pressed a little on the gas. "ten, nine, eight.." 

Garnet drove above the surface and the door on the ground closed up moments later. Then they started driving pass the base and Steven tried extremely hard to not think about Rose's Room OR about the.. holographic lady?

He turned to Garnet. The woman was taking her glasses off and putting them on the side of the door. 

He wanted to _not_ focus on those thoughts. Instead, he wanted to strike up a conversation just to get away from them.

Also, not only that, but it was Garnet. And it was always nice talking to her. And now, it was just the two of them without the harsh authority of Amethyst or of Pearl being up and down with him.

"So, Garnet." he began and she looked up at him. And he couldn't help but look at that beautiful hazel eye of hers behind the mask. "What are going to be doing there? Like.. karate? Or..I don't know, Taekwondo or..?" 

She smiled at him that he was unable to see due to her mask. "No. We're doing a bit of Muay Thai, Krav Maga and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu." 

He leaned back in his chair. "You know, Garnet, I have to be honest with you right now.. I've only heard of Jiu Jitsu. As in, the plain one. I didn't even know there was a Brazilian one. And the other two I've never even heard of."

"I guess they don't get a lot of recognition like kickboxing, wrestling and karate does." she said casually. "But, to each their own. Some people prefer Judo over Brazilian Jiu Jitsu because of how effective the throw downs are in Judo. But then you have some people who prefers martial arts that actually connect and physically hurt people, versus something like Judo, Hapkido or Aikido which a lot of people say they're many for self defense. And, then there are people who don't like Krav Maga and mock it because it's a lot of "dirty fighting" to it. Things like gouging people's eyes, striking at their throats or going for the groin. They think it's cheap shots and it's fighting dirty. Though, if you think about it, when people say that, I like to give them a scenario.. Things like Karate competitions and Judo, Jiu Jitsu tournaments, etcetera, they have referees and timers where you end a fight. But in real life it's not like that. You're not going to have a ref with you or someone who's simply going to stop because you're tired. If you're getting mugged, you must do everything in your power to disarm them or injury them and run away. And that's where things like Self Defense and Krav Maga comes in. You take the opponent down to injury them. Be it the eyes, throat or groin. The point is, they're down on the ground hurt and you're already down the street and far away from them." she gave him a shrug. "Though of course Krav Maga isn't just so-called "cheap shots". We use our fists, legs and weapons or whatever else may be around us. Be it a stick, a chair or a rusted pipe. Also, that _isn't_ to say that boxing, kick boxing, Judo or Karate wouldn't take down a mugger. If you can land a clean jab or a strong kick or flip them hard on their back while disarming them, then that's good too. But, as I've said, I just personally find those three a bit better, which is why I'm training you on those three first. To cover everything. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for grappling and pinning people down and learning what to do if someone takes you down and we have Muay Thai for rigorous punching and kicking and then we have Krav Maga to cover self defense and street fighting." 

"Wow.. that's a lot to take in.. And those three first? You know other martial arts other than those three?"

"Of course. Kickboxing, mixed martial arts, wrestling, karate, Judo, Hapkido and a few others."

"Wow, Garnet. You're so cool.." 

_And here I am not even knowing how to defend myself.._

"I have a long way to go like Amethyst said.."

There was a slight chuckle from the woman. "Well with so much martial arts power comes a lot of responsibility, going grasshopper." she went for a joke and that made him chuckle along with her. "Aw, I'm serious, Garnet." he said gently with an apologetic smile. "She seems to really want me in shape and to be some kind of, lean, mean fighting machine." 

She raised an eyebrow, though he didn't notice with her still having her mask on. "Oh? But I thought you didn't want to be anything like that."

He held his hands up, shaking his head. "I don't! Really, I don't. I just mean that, she wants me to be brutally strong and, while I don't want to harm anyone badly or.. _kill."_ he couldn't stand saying that word. "anyone.. at the same time I still want to be able to defend myself and other people from bad guys. And.." he sighed. "And as we said before.. if need be, I.. _may_ have to unfortunately hurt a few people.. badly.. to accomplish our Gem missions." 

Garnet looked at him, before looking back at the dirt road ahead of them. "I see what you mean, Talc. And while you're thinking about it from both sides. Both with you not wanting to hurt people and being a Crystal Gem and not having a choice but to hurt some, it's a balance. A nice balance? Not necessarily, but a balance no less. And, even though I still have to teach you a few ways to severely hurt people or to.." she looked at Steven and he scrunched up his face, grimacing. She didn't finish her sentence. "I would still like for us to focus on the positive balance, the positive aspect of it and that is, to defend yourself and others from bad guys through the use of martial arts. You can stun them so the innocent people can get away or hurt them a bit just to take them down." 

Steven sighed. "Yeah.. I know.." he looked out the window in front of them as they were nearing the highway. "I just hope that I would never have to severely hurt anyone or.." he didn't want to finish that sentence. "you know.. or worse.."

Garnet looked at him, before directing her eyes back to the incoming traffic on the side of her. And her eyes caught the red light of the camera in the upper left corner of the car and her blood ran cold, completely forgetting that Amethyst could be listening in.. And _this_ kind of soft talk wasn't acceptable. AT all.. And, she just hoped that Amethyst wasn't listening in or that she would never come back to this footage. 

And, with that, Garnet bit her tongue, not wanting to dive deeper into their conversation. 

_At least not while they were in the car._

Instead, she simply said gently "We don't know what the missions have in store for us, but, we must always be ready. for anything." 

Steven looked up at her and she could see a bit of confusion on his face with such a statement like that and he looked like he was about to say something more. Perhaps for her to elaborate and why she said that? Or for him to have his own rebuttal, but she stopped him. "So, anyway, Talc. We should be at the little store in about a half hour. And it shouldn't take us more than two hours to get to the nature trail." she changed lanes. "And there, I can.." she forced herself to say. "teach you how to be a strong. _Crystal.Gem_." 

He looked at her in the rearview mirror and he could see from his eyes that she looked conflicted. And he wondered what was going on, but figured that maybe he said a bit too much about being the opposite of a Crystal Gem.. hence the reason she probably specifically said "to teach you how to be a strong _Crystal Gem."_

Yeah.. he could take a hint.. And he most likely did say a bit too much.

He looked away, looking out the window once more and at the cars in front of him, not saying anything more to her.

.....................................

Garnet, (after finally taking her mask off) had went to the drive through to order their food. She ordered the two of them a bowl of baked salmon, brown rice and roasted veggies and two bottles of water. And she'd ordered a few apples and granolas bars for later and two mixed fruit vegetable smoothies for later. (Though Steven, after given it a taste had drunk half of his) and the two placed their smoothies inside of the cooler below the glove compartment on the passenger's side. Steven looking at his bowl of food from the Beach Party and completely forgetting about it. Thankfully Garnet kept taking it with her. From the cold gem room, to the jet, then to the fridge of the Inkas car.

Now the two were almost done with their food. Garnet finishing her salmon and Steven finishing up the roasted veggies. 

And Lion laid there. Stuffed. Garnet having made an even quicker stop before going to the store to go to McKee Dee's to buy a few plain beef patties for Lion.

And now, the canine was fast asleep in the back.

Garnet cleaned off her hands with a wet wipe and she put the trash inside of a small trash bag in between them.

"Okay, now it's time to start heading to West Virginia." she pressed the button on the car to turn it on. Then she shifted gears, backing up out of the parking lot. 

Steven finished his roasted vegetables and stuck it in the trashbag and grabbed his bottle of water. He had to admit, he was pretty skeptical in how the food was going to taste, but it tasted delicious. Especially the brown rice.

_ Though the brown rice wasn't better than Connie's._

Garnet exited the parking lot and into the main street. And from there, they would have at least an hour and a half to two hour drive there, depending on the traffic.

................................

Garnet was still driving up the steep forest side of the mountain. It took them under an hour and a half to get to the base of the mountain and now twenty minutes later, they were almost at the top. 

And Steven was awestruck. Looking at the various birds and small critters in the heavily forested area. And they even passed by a few waterfalls, in which Garnet said that they were going to do last to cool themselves off.

She drove up to a spot by a tall tree filled with dark green leaves. She parked the car. "Alright. We're here." she got out. And Steven got out, then opened the back door for Lion. And already, the canine couldn't contain himself with so much of the new scenery around and he ran off into a nearby bush a few yards from them, smelling the flowers.

"I think he should be fine?" he partially stated, partially asked Garnet.

"Yes, he's fine. I don't think he's going to go too far. And you don't have to worry about him getting into anything poisonous or worrying about too many hikers all the way up here. So there won't be anyone for him to bother." 

They heard Lion barking and the dog running off in front of them, chasing a rabbit. "Except, for rabbits. He'll bother them." she corrected and went to the back of the car. The bottom of the car scanned her fingertips and the trunk popped open. She opened a small box and took out a gray jogging suit. Then, she started unzipping her jumpsuit while Steven was off trying to pull Lion away from a rabbit den. 

She closed the trunk back and made her way over to a few trees clustered together. In front of them, a few rocks to sit on.

"Alright, Talc. Leave him there. Those rabbits are long gone in other rabbit holes far away from that one." she sat down on the grass. "Come, we have to stretch." 

He slowly let go of Lion who was busy sniffing the hole in the ground and he sat down in front of her. His jeans grabbing hold of his thighs, preventing him to properly cross his legs like hers.

And he noticed that _she_ changed into something more comfortable..

He almost pouted at that.

..How could he be so stupid shrinking his jeans..

She looked at him. And he heard a chuckle and the slight curve of her lips. "Looks like you're not dressed for the workout."

"It's not like I knew I was going to do this." he tried to not sound too annoyed. or defensive. It wasn't her fault he was an idiot and shrunk his stupid pants..

"That is why, you must always be ready.for anything." a beat later. "young grasshopper."

He didn't quite find that _as_ funny that time. Maybe because she'd already said that a first time? Or maybe because he was still berating himself over his stupidity.. Or both.

"Now what? So I just.. try to workout like this?"

Garnet gave him a leveled stare. "You can try." she told him. "or you can take off your jeans and workout in just your boxers and your shirt." 

"What?!" he thought she was joking, but with the no nonsense, serious look she was giving him, he realized she was very serious. 

"Uh, I mean.." he scratched at his cheek, feeling the heat rise to them again. 

"It's just you and me up here." she told him. "Those jeans are just going to hold you back." she leaned up. "I won't make this training awkward don't worry."

"Uh.. okay." he got up and took his jeans off and placed them on a rock beside him and he just _knew_ that she was going to look down at his boxers. But, she didn't. Keeping a straight face, she kept her eyes on his as he sat back down in front of her. "Now, Talc. Time for a few stretches." 

.........................

What felt like fifteen minutes of various stretches, they were doing their last rep of their last stretch. 

Both Steven and Garnet had their legs far apart (or as far apart as Steven could have his, which wasn't much) and he waited for Garnet to finish her stretch as she slid forward, stretching her legs out in front of her, eventually doing a front split. And, Steven couldn't help but be amazed again at just how flexible she was.

She leaned forward, going towards her knee and Steven did the same, except he couldn't even come close to his knee and he saw Garnet stretch all the way down towards the grass. Then, she lifted herself back up slowly, paying attention to her breathing. And she went to the other knee and Steven did the same. They held the pose for twenty seconds and lifted themselves slowly back up. 

Then, Garnet held out her hands and Steven grabbed her soft, yet firm hands and she pulled him forward towards her. He grunted, the farther she pulled him down. "Ah! Okay! Okay! Right there!" he grunted. She held him there. "Watch your breathing, Talc. In.. and out..steady.." she counting for twenty second before pushing him back. "Phewf." he took a deep breath out.

"You need to focus on your stretching as well as your breathing, Talc." she held out her hands again and he grabbed her hands, pulling her forward. The woman went all the way down towards the grass and between his legs. Her forehead hitting the middle of his boxers and he couldn't help but feel a bit funny how close her head was to his-

She leaned back up, still keeping eye contact with him. As she said, she wasn't going to make things awkward. It was him. _His_ mind was in the gutter and _he_ was making things awkward for himself.

"Good. Now, time for the fun part." she let go of his hands and got up. And he got up with her. "You wait there. A have a couple things I want to get from the car." she walked back to the car and popped open the trunk again.

Just a few moments later and she came back with what looked to be a black, thick rectangular punching mat and a pair of.. those gloves he saw in those karate practices. The ones where people hit them for sparring.

"First, we'll be starting off with kicks. There's up to fifty of them, but we'll start with ten basic ones. We'll try with a side kick with the front leg. Which is this." she took a stance, legs apart and core balanced. Then, she brought her front leg up as she turned slight, kicking her leg out. Her foot right at his stomach. She kept her pose for a few moments before bringing her foot back down. Then, she picked up the punching mat. "Now." she smiled. "Show me what you got."

.......................................

Steven was panting. He was panting ALREADY.

For just a half an hour of kicking and punching both the punching mat and the gloves, he was panting. Hard.

"Come on, Talc! Five more reps! Show me aother uppercut!!" she held up her gloved hands.

And Garnet had SO much energy.. She wasn't even breaking a sweat.

Steven huffed and puffed. Bringing his tired arms up as he swung up, hitting one glove, then bringing his other arm up, hitting the next one as hard as he could.

"Come on! You have to hit the gloves harder than that, Talc!" she shouted with a smile. "Show me another uppercut! And harder this time! Then, give me a high kick."

_Please.. no more.._

He took a few breaths and brought his left hand in an uppercut, then his right hand. Then, he retreated a step back and threw his leg up as high as he could (which wasn't high at all) and his foot smacked into her wrist. 

"Come on, Talc! Precision! You can't just. KICK. you have to look at what you're doing! Now. Show me another high kick!" 

Sweat poured off of his brows..

.............................

Steven was in a chokehold. Garnet's muscular arm around his neck. And this time, he tried to react fast, elbowing her in her stomach, but she only tightened her choke on him and, she pulled him up and he started gagging as he was lifted up. His feet dangling a few inches from the ground. "You're not using your weight, Talc! You could've tried to pull me down, but you didn't!" 

"Uncle! Uncle!" he pleaded. 

She sighed behind him and, let go and he dropped to the ground. He coughed, catching his breath. 

"Talc." 

He turned around slowly and looked up at her. 

A serious look on her face. "Again. Four more reps. Then, I'll show you some ways on how to disarm a gunman and what to do if someone comes up behind you with a knife. Then I'll show you other self defense techniques if someone comes at you with a gun or a knife." 

He got up slowly and turned around. Already jumping, anticipating the chokehold as she walked up behind him. 

"No jumping. Jump again, and you'll be doing thirty high kicks in a row." 

He nodded, slowly easing his shoulder down.

And, Garnet waited..

..And waited..

Before coming up behind him and wrapping her arm around his neck. She lifted him up off the ground and he flung his body up and she took a step back to balance herself and he brought his body down towards the ground, sending her torso down with him, but she still kept her chokehold on him and he brought his elbow up, bringing it back hard in her stomach and turned his body to the side as he tried to get out. 

She kept her chokehold.

And he was out of breath. This was his eighth or ninth time doing this..

"Okay." said Garnet. "That was much better." she let go of him. "Three more reps."

He resisted falling flat on his back in pain and exhaustion.

................................

He'd lost track of time at this point.. but his body was done for..

He'd punched and kicked a thousand times, tried to get out of chokeholds from the back AND the front, been taught how to disarm guns and knives, what to do if someone came behind him with a gun or a knife, how to gouge people's eyes in, throat strikes, groin strikes with the hand and the foot, with Garnet this time being careful in not kicking him through his boxers or grabbing him all the way, her hands stopping right underneath of his boxers and still not making things awkward.

And now.. now he was on the ground. Exhausted. As Garnet had him pinned down to the ground. Her whole upper body over his sweaty torso as she put just half of her weight on him. His arm twisted back behind him. And, all he could do was grunt. and wince. 

He was just.. sooo.. tired..

She shook her head and got up. "Again. Ten more reps."

He took a few deep, shaky breaths and got up. 

And she waited..

And ran up to him, grabbing him by the torso and lowering herself down slighty, pulling his hips towards her. Then she picked him up and threw him down on the ground hard and went to a mount position, throwing her leg over his stomach and locking her legs together.

All the while, Steven not fighting back. The boy too busy huffing on the ground, trying to restore just a tad bit of energy.

She unlocked her legs from his and sat just below his stomach. "Talc." she shook her head. "You could've tried to do the Kimura Armlock." 

He panted. "Garnet.. please.." he wheezed. "Can't we.. just take.. a break.."

She stared at him. Looking at the red, exhausted boy underneath of her.

"Please.." he panted. "I don't know.. how long.. I can take this without.. a little bit of rest."

She stared at him.

And stared..

Until she got off of him. "Fine. We take five. But that's it." she walked over to the car and he laid there. An absolute sweaty, disgusting mess.

And she _still_ wasn't breaking a sweat. And if she did have any sweat on her it was probably his.

She came back over to him with his half empty smoothie. She crouched down to him. "Hm." she gestured with the cup in her hand. "Sit up."

He groaned, pushing his self up on noodle arms. And as he was reaching for it she moved the cup from his hand and towards his mouth. And he quickly got the memo, bringing his weak, shaky arm back down and letting her hold the cup for him as he sipped the refreshing smoothie through the straw. Then he stopped. Catching more of his breath. 

And he took a few more extremely tasty, refreshing sips before she pulled the cup away and he frowned dramatically. "But.."

"Can't have you getting an upset stomach. You're drinking too fast." she stood back up. "Also, we still have more jumping and running to do. I don't want the smoothie to irritate your stomach too much." she walked back to the car.

He sighed and this time, fell to the ground right on his back, still trying to restore a bit of energy.

...............................

The five minutes went by extremely fast and before he knew it, Garnet was flipping him right on his back again. And, no matter what, he couldn't push her off of him. 

And then, they switched positions and she was able to easily push him off of her and pin him back on the ground, back to where he was before.

Then she showed him more grappling and pinning positions where he tried to keep his mind more out of the gutter. Especially with every time she threw herself on him or straddled his waist or dangerously close to the family jewels.

Now, she had him on his stomach. Chest pressed up against his back as she kept him pinned on the ground.

And she had her whole weight on him AND had his arms bent back behind him.

He gave up. Trying to catch his breath with his face on the dirty ground. "I.. I give Garnet.." he wheezed out in a whisper.

She kept her weight on him a bit longer before getting up and.. he rolled over on his back, taking deep breaths.

_Okay.. that has to be the end of the training now-_

"Get up. We need to toughen up your shins."

"..What do you mean.." he groaned.

"For your Muay Thai training." 

That.. didn't answer his question..

She walked away from him and he slowly sat up to a sitting position. Then he managed to push himself up off the ground, but stumbled back, falling back on the ground. He groaned louder.

"Come on, Talc. We're almost done with your training. After this, we're heading down to the waterfall to cool off and to do a bit more light exercises.

He _did_ like the idea of cooling off at a waterfall. Just, not the exercise part. No matter how "light" it's supposed to be.

He got up again, barely keeping his balance as he walked over to Garnet. She was standing by a small tree, no bigger than both of his legs combined.

"Eventually, you're going to be kicking trees with your legs easily. And, if you can do that to trees, kicking even a heavy weighter body builder will be easy."

"You.. think I'll be able to kick.. a whole tree down one day?!" 

"Certain trees, sure." she pointed at the small tree. "But we're using a much smaller, old tree. This should do good with building up the muscles in your shins." 

"Oh.. please don't tell me you want me to.." she nodded her head slowly and he groaned, hanging his head low. "I'm so tired.. and achey Garnet.." 

"It's either you kick the tree a few times or we stay here all night."

"What?'"

She looked at him. Her face, serious.

An extremely deep, defeated sigh came out of him and, he brought his leg up and, kicked the tree. The shock sparking from his shin and up his back to his chest.

"AH!!!" he fell back, holding his leg tightly. He sucked in air as he rolled on the ground, in pain. "I'm sorry.." his voice cracked as he whispered. "I can't do it..I just can't do that one.. It hurts too much.."

Garnet crouched down to him. "Hey." she said gently and he opened his teary eyes. "I believe in you, Talc. And you have to believe in yourself as well." he kept his hopeless stare at her. "Come on, Talc." she said gently. "Just a little bit more. And that's it. You're almost there." she stood back up.

And, she held out her hand. 

He looked at it.. before slowly reaching up and grabbing her hand. She pulled him up and he kept his injured leg up as she helped him up to his foot.

"Now, Talc." she gave him a light pat on the back before stepping away. "Again."

..............................

He just knew he was going to faint from severe exhaustion.

He was out of breath, he was exhausted, he was in pain and his shins were cut and bleeding from the TEN MINUTES he had to kick the tree. 

He had it..

He absolutely had it..

He could feel himself withering away..

And as he ran down the forest with extremely sore and achey legs with Garnet, he thought his legs were going to give out at any moment.

And then, they'd finally reached the waterfall. 

She ran pass him and jumped in. The water going as far up to her waist, which meant that.. that water was going to go up to the middle of his torso at least..

He dipped a foot into the cool, refreshing water. Then he saw Lion, who'd ran with them, jump into the water.

He stepped all the way in, feeling the crystal clear water cool off his hot, sweaty body and slightly sting the cuts on his shins and ease the aches from his joints. 

It was really nice-

"More Muay Thai training."

He looked at her.

"We go under water, hold our breath and do a few more punching and kicking exercises. Then come back up for air and do it again." 

_Oh you gotta be kidding me.._

"We hold for twenty seconds. We're doing punches first. Right hooks and left hooks. Now, when I say go, we go under."

"Okay.."

Another leveled stare from the woman..

And then.. "Go!" 

She and Steven ducked down into the water. The two each throwing their fists, with Steven keeping his eyes closed and Garnet keeping hers open to see his form. 

It wasn't 100% correct and she stopped it short. She tapped on his foot with hers, hoping that he would get the memo and she lifted herself back up out the water. He came up right after her, catching his breath, coughing. He wiped the water from his eyes and looked at her.

"Your form was wrong. You have to pay attention to how you're holding your arms. Especially with hook punches. It's like this." she demonstrated with her left, then her right arm. "See how my back is? See how my arms are?" 

"Yes." 

"Good." she nodded. "Now, let's do it again. And, count a bit slower." 

....................................

Garnet definitely outdid herself..

She really did do what she was told by Amethyst and she really did work him.

And he was feeling it ALL throughout his body.

And he just wanted to go home..

And now, he was panting and heaving as he carried Garnet on his back up the hill and towards the Inkas car which he could now see.

And he almost cried of joy.

This was it.

And.. he actually reached the car. He reached the trunk which they'd agreed on and he fell into the window. Exhausted. 

He slowly let go of Garnet and she slid to the ground. "I'm SO proud of you, Talc!! You did it!! You did ALL if it!!

"Yaaaaaayy~~.." he said in a tired, monotone voice.

"Alright, let's go take you home so you can get some much needed rest." she threw his arm around her and helped him a few feet towards the passenger's side. She opened the door and he slid in, groaning. She closed the door back and opened the back door for Lion and he jumped in, hair still wet from the water. She closed the door back and went to the driver's side.

She slid in, catching Steven drinking the rest of his cool, refreshing smoothie.

She closed the door and turned the car on. "Next stop, home." she shifted gears and drove off, making a U-turn and going back down the hill.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, similar to the sword training where I didn't put EVERY single thing, otherwise it would be like five extra chapters. And like.. for what? It's not important xD Ain't nobody got time for that ish.  
BUT just know that despite of putting just a tad bit of their sparring/training session in here, just know that Garnet trained him VERY thoroughly in:  
-Different type of punches  
-Different types of kicks  
-Various ways to get out of chokeholds and other self defence techniques  
-Self defense with guns and knives (Krav Maga)  
-"Playing dirty" with how to gouge peoples eyes, throat strikes and going for the groin (Krav Maga)  
-Different grappling techniques and pinning people down, etc.  
And SO much more o3o
> 
> Though it's not in the North of West VA, the forest that they went to was based off of the Monongahela National Forest
> 
> https://www.google.com/search?q=west+virginia+forest+nature+trail&oq=west+virginia+forest+nature+trail&aqs=chrome..69i57j33.12893j0j4&client=ms-android-metropcs-us&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8#trex=m_t:lcl_akp,rc_f:rln,rc_ludocids:7594348562579699601,ru_lqi:CiF3ZXN0IHZpcmdpbmlhIGZvcmVzdCBuYXR1cmUgdHJhaWwZ54QB_a9ybnVI4qPmAVpEChNmb3Jlc3QgbmF0dXJlIHRyYWlsEAIQAxAEGAAYARgCIiF3ZXN0IHZpcmdpbmlhIGZvcmVzdCBuYXR1cmUgdHJhaWw,ru_phdesc:h71CYOF1QWU


	136. Strong in the real way

Steven had dozen off. The last thing he remembered was them still driving down the mountain, so he must've fell asleep within five or ten minutes of being in the car.

And when he woke up to Garnet calling him, they were already parked beside the apartment complex.

He looked at her with bleary eyes as he slowly tried to wake himself up.

"You slept for a full two hours." she said. "And you were completely out of it." he thought he heard a slight chuckle right at the end.

He leaned up. "Mmmmnnngg..."

"Try to take it easy for the next couple of days and remember to soak yourself in some warm water tonight." she opened the car door. "Wait there for a second. I have something for you." she pulled the lever to pop the trunk open and she opened the door and left it open as she went to the trunk.

And Steven was already closing his eyes.. going right to sleep once more-

He heard the door being pulled open on his side and he turned around slowly. Garnet had a black bottle, a light brown bottle and a gray bottle in her hand. "Turn around and face me."

He did so. _Slowly_.

She untwisted the top off of the black bottle. "When you said that you and your girlfriend got caught in a little grease fire and burnt some of your skin, I know I had to give you one of our bottles of cream." she poured the dark green paste into her hand. "I managed to get a bottle while I was trying to find you at the base. Lean forward." he leaned forward and she started spreading the paste around his burn marks.

"Thanks, Garnet. I really appreciate you doing that. Especially since we're running out of the last bit of cream at our place. And they don't even sell it anymore, so that's our very last bottle." 

"Thankfully we have plenty of bottles if you need anymore. So you don't have to worry about that." she poured more on her fingers. "Okay, this is going to sting. This gash is pretty bad." she tried to place the paste as gently as she could on his deep gash and he sucked in some air, wincing. 

She went to his arms, then his legs and going easy over his shins. Then she twisted the top back on and handed the bottle to him. "And these bottles were already in the trunk. This one" she held up the light brown bottle. "is to be put in the bath water. It has Himalayan and Epson salt in it and grapefruit essential oil, olive oil peppermint oil and GemTech moss in it." she handed it to him and held up the gray bottle. "And this is oil to be put on where your aches and pains are. It has Sweet Marjoram essential oil, Rosemary oil, Ginger essential oil, spearmint oil and moss in it as well." she handed the third bottle to him. 

"I.. don't know what to say, Garnet." he smiled. "You didn't have to do this."

"I wanted to." she smiled back. "Now, you get your rest. And the it easy." 

"I'll try." 

She walked away and he put the bottles down. He took his jeans and slid them back on and pulled his shirt down in front of his opened zipper. Then he opened the fridge, getting the food out. 

Garnet got in and closed the door. "See you, Talc. And, sorry I was so hard on you. But.." she trailed off.

"Yeah. I understand, Garnet." It _was_ boss' orders after all.. Also, Garnet wasn't anyone to slack off in her training one bit. She was the complete opposite.

He slid out the door, holding the bottles in one arm and the bag of food around his wrist in the other. "See you later, Garnet."

"See you later, Talc."

He opened the back door and Lion jumped out. He closed the door back and Garnet pulled off.

Steven used that time in letting Lion do his business before going back to the apartment.

The two were rounding the corner when he saw his neighbor/car wash/ talkative guy, Mr. Vecino walking to his van with a box. The guy sporting brown shorts and a white T-shirt.

"Ah, hey there!" he called out to Steven.

"Hey Mr. Vecino." 

"Wow, you look pretty tired." he stated the obvious with a smile.

"Yeah. I was working out." 

The man leaned the box against the car and opened one of the back doors. "I didn't know you work out."

"I just started today actually."

Mr. Vecino slid the box back and closed the door back. "Well gee, if I knew you were planning on working out, I would've offered you to train with my group."

"You exercise?" he looked down at the man's gut and realised how rude he most likely looked just then. But his neighbor brushed it off with a good natured laugh. "Yeah, I don't look it now." he pat his belly. "but your neighbor here is trying to shed a few pounds. Heheh, doctor's orders." then he scratched at his long brown, mullet hair. "And I'm starting off with something simple now. Light yoga and a bit of lifting with dumbbells. And my son" he gestured at the van. "is doing way more of course, with his young age and all. He's more into gymnastics and-"

As the guy kept going with the class, Steven wondered if.. perhaps he should join? From what his neighbor was telling him, people can go at their own pace, after warming up and going over the basics with each other. And that seemed easy. Sure he was sore.. but Garnet gave him those two bottles, so he should be fine..right? 

".. nd our motto is to be strong in the real way."

Steven caught the ending of that as he snapped out of his day dream. "Strong in the real way, huh?"

"Yeah." the man nodded with his kind smile. "To be strong mentally and to endure and to never give up. I like that motto. It shows that strength is not always physical."

"Hmm.. yeah.. Yeah, I can see that too. That's a nice motto to go by." 

"Yeah, heheh. I've been trying to tell my son that. But he hasn't quite.. gotten the memo yet." the man gave him an apologetic smile on behalf of that. "Well, I don't want to hold you up. I know you need to get your rest."

"Actually.. I was wondering if I could. Try it out? Um, that is if I can. I don't want to randomly show up."

"Nonsense. Are you kidding? The more the merrier!" the man cheered. 

"Oh! Uh, great. Just give me a second to put the stuff away and put on something else." 

"Sure thing." he gave him a thumbs up. "I'll be in the car." 

"Come on, Lion." he opened the main door and ran up the steps.

In a span of five minutes, Steven put the food in the fridge, used the bathroom, put the bottles that Garnet gave him inside the bathroom mirror with the first aid kit, took the seashells out of his pockets and put them under the bed, put his jeans in the dirty clothes (as he thought/hoped he would lose pounds and be able to fit them eventually) and put the first pair of sweatpants he saw in the closest. He slipped the red baggy pants on and he and Lion left back out and down the steps and out the main door.

His neighbor waved his hand out the window. "Shtu-ball is going to open the back for you."

One of the back doors opened up and his son poked his head. "Ayyeee, it's the kissy guy again." he joked.

"Oh, son." there was a nervous chuckle. "Don't say that." 

Steven and Lion jumped in and his son closed the door back and climbed back to the front seat.

"Sorry about all the mess back there." Mr. Vecino said.

"That's okay. I don't mind it. I'm just worried about Lion getting into your stuff. I don't want him to mess anything up." 

"Hey, that's fine. There's nothing but paper, magazines and old merch that I don't sell anymore. So if he tears something up back there, that's okay. And who knows, he might make the merch look cooler. Maybe it needs a bit of scratches and imperfections." he said casually. "Besides, if every porkchop were perfect-"

"We wouldn't have hotdogs!" his son finished with a laugh and his father joined him in the laughter as he ruffled up his hair. Then the boy looked at Steven. "And both are delicious!" 

"Oh, well uh.. I don't eat pork." 

"WhaaaaAAAT!?" 

"I used to. But my girlfriend doesn't eat pork. And, I don't either now." 

"BUT!-"

"Gregory." his dad placed a hand on his shoulder. "You have to be open minded about other people's lifestyles." 

The boy looked like he was going to say something, but just nodded. "Yes, dad." 

Then Mr. Vecino looked back at Steven in the rearview mirror. "Sorry about that." 

"Oh, it's okay. Really." 

"Well, um.." he started to think of something to say. "As I've said before, don't worry about messing anything up. Really. Just make yourself comfortable."

"O, okay then." he crawled over towards the side and sat down on a pile of newspapers, only to hear something crack underneath. "Oh no. I think I cracked something." he scooted out the way. "Really?" the man asked. "I'm not sure what it could be." he said and Steven moved the newspapers out the way and saw a photo inside of a cracked frame. It was a photo of a lady with dark brown, curly hair. Her eyes were closed in a very serene, content way with a small, kind smile. And beside her was his neighbor (with hair on top of his head). Smiling at her with a hotdog in his mouth. "It's a photo." 

"A photo?" he scratched at his bald head. And Steven got up to hand it to him. "Now what is a photo doing-" he looked at the photograph of him and his wife. "Stephanie.." he whispered. Then a sad smile came to his face. "This is a photo of my wife and I." he showed the picture back to Steven. "But, what is this photo doing here? I don't remember-" his son raised his hand. A guilty smile on his face. "I found the photo while we were spring cleaner two weeks ago. I forgot to ask you about it. Then I wanted to ask you about it before I went to school, so I put it in my bag. But then I forgot again and then it was a field trip the next day and I wanted to bring Mr. Queasy with me but I didn't have enough space, so I took the photo out and.. eeheh.. I kinda forgot about it after that."

"Oh, Shtu-ball." his dad chuckled with a head shake. He placed the photo on the front of the car. "That's a pretty old photo. But it sure brings back memories."

"Like that time when she was the only person who attended your rock show?!" his son reminded him.

"Heheh, yeaah." he drawled. "And she went to every concert in Empire after that. Even surprised me that one time when she brought a plane ticket just to see me in San Diego." he buckled up and his son did too. And Steven went back to sit down with Lion. "Good memories." Mr. Vecino whispered with a small, nostalgic smile as he pulled out of the parking lot.

"Hey!" his son piped up. "How about we play one of those songs?! he popped open the glove compartment and took out a CD case. "Come on, let's put on your CD."

His dad's expression went to something of coy and embarrassment. "Aw, really? Come on.. you've heard it." 

His son took the CD out of it's case. _"You_ come on." he smiled and popped the tape in. And his father looked even more embarrassed.

There was the sound of electric guitars. 

"I know I'm not that tall." the man sung and his son started to bounce in his seat. "I know I'm not that smart." 

Then his son chimed in with the singer. "But let me drive my van into your heart."

"Let me drive my van into your heaaaart." the singer sung out.

Steven sat there, petting Lion as he watched the nice interaction between father and son as Gregory continued to sing certain parts of the song with Mr. Vecino slowly getting less and less embarrassed of his son hearing his own song playing on the radio.

Steven leaned back, not realizing the frown on his face as he subconsciously scratched behind Lion's ears.

..............................

The two of them arrived at a small beach right off of Empire City. Mr. Vecino parked his van. ".. flyyyy like a comet... soar like a comet.." he turned the radio off. "Aaaalright everyone! Time to break a sweat!" he unbuckled his seat belt and got out and his son was a few seconds behind him, unbuckling his own belt.

Steven got up, already feeling a bit of the pain from his training earlier and berating himself for not bringing the oil that Garnet gave him. 

Mr. Vecino opened one of the backdoors and climbed in and Lion jumped right out. "Whoa! Hey!" he turned around. 

"That's okay. He doesn't go too far." said Steven. 

"Um..Okay then." he turned back around. "If you say so. You know him better than me." he slid the box Steven had saw him carrying earlier towards him. 

"I can get that for you." Steven crouched down. 

"You sure? It's pretty heavy." 

"Yeah, I'm sure."

"Thanks." he climbed back out and Steven slid the box, _that did, in fact, feel heavy,_ towards the door. Then he jumped out the van and lifted the box, igniring the pains and aches throughout his body. He huffed, carrying the heavy box towards the group of people stretching out in the sand. Various tools and gymnastic obstacles laid around them. 

Mr. Vecino was talking to the group and Steven saw the man gesturing at him as he made his way over.

"...we might be seeing him again. Well, if he likes it." he turned to Steven. "These are our friendly folks here." the group waved at him in all friendly smiles. "Hey." Steven said back to him.

"Here, let me help you with that, kiddo." 

_Pfft.. 'kiddo'.._

He walked over and held the other side. "We can put the box right over here." Steven followed him and they placed it down right by a few mats. Then Mr. Vecino opened the box up. It was filled with dumbbells. "Feel free to use them if you want." he told Steven.

His son was running up towards him, holding a sweatband. His own sweatband already under his curly hair. "Can't forget your sweatband, dad!"

"Thanks, son." he grabbed it and put it over his head. "Yeah, this puppy has definitely saved me from a lot of eye burning." he joked. 

"Come on, dad! Let's join everybody for some good 'ole stretching!" he grabbed his dad's hand and pulled him away. "Hey uh, feel free to join us!" his dad told Steven. 

Steven followed the two and sat down with the rest of the five people sitting in the sand.

Mr. Vecino and Gregory started their stretching and Steven, cautiously and easily, with his sore limbs, started to perform one of the easier stretches that he and Garnet had done before their rigorous training.

"Wait, Steven!? Is that you?!" he heard a familiar voice.

He looked up to see Lars carrying a case of Gatorade in each hand. "I didn't know you were planning on working out! You and I could've started this MUCH earlier!" he smiled.

He leaned up from his painful stretch. "I just started working out today." 

"Nice." he set the two cases down and leaned down and ripped one case open. "I hope you'll like this class. It would be nice hanging out while getting fit." he opened the second case. Then he looked at the five people. Three of them looking to be around Mr. Vecino's age and the other two, in their early twenties. "You all are doing great. Keep it up. Here's some Gatorade for everyone."

Then he turned back to Steven and sat down in front of him. "So what are you looking for exactly in this class?"

Steven shrugged. "I'm not sure actually. But I like that everyone can go at their own pace. But maybe something light for right now. I'm already sore from my training earlier." 

Lars effortlessly threw a leg behind his back. Pulling his foot down, stretching. And Steven couldn't believe that he was that flexible. "What classes are you taking already?" he asked. 

"I'm learning Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai and Krav Maga." 

Lars looked a bit uneasy. "Oh.. well.. that's quite some martial arts." he put his leg down and lifted the other. "Especially." he cleared his throat. "Krav Maga." he looked at Steven. "You don't take me as someone who would learn stuff like that."

"Y, yeah.. But a co worker of mine offered and, it wouldn't hurt to learn a bit of self defense without those brutal Krav Maga moves.. I could always use the less brutal ones."

"Nnyeah, I guess." he threw his leg down lightly and started to bent his arm towards his back, pulling his elbow with his other hand. "Though I prefer something less combative. Something that could take someone down lightly. Like, pressure points. That's why I take up Hapkido. I do my gymnastics to keep myself fit and I take up Hapkido to learn how to disarm and take down people through minimal yet effective techniques." 

Now that's something that seemed right up his alley.

"You think you could teach me some of that? I actually don't want to hurt people badly either." 

"Sure. After this though. We're still stretching together. Then we have our basic training together after that. But then you can train with me."

"Can't wait." he smiled.

  
  


After the training session, it was time for a bit of strength exercises.

Lars was in front of the group. The young man apparently being the teacher of the class. "Gymnastics strength training is all about building the right foundation of strength and flexibility. " he said. "This is something that takes time and patience to achieve. Which is okay, because what's our motto? Being strong-" 

"-in the real way!!" the class yelled over him. And Steven wasn't expecting that.

"Now everyone. Time for a bit of planking exercises. And remember, go as far as your body will take you. Some people want to force and stretch their body's out more, but you also don't want to pull anything and end up going back to square one. Know your limits. Don't overdo it." Lars laid his firearms on the ground and held his handsbelow him as he balanced, laying the front of his toes down on the sand, keeping his toes pointing away from him. Then, he bent his back forward. "And remember to squeeze those glutes." 

Everyone was doing their own variation of the plank. Especially Mr. Vecino who was barely lifting himself off the ground.

And Steven was performing the plank as best as he could, while ignoring his body's pleas and cries to stop.

  
  


The strength training together lasted for twenty minutes. The group had went to the equipment after their five reps of planking. They performed a few reps of ring rows on the rings, then bodyweight squats, then push ups (though the ones that Lars was doing was much more hard) then they had to finish in a planking position which made his already hard push ups even harder. And then, it was tuck ups, where you lean your body up, bringing your knees to the chest while pointing your feet to the floor. Your arms out and pass your legs. Then, brining your body back down flat on the ground. 

And all the whole, Steven's body.. was furious at him.. screaming.. telling at him and sending him every bit of pain and ache from everywhere. 

But he kept chugging through.

And if he had to admit, the exercises were bad enough, but it was also the fact that his body was just so sore and in pain already from his workout earlier..

Lars got up from the last rep, in all smiles and barely even sweating.. unlike him and Mr. Vecino who were already sweating from top to bottom.

"That was great guys! Everyone is improving already!" Lars complimented as he clapped. And they started to clap and cheer themselves on. "You all just keep up the amazing work!"

Steven sat there, feeling every muscle contract as Lars went on complimenting everyone.

Then, the happy cheering and smiles started to subside as everyone started to get up and go do their own workout routine. Some of them, working out together.

Lars came over to Steven. "Ready for a lesson?" he held his arm out. "Yeah." Steven grabbed it and Lars pulled him up.

"Usually I do more gymnastics strength training before any Hapkido training, but I don't mind switching it around today for you." 

"No, I don't want to mess you up, Lars. I'll just follow along as best as I can."

"Okay." Lars gestured for him to follow as he walked away. "Let's get some weights first."

_Uh.. 'weights'?_

.............................

Lars made everything look so easy:

When he had his hands on the square-looking "dumbbells" and was lifting his body straight up into the air, pushing his body up and down with ease. 

When he was on one of those horizontal gymnastic bars Steven had seen a few times on t.v. And he pulled himself up and started swinging himself around as he held onto the bar tightly.

When he was using another different set of rings to slide himself up and down on the sliding board underneath of him.

When he was laying down on his back while bringing up the extremely heavy twenty dumbbells up in front of him. 

When he went back to the bar and was doing his chin ups. Holding himself up for a few seconds, then back down. And up again, this time pulling himself forward with the bar AND his hands behind himself and he held that pose in as well before going back down.

When he went back to another set of rings and was swinging his body up and down while keeping his legs straight and together.

When he was holding on to a single pole and was laying his back on the floor. Then bringing his body up while still keeping his shoulders on the floor.

And so much more.

Steven didn't know just how tedious and core and balance building gymnastics was. Of course it made sense because in gymnastics you need core and muscle strength and balance but he hadn't actually _thought_ about what all they had to do. And, he had a newfound respect and admiration for them.

Gymnastics truly was difficult.

And while Lars went through his daily routine, Steven could barely do even a smidge of what he could do. Though Lars was very thoughtful and encouraging and understanding of him and he made the whole routine less brutal that way.

And now the two were done with the training which Steven was extremely thankful for and they were passing a few people who were still exercising. Lion running around in circles around them and the equipment. And just then, Steven hoped that his friend wouldn't get hurt playing around like that. 

They passed by Gregory and his dad.

His father was laying down on his stomach, trying to go for another push up. The man huffing as he tried pushing himself up. 

"Come on, dad!" the boy shouted. "Don't you want to get buff?! I don't wanna see your gut! I wanna see you guts!!"

His dad huffed. "I'm trying son." he pushed himself, going full a full push up before falling back down.

"Woohoo!! Come on now! Just ten more!!" he shouted. "I can show you how to be strong! In the REAL way! The STRONG way!" he put a dumbbell beside his dad. "And I know that WE can be strong! In the _STRONG_ way! Come on, dad! I'm trying to inspire you! I want o be your rock and when I talk it lights the fire in you!" 

His dad panted, sweating. "Please son.. I just need to rest.."

Lars looked back at Steven, shaking his head. "I keep telling him that's not being strong in the real way. Being strong is much more than just strength." 

Steven nodded slowly. "It's good to be strong mentally as well." 

Lars sighed. "You have to discipline yourself and stay humbled. As well as thinking outside the box and not constantly using these." he raised up his hands into fists. Then he brought them back down. "But, his son is looking up to this wrestling woman who's all muscles but, she's not strong, in here." he placed a hand over his chest. "All he sees is her winning and bench pressing heavy things and showing off her muscles. But, he doesn't understand that a power that big comes with a bigger expense. And he can't see that she's out of control and overzealous. And I keep telling him for his own good but he thinks I'm saying it because I'm jealous. And I'm not. His dad and I want to show him how to be strong, in the real way. And I know that the three of us can be strong, in the real way." he stopped in front of a large blue mat. "We want to inspire him for the right reasons and his dad wants to be his rock so when he talks it lights a fire in his son."

Wow.. poetic. He always knew how great of a person Lars was, but he always tried to avoid him with just how extremely giddy and too much of a good two shoe he was. But, now, he didn't seem half bad. And he did have a pretty good time with him at the moss sight and despite his aches and pains, he was having a pretty good time with him now. 

"Don't worry, Lars. He's going to come around. He's going to learn just how important being strong in the real way is."

"I sure hope so." he stepped in the mat. "So, Steven. he began. "For our first Hapkido training, we can try out a few simple pressure points. And if you want, I can show you a few over the shoulder throws as well." 

Steven's mind want to all of those times Garnet had slammed him _hard_ on the ground earlier. 

He shook his head fervently. "Uh, maybe next time?"

Lars chuckled. "Okay, next time then." he stepped to the side as Steven stepped onto the mat. "Okay. I can show you as few hand, arm and shoulder pressure points." 

"Nice." he couldn't wait to take down rivals like this. It was a win win! He doesn't have to severely hurt anyone AND he can still take them down!

...............................

Lars had shown Steven a few pressure points on the hands, arms, and shoulders.

And now it was his turn to try it on Lars again.

He held out his hand "Okay, so do you remember the pressure point on the wrist?"

"Yeah. That's an easy one." he went for the middle of Lars' wrist, pressing down on it with his thumb and he yelped and Steven let go. "Oh! Sorry, Lars!"

"NO! No, no, no. That was good. That means you did it right." he chuckled off the pain. Then he raised his arm out again. "Okay, now what about the elbow?"

There was a scream accompanied by more screams and they looked to their side.

Three ladies in jumpsuits were running up in front of them as the group started to run away in all directions. 

"Steven! Lars!" Mr. Vecino yelled out as he ran towards his van.

"Don't worry, Mr. Vecino! You go on ahead! I have Steven!" 

The father and son jumped into the van and sped off. 

"Come on, Steven! We have to go!" 

"But Lars! I have to find Lion!" he used that as an excuse. He knew who these ladies were.

"But.." he looked up at the ladies coming towards him. "I don't want you to get hurt. Come on, we still have time!"

"Lars, I can't go. I have to find Lion."

"But." he looked at the ladies again before looking back at him. "Steven!"

"Don't worry, Lars, I'll be fine."

"But-"

"I'll be fine, Lars. Believe me. Now go! I don't want you getting hurt either."

"I-" he cut himself off. "Just.. please be careful Steven." he ran off and around the cliff side and towards his car.

Steven turned round, watching the ladies as they steadily approached him.

He took a breath.

And looked all around. 

It was just him and the three ladies.

No onlookers or passers-by.

He stood his ground.

And took his shirt off, revealing his Crystal Gem shirt underneath. 

Then he took the pink ring out and put it on his hand, turning it around to face the inside. 

And he pulled the mask out of his back pocket and put it on over his head.

And took his red pants off, not wanting anyone who'd saw him to draw two and two together, and he placed it, balled up with his shirt on the ground.

He started walking up to them, meeting them halfway.

And they met at the middle of the beach.

He stood there. Looking at them.

And there was silence.

Until there was a chuckle from the shorter one. "Yo, T. Nice legs."

"Thanks, Amethyst." he said with professionalism in his voice. He was weary.. He didn't know why they came here so unannounced like this..

More silence.. And then a "Alright, alright. Enough of this silent, mysterious, shtick." Amethyst stepped up. "Talc. I know you're wondering why we came here. Heck, even THESE two." she gestured with her thumbs at the women on either side of her. "don't even know."

"Well..yeah I'm wondering.. Do we have another mission or something?" 

She shook her head. "I'm curious, Talc. On how well Garnet trained you." 

Garnet looked at her from the corner of her eye. A shocked expression behind her mask. 

Steven looked just as shocked.

_Uh oh.. _

Was all three of them going to attack him all at once?!

Garnet hadn't taught him that!! She said she wanted to have two actual people than to try and reenact it!

So that wouldn't be fair!

Even though.. they don't play fair..

He swallowed.. Looking at the three behind their masks. 

"Pearl." said Amethyst. "Over there with Talc." 

The woman walked over and stood beside him.

Amethyst looked at the two. "Now." she held out her hand to the side. "Garnet. Fuse with me."

All three had to resist a gasp as Garnet herself stepped up beside Amethyst.

She grabbed her hand.

  
  


And a flash of bright, purple to black light engulfed them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It wasn't said, but Amethyst knew his location from the tracker on Steven's phone.
> 
> And sorry guys! Pearl wasn't the one to show him how to be strong in the real way :P  
She's a bit different from canon Pearl :x
> 
> Again. I shortened the workout 'cause nobody wanna read all dat xD and I want to get this fic going.
> 
> But again, Steven _did_ perform a lot of gymnastics strength training and for anyone who is wondering, this is what he did. Equipment included on the beach.
> 
> Their workout together on the beach
> 
> https://youtu.be/U3w9etxHZDE
> 
> What Lars did and Steven did a little tiny bit off.  
https://youtu.be/DibFtkr6GlY


	137. Sugilite Remastered

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I definitely had fun writing this chapter x)

The fusion roared with laughter above them. "I'M BACK SUCKAS!!!!" then she leaned in. "And Peridot ain't here to save y'all!"

"Sugilite.." Steven whispered.

"Now. Let's see how well Garnet trained you!" she threw a fist to the ground and he dodged it, jumping back. The boy in pain as he slid across the sand. He heard a high pitched, whirring sound behind him and when he turned around, the mace was falling hard into the sand. 

She'd summoned her weapon..

And she'd just turned to Pearl. "You know what. Let's make this fun. Let's see if the both of you can beat me." she kicked Pearl and the woman slid across the sand, holding her stomach.

"Pearl!" Steven started running up towards her. "Pearl, are you okay?"

She opened her eyes, looking at him. 

.. and that face..

She didn't need him.

She grabbed Steven by the shirt. "Whoaaaa!" his feet was off the ground. "Pearl!" 

"Stay OUT of this!" she threw him and he slid back across the sound. Groaning. "I.. can't.. move.." his muscles ached and pained all around him.

Pearl took out her canister. But, didn't open it. Hesitating. She didn't want to hit her.. But she jumped up towards Sugilite and the fusion simply smacked her back down into the sand. She winced. In pain. But, slowly got up. 

"Oh? You're getting up? You must think you're something, huh?" she grinned. "But YOU!" she kicked her up into the air. "AIN'T!!" she punched her farther up with one fist and jumped up high, bringing two of her top hands down. "NOTHING!!" she spiked Pearl down hard towards the ground.

"Pearl!!" Steven got up slowly. 

Sugilite brought her flail back with the bottom of her two hands.

Pearl looked up at her, but didn't move. 

Both mentally.. and physically.. exhausted.

"No, Pearl!!" Steven ran with his bruised, aching legs.

The fusion flung the flail all the way up.

Steven panted, trying to run faster.

And she brought the flail down with as much force as she could muster up.

Steven dove in front of Pearl, swiping the ring across his arm. 

The flail slammed into the bubble with enough force to make the sand actually shudder underneath.

Sugilite snarled. "Think you can keep put in that little bubble of yours, punk?!" 

Steven ignored her and turned to Pearl. "Pearl, please. I don't know what you have against me.. But you have to let me help you. We.. we need to help. each _other."_

She looked at him with tired eyes.

The flail come down hard on the bubble again, not breaking the surface. 

"Please, Pearl. We can do this.. together." he held out his hand. 

She looked away. "I'm.. not strong enough to do anything." she sighed. "I never was."

"That's not true, Pearl. You're strong." then he remembered what Lars had told him. "Pearl. A wise man once told me, that strength isn't all about muscle and these." he held up his fists. "But that strength also comes, from within here." he placed a hand on his heart. "You have to discipline yourself and stay humbled. And use your mind as well to think outside the box." she looked at him and he continued. "And Sugilite is only using her muscles. SHE'S the one that's out of control and overzealous. But us, Pearl? We're not like that. We're better. Because we're strong. In here." he pointed at his chest this time. "In the _real_ way. And I know that you and I. together. can outsmart her or tire her out." he brought his hand out towards her again. "Come on, Pearl. Don't give up. Just, give yourself another try." 

She looked at his hand in front of her and he looked up at his smiling face. 

And..

With another sigh. 

She got up on wobbly legs, ignoring his hand.

He put his arm back down, but he was still happy to see her get up.

"Let's do this, Pearl. We got this. I know we can do it."

The flail came back down for the twelfth time on the bubble. And the surface laid intact. Sugilite roared. Angry. "Look I KNOW that stupid bubble of yours can't hold like that forever!!"

"You're no match for the bubble! OR for us!!" Steven antagonized. "Not even close!"

Sugilite growled out and lifted her flail up again.

"Come on, Pearl!" he ran in his bubble and she followed him right as the flail came back down on the sand.

They were heading up the side hill of the mountain. "Sorry, Pearl. I have to deactivate the bubble. I can't go up hills." he swiped across the bubble and the two ran up as Sugilite came charging after them.

And they were bearing the top.

Right at the edge of the cliff.

They heard her cackling behind them and they turned around. 

"Looks like you two are trying to get me the run around! But look at me! You see my muscles and my fists, don't ya?! You see how strong and powerful I am don't ya?!" she took a few stomps towards them. "Now keep your eyes on me. That's a must, 'cause I'm dangerous!" she started charging towards them once more. "Let's get this fight on!" 

"Oh no! We have to think of something!!" Steven looked around. At Pearl, then behind him at the edge of the cliff, then all around him again, then back at Pearl. His eyes going to the canister still in her hands. "Wait a second.." then he looked at Sugilite. He turned to Pearl. "I've thought outside of the box!" he shouted. 

"What?" 

"Come on." he ran up to the edge of the cliff and Pearl followed him. 

"Get back here!!" Sugilite shouted. 

Steven dragged his elbows up and behind himself as he raised his arms up. GemTech, glider wings sprouted out from his shirt. "Hand me one of your canisters." 

She unclipped one from her belt and handed him one.

"Now jump as high as you can. And try to throw the spear down at the edge. And I'll try to do the same."

Then she caught on. "See if we can catch her off guard and make her fall."

He nodded. "The bigger they are, the harder they fall." he smiled. 

They reached the cliff and Pearl jumped up high into the air and Steven dove down, being careful of his gliding, with only his GemTech shirt. And he tucked his elbows in to dive down faster towards the ground. 

"HAHA!! Nice try!" Sugilite shouted up at Pearl. She started swinging the flail around.

Steven was just reaching the ground right as Pearl threw the spear down. It crashed into the edge of the cliff right underneath of the fusion, causing the cliff to crumble and slide down in heaps of earth and rocks.

Steven landed in the ground. "Huh.. guess I didn't need to use Pearl's spear after all.." 

Sugilite landed on her feet. Two of her bottom hands on the ground and one top hand on the knee and the other on her hip. She got up slowly as Pearl landed in front of her. "Is THAT all you got! You think THAT'S enough to defeat me!" the flail came down fast towards the fusion-

And she caught it by the mace. 

And brought it back down in front of her, chucking lowly. "Now. Let me finish what I've started." she started walking up to Pearl.

And the woman ran away from her.

"HA! Look at you! Scared for your life!" she started running after her.

"Pearl!" Steven ran after them. He remembered how Pearl activated her spear and he turned the canister counterclockwise. The spear flung out. 

He pulled his arm back and threw it as hard as he could.

And the spear darted towards her.

Closer.

And she turned around. And caught it in mid air with her fingertips. 

"What?! But.. how did she?!-" 

"Aha! I know you're fearin' me more now!" she started going for him. "I'm on the prowl! Watch me get this chicken head. I'mma fry this fowl." she raised her flail up. 

And Steven screamed, and for a split second, he remembered his ring and he ran it across his arm. The pink bubble formed around him and the mace crashed into the bubble, the bubble not moving even slightly.

Sugilite scoffed. "You love that pink bubble. Your forcefield. Think it's gonna keep you out of trouble?!" she cackled and she swung her flail like a club. 

"No, no, no, no, no!!!!" he ran in his bubble, but the mace bulldozed into it, sending the bubble flying up in the air and pass the cliff of the mountain. He was coming back down fast. And she was swinging her flail, ready for him to come back down. 

He dragged his elbows up and behind himself as he raised his arms up. GemTech, glider wings sprouted out of his shirt and he swiped across the bubble, deactivating. He glided down above her head, passing her. "You can't get away from me that easily." she turned around and threw the flail and Steven swiped the ring across his hand. 

The flail crashed into the bubble, sending him flying far and into the ocean. And he scream as he neared the water. He slid his hands towards each other, making the bubble smaller and he climbed up to the middle. Keeping both his hands in front of him and his feet on the other side as he held himself on both sides of the bubble.

The bubble smacked into the water, keeping afloat and he eased his legs back down and kept his hands in front of him and his legs spread out as he ran back towards the shore.

  
  


Sugilite looked down at Pearl standing by herself just a few yards away.

"Oh, whaaat?" Sugilite grinned and she walked up to her steadily. "You're STILL not even _trying_ to fight me, Pearl! What, afraid of laying a hand on your boss?" she cackled and stopped right in front of her. 

Pearl stood there. Hesitating to take out another canister from her belt. 

And Sugilite guffawed. "You ARE scared!" she scooped Pearl up, throwing her into the mountain and the woman yelped out in pain.

The fusion kept her pinned under her hand. A smug grin on her face as she leaned in close to Pearl's face. "Sugilite's got something to say to that! You don't want to fight this fusion 'cause strength's somethin' you lack!" she laughed. "Face it, Pearl. You'll be like me NEVA! Heh, and I'll make you remember that foreva. Let me show you what I mean. Crush you against this rock like an air compressor." she said lowly and pushed Pearl more into the mountainside.

  
  


Steven was running up on the sand in his bubble. He dragged his elbows down his sides, closing the wings down on his shirt.

He could see Pearl underneath of Sugilite's gigantic hand. 

_Okay, what should I do?! What should I do?! What should I do?! I need to help Pearl!! _

Then he looked at the flail on the ground in her bottom left hand. Then at the lash attached to it.

Maybe he could climb up the lash and.. do what next exactly?

He didn't know. But he would have to think of something fast once he started climbing.

He swiped across his bubble to deactivate it and he ran to the mace. He grabbed it and started climbing up. Again, ignoring his aching muscles.

And all the while, Sugilite was watching him. The boy not knowing that the two eyes on the corners of her face were looking at the corner of her visors that reflects what's behind her. 

She saw Steven coming towards her, then deactivating his bubble and jumping on the mace. And at the same time, the first pair of eyes kept a watch on Pearl in front of her. 

And now she was watching him climb up the lash. She chuckled. "Talc trynna play me now." he froze. As his heart skipped a beat. 

_She.. can see me?!_

"HA! Look at him. I got him shook. I got him terrified. Frightened. He didn't know my senses were heightened." she threw the flail up rapidly and he found himself in the air. The flail coming right at him. He swiped across his arm and the mace crashed into the bubble, sending it up even higher. And just as he was about to use the wings on his shirt to glide, he saw the fusion put her foot on the mace and yanking the lash. A flash of dark purple light flashed across it and it turned into Amethyst's whip and she threw it at him. The whip wrapping around his bubble and she pulled him straight down to the ground. Hard. She unraveled the whip as her foot came down, crushing the bubble onto the sand. 

And that was all he could see. Just light brown sand.

He was stuck underground and underneath of her foot.

"Now." she said to Pearl. "Back to _this_ weakling." she showed her sharp teeth. "You betta get ready for this beating." 

Steven stayed underfoot. Wondering what he could do..

Until just a small thought came to mind.

_That could work.. maybe?_

He put his hands on the bubble and pread his hands out. The bubble grew, pushing her foot up. 

"What?" she looked down. "Oh, you little." she pressed her foot down harder, crushing him farther into the sand.

"Nope. That's not going to work, Sugilite." Steven whispered to himself. He placed his hands on the bubble and spread his hands out farther away. The bubble grew twice it's size, pushing up Sugilite's foot and he ran up the bubble, swiping across it and grabbing hold of the soft sand. She tried stepping on him just as he barely moved out the way. 

She growled and threw her whip. And again, he swiped the ring across his hand, forming the bubble around him and the whip wrapped around it. She pulled him back fast and into the mountainside. 

The fusion with both Pearl in one hand and Steven inside of his bubble in the other. 

She laughed in their faces. "Looks like I have BOTH of you two now!!-Hey!!" she looked down. Lion was growling, biting down on her foot. 

"Now you got a lotta nerve, dog." she used another arm, to pin the dog to the ground. And the dog yelped. 

"Lion!!!!" he spread his hands across the bubble a few times and it kept growing. "Hey! Stop doing that!" the bubble grew six times it's size, bursting through the whip. And he free fell. He dragged his elbows up and behind himself as he raised his arms up and the wings came out of his shirt. 

"Oh NO you don't!!" she threw her arm out and just as he was about to glide down she grabbed him and threw him down on the other side hard on the ground, sending a wave of pain on his already sore body.

"HA!! Try to get out of this now!!" 

Steven laid there, groaning in pain. 

"Yeah, can't use your ring NOW that your limbs are pinned down!!" 

She took her three arms, bringing the three close to her face. They could see their scared and tired, worned out reflections in her visor.

"Now let's see. Who's going to be the first one to suffer this beati-" the fusion stopped mid sentence. Her expression in a slight shock for a split second before a cloud of dark purple smoke erupted.

The five of them fell down to the ground. Hard. 

And none of them moved for a couple minutes.. before Lion got up slowly. The first one to get up on his slightly sore legs.

He made his way over to Steven and crouched down, whining. He pulled the mask off of his head and licked the boy's face. 

And Steven opened his eyes up slowly. "..Lion?"

The canine's tail wagged happily across the sand and he gave Steven more licks across his cheek. And he laughed. "Bleh, Lion! No kisses!!" he tried moving the dog's face away with his sore arm, but the dog kept licking his face, his tongue at one point licking right across his nose. "Bleeeh, doggy breath!" he pushed his self up to a sitting position. "Okay, I'm up, I'm up." he giggled, scratching at the dog's ears. Then his eyes panned over to the other three still laying on the ground and his laughter died off.

"I hope they're okay, buddy." he gave Lion a few more ear scratches and crawled on his knees towards Pearl first. "Hey, Pearl." he shook her shoulder. "Pearl."

The woman groaned, slowly opening her bleary eyes.

"Pearl! You're alive!!" 

".. barely.." she mumbled and closed her eyes back. Before opening them up wide. She sat up quickly. "Sugil-!" and she winced at the pain she brought on herself. 

"Whoa. You have to take it easy, Pearl." he massaged her shoulder, trying to comfort her.

She looked at him, then at his arm rubbing her shoulder. 

He pulled his hand back, giving her a nervous smile. "Uh, s, sorry." 

She got up shakily and made her way towards Amethyst and Steven crawled over towards Garnet. "Are they okay?" to him, it looked like they were still breathing. Barely..

Pearl checked Amethyst's pulse on her wrist, then she walked over and winced as she crouched back down to Garnet to check her wrist. "Yeah. Yeah, they're okay. They just blacked out." 

"That sounds serious.. Do they need to go to the hospital?!" 

"I'll have to check with the doctors at the GemTech building. I'll give Peridot a call when I get back to the base." 

Steven sighed, sadly. "I hope they're okay.."

"They should be fine." she walked back over to Amethyst and threw the woman's arm around her shoulder. "This isn't the first time that this has happened." she tried picking her up and Steven got up on his sore legs and jogged up to her. He grabbed Amethyst's legs. "Put your mask back on." 

"Oh!" he felt his face. He jogged back and bent over, feeling every sore back and shoulder muscle, then arm muscle when he picked up the mask. He slipped it on and went to help Pearl again. Picking up Amethyst's legs and helping Pearl pick her up. 

"And you said.. this has happened before?"

"Yeah. Plenty of times." she spat out.

"And." he looked up at her. "They _still_ do it?" 

"Yeah." Pearl shrugged. Her anger and jealousy slowly subsiding. "Though I wouldn't say 'them'." 

"Oh.. right." he looked down at Amethyst laying limp in their arms.

_Why does she do stuff like this.._

"Now come on." she said softly. "We have to take them back to the car."

"Okay.." he whispered. 

......................................

Steven snapped the seatbelt in over Garnet. "She's in." he said and Pearl closed the back door and opened the driver's door. She got in, closing the door and adjusted the seat forward, then turned the car on. 

The woman drove off and they were riding across the beach in silence.

Steven looked up at her. The woman looking very tired and just.. depleted and desolate. Exhausted beyond anything physical but more so.. inwardly.. emotionally.. 

She'd been to herself ever since he met her, but she seemed even more sad and isolated from the world. And she seemed to had started acting like that ever since that sword training with Amethyst and when their boss..

He shook his head of the memory.

And he wanted to talk to Pearl. Especially when it was just the two of them. But, with how she was still acting towards him, he didn't want to aggravate her or send her spiraling down even more.

He looked over at Garnet. Checking in on her again. She was still out cold. Slumped to the side door in her seat. 

He really hoped that she was okay..

A new ringtone started to sound as his phone vibrated and he took his phone out of his pocket. 

It was Lars. 

He swiped across his screen and put the phone up to his ears. "Hey, La-"

"OH! You finally answered!!" the young man shouted with such relief in his voice. "Steven, I called you like, eight, nine times!" 

"Sorry, Lars. I didn't hear my phone-"

"And I didn't know what to do!" Lars kept going. "I felt guilty because I specifically told Mr. Vecino to not worry and that I had you! So he could drive to safety with his son! But then you told me to leave and I kept calling you! And I started freaking out! I didn't know whether to call Mr. Vecino, or the police!! Or, even Connie!" 

"Wait! You didn't call her, did you?!"

"No." 

"Oh.. phewf.."

"But I was thinking about it!! Aw man, Steven. I was SO worried!"

"But, I'm here, Lars." he tried calming him down. "I'm safe and sound. I found Lion eventually" he looked down at the canine with his head on his paws, looking up at Steven due to his name being called. "and I ended up bumping into a co-worker of mine. I'm being dropped off now." 

There was a sigh. "Man, Steven. I'm just relieved that you're okay. I don't know what I would've done if you had gotten hurt or..-Um, anyway. I'm just glad everything is good on your end."

"Yeah, uh, never better." he said simply. "Everything's great over here." 

"..Okay, then. Well, I guess I'll catch you around sometime. Feel free to keep me updated on either you want to train together again or not."

"Sure, Lars. I'll keep that in mind."

"See ya. Goodnight, Steven."

"Night, Lars." then a beat later. "Take it easy."

"Right. You too." 

He hung up the phone and was taken to his call logs. It showed eight missed calls from Lars.

He locked the screen and put his phone back in his pocket.

That was really kind and thoughtful of Lars to make sure if he was okay or not. 

And he could see himself doing the same thing as well. He'd done that before. Calling people. Making sure if they were okay or not.

He looked over at Pearl.

She hadn't said anything to him. Her tired eyes and solemn expression looking straight ahead and at the road in front of her.

He still didn't say anything to her. And looked back at Garnet to check on her. She still hadn't came to yet..

And he looked up at the rearview mirror. Amethyst was still out of it too.

He leaned back in his seat.

Thinking about the events of today. 

Seeing his second fusion that.. definitely wasn't anything like Opal..

Then having a brutal training with Garnet, then hanging out with his neighbors for a short period of time, then training with Lars and then.. dealing with Sugilite again.

It'd been a very tiring day.

And now he just wanted to go home, take a shower, then soak his body in that solution that Garnet gave him, eat and most importantly, talk to his Connie and cuddle up to her and sleep. 

His eyes panned over to Pearl and Garnet again, then up at the rearview mirror at Amethyst once more, before staring out his window both at the reflection at himself and at the cars on the highway.

He could only hope that all three of them would be helped one day.. And be free of the lives they were living now.. Be free of being a Crystal Gem..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, looks like they couldn't defeat Sugilite like the one's in Canon could ;P
> 
> Though it's a good thing Peridot set a time limit for how long they can stay fused (which is what she told Amethyst at the Communication Hub) ;)  
Yup, a nice little tidbit there, just in case anyone missed that ;)
> 
> Also YAY!! Steven just keeps getting BETTER and BETTER with his bubble and gliding!!! :D


	138. Coach Steven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Literally had Steven training or "coaching" Lion for like, two paragraphs JUST so I could put the title as "Coach Steven" xD lol.  
Since Coach Steven didn't fit properly with the other chapters.. xP

Pearl stopped in front of the complex and he hesitated, still wanting to say something to her. He looked up at her. Her expression was.. cold. unwelcoming. And he opened the door without saying a word. Then he looked back at Garnet still out in her seat and he slid out.

Lion hopped out after him.

And, right as he was about to close the door, he changed his mind. "Pearl."

Her blue eyes flickered back at him, before looking away.

More hesitation, before he spoke up again. "You know, Pearl.. despite of what has been going on with your life and.. what had happened recently. And. despite of what everything that Amethyst had said.. you _are_ something. And you're _really_ special and." he kept his eyes on her. "Don't sell yourself short, Pearl. Don't listen to her. Or anybody else who talks to you like that. You deserve better and you deserve to hear something positive because that _is_ what you deserve. And, you're strong in the real way. You always have been and you still are now and.. one day, you and everyone else will finally see that too." 

Pearl didn't look at him for what felt like a full minute and he figured she wanted him to leave but was simply too tired to tell him off.

He was slowly pushing back the door when he heard a "Talc." he stopped and looked at her. Looking at her misty eyes. And another few moments passed before she whispered out a "Thanks."

"It's no problem, Pearl. It's, the truth." he wanted to say more, but he didn't want to overdo it. Instead, he said. "Goodnight." 

".. Night, Talc."

He closed the door and a few moments later, the car drove off.

He turned to Lion. "Alright, boy. Since we're out here, you might as well do your stuff now." 

  
  


Lion came running back to him, tail wagging. 

"Alright, good boy." Steven walked around the corner to the apartment and had a small thought in his mind. With him getting a bit better with his bubble and gliding and him learning martial arts now and with Peridot stating that Lion should be better trained, he figured he could teach Lion how to sit at least. He'd done it before that one time while waiting for the Gems. But that'd been awhile back.

"Hey, Lion? Do you remember how to sit?" 

The dog looked at him. Tail waging behind him.

"Siiiiiit?" 

The dog licked his chops, still staring at him.

"No, not food. Sit. Siiiiiit.

The canine stood there.

"Here. Like this." Steven crouched down, ignoring the pain in his back and pushed the back of Lion gently towards the ground until his butt reached the sidewalk. "Siiiit. Sit. Sit." he leaned back up. "Sit." he looked at the dog. "Sit."

Lion stayed there.

"Yeah! Good boy! So you do remember!" he scratched behind both of Lion's ears. "Hm, well maybe I _should_ teach you something else then. Like.. lay down? Or.. give me paw or.. hmm.." he thought about it. 

Maybe he should teach him the word 'stay'? Lion seemed to obey that command for the most part, but he could always train him a bit more on that just to make sure.

.......................

"Okay. Now let's take it from the top." Steven smiled.

Lion looked at him intently.

"Noooow, sit."

Lion sat down.

"Aaaaand stay." Steven held his hand out for one second, then out his hand down and started walking away. He turned the corner to the side of the apartment, went to his stopwatch and put the timer on for two minutes. And he stayed on the side of the building. (And from time to time, would peek his head out to make sure nobody had grabbed the dog) and thankfully, each time, Lion wasn't looking at him.

He stopped the watch at one second to prevent the phone from ringing out (not wanting Lion to associate the ring for him coming back to him) and Lion was still sitting in the same spot. "Good boy! Okay, now how about.. lay down."

Lion leaned down, laying all the way down to the ground.

"Yeah! Now sit." 

Lion got back up and sat down.

"Woohoo! Okay, now last one. Let's see if you can remember. Roll over." 

Lion looked at him.

"Rooooll over." 

And Lion laid down and looked at him.

"Rooooll over. Come on boy, you almost have it.

Lion laid down on his side and looked up at Steven. 

"Come on, boy. Roooooll over. Roll over." 

Lion leaned back, rolling over once. 

"Yeeaheaa! Now THAT'S a smart dog right there!" in all his giddiness, Steven dropped down in a crouch to pet Lion and a shock of pain from numerous parts of his body came crashing into him and he winced. "Ahck! I forgot.." he grunted. "Ooohh, I forgot." he rubbed at his back and Lion came over to him. He pet his head. "Okay, Lion. That's it. Time for us to head in." he got up slowly. "I need to feed you anyway. I know you're hungry."


	139. Refreshed

Steven opened the door to their apartment. Lion ran in and he slipped the flip flops off and closed and locked the door behind him.

Then we went over and poured fresh water in his bowl and opened Lion's own, little, personal cabinet up. He took out the medicine and the dog food bag and picked up the bowl. 

Lion was ecstatic. Tail wagging and jumping up on Steven. "Hey, no. No jumping. Baaad boy. Sit." Lion didn't listen to him. He stood there, panting loudly. 

Steven poured the food in the bowl and one kernal dropped on the floor. Lion ate it and looked up at him. He barked. "Hey, we can't have you doing that either, boy." he put the medicine into his food and walked back over to his water dish. Lion jumped up again. "Hey. Nooo." Steven held the bowl up. "Sit." Lion ignored him again. Too hyper and happy to get some food. "Siit. Siiit."

After a few more times of telling Lion to sit, he finally complied. And he sat down. Tail going back and forth access the kitchen floor. "Good boy!" he starting bringing the food down and Lion got up, going for the bowl before he even set it down in the tray. 

Steven leaned back up. "Eh, guess we'll work on that one." he shrugged with a smile.

  
  


While Lion was eating his food, Steven started gathering things for his shower. He went inside and took off his clothes and took a quick shower. Then he cleaned the tub out and filled the tub up halfway. He poured the brown bottle that Garnet gave him into the warm water and dipped his body in the tub. And already, the nice warm water was doing wonders on his back muscles. His whole body sighing out relief. And a few minutes later, he could feel the solution practically working and rubbing along his muscles. 

It was relaxing. 

And comforting.

He started doing a few breathing exercises that both Garnet and Lars showed him. He breathed in deeply, taking in the nice aroma off the solution mixed with his body wash from the shower. And he breathed out the steam of the bathroom.

He performed his breathing exercises for a few minutes and started stretching out his arms and legs gently. And already, he couldn't feel any of the aches and sores.

And he laid in the tub some more, now cleaning his thoughts of the negativity as he filled his mind with the more positive things in life. Like being able to get out of bed, having a place to stay, having warm cooked meals, surviving his missions as a Crystal Gem and being able to see Connie. And peace.. and love.. and tranquility..

And he started to fill his mind with positive things that happened earlier. Not that Sugilite went out of control at the Communication Hub, but that Peridot was able to help them. And not that he had to learn brutal martial arts skills to kill people and his body getting wrecked from the training, but that he was finally learning self defense to protect people and that he was burning off calories and making his body stronger from the rigorous workouts. And not that Sugilite came back to bully her to hurt them, but that everyone survived and he was able to tell Pearl how strong and special she was and being happy that he was able to go back home to relax after another day of being a Crystal Gem.

In with the positive thoughts.

Out with the negative thoughts..

In with the positive thoughts.. 

Out with the negative thoughts.. 

Everything was feeling good. His mind, his body.. It was as if he was a different person floating in another dimension.

Flying.. soaring..

His mind cleared his body laying afloat. His whole being simply composed, tranquil.. in a cloud of serenity.. 

He opened his eyes and leaned up slightly. Looking at the warm, misty water around him. 

"Wow, what exactly is in this stuff, Garnet, aside from what you told me." he joked quietly to himself. 

  
  


He'd let himself soak in there for thirty minutes, not wanting to get out.. Only the sound of Connie coming through the door made him change his decision. 

He took a few more calming breaths, taking in the aroma once more and he clicked the small lever up. The stopper pushing up and the therapeutic water going down the drain. 

He threw on his boxers and put a short sleeved shirt on and opened the door. The cold air hit his hot skin and he shivered slightly. Though the air also sent a nice cooling sensation on his skin. 

Lion was playing with a chew toy over by the side of the bed and Steven was happy and thankful that the fall from Sugilite's hand didn't harm the canine. 

And Connie was at the closet hanging up her jacket. 

And his stomach was already feeling hot and doing flips as he walked over to her. "Hey, Connie!" 

She closed the door and turned around. "Hey, Steven. 

He gave her a hug and leaned in, giving her a long kiss.

"Steven." she giggled over his lips. 

He kept the kiss going, then went down to her chin. 

He was just feeling.. really, _really_ good.. 

"Steven." her voice was a mixture of shock and arousal.

He gave her chin a little nip with his teeth and moved his mouth away slightly. "I just missed you. soo much." he purred. His breath was hot against her skin. 

He heard her chuckle. "I missed you too." 

He went in for another kiss before pulling away again. "But not as much as I've missed yooou." he rubbed Eskimo kisses along her cheek with his nose. This elicited more giggles from her. "Okay, what is it, Steven." she said against his lips. "I think you're just trying to butter me up. What did you do?" 

"Nothing." he held her close. "I'm just in a good mood." he gave her a kiss on the nose. "Today's been pretty rough, so I'm just even more happy to see you."

Her smile dropped slightly. "What do you mean?" she kept her head on his.

"Oh, just uh. The work had been.. pretty hard today, that's all."

She started to worry. She kept her arms tightly around his shoulders as she looked up. And her expression dropped further. "Steven, what happened to your face?" she stared at the gash on his forehead.

"Oh, this? Uh" he thought fast. "I was working out with a few coworkers and I fell on one of the treadmills." 

She looked at him. Not believing him one bit as her eyes narrowed down on him. "Soo.. you and your coworkers are working out now?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. I made a joke about how weak I was and that I should work out so I can start picking up the heavy produce. And, eventually the joke went to one of the coworkers saying that he actually works out. And" he shrugged. Hoping she would believe him. "we started talking and he suggested I try out one of the gyms with him. Which.. resulted in me getting hurt when I slipped on the belt of the treadmill." 

He looked at her.

He could only hope that she would believe him. 

She sighed, shaking her head. "You're so accident prone." she said gently. Frowning. "Did you put anything on it yet?"

"No, but I have this cream that that same coworker gave me. He says that it really works. You can put it on your face for your burns too." he gave her a quick peck on the lips and walked back to the bathroom. He popped open the mirror and took the black bottle out and closed the mirror back and walked back to her. "You can put it on my face now." he smiled as he handed it to her. He was just.. soo used to her doing that for him. It was almost a given. 

"Yeah, let me just wash my hands." she walked away. Then stopped as she remembered something. She turned back around. "Also, I got some carry out for us." she gestured at the white bag on the counter. "I rather had cooked, but since the buses were running late today, I knew I wasn't going to have enough time to cook anything."

"That's fine with me, Connie. It's nice to switch things up a bit." he walked over to the counter. "What did you get?"

"Some jerk chicken and rice. And a few of those Jamaican pie thingys." she said and walked into the bathroom.

"Oh! That reminds me. I have some left over rice too. The Pizzas made it."

She walked out the bathroom. "The Pizzas?" 

"Yeah. While going to one of the buildings, we drove pass a beach. And" he gave her a guilty smile. "we kinda made a very, _veeeeery_, small, tiny, itty bitty detour there. And they were there." he walked over to the bed and crouched down, not feeling a single muscle ache. 

_That is _some_ GemTech solution._

"Also, Lion and I found you some seashells for you." he pushed them out with his arm. 

And there was that beautiful smile he loved seeing. She crouched down to look at the shells varying in all shapes and sizes. "Thanks, Steven. They're beautiful." 

He turned his head to face her. And he looked into her eyes. "Just like you." 

She rolled her eyes. "Okay, Romeo. Your compliments are getting more and more sappy."

"But you like theeem." he cooed.

"That's what _you_ think." 

He tried for a very smug look. "That's what I _know_, Connie."

She didn't bother going back and forth with her lovable, goofy boyfriend. Instead, she got up. "Come on, let's put the cream on you. Then I'll pick up the seashells." 

  
  


After putting cream on Steven's gash on his forehead and the burns on his face and arms, she put some of the cream on the burns on her face and arms next. Then she washed the seashells off and set them on the windowsill by their balcony, putting them in order from biggest to smallest.

With the window now looking a bit nicer, they both sat down to eat. They'd warmed the leftover jollof rice from the Pizzas and mixed it in with the Jamaican rice, giving the dish a whole new, delicious flavor.

And the jerk chicken was delicious. Connie ordering one specially made for Steven. The chicken not being too spicy for him. 

And while they were eating, Lion had walked up to join them and despite of Connie's "No human food" rule, he still slipped his best friend a few pieces and even a bit of rice. 

And he'd only got caught once, which to him, was a success. 

And after they'd eaten, they did what they usually do after dinner, which was talk, cuddle and watch t.v shows on their laptop. With the new edition, Lion, laying in his bed right at the foot of theirs.

An ad had popped up and Steven snuck in two kisses to her cheek. And he loved hearing her little giggles and mocking scoffs when he did that.

He just. loved _her._

A new episode was coming on and she paused the video. "I'm getting something to drink." she said and slid off the bed. 

And Steven used that time to browse the suggestions list below the show they were watching, keeping a mental note of the shows that Connie might like to watch eventually.

And he scrolled down. Smiling.

He really was in a good mood.

He was feeling amazing.

He was working out now and during his time of being a Crystal Gem, despite of him not liking it, he and apparently Amethyst as well _did_ notice that he'd lost just a few pounds already and he hasn't even been a Crystal Gem for two months yet.

AND he'd opened a pickle jar for Connie earlier without struggling! So that _obviously_ meant that he was getting stronger too!

And he'd survived a beating with Sugilite and he was able to see his Connie again.

Overall, it really was a good day. 

And he was shedding his pounds already _and_ he was getting stronger. Healthier. 

Yes, he was feeling good. 

And, maybe a bit _too_ good.. And, maybe he was feeling a bit _too_ macho, but he wanted to show off his body and.. 

He looked at Connie putting her water bottle back into the fridge. His girlfriend looking, _really_ good in the oversized Wrestling shirt he got for her at Wrestlmania. The shirt just above her knees and he looked down her toned calf muscles.

..And, maybe he could even show off his energy and his stamina as well..

And they _hadn't_ done anything in awhile.. so..

He could already feel his skin getting hot. And the arousal already spreading from the heat of his chest and down between his legs. 

He peeled the sheets back, laying down on his side with one leg laying straight down. The other bent and his foot laying flat on the mattress. Going for ye 'ole sexy pose. (Too bad he didn't have a flower in his mouth. Or, any candles for that matter)..- "Hey, Connie." she was making her way to the bed when she looked at him. "Yeah?" 

And she knew he was making _that_ face. 

And Steven was trying to not get himself fully worked up, just in case she would say no, but he was already getting aroused just from the anticipation that she _would_ say yes.

"You know." he ran his hand across the hem of his boxers. "It's been some time since we've.. had our little fun." he wiggled his eyebrows. 

"Oh. yeah? I haven't even noticed." she said casually. Though Steven could see her hiding a smirk and that was more than enough for him to.. _finish riling himself up._

Connie walked pass him and sat on her side by the edge of the bed. 

Steven turned around, crawling on his knees towards her. He moved the laptop out the way. "Connie you know it's been a while." he drawled. "At least two weeks." 

A casual shrug from her. "Doesn't seem like a long time." 

He mocked gasped. "Two weeks is like.. five months for me!" 

Connie snorted. "Wow, five months huh?"

"Yes." he went for a deadpan look as he gave a single nod of his head. Before a wide, goofy grin spread across his face. He slinked over to her and slid an arm around her torso, grabbing her side. "So.." he brought his face into her neck. "Maybe.. we could do something about that.." he gave her soft skin a lick, before giving her neck small pecks. 

And she was already like putty in his hands. Her back on the soft sheets. Her arms around his neck. The soft breaths she was panting out with every nip and kiss of his teeth and lips.

He trailed his hands under her shirt, undoing her bra and giving her chest a squeeze as he planted kisses underneath of her chin then down to the neckline of her shirt. He caressed his lips just below her neck, breathing out deeply and panting out the warm air on her hot skin. 

Then he moved his head up, kissing back up from her neck, to her chin and back to her lips. He gave her bottom lip a tug before leaning back up. 

She opened her eyes up slowly. Giving him that half lidded, bedroom eyes and he felt just how tight his boxers were. 

He wanted her.

And she wanted him.

They wanted _each other._

_Bad._

And he was going to give exactly that to her.

He leaned back down, giving her a few more deep kisses before leaning back up. "I'll be right back." he whispered.

She had a mixture of confusion.. and lust on her face. Not sure what he was going to do.

He picked up the laptop and got up. He placed it on the table and went back to the edge of the bed. "Alright, come on, Lion. You have to get up." he grabbed the edge of the dog's little bed. He pulled it up and the canine wouldn't move. Steven sighed lowly, dramatically. He really didn't have time for this. He just, wanted to get it on with Connie. But Lion was being hardheaded..

"Come on." he lifted the bed up high, lifting Lion with it. And the dog kept put in his bed. 

Another dramatic sigh from Steven and he walked over to the kitchen. He opened Lion's cabinet and took out his treats bag. He walked back over to the far corner of the room, shaking the treats bag.

Lion got up and jumped off the bed, running towards Steven. He poured out a handful of treats on the floor and Lion went right to them. Then he picked up Lion's bed and placed it on the floor. He poured a few more treats in his bed, put the bag back and quickly washed his hands.

And now, he was coming back. Wiping his wet hands on his briefs. "Noooow, it's just the two of us." he crawled back in bed and went for Connie's chest, kissing her though her shirt.

And more breaths from her.

He went to her neck once more, then her lips, before leaning back up. His hand behind her back as he pulled her up with him. 

He took her shirt, pulling it off. The bra he'd unclipped earlier, sliding off of her arms.

And he pulled it off of her, throwing it back with the shirt.

He gave her chest a few soft, wet kisses as he crawled over top of her, getting in between her legs.

And she pulled away from his lips and grabbed his shirt, tugging it off and he pulled his shirt off and threw it down and he went back to her lips, giving her a kiss before she leaned away again. 

"Wait." she breathed out. She looked at the two stitches at the top and bottom of his _shaved_ chest. 

"Steven, what happened to your chest?"

"Huh?" then he realized what she meant and he'd completely forgotten about those stitches. "Uh, I uh.. got hurt on the job again. With the uh machine."

"When did this happen?" she sat up slowly. "When did you go to the hospital?" 

Did they.. _really_ have to talk about this _now?_

"I don't know. Like a week or two ago?" he shrugged and leaned in, going for her neck and she leaned back, placing a hand on his chest. "Wait, Steven." and he resisted a huge growling sigh. "Why didn't you tell me this happened to you?" 

He just had one thing on his mind right now. The _last_ thing he would want to talk about were the scars. And he didn't want to talk about _anything_ else.

"It was just a little accident." he said casually and he leaned in, kissing her soft lips as he grabbed at her chest. She leaned back from the kiss and grabbed his wrist, pulling his frisky hand off of her. "Steven, I'm serious."

He resisted another groan. Getting annoyed now at how.. tight his shorts were on him. Making him even more frustrated..

He took a breath as he leaned back on his legs. Still sitting in between hers. 

"What happened?" he heard her ask him. His eyes trailed to her light green underwear. The front of warm thighs on either side of the single piece of clothing. The top of her underwear just laying right in front of him.. enticingly..

"Steven."

He looked up from her underwear and up her bare chest to her glaring eyed expression. 

"The machines again." he said anything. "They were teaching me stuff, I didn't do it correctly and one of those fork things spun out and hit me in the chest." 

"And you didn't tell me." 

The throb in his shorts.. 

Again.. did they_ really_ have to do this now?

He swallowed. "No.." he muttered out. "I didn't know I had to report _every_ single last injury to you." 

He didn't mean to sound so snappy and rude. And he didn't mean that. He would always tell Connie things that happened to him (if they weren't Gem related) but he was simply speaking through frustration and annoyance now. 

"O_kay_, but I think you could've told me that you got cut so badly that you needed to go to the hospital to get stitches." 

"I-" he cut himself off. He took a breath, calming his hormones down. She was right after all. If that really _had_ happened, then he should've told her. 

"You're right. I should've, but, I didn't want you to worry." he found his hand sliding up the warm, smooth skin of her inner thigh and he stopped himself. "I didn't want you to think it was anything serious. I was getting hurt on the job so many times, I just didn't want you to worry about these injuries either." 

And there was the throb going steady in his shorts, causing him to make that next move. "Look." he said gently. "I'll start telling you every time I get hurt badly on the job." he gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile, but he didn't feel it quite reach his eyes. And he leaned in. "But now.. can't we please just" he gave her a soft peck on the lips. "focus on this?" he whispered his breath on her pursed lips. He leaned in slowly, kissing her just once more before leaning his head up slightly.

She sighed and looked up at him. "Are you, okay at least?" 

"Yees, Connie." he tried dialing back the impatience in his voice. He knew at that point he was being a bit too pushy. But his hormones were spiked and they were just _so_ close to doing it.. Just two pieces of clothing away..

Though that wasn't an excuse to act how he was acting now in bed.. 

He went for the most casual, leveled voice he could muster up. "Of course, Connie. I'm okay." he gave her a small smile. "I'm okay, honest." 

And she looked at him. Looking at her boyfriend with such over protection towards him.. and compassion.. and desire.. 

..And love..

And.. that cute little smile he was giving her. 

He was with her. He was safe.. So she had nothing to worry about. 

She felt herself beginning a small smile. 

And he took that as a safe invitation to continue. 

"Now." he whispered. "you know what would make me feel even better?" he looked at her lips as he licked his and he leaned in, kissing her deeply. He leaned his body forward, gently pushing her back onto the pillows. 


	140. A calm, soothing morning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ard, I'm not a masseuse guys, nor did I look up anything about massaging, 'cause I don't have time for dat xP  
So yeah, some stuff may be wrong *shrugs*

Steven woke up in pain.

Not because of what he and Connie had done last night.

That was amazing and he wished it'd never stopped.

_(And he actually _did_ have more energy and stamina then before.)_

But this pain was from all of the rigorous and brutal exercising from Garnet.. then working out more with Lars.. THEN going against Sugilite AND THEN falling into the ground from being DROPPED by that said fusion.

And he felt fine last night, _obviously_. 

And he even felt pretty good when he took Lion out for a bathroom break four hours ago.

But now.. That solution stuff had worn off and his body was severely aching and paining everywhere once again.

And he tried getting up, feeling his stiff and sore muscles pull and contract with every movement he made. And he groaned, wincing, flinching as he finally sat up in bed. 

"Are you okay?" he heard Connie ask under the covers. 

He turned around slightly, feeling the muscles in his neck tightened and he winced. "So sore... from getting ripped." he whined out in a whisper.

Connie leaned up, the covers falling off of her and revealing her bare chest. "Aw, Steven.." she was about to touch him, then stopped. She flung the covers off of her and she walked to the bathroom in her underwear. "I think we have a few more of that Icy Hot packets to put on your back." she stepped inside and popped open the mirror. 

Then he remembered the gray bottle that Garnet gave him.

He turned his sore body towards the bathroom. "My co worker also gave me that gray bottle. He says that it's good for sore muscles." 

Connie picked up a bottle and showed it to him. "This one?"

"Yeah. He says to just rub it on where ever I feel the aches and pains on."

Connie walked out the bathroom. "Where does it hurt?" 

"Eeeeeverywhere!' he whined with a pout.

"Oooh, you big baby." she chuckled. 

He pouted even more. And even his neck muscles screamed out in pain when he did that and he winced.

She climbed into bed on his side. "Okay, let's put this stuff on you." she walked on her knees towards him and sat on her legs behind him. She untwisted the top and poured the contents into her fingers and the oil dripped from her fingers and down to her hand. "Mm, it smells good." she said and she placed the bottle between her knees to prevent any from spilling and she brought her arms forward. 

Steven leaned back, feeling pain in every muscle of his body.

"You don't have to lean forward Steven. You can stay as you were. You don't have to move."

He leaned back slowly to where he was before as Connie started with his neck. Gently caressing the muscles and going over his skin.

Then she poured more oil into her hands and went to his back. Making small, circles on his skin from his shoulders. Then she started sliding her hands down to the middle, working her thumb and fingers into his sore muscles.

He let out a breath and she stopped. "Was that too hard?"

"No." he grunted. "I mean, not that much. The pressure felt kind of good."

"Okay." she went back, pressing her fingers against the sides of his back and sliding her hands to the middle, working out the knots with her thumbs. 

And Steven sucked in some air, grunting. Feeling the muscles being worked under her firm fingers.

Then the deep ache would subside and a nice, soothing sensation would replace where she once had her hands. Whether that was due to the oil or her hands or both, he didn't know, but it made his back feel amazing.

And then she slid her hands farther down to where most of the pain had gathered. 

And she slid her hands across, just above his waist and back up. She moved into the middle of his lower back, using a thumb and the knuckle of her index finger-

"Ah!" he winced, bending over.

She leaned her hands up. "Sorry." she helped him lean back up. "You're really tense down there. I was just trying to get some of that out." 

"No, it's okay, Connie." he took a breath. "Don't mind me. Just keep going." 

She leaned in, giving him a kiss that lasted long enough for him to start feeling heat in his chest already. And that feeling of wanting the kiss to last.. just a bit longer- 

She broke away and poured more oil into her hands and went to his lower back again, working out more of the knots. 

Then, she moved back up to the shoulder, wanting to massage his back from top to bottom just one more time.

And now the massage was soothing to him. The aches and pains diminishing with every second of the oil and every movement and pressure of her fingers.

"Wow.." he whispered, almost in a murmer. "you're really good at this." 

She pressed her hands up against the middle of his back with her wrist and he let out a a mixture of a breath tinged with a light, gutteral moan. "_Really_ good." he added, with a bit of huskiness in his whisper.

She shrugged, though he didn't see it. "It's nothing." she brushed the compliment off.

"Seriously, Connie." he turned to her and he didn't feel any aches or tight muscles contracting. "What _can't_ you do?" 

She looked at him. Just slightly taken aback by being put in the spotlight of another compliment, before her face relaxed into a small smile. "A lot of things." she answered. Then she moved over once to face him. "Now, time to do your chest." she poured some oil into her hands and started from the bottom of his neck and down to his collar bone. Then worked her fingers down towards the first line of stitches. She stopped. Her fingers just centimeters away. "Do your stitches still hurt?" 

"No. They don't. I always forget that they're there actually, until I take my shirt off and I'm reminded then." 

She nodded and slid her fingers across the line, gently, before placing pressure and massaging around it, getting the blood flowing to the injured area. 

She slid her hands down, going for the next stitches and Steven couldn't help but glance at her chest from time to time. How her arms would lift up as she brought her hands together to massage his chest and the side of her arms would press against the side of hers and pressing the two together.

He tried looking away at other things in the apartment, bit trying to gawk too much.

And as he watched the boring blinds on the window, he felt her hands slide down his stomach. 

And almost like kryptonite, he felt heat knot up in his stomach and he felt a twitch of arousal between his legs.

There were two placed that would get him going, aside from the obvious places. And that was his ears (oddly enough) and his stomach. 

And now she was placing firm fingers on him and making circles around his navel and he could feel her effect working on an area she wasn't even touching..

"How's your legs?" she snapped him out of his focus on the tingles and he turned to her. "They're, pretty bad too. Especially my shins." from Garnet having him hit a freakin tree for TEN minutes with them..

She lifted her knee back and slid the cover from under her. Then she threw the covers back, revealing a naked Steven. Which she was used to that happening now. Nine times out of ten, he wouldn't bother putting boxers on after their.. _get together._

But she did notice a slight arousal going on with her boyfriend. Wether it was from morning wood that was slowly going back down or he was a getting a bit _too_ excited from her massage, she didn't know. But, she didn't say anything about it. Though why would she make any comments about it anyway?

She poured oil on her hands and went to his upper thighs. One hand massaging the bottom of it and one at the top. Then her two hands sliding across either side of the thigh. She slid her hands down to his knees then his shins and he let out a cracked yelp as he went to grab for his leg. And Connie's face contorted. "It's that bad?" 

He could still feel the pain throbbing up and down his shin. He blew out some air and nodded. 

"Okay, sorry." she whispered. "I won't put any more pressure on it." 

He leaned back, pulling his hand away from the sore area and she ran her fingers lightly along the top. Her fingers just grazing his shin as she spread the oil along it. Then she went down to his ankles and stopped.

She moved up just a bit closer and poured some oil on her hands. She leaned over and went for the top of his other thigh. Though at the slight angle she had one of her hands, the back of it had rubbed across the smooth skin of his balls. 

She didn't know if he was going to say anything about that. But she wasn't going to. It was an honest accident. 

As she went down his thighs, he hadn't actually said anything about it, but with a noticeable growth as he stiffened more, she assumed it made an effect on him.

She massaged his knees and brushed her fingers along the top of his shins, not wanting to aggravate the other one either. Then she went to his ankles and stopped. 

"And, I'm going to do your arms too." she crawled back up towards him and poured oil on her hands. 

He held an arm out and she went from his shoulder and down to his hands and rubbing his fingers. 

Then he turned slightly and she did the other arm.

"Thanks, Connie. I really appreciate it." she was finishing up with his hand, then went to massaging his fingers. A casual shrug and a smile from the girl. "I enjoy helping you. You know I do." she let go of his hand and rubbed the remnants along her own hands and wrist.

It was an amazing feeling that she felt that way towards him. He always loved helping her out as well.

And, with him feeling amazing again, he just wanted to show his affection to her through cuddles. 

"You know, since you like helping me so much." he began.

"UH oh.." there was a smirk on her face as she put her hands on her hips. "What?"

"I.. think you actually missed a spot." he saw her eyes quickly glance down at him. "My shoulder, I mean." he pointed at his left shoulder. Then he thought. "Though, that spot was missed as well." he grinned.

There was a short chuckle. "I'll go for the shoulder." she knew she'd put oil on there already, but she still poured just a tiny bit of oil on her fingers. 

"Oooh, there's just _ooone_ thing though." he said ever so casually.

She stopped her hand from his shoulder. "And what's that?" that smirk was still there.

"It can't work, unless you sit on my lap." 

He could see the blush coming to her cheeks and the smirk had left her face. And now her mouth was slightly agaped as she thought of what to say. Then, she said finally "You know, I have a feeling that it would work either way. But," there was that smirk again. "I guess I could do it this time."

She leaned over and sat on his thigh with her legs draped over the other one.

He leaned in towards her face. "Noooo." he cooed and rubbed his nose against her cheek. "That's not what I meant by sitting on me." he leaned back up and grabbed her leg gently. 

And she already had a thought that he didn't want her to sit the way she was sitting now. But she just wanted to act coy.

She moved back slightly so she could swing her leg to the other side of him. And he moved his arms back and grabbed her legs, pressing them against his back in a silent request to squeeze her legs up against his torso.

"That's better." he said and kissed her lips deeply before leaving back up. "Now the oil should work when you put it on my shoulder."

She rolled her eyes. "I have a feeling it was already working when I put it on there the first time." she placed her hand on his shoulder and began rubbing the oil onto his skin.

"See. I'm feeling the effects already." he smiled. And she felt his arms wrap around her waist. "Thanks." he leaned in, kissing her. And she trailed her hands around his shoulders as she kissed him.

  
  


They'd lost track of time after a few minutes of making out. And Steven with his arms up her back and Connie keeping her legs tightly around him. 

And he broke away from her lips and started kissing her neck.

And with the neck at this angle, she opened her sultry eyes and saw the clock up on the wall. It read a quarter past seven. She snapped her eyes open and leaned away from his lips sucking on her neck. "Oh, Steven! I have to get ready for work!"

"Huh?" his mind was still fogged up from his own explicit thoughts. 

She pulled his arms off of her. "I have to get ready." she slid off of him and he missed the.. pressure. And she ran to the dresser, getting her toiletries. "I have to be to work at ten today." she grabbed everything in her hands and started walking to the bathroom. "I have to hurry up and take my shower and eat and then leave out." 

"Aww.. and I was off today." he frowned.

"I knoow. But, our schedules just don't like us." she walked pass him. "Okay, in and out." she said and she went into the bathroom and closed the door. And a few seconds later he heard the shower turn on.

He sighed. 

It was too bad that they couldn't hang out today. It would've been great if they could've went to the movies or the park or maybe even to one of those malls just to window shop. 

But, unfortunately, she had to go to work..

With another sigh, he slid off the bed to go to the kitchen to get his self something to drink and he saw Lion laying patiently in his bed in the corner. 

"Lion! Aw, sorry buddy. Heheh, no hard feelings about last night, right?" 

To Steven it actually looked like Lion was giving him a glare. Or, at least the doggy version of a glare. 

He gave the canine a guilty, apologetic shrug. "Aw, I'm sorry, Lion. Here, let's give you some breakfast. That should make you accept my apology." he walked into the kitchen and took out a bag of his food and Lion was already running up, sniffing the air and huffing with excitement. 

Steven picked up his food bowl and placed it on the counter. He poured the food in halfway then rolled the bag back up. He went back to the cabinet and grabbed one of the canned foods. A can opener and a spoon were already by one of the cans. He chuckled. _Connie thinking ahead._

He grabbed Lion's medicine and got up and the dog continued to huff and shuffle his legs around the boy. "Okay, okay, Lion. I'm coming." He opened the can up with the can opener and used the spoon to scoop the contents into the bowl. Then he started mixing the dry food with the wet food and he placed one of the pills inside of the food. "Done!" he picked the bowl up and Lion jumped on him. "Hey, hey. What did I say? Noo jumping. Sit." Lion's tail wagged with anticipation. "Siiiiit. Sit boy." 

Lion eventually complied and Steven put the bowl inside of the holder and Lion dove right into it. Then he gave Lion some clean water, threw the can away and went to clean the can opener and the spoon off (with the soap and dish cloth that Connie had specifically wanted them to use solely for Lion's stuff) and he dried them off (with another cloth specifically for Lion) and he put them back in the cabinet.

Then he had a thought of doing something today since Connie was going to be out. And he had a thought after that about taking his own shower after Connie. Then quickly realizing that putting all of that oil on probably wasn't the best then..

Though without the oil, he wouldn't had been able to even move slightly, let alone stand and bend in the shower. Besides, he could just use the solution to soak himself in afterwards.

  
  


Connie had left out the bathroom just twenty minutes later in her underclothes and Steven was already ready with his toiletries to go take his shower. Connie having the same thought that he could've taken his shower first, _then_ put the oil on, but then remembering how much pain he was in in the first place. 

While Steven was taking his shower, Connie was making pancakes.

It took him twenty five minutes to get ready (with ten minutes of that time soaking in the tub with the solution) and he was walking out the bathroom with his hair soaked to his head and his breath minty fresh.

He opened the closet and was looking for something to wear.

"You're going somewhere?" Connie asked. She placed another three set of pancakes on another plate.

"Yeah." he took out a pair of pants, a shirt and a jacket. "I'm not sure where though. Maybe the park or something?" 

"Are.. you sure you want to do that?"

"Nyeah?" he turned to her. "Why?" then he quickly thought as he looked at her uneasy expression.. that she was most likely worried about him going out and about by himself. "Oh.."

"I mean, it's only been a couple of days since that happened." she placed the frying pan in the sink and he could hear it sizzle from the water. "I'm just not sure about that."

He put on his shirt. "I wasn't planning on going too far. Just, at the park or, I don't know. Maybe head to the convenient store and back at least? Maybe?"

She didn't seem to like that idea. 

"Or.. maybe I could just, stay home?" he frowned. 

She looked at the sad, crushed looking boy in front of her. "I.." she sighed. "I don't want to come off as telling you what to do. Like how I.. may had overreacted a bit with walking with you to your co workers car and then.. not letting you go.." then she added slowly. "But, this is different. At least you were at work and with your co workers. I mean, I know things could happen at workplaces too, but I still felt safer, rather than now when you simply want to, walk around the park by yourself." 

"I have Lion." he pointed. The dog in question was laying on the kitchen floor. He looked up at him, titling his head.

She shrugged and held it there before relaxing her shoulders. "Lion still isn't a reliable guard dog."

Steven was about to make an excuse about people possibly not wanting to bother him because of Lion's intimidation of being a Pitbull. _And_ that Lion helped him that one time with the robber. And he'd also tried helping out with Sugilite, though he obviously wasn't going to say anything about _that_. 

"Then.. I guess I won't go anywhere today?" he looked at her.

She sighed. "Now _I_ feel bad telling you that.."

"No, that's okay Connie. You're right." he walked to the counter and sat down. "Laying low for awhile is a smart idea." he scratched at his wet hair. "I just, don't want you to worry about it too much. I don't want to see you so worked up and, scared about this."

She sat down. "Yeah.." she said sadly. "But, it's still fresh in my mind. It's hard to _not_ think about it." 

"I understand.." he went to go grab her hand. And he caressed his thumb over her knuckles. "But, something just tells me that it's nothing that we should be afraid of. I really think that it's someone playing around. I honestly think that everything will be okay." he looked up at her solemn face. "And, nothing will happen to us." _he hoped._ "And, I'll stay safe." _he hoped_ "We'll _both_ stay safe." _ and again.. he hoped.._ He slid his thumb under her fingers and gave her hand a squeeze. "Everything will be fine, Connie."

He _really_ hoped..

"Yeah.." she squeezed his hand back. "Maybe.."

He was just about to say something back to her. Something that would hopefully comfort her, but she took a breath and pulled her plate close to her. Her other hand still holding onto his. "Come on. Let's just start eating.."

...................................

They'd finished their food roughly in silence. The very little small talk they had was when they were finishing up their food and Steven had told her that the food was delicious. In which she replied a small "Thanks.." 

And after much tug of war with Steven wanting to walk Connie to the bus stop, (the two of them both not wanting the other to walk alone. Steven not wanting Connie to walk alone with the sad state she was in and he wanted to cheer her up and as well as not wanting her to walk to the bus stop by herself because despite of him not trying to think much about what happened, he _was_ a bit uneasy as well from the event and the masked person and Connie not wanting Steven to walk alone back home, despite of bringing Lion with him), Connie extremeeemely reluctantly gave in since Steven wasn't letting up... and she'd sadly agreed to it. 

The two of them left and they took Lion out for a bathroom break before walking to the bus stop. Hands intertwined and the two very close together. All while Steven was trying to talk to her, trying to cheer her up, even if it was slightly. And eventually, through talking about other things that she liked to talk about and a few kisses on the cheek and hand, she was slowly letting up.

And they were now at the bus stop holding each other. Connie with her arms around his neck and his around her waist. He leaned up from giving her a kiss on the forehead. "Yeah, I remembered that too." he chuckled. "And remember that time when he healed his first alien? Heh, I thought that alien was bad, but he turned out to be nice after all." 

"Seeee, I told you that!" she grinned. Giving him the 'ole "I told you so" look. "I could see that coming from a mile away, Steven." 

"Well you didn't see her coming back and throwing the barn on the alien queen though." he booped his nose with hers and she chuckled. "So. _you_ didn't either."

"Did _too."_ he cooed. "Just like how I knew those other two aliens were actually the same person."

"You did NOT. You were JUST as surprised as I was!" 

"No I wasn't." he gave her a kiss on the cheek. "There was tones of stuff foreshadowing that." 

She scoffed. "Like _what?"_

He thought about it. "Uh.. like that time when uh.. that alien was trying to attack the alien human hybrid and he talked about the color of the hybrid's hair being a reddish pink than a pinkish red to him."-

"Aw, come on. That's a stretch."

"Okay, fine. But what about that time when-"

They heard the bus coming up behind them.

"Oh! I have to go." she leaned in as he cupped her face, pulling her in. And gave her a few kisses. "See you, Connie." he gave her another kiss. "Have a great day at work." 

"We'll see." she chuckled. "Those people at the store can get rowdy at times." he leaned in planting a longer kiss on her lips before pulling away. 

"See you, Steven."

"See you later, Connie." he waved.

She got on the bus and he saw her inside and he waved on until the bus pulled up the street.

Then he looked down at the dog being good and laying on the ground quietly. "Okay, come on Lion. Let's head back home." he started walking away slowly, gently tugging on the leash and Lion got up and stretched and started to walk with him.

The two made their way across the street and were just halfway across the block when Steven saw a young man, about his age with long dreads walking up to them. The man reminding him of Pee Dee.

_Hmm.._

"You know what, Lion? Maybe we should make a quick pit stop at the phone store first. See if Pee Dee's there." 

The dog looked at him, wagging his tail.

"Iiii, take that as a yes then!" he smiled. "Come on."

.......................

Steven and Lion had crossed the street and we're walking down towards the store. Nobody was out there twirling the sign and he did get a smidge sad at not seeing Pee Dee out there twirling the sign. But he figured and hoped that he was just working inside for today. And it would also make sense giving that he'd injured his leg. 

That _Pearl_ had injured his leg. He corrected.

Then he wondered how Pearl was doing.. along with Garnet and Amethyst. He hopes the three were okay-

He opened the door with a chime and was hit with the cool air-conditioning and shiny hardwood floors. Phones of all shapes, sizes, colors _and prices_ were laid above the tables and secured by a thick piece of wiring attached to the table.

Steven saw a hefty guy wearing the company's shirt and a red fitted cap on behind the counter. He was helping one other person.

".. at'll be forty two dollars."

The customer handed him a fifty dollar bill. 

The representative gave him his change and went to the computer. "Oookay." he looked up at the customer. "Alright, you're good sir. You're phone is back on."

"Okay, thanks." the man said casually and turned around, jumping slightly at the Pitbull standing beside Steven and quickly went to compose himself, playing it off as he fixed his jacket. He walked away, casually walking to the _other_ side of the table and away from Steven and Lion and towards the door.

_See Connie? Nothing to worry about. People are already taking precautions. He's a good guard dog._

He stepped up to the front.

"How you doin' Sir? What can I do for ya?" 

"Uh, sorry, I just came here to see if Pee Dee was here. Um, Phillip.

The man looked at him. As if remembering something. "Hey, you Steven?"

"... uh... yyyyes?" 

"HAHA! Naw, you good, you good. It's nothing bad. Yeah, he got a new phone." Steven saw the man take out a folded piece of paper. "He doesn't work here anymore. But he said and I quote "It's a Steven-y thing for you to come up here looking for him"." he handed Steven the paper. "He wrote his new number on there." 

"Pfft, Steven-y thing." he grabbed the paper. "But I guess he's right. I _am_ here, aren't I?" he joked. 

"True dat." 

"Yeah." he pushed the piece of paper down in his pocket. "Well, see ya."

"Aye, wait." 

"Hm?" Steven turned back around. 

"What service you wit?"

"Uh, TA&A."

"Damn, they're pricey. Ever thought about switching over?" 

"Uhh.. I mean." he shrugged. "Not.. really, no. I mean, I've been with this service for years."

"Yeah, but we're better. And cheaper. How much you pay a month?" 

"It changes. But roughly around one hundred and ten dollars."

"What?! Maaaan." he shook his head. "That's waaay too pricey. You should try our service with us."

"I... I mean.. my girlfriend and I are on the same plan so.."

"Oh, that's why it's that high." he nodded knowingly. "Still though, we have couple deals too, so what's up?"

"Uh.. Heheh. Yeah.." he trialed off, wanting to decline politely. "I'm not.. really looking for any new deals or plans or anything. And then I would have to talk to my girlfriend about it and. Yeah, she really likes the company."

"Ah, okay. Can't argue wit the Misses. I don't want to have you in the doghouse." he joked with a laugh. "Though I think she would like us. Maybe you should talk to her about us." 

"Uh, yyeah. Maybe." Steven turned away slightly. "Yeah, I'll probably do that."

He wouldn't. 

Well, maybe? Who knows.

"Cool." the man nodded. "Ard then." 

Steven waved and turned around and walked out the door. "Okay, Lion. _Now_ it's time to head home." he gave the canine a few ear scratches and started heading down the sidewalk.

They passed by a few eateries. One in particular being a pastry shop. And, Steven had another idea yet again.

_Hmm.._

"Okay, Lion. Just ooooone more stop. And THEN we're going home." he turned around going the opposite way towards the subway station. "Besides, it's a beautiful day anyway and you need your daily exercise." he looked down at the canine. "And we're not going too far. Just to The Big Donut. I figured I could surprise Connie with those donut holes she likes. Also, it would be nice to see Lars again. Tell him I might actually join his group after all." he smiled.

Lion looked at him.

"Yeaaahh. That means you and I get to go to the beach a lot, boy." he leaned down scratching the top of his head and Lion stuck out his tongue. Huffing and wagging his tail fast behind him.

Steven leaned back up. "Okay! Next stop, the metro station!" he cheered. And the two of them waited at the crosswalk until it was time to walk across with the other passers-by. And they walked on across, on their way to their destination. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope y'all like these chapters :3  
I definitely had fun writing them! :D
> 
> Aaanywho, stay tuned for The Joking Victim. I only have like one or two ideas, so it may be a bit of awhile before I post the chapters. *Shrugs* I gotta think of what to write xP


	141. The Joking Victim

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Three short chapters this time guys. But I guess it's good to have a little breather :3 I hope you like them either way :)
> 
> Yeah, it's not so much as I _couldn't_ think of anything (okay, that was somewhat the reason) but at the same time I personally just didn't feel like this episode could be any longer. *Shrugs* I don't know. Like some episodes I feel could be more and fleshed out (Like the next episode Steven and the Stevens that I'm currently already writing) and then there are just some like this particular episode/ chapters that's a breather/simple chapters to read.
> 
> Anywho, like I said, I hope you guys like these chapters and I can't wait to post Steven and the Stevens and then we have the next episode Monster Buddies right after that :)

Steven and Lion were approaching the bakery. The roof was topped with a large donut sign covered in chocolate icing with pink, blue and yellow sprinkles. The walls were light brown, and the window canopies a dark pink and white striped pattern with a "Big Donut" sign printed on the awning. In front of the small building was a table with a pink umbrella and two chairs near the entrance. 

"Here we are, Lion!' Steven cheered. "The Big Donut!" he started jogging up with the canine. "Come on, boy. Let's g-" a young boy ran pass him, nearly bumping into him. "AHHHHH!! COMING THROUGH!!!" the boy shouted as he ran into the building. 

_Wait.. That, kinda looked like the car wash guy's son.. Gregory or something like that? _

"Oookay..?" Steven looked at Lion. The dog looked at him for a few moments before wagging his tail. 

Steven shrugged and opened the door. 

He saw the boy underneath of the soda machine, spraying two types of soda in his mouth. Excess soda had already spilled into the floor, forming a large puddle underneath of his feet. 

"Gregory!" Lars was running up to him. "What are you-Whoa!" he slipped on the soda and fell on his back. 

Gregory lifted his head up from the nozzles, panting. His face read. "Sorry, Lars." 

Lars groaned, getting up slowly and Gregory helped him up. "Gregory, what was that all about?" Lars didn't sound mad. Or irritated. Just, skeptic and shocked.

The boy's mouth was still agape as he blew on his tongue. "Fire salt."

"Fire salt?"

He blew on his tongue a few more times. "Yeah. Mignonne tricked me into eating some fries that she seasoned with these hot flakes called fire salt." he whined. 

Lars picked up an empty cup from its holder by the soda machine. "Another trick? This is the fifth one this week." he poured some soda into the cup.

"I knoooww!" the boy whined. "She's just so good at pranks!" 

Lars gestured at one of the chairs and Gregory pulled one out from the table and sat down. He handed the boy the white plastic cup and he began to guzzle it down. 

Lars sat down across from him. "Perhaps you can try talking to her. If these pranks are really bothering you, you should tell her."

The boy was still drinking the last bit of soda and Lars waited for him. He set the cup down with a sigh of relief. Then a huge burp.

Lars resisted a grimace.

"It's, not like I _don't_ like her pranks." he started bending the top of the cup with his fingers. "I just, don't want to always be the center of them.."

"Then you should tell her that."

Gregory held his head down, frowning. "I don't want to hurt her feelings."

"So in return you're going to let her continue hurting yours?"

The boy looked back up at him. Not sure of what to say. "Uh.. well.."

In a very, what Steven thought in his mind, was a dad-like gesture, Lars leaned in, putting a firm hand on the boy's shoulder, sporting a poised grin on his face. "Communication is key, Gregory. You don't want this to continue happening and it ends up going too far." 

"Yeah.. I guess.."

"Besides, I've met Mignonne a few times with you and she seems like a very understanding person. I have a feeling that if you just tell her, that she'll be perfectly fine with it." he gave the boy a pat on the shoulder with the same hand. "And you two are very close friends. I don't think this would hurt your friendship in any way."

"I hope not.." the boy continued to frown as he looked down inside of his empty soda cup. "And I _do_ like her pranks it's just.. I'm kinda tired of always being the one who's being pranked.."

"Then you should tell her that." 

They heard the door open with a chime and the three of them turned around to the door.

"Oh! Hey, Steven!" Lars waved. 

"Hey, Lars." he waved.

A slim girl that looked to be about Gregory's age, perhaps even younger. Maybe ten? Eleven? Steven assumed, had jogged inside. She was wearing a teal dress with black leggings and teal dress shoes. And to Steven, she looked like a mixture of Amethyst and Connie. He didn't know how that was possible, but she did. She looked like a much younger version of the two. "There you are, Gregory!" she smiled as she ran towards him. A fit of giggles coming from her. "I had NO idea those fire salts were going to be so hot! Hahahaha!! I thought you were going to breath out fire!" 

" Heh.." he tried for a laugh, still frowning. And he looked at Lars. 

Lars nodded with a reassuring smile. Then he gestures to the side with his face.

The girl slowed down and as Gregory didn't chime into her laughter, her giggles started to die down. She looked to him, then to Lars and back at her friend. "What's.. going on?"

Another look to Lars for confidence, then he sighed and looked at his best friend. He scratched at an arm that wasn't itching. "Uh, Mignonne? I.." he stopped, wanting to reword what he was going to say previously. "That prank.." he trialed off once more.

"Yeah?" she took a few steps towards him. "You didn't like it?" her voice was light, sounding innocent. Sad.

He held his hands up "No! No! I did! I really did!" he smiled, though it came out more nervous and uneasy.

"Oh." her smiled was coming back. "Then what are sitting there all sad like that?" she chuckled. 

He didn't chuckle back and he looked at Lars once more. And Lars gave him a firm nod.

Gregory turned back to her. Another sigh. "Mignonne, I.. like your pranks." he began. "I really do, but." he bit his lip. Hesitating. 

"But.. what?"

"It.. well, sometimes I don't want to be the one.. you prank.." his expression stayed solemn. Hurt. "I.. always seem to be the one you prank and, it doesn't make me feel good, when you do that all the time." he went to playing with his fingers on the table. Not making eye contact with her. "You always prank me.. And, it makes me feel bad." 

His best friend looked at him. Taking in everything he said and it was her turn to frown. "Aw, Gregory. Why didn't you tell me this before?" 

"I.. didn't want you to be mad at me." then he added. "And I didn't want to break up our friendship." 

She broke into a small, apologetic smile. "Break up our friendship? Be mad at you? Of course not. Why would I be?"

He finally looked up at her. "Because I don't want to be pranked." then he quickly added. "Or at least not all the time." 

She shook her head. "I wouldn't be mad at you for that." she leaned on the table. "It's my fault that I got carried away." she looked at her best friend. "Sorry for pranking you so much. I should've thought more on how you feel. I really am sorry, Gregory." 

"That's okay, Mignonne.. You don't have to apologize. I should've told you before it was too much for me." Steven saw a small hint of all smile. "We're best friends and we should be honest with each other. I shouldn't had thought that that would ruin or friendship."

She smiled back at him. "And nothing would ruin our friendship. We'll always be best friends."

And there was that full smile from the boy. "Forever?"

"Forever." the friendly smile still on her face.

Gregory could only cheese more, so happy of his close friendship with his best friend.

And in a midst of a short, happy silence, a naughty grin swept across the girl's face. "Hey." she dug into her pocket and pulled out a red vial. Red flakes was filled up almost to the top of it. "wanna prank my sister and put this in her mouthwash?" she shook the small vial in her hand. 

The boy gasped. "Would I!!!" 

"Come on!" she started running for the door, giggling and Gregory got up quickly, the chair falling on the ground, going unnoticed by him. He ran after her, laughing.

"See you later, Gregory." said Lars.

The two friends were running pass Steven and the boy turned around. "See ya, Lars!" his best friend was holding the door open for him, still giggling. 

He ran a few steps towards her, then stopped. "Oh wait! Let's get some Cookie Cat ice cream for the road!" he ran to a small, pink freezer box and opened it. "Uh, Gregory?" Lars went to stop him and Gregory took out two ice cream sandwiches. "Huh?" he turned to Lars. "Oh yeah! Thanks Lars for the advice!" he started running for his friend. 

"No, that's not what I-"

The boy was so focused on his friend, in fits of childlike, carefree laughter. "Another friendship saved by Lars!" he cheered towards her. 

"Uh, thanks but, you have to pay for the-" the two were already out the door and Lars and Steven watched the two buddies as they ran pass the window.

Then Steven looked at him and Lars shrugged it off. "Eh, I'll just pay for it out of my pocket. No worries." he got up.

"Interesting kid." said Steven.

"Mm, I don't know." he picked up the chair from off the floor and pushed it back under the table. "In a way, he kinda reminds me of you when you were younger." 

"What?!" 

Lars chuckled. "Yeah. His childlike wonder and how he doesn't want to upset people and trying to put his self into other people's shoes." then he pushed his own chair in. "He's a good kid." 

Steven thought back on the boy spraying him with the water hose that one time AND he was _not_ in a sound state of mind when that happened.., then tje boy messing his little plan up with trying to take Connie back up to the apartment and then when he was going with him and his dad to workout on the beach and he instantly called him "That kissy guy". 

He shrugged. "He's kinda annoying.." Steven mumbled. 

Lars found that humorous. "Ah, he's just a little kid. I have a feeling I was like that when I was his age." 

Actually.. Steven had a feeling he was like that too.. and even _more_ annoying than that Gregory kid. But, he kept that to himself. 

"So." Lars grabbed a mop that was laying right by the break room door. The mop already inside of the yellow bucket. "How's it going, Steven?" he started rolling the bucket towards the soda spill. "I didn't expect to see you here. You haven't been here in months." 

Steven noticed he'd been in the same spot since the time he'd walked in and he took his steps towards Lars as he started mopping the floor. "I was just in the mood. I was outside and I figured I would stop by and grab a few donut holes for Connie. And, I wanted to take you up on that offer of joining the class." 

"Really? That's great!" Lars dipped the mop back into the water, then he wedged it between the strainer and pulled down the lever, wringing the water out of it. He placed the mop back on the floor, cleaning up the rest of the residue, being sure to get under the machine. "We meet at the beach every Sunday and our class usually lasts no more than two hours." he saw Lars look pass him, then continued with his mopping.

"Sounds like a plan to me. Maybe I could see if Mr. Vecino could take me, if he doesn't mind." 

"He doesn't take me as a guy that would." Lars dipped the mop back in the water, strained the water out of it once more and placed it back on the floor. 

"Yeah, I think you're right."

"He's a nice guy, just like his son." he put the mop back into the now brown water. "I'm very sure that he wouldn't mind." he looked pass Steven again and turned back, putting the mop back at the door. "And speaking of Mr. Vecino, he was worried about you too. Well, both of us. He called me, making sure if you and I were okay after that whole, Crystal Gem incident."

Steven held in any kind of expression, despite of his stomach dipping. Keeping his face a neutral as possible. "Oh. yeah." he said as plain and casual as he could. "Yeah, thankfully for us, we managed to get out of there." 

Lars was behind the counter, washing his hands. He turned to him, still scrubbing his fingers under the water. "Right? And the Crystal Gems just. came out of nowhere." he raised his arm and pressed down on the lever of the napkin disposer. He ripped a sheet off and wiped off his hands then used the napkin as he twisted the nobs of the sink, turning the faucet off. He threw the napkin in the trash and turned to him fully. "That was kind of bizarre how they randomly came to the beach though. It wasn't like there were any jewelry stores near us or, that any of us were rich." 

Steven strained his face. Still trying to keep it neutral as he started towards the counter, passing by vending machines, coolers, bakery cases and product posters that lined the walls. "Yeah, it's a wonder. Maybe they were just bored?" 

"Not sure. But if it happens again, we _may_ have to start thinking about looking for another spot to exercise." 

"Hopefully we don't have to do that." 

"I hope not either." he looked pass Steven again. And this time, Steven turned around. Nobody was there. Just the small tables and the front door of the store. 

He turned back to Lars.

"Sorry, Steven. I'm not trying to be rude. I was just.. looking for Sadie."

"Sadie? I didn't know you two were still talking."

"Yeah.. I, kinda went back out looking for her. I just couldn't stand to think of anything happening to her and, when I finally found her we ended up catching up over what happened the last few months. And that was when she told me she wanted to get her life together. So I offered her a job here and she agreed to it. But.." he looked back at the empty door. Nobody walked in. "Looks like.. she may had changed her mind about that." 

"Mm.. maybe she's just running late? She could be on her way right now." 

"I don't know, Steven. I'm trying to stay positive but.. I don't think she's actually coming."

"Maybe she got turned about or lost track of time. Did you try calling her?"

He sighed. "She doesn't have a phone."

"Then.. maybe.." Steven tried to think of something to say.

"That's okay, Steven." Lars leaned his arms on the counter. "Maybe she still just.. isn't ready yet.."

They heard a chime as the door opened and Lars leaned back up in all smiles. "Sadie?!" 

The two saw Onion coming through the door. 

"Oh.. hey Onion." Lars tried to sound happy to see him with a small smile on his face. "Getting your usual?" 

The teenager or.. young man? Steven still wasn't so sure, had nodded his head. Not saying a word. 

Lars put on his gloves and pulled out a light brown bag and snapped it open. He grabbed a few chocolate donuts and put it in the bag. And a few honey buns and two chocolate muffins with cinnamon sprinkles. He slid the bag over to him. "Here you go, Onion." 

The boy handed him a ten dollar bill and Lars used a counterfeit pen to check its legitimacy before putting it into the register. Then he handed him back his change. 

Onion put the money back in his pocket and Steven watched as the boy took out a few mustard and salt packets. He ripped the mustard, then the salt packets open, pouring them all into the bag. He rolled the bag up and started shaking it, mixing up the ingredients. Then, he simply scooped up his trash and without saying a word to either of them, walked away. He threw the trash in the trashcan, turned around and gave Lars a thumbs up, in which he returned the gesture and he turned back around and walked out the door.

Steven looked back at Lars. "..ookay..?" 

"Yeah, I don't question it." Lars took off his gloves and threw them in the trash. Then he took another quick glance at the door before frowning. 

"She'll be here, Lars. I know she will." 

He leaned back on the sink. "I don't know, Steven. I'm not sure if she's ready just yet. But, I'm not giving up. I know she can still be helped." he looked off into the distance just pass Steven. "I wish I could help her.. to get her life together and.." he sighed. "for us to be together..Or, at least was my fantasy." he like back at Steven, giving him a pitiful smile. "She gets clean and get her life together and, we leave Empire City." he saw the way Steven's eyebrows raised. "What?! Really?!" 

"Yeah.. Empire just isn't the same anymore. It's not the city I want to be in to start a family. I want to get away from it all. And, while I know that nowhere is perfect, I at least know that there are a few better cities that are better than here.

And, Lars was right. Crime rate was the biggest, but that's not including every other bad thing in the city with it's gang violence and drugs and rundown neighborhoods just to name a few. And when he'd last checked, Empire City was ranked the top 5 worse/ dangerous cities in America.

And this whole time he never really thought of Empire City like that.. But, now that he was thinking about how the city truly was.. And now that he was with Connie who he actually thought about marrying one day..

"..Maybe Connie and I should move too?" 

Then, as if a switch, he remembered how he was a .. Crystal Gem now.. and that maybe he won't be able to move.. 

.. Ever.. 

"I never really thought about moving actually.." he added. 

"Yeah, it's not for everyone." said Lars. "But it's still something to think about. Especially when you're trying to better your life." 

That last part struck him. 

He remembered say something like that to Connie when he first found out that she was pregnant. 

_"We'll get through this. I know we can.. Connie, I can change." he told her. "I can better my life. For you. For.." he forced out in a whisper. "For our child." _

He took a breath. "Yeah. Yeah, you're right." 

There was silence between them until Lars spoke up. "Yeah." he looked at the door again. "Well, I don't want to keep you. I know you have way more important stuff to do." he leaned off of the sink.

"Today I don't. But I guess it doesn't hurt to head back in early." 

"Now that sounds more like me. I work a lot, so when I finally have a day off, I usually kick my feet up and relax." 

"That's understandable. And not only that, but Connie would appreciate me going back in the house. She doesn't like me walking about in the streets. Even with my buddy Lion." he looked down at the dog laying down and looking up at him.

"I don't blame her." Lars put on another pair of gloves and grabbed a light brown bag. "Some people don't care if you have a dog. And, Empire isn't the safest, so I can see why she wants you in the house." 

"Heh. Now you sound like her." 

Lars gave him a helpless shrug. "Great minds think alike." he snapped the bag open. "How is she doing anyway?" 

"Uh. Good." 

_Don't say anything about the baby, don't say any about the baby, don't say anything about the baby!_

"How's her and the baby doing?"

It took every ounce of him to not groan. "They're both good. She hasn't been saying much about it." 

Actually, now that he thought about it, she hasn't been saying much about the pregnancy at all lately-

"Yeah, still too early in the pregnancy." Lars nodded. "But can you imagine" _no_ "how it's going to be when she gets even further along in her pregnancy? Finding out the gender, feeling the baby kicking, decorating the room and deciding on names. Oooh, I can't wait for that to happen for the both of you!" 

_I could wait.._

"Well" Steven shrugged it off stiffly. Feeling the nauseating pit in his stomach rise. "at least we don't have to worry about that for right now." 

"Sure. But, it's going to get here faster than you can even imagine." he smiled. 

Steven didn't smile back. Instead, feigned looking at the rows of various pastries behind the glass in front of him. "Yeah.." he mumbled. 

He heard Lars chuckling above him from behind the counter. "So, what can I get you?"

Steven pointed to three different flavors of donut holes, with one having sprinkles on it. And he gave himself one cupcake. The rest all for Connie.

Steven handed him a ten dollar bill and he noticed that Lars didn't use a counterfeit pen for him. 

He gave him back his change and slid the bag to him. "Safe travels, Steven. And see you on Sunday." 

"See you, Lars." he looked at the canine. "Come on, Lion." he got up and started following him out the door.

................................

When they arrived back at the apartment, Steven took Lion out for a quick bathroom break before heading back up to the place. 

He opened the door and Lion ran in, dragging the leash behind him. He closed the door and slid the flip flops off and placed the bag on the kitchen counter. He took his one cupcake out and rolled the bag up and put the cupcake in the microwave. He set it on twenty seconds and in that timeframe he gave the dog clean water, gave him a few snacks to munch on and washed his hands. 

There was a ding and Steven opened the microwave, getting the nice sweet smell of chocolate and dough.

He placed it on the divider/ counter and sat down, waiting for the pastry to cool.

He pinched a piece off and ate it. Getting a nice, sweet dark chocolate taste. And the moist dough just melt in his mouth. It was delicious. And he berated himself for not getting two.

He finished the cupcake in just a few more bites and he licked his fingers clean and crumpled up the wrapper. 

He leaned to the side in his chair and threw the trash in the small bin in front of him.

And with nothing else to do all day until Connie came back, he took the laptop off of the table and sat at the foot of the bed with Lion who'd just laid down on it just a few minutes prior. His personal dog bed still laying in the corner from last night.

Steven went to TubeTube, going to a video he hadn't finished from before. He clicked on it and began watching a non spoiler review of a movie he was thinking about watching with Connie.

The last part of the video ended at sixteen and a half minutes and while Steven had enjoyed the video, his mind was still on something else..

Instead of looking at the suggestions, he looked at Lion who had his head laying down beside Steven's leg. The dog's eyes halfway open as he neared sleep. "Lion.." he said softly and the dog's ears perked up as he looked up at him. "I keep thinking about Lars and Sadie." he slid the laptop off of his lap. "If only there was a way for Sadie to realize what she's doing and for them to be together." 

Lion looked at him.

"But I don't know what." he thought hard. "Last time I saw Sadie, she was out on the streets and was on drugs.. And, now Lars says that she wants to get better. But you were there. She didn't come." Lion listened in. "But I just _know_ that there's something we could do to help her out. To open her eyes. But." he rubbed his chin. "I just.. need.. to think.. Hmm.." he looked around the room, trying to think of something as if looking at something in the apartment would help him think of a plan.

He looked at the kitchen, the bathroom door, the carpet, the counter, then to his other side at the window, the blinds, the table, down at the dog, up at the small patio, then over at the closet, then back over at the kitchen, looking at the pastry bag, the faucet, the fridge, then up at the cabinets, then at the bottom cabinets, then the salt and pepper shakers, the ketchup, the hot sauce, the front door, the counter again-

His eyes went back over to the bottle of hotsauce by the salt and pepper shakers.

The hotsauce..

His brain was cooking up something.. thinking.

_Hmm_

He thought about how Gregory was running into the building with his mouth nearly on fire. (Or at least that's how he made it seem, on top of the commentary of his friend saying that she thought he was going to breath out fire.)

Though of course, as kids, they could've been overly dramatizing it. 

Still..

"You know what Lion? Maybe we _can_ do something about that." he slid off the bed and placed the laptop back on the table. "Now I wonder if.." he leaned down on his knees, checking underneath of the bed. He moved a few shoeboxes over and lifted up a piece of carpeting from the floor. 

And, there they were. 

He still had them. 

He still had some drugs that he had left over and had almost forgotten about. 

_Wow.. can't believe I almost forgot I was a drug dealer. _

_Hm, I wonder how Pee Dee and the others are doing without me?_

_Eh.. they probably already found someone else. _

He leaned back up. "Lion, the plan is to use these as bait." and he felt bad showing the dog the drugs he had in his hand. And he closed his hands back up. "Um, anyway. I plan to use what I have left and put some of those hot flakes stuff inside of them. That way, maybe Sadie will realize just how dangerous and easy it is for people to spike her drugs. And, maybe then she'll realize just how dangerous and hazardous her lifestyle is." 

_Pfft.. coming from someone who's lifestyle is extreeeemely dangerous.. Yeah, you're such a hypocrite, Universe.._

He ignored his thoughts and took out his phone, making sure if he could actually get those fire salts just anywhere. 

And he couldn't. Of course.. And the nearest one was two hours away by bus. 

He looked at Lion. "Well at least it's in a good area just up north on the outskirts of Empire." he scratched the dog behind the ears. "Come on boy." he started walking to the door. "Let's pay Sadie a little visit." 


	142. Donut ever let me go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woohoo! We FINALLY get to meet Sadie!
> 
> And yeah, a part of the convo may get a bit cringy. Not all of it, just some just before she starts talking about the whole "cherry conversation" *Shrugs*  
Yeah, I know. Doesn't make sense now, but y'all will know what I mean by cherry once y'all get to that part.

It took Steven just a little over two hours to get to the store. He quickly bought himself a small bottle of Fire Salt and left out the market before anyone else scolded him for bringing a dog inside of the supermarket.

Then he and Lion continued their adventure back to Empire City and down east of it, right on the outskirts of the city. 

Another _three hours _ later (and throughout the ride Steven could easily see just where the good parts of the area went to the bad parts of the area, then down to the even _worse_ parts of the area) he was nearing a few familiar buildings. Two restaurants that he remembers him, Sadie and Lars going to. And one time he'd been brought Connie along with them when they were only friends at that time.

He pressed the button for the next stop and the bus drove down to more blocks before it stopped. He and Lion went out the backdoor and Steven started down the sidewalk. Being even _more_ weary now that he was in one of the worse parts of Empire City.

He could hear a few police sirens and ambulances just off in the distance as he walked down the trash filled, cracked up sidewalks with unknown liquid substances on the ground. And, while it could very well be from soda or booze, he couldn't take that chance and made a mental not to wash off Lion's paws. Or better yet, give the dog a bath since he hadn't gotten one in awhile anyway. 

He passed more boarded up houses and he saw a couple rats scurry on across in front of him. Thankfully he had the leash in his hand to prevent Lion from running off, the dog pulling against the leash to run after them. 

They walked down a fee more blocks in the shady neighborhood and Steven kept on high alert, looking around himself every now and again.

They turned up a corner, passing by an old Lake Trout store on the corner with a few people waiting on their fried fish and side order of fries. He had to admit, it smelled pretty good. And Lion had his nose in the air, smelling the delicious fish as it wafted from the cracked door of the place. 

With a few minutes of travelling up, Steven had only realized then, the hole in his plan. As in, what if Sadie _did_ end up going to The Big Donut and he'd missed her? Or, what if she doesn't live around there anymore? 

Steven had been so into helping Sadie out and bringing her and Lars together that he never even thought of anything falling through.

"Uh oh, Lion.." he looked down at the dog and he looked up at him. "Now I'm not so sure with this idea." they crossed the street, passing by an old field with yellow, dry grass and weeds. "What if she's not even here? What if all of this was for nothing?" 

But, despite of his thoughts, he kept walking towards the area he would usually see Sadie. And he looked around, just in case he would spot her, the closer he went.

Four more blocks down and he was nearing more abandoned buildings. The sun was beginning to set and he picked up his pace, now thinking about Connie. He would have to hurry up and try to find Sadie or. _not_ find her and go home before it gets too late.

But at this rate, Connie would definitely beat him home and, it was only a matter of time before she called him or texted him, wondering where he was.

He turned down the last block and down the sidewalk and slowed his place down as he came across two tall, abandoned condominiums. In between them was a narrow alley and at the very end of it he could see a small tipped over dumpster.

The dumpster was still there.

Maybe she was still there too?

Another look around for any shady people and potential threats. He didn't see any and he proceeded down the wet, smelly alley. He kept Lion on a tight leash, constantly pulling the canine away from the trash bags, broken bottles, old tires and other dirty, harmful, miscellaneous items that littered the alleyway.

He was approaching the dumpster, slowly.

"Sadie?" 

No answer.

He stood there. Not sure if he should knock or not.

This could easily be someone else's house now.

"Sadie?-"

He heard a loud bang as a trashcan lid fell to the ground behind him and instantly he ran his hand across his arm, _not_ forming a bubble around himself.

The ring _and_ his Crystal Gem shirt back at the house.

".. Hello..?"

The alley laid silent..

Oh no.. This'll be all he need.. Another situation like Centi happening but this time the Gems not being there with him. 

And he didn't have his ring-

A striped cat jumped out from the trashcan and he jumped up, screaming and Lion started to bark loudly, and the cat along with a few spooked rats ran down the alley.

He held his heart, panting. And Lion kept barking.

And just then, he realized that he'd tried to activate his bubble..

..with_out_ his mask.. 

Someone could've found out his identity. 

Yeah, he would need to be more careful with those bubble reflexes..

Between pants, he tried to shush the dog. "Shhh, shhh." he tried to calm him down. "You have to be quiet. You can't blow our cover." 

Lion eventually complied and he calmed down slightly. The dog still on high alert for any other small critters. 

Steven looked back at the what he assumed empty dumpster. "I guess she's not here." he frowned. "Come on, Lion. Let's hurry up and get out of here." he fast walked down and out of the alley. And with another look back at the dumpster, he started retracing his steps, going back up the block.

"Guess we couldn't go along with the plan after all, Lion." he turned down the block, passing by someone who was picking cigarette butts off the ground. "Excuse me." he said and walked around them. 

The person stood back up and wondered to their self for a few moments before finally saying. "Steven?"

He turned around and he couldn't help a huge grin spread across his face. "Sadie!" he ran up to her. 

"Wowsers, Steven! I didn't think I would ever see you down here! What the heck are you doing in Hartings Pikes?" 

"Uh." he shrugged it off. "Just wanted a change of scenery and decided to take a few buses down here."

"That's some hike. That has to be what, two, three hours?"

"Yeah, but I don't mind. It's something different and it's not like I do it all the time."

"Nice, living on the care free side." she nodded. Then her attention went to the dog. "Cool, so I see you have a Pitbull." she bent down and Lion started growling. "Uh, you might want to be careful with him." he pulled on the leash. She ignored him, leaning a hand in front of the dog. "Hey boy. Don't be all growling at me." she coed. 

Lion leaned in smelling her hand. "That's right. I'm a friend of Steven." he started licking her hand. "See, there we go." she trialed her hand up and started petting the dog. "This is one cool looking Pitbull, Steven. Where'd ya get him?"

"I found him. Someone threw him out and I rescued him."

"Awwwee, there's Steven being Steven again." she giggled. She raised her other hand to scratch at the dog's chin and Lion lolled out his tongue, panting. "So how have you been anyway? Still.. _selling merchandise_" he read between the lines. "and still breaking girl's hearts?"

"Uh, I don't really, do that as much anymore" _I guess aside from right now.. or, soon? _ "and no, I settled down."_ .. ish.._ "I'm with Connie."

Sadie stopped scratching Lion's head for a split second before resuming. "Wow, really? Huh, I didn't think you two would end up together."

He tried _not_ to feel a certain way about that. Still, he felt a piece of ice hit his gut when she said that. "What do you mean?"

Lion was licking her face and she started laughing. She leaned up, still giggling. "Well, it's obvious. You two seemed to be two polar opposites. Connie seemed like this sweet, little, sheltered, Mary Sue kind of girl and well, while you were out there roaming the streets, banging chicks left and right and doing whatever you pleased." she cocked her head to the side at him. "Just seemed like it wouldn't go smoothly. Not to mention her extremely strict, conservative parents who wanted her to marry that other boy. Forgot his name." 

"Kevin.." he spat out under his breath. And he griped the handle of the leash tighter in his hand.

"Yeah, him." she nodded with a finger snap before bringing the same hand back down to continue petting Lion. 

"How do you know about all that?" 

"We talked a bit in the ladies restroom. I think it was like, the fourth or fifth time we all hung out together. She was saying how she really liked you but wasn't very sure if you and her would really work out for each other. With your, _out there_ kind of ways and then there's her who didn't know anything about relationships or had very little street knowledge. And again, she was worried about her parents. If she _were_ to give you a chance, she knew that they wouldn't allow it. A bad boy like you who was a whopping THREE years older than their daughter? And who wore ripped up skinny jeans with high tops and wore plaid? Surely you were only going for their precious little girl's pants and nothing more." she chuckled. "But, obviously that wasn't true. If I'm to do the math correctly, you two have been together for what, almost three years then?"

"Yeah, our three year anniversary is coming up in less than two months." 

"Aweeee, sweeeeet." she cooed. "I hope you're treating girlie right. She seems like a keeper. She's just so sweet and innocent."

Sweet and innocent? Well, because of him.. not anymore.. "Uh, y, yeah. I'm treating her right." _not really, I could treat her better.. _ "We uh.. we live together and-" he didn't dare say the other part. "And we're doing great together."

"AND living together?! Wow, Universe. Can't believe I would ever see you settle down and go that far into the relationship. She must really be something special."

He felt his chest heat up, feeling the butterflies in his stomach. "Yeah.. she really is." he gave her a small, shy smile.

"Well, keep it up. I want to be at the wedding and the baby shower when it happens." and he almost choked on hearing the words 'baby shower'. She didn't know anything about Connie being pregnant, she was just joking around. Still, that caught him off guard. "Uh, sure. I'll, keep that in mind." 

"Good." she slowed her pet on Lion's head before getting up. "So, what about you? Are you okay? She's treating you right, right?"

"Oh, yeah. Of course. Always." he felt his cheeks heating up. She was an amazing, special person. And it was absolutely no one else like her. "She's treating me great." 

Sadie nodded with a genuine smile before she tilted her head down, a dastardly, sly smile comin to her face. "Is she treating you great in _every_ way." she nudged him in the chest with her elbow. "Or just in every way other than sexual?" 

He felt his stomach dip and his face get even hotter. This time, in embarrassment. "Uh." 

"Hey, I'm just saying. She also told me about her parents' values and traditions and wanting to save herself for marriage and whatnot and how you most likely wasn't going to like the idea very much. So," she shrugged casually. A lazy grin on her face. "I was just curious. How does a guy like you, who literally had sex everyday and I even caught you that one time when you were doing it with Chloe behind a dumpster." she chuckled at the memory. "to someone not having sex AT all. Dude.. you must be the definition of blue balls." 

He was at a standstill. Embarrassed. Shy. Feeling uneasy. 

Extremely guilty..

Should he tell her?

It was Sadie.. and it wasn't like she meant any harm by it. He knew she didn't. Still, he just didn't want to say it because _he_ started to feel guilty and uneasy about it ruining Connie's plan of waiting..

Even if it was Connie's idea and not his..

Maybe he could've just, said no?

He looked up at Sadie. Face flustered and at a lost for words as he played tug of war in his mind.

Sadie's expression started to change, her mouth spreading into a huge grin before it became a wide, teethy smile. Her eyes full of shock and humor. "No wayyyyy." she nodded slowly, pointing an accusing finger at him. "Ooooo, you sly dog. You.. you got her to do it, didn't you? You popped the cherry." 

He inwardly cringed. He always hated that expression. And.. it wasn't him. He didn't _get_ her to do anything.

"Heheheh, ahh, I should've known." she shook her head. 

He finally started to find his voice under the pressure and the embarrassment. "No. I.. I didn't get her to do anything." and he stopped right there. 

But she picked up quickly. "And.. it was _her_ idea." she smiled smugly. "Guess no matter how sweet and innocent they are, nobody can resist the 'ole Universe charm." she gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder. "Wow, good job, Universe."

He didn't think that was a good job. He didn't have sex with lot's of girls to brag about it. He just liked doing it. So her telling him "good job" just made him feel.. dirty.. and guilty now that she was talking about Connie.

He shrugged to the "compliment". "I wouldn't say it's a 'good job'." he mumbled.

"Staying humbled. Nice." she pulled back her hand from his shoulder. "Well, Universe. I'm not going to keep you up. It's getting late and I know it's going to take you quite a bit to get back uptown."

"Y, yeah." he looked up at the darkening sky above them. "Yeah, I should be heading back before Connie starts worrying."

"Awweee. She is just so precious." she cooed. "You tell her I said hi, okay?"

"Yeah, will do." 

"See ya around, Steven." and then she looked down and pet Lion once more and cooed. "And see you awound too, doggy." 

The two went their separate ways before Sadie started running back up to him. "Hey, Steven."

He turned back around. 

"I was wondering. And I know you said you don't do it as often, but, do you have any of your _merchandise_ on ya? I have about ten bucks I manage to scam up."

_Oh right!!! I was supposed to trick her with the stuff!! Good thing she went out of her way to come to me instead._

He smiled. Acting. "Of course. And this one's on the house. You don't need to buy it." 

"No kidding?!" she cheesed. 

He dug into his pocket and handed her a balled up napkin. 

She opened it and her jaw dropped. ".. Beautiful.." she whispered with such awe in her voice. "I know this is going to some strong stuff." _you have no idea_ "I'm going to head back to my place and start on this RIGHT now." 

"Sure. Have fun." he acted. 

Yes. The plan was undergoing. And she will soon realize how dangerous it is to do drugs. 

It was a brilliant plan!

Nothing could go wrong!

"See ya, Steven." she turned on her heels and ran for her place which Steven assumed was still that tipped over dumpster he'd saw earlier.

He turned around and started going the opposite way.

And thinking to himself.. now what?

Once she takes the stuff, then how would she learn her lesson exactly? Perhaps he would need to be there when it happens. So when it does, he could point out the dangers of living this way.

... Maybe?

Or, maybe she'll go back to doing drugs..

WELL, he could only try.

"Come on, Lion. Let's see how this goes." they turned around and started walking back down.


	143. Do or donut. There is no try

As the two was just two blocks away from Sadie, a pickup truck had stopped beside them.

And Steven would've been scared out of his mind, if he hadn't known who that pickup belonged to. 

But, he did.

"Lars?" 

The window rolled down. "Steven? What are you doing all the way down here?" 

"Uh, I was just uh-"

They heard a piercing scream from down the street an they looked in front of them. Sadie was running across the street screaming at the top of her lungs as she ran up the next street, disappearing behind the abandoned condominiums. "Sadie?!" 

"Lars!-"

"Hurry up!" he cut him off. "Get in!"

Steven ran to the other side and threw open the back door and he quickly lifted Lion in before slamming the door back. He opened the front door and jumped in and Lars was already driving away before he closed the door.

"Lars-"

"Ohh, I just KNEW something was wrong! I just had a _feeling_ there was a reason why she didn't come!" he turned down the street, looking off to his right, then his left, trying to find her. "I knew I should've came here earlier."

He looked so tense. The poor guy gripping the steering wheel hard. "I wonder what happened." he whispered. Scared for her. "I.. I need to find her." he turned down another street, listening to her screams in the distance.

And Steven had to end it quickly. The plan seemed to be falling apart at the seems already. "Lars.. Lars I'm sorry, it was me!"

"What?! What do you mean?!"

"I.. kinda put those fire salts inside of.. uh.. some." he coughed. "Some.. drugs that I gave her." 

"DRUGS?! he screeched. "STEVEN WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT!! YOU PROBABLY REALLY MESSED HER UP!!"

"But that wasn't my intention!!" he whined. "I was just trying to show her the downsides of being on drugs! That, people could spike her stuff and I just wanted to show her the consequences of what she was doing! I was just trying to help you two out!" he watched Lars' uneasy expression on his face. "I'm really sorry, Lars. I was just.. trying to help. You told me you wanted her to get better and, I thought I could give her a wakeup call." 

Lars looked like he was going to yell out more, but, he closed his mouth. And he took a deep breath to calm his self down though his hands were still gripped tightly to the wheel. "Steven.. I." he stopped. And loosened his fingers as he exhaled deeply once more. "Steven." he sounded more calm. "I guess I can understand where you're coming from but.. this? This isn't the way to go about it. Giving her drugs in the first place then, spiking it?" he shook his head, grimacing. "Of course I want her to change for the better, but you and I can't force her it on her, especially not like this. And, while I have to acknowledge the effort you were going for, this, just isn't the right way. Maybe it could've been executed a different way but.." another shake of the head. "This is just mean. and. wrong.. on so many levels.." he turned the truck down another block. Sadie's screams getting closer.

Steven felt horrible. Lars was right. He could've thought of doing something else.. Even if it was coming from a good place, he could've done something entirely different that could've yieled better results.

Then, there was also a part of him that was a bit jealous. 

_Lars_ again being the goody good person and being the nice, sensitive guy.

Pfft.. that was supposed to be _him_ holding that title.

Besides, how can Lars be more Steven then well.. Steven!

Still.. he had to focus back on the important matter at hand.

He sighed. "Yeah, you're right." was what he said.

Lars leaned in, squinting his eyes. He gasped. "I think I see her!" he accelerated.

The woman was trying to open the cap off of the first hydrant. Still screaming.

Lars parked just a couple yards away and he snatched up a Big Gulp cup and a pack of crackers from in between them and he opened the car door. "Sadie!"

"Wait here, Lion." Steven got out the car and followed him.

She was panting, sweating. "Lars?!" she shouted.

"Here!" he stretched his arm out as he closed the distance between them.

And she eyed the huge, styrofoam cup in his hand. And, grabbed it. And took her first few burn diminishing, thirst quenching gulps. The soda hitting her tongue and cooling her mouth off.

"Sadie." Lars began. "I'm so sorry this happened to you." 

She took a few more sips and swallowed. She wiped the soda from her bottom lip with the back of her hand. "What do you mean?" 

"The drugs were spiked." 

She lowered the cup from her mouth. "Wait.. WAIT.. YOU... DID... THIS... TO ME?!?!" 

"No! I didn't-" 

"Sadie it was me!" 

"Steven?! What-" 

He ran up to her. "Sadie, I'm sorry. And I know now" he looked at Lars. "that I should've done this a different way but," he looked back at her. "Sadie, I'm sorry for tricking you like this, but I was just trying to force you out of doing drugs. I wanted you and Lars to have your future together." he heard a part of a gasp or a choking sound from Lars. "Sadie, Lars really wants you to get better. He has these high hopes for you to be a better person. He wants to help you out in every way that he can and I, stupidly thought that, giving you drugs and, putting these hot flakes in them would open your eyes to see that, that could actually happen to you in real life. That instead of fire salts that, it could be something else. Something, more harmful to you. Again Sadie, I'm sorry, but. I didn't think of another way." 

Sadie looked at him for what Steven felt like it was minutes on end, though he knew it had only been for a few seconds. 

Then she looked over at Lars. The young man blushing slightly from what Steven had told her. "Lars.. is this true?" 

He sighed, patting down the tuff of hair on his head before bring his hand back down to his side. "It's true.. It's all true. Sadie," he took a few steps towards her. "Despite of you meeting those, me friends of your and ha going out with the wrong crowd and.. despite of us growing apart and going our separate ways for a few months, I was still thinking about you. I was still _worrying_ about you. And wondering how you were going about with your life. Then, we finally rekindled and, I thought that." there was that blush. And he looked away before meeting her eyes again. With a meek shrug he said. "I thought you would want to start out fresh. Get your life together and I had this, I don't know, this idea that, maybe we could.. develop our friendship on a more mature level and, grow. with each other.." he stopped right there. His face up to the tips of his ears feeling hot. 

Sadie started tearing up. "That night you came to see me.. To rekindle our friendship.. At first I wasn't sure what that meant to you. But ever since then, I couldn't get the thought out of my head that you’re a good person." she walked up to him, smiling sadly up at him as tears slid down her face. "That night, I really thought, that maybe I _could_finally live up to your little nickname and being your Player One." Steven saw a wide, genuine smile form on Lars' flushed cheeks and he laughed. 

_Must be an inside joke?_

"And I took you up on that offer on getting a job but then. My mind was telling me..What if I mess up? What if I end up going back to the drugs and how I used to be? And, what if I end up being worse? I didn't want to just drag you along in my path, so I decided to just, not try at all."

"Sadie." he looked at his best friend. Her blonde hair disheveled and crusted with dirt and oil. Her skin blotched with dirt and crust and her lips chapped and dry. For most people, they would stare, but he looked pass all of that. Her clothes, everything. It was Sadie. And she was a good person. "You didn't have to worry about that. I know the kind of person you are and I know that, none of that wouldn't had happened. You're better than all of that." he was so sure of it. He really was. "Sometimes your mind likes to play tricks on you. Or, be your worse enemy, your worse critic." she dabbed at the corner of her eye with her sleeve as she listened to him. "Ignore it. You can try and you can succeed. Don't listen to those negative thoughts, Sadie. You can get back up on your feet and you can win. You can achieve." 

_Man.. does this guy just spend his work breaks reading cheesy quotes on the internet or does it just come to his mind so effortlessly? Seriously, HOW is he more Steven than ME!_

Sadie was smiling. Tears still coming down. "You know.. I, really want to get better. I want to be better." 

"Then." Lars said gently. "do it. Be that change you want to see in yourself. And, I'll be there beside you to help you when you need it."

Sadie hiccupped as a sob came out. She ran into him throwing her arms around his torso. And he returned the gesture, hugging her back, with his arms around her shoulders.

And Steven watched the embrace from in the truck. It was nice. Sadie was taking her first step towards improving her life. And she had Lars by her side to help her. And with him being by her side, the path hopefully wouldn't be too hard for her to overcome.

The hug lasted for a full minute before Sadie slowly broke away, her eyes still looking up at him. "So.. what do we do now?"

His arms was still around her shoulders as he shrugged. "Nothing too fast. Whatever is easier for you. We can take things step by step."

"Like.. that job?" she looked a bit nervous.

"Only if you want to. But if that's too big of a leap, we could focus on something else. I noticed how that job offer was something that I thought about. If you think that would be a bit too much for you, there are other things we could do." 

Sadie thought about it then said slowly. "No.. no, that's okay I.. think I would be able to manage a job." then a beat later. "Maybe just starting out one or two days a week?" 

"Sure." he smiled. And he wanted so bad to ask her about her living arrangements, but thought that as something that was a bit too fast. Perhaps he could ask her if she wanted to live with him or, find a place once they get the ball rolling first.

"How about this Wednesday?"

He nodded. "Sounds like a plan." then he grinned. _Player one."_

She laughed and leaned in again, giving him another hug which he returned instantly. "I'm really glad we had this talk." 

"I'm glad too." 

They two leaned away slightly. In calm silence. Until Sadie spoke back up. "So.. I guess I'll see you in a couple of days." 

"Yeah." he felt his chest explode with heat and anticipation. Looking forward to seeing her so soon. "I guess so." he smiled.

She chuckled. "Well, I don't want you two to be travelling back to the city so late at night. I think I'll end it here before I start talking your head off." 

"Heheh." he scratched at the back of his head. "No, you don't do that." he drawled. "But, you're right. And I need to take Steven home anyway. I know Connie wouldn't like her little hubby to be out at night." 

"His little girlfriend is so precious isn't she!" 

"She is. I'm really glad that he met her. He seemed to really calmed down."

Sadie guffawed. "Looks like she straightened him up."

"Yeah." he snickered. 

She kept her friendly smile. "Okay, Lars. _Now_ I'll let you go." she lowered her arms away from him. "And I really can't wait for us to see each other on Wednesday." 

"Yeah, me either." he slid his arms off of her shoulders. Then he looked at the truck and back at her. "Did you want me to give you a ride back?"

"Oh, no. That's fine."

"Are you sure? I don't mind." 

"No, no. It's okay. Really. I, like getting my steps in." she went for a reassuring smile.

"Okay then." and he took a step and stopped. "Oh I almost forgot." he handed her a box of Oyster crackers. "I bought your favorite." 

"Thanks, Lars!" she grabbed the box from him. 

"Yeah.. before I drove down here, I bought you a soda" he gestured at the cup. "and some crackers just in case I saw you down here." 

"That's really kind of you." 

"It was nothing." then he added. "And I bought some soda for me as well but, maybe you should have it." 

"Ah, Lars.. I can't." 

He waved her off. "Nonsense. You need it more than me. Especially with those dry crackers. I'll be right back." he ran back to the truck, grab the Big Gulp drink and ran back. "Here." 

She pushed the crackers inside of her pants pocket, the rectangular box too big and hanging halfway out of her pocket. And she grabbed the other cup. "Thanks." 

"No problem." 

More calming silence with big smiles between the two until Sadie once again, was the one to speak up first. "Well.. I'll see you later." 

"See you." he waved and he took a few steps, only to stop. His brain on one more thing. He turned back around. Um.. did you" he looked at her. "need any money? You know, for something to eat." 

She looked at him. Her mouth slightly opened. Embarrassed. "OH! Uh, no.. No that's okay. I, I.. I can't do that to you." 

"No, it's fine." he dug into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. 

"Really, Lars. I can't.. you've, already done enough."

"And I can't always do more?" 

"I-I mean.."

He handed her a twenty dollar bill.

She didn't take it. "I can't do that.."

"Of course you can." he learned the bill closer towards her.

"I have ten dollars, so I'm fine." 

"Then you can keep the ten for something else and use this for food. Or, use the ten for food and keep this later for something else." 

She looked at him.

He smiled. Nodding. "Here. I want you to take it."

She sighed softly. And took the bill. "I really do appreciate it, Lars."

"Hey, I'm just happy to help out." 

  


  
  


Steven saw Sadie and Lars exchange a few more words to each other and saw them hugging once more before they went their separate ways. "Yeah, Connie. I'm fine. I just bumped into Lars, that's all. I'm with him now."

Sadie walked pass the truck waving to Steven. "See you, Steven!" 

He smiled as he waved back silently. Then he turned back around in his seat. "Yeah... Yeees, Connie. I'm-.. yeah, I'm on my way back- Yess, I'm on my way back home. Lars is taking me home. Yeah-.. Uh uh.. uh huh."

Lars hopped in the truck and closed the door, all while smiling. 

"..e there soon. Okay.. Yeah.. See you when I get home.. Mhm.. yeah, s, see ya Connie." he hung up the phone.

"Awee, Connie checking up on you?" 

"Yeah." he put the phone back in his pocket. 

"Well let's not keep her waiting any longer." he put his seat belt on. Still smiling. 

"So I take it that it went well." Steven asked. 

"Very well." he cheesed. And he turned the car on. And he looked up at the rearview mirror and watched Sadie, making sure she made it across the street safely, then disappearing in between two houses for a short cut back to her place. 

Then, he looked back down in front of him, shifted gears, looked out is his side mirror to make sure any cars were coming and he pulled into the street. 

"You know, Steven." 

He looked at him. 

He chuckled, shaking his head. "I.. hesitate to say this but.. I think I need to give you credit." 

"On what? What do you mean?" 

"Well, with your idea. It actually looks like that helped out. That and you with knowing how to use your fancy Steven words that you do and that paved the way for me to talk to her. And this time, I really think. No, I _know_ she's serious this time." he stopped at a stop sign and looked at him. "Another day saved by Steven Universe himself." he nodded. "Thank you." 

Ah, now he felt better. Someone like good 'ole Lars thanking him for helping him out. Guess he wasn't losing his Steveny ways to Lars after all.

Or.. at least not that much?

He ignored that complex and smiled back at Lars. "It's no problem, Lars. Glad I could help."

Keeping his smile, Lars pulled off from the stop, making his way back up to Empire City

..........................................

Lars parked in the lot in front of the building. 

"Thanks for the ride, Lars." Steven opened the door. 

"Anytime." 

He slid out the car and turned to him. "And I can't wait for Sunday." 

"Yeah, me either." 

Steven opened the door and Lion hopped out. 

"Night, Steven." 

"Night, Lars." he closed the door. 

As Lars was backing the truck up, Steven went around back to take Lion out for a bathroom break. 

Then the two came back around and Steven opened the main door to see Connie walking up the stairs from the laundromat. "Hey, Connie!" he jogged up to her. "Hey, Steven." 

"Here, let me get that for you." he grabbed the huge, heavy basket from her hands and gave her a kiss. "How was your day today?" 

"Great. Can't complain." 

"Nobody giving you a hard tiiime." he cooed. 

She chuckled. "No. Not today." 

"Good." he gave her a peck on the temple.

They walked up the flight of stairs to the second floor and walked down the hall. Connie opened the door for him but Lion was the first one to bolt his way through, nearly knocking over Steven, causing him to fall into the wall. And Connie looked at him, shaking her head. 

"Yeah heheh, I.. still have a lot of training to do." he pushed his self off the wall and walked in and Connie locked the door behind him.

And overall, the night went by smoothly. He'd set up the bed with the clean sheets while she went to check on the food that she'd put in earlier. Then he gave Lion a bath and took a shower after (and with his body starting to ache once more, he soaked his body inside the solution for fifteen minutes afterwards) and the two of them talked and watched a few shows until it was time to eat.

Then they ate, talked some more and watched a movie and when Connie was starting to get tired, they decided to end it at the movie and they got comfortable in bed.

It was just, a normal day in general. 

And he hadn't had one of those days in a while and it was a nice breather. 

It seemed like something was always happening. But today? It was literally just a normal day. He got up and ate breakfast with Connie after she gave him a nice oil massage (which he would like to have again actually) and he got to walk her to the bus stop, then he went to check on Pee Dee and managed to get his new number and then he went to see Lars to take him up on that offer and to give Connie some pastries (which she said she was going to take with her to work) and he was able to help Sadie out and bring her and Lars a bit closer together. 

Everything worked out so nicely today. 

The whole day was great.

And all he would have to do is go on just ONE more mission with the Gems tomorrow and he would have at least five days off to relax and to be with Connie and Lion (unless of course Peridot calls them for a random mission) but he just had a feeling she wouldn't be calling them and that he would have his official five day break.

Yes, he couldn't wait. Just one more day and then. relaxation. 

Relaxation and... something else?

He had a feeling that they wouldn't be getting a call from Peridot for any missions. Yet, apart from getting his rest, he felt like he would still have to do something with the Gems. And, maybe it was something he could help them out with? 

He didn't know. And he _still_ couldn't put his finger on it.. but he still had that, gut feeling that something huge and important was going to happen.

He scooted up closer to Connie, his arm wrapped around her waist as he got comfortable under the covers. He gave her a small kiss on the cheek and laid his head back down. 

For the past week or two he has been floating on cloud nine. And he was _still_ in an amazing mood. 

And so whatever that inkling is, whatever is going to happen, he was confident enough that he would be able to overcome it. He just knew it. Because he was Steven Universe. And he always found a way. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That little part where Steven is talking about "that same feeling of something huge going to happen", I was referring to chapter 106 Stepping Stones at the very end of the chapter where Steven just had a feeling that something was going to happen with his and Connie's little outing (which something did happen) and he had a feeling that something huge and important was going to happen within the two weeks. (which marks this week the last week) sooooo.. will something happen this time? Or...... ;)
> 
> Any who!!! Hope you guys enjoyed these chapters :)  
Stay tuned for Steven and the Stevens! :D


	144. Journey to the Sea Spire

When Steven woke up, he heard Connie by the door. He leaned up and looked to his side. She was putting on her shoes. "Good morning, Connie." 

"Good morning, Steven." 

He slid to the side of the bed. "I can walk you to the bus stop." 

"Ah, that's okay." she fixed the shoe on her foot and leaned up. "I'm already running pretty late." she opened the door.

"Aww.." he got up. "Well at least let me give you a kiss before you leave." he jogged over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "As usual, have a good day at work." he gave her a kiss on the lips, then the cheek, just under her eye.

She chuckled. "As usual, I'll try." he snuck in another kiss, longer, before pulling away. "See you later, Connie." 

"Later, Steven." she walked out the door. "Oh and I already fed, Lion and gave him his medicine. And your food is in the microwave." 

"Thanks Connie!" he watched her walk down the hall and gave her one last wave before she disappeared around the corner. 

He stepped back into the apartment and closed and locked the door behind him. Lion was in front of the main closet, biting on one of his chew toys. "Good morning, Lion." the dog ignored him, still chewing on the toy. 

Steven looked up at the clock on the wall. _7:56a.m_

"Hm.. I wonder when we're going to the Sea Spire?" he asked Lion. The dog continued to play with the toy in his mouth. It squeaked between his teeth. 

Steven used that time to use the bathroom and when he walked back out, he heard a chime from his phone. He walked over and grabbed the device from under the pillow. He unlocked it and read the screen. It was a text from Amethyst. 

**Yo. We're picking you up at oh ten hundred hours. **

**Okay. I'll be there.**

He laid the phone down on the counter/ divider and opened the microwave. He felt the food. It was a bit warm and he closed the door back and pressed the button on the machine. The microwave began to whir and he poured his self a cup of orange juice and placed it on the counter. The microwave beeped moments later and he placed the plate on the counter by his cup and sat down. He picked up his phone, checking the notifications on his MyFaceSpace page.

  
  


Within the next hour and fifty three minutes, Steven ate, rubbed some of the oil on his body, spent forty minutes on TubeTube, letting his stomach digest the food, stretched then did a few aerobic exercises like jogging in place and jumping jacks, then doing a few push ups and sit ups (as Garnet suggested he do to burn fat and to build muscle) then cooled his self down with a walk around the apartment then a short stretch, then ended up taking a shower due him being all sweaty, then _reapplied_ more oil on his body. 

He placed the bottle back and closed the mirror and walked out the bathroom. Lion was asleep in his little bed that was back at the foot of theirs.

He leaned down and pulled the GemTech shirt from underneath the bed and slipped it on and he went to the closet. He took out a pair of jeans and a shirt and threw them on. "Alright, Lion. It's time to go." the dog cracked an eye open. "Come on, Lion." he smiled. "It's time to go. We'll have plenty of time to rest later. Now let's get out of here." he opened the front door.

Lion got up and stretched and jumped down with a thud on the carpet. He made his way slowly to Steven. "Don't worry, boy. Hopefully this'll be a quick mission." he closed and locked the door and the two made it down the steps and out the main door. When they turned the corner, the truck was already parked at the side.

Steven looked around as he made it to the truck. Sure the Gems hadn't ambushed him in awhile, but he could never be so sure. 

He opened the door and Lion jumped in and he slid in after and closed the door behind him. "Good morning, Amethyst. Garnet, Pearl." 

"Buenos Días."

"Good morning." , "Morning." Garnet and Pearl said over one another.

Steven buckled up as Garnet pulled off from the alley.

He looked over at her then at the rearview mirror at Amethyst. It seemed like they were doing great. As if nothing happened just a day before. 

As if. they _hadn't_ blacked out.

And apart of him wanted to ask how they were doing. But he wasn't so sure how Amethyst would react to it.

Still.. he just wanted to know and maybe this time she would start appreciating that he's asking about her well being?

He cleared his throat.

_lightly._

_And all three of them looked at him._

"Uh. I, just wanted to ask if you two were okay?" Steven was looking at Amethyst through the rearview mirror. "I was worried about you two." 

Garnet glanced at him through the mirror before turning her attention back to the road. The woman looking embarrassed. Guilty.

Amethyst gave him a one shoulder shrug. "Eh." she said. "We good, man. That crap's happened before." she waved her hand before quickly changing the subject. "So." she said abruptly. "The mission."

Steven kept his eyes on her.

"We're going to dive down to the Sea Spire to retrieve a water jewel. Peridot says it's a Chilly Scale jewel." 

"..What does she mean by that?"

"Duh, che. This jewel is going to be cold to the touch and modelled after a weight scale. Simple as that."

It wasn't that simple to him, but he kept that to himself.

"We just have to keep our eyes peeled and be _very_ careful in not touching or knocking over any of the fake jewels that's in there. Or else the whole place will fill back up with water and push as back out of the room, making it a tedious job trying to get back in."

"Right." he nodded. Though he was screaming internally. He didn't know how to swim and he would soon be deep sea diving to some underwater building.. 

"Another easy mission like the ones as of late." she leaned back in her chair and threw her feet up on the dashboard. "Get the jewel. And leave." she shook her head, chuckling. "Wow.. these missions have really been _wayy_ too easy. Where the heck is the challenge?" 

He honestly could make do without the challenges.. These missions were already bad enough for him.

..............................

Forty minutes later they were passing by a beach area with a huge ship that reminded him of a pirate-esque ship he would see in the movies. Then just a few minutes later they neared the dock that they'd met Onion on. And just fifteen minutes after that, Garnet was driving across the sand towards the sea.

The three of them started putting on their masks and Steven put his mask on then Lion's.

"Time to suit up." said Amethyst.

Garnet and Pearl exited the car and Steven opened the door. He jumped out with Lion right behind him and Pearl opened the door for Amethyst. 

He saw the trunk pop open and Amethyst and Pearl went to the back. He followed them. 

There were various scuba gear laying in the trunk of the car. 

The Gems started stripping down to their underwear, say for Pearl who grabbed her stuff out the trunk and took to the side of the truck.

He looked at Lion and the dog looked at him. Then he went for one of the scuba gears. A wetsuit. For the other equipment, he hoped someone would help him out with them.

He took off his two shirts and jeans and the flip flops and started putting on the skintight wet suit one foot at a time, squeezing his big legs within the tight material and rolling the suit up and pass his thighs to his waist. Then he put his arms in and had to suck in his gut as he zipped up in the middle. 

He felt like a wrapped up pack of meat.

He heard some chuckling that turned into a full out laugh. "Aw man, look at you. Can you even move in that?"

"Uh.." he took a step, feeling the suit hug his butt and crotch area and down to his thighs. "Barely."

She shrugged. "Well, tough. That's what you get for being tubby." she put on her mask. "You need to lose more weight." she picked up the oxygen tank. 

He sighed. "I know.." he'd been self conscious with his weight. Almost as much as Connie being taller than him..

"Whatever. Like I said when you first became a Crystal Gem. You're going to lose some pounds, which you already seemed to had done already. And we're going to have you lose more weight and strengthen you up." she put the tank on her back and started hooking up the equipment to her vest and mask. "We're going to make you fit."

"Right." he picked up the full-foot fins.

And she wasn't lying. With the missions and now with the new workout regime with Garnet, he was probably going to slim down quickly and build a ton of muscle and look like a body builder within a month.

"Yo, G. Help Pillsbury with his gear."

Garnet came over to him all geared up from head to toe. "Put the fins on. I'll strap them on." 

He slipped them on his feet and Garnet snapped and fastened the fins to his ankles and his swim suit.

Then she went to fasten, buckle, and hook-up the rest of the equipment to him. His headgear, his tank, a snorkeler, a Buoyancy Compensator vest, a scuba regulator and then a- 

"A watch?" he asked her.

She fastened the device to his wrist. "A dive computer." she corrected. "It monitors depth and bottom time as well as recalculates our no-decompression status. That gives us longer dive times while still keeping us within a safe zone of no-decompression time." she leaned back up, adjusting his scuba mask. "The device also monitors your ascent rate and tank pressure." she pointed to the tank strapped to his vest on his back. "It logs your dives, tells you when it's safe to fly." _fly?_ "and much, much more since it's specifically a GemTech dive computer."

aHe didn't understand over half of what he said, but he nodded anyway. 

Then, Amethyst had ordered Garnet to put the equipment on Lion and Steven watched as Garnet somehow. and effortlessly. put the equipment on him, leaving out the dive computer. 

And Steven noticed how Lion's mask was made a bit different than theirs. It was more, tailor made for a dog. 

_Wait.. did Peridot make that for him specifically? _

"Aaaalright, aaaalright. We're wasting precious time. Let's go." Amethyst waved them over. 

The three of them, and Lion (who wasn't really liking the flippers very much, the dog trying to shake them off with every wobbly, awkward step he made) followed her as she made it towards the shore. 

"Everyone follow me." he put her mask on and the snorkeler in her mouth.

"Could I.. possibly swim with someone?" Steven finally asked, timidly.

Amethyst snapped around, taking the snorkeler out her mouth. _"What?"_ she spat out.

He waited until now to finally tell her..

"I can't swim.."

"What?! Talc, how!!- .. WHAT?!"

"I was never taught how.."

She growled. "Whatever. You betta THINK of how to follow us down." 

And as if a switch.

"Oh yeah! I think I do actually." he held his hand up with the ring. "I have my bubble!" 

Amethyst glared at him. "You'll use that now." she said. "But. you _will_ learn how to swim. And Garnet will teach you, along with your training." she put the snorkeler back in her mouth.

"R, right. Of course."

The three started working away from him and he swiped the jewel on his arm. The bubble formed around him and Lion. He made it smaller for him to navigate the bubble easier, then he kept his hands on the bubble as he placed his legs far apart to keep the bubble afloat on the water.

The Gems walked into the ocean and Steven followed them, being careful of his bubble.

The farther they went, the deeper the water got. Amethyst being the first one to be engulfed. The woman disappearing under the surface. Then it was Pearl, then Garnet. 

Steven slid his feet just a bit closer together and the bubble started to sink. He saw the Gems swimming away from him and he spread his feet farther apart, stopping the bubble from sinking any lower and he started his slow jog towards them, thanking Peridot in his mind that the bubble actually moved forward and not having him simply jog in place and the bubble not going anywhere.

During their swim towards the spire, Steven looked around the ocean, seeing various fishes swimming pass him. And when they swam deeper, he noticed the area getting darker and darker around them as they swam farther towards the deep sea floor.

And darker..

"Uh.. guys?" 

"Keep up, Talc." said Amethyst. She and the other two kept swimming. 

And the Gems started to blend in with the darkness and he jogged forward in his bubble, looking around. "But, it's getting her to see!" 

She didn't answer him. And neither did her henchmen. They kept going. 

_How can they see in-_

_  
_

The lens on his goggles changed to black and he was able to see the Gems swimming away from him.

He's gasped. _Night vision goggles!_

_Actually, I should've send that coming._

Just ten minutes later of diving deeper towards the ocean floor he could see a bright blue and green castle with four huge spires at the corners of the roof. There was a long see through hallway attached to the double brown doors. And at the other end of the tube where the Gems were heading to, was one huge round door. 

Steven slid his feet together again and the bubble lowered all the way down to the ocean floor. 

Pearl was already breaking the code on the lock. Amethyst and Garnet were on either side of her.

Steven made his way over and he looked up just once, seeing nothing but water. Not even seeing fish that swam deep under the water. 

How deep were they exactly?

He looked back down and the Gems were gone. The three of them having walked through the door. He ran within the bubble and just in front of the opened door. The door slamming back right behind him, pushing him in. He fell forward as the bubble rolled across the stones in the hallway.

He got up and heard a low beep in front of him. Pearl had broken the code from the double brown doors. Then the water started to sink down towards the floor.

The two doors opened up on either side and Amethyst stepped in. Then Garnet and Pearl and Steven who was still in his bubble.

"Wow.." Steven looked around at all of the colorful jewels sitting on shelves and tables.

"Remember." he heard Amethyst say. "A Chilly Scale jewel." a beat later, as she turned to Steven. "And _don't_ touch anything. Touch the wrong thing and their security system is going to go off." 

"Right. No touching." he nodded. "Got it."

"Good." then she pointed at him. "Now deactivate the bubble and look for the jewel."

He swiped across the bubble and the bubble disappeared. He grabbed hold of Lion who was sniffing the jewels around him. His nose high in the air. 

"Amethyst." the three turned to Pearl. She was standing behind a door. The tablet beside her sparking out from her short circuiting it. "Maybe it's in here?"

"We'll check." she started for the door and Pearl opened it for her. She walked in.

Garnet leaned up from looking at the jewels on the table. Pearl held the door for her and she walked in herself as Steven was walking towards her. The door closing right in his face.

He sighed. Still not knowing what was with her.. Especially with the very, veery small talk they had just two days ago..

He thought they would've gotten at least pass _this_ part..

He opened the door and walked in. The room was smaller than the previous one, though it had more more colorful jewels of varying sizes on even more shelves and rectangle tables.

He walked up to a table, looking at all of the expensive looking items.

None of them had matched the description and he had to gently pull Lion away from getting on the table. He went to another table. "Hmm.. I wonder which one it could be." he whispered to Lion.

"We already found it, Talc." Amethyst answered behind him. He turned around. She and the Gems were standing in front of a huge, oval shaped jewel as big as his head. It was light blue, with frost on it. And right at the top of the shiny rock was a small rectangle engraved in it. The scale. 

Amethyst shook her head, sighing. "Too easy." she leaned up from the jewel. "Looks like we've already found our Chilly Scale jewel." she turned to Garnet. "Garnet, the jewel." she gestured and started walking away. 

Garnet grabbed it and she and Pearl followed her towards the door. "Great." he smiled at Lion. "Looks like we get to go home early, boy." he followed them just as the floor below them started to shake. "Uh oh.." 

Amethyst turned to him. "Talc! What did you do!"

"I didn't do anything!"

"You must've stepped on a trick wire!" 

"I-!" then he stopped. "There were trick wires?!" he looked around.

"I don't see why ELSE this would be happening!!"

Four cannons shot out from the floor and the Gems put their snorkelers back on and Steven swiped the ring across his arm just as water shot out of them. Two cannons spraying the Gems towards one side of the room. The door they'd walked through previously cracking open and the water pushing them through the door. The other two cannons on the opposite side of the main cannons pushing the bubble through another door that'd cracked open. 

Steven screamed as the rushing water blasted the bubble to another room, the area filling up rapidly with water. "The Gems!!" he shouted. "Aw man, Lion! I need to get to them!!" the water level rose up to the ceiling. 

"They're probably off swimming away by now!!" he slid his feet close together and the bubble sunk down fast to the floor just as the water in the room started to lower back down rapidly.

He spread his feet farther apart to slow the ascend for a soft landing. The last bit of the water had slid through the cracks of the floor. The door he'd just been forced through was just in front of him on the other side of the large room. He started running towards it in the bubble.

Then he saw something humanoid run pass the door and behind a tipped over table. He stopped. Afraid to say anything..

He didn't move.

And Lion started to growl beside him. He looked down at him. The canine.. was looking up at the ceiling.

He swallowed. And looked up.

The chandelier was saying above them.

Something close ran by behind them and they turned around. Lion's growling getting louder.

Nobody was there. 

"Lion.. we really need to get out of here.." Steven whispered.

The canine only growled louder. Snarling now as he stared at the darkened part of the room. And Steven couldn't see anyone.

The dog lunged forward, putting his paws on the bubble as he let out a few warning barks. 

"Lion, I don't.. see anything. What do you-" a huge, round object came spinning towards them and Steven fell back screaming as the object smashed into the bubble. Lion started barking madly at the darkened area.

Steven lowered his arm down and looked at the ground. It was a huge chunk of rock.

".. What..?" he looked up. Nobody was there.

Then Lion's ears went back and the dog turned around. Steven saw him lunge towards the back of the bubble, barking loud at..

Steven heard a low chuckle from behind him and a chill went down his spine. He turned around slowly and gasped, crawling back within the bubble.

A tall, buff man wearing a blue jumpsuit with a bald head and light blue eyes was staring down at him. "Looks like we have ourselves another straggler, boys." 


	145. Steven and the Stevens

A figure jumped down on one side of Steven and then the other. He looked at the two. The one on his right in the same dark blue jumpsuit, though a blue jersey with a yellow circle had been thrown over it. The tall, slim guy was light brown skin with brown hair and a beard. The man on the other side was a bit shorter and muscular than him. The man also sporting a dark blue jumpsuit with hard, thick boots. The other two sporting black tennis shoes. His hair was dark brown like the color of his eyes and he had a strong chin. 

And all three of them, sporting snorkelers above their heads and an oxygen tank on their backs. 

The one wearing the jersey stepped up and placed his hands on the bubble. "You got a lot of nerve coming here, punk."

The dog continued to bark at the three guys.

The one with the boots cocked his head to the side. His arms folded and his face in a tight scowl. "Looks like this one is going to learn the hard way too." Steven noticed an English accent. 

"NOOOO!!! Let me go!!!" he shouted, looking around. "Amethyst!! Garnet!!...Pearl!!" he knew it was no use.. calling out their names.

The men took a step away from him, looking around. Their attention alert. And he could see the shocked looks on their faces. 

Then their boss looked back at him, shaking his head with a wry smile. "I can't believe we would fall for such a thing. The Crystal Gems going back for their own?" he scoffed. "Yeah, right." he chuckled and the other two followed after, chuckling down at Steven. 

"I don't want any trouble! I just want to get out of here!" 

Another shake of the head. "You must not know who we are, do you?"

Steven looked at the three young men.

"We're the three Stevens!" he boasted. "Steven." he gestured to the one on Steven's right. Then he gestured to the one on Steven's left. "Steven." then he pointed a thumb at himself. "Steven."

Was.. this a joke? Did they know him or something? Or was it just one huge coincidence that all four of them were named Steven?

"What's the confused look?" their boss leaned down towards the bubble.

Should he even tell them his real name? He should really be hiding his identity better.. 

"..My name is Steven.. uh, too." 

He raised an eyebrow at him. His expression softened. And taken aback. "Really?"

Steven nodded. "Yeah." 

Silence stretched on and the other two Steven's looked at him.

Then, he shrugged. "Eh, oh well. Too bad we still have to kill you." 

"NO!!" 

"And what a shame too. Such a good name gone to waste." he leaned his arm behind his back and took out his sword.

"Please! I don't want to fight! I, I just want to leave! Let me go!"

"Well you should've thought of that before you trespassed. And now it's time for you to pay the price!" he turned to the one with the jersey. "S.C. Your sword. now." 

S.C. took out his sword from the back. The blade glinting under the ceiling lights. He threw the sword down and the blade shattered upon impact. "WHAT THE-?!" he looked at the bubble, then at Steven. 

He shrunk under his glare. "Uh.. this bubble's pretty much indestructible it seems.." he said meekly.

Their boss gestured at the one with the boots "Steve. Your sword. now." 

The man grabbed his sword from the back. The sword longer and sharper. He brought it down and the blade crashed into the surface of the bubble. Shattering it to pieces. 

Another shocked glared. Then their boss turned to Steven. "What is with this bubble.." he grumbled.

Steven was getting up slowly, cautiously. "I... told you. This bubble is indestructible."

The man glared at him.

"What should we do?" S.C growled out. He and Steve looked at him.

He clenched the sword tightly in his hands. "We're going to break him out of his bubble. One way. or anot-"

Steven spread his hands across the bubble and it ballooned outwards, pushing the men away and they slid back on the floor.

Steven was already running for the door as he shrunk the bubble back down to size. Then he came across the door. The handle.. leading them to their escape just right in front of him. He looked back. The men were gaining on him already.

He swiped across the bubble and it disappeared and he grabbed the doorknob. Right as he opened the door, their boss' sword flew right pass him and he screamed. The blade of the sword wedged into the face of the wall beside him. "Come on, Lion!" he panted. He pulled the sword out of the wall and ran into the room. 

"I got you now!" Steve shouted behind him and Steven turned around, with the sword held at an angle in his hand, stopping the guy from coming any closer. "Think you're so tough with that weapon." he grounded out.

Lion barked at him.

_"And_ with that dog." he added. He tried going for Steven and he retreated a step, throwing the sword down and forcing the guy to step back. He threw the sword up, then back down in warning strikes, not wanting to really hurt him and every time S.C would jump back or pivot quickly and effortlessly, dodging every warning strike with jab steps and a retreating step or a lunge to either side.

Their boss stepped up beside him. "I got him." he passed Steve and towards Steven and went for a round house kick, kicking Steven in his wrist, sending the boy backpedaling from the force as the sword flew out of his hand. 

Steve ran for the sword as the boss lunged at Steven, throwing him into the floor. He tried getting up from the grapple, trying to remember what Garnet had taught him just a couple days ago. 

Lion tackled into the guy's side, going for a deadly bite at the man's chest. He screamed out, getting off of Steven to pull the dog off of him. 

S.C. ran towards his boss when he stopped him with his hand. "No! Go for the boy! I can handle the dog!" he went to grab at the dog's face once more. Lion shook his head, pulling a the man's jumpsuit and ripping his skin.

Steven got up as S.C ran for him. Steve on the other side with the sword. He took a few steps back, looking at the men as they advanced towards him.

"I told you. I don't want to fight." he held his hands up. "I just want to leave."

"Like we said before." said S.C. "You should've thought of that before you trespassed." 

"It wasn't me!" he admitted. "I didn't want to do this. I was forced to." 

"I don't believe you!" Steve threw the sword down and Steven jumped back, keeping his core balanced as he landed back to the floor while swiping the ring across his arm. The bubble formed around him as Steve went for another strike, the blade shattering against the bubble. "NOO!!!" he threw the handle into the floor, scowling at Steven. 

"Guys, please, I-" he looked between them, seeing their boss trying to get a sharp knife from his belt. Lion now at the man's shoulder. The top of his jumpsuit damped in blood. "Lion! That's enough! Stop!"

The dog kept biting, still not aware of the command.

S.C. and Steve looked at each other before running for the dog. 

"Leave him alone!" Steven ran towards them, hitting S.C with the bubble. The man fell back and Steven swiped across his bubble, deactivating it. "Lion! Come here, boy!" he commanded and the dog let go of the boss' arm, running towards Steven as the boy lunged for Steve, grabbing the man by the torso and remembering what Garnet taught him as he tried shifting his weight. Steve grabbed for Steven's shoulders and Steven pulled the man towards him as he lifted him up, throwing him hard into the ground and he jumped on him. Steven pinned him down as he wrapped his legs around the man's legs. His legs locked and his hands placed firmly on the floor as he pinned the man down. He tried pushing Steven off of him, but to no avail. 

Lion was growling at Steve on the floor. "Easy, Lion. Sit. Siiiit." the dog obliged, but kept his eyes on the man.

S.C jumped on Steven, putting him in a headlock and he tried pulling him up. Steven kept his legs locked onto Steve's legs, forcing the man to try and pick both of them up. He shruggled with the added weight.

Their boss walked in front of him, dagger in hand. "Let Steve go." he held the dagger up. "or else."

Steven dropped his legs down, letting go of Steve's legs. The man stood back up.

"Good." he locked eyes with Steven. "Now, S.C. Bring him over." 

Steven waited for the right moment..

Remembering he and Garnet's sparring session..

And when S.C got closer to his boss and the man twirled the dagger in his fingers, going for a better handhold, Steven jumped and brought his weight down to the ground, S.C making a startled help as he bowled forward and over Steven's shoulders and knocking into his boss. 

Steve went for Steven and the boy advanced, the man's fist just hitting his shoulder as he tried to dodge out of the way and he brought both hands up, carefully remembering the pressure points that Lars showed him. Another hit to the chest and Steven grunted, ignoring the pain and he threw his hands forward, jabbing one hand towards his forearm and his other hand towards the man's other forearm, hitting two pressure points. The man's arms falling limp to his sides. He screamed out in horror. "What did you do to me!!!" 

S.C. tackled Steven half way to the ground before pulling him back up. Lion got up, growling at the man. "No, Lion! Sit boy!" he wasn't going to let Lion hurt them.. He couldn't let that happen..

Lion didn't sit. But he stood in his place. Alert. And watching S.C as he brought Steven's arms back. "I got him for you now."

The boss advanced forward and right as he brought the dagger down towards Steven's chest, in a quick motion, Steven lifted his leg up, going right between the man's legs. He groaned, leaning forward and Steven brought his leg up, using just half his strength, not wanting to do too much damage and kicking the man in his face. He fell over this side.

"Why you little-" S.C. pulled him in, trying to slam Steven down to the ground and Steven pulled his leg back, tucking it behind the man's foot and pushing him backwards, making S.C lose his balance. 

The two fell to the floor and Steven maneuvered around, flipping his self over haphazardly over the man's face and he tugged his self up, ripping from S.C's grip. "Come on, Lion." he jumped over S.C and grabbed the dagger from of the floor as the boss and S.C got back up. Steve tried going for a snap kick and Steven stepped back, stepping back forward directly after and pushing Steve's torso hard as he clipped into the back of his ankle. The man falling over. His arms falling loosely by his sides. 

Steven ran away from them with Lion right by his side. S.C was running right after him, gaining on him 

Steven saw a few ladder-like bars leading up to a small, square opening in the ceiling. He grabbed Lion, then jumped up, grabbing hold of the first bar, his feet having to point out to the sides, the flippers making it impossible to climb with his feet forward. He held on to the top of Lion's arms, the dog's body dangling beside him. "I'm sorry, Lion. I know this is uncomfortable for you." he climbed up to the second bar, then the third bar, then the fourth and the fifth. 

Right as he climbed towards the top, just a couple bars from the opening, S.C shouted out. "Time to finish this!" Steven looked back. S.C jumped up high and Steven was amazed at how high the tall, slim guy could jump without any devices or shoes helping him. Such raw power coming from the man's muscular legs as he jumped up towards the wall. He used the momentum, jumping off the wall with a huge push off just from one leg and towards the ceiling. With one arm out in front of him, he grabbed the edge of the opening and kicked Steven in his chest with enough force to knock the boy off of the bars, sending him hurdling towards the floor. 

He landed hard on the stoney surface with Lion. He groaned, turning his head stiffly. "Are you okay Lion?" he grumbled.

Their boss grabbed Steven up by the shoulders and he screamed as the hulking man lifted him up. He threw him into the wall. 

Lion ran towards the man, growling.

Steven grunted, getting up slowly with the dagger still in his hand. "Lion. No." he whispered, feeling his muscles starting to burn and ache. "Sit." and the dog complied. Reluctantly.

The boss walked up to him and Steven stood up straight, throwing his arm up with the dagger in his hand and the man stopped. Glaring at him.

He scoffed. "What. What are you going to do with that-"

Steven threw the dagger away from them and to the other side of the room. 

The man looked at him. Confused. 

S.C let go of the edge with one hand, landing back down on his feet without any recoil. 

_Impressive.._

And Steve was making his way towards the other side of their boss. 

The three men stared at them.

"I told you guys. I don't want to fight." he said gently. "This is wrong. _I_ was wrong." he quickly corrected. "I'm sorry."

Silence..

Then there was an "Apology _not_ accepted." said from their boss. He started taking his steps towards Steven and S.C and Steve did the same.

Lion got up and Steven held a hand up, shaking his head. He looked back at the men. "Come on you guys. You don't want to do this."

"We do." said Steve. "And we _are."_

"But.." he tried to think of something. "But do you _really?_ Do you truly want to do stuff like this?"

"What kind of question is that?!" S.C asked.

Maybe he could talk to these men.. Like how he tried talking to the ones at the dog fighting rink..

And, right then, he wondered what had became of those thugs.. Did he get through to at least one of them?

He could only hope that he did.

Steven swallowed. "Like.. do you guys really want to only hurt people and, steal?" he looked at each of them. "Do you not want something better in life than killing people and robbing from these hard working jewelry stores?" he looked at the jewels scattered all around the room from the water incident earlier.

"Of course we do! That's why we've been doing this for years!" Steve yelled.

"And you haven't thought of doing anything else?" he asked him. "Something more.. positive? And, right?"

"Of course not. Why would I?"

Steven shrugged. "Because.. it's the good thing to do?" his voice cracked. "And.. uh. Nobody gets hurt? And.. you make people happy that way?"

"And who cares if anyone gets hurt?" their boss asked.

"And why would we want to make anyone happy when our folks weren't?" S.C added.

Steven looked at the main guy in front of him. "Because we have to think about other people's feelings. We can't just, discard them like they're nothing. We have to put ourselves in their shoes. If we don't want to get hurt or killed or.. stolen from, then we shouldn't do the same to other people. It's wrong." the boss only looked at him. His expression unreadable.

He turned to S.C. "And if you have first hand experience with people you know being unhappy, then you should know how horrible they felt. You shouldn't want anyone else to feel like that. Treat people with respect and kindness and, just be helpful. And that alone should make you feel better just knowing that you made someone's day better. I mean, wouldn't you had liked for someone to treat your family like that?"

The three were silent.

Until their boss spoke back up. Scrunching up his face at Steven. "And this is coming from someone who's in the worse gang of all time and doing the exact opposite of what you're telling us. You do what we've done and even worse." 

S.C and Steve looked on. Realising the hypocrisy in it all.

Steven sighed. "Guys I.." he felt the first tear slide down his face. "Guys, I have no choice. I'm.. I'm dead if I don't do this." he looked at them. "But _you_ three have a choice." he continued. "And even though I don't have a choice and my life is on the line.. I'm still trying to find ways to.. not be as brutal as them. That's why I didn't want to fight. I don't want this. I.. never did." he wiped the tears off his face. "But you guys have that choice."

Silence.

And he saw the men's face. Contemplating.

Silence..

"You know.." S.C began and everyone looked at him. "There.. actually _have_ been times when I wondered what it would be like.. if I wasn't a criminal." 

The two men gasped in his direction.

Silence.

Then another confession as Steve opened his mouth to say. "I thought that, since my family was like this, that I should follow that same path. But, maybe I could break the "tradition" " he made air quotes. "now.." 

Silence. 

And everyone was looking at the boss of the group.

A sigh from him. Then he said "And I thought that I could keep robbing stores and making money like that for the rest of my life. That's how it all began for me anyway. On my own and trying to make ends meet as a teenager. Then, I guess I just got used to it."

Silence.

And everyone exchanged meek glances.

Silence..

S.C scratched at the back of his neck. "So.. what's next?" he looked over at his boss and Steve. "What do we do now? Just.. cut cold turkey just like that? And, leaving everything behind?"

"Unless." everyone looked back at Steven. "you three try to take it step by step? Cutting cold turkey may not be easy. And, the last thing I want you three to do would be to go back to doing this because of withdrawal or because it's too hard." 

The three men exchanged glances and Steve shook his head. "I rather leave everything behind. I believe I can handle it."

"I can too." S.C nodded.

There was a slight smile on their boss' faces. "I know I can leave all of this behind as well." he looked at the two. "We have more than enough money that could last as for awhile. Especially if we live frugal."

"I agree." said S.C. "But what are we going to do with all of these jewels?" 

He looked at Steven. "We'll take them back." the smile was wider. friendlier.

"That's going to take about two, three weeks maybe." Steve looked around the room. 

"Then we better start soon." his boss told him with a chuckle.

S.C looked to be pondering about something. The man opened his mouth to ask an important question. "But what kind of jobs would we even get?"

The three thought about it, before Steven spoke up. "Whatever you're good at!" he smiled. 

They looked at him. In thought.

And not coming up with anything. 

The three of them only having thought about robbing and killing trespassers for years. 

"Weeeell?" Steven drawled. "Okay, maybe I can help." he pointed at S.C. "Steven! You're really athletic! When I was feigning swinging my sword down you were doing these cool moves with your feet. You were so fast! And you can jump SO high and you grabbed the edge of the ceiling like it was nothing!"

S.C raised an eye at him. "So.. I should take up gymnastics?" 

"Well, uh, I mean.. sure? But I was thinking more along the lines of, basketball." 

"Hm.. I never really thought of that." 

Steven turned to Steve. "Steven! You have a cool British accent. Ever thought about being an announcer or, some kind of show host?"

"I've.. never thought about that actually. But now that you've brought that up, perhaps I could host a nature show." then he thought and gasped. "Or a naturalist! Ooh!! Or an explorer! Or a television presenter or writer for BBC!!"

Steven shrugged. "Why not both?"

He gasped. "Of couuuurse." 

Steven turned to their boss. "Steven!" then e went quiet as he thought about what _this_ Steven could possibly do.. 

He was buff. With a bald head and light blue eyes..

A .. wrestler? Security guard? ...Body builder?

Before Steven could say anything the man took a crack at it. "I would like to be a show host. But, not for nature shows." he quickly clarified. "I want to be a talk show host and have my show be a platform for serious, common, everyday topics so I may help both people on my show dealing with complicated issues and problems and to help those who view the show as well. It's like a small slice of therapy per episode."

"Wow, Steven." said Steven. "That's.. that's actually really thoughtful of you." he smiled. "I really hope you reach your goal. That's definitely something that I would like to watch."

Their boss returned the gesture with a smile of his own. "I know how it is growing up in the streets and having a difficult life. And, I think I give good advice. Perhaps I'll be able to relate to some people."

"I have a feeling you will." he looked at the other two. "I have a feeling that all three of you will make a huge difference." and he really did. He wasn't just saying that. 

"Well, as much as I would like to stay here a bit longer." he looked at the door that Pearl had broken into earlier. "I do need to get going." 

And.. call an Uber? Since the Gems had definitely left him..

"Right, of course." the former boss and up and coming talk show host said. "We need to get this place cleaned up anyway." he picked up a jewel to emphasize a point. 

The red jewel glinted in his hand

_Wait a minute.._

Steven looked closer and noticed scales on the jewels. Red. Scales.

".. uess I'll trash this one though. Didn't steal it. Someone from a gang gave it to me." he monologued. "But I don't have a reason for it now since, that's not me anymore."

What kind of jewel is that?"

"A Chili Scale jewel." 

And Steven tried to keep a neutral look on his face. "I've never heard of it."

"It's a pretty expensive jewel. You can tell by the chili peppers made into fish scales."

_So _that's_ what Peridot meant.. not a cold jewel made into a weight scale.._

Steven chuckled, playing it off. "If someone had told me "Chili Scale peppers", I would've thought that they meant chilly, as in cold and.. a jewel that was also a scale. Like a weight scale."

The three of them started laughing.

"Told you someone would fall for that!" S.C laughed.

Steven looked at them.

"It was his idea." the man pointed at S.C. "We figured we'd plant fake jewels and turn them into puns as a joke."

"Wow.. Clever."

"It is. And that's how we trip up some of our trespassers."

Steven kept looking at the jewel. Wondering how mad Amethyst must be, if she'd even found out yet. And he wondered if he should ask for the jewel. It was like Amethyst was there to force him to get it.. but, he was going to throw it out anyway and Peridot needed for something..

What would he do-

"On a second thought." Steven snapped out of his thoughts and looked at him. "Did _you_ want this?" he asked him.

"W, what?!" 

"Yeah. I don't need it. And it seems like you really like it. How you're looking at it."

"Uh, yeah." he grabbed it from the man's hand.

_Well that was easy_

"Come on. Let's get you back up to the surface." 

Steven followed the man towards the broken door, for the man to finally realize what had happened to it. "Hm."

"Sorry about that!" Steven quickly shouted out. "We.. ruined the locks on both doors." 

The man simply waved him off. "Along with everything else, this building should come down as well. It was already falling apart anyway." he walked pass Steven and down the see through hallway. The blackness of the deep sea surrounding them.

The two stopped just before the exit door. S.C and Steve just behind them.

Steven turned around, wanting to give the man one last apology before leaving and possibly never seeing him again. He looked at his jumpsuit dyed in blood. "Sorry about what my dog did.. I should've stopped him before it got to that point." 

"It was fair game." he told him. "And your dog was only protecting you."

"Right.." he looked at the scratch marks near his neck. "But are you sure you'll be okay?"

"I've been wounded worse. Sure, it looks bad, but I've encountered worse wounds than this. I'll be fine."

"Okay.." 

The three of them said their goodbyes to Steven and he returned the gesture, hoping for the better for them.

He swiped across the floor and the bubble formed around him and Lion.

The man slid the snorkeler down to his face and opened the door for Steven and a rush of water came back into the hallway.

With another wave and a thank you for letting him go and giving him the jewel, Steven turned back around and started walking in his bubble across the sea floor.

He looked down at Lion. "Everything ended up working out in the end." he scratched at the dog's ears. 

And that only fueled him up more. 

If he could help these people and show them peace and resistance to fighting, maybe he could make a difference. And he hoped he would be able to rub off on the Gems. And he strongly felt that he would, eventually.

And he would take down the whole Crystal Gem empire without brute force and war.

That wasn't him. And he didn't want that.

He would take them down through positive approaches. Through compassion, empathy and simply _talking_ it out.

That'd worked for him time and time again throughout his life. 

  
  


So, why wouldn't it now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***Kudos to anyone who knows which Steves/ Stephen I was referring to with the three Stevens! :D ***
> 
> Also, glad to see that Steven is putting what he learned from Garnet and Lars to good use.  
And glad to see that he helped these three guys!  
But will it keep being this easy for him for other people 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔.... ;)


	146. Another visit to the GemTech building

Steven walked back up to the surface after what felt like a full thirty minutes of walking under the ocean. He reached the shore, then the sand and swiped across his bubble, deactivating it.

He looked around the area.

Of course the Gems were long gone.

"Looks like we'll call an Uber." then he went to take the phone out of his "pocket" and realized that his phone was still in his jeans.

The jeans that he specifically put. in the trunk of their car. The car that was now, far way from him in who knows where.

"No.. no, no, no, no!!" he panicked. "Lion, we have to find a pay phone.. or SOMETHING!" he ran down the beach, the fins flopping with every step across the gritty sand. "Maybe I can call Lars or someone to pick me up." 

Lion ran with him, the dog thinking of it as a fun game.

Just as he neared just halfway across the beach, he saw.. the Inkas truck?

_No way.._

The armored limo drove towards him, stopping just a few feet away. 

And Steven stood there. Shocked. 

Was he.. imagining this?

The passenger's side window rolled down. "Yo. Whatchu waiting for? Get in already." said Amethyst.

He nodded. Mouth open. And he opened the car door and Lion hopped in. He slid in and closed the door.

Garnet drove off.

The car in silence.

_Did they.. wait for me?_

He had to know..

"Amethyst?"

"There we go." she scoffed. "I was waiting for you to say something."

He resisted an eye roll. "Did you guys-"

"No." she cut him off. "I knew you were going to ask that. No, we didn't wait for you. And before you ask why we were still here, we actually left you. But, Peridot wanted to see you. So, we drove all the way back here." 

Despite of him knowing that the Gems left him, he still felt pretty bad hearing it from Amethyst that they did..

Nevertheless, he tried focusing on the other topic. 

_Peridot_ wanting to see him.

"Peridot.. wants to see _me?"_

"Yeah, che. She said she has some stuff for you." she pointed a thumb behind her and down at the dog in front of him. "And for the dog." 

"For Lion too?" 

"Yup." 

"I wonder what it could be?" 

"Knowing Perry? Most likely your shield and she probably made some gadgets for Lion as well." 

Now that she mentioned it, he did remember them at their Together Breakfast when she suggested that Lion would get his own gadgets. Though he didn't really think much of it since then. 

And.. to finally have his own shield? 

"Wow.."

.........................................  


The floor reached it's peak at the 163rd floor and it stopped with a loud, metal clank in the middle of the hallway. The three of them, then Steven, took their masks off and Garnet took her shades off and hung the arm of the glasses onto the front of her jumpsuit. Steven leaned over and took the mask off of Lion. The boy having taken of their swim gear prior to coming to the building.

Mr. Wascoite, sporting his red and yellow suit and dress shoes, walked over to the wall. He typed in the code on a tablet. Then he turned around to face them as the glass wall began to drop down, sliding into the floor. With one beckoning hand towards them, Pearl got out first. She stood up straight, legs and feet together. She raised one hand up to her forehead, with a two finger salute. Her thumb holding down the other two fingers. Her other arm held up, her fist clenched and at the middle of her chest. She said something to him in Japanese and he responded back to her in Japanese with a small nod. 

She kept her stance for a few seconds before dropping her arms back down slowly and walking around the car to the other side. She opened Amethyst's door and the woman got out and she closed the door behind her. The two of them walked back around and Pearl stopped right at the trunk of the vehicle as Amethyst kept walking towards Mr. Wascoite.

Amethyst gave him the same salute and a few moments later, Pearl walked up and stood a foot from her, going for the same stance. 

Garnet got out the vehicle, then Steven opened the door and Lion hopped out. He grabbed him, gently, not wanting the dog to run out. 

He stood beside Pearl. "Sit." he whispered to Lion and the dog sat down. Then he stood back up and went for the salute with the Gems. 

And they waited, holding their stance. 

Mr. Wascoite nodded. A serious expression on his face. "Let us proceed." he turned around and began walking down the hall. 

They held their salute for a few moments before dropping their arms. Then they waited, before walking with him. 

The five of them reached an elevator door and Mr. Wascoite walked up to the tablet. He pressed a button and a red laser scanned his face. Then he put the code in. A few moments later, the doors slid opened. He walked in first. Then Amethyst, Garnet, Pearl and Steven and Lion. 

The doors closed and Mr. Wascoite swiped his badge inside of tje slot next to the buttons of the elevator. Then he pressed the the sky deck level on the 164th floor. 

And there was _another_ prayer from Steven, hoping that the elevator didn't snap.. or break down halfway to the floor- 

_DING_

The doors opened to Mrs. Charoite's lobby and Mr. Wascoite stepped out. Followed by the Gems, then Steven and Lion. 

The gentleman approached the lobby table while the four of them followed behind in a single file, horizontal line, with Lion being held closely to Steven. 

"Yes.. yes ma'am, you should be getting your shipment of swords by Thursday." Mrs. Charoite said over the mouthpiece of her headset. She looked up at her boss as rings and chimes echoed through the room. "Hello, Mr. Wascoite." she paused her hand over another button to receive the next call.

"Please inform Peridot that we are here. I will leave the group with you as I attend to other matters." 

"Yes, sir." she nodded and pressed the big, green, shiny button in front of her. "Hello, Miss Peridot? Mr. Wascoite has just brought in Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl, Talc and.. Barks?" 

"Um, it's-" 

Everyone looked back at him. 

"..S, sorry for talking out of line.. It's just uh, I changed his name to.. Lion." 

"Yes.." the woman said slowly, before looking down at the speaker in front of her. "Formerly known as Barks. New name, Lion." she clarified. 

Silence for a few seconds. 

Then there was a, "Very well." from Peridot. "Charoite, bring them to my office." 

"Yes, ma'am. Right away." she got up, ignoring the rings of the phones. She gave Mr. Wascoite the salute. "I will take them from here Mr. Wascoite." 

He gave her a minute nod and turned around and the Gems went for the salute and Steven quickly did the same. 

Mr. Wascoite walked pass them and towards the elevator. The Gems and Steven turned around to see the elevator doors opening up. He walked inside and turned around. 

The doors closed in front of him and they kept their stance before slowly putting their arms back down. 

"This way." they heard Mrs. Charoite say. And she started walking towards the door behind them. The door, with GemTech writing that Steven still couldn't understand.. 

She pressed a button on the tablet beside the door and a red laser scanned the her face. It winked out and she typed in the code and opened the door to the long hallway. They reached the green door with a pink rose on it (Steven quickly adding that her door had the same rose like the one at the Crystal Gem base, the sword and the hand pedestal in that building..) and she pressed the button on the tablet. It scanned her face and she pressed the numbers inside the keypad. 

The pink rose rotated on the surface (similar to the motion on Rose's door) and the door slid open, sliding into the wall and opening up to Peridot's gloomy, dark room. 

Mrs. Charoite stepped in, going for the salute. "Good afternoon, Miss. Peridot." 

There were a few clicking of keys on the computer, before the teen placed her prosthetic fingers on the table. She pushed herself away from the screen. "Yes." she said plainly. "You are free to leave, Charoite." 

"Yes. Thank you Miss. Peridot."

"Also, please inform Chalcedony's group that they have a mission on the Tuesday of next week. Send their boss the rest of the details via Celltech."

"Yes, ma'am. I will do that right away." she held her salute towards Peridot before lowering her arms down slowly and turning to the Gems. She gave them a nod and walked pass them to the door.

Light bled into the room as the door opened behind them before it closed once more, leaving the room dark once again.

Peridot cleared her throat. And Steven noticed how a bit more drained she looked since the last time he saw her.

"There are a few things I would like to do." she began. "There's Talc's shield and clothes." _clothes?! As in.. I get those cool, super jumpy shoes?!?_ "As well as Lion's own personal gadgets." she gestured at the dog standing beside Steven. Then she turned to Amethyst. Looking at her, then Garnet, then Pearl. "But I would also like to have a very quick chat before I go over Steven and Lion's weapons." 

Amethyst and the Gems quickly caught on to what she meant. And Amethyst stepped up to her. "Let's talk right now, Peridot."

The teen got up from her chair and walked around the table. She turned to Steven. "Talc. We should not be long." was all she said and she saw the boy frowning as he looked to his group. 

Once again, he was being left out of.. whatever they were discussing and had been discussing for weeks now.

"Come, Gems." she turned and went for the gray door. 

Steven watched as she raised her arm up. Her other hand pressed a small button on the back of her wrist and a green light shot out from her index finger. She started from the foot of the door and trailed up, then to the left, then back down, tracing the frame of the door. She let go of the button and the green light winked out.

An outline of a rectangle formed just at the side of the door. It flipped up, showing three small squares. She went to the second one in the middle, using her hand to press in the code. Then she went to the first one, placing her prosthetic hand on the screen for the machine to scan her hand, then she went to the third and last box, looking straight at it. The machine scanning her eyes without the use of a red laser. 

Then a tall, slim pole shot out of the floor. She walked up to it. "Peridot Facet 2F5L cut 5XG, Amethyst, Garnet and Pearl." 

The door slid up and the four of them walked through and the door slid back down behind them. 

Steven sighed and looked down at the canine. "Looks like we're out of the talk again, Lion." the dog looked at him, wagging his tail.

That earned a sad chuckle from him. "Ah, let's just sit down and wait for them then." he walked over to the same, very small spot in the corner he'd went to before when he'd first gotten Lion. "Remember this place?" he walked pass the wires, machines and various other electronical parts scattered and cluttered about the dark room. "You weren't doing very well.. but, thankfully, Peridot was able to save your life." he sat down between a computer brain wrapped with copper wires and the wall. Lion came over and plopped down by his side and Steven scratched behind his ears. "I'm glad you're still here, boy." 

Lion got comfortable, laying his head on the floor and closing his eyes as Steven continued petting at his head. 

............................

The Gems were sitting down on the couch while Peridot was sitting in a swivel chair. The blonde staring right at the three women. She raised her arm up in front of her and pulled her long sleeve back to show a GemTech watch. "Before I discuss these important matters with the three of you, I must ask first: How were the last batch of vials?" 

Garnet and Pearl looked at their boss on either side of her. "These vials managed to get rid of the horns only. And the effect only lasted for 4.34 hours before they grew them back." 

Peridot nodded slowly. "Yes.. yes I'll put that in the report." she typed out the results of the vials on the device on her wrist and sent out copies to her Peridots and to Mr. Wascoite. Then she slid the sleeve back down and lowered her arm as she looked back up at them. "I've sent the report to my Peridots so they can keep it in file. With these new results, that can help them reshape these new vials, which, probably won't be done until another two or so weeks." 

Amethyst nodded once. Her body tense and rigid. "So. The important matters, Peridot?" 

"Yes." she sat up straight in her chair. "Four things." she held up four wired fingers. "she put three of them down, leaving her index finger up. "First thing." she put her hand back down. "The wedge tailed eagle that you brought in just a couple weeks ago." she began. "We ran a scan over her feathers. Just like the axe you brought in before the bird, we found traces of the same local floral only grown along the Southeastern coast of Britain. So, these were definitely the same men that ambushed our team in the U.K. Though, thankfully for us, you managed to kill them." she took a deep breath. "Now, the second, third and fourth one. together." she said, slowly. "Pearl. When you killed the main one, you managed to take out that tiny, black object shaped like a tooth." the woman nodded. "It wasn't a tracker." she clarified to the group. "But a recorder." 

Amethyst narrowed her eyes at her. "What?" 

Peridot raised up the same arm and pulled the sleeve back to reveal the watch-like device once again. "We managed to only hack the speaker. While the location is still unknown due to the use of their Diamond essence, we somehow managed to hack just half of it." she started pressing keys on the device. "Within the first week we've hacked into the system and listened in on the many both boring, intriguing or, eherm.. rather, _personal_" there was a tint of blush on her cheeks. "conversations that we managed to record for just four days before one of her Peridots suggested they destroy the system before they got hacked." Peridot scoffed. "And how right, but late she was." she pressed one more key and looked up at them. "That was a week ago when they destroyed the system. But, thankfully, after weeding through nonsense conversations, I've specifically took out three particular conversations that I would like for you all to hear." she pushed her feet off the floor, rolling towards them in the chair. The Gems leaned in to listen.

Peridot pressed a button on the side of the device:

**"Pearl. How are the experiments coming along?"** it was a woman's voice.

"What?!" Amethyst cut in, talking over the audio clip. "That's Yellow Diamond.."

"Yes, sshhh. Now listen closely." Peridot whispered. "I'll go back to the beginning." she pressed a button on the screen then the button on the side again.

**"Pearl. How are the experiments coming along?" **

**"I talked to Benitoite." ** the light, child voice replied back. **"She says that while a small group has had little to no side effects-"**

**"What are the side effects?"** her voice cut in abruptly. Serious. Harsh.

**"Blotchy skin and or ear disfiguration, my Diamond."**

There was a slight sound of fabric as if Yellow Diamond had leaned up in her chair. **"Continue."**

**"While a small group suffered little to no side effects, two people have perished. The first one-**

**"Like I care about who perished. Good riddance." ** a beat later. **"I will simply send a few of my Topazes to get more people."**

**"Yes, my Diamond. I will contact them for you."**

Peridot looked back at her watch as she clicked for the other audio file. "Unfortunately, Yellow Diamond is a woman of a few words. These audio clips are rather short. She simple asks a few questions and ends the conversation abruptly." 

"But what did she say after her Pearl told her she will contact her Topazes?" Amethyst asked. More tension building behind her calm façade.

"She just said, and I quote "Good. Now, leave my room. I will send for you later." unquote." 

Amethyst sighed, nearly growling as she scratched at her head, pulling her hair back.

Peridot held her hand back out in front of them. She pressed the side of the device.

**"Pearl. Here. Now."**

**"Yes, my Diamond.** they heard the faint sounds of a pitter patter of feet across the floor. 

**"Stop."** she demanded and the footsteps were gone. The girl having stopped as by her Diamond's orders. **"Now, tell me Pearl. What is the current status of CL001?"**

Amethyst looked up at Peridot, rasing an eyebrow from her angered eyes.

Peridot gestured her chin down at the device on her wrist.

**"It is still inactive, though growing more by the day."**

**"Did Onyx tell you how long it will take for it to reach at one hundred percent?"**

**"She says approximately two and a half months, my Diamond." **

**"Hm.."** there was a full four second pause. Whether her attention was on something else, they didn't know.** "Then, is there any way to speed the process up? I would like to get rid of those Gems once. and for all."**

Amethyst snarled down at the watch.

**"No, my Diamond. Onyx told me that doing so may ruin the process. The incubation period is very delicate. Messing with it now will do more damage than good and could prolong the process even more."**

**"Mm.. very well." ** there were three claps from her hands. **"You are dismissed. Away with you."**

**"Yes, my Diamond."**

Peridot brought her hand back for the last audio clip.

"What is she talking about?! Experiments?! And some kind of.. CL001 thing?!" 

"I am just as lost as you are on this matter, Amethyst. My Peridots have been trying to retrieve more data as well as continue to replicate the Diamonds' essence." she leaned her hand back down in front of them. "This conversation actually came before the other two. However, I wanted you three to hear this last. One of her Peridots hooked up the system for her to listen to the audio clip at the same time I was hacking it. Now, I've fast forwarded to the part when they are at the near end of the fight."

"Fight?"

"Shh. Just listen." she pressed the button on the side of the device.

** "WHAT ELSE CAN YOU TELL ME!!" **they heard Amethyst's voice and Garnet and Pearl looked at their boss' strained, calmed neutral expression as she sat still. Listening.

**"Please." ** there was a wheeze from the boy. **"I wasn't doing much else. This is my first mission. The whole entire time I was in training at their site."**

**"WHAT SITE?!!!"**

**"I don't know! They knocked me out unconscious and when I woke up, I was in an area heavily surrounded by trees.. And.. it practically rained there every day.."**

**"That could be ANYWHERE!"**

**"I know!! I'm sorry!!" **

Amethyst grinded her teeth. "Her ass had us recorded.."

"With the recording device, yes." Peridot whispered quickly. "But listen to what she says afterwards."

**I KNOW you're hiding something else!" they heard Amethyst yell through the device.**

**The boy gagged. "I.. okay! Okay! Please.. the last thing I know.. Is.. is that I was recruited by a very tall woman with blue eyes with diamond contacts and light blue hair! When I woke up, it was her and some little girl with her. I couldn't really see her face.. Her hair was over her eyes and she was nearly hidden from the woman's robe." **

**"The woman! What else was she wearing!! Did she have any jewelry on!?" **

**"Y, yes! She had some kind of emblem on her chest.. But I couldn't see the whole thing. The top part was a point.. And.." ** there was silence from the guy and they could hear Pearl in the background fighting Jet. **"And.. and the outline was blue. I remember two points at the end on both sides! Maybe.. it was a triangle or something?" **

**"A diamond." ** Amethyst snarled.

**"Diamond?"** they heard Pearl's voice. 

** "Blue Diamond.. and her new Pearl.."**

**"So we have our lead." **

They could hear the boy sobbing loudly. **"Please." ** he pleaded. **"Honest, that's all I know." **

There was silence, until they heard Amethyst say **"Pearl. Get rid of him." **

**"NOO!! Please!!" **he pleaded. They heard the boy screaming out as Pearl brought her sword down on him a few times.

There was a small click, as if someone had paused the audio. 

**"Hm.. They were fighting Blue's incompetent group."** said Yellow Diamond. 

**"Yes, my Diamond.** said her Peridot. **"And it seems like they may now try looking for Blue Diamond, now that one of her servants had broken the seal and told two of the Crystal Gems about her recruiting him and planning something."**

**"I am not worrying about that." **there was a couple seconds of silence. **"You see, it is very, _very_ difficult to find Diamonds."** they could practically hear that grim smile creeping into her voice. **"It is near impossible, if not _impossible_. to find us. No matter how, so-called "smart" their Peridots are." **

It was Peridot's turn to glare at her watch.

**"They are still clueless and they will _remain_ clueless. They only know about her recruiting them and now, they are dead. They do not know what she is planning. What _I_ am planning."** the woman continued. **"And they are not strong enough. With Rose." ** there was a pause and a strain in her voice. **"gone. And with that Lonny nowhere to be found, they are useless. All of them."** the light sound of fabric moving as she moved in her chair. **"The Diamonds have already won. The Crystal Gems, without them even knowing, are already, no more." **

The video ended abruptly and Peridot pressed a button on her watch.

Silence between the three.

Even from Amethyst as she let everything sink in.

"Please, if I may quickly say." said Peridot. "Despite of the information that we know, which, admittedly isn't much, but we are still regulating everything with a fine tooth comb under this Empire. Amethyst" she looked at the woman's glare. "Despite of what that clod said, we are still working hard to replicate any of the Diamonds' essence so we can finally track them down. and find them. And we have sent out troops all throughout the U.K to keep a close eye out for those men with the black suits and white shades. And as of yet, they haven't been spotted in weeks. We also still have the wedge tailed eagle. We're training it to be our tracker bird for jewels and to be our security camera." she stopped. Amethyst's expression growing darker. "Amethyst, please. We really _are_ trying."

She opened her mouth slightly, in snarl. "I.. know.." she growled out. Then she shook her head hard and shot up from the couch. "Peridot, we need to work harder! We can NOT let them win!"

"And we won't, Amethyst!! We _can_ defeat the Diamonds! And we will! You just. need. to trust me. And give us just a bit more time. We have this, Amethyst. We really do." 

"I want to believe you, Peridot. I really do." she shook her head, fists clenched. "But this. has been going on LONG enough!"

"I know that! Amethyst!!-" she stoooed herself and took a breath. "Look, let's not argue like last time. Us Peridots still have everything under control and we are getting closer and closer to our goals. We. have this."

Amethyst glared at her. "Whatever, Peridot. Is that all?" 

"Erm.. yes. Yes that is all I wanted to talk to you three about, yes."

"Then our discussion is officially over. Just, hurry up and give Talc and Lion their weapons so we can get out of here."

Peridot let out another calming sigh, before straightening her back up. She gave Amethyst a nod. "I shall retrieve the boy and his dog at once."

They watched her walk towards the door.

Amethyst turned to Garnet and Pearl, shaking her head. "She better be right about all of this. I _want_ to see the whole Diamond Empire burn to the ground." she growled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a refresher, the wedge tailed eagle was with the men in black suits and white shades when they were trying to find Onion in the arcade in chapter 82: Trying to take action.
> 
> And that makeshift tooth device is what Pearl cut out of Jet's mouth in the same chapter.
> 
> And the scene Yellow Diamond was listening to with one of her servants was in the same chapter as well.


	147. Steven and Lion get an upgrade

Steven was still in the corner. The boy now laughing away as he rubbed Lion's belly. The canine rolling side to side on his back and kicking his leg. "Who's a good boy? Who's a good boy?" 

The door opened up on the other side of the room and Steven looked up, his belly rubs moving slower across Lion's belly. 

Peridot stepped out of the doorway and the door closed behind her. "Talc." 

"Hey, Peridot." he smiled.

"You are free to come in now." she turned around to start off the security steps to the door.

"Nice!" he got up, crouched on his feet. "Come on, boy. Time to go." he pat at the dog's shoulder before standing up.

Lion rolled back over and started following them.

"..alc and Lion." he heard Peridot say into the mic. The door slid open. "Okay. Let's head in." she walked into the hallway and Steven and Lion followed her in.

"So, Peridot?" 

"Hm?" she looked at him out the corner of her eye.

"I'm.. getting my weapons today?"

"That is correct. Your shield as well as your GemTech clothes." she answered him. 

He gasped. "I have my flip flops so I can super jump!?" 

"No."

He pouted. 

"Not yet. But if you _were_ to fall, at least you would be able to glide." A beat later. "Well, glide _better_ instead of just your shirt." Then she gestured at the dog beside him. "I also have a few things for the pooch as well." 

"Well, now my curiosity is peaked." he raised an eyebrow. "What are they?"

"You'll see when I show it to you all at once." she stopped at the door in front of them. "I will not be repeating myself twice." 

  
  


Amethyst was looking at her phone. On a popular BBC news website, checking for any incidents that sounded remotely similar to the one in black suits and white shades. 

The door opened up and Peridot, then Steven and Lion walked out behind her and the door slid to a close behind them.

She waved the Gems over. "I would like for everyone to follow me to the other side of the room." 

Amethyst put her phone away and she, Garnet and Pearl walked over. 

Steven noticed a round tub as wide as a swimming pool and three feet deep. He wanted to ask what that was for, but he figured he would soon find out. 

Peridot turned to Steven. "We'll start with you first Talc, since it's only one weapon I need to give you. But, before I do that." she walked away from him and grabbed a dufflebag just behind the tub. She dragged it across the floor towards him. "Your clothes are in here. And, yes, you can keep the dufflebag." she crouched down and unzipped the bag and pulled out a brand new red GemTech shirt. A picture of a pink rose in the middle of it. Then she pulled out a pair of jeans. "And you finally have your jeans. So, now you can glide better, instead of just using your shirt." then she pointed at the GemTech shirt he already had on. "Also, I'll take that back and properly destroy it and use the remnants for something else." 

"Wha.. really? Why?"

"That is a cheaply made shirt, Talc. Despite of it costing a lot of money and being somewhat durable, it is not THE most durable GemTech clothing because I didn't put every single jeweled ingredient I needed in there. It would've taken until today to give you the shirt."

"Oh.. I, guess that explains why it didn't take long for me to get this shirt." 

"Yes." she put the jeans away. "And it also explains how your shirt was so easy to rip those few times." she threw the new shirt towards him and he caught it. She zipped the bag back up "But, with the official GemTech shirt, you won't have to worry about that anymore."

"Cool." he took his shirt off. "Wait, but the shirt was still bullet proof, right? But how were the swords able to cut it those times?" 

Peridot walked over and he handed her the shirt. "Different material of those particular swords that got to you. Stronger than bullets." she said. She threw the shirt on the table behind her.

He threw the new shirt on and, maybe it was just in his mind with her saying that the shirt was made better than the first one, but, the shirt felt so much better. Softer. Though the shirt was a tad bit big. Most likely from him losing weight since then.

Peridot noticed that and walked over. She ran her hand along his sides and the shirt simply.. shrunk? to his size. "How did you do that?" 

"I made it so the shirt can shrink along with you. I know with the whole weight and all" he pouted. "that you would eventually be losing it, so I made it a bit more flexible." she dug into her jacket pocket. "And now, Talc. For your shield."

_Wait is she.. digging into her small pocket..for a shie-_

She took out a black bracelet with five small, pink, flat jewels on it.

He tilted his head at it.

"Ah, wasn't what you were expecting, huh?" 

He shook his head. "I was.. thinking more of a huge, durable looking shield. Like the one that you formed for-" he didn't finish his sentence, but he made a quick glance over at Amethyst. So quick he couldn't make out her expression.

"Give me your arm."

He did and she slid the bracelet on his wrist through the small gap in the middle of it. "There. Now, squeeze the bracelet onto your wrist."

He covered the bracelet with his hand and squeezed the bracelet. "Let go." He did and five long, pencil point thin braces came out of the bracelet, taking each pink jewel with them. The braces stopped at his nails and each jewel stopped at the knuckles of his finger and thumb. He looked up at her. Still not understanding. She shook her head and pointed to the five flat, small discs, one on each knuckle. "These are your shields. You have five of them. Now of course I would like to make another bracelet for your other arm, so you can be protected on both sides and have more weapons, BUT for now, we'll work with just five." she pointed at the tips of his fingers. "To activate the shield, you double press on your nail with your thumb, unless of course it's your thumb you want to activate, then you double press your thumb with your index finger. And each finger and your thumb activates their own shield. So, with that being said, let's go for the ring finger."

He double tapped his ring finger with his thumb and instantly, as quick as his bubble, a round, pink shield was around his wrist. The strap laying securely in his hand. His fingers already laying neatly over it. "Wow!" he held his hand up, then down and in front of him. He ran his fingers and thumb along the round edge of the shield, then he tapped on the robust material of it.

"And if you want to minimize it back, just double tap on the same finger."

He did and the shield was back to being a tiny, round flat jewel on his knuckle. "Cool." 

"That also works if you throw the shield and it ends up going too far away from you. The magnetic force on your bracelet spreads out as far as five miles. So as long as you're in that range, which I think is plenty enough, if you press it, the shield will clip back to the bracelet." 

"Wow.." he said again. Completely amazed.

"Indeed. Now, there's one more thing. You can make one giant shield with all five them-"

There was a groan from Amethyst. "Peridot." her patience wearing thin from the bad mood she was still in. "Show him later. Just, hurry up and give the dog his gadgets so we can leave already."

Peridot leaned up from Steven's wrist. "Tssch." she rolled her eyes. "Rushing a lesson, Amethyst?" she shook her head. "Fine. But you better hope you all are not going to need his giant shield for a mission one day." she fixed Amethyst a glare. "And he won't be able to use it because you were so quick to rush me."

Amethyst met her glare with her own.. before she clicked her teeth with an eye roll. She looked away from her. "Whatever, Peridot." she mumbled.

Peridot walked over to the table and grabbed a gray bag from it. She unzipped it. "Lion has two gadgets and two items." then she looked over at Amethyst. "And don't worry Amethyst, I'll be quick."

Another glare from the woman.

"First thing. An item." she pulled out a tiny, round pin and crouched down. "Hey." she beckoned with her hand at Lion. "Come here, pooch."

Lion looked up at Steven. And he smiled. "Don't worry. Go on, Lion." he gestured at Peridot.

He walked over slowly towards her. Head down.

"Eh, don't worry. You're not in trouble." said Peridot. She gave the dog a few stiff pats on the head before grabbing his collar. She stuck the pin into the fabric and curled the back of it on the other side of the collar, locking it into place. "What this do is, not only change his coat color and acts as a disguise when he's on missions, but this also acts as a forcefield. You just press and hold the pin for three seconds and-" Lion's fur turned pink. "voilà." 

"It just looks like you changed his fur color. No light or anything. Yet, that acts as a forcefield?" Steven asked.

"Yes. We truly have made a breakthrough with this one." she touched Lion's back. "And you can still feel his fur." Steven crouched down, petting Lion. ".. Incredible.."

"And you press and hold the pin for three seconds and." the pink fur was gone. "that's it." she stayed crouched down. "Now this other item is more so for you guys when you're off stealing jewels." she took out a.. pink ball of fur? from the bag. "This is a mane." she slipped it through Lion's head. "See this zipper?" she unzipped it. "You can fit up to one hundred jewels in here and with it's antigravity, the pooch will not feel any of the weight." she zipped the huge, luscious mane back up and handed it to him. Steven chuckled. "Funny you made the storage unit into a mane and I named him Lion." 

"Yes. That's quite a funny coincidence." she didn't laugh. "And now for the gadgets." she took out four paw shaped drink coaster-looking gadgets (two of them being shaped a bit differently the other two). One small, horizontal bar locking out of it and attached to a bracelet. To Steven, it looked like a doggy version of a sandal. "You slip these on his paws." she lifted his front paw and clipped the bracelet onto his wrist. The flat of the "sandal" laying flat against the bottom of his paw. She did the same for the other three. 

"What do these shoes do?" Steven asked.

"See for yourself." she said casually. "On the end of your bracelet, there's a black button. Press it." 

Lion lifted up his front page and went to bite on one of the "sandals". "Nooooo. You don't do that, pooch." said Peridot.

Steven looked at his bracelet, seeing a small, round button. He pressed it and looked at the flats under Lion's paws. 

But he didn't see anything happen. 

"Nothing happened." he told Peridot.

She scoffed. "Of course something happened." she picked up the dog. "Observe." she walked over to the tub of water and placed him in-

And he was..

"Wait, is he floating?!" he ran to the tub. The sandals glowed bright white under the dog's paws.

"These flats can make him walk on water. This'll be a huge help for those water missions." she beckoned the canine to walk towards her and he did, the water glowing and rippling gently under each sandal. 

She picked the dog back up and the glowing vanished from the sandals. She placed him back on the ground. "And you can press the button on the bracelet again to deactivate it." 

Steven pressed the button and looked back up at Peridot. "So I can only active it on here?" 

"You can do that for easy access, or, if by any chance you don't have your bracelet for whatever dumb reason, you can manually activate each flat by clicking the side button on them twice." she dug into the bag once more. "Last gadget. Now this might be tricky." she pulled out a small piece of.. metal of some sort? And on the end of the small bar were two fangs. On the bar itself was a small line in the middle.

Peridot used both hands, gently prying the dog's mouth open. She slipped the fronts onto his front teeth and let go. Lion shook his head, licking his teeth and his mouth. 

"Remember just a few days ago when I had Lion bite down on that piece of clay?" Steven nodded. "While I _did_ want to check out his jaw pressure, I also wanted to mold for him something that would safely clip on his teeth." 

"But what does it do?"

"This was.. incredibly hard, let me tell you, Talc. BUT, I've actually managed to makeshift a sort of.. super bark, if you will." 

"What?! A.. super bark?"

"Hey, hey. Stay with me here, stay with me. Press the gray button on the _other_ end of your bracelet."

He turned his hand over and pressed the button. 

And even though he didn't see anything happen, he assumed that something was still happening. 

Peridot walked over and pushed the table down, away from a huge chunk of mirror that was almost as tall as the ceiling and at least a foot thick. It laid by the wall in front of them. "The pooch is at a safe distance. I saved this gadget for last because of the mess it'll make. But I'll simply have the Apatites clean it up." she waved her hands. She walked back towards Steven, as she also wanted to keep her distance. "I'll simply project a dog onto the glass to have him bark." 

She took out her phone and pressed a few keys on it. She held it up as a flash of light shot of the camera. A picture of a dog was on the glass. 

Lion backed up, tailing wagging behind him. He started growling. Then he let out a few barks and the glass shattered into pieces and Lion ran back towards Steven.

Peridot nodded. Proud of herself. She slid her phone back into her pocket. "That probably went too fast for you, Talc. But just with that initial bark, that dog shattered that thick, sturdy glass that would've taken a bulldozer to _break_, but with that bark he actually _shattered_ the glass. Not only that, but with those other barks he did, had that wall not been GemTech" she pointed to the wall. "he would've blown a huge hole through that as well."

"So he can't super bark through GemTech stuff?"

She chuckled smugly. "Oh no, I made it so he could bark through that as well. But you would've had to press the gray button three times, versus just once. You see, that is a pretty dangerous weapon that I gave the dog and putting it on the highest level would've been even more dangerous." Steven looked at her. A bit uneasy. "And yes, I know you're wondering, but Peridot, why reinvent something so dangerous for a pooch?" she walked away from him. "Anyway, it is your responsibility to make sure that that is off. There are only two levels. You'll know if you're on the highest level when the light below the gray button turns red. And you shouldn't have to use the highest level a lot anyway, so using just the lowest super bark should suffice. By the way, to turn it off, just click it once." and he quickly did so. "The only way to activate it, is with your bracelet, unlike your flats that have two ways of turning them on. ALSO, remember to use it carefully. As in, when he's close to you _and facing away from you_ or if you can easily see him. You can't leave that thing on and have him barking and ruining all of Empire City. It's up to _you_ not to forget." 

"R, right. I'll be sure to remember that."

She nodded. "Good."

There was a sound of someone's throat clearing and they turned to see Amethyst glaring at them. "Come on, Peridot. You have a lot of work to do. And as do we." 

Peridot caught on quickly. "Yes." she said plainly. "I am very well aware of that, Amethyst. And as I've said many times before, my Peridots and I are getting. things. done."

Steven could feel the tension between the two in the room.

And he wondered if it had anything to do with their discussion? Amethyst seemed fine before coming there. 

Actually.. Garnet and Pearl seemed a bit tense as well..

He sighed.

Why couldn't he know about this, huge secret discussion of theirs? Is it that bad?

"Alright, Talc." she pointed down at the dog's paws. "Be sure to take those flats off. Though the little pin can stay on his collar." 

"Okay-"

"You can do that in the car." said Amethyst.

"O, okay." 

Peridot looked at Amethyst and, shook her head as she walked pass Steven and Lion. "Come. Let us depart. Talc, don't forget your duffle bag." she made her way to the door. 

.................................

Peridot and the Gems were walking back into Mrs. Charoite's office. The two were nearing her table and she got up from her chair, ignoring the chimes of the phones. "Excuse me, Miss. Peridot?" she made the salute as the term turned to face her.

"Mr. Demantoid just came here. He dropped off the pay checks." 

"Ah, good." she started towards the desk. "So he's a day early this time." 

Mrs. Chariote held her stance for a few moments before dropping her arms back down. Then she leaned down and pressed the code into the tablet and the laser scanned her eyes. 

The cabinet popped out and she took out a handful of envelopes that was pinned together by a paper clip. She slipped the piece off and placed it on the table and handed Amethyst hers, then one to Garnet, then Pearl. And for some reason, he was shocked when she gave him his pay check too. The envelope simply reading _Agent 037._

And from how thick the envelope felt, he wondered just how much was in there and the curiosity was eating at him. But, when the Gems put their envelopes away, he did as well, putting the enticing envelope in his front pocket.

"I'll be back." said Peridot. "If my grandfather asks about me, tell him I'm just taking the Gems down to the garage unit." 

"Yes, Miss Peridot." she made the salute and kept her stance, even ad Peridot walked away. "Okay, everyone's ready now." she said. "Let us proceed." she started her walk owards the elevator. 

..............................

Steven was wondering what was bothering the Gems. Since the time Peridot escorted them to the garage, to the time they did their salute and to the time they left the garage and driving back to Empire City. They all remained quiet up until Garnet parked the Inkas right at the side of the apartment. Amethyst was the one to speak up. "Yo." she sounded tense. 

He looked up and at the tense look on her face through the rearview mirror.

"Remember. You have this whole week off unless Peridot calls us. And our next Together Breakfast is this coming Monday. Be here at oh nine hundred hours."

"Will do, Amethyst." he opened the door and looked back at them. "Night, guys." 

They barely answered him, even Amethyst simply giving him a half grunt and a head nod.

He got out the car and Lion jumped down and he closed the door. The car drove off immediately after.

He looked down at Lion. "Lion, I really want to know what they're talking about with Peridot. It seems like whatever happened today really got to them this time."

Lion looked at him, wagging his tail.

Steven frowned. "I wish I knew what it was that was, bothering them so much.." he sighed. "Okay, Lion. Let's just go." he stopped. "No, wait. You should take this time to use the bathroom." he waved his hand out. "Go on. Do your business." 

Lion eventually walked away from him, smelling the grass on the side of the building.

_What could be bothering them so much.. Another rival? No.. we're the strongest..Maybe we're running out of jewels to steal? Mm.. no. That can't be it either.. Man, what could it be?_

Lion was jogging back over and Steven snapped out of his thoughts. 

Maybe _some_ day he'll find out..

And he practices stuff? Or not?

He pulled the dufflebag up on his shoulder and the two of them walked around the corner and into the main building of the apartment. And as he made it up the two flights of stairs and down the hall, he hoped that Connie wasn't there so he could hurry up and put the duffle bag up. Not to mention the fact that he still had the braces on his hand. 

He took the key out of his pocket and put it in the lock. He twisted it and opened the door. Lion ran right in. "Connie?"

No answer.

_Phewf.._

_Okay now where should I put this?_

He closed and locked the door behind him and slid the flip flops off. He jogged straight for the closet and he threw the door open. He walked all the way in, laying the dufflebag up and laying it propped up in the corner. Then he pulled the hangers down towards it, trying to hide the bag behind the clothes.

He took a few steps back and looked.

Okay, it wasn't.. _as_ noticeable. 

But that should do.

He looked down at his hand. Peridot hadn't showed him how to put the braces back into the bracelet. But, he assumed it was the same way he activated it.

He _hoped_ it was the same way.

He squeezed the bracelet to his wrist and _thankfully_ and without any hassle, the five braces were going back inside of the bracelet. The five small, pink, flat circles looking like bedazzles on his black bracelet. He snapped the bracelet off his wrist and took his first shirt off, then his GemTech shirt. He put the two, along with his ring, underneath the bed underneath a few errant items like he usually did. Then he leaned up and looked at the clock. _6:02p.m_

Connie should be coming in any minute.

He gave Lion some clean water and food, along with his medicine and Lion chowed down on it (without his fronts as Steven managed to take them off along with his flats while in the car with the Gems.)

Then Steven took his shower and soaked in the solution for fifteen minutes. When he got out the tub, Connie was already in the kitchen fixing dinner. 

After she took her own shower, the two of them talked for a bit, ate, then talked some more as they cuddled in bed for a few hours before Connie, who for quite some time, seemed to be the one getting tired first lately, was calling it a night at a little pass nine o'clock. And Steven had to admit that he was feeling just as tired.

The lights were off before nine thirty and Connie was already fast asleep.

Steven was making his way back to bed from the bathroom in the dark. He slid in bed gently and slowly, eased his way to a nice spooning position as he wrapped his arm around her waist. He kissed her on the temple and laid his head down on the pillow that smelled of her shampoo.

Another day.

Just another day as a Crystal Gem.

Though today wasn't that bad. 

He managed to help a few guys out and he and even Lion had gotten upgrades. Now Lion has his own forcefield to protect him from harm and Steven had his shield to, shield anyone from harm. He wasn't going to focus on the downsides of the Gems now thinking he and Lion could do more damage to people now that they had more gadgets.

No. He wasn't going to focus on that.

The Crystal Gems will soon understand that one doesn't always have to take the most brutal approach.

He managed a smile as he tucked his head just behind Connie's neck. Her soft hair over his forehead and tickling his cheek and the bridge of his nose and his lips.

Things were going to change under the Empire. He just knew it. And he would make that difference alone if he had to.

Things will be different.

He was going to make that difference. 

And it was only a matter of time before the whole Crystal Gem got that eye opener. That game changer.

And he was still feeling like something huge was going to happen. 

And it could be, that this gut feeling that he was having, was warning him, preparing him for something huge. Something that would test him in ways that he could never imagine; in his life, his ways, his sanity.

And, he had a feeling that it would all start because, he didn't go by the Crystal Gems' beliefs, but his own and, making that first, huge difference.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Taps on mic* Uh, hello? Is anyone there? *Squints and tries to see the audience in the dimly lit auditorium* How is everyone? Are y'all still holding on onto this fic? :)  
If so, I just want to deeply thank all of y'all for still hanging in there, especially those who have kudoed (yup, I just made that into a verb) and commented. That just fuels me to keep on going :)
> 
> Aaaaaanywho, stay tuned for Monster Buddies, guys :)


	148. Monster Buddies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What in the world?!?! EIGHT chapters?! *3*  
I honestly didn't think I was going to write _that_ much for just this episode.
> 
> Also, I don't know ANYTHING about going to jail to bail people out or bail stuff or ANY of that. So all of this is more bogus writing.

Steven woke up groggily to an unfamiliar tune. Slowly, waking his brain up as the sleep fluff wrestled with his mind, he cracked open an eye. 

The tune continued and he groaned.. He turned over to the other side and he took a breath, getting comfortable. He could feel his self going back to sleep..

He woke up again to the same tune and slowly, with his eyes still closed, he leaned his head up slightly. 

_What is that sou-_

The tune was coming from underneath the pillow.

He snapped awake, his brain abruptly going to the Crystal Gems.

Was it another on call mission?!?

He slid his hand under the pillow and without even looking at the screen, he swiped across the screen, answering the call. "Hello?!" 

"Steven!! I'm SO glad you answered!!" 

"Wait.." he sat up. "Nephry?" he shut his mouth quickly and looked over. 

Connie wasn't there. 

_That was close._

"Heeeeeeey, love. You missed me?" she murmured.

He was still confused and trying to get his bearings together. His mind still tired. He rubbed at his eye. "Wha?" he looked up at the clock on the wall. _7:21a.m_. He groaned, laying back down. He rubbed at his face. "Nephry.. it's seven in the morning." he mumbled into his hand.

"Yeeees, I knooow. But I couldn't call later. They gave me a certain time for me to call people."

That last part got his attention and he snapped open his eyes. 

_Oh no.. not again.._

"Nehry.. don't tell me.."

"Back in the slammer?" there was a chuckle on the other end. "Yuuuup."

Steven let out a tired breath of air as he laid on the soft, comfortable bed he just wanted to say in all day. "And.. you couldn't had just called any of your brothers?" then he quickly added. "cousins? That one aunt you have?" then he remembered. "your boyfriend?"

There was a dramatic sigh and for some reason, he imagined she'd rolled her eyes just then. "Yesss. I did, actually. Nobody answered. Not any of my brothers, my cousins OR my aunt." then she added. "OR that lazy mofo."

"Oooo.. that sucks." 

"It does." then her voice went up a few octaves as she cooed and this time, Steven knew she was pouting up her face. "Sooo, I was hoping that a nice, haaandsome, strong, sexy man would come and bail me out of jail." 

Tch...trying to butter him up.

"..Oh?"

"YeEeEeEes, Steven."

"Mm, I don't know." he said plainly. "I was kinda thinking about just staying in bed all day."

"Oh, come on, Steven. I know you have the money." she mock whined. "And come on, it's _me_ we're talking about here. I don't belong in this ratty place." and there was that high pitched, baby talk again. "I have to _share_ a cell AND the food is disgusting and bland. Come on, Stevie-pooh-"

"You keep calling me 'Stevie-pooh'." he grumbled. "You can't call me that.."

She giggled. "I know you don't want me to stay in this crummy 'ole place." he was one hundred percent sure she was making her sad, pouty face. "So come ooon. Bail me ouuuut."

_Hmm~.. maybe I should bail her out?_

_It would be the nice thing to do, despite of who she is.._

"Come oon, Steven. You know you want to bail me out." 

He sat back up. "Fine. I guess I could do that for you."

"Oh yes! Muah, muah, muah!" she blew virtual kisses over the phone.

He threw the covers off and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. "So how much is it this time? One hundred? Two?" he had money for it anyway.

"Uh.. wunthosn.." she mumbled the number under her breath.

He ducked under the bed and lifted up the old shoe box. He grabbed the white envelope and put the phone on speaker and laid it down on the floor. "What was that? I didn't hear you." he opened the envelope.

How much would it be? Last time the Gems gave him four thousand dollars.

She cleared her throat. "Oh, just uh.. one thousand dollars." 

He looked from the bills wedged in the envelope and to his phone. "One grand?! Nephry what did you do?!"

He heard her click her teeth over the phone. "Nothing! I just, stole! You know, like I've done before! But now these guys want to give me a bigger bail because I've gotten arrested "too many times for petty theft". Pfft.. like it's that serious." 

"Nephry,.. that's_ the _ most they've ever given you."

"Yeah? So? Oh, come on, Steven. I know you have the money on you now and you know I'll pay you back when my stupid knucklehead of a boyfriend gets paid." 

"Well.." 

Maybe he could? It all depends on how much money they gave him this time.

"Nooo, no 'well', come and get me, stupid!" she cooed.

He took out the stack of hundreds and started counting the bills. _$100, $200, $300, $400, $500.._

He counted the bills quickly, throwing them down in a pile of ten. 

_$1,800, $1,900, $2,000, $2100.._

"Uh, helloooo, Steven? You there?"

_$3,000, $3,100-_ "Huh? Uh, yeah. I'm still here. Just uh, wanted to make sure if I had enough money or not." _$3,200, $3,300, $3,400-_

"Now you knoowww you have enough money. Quit playing~~" 

_$4,100, $4,200, $4,300_ "Y, yeah. I pretty much do." 

Of course he did. He was nearing five thousand dollars and she only needed a thousand of it.

"Then bail me out already." she chuckled, only for him to hear her laughter cut short. "Huh?" he heard Nephry asked. She sounded farther away from the phone. He could faintly hear a voice of a man in the background. He heard Nephry sighing deeply, still away from the phone. Then there was a "Hello?" she sounded closer. "So, when are you coming?"

"Which building did they take you to this time?"

"The one off of Agotaras avenue."

"Good. So you're not too far from downtown." he scooped up the money, leaving out twelve hundred dollars. "I should be down there in a couple of hours."

He heard more talking from the man. Closer now. "Yeah, I'm about to." she sounded far away before coming back to the phone. "Huh? You said in a couple of hours? 

"Yeah-"

"Great! Okay, I'll see you then." she sounded hurried. "The officer wants me off the phone. Okay, Steven, bye!" 

"See ya-" she'd already hung up. 

He hung up the phone and put the envelope back under the shoebox.

Altogether he counted six thousand dollars. 

Six.

_Thousand_

Dollars!

TWO grand extra.

He and Connie would be pretty much set for at least a few months. And now he didn't have to worry about the fact that the rent was going up. He would be able to easily pay it now.

He leaned up from the floor and just as he was about to head into the bathroom, he saw a note on the counter. 

**Good Morning Steven,**

**Your food is in the fridge and I fed Lion and gave him his medicine already. I get off at three today, so I shouldn't get home too late.**

That letter made him smile. He went back over to his phone to send her a quick message.

**Just woke up and read your letter. Thanks for the food and for feeding Lion for me and I hope you have an amazing day at work! Can't wait to see you already.**

**  
**

**XOXO, Jammie Buddie**

He sent the message and started his walk back to the bathroom.

........................

It didn't take long before he left the apartment. He'd eaten and put on his clothes and left out with Lion right beside him. The process taking no more than twenty minutes.

He took Lion out for a bathroom break before walking down to the metro and he'd taken one more bus after getting off from the stop and the two had to walk an extra fifteen minutes before reaching the building. 

And a slight chill went down his spine.

He would never want to go to jail.. or prison..

He walked up the wide, plain steps that stretched as wide as the building itself.

And a solid, gray door was in front of him. There was a sign just beside it that read. **Press button.**

He pressed it and heard a low buzzing sound.

"Yes, state your purpose."

"Um, I'm here to bail out Nephry. Uh, Nephrite." he clarified.

"..Last name?"

"Sorry.. I don't know it. I'm her friend, Steven Demayo. She has a bail for one thousand dollars and, I was going to pay it in full with cash." 

There was silence on the other end for a full minute, before her voice came back through the speaker. "You won't be able to bring that dog in with you, sir."

"But, I didn't know that. And I didn't drive down here. It's going to take me to hours to go back home and two hours to get back. Is there, some way for someone to come to the door so I can give them the money?" 

He waited for the woman for another full minute before she spoke back up. "An officer will come to you shortly."

"O, okay. Thanks."

Five minutes later and he heard a click from the door and he backed away. A police officer in all black was standing in the doorway. A gun strapped across his chest. His face tense and serious. 

"Hello." Steven waved.

"Good Morning Sir. I'm just going to get the dog from you and you can pick him back up when you leave the building." he reached out his hand.

Steven leaned the leash towards him as Lion started to growl at the man. "Lion. Nooo. No growling." the dog looked at him. "No." Steven shook his head. "Bad dog." he gave the officer the leash and he walked into the plain, white room with white tiles. Directly in front of him was a metal detector and beside him was a table with a small, white bowl on top of it. Behind the metal detector was a small window with a bullet proof glass. Small holes dotted the middle to properly hear the person behind it. And beside the room was another solid, gray door.

The officer walked away from him, keeping to the far side of the front of the room as another officer walked up to him. His boots clanking hard across the floor. "I'll need you to take everything out of your pockets and walk through the metal detector." he said.

Steven pulled out his keys, his cellphone, his wallet, the wad of cash and some crumpled up tissue and lint and placed them all in the cup. Then he walked through and the machine alarmed. He stepped back.

"You have a belt on?"

"Yeah." 

"Take your belt off and walk through again."

Steven unbuckled his belt and slid it through the loops. He placed it inside of the bowl and walked through. The machine didn't alarm

"Here you go." the officer handed the bowl to him and he took the bowl and started placing everything back into his pockets. He placed the bowl back on the table.

"You can make the payment to the lady over there." he pointed to the window. 

Steven walked up to the stone-faced lady behind the glass. "Hello." he started taking the money out of his pocket. "I'm just here to pay the bail for Nephrite."

"Yes, that'll be one thousand dollars." from the sound of her voice, she was the one who he'd talked to earlier. 

He gave her the money and stuffed the two one hundred dollar bills back in his front pocket.

She recounted the money in front of him before placing it neatly on the table beside her. She started typing on the keyboard, staring at the computer just off center of the desk. "You can have a seat, sir." 

"Okay." he turned around and the officer gestured to the benches on the opposite side of the room. Steven nodded and took his seat.

A half an hour later and Steven heard a heavy click from the door in front of him. He looked up just as an officer was holding the door for Nephry. The young woman's hair looking just a bit disheveled and her clothes wrinkled. She was carrying a white trash bag with her clothes inside.

She and Steven locked eyes and she gasped. "Steven!" she ran towards him and he got up from the bench. "Hey, Nephry." she dropped the bag and jumped on him, catching him off guard and he made a startled "Whoa." as he held onto her back. The woman had her legs wrapped around him and he quickly pushed her off. 

She giggled. "Thanks so much for bailing me out, Steveeeen! Appreciate it, Stevie-pooh."

"I'm not your 'Stevie-pooh'.." he grumbled. He turned his attention to the officers and the woman behind the glass. "I guess we'll just.. be going?" 

"You two are free to leave." said the officer.

"Okay." he turned to the half lidded woman. "Let's get going, Nephry." 

"Fiiiiiinally, I'm leaving this place." she picked up the white bag and the two walked through the metal detector, alarming the machine.

The first officer he'd met before walked over to him, handing Lion back to him. "You two have a nice day. And," he looked at Nephry, pointing a finger at her. "I don't want to see you back here." 

"Whaaa, _me?_ Of couuurse not." she bat her eyes innocently. "I have learned my lesson, officer."

"Good." he nodded.

They heard a buzzer on the door from the woman pressing the button on her desk and the officer opened the door for them and they walked out. 

"Ahhhh, sunshiiiiine." she breathed out, giving her body a twirl around the top step. Then she made her way down the rest of the stairs with Steven, laughing. "It feels _so_ good to be outside and _not_ seeing barbed wire gates and hundreds of other females roaming around in a small vicinity." 

"So I guess it wasn't the best experience?" he knew it wasn't, but he opted for saying anything at that time.

"Of course not! It's like that EVERY time I go there!"

"Then.. stop shoplifting?" he suggested with a shrug. 

She pushed him playfully. "Now you know it's not that simple." she looked down at the dog. "So, got yourself a Pit, huh? Where'dja get 'em?"

"Found him. Nobody wanted him and he was left to die so.. I ended up taking him to the event and, now he's officially mine." of course he left out a lot of information but he couldn't tell her _every_ single detail. 

"Awwweee.." she pinched his cheek and he pulled his face away, annoyed. "Well isn't that nice of you." she cooed.

_Okay.. I should really leave now._

"Well, now that you're out, I guess I can start leaving now."

"Awww," she whined. "See I knew you were going to say thaaat."

"What? The whole thing was to bail you out. And I did."

She had a sensual smirk on her face.

_Oh no.. here it comes.._

"But did you_ really_ think I was just going to walk away like that? Come on, Steven. We can hang out together! We can have sooo much fuuun."

"No." he shook his head. "N, no. No. I don't want to do that."

She tilted her head back. "Uhhhhg, why are you such a teaaaase." 

"I'm not." he stated plainly. "I already told you about this."

"I knooow, but I still have hope that you'll give me a yes one daaaay." she rubbed his arm.

He moved away. "Nephry, that's enough." and she could hear the irritation in his voice. 

She smiled mischievously. "Iiii'm still keeping my hopes up, Steeeeven." she giggled.

The two made it across the street to another block. They began to walk down a few row houses to their right.

"So" Nephry started up with a grin. "Any chance in you hanging out with me? I know this reaaally nice hotel-"

He turned to her. Confusion and shock at her still going on with this planted on his face. "Nephry." he shook his head. "I'm.. with Connie. I don't want to hang out. I was just nice enough to bail you out. That's it."

That.. smirk was still on her face. "Look Steven. I'll tell you what. We don't even have to _tell_ Connie if that's what you're afraid of and-" 

"That's not it at all. I'm just not. a cheater."

She smacked her teeth, though the smile was still on her face.

"Nephry, we're not doing this." he stated bluntly. "I'm going home" she opened her mouth. "with_out_ you coming with me." she closed her smiling mouth. 

"I don't know what you're going to do- And it's not me!" he was quick to say before continuing. "But I'm taking the metro back home and waiting for my _girlfriend_ to come back from work."

"Awwwww~~" she bat her eyes and he ignored her and kept walking forward.

They were walking towards the end of the block. 

Nephry _still_ following him..

A group of people were huddled between two houses as they carried on with what they were doing. Them giving one main guy their money and him giving them something back in return. 

Nephry stopped in her tracks. "Ooo! Steven! Ya got some more cash on you?!" 

"W, what?"

"Cash! I want to go get some good stuff from that guy!" 

Steven looked back up.

_And.. doing that in broad daylight.._

"Unless _you_ still have more of that stuff back at your place?"

"Uh." he shook his head. "No. I don't do that anymore. I.. stopped."

"What?!"

"I.. uh, yeah.. I found something else. I found another job." he shrugged.

And it's not necessarily better either..

"And when were you going to tell me this?!" she pouted.

"I don't know?" 

She tsked as she shook her head. "Okay, that's another story for another day." a beat. "So you have money or not? I'm trying to let go today!"

"No." 

He shouldn't be doing this.

Now after.. killing two people, even though it wasn't on purpose.. he didn't want to be the cause of another death.. Or bad injury for that matter..

She tilted her head at him. "Come on, Steven. I know you're holding out in me. I don't even need that much." she said casually. "Like, twenty bucks. That's it." 

"I don't have any."

"Don't have any or, don't want to give me any?"

He looked at her.

She raised an eyebrow at him.

Moments later and he sighed. "Look, I just don't feel comfortable doing this anymore. I don't want you.. I do don't know, getting hurt or.." he trailed off, not wanting to say the other option.

She scoffed. "What? Steven what are you talking about?"

_I'm talking about not wanting to be the cause of another death.._

"Doing this. Giving you drugs and allowing you to.. just hurt yourself." 

"Hurt myself? What is.. what?" she looked genuinely confused and that was actually the first time he saw her _not_ looking cheerful or sensual or cheeky. Or smug.

"No, I mean.. you know, with drugs. I don't want you messing with that stuff and.." _dying from it_ "getting hurt from it.."

"Uh.. Steven? I've literally been doing this for years. I'm. fine." 

"That doesn't mean anything. What if something's happening to your body from doing that for so many years?"

She folded her arms. "Okay, dude.. you're sounding like my primary care doctor."

"Well, they're right. It's just.. it's not good."

She tilted her head to the other side. "Coming.. from a drug dealer himself?"

_"Ex_ drug dealer."

"Riiiight, right, right, right. My apologies." she said with an eye roll. _"Ex_ drug dealer." she shifted slightly on her foot. "So.. because you had this.. whatever happened to you. New leaf whatever.. Now you're not a drug dealer and now you're trying to stop me from what _I'm_ doing?" 

"Noo, I'm not. I mean, it's not like -I was just saying that because how _I_ feel about things right now that.. I just, don't.. feel comfortable being an enabler.."

"Uuuhhg, Steven." she tilted her head once more to the other side. "First you don't give me any any more and now you're not even giving me money so I can get my fix. What's next?" she shook her head before looking up at him as she threw up her hands casually. "But fine. I don't have time for this." and he saw a smirk coming to her face. "Let's see how long this "new leaf" lasts." she dropped her hands. "I'll just nab some from my boyfriend's stash, no problem." the smile widen on her face and her eyes lowered playfully. "Now that I'm out because of you, I guess I'll see you around." she pivoted away and Wales several steps befriend stopping. She turned back around and the smirk was ever smug on her face. "Remember Steven. You'll go back to your old, drug dealing ways. And maybe I'll also have my fun with you too one day." a beat and she added, "Remember, we're Monster Buddies." 

A fun little nickname they made up that.. wasn't so fun any more..

A name for them from years ago when they would mess around and he would give her drugs..

He didn't see them as 'Monster Buddies' anymore.

"I won't go back to my ways. And, that won't happen. And that term is long gone."

She scoffed. "So you say~" she gave him a wave. "Thanks again for letting me out, Monster Bud. Can't wait to see you again." 

"I'm not your Monster Bu-" she'd turned around from him and quickly ran across the street. She was reaching in her shirt and moments later she pulled out several bills. 

_AND she had money the WHOLE time?!_

He saw her waving to the man in the alley.

_Seriously.._

_Seriously right now!!?-_

A very familiar ringtone played on his phone and his heart skipped a beat. He quickly took out his phone. 

_Amethyst_ across the screen..

_Another mission.._

He swiped across the screen and held the phone up to his ear. "Hello?"

"Yo. Perry" _she called her by her nickname.. I guess they're okay now._ "called us for another mission. We'll be picking you up in two hours. We just left the base a half an hour ago."

"Okay. I'll be there." 

She hung up and he put the phone in his pocket and sighed. 

Looks like he had a mission to go to after all..

He looked across the street to see the man handing Nephrey "her fix"..

He glared at her, but looked away just short moments later. 

Whatever.

He didn't have time to worry about that now. 

Now he had a mission to go to.

He had something else to dread..

He looked down at the canine sitting right beside him. "Alright, Lion. It's time to go. We have another mission to go to."

Lion let out a little huff. 

"Yeaah, I know buddy." he nodded. "On our off day. But, we have no choice." 

Lion got up but let out another growling huff. 

He shrugged apologetically. "I know, sorry boy. But we really have to go." he tugged on the leash gently. "Come on. Come on, boy." 

Lion let out another chuff and rather reluctantly, started to follow him down the sidewalk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who needs a refresher, Nephry is the first chick we saw who tried to seduce Steven back in chapter 5
> 
> Since it's the Monster Buddies episode, I just wanted to have her make a quick cameo since her "counterpart"/homage gem is in this episode.
> 
> Also, Steven is referring to the two guys at the beginning of the fic:
> 
> In chapter 24, Acid Plant, he indirectly, more or less, made a mistake and let go after trying to save Jessie, a rival, from the acid below them. The man clipped him and he tripped and in the mix of half falling down on the beam and half trying to regain his balance, he let go. And, the man fell to his acid death
> 
> The other one is Mohawk. In chapter 31, Breaking and Molding, Amethyst threatens Connie's life and forces Steven to get the jewel from the man's stomach. Pearl slices his chest open and he shoves his hand in and gets the jewel and the man dies instantly after.
> 
> And the bystanders that were killed by Amethyst because he wouldn't stop crying are in the same chapter.


	149. The Ice Cavern

Steven and Lion made it down the hall and he unlocked the front door. Lion ran in front of him as he always did and Steven dove under the bed to get their gadgets. With just a couple minutes to spare, he didn't want to be late in meeting them on the side of the apartment. 

He threw his clothes off and put on his GemTech jeans and shirt and threw on the same second shirt he had on earlier. Then he slid the bracelet on his wrist and slid the ring on his finger. He put Lion's gadgets in his pocket, along with the Chili Scale jewel he'd actually _forgotten_ to give Peridot. Then he made a quick pit stop to the kitchen, grabbing a small plastic bag, then he went to the bathroom, taking out the bottle of GemTech cream. With the injuries he was getting, he thought to have some on him just in case. He poured some in the bag and put the bottle back inside the mirror and ran out the bathroom. "Okay, come on boy." he jogged to the front door and Lion followed him. He unclipped the leash from him and the two went out the door.

The Inkas armored limo was already parked at the side.

Steven ran up and opened the door and Lion jumped in. "Hey Amethyst, Garnet. Pearl." he closed the door behind him.

"Yo." Amethyst nodded with her mouth full and Garnet and Pearl greeted him back 

"So, we got a call from Perry, as you know." Amethyst began. "And it's pretty far by car so we'll be taking the jet again." she took a bite out of her sandwich.

He gasped. _The jet again?!_ "Where are we going?"

She chewed a few more times and swallowed. "The Chukchi sea."

_Water.. again?_ "I've never heard of that place."

"Eh." she wiped the mustard of her lip and licked it from her thumb." Just a really cold place with like, lot's of ice and snow and polar bears and stuff." 

"We're going somewhere cold?! I would've brought a coat.." he looked down at his feet and wiggled his toes in the flip flops. "and some thick socks and snow boots.."

"Oh, yeah. Well would you look at that. Well, too late." she snickered. "Looks like your arms and feet will be freezing cold. But, at least the rest of you would be warm from the GemTech clothes, so you shouldn't complain."

He frowned.

_Hopefully it wouldn't be too cold.._

.........................

Just three hours later, the Gems and Steven were nearing the base and immediately, Steven's mind went to Rose's room and then, to that.. hologram? he saw down in the cellar, basement area..

And he remembered that audio clip that was randomly downloaded to his phone. And the language that he couldn't understand. 

Maybe he should listen to the audio clip again? Try to find out the language and decode it or something..

Maybe?

It wouldn't hurt to, try it out again.

He would just do it when he got back to the apartment.

  
  


After parking the vehicle in the garage, (and Steven gawking at the limos, fancy cars, helicopters and jets once more), they boarded the jet. While Garnet was doing her checks, the other four took their spots inside. Pearl sat on the couch, Amethyst and Steven took their seats in the recliners and Lion laid down near Steven. The same spots they were in before when they'd retrieved the Wailing Stone and when they'd went to L.A and back to the base. 

"We're going to this ice cavern." said Amethyst. "We have to retrieve this jewel that's extremely hot to the touch. We have our gloves and we have a specific GemTech box to put it in. So, it'll be yet _another_ easy mission." 

"That's great but.. I don't have any gloves.."

"Oh yeah, would you look at that." she looked at his bare hands. "Well, tough." she leaned back in her chair. "Guess you have to worry more about the polar bears and walruses."

"Polar bears and walruses?!"

"Yuuuuup. Apparently they're in the ice cavern too." 

"Not them.."

"Yeah, so you better hope you don't get attacked by them." she chuckled. 

He didn't find that funny.. He really did hope that he wouldn't get attacked by them.

Him _or_ Lion.

"Also, dude." he looked at her. "Don't forget to put the gadgets on the dog before we get off the jet." 

"Right. Yeah, I'll be sure to do that."

Garnet slid the door open and walked into the lounging area from the kitchen. She slid the door back. "Everything looks good." she told Amethyst. "We're ready to take off." 

"Good." she told her and Garnet walked pass them and towards the cockpit. Amethyst turned her attention back to Steven. "Alright, che. This'll take much faster than your average jet. We should be there in about six hours tops."

They heard the engines starting up.

"Okay." he said. "I guess I'll just pass the time on my phone. Or, maybe take a nap." 

............................

Just slightly less than six hours later, Garnet had made an announcement for them to prepare for landing. Steven was putting on the last "sandal" on Lion's back paw. The boy having already put the fronts in Lion's mouth and the huge, luscious mane around his neck. 

He fastened the strap and leaned up. "There. And, just one last thing." he pressed and held the pin on Lion's collar for three seconds and his fur turned pink. "Just activated the forcefield." he smiled. He rubbed Lion's head between his ears. "Hey, Amethyst. Since he has all of this camouflage, is it necessary to still put the mask on him?" 

"Duh, dude. We can't take any chances." she finished her water bottle and threw it in the bin under the table.

"Okay." he took the mask out of his pocket and put it over Lion's head. "Actually, it's a good thing, now that I think about it. This mask can keep him warm." then he also realized that the rest of Lion's body, apart from his neck was still exposed. "I hope the cold isn't going to harm him. He doesn't have much else on."

"Talc, we're going to an extremely cold area with ice and snow ALL around and hypothermia waters. This place is going to be cold for him."

That didn't sit well.

He turned to her. "Does he really have to go then? I think we can do this, just the four of us." 

"You wanted him as a Crystal Gem dog, he's going to go with us on this mission." she slid her mask on. "That's the end of it."

He sighed. But didn't say anything else.

Then, he thought about the second shirt he'd worn. He slid it off the chair and put it on him. 

_Hopefully that'll keep him a bit warmer._

  
  


The jet descended and Steven looked out the window to see white and dark blue underneath of them. Glaciers, ice sheets, ice caps and throughout the water he saw ice shelves floating along by in the icy waters. 

He was already shivering.

Just five minutes later the jet was landing, sliding across the ice sheets and nearing a huge, looming glacier. Right at the bottom was a single silver door. 

The jet stopped and a few moments later, Garnet exited the cockpit. She turned and put the code into the tablet. 

"Alright. Time to get going." said Amethyst. She got up as the door was lowering o the ground. A gust of wind blasted into the interior, freezing the inside of the cabinet within seconds and instantly grabbing at his arms. He shivered the arctic chill off his skin. 

He was already regretting the mission. Thought it wasn't like he had a choice to _not_ go.

Amethyst, Garnet and Pearl were exiting the plane.

"Okay, let's just get this over with." Steven said to Lionbas he watched his breath in front of him. The two exited the plane, with Steven holding on to Lion, preventing the dog from running away from him and into the vast area of ice, slush and snow.

Garnet was right beside the steps as they stepped into the ice sheet. She turned around and put the code into the outside tablet and the door began to lift up and back into the plane.

Amethyst and Pearl were already making their way towards the door of the glacier.

Steven held on to Lion tighter as the dog lunged, trying to run away to explore the unfamiliar, freezing surrounding.

Flip flops and doggy sandals both walked across the icy terrain. The thick, solid snow sending a low crushing sound beneath their feet. Steven looked around. Amazed and simply at a complete awe at the arctic area. Glaciers and ice sheets seemed to go on for miles and the water looked deep and chilling. And mysterious. And he wondered if anything was going to just POP out of them. Like.. a terrifieying polar bear perhaps?

He was being very careful in not letting him or Lion go anywhere near the edges of the sheets of ice.

Just halfway towards the glacier, they started to hear a high pitched sound in the area and Lion turned his head, perking his ears up. The sound grew louder and more high pitched. Then it was accompanied by more high pitched noises.

Steven turned his head towards where Lion was looking. "What is that?"

Lion started growling.

They were just a few yards away from the edge and Steven picked up his pace, still keeping an eye on the area. He pat at Lion's flank with his other hand. "Come on, boy." he pulled the dog gently with him. Lion kept his attention to the area as the noise went on, growing louder. Nearer.

Steven was at a slow jog. He looked up in front of him. Amethyst and Pearl were already inside. The gray door already hacked. He looked to his side again as the noise grew sharper. Extremely close.

A large chunk of mass flew out of the water and Steven screamed. Lion lunged forward, barking loud and Steven tightened his grip. His cold hands holding on to the dog's upper body.

A bearded seal landed hard on the ice. His body absorbing the impact easily. He opened his mouth and a low, crackling growl came out. The loud call echoed through the area, mixing with Lion's excessive barking as he tried going for the heavy, dangerous mammal.

"No. Bad boy. We don't do that." Steven pulled Lion away from the loud, intimidating animal. His whiskers twitched in the air as he bellowed out more calls into the area.

"Come on!" Steven ran towards the ice cavern, as the mammal laid there by the edge of the ice.

They made it across as a few eider birds flew above head. He held his arm over his head until he made it to the glacier. He threw open the door and the two ran in and he slammed the door behind him and leaned on it. He panted. Seeing the heat of his breath and feeling his throat start to hurt from breathing in the cold air.

"That was scary." he whispered. Panting. He swallowed, his throat pained and dry. 

He could still hear the low growl coming from outside. He pushed off of the door and tried focusing on the ice cavern instead. 

He'd expected to see expensive jewels like all of the previous places he'd been in with the Gems. Or at least a few ice furniture or regular furniture or something. But he didn't. He only saw "floors" above him, suspended in the air. None of them reaching to either side of the cavern. The floors were made of ice and Steven tried to see just how many floors were above him but they seemed to be multiple leading up to the very top. Some of them, he could see ice spikes on the bottom. And on top of majority of the ice floors were piles of snow laying around certain areas of the floor and he could see either one or two openings within the ice, as if someone had picked through it. And throughout the area he could see more eider birds flying about. 

If he had those super cool, super jumpy shoes like the Gems did, he would be able to simply pick up Lion and, super jump his way all the way to the top.

But, he couldn't.

So..

He looked down at the dog. "Let's see if we can somehow get to the top." he shrugged. 

Lion titled his head, wagging his tail at him.

"Ooookay. Here we go." he picked the dog up and started walking over to a pile of snow that was thankfully right under one of the openings. He slipped on the icy flooring, letting out a "whoa" before making it to the pile. He climbed up and lifted Lion up to the first ledge before pulling his self up to the floor. He looked up, seeing many, _many_ more floors above them. 

He let out a sigh and looked at Lion. "This is definitely going to take awhile.." 

Garnet had jumped down onto the first floor, right on the edge and at the far side of the floor in front of Steven. "Garnet!" 

"Meet you up there, Talc." she gave him a thumbs up and jumped, clearing a few yards up and landing on the side of cavern and pushing off the wall to the fourth floor, pushing off and going back to the wall, then off to the edge of the seven floor, then the wall again and onwards. 

"Pfft.. show off.." he mumbled with a pout. He got up. "Okay, Lion. Let's just keep going." 

Steven carried them up to the second floor, then the third. "Phewf.." he started climbing the next snow pile to the opening of the next floor. He helped Lion onto the edge first and as he was pulling his self up, he heard Lion growling. 

_Dare he look back.._

He turned around to see a black nose and sharp white teeth of a polar bear, on the other edge of the opening.

He screamed as he tried pulling his self all the way up and onto the floor. The bear swiped at him, barely missing his head as he flipped down to the floor. Lion took a step forward, barking at the hulking figure. And it roared back.

"Lion no! Sit boy!" he held onto the dog. He hugged him, holding him back and he felt the claws of the bear swipe at his back. The force only pushing him back. The GemTech shirt protecting him from the claws. Another push from his paws and Steven was nearly knocked over. Lion stood back up, trying to leap out of Steven's embrace. "Lion, no!" he felt another paw push him back and as he held onto the dog he squeezed the bracelet onto his wrist. Five long, pencil point thin braces came out of the bracelet, the braces taking each pink jewel with them. The braces stopped at his nails and each jewel stopped at the knuckles of his finger and thumb. Another hard pat from the huge paws and he turned around before another blow. He double pressed on his index finger and the shield activated instantly, right as five large, black claws came down on the surface of it, pushing him back into Lion as he held onto the canine with his other arm. The polar bear continued to swipe with both paws, pushing Steven and Lion farther back across the floor towards the edge and Steven let go of the dog to brace the shield with both arms. The polar bear continued to overpower him and slamming him back with every strike across the shield.

"This" another hit. "isn't going to." another pound on top of the shield's surface. "work." he was about to swipe the jewel og the ring across his arm, but realized that.. it was blocked by the shield..

For future reference _if_ he comes out alive, he should put ring and bracelet on different hands for situations like these.. 

Right after another blow that knocked him back, he leaned up as he double pressed on his index finger. The shield minimized back to a tiny, pink, flat circle and he ran the jewel across his arm and the bubble formed around him. The claws came down on the surface and pushed the bubble back. The claws not leaving a scratch, not even a ripple as the polar bear tried to claw his way in. And Steven watched as the breath of the bear fogged up on the surface of the bubble.

"Oh.. Lion." he got up to his feet. "What can we do-" he thought about the bubble's stretching ability. "That's it!" he ran his hands across the bubble and it doubled in size, pushing the bear away. The bear came back, angrier and Steven, even with the forcefield, felt a bit uneasy with the animal coming towards him and he took a few steps back in the bubble. The animal lunged forward and Steven ran his hands apart and the bubble grew, pushing the polar bear again. With a loud roar, the animal charged towards them and Steven, yet again, took a few more steps back- 

And the bubble fell off the edge and he screamed for a split second before he realized the bubble had wedged itself between the floor and the wall. "Oh great.." he mumbled. 

The bear swat at the bubble.

"I have to think of something.."

Snow began to fall on top of his bubble and he looked up as a figure landed on the bubble. He yelped and fell back. 

It was Pearl. She held onto her injured side. Her face twisted in pain as she got up slowly to her feet.

"Pearl!" he shouted in surprise.

She looked down at him, then at the polar bear now trying to get to her. 

And, she ignored them. She bent her knees slightly and jumped up, clearing a few feet as she jumped from wall, to floor until she reached the top.

He sighed. "Of course she wouldn't help me.."

He thought about what he could do.. and with the polar bear seemingly not letting up, he thought of only one thing he _could_ do..

He slid his hands towards each other on the bubble, making it smaller. 

They fell through and he spread his hands back out to widen the bubble to catch onto the second floor and the wall. Then the first floor, then back to the ground floor of the cavern. He looked up. The polar bear was looking right at him from the fourth floor.

He looked down at Lion. "Let's just go to the opposite side of the floor." he walked to the other side of the mountain.

The two started once more, with Steven helping Lion to the floors before pulling his self up. Once they got to the third floor, Steven lifted his self up to check the next floor. The polar bear was still on the far side at the edge, looking away from them. Steven slid down the snow pile and picked Lion up and lifted him to the other side of the hole in the floor before quickly pulling his self up. 

Now wanting to check every floor before lifting Lion onto the ledge, Steven walked up the pile of snow towards the next floor. He grabbed hold of the edge and pulled himself up. 

A HUGE walrus with two long, sharp tusks were _directly_ in front of his face. He screamed and let go and he fell back into the snow pile. 

And he saw the polar bear turn around. "Oh no!" he quickly picked Lion up and climbed up the snow. 

The polar bear was gaining on him and with the short amount of time before the animal would get to him, he had to activate his shield to protect them. Unfortunately, having to possibly hurt the bear. 

Steven set the dog just at the top of the hill and he double tapped his index finger. The shield formed around his hand. "Sorry." he said to the bear and slid the shield off his wrist and threw the it.

The shield smacked into the bear and he stopped briefly, shaking his head, before running back towards them..

Steven double tapped on his middle finger and another shield activated. Reluctantly, he threw it harder.

The shield slammed into the bear, right as Steven threw a third one. Another direct hit.

The bear stopped in his tracks shaking the pain from his face.

Steven hoisted Lion to the other side of the opening and pulled himself up as quick as he could and away from walrus right behind him. He jogged a few feet and turned around. The walrus was staring right at him. 

Steven double tapped his ring finger and watched as he didn't see the jewel, then instantly saw the round, pink, flat jewel on the knuckle of his ring finger. He double tapped his middle finger, then his index and the other two shields were minimized back onto his knuckles. 

"Okay, Lion. Now let's.." he looked up but didn't see any openings above them. "go?" he looked down and saw the next opening being on the other side of the floor.. _behind_ the walrus.. 

And.. there was absolutely no way he could get pass the walrus.. 

There was an opening behind the animal on the same floor it was on. Meaning if he _had_ used that opening instead while running away from the polar bear on the other side, he would've been behind the walrus and could've hoisted themselves to the next floor.. BUT, that did _not_ happen.

And he couldn't just go back to the last floor and use his shield to push the bear away and quite possibly off the floor. 

That would be mean.. and that could possibly lead to the polar bear getting harmed or worse. 

And wasn't polar bears endangered due to ice caps melting? 

He stood there.. thinking about it.. Until his eyes caught the sharp icicles above him. The thick, sharp icicles hanging below from the next floor above him. He looked at the wall beside them. 

_Maybe I can ice pick us up to the next floor. It shouldn't be that bad. And it would be just like that time when I first did it at the Solar Ground Spire. _

He double tapped on his index finger and the shield actived. He threw the shield towards the ice and with just one hit, the shield sliced through a few icicles like butter. "Wow.." he double tapped on his finger to bring the shield back into the knuckle of the brace. "That's.. incredible.." he looked at the braces and the flat jewels along them. He lowered his arm back down slowly moments later and picked up two ice picks. 

"Okay, Lion. I don't know how good this is going to work but" he looked back at the walrus staring at him, then he turned back around. "we have no choice." he picked Lion up and tried to fix the dog comfortably under his arm. He took a breath. "Okay. We got this. You and I, both got this." he took a few steps back, looked behind his self and at the walrus again and turned and started running. "Heeeeere Iiiii goooo!!!" he ran across the icy floor and jumped off the edge. He threw his hand out in front of him and the icicle dug into the wall, making a deep puncture within in.

He took a few breaths, watching his breath in Fri t of him. "Okay.. okay, at least that part worked." he took another breath. "And now, to climb up-" something huge fell behind him and he turned around, thinking it was the walrus. He let out a startled yelp as he turned around, only to notice that the walrus hadn't moved. "Huh?" he looked down and saw a blue figure running towards the wall he was climbing. And he felt his self slipping from the icicle and with another startled yelp he lunged forward, grabbing hold of the thick piece of ice. He found his center of balance and his foot holds and looked back down. The figure was gone. 

"I.. know I can't be seeing things, Lion." 

He stared at the area for a few more moments before looking away. "Maybe.. it was nothing?" he more so told himself to calm his nerves. 

"Now, let's try to catch up to the Gems." he looked up at the many floors above him. And sighed. "Yeah.. yeah this is _defintely_ going to take awhile."


	150. *Ice* of you to drop by

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Real quick, I'm not trying to foreshadow with the blue and pink brother and sister or anything. I'm simply playing homage to these characters from the games Ice Climber/ Super Smash Bros xD
> 
> https://nintendo.fandom.com/wiki/Ice_Climbers
> 
> The original names are Popo and Nana, but yeaahh, I changed le names since it's not them and just homages 🤷
> 
> Anyway, kudos for anyone who spots out any homages from Smash Bros and from Ice Climber ;D

Amethyst threw her whip and the boy in blue dodged it as a girl in pink threw her mallet down in front of her. The top of the mallet opened and ice chunks started flying out of it. Amethyst jumped out the way and to the next and last floor above the two siblings. Garnet and Pearl were off to the side still smashing through the thick ice wall to get to the next room. 

The brother and sister jumped up through the opening and on the other side of the floor. Amethyst ran across the floor towards them, going for a tackle to the blue one and the boy raised his mallet up and brought it down. She decided against a tackle, throwing her whip instead and catching hold of the head of the mallet. The pink one jumped down in front of the two just as Amethyst pulled on the whip. His sister swung her mallet in a circle towards Amethyst and she jumped up, pulling the mallet out the boy's hand and swinging it down towards the girl. 

"Катина, oсторожно! (Katina, ostorozhno!- Katina, watch out!)" the boy shouted out. 

She jumped out the way, the mallet just missing her and sliding across the floor and off the edge. And unknowingly from them, the weapon falling down and passing Steven who was just a few floors down from them. The boy looking to his side, not knowing if he actually saw something or not. And after a few moments, he finally looked away and started climbing up another snow pile with Lion in his arms. 

Amethyst dove towards Katina's brother as he reached into his back pocket. He took out a small stick and pressed a brown button on the bottom of it. The stick grew and turned into a huge mallet. He swung up and she turned her body feet first. She landed on the mallet and used his momentum in mid swing and she let herself get catapulted towards the wall. She stepped off the ice and dove back towards him. He held his mallet up in the air, preparing for a potential strike and his sister started shooting ice out of her mallet. Amethyst put herself in a fetal position, as she spin towards them. Large, sharp, purple spikes shot out from the back of her jumpsuit, the side of her arms and the front of her legs. The ice broke upon impact. 

Noticing the ineffectiveness, Katina stopped and lifted her mallet up for a strike just as Amethyst closed the distance between her and the brother. She came out from the fetal position and the spikes went back into the jumpsuit as he threw his mallet down. She grabbed it in mid swing and used the momentum of his swing again to swing her body towards his sister. With little time to move out the way, the sister couldn't dodge in time. Amethyst kicked her in the face and she slid across the ice. Amethyst let go and landed just a foot away from her brother. She turned around quickly to face him.

"Катина! (Katina!)" the boy yelled. His sister was getting up to her feet. He turned his attention to Amethyst and began snarling at her. 

"Heh, you want the same treatment?" she took a stance. "Come and get it."

He advanced a step and swung his mallet down. She threw her arm out and the spikes came out from the jumpsuit. The mallet came down on her arm and cracked along the spikes. She held her arm up, stopping the attack and she threw a hard jab into his chest. The force pushed him backwards and he landed on one hand and pushed off in a flip and landed on his feet. 

Katina tried sneaking up on Amethyst with her mallet. She turned around and jumped away as the girl brought her weapon down hard on the ice. She threw her whip as the boy started shooting out ice chunks out of his mallet. The whip wrapped around Katina and Amethyst jumped out the way of the stream of ice. She landed behind the boy and threw his sister behind her, the rope unraveling and flinging her off the floor and down towards the bottom of the building.

In a fit of rage, her brother dashed towards Amethyst, throwing his mallet up and down, trying to land a hit and Amethyst dodged every swing easily. A lazy grin on her face as each mallet swung pass her. 

  
  


Steven was just a couple floors from them. He'd been hearing the fight above him for quite some time and, he was afraid of what he was going to see.

With the past couple of floors he'd passed by, there were dead poplar bears, walruses, seals and a couple eiders on the floor and he wondered if the Gems were the ones who'd done it.

He climbed up to the next floor and Lion was waiting for him, this time ignoring the dead seal and not going up to sniff it. Steven having stopped him a few times when they'd came across the dead animals the first few times.

With a shake of his head and a knot in his stomach, he walked around the bloodied animal and went to the next snow pile to the next opening of the floor. 

And a blue figure flew down, out the corner of his eye. "Okay, Lion. I know I can't be seeing things. This is like, the fourth, fifth time I saw something falling." 

Lion looked at him, still in his arms. 

Reluctantly, he ignored it once more and hoisted Lion to the next floor.

  
  


Steven could see and hear the movement above him on the next floor. 

He took a breath, getting ready. Preparing himself for what he might see.

Not wanting Lion to get caught in the fight, he hoisted himself up first. He saw Amethyst fighting two people. One dressed in a pink Inuit parka and the other, in blue. Both were wearing thick brown gloves and white boots with brown soles with spikes underneath. The boy having blue straps over his boots and the girl having the pink straps over hers. 

_Oh no.. Where's Garnet and Pearl?!_

"Ayeeee, look who's finally joined the fight." Amethyst scoffed. "An F-tier character."

"Huh?" 

The boy in blue shot ice out of his mallet and Amethyst dodged it as Katina came from behind to strike her with the mallet. Amethyst jumped back, in a back flip and over the girl's head and she kicked her from behind. She slid across the ice on her stomach.

Steven pulled himself up and turned around. He stretched down, just barely being able to grab Lion from the top of the snow pile. He pulled him up onto the floor.

Steven got up to his feet just as he saw Amethyst tackle the boy off of the floor. _Oh no!_

Then he realized. 

_Wait.. was that him those few times I saw something fall down from the floors? _

He'd remembered seeing something pink fall down once as well. 

Then he saw Amethyst wrap Katina up in her whip and threw her against the wall before unravelling the rope and letting her fall back down towards the bottom of the cavern once more.

Her brother came back down on the floor. Mallet held at the ready. 

_Good.. so he really is okay-_

The boy turned to him and started running towards him. 

_And coming right at me!!_

He picked up Lion and barely dodged out the way of the heavy mallet. 

He tapped on his index finger as the brother slammed his mallet down. The weapon crashed into the surface of the shield. And, he continued to hit and slam the mallet down on the pink, shiny material. 

It was just like with the polar bear.

Though maybe he could at least speak to this guy?

Another mallet came down and he was pushed back into the floor. Lion started growling. "Eaasy, boy." he looked up at the boy in blue. "Look.. I don't want to hurt you." he wasn't sure if the boy understood him or just ignored him, but he continued to pummel the shield was the as much force as he could.

"I said, I don't want to fight you." Steven grunted, trying to hold the shield steady as the boy slammed the mallet back down. "Shut up!" he shouted.

Katina fell back to the floor and landed quietly on the ice. 

Amethyst rolled her eyes. "How are they coming up here so fast?! They should be dead by now! They're practically, APPEARING OUT OF MID AIR EVERY TIME THEY FALL OFF THE EDGE!!" she yelled. She threw her whip three times to crack a few icicles down from above her. She picked four up and threw them at the girl. 

Katina held her mallet up in front of her, shielding herself from the ice as the icicles cracked under the impact. Amethyst came after her.

Steven activated the bubble and he got up, staring at the boy's glare. "I'm sorry." he began. "I know we're supposed to be rivals. But, I don't want to fight you-" the boy swung his mallet at full speed. "Oh no.." Steven grabbed Lion and braced for impact as the head of the mallet crashed into the bubble, sending it flying up into the air. The young man followed him from underneath.

The bubble slammed into the wall and Steven ran his hand across it, deactivating the bubble. Still holding Lion close to him, he barely managed to grab at the edge of the floor and he saw Lion's chin hit the floor hard. "Sorry, Lion. -AAHHH!!" the brother swung his mallet upwards, in a good motion and Steven titled the shield in front of him as the weapon slammed into them, the force causing him to let go of the edge and he screamed as he flew back up into the air. 

He hit the wall and in a split second, used the wall to push off from and towards the floor. Just as he grabbed the edge, the boy swung up again, sending Steven back up into the air. And again, he pushed off from the wall, grabbing the edge again, only to be slammed back up into the air by the mallet. "What is going on?!" he pushed off the wall and back to the edge. And, the mallet came back up, hitting him again. "It's never ending!!!" he pushed off the wall and tried for the edge again. Another swing upwards and back to the wall. "AAHH!!! Just quit it already!!" pushed off the wall, grabbing the edge, and another slam from the mallet. And the cycle seemed to continue, rather comically from Amethyst's stand point. She shook her head, chuckling. "Bottom tier in melee.." another stream of ice came her way and she dodged out the way and towards her opponent in pink.

Steven sighed as the cycle continued. Until, he'd pushed off and grabbed hold of the edge once more. He looked up at the boy in blue. Exhausted, panting hard from the many times he had to push off with his feet and grab hold of the edge.

A dastardly smile spread across his lips and, he held his mallet up.

"I, I told you! I don't want to fight!"

The boy stopped his mallet up and stared at Steven. "But _I_ do." he brought his mallet down in a swing, this time, slamming the mallet downwards and causing Steven to let go and fly downwards towards the wall hard, the icy wall hitting his shoulders and back and causing him to let go of Lion. 

"Lion!!" he free fell towards the dog. He double tapped in his index finger to deactivate the shield and he dragged his elbows up and behind himself as he raised his arms up. GemTech, glider wings sprouted from the base of the shirt, attaching to the end of his short sleeves. Then he held his arms down to his side to catch more speed. He kicked his legs every which way, trying to activate the gliders on his jeans. "Come on, come on. How do you work these jeans?" he mumbled to himself. 

He grabbed hold of Lion and banked left. He held his other arm out and kept the one holding the dog as far out as he could without dropping him. They were nearing the floor and he kicked his legs harder. 

To no avail.

With the dog in his arm, it made gliding much harder, the two banking left and right, but thankfully still keeping up air as they neared the floor below them. 

He held his elbows out as far as he could to descend slower and he turned his body slightly downwards, landing safely to his feet. 

He looked up at the floors above him and groaned. _I have to do this again.._ Keeping the glider wings out, just in case they would fall again, he started for the first snow pile, with Lion still in his arms.

  
  


Steven finally made it back up to the second to last floor. Extremely tired. And his body beginning to ache now. Both old and new aches screaming out at him.

He saw Katina jump from the wall to the last floor above them. The, floor he'd yet to get to..

Amethyst ignored her and went for the brother instead. She dodged the mallet and threw a punch across his jaw. 

"Игорь! Они на полпути через лед!! (Igor'! Oni na polputi cherez led!! -Igor! They are halfway through the ice!!") he heard his sister yell. 

The boy stopped in mid swing towards Amethyst. He looked up. "Что?! Nyet!! (Shto?! Nyet!! -What?! No!!") he ran the other way and jumped off the edge of the floor. "Я иду! (YA idu! -I'm coming!") he bounced off the wall and to the top floor. 

"Oh, NO you don't!!" Amethyst followed him. Jumping off the edge and to the wall and pushing off and jumping to the last floor. 

Steven ran to the nearest snow pile, preparing himself again for what he might see. He lifted himself up to the floor. 

He saw Amethyst standing in front of an opening, as tall as six and a half feet and two feet wide. She was fending off the siblings, preventing them from getting pass. 

And when he looked down the opening, he noticed Pearl and Garnet smashing through the wall, trying to get to the other side. Garnet using her gauntlets and Pearl using her spear. 

Steven stood there, not knowing what to do as Amethyst continued to dodge their ice chunks and mallets and tackling them back and using her whip.

She grabbed Igor and threw her whip up towards the sharp icicles on the ceiling. He moved his mallet in front of his face and the head of the mallet scraped across the sharp edges of the ice. 

Katina shot out ice chunks from her mallet and Amethyst jumped out the way. She swung the whip out, unravelling it and sending Igor flying pass the floor and down to the bottom of the cavern once more. And she turned around to see Katina running up fast. She threw the whip, the rope wrapping the mallet close to the girl. She threw her down, the same way as she'd done with her brother and the girl was flung down towards the bottom of the cavern.

Then he saw Amethyst running inside.

"Okay, I think it's safe now." Steven whispered to Lion. "Let's go." the two ran down a narrow path to the opening of the cavern. They could hear Garnet and Pearl smashing and picking through the ice respectively. 

Amethyst was running up to the women and Steven saw her duck as a huge figure flew towards him. He screamed, seeing a huge condor flying towards him. He started running back out the cave with Lion running alongside him. They ran down the narrow path as the condor swooped down, pecking at Steven's head. He waved his arms around screaming as he ran back to the top floor. "AH! Leave me alone!!" 

The bird threw his head back, hitting Steven hard and he slid across the floor. Lion jumped up, trying to grab at the bird. The condor flew up and pass him and dove towards Steven once more. The boy got back up and screamed and ran away from it, not looking in front of him until his foot hit nothing but air. He let out a startled yelp and he turned around as he fell off the edge of the floor. 

He sighed, his arms folded. "Okay.. I jumped off the edge myself..okay.." he mumbled to himself as he free fell fast towards the bottom of the cavern. 

He heard Lion bark a few times and he looked up to see Lion at the edge of the floor. "No!! Sit!! Stay!!" he shouted. "Staaayy!" 

Lion sat down and watched him as he continued to fall straight down. 

As he neared the floor he held his elbows out, catching the air and slowing his descend. He turned upwards and he landed gently back down to the floor.

"Oтойди от нас! я сказал: отойди от нас! (Otoydi ot nas! Ya skazal: otoydi ot nas! -Get away from us! I said 'get away from us'!") Steven saw Igor waving the mallet around at three bears surrounding them. They were cornered. His sister hiding behind him and Steven noticed a mallet right by a fourth bear. It was chewing on the weapon. 

"Hey!" Steven started running up to them. The boy stopped. "YOU again-" distracted, one of the polar bears smacked him hard out the way. 

Leaving his sister open to the bears.

She screamed. 

"Катина! (Katina!") he ran back and one of the bears turned around and started swatting at him. He tried to maneuver around the bear. "Катина! (Katina!")

The bears advanced towards her, one lunging out with a paw out in front of her-

A shield smacked into it and the force pushed it against the third bear. They shook their heads and went for her again. Two more shields came their way, one hitting the second one, then the third, harder.

Katina saw Steven as he came into view with a fourth shield attached to his wrist. "Don't worry! I'm coming!" he jumped in between them as the third one pushed both paws down hard on the surface of the shield. Steven turned to the girl. "Don't worry. I got this." she looked at the shield in front of him. The polar bear colored in a pink tint from the shield. Then she looked back at Steven. She nodded silently. 

He double tapped on the first three fingers and all three shields minimized back to the bracelet. Then he ran the ring across the ground and the bubble formed around them, pushing the two bears away. They charged back towards them and began trying to tear at the bubble with their teeth and claws. 

Steven turned around and held out a hand. 

She looked up at the friendly smile on his face and, grabbed his hand. He helped her up to her feet. And she slowly let go of his hand. "..Thank you." 

He shrugged off the gratitude. "It's no problem. Like I told your brother. I don't want to fight." 

She looked at him. Completely shocked. "But.. you're a Crystal Gem." 

His stomach dipped at the name. He held in his grimace. And, his own motto came to his mind like a light switch. "By name. Not by heart." he told her. 

Her expression softened. Though she still seemed a bit confused. 

They heard her brother still trying to fend off the first bear. Steven turned around and began running in his bubble. And the girl looked amazed as they ran inside of the pink, round forcefield. 

"Look out!" Steven shouted out and the boy barely dodged out the way of the bubble and Steven tackled the bear away and the animal slid across the icy floor. He swiped across the bubble, deactivating it and he slid the jewel across his arm, reactivating the bubble around the three of them. 

Steven held out his hand and the boy swatted it out the way and got to his feet. 

"Igor. He saved us." 

The boy blew out air through his nose. He didn't say anything. 

All four bears were coming towards them. 

"Don't worry you guys. This bubble is extremely durable. They won't be able to get through it." 

"Good." said Katina.

"I wasn't worrying." Igor grumbled. 

"Now.. all I need to do is push them back." Steven placed his hands on the bubble. "And we can climb back up."

"We don't need to climb back up." 

"Катина! (Katina!") Igor warned her. 

She ignored him. "Take us to that wall over there." she pointed at what looked to be, a plan icy wall. 

"..Okay?" Steven complied. He spread his hands across the bubble, pushing all four bears out the way and he heard an amazed "Whoa." from Katina. He spread his hands close together, making the bubble smaller and he jogged towards the part of the wall she'd pointed to. 

He swiped the ring across and deactivated the bubble. 

"Катина (Katina.") Igor warned her once more and she pressed her hand on the wall, ignoring him again. 

A door slid open and she and her brother ran in. "Come on." she told Steven and he ran in. The doors closed as two bears were running towards them. And the elevator shot up quickly and Steven held on tightly. 

Igor shook his head. Mad. "Катина, почему ты рассказал ему о лифте!! (Katina, pochemu ty rasskazal yemu o lifte!! -Katina, why did you tell him about the elevator?!") 

"потому что он спас нас! (Potomu chto on spas nas! -Because he saved us!")

Steven wondered what they were saying.. But he could tell that the young man was extremely angry.. 

"Мне все равно!! он соперник!! Мы должны просто убить его сейчас!! (Mne vse ravno!! On sopernik!! My dolzhny prosto ubit' yego seychas!! -I don't care!! He's a rival!! We should just kill him now!!") he raised his mallet up and Steven hollered and double tapped on his index finger. 

"Nyet!! (Nyet!! -No!!") she jumped in front of him and held her hands up. "пожалуйста, не делай этого!! (Nyet!! Pozhaluysta, ne delay etogo!! -Please don't do this!!")

He glared at Steven. The boy hiding behind his pink shield. 

And slowly, he raised his mallet back down. 

"Огромное спасибо. (Ogromnoye spasibo. -Thank you very much.") she smiled. 

He made a simple grunt and turned away. 

The elevator door opened at the top of the ceiling and the two jumped out and Steven jumped out with them and glided down to the top floor. _So this is how they get to the top within seconds.._

He landed on the ice while the two had already ran inside the opening of the wall.

Lion was running towards him. "Lion!" he scratched the dog behind the ears. "Okay, let's follow them. I think they're going to help us now!" he cheesed. He double tapped on his index finger and deactivated the shield. He ran inside with Lion right by him. 

As he ventured farther down the icy tunnel, he heard Amethyst yell out "They're back again!" 

"This is as FAR as you three are going to go!" he heard Igor shout out.

"Or.. maybe they're aren't going to help us.." Steven whispered to Lion. He picked up his pace.

"Ha! Looks like _someone_ is all out of mallets." Amethyst flung Katina down the hall and she slid in front of Steven. "Katina." he helped her up. 

"It seems that my brother wants to continue fighting with your crew." she let go of his hand.

"Is there any way we can stop him?"

She shook her head. "I don't think so." 

"Come on." said Steven and he ran down the hall.

Igor shot out ice out of his mallet and Pearl twirled her spear around in front of her, deflecting the ice chunks from the group.

"Yo, Pearl. Handle those two while Garnet and I finish this tunnel." she threw her whip down hard across the ice, breaking bits of it off. 

"I'm on it." she charged towards him, spear in hand. She threw it and it hit his shoulder. He held in a scream. He tried throwing his mallet down and she tackled him, and the mallet flew out of his gloved hand. 

Pearl got up to her feet, ignoring the pain in her side from the tackle. She lunged forward and Igor advanced towards her, throwing his good arm out as he tried going for one of her canisters on her belt. 

She dodged every move as she advanced another step, trying to find an opening.

He lunged forward, his hand out in front of him.

"Uhg!! Stop grabbing!!" she shouted. 

Going for a different approach he took his arm and grabbed the spear. He pulled on it hard and yanked it out of his shoulder. He turned the sharp point towards her. She decided against tackling him down and went for taking back her spear. She jumped up, kicking his wrist. The spear flung out of his hand and slid own the tunnel. 

She snapped out another kick, this one to his chest and knocking the wind out of him. She picked him up and flipped him down to the floor on his back. 

Steven finally reached the fight and he picked up Pearl's spear. She was already coming her way. "Pearl!" 

"Give me.that." she placed her foot on his chest and snatched the spear out of his hand as she kicked him to the floor. She ran back the other way towards Amethyst and Garnet. 

Katina helped him up. "Some team you have."

"Heh.. yeah. That's uh, how they treat each other." then he quickly added. "But, I don't do that." 

  
  


Igor was getting back up. He grabbed his mallet and started down the tunnel. 

Amethyst and Garnet had finally broken through to the other side of the room. 

Dark blue, icy water had filled nearly all of the room. And right in the middle was a block of ice. And inside it, the jewel. 

"There it is." said Amethyst. She jumped into the icy waters and Garnet and Pearl jumped in after her.

Igor decided against following them in the water. The young man jumped up on the icy wall and started climbing it upwards and towards the icicles on the ceiling. 

Just a few moments later Steven, Katina and Lion ran into the room. They saw the Gems trying to break into the ice.

"Katina, I'm sorry but.. I won't be able to stop them from getting the jewel." 

She gave a minute shake of her head. "Then let them have it. It's not like we need it anyway."

"Right." he nodded. "Okay." he stepped back from her. "I'll go and pretend to help them." 

"And I'll try to stop my brother." she ran towards the wall and grabbed hold of the sharp pieces of ice on the wall.

"Okay, Lion. Time to get to the Gems." he turned his bracelet over and looked at the black and silver button on the two ends of it.

_Wait.. which button do I press for him to walk on water?_

"Uh.... This... one?" he pressed the gray button. Then he turned to the dog. "Okay, Lion. Now let's go." 

The canine was too busy looking up at Igor climbing the icicles on the ceiling. The dog let out a few warning barks. The sound echoed loudly in the cavern as the sound waves ruptured through the air, hitting the roof and shattering the ice hanging below it. 

The wave had barely missed Igor and he hung from a single icicle as an balanced of shattered ice came pummeling down. 

"The cave's coming down!" Amethyst threw her whip at an icicle at the far side of the room and pulled herself away as Garnet and Pearl jumped away from the chunk of ice that they'd halfway chiseled through. 

The rush of snow and ice crashed down into the chiseled ice and into the waters. 

_Uh.. oh.._

"TALC!!!" Amethyst yelled from the ceiling.

He was quick to turn around, without having turned off the button. "Sorry, Amethyst!! I pressed the wrong button!!" 

She ignored his whining. Turning her attention to getting the jewel and getting out of the place. "Just dig through!" she cut him off. "Garnet! Pearl! You two dig too!" she looked at Igor and Katina hanging from the ceiling. "I'll take care of these two."

"Amethyst-!" 

"Don't start it, Talc! I'm finishing these two off!!" she grabbed at the ice circle and used her other hand to unravel the whip from it. Then she threw it towards Igor just as he let go. The whip hit the icicle he was on instead and cracked it. 

Katina let go as well and followed her brother down to the fallen ice and snow. 

Steven looked from the fight to Garnet and Pearl digging their way through the ice and snow and back at the fight again. Igor had said something to Katina and she looked back at Steven with a sad expression on her face. He said something back at her and she looked to had sighed. She nodded sadly. 

He raised his arm up and she raised hers up, grabbing his hand. The ground started to rumble under him and Amethyst and the floor jutted up into the air, in a huge glacier. "You two can't get away from me THAT easily!!" Amethyst jumped up, clearing a few feet and towards the top of the glacier towards them. 

_Whoa.. how are they doing that.._

Something huge bursted out of the snow and a walrus landed right beside them. It bellowed out a loud roar and Steven backpedaled, activating his sheild.

Lion barked a few times. The first one, blasting the walrus and completely obliterating it. The roar going as far as hitting the snow pile and blasting Garnet and Pearl towards the far wall. Their GemTech jumpsuits saving them from the same fate of the walrus. The second one, blasting through the pile and blowing the fallen ice chunks away, revealing the chiseled ice. And the third one, breaking the thick chunk of glacier ice and just an inch away from cracking the jewel. 

"I never turned it off!" he quickly pressed the gray button on his wrist.

Garnet and Pearl were swimming back towards the jewel.

Amethyst tackled Igor into the wall hard. The force shaking the wall and cracking an icicle on the ceiling. It came down towards him, hitting his arm. He held in a scream as he grabbed hold of his arm. 

"Игорь! (Igor!") Katina ran to him. 

"Here. Let me help you with that." Amethyst threw her whip and grabbed his sister and slammed her hard into thewall right by him. She unraveled the whip and the girl laid there, unmoving. 

Steven heard Igor shout out something at his sister in Russian as he crawled towards her.

Amethyst raised her whip up, ready to finish Igor off.

"Amethyst! We have the jewel!" 

She stopped and turned around. Garnet was holding the jewel in her gauntlet. "Good." she told her. Then she turned to Igor and to Katina laying on the floor. She scoffed. "I'll just let the elements finish you off. You can die slowly." he turned to the Gems. "Let's go." she ran towards the opening of the cavern. 

Steven looked at the two. Katina moving slowly and Igor helping her to a sitting position-

"I said 'let's go', Talc." 

He looked over to Amethyst. She was right at the opening, glaring at him. "We're leaving. _Now." _she turned and ran back down the tunnel. 

Garnet and Pearl followed after her and out the room. 

Steven looked at the two siblings. Katina looking at her brother's arm. His blue parka having been removed and now laying behind him. Then he looked at the entrance of the tunnel. 

Debating on what to do..

  
  


Igor was talking to Katina when Steven had walked over towards them. He stopped in mid conversation and glared at him. "Uh..h, hey." he waved at him. 

"What do _you_ want."

"I saw that you got injured and, I thought I could help you out." 

"I don't need your help." he spat out. 

"Hey." she pushed his knee. "Let him help you." she looked at the open wound on his skin. "It looks serious." 

Igor mumbled something under his breath and his sister turned to Steven. "It's okay. You can help him." 

Steven pulled a small sandwich baggy from his pocket. "This should work. It's for cuts and sores. But, something tells me that it'll work on deep, open wounds too." he opened the bag up. "But first, let's get that shoulder." he scooped up a bit of the cream. "This might burn a little." he moved his shirt down and placed the cream on the deep punctured wound from the spear.

Igor didn't flinch. And he kept his stone faced expression. 

Steven moved the shirt back up and rolled his white, thermos sleeve all the way up to his shoulder. The wound stretched from his shoulder and down to his elbow and he could see the meat under the skin. 

He held in his grimace and tried to _not_ be squeamish for once.

He scooped up some more cream and placed it on his arm and Igor moved his arm for a split second before keeping it extremely still. His face forced to a stone faced expression. But he saw the young man swallow the pain. 

He put some more cream on the arm, using up all the cream in the bag, since he hadn't put much in the bag in the first place. 

He put the empty baggy back in his pocket and turned to Lion. "Sorry, boy. I'm going to need this. But don't worry, we'll be in the warm jet soon." he slid the shirt off the dog and started wrapping the shirt around his arm and keeping the two pieces of skin together. He tied the long sleeves securely on his arm. "There we go. That should do it." he smiled. 

Her brother didn't return back the smile. "You're still a rival. And I still won't forgive you. _Or_ thank you." 

"Point taken." he held his hands up. "And, I understand completely." he stood up. "And I'll still stand by my own morals." he turned to Katina. "Take it easy, Katina. Hopefully we won't have to see each other like this again. I, don't like doing this.." he looked at Igor's wrapped up arm.

The boy scoffed. "Then if you want to be some kind of weakling, then leave."

"Igor." 

"What? If he can't handle a little bit of fighting, then he should leave. They should find a more worthy. opponent" he glared at Steven. 

"I can't leave." Steven told him. "But if I could, I would. I would rather actually help people and make this world better versus doing this." then he had a thought and said "Like, helping the Chukchi sea." he challenged. "With global warming and people hunting animals towards extinction, maybe you could learn a thing or two about where you're living and trying to do something about it." 

Igor looked away. "I'm not doing that."

"But.. he does have a point. We _have_ been seeing drastic changes to the area.. Especially with walruses and polar bears coming to our site for food now with the ice caps melting."

The brother shrugged. "It's the animals' problem. Not ours. We'll just have to move away from the site and go to higher ground."

"That's not fixing the huge matters.." said Steven. 

"Oh, and what do you know about our land?"

"I don't!" he quickly said. "But, I was reading up on the area before we got here. This place _does_ need some help. And, you and the people that live here should try and help the ecosystem and the animals out." he felt himself beginning to smile once more. 

Katina agreed with a nod of her head. "Yes, maybe we can do something about the sea." she suggested. 

"Or not." her brother interrupted.

She looked at him. "Or.. at least a _bit."_ she turned her head back to Steven and he smiled and gave her a thumbs up. "That sounds like a good start."

Igor grunted.

"Well, I should really get going." said Steven. "Stay safe you two." 

"You do the same." Katina waved to him. "And, thanks for helping my brother." 

He waved back to her. "It was no problem. Really."

  
  


Steven and Lion walked back down the tunnel and once they reached the floor, Steven grabbed Lion and jumped off the edge. They free fell fast towards the bottom and Steven tried opening the gliders on his pants once more. He couldn't and used his wings on his shirt instead to slow the descend into a safe landing. He dragged his elbows downwards, down his sides and the GemTech wings closed against his shirt.

He looked up and saw that the four polar bears they'd encountered earlier were now dead and by the main door. And Steven assumed that the Gems had done it.. the bears most likely trying to get at them and one or two or, ..all three of the Gems killing them.. 

Steven shook his head.. 

They're just quickening up their extinction..

He walked pass the animals and opened the door. Garnet was walking up the steps to the jet.

"Wait! Garnet, I'm coming!!" he ran down the ice with Lion. He slipped a few times and noticed that, Lion didn't. 

Were the doggy sandals slip resistant too?

Garnet walked up the jet and waited for him inside.

They ran up the stairs and Garnet put the code into the tablet. The stairs raised up into the jet.

Steven fell back into the recliner and groaned. Pearl took a quick glance at him before looking back at her phone. 

Garnet turned the thermostat up and walked pass them. She slid open the door and closed it behind her.

A couple minutes later and the door slid back open. Amethyst walked inside with a sandwich she'd made in the kitchen and a can of soda in the other. "Heh. So now you decided to come." 

"I..got stuck." he lied. "I'm still working on my gliding.. And I can't just jump off of tall objects and land from tall heights like you guys can. So it takes me awhile." 

She popped open the can. "Then you _work_ around leaving missions quicker until you _can_ jump from tall places like us." she took a few sips from her soda and set it down on the table. 

"Right.. I'll try." 

"You need to. You're a Crystal Gem, Talc. You need to start working and acting like one." she took a bite out of her sandwich.

He nodded silently, though disagreeing with her.

Amethyst didn't say anything more. The woman too busy devouring her delicious sandwich.

A low, whaling sound was heard coming from outside. And out from the sea. 

And the bit of sadness he was feeling just then went away as he leaned up in his recliner. "No way!" he looked out the window. A pod of humpback whales were jumping out of the water. Steven gasped. "I've never seen whales in real life!" he pressed his face up against the glass.

Amethyst got up casually, keeping her knees on the seat of the chair. The sandwich still in her hand. She unlocked the window and popped it open and a rush of cold air came in. "Hm." was all she said. 

"Isn't that so cool?!" 

"Eh." she took another bite out of her sandwich and stuck her upper torso out the window. She watched the pod moving across the water. "It's just whales." 

The door slid open and Garnet closed it back behind her. "Everything looks good. We'll be preparing for takeoff in four minutes."

"Good." Amethyst said from outside. She took another bite out of her sandwich.

Garnet walked pass the crew and to the cockpit. 

Amethyst turned her head slightly to Steven. "You know, if we were watching something cool like sharks than it would be a different story. But, watching these boring animals just jump out the water from time to time? Ha! Talk about a SNORE fest! HAHA!!"

An eider bird swooped down and took the sandwich out of her hand. "What?!" she watched the bird fly off. "NOOOO!!!" she shouted. "MI TORTA!!!!" she snatched the ship from her belt, unraveled it and threw it. The rope wrapped around the bird and it let out a started squawk, dropping the sandwich into the water. Amethyst growled out, throwing her hand down and the whip flung down, slamming the bird hard against the icy ground. 

"Amethyst!"

"SHUT it, Talc. You take my sandwich, that's a death sentence! As SIMPLE as that!" she slammed the bird on the ground a few more times before she unraveled the whip. The bird laid by the sandwich, motionless. "Estúpido pájaro. (Stupid bird.)" she leaned back inside and closed the window and locked it. "Yeah, that's right. Now we _both_ can't enjoy the sandwich." she slid back in her chair. Arms folded. Face stuck in a scowl. 

Steven decided against saying anything to her at that time. And, he added the bird to his mental list of victims today. Along with the walrus that unfortunately got caught in the crossfire of Lion's super bark and.. those polar bears..

The jet engines began to roar, drowning out the sound of the whales. He slid back in his seat and slid his flip flops off, getting comfortable and trying to shake the intense chill off of his arms and feet.

Just a couple minutes later and the jet was moving across the ice and Steven looked out the window, looking at the dark blue water and white, thick snow and ice beside them. The huge glacier they'd been in just minutes ago on the other side of the jet.

The jet picked up speed and was airborne in a matter of seconds. As the jet raised farther up into the air, Steven saw a condor, _the same condor that had attacked him_, flying from the top of the cavern. And, he noticed Katina and Igor hanging from the feet of the bird. The three of them going the opposite way from where they were going.

And he couldn't help but smile. They were safe. He'd managed to help Igor out and he got through to his sister.

It was a win in his eyes and he couldn't wait to keep helping people and setting things straight and undoing damages under the name of a Crystal Gem. And most importantly, as Steven. 


	151. Breaking news

During the jet ride back to the States, Steven was wasting time on his phone. He was on TubeTube watching a compilation video when an alert stopped the video and a breaking news message popped up on his phone. 

_This can't be good.._

He clicked on the message as he heard Amethyst and Pearl's phone chime, assumably their phones getting the same notification. And he saw the women clicking on their phone screens.

**Breaking News:**

**A woman is found with an unknown medical condition in Boroverde, North Carolina. The victim was found roped against a tree with a cryptic note that has yet to be decoded.**

Steven read the rest of the message as he heard a video playing on Amethyst's phone. He looked over and saw Amethyst with a hard stare directly at the screen of her phone as she watched the video. He couldn't understand what they were saying. The woman speaking in Spanish, but with how she was talking and the pauses between her and another guy talking to her, he assumed she was watching the news.

He watched as the lady said something that made Amethyst's eyes grow wide. Completely shocked by what she was hearing. And the lady continued with their discovery.

And the more the woman went on, the more pained Amethyst's expression got. She looked uneasy. And, to Steven.. perhaps, a bit scared-

She shot up from her seat and threw her phone behind her on the recliner. The video still playing. 

Amethyst banged on the door hard and Garnet opened it. "We're going to Boroverde, North Carolina. Corro Park. Get us there. _Quick."_

She didn't ask why. "Yes, Amethyst." 

Amethyst slammed the door back and picked up her phone. The video had ended. She stared at the end of the video, almost in a trance, until she snapped out of it immediately after. She slid her phone in her pocket and shook her head, bearing her teeth.

The jet was silent in the cabin. Only the slow rumble of the plane and the sound of the blades of the jets on either side of them.

Amethyst jerked her neck towards Pearl. "Pearl." the woman nearly jumped. Then Amethyst looked at Steven. "Talc. We're going down to Corro Park in Boroverde, North Carolina. You too saw it on your phones. The woman found tied up to that tree. We're going to take her with us." 

Steven looked at her. The question sitting in his tongue.. just waiting and ready to be asked.

Amethyst gave him a leveled stare before answering simply. "We know her."

And he wasn't daring to ask any further questions.. And so, he nodded.

She looked at both of them. "I'll take care of the woman. And you two will take care of any policeman that comes our way." 

The two nodded and Pearl added a, "Yes, Amethyst."

Amethyst looked away from them, rubbing her face with one hand. She mumbled something under her breath before flopping back down in the chair. She sat there, slouched with a distant look in her eyes.

  
  


Just an hour later and Garnet was heard on the speakers. "We're five minutes away from Corro Park." she said. 

And it took Amethyst a few more seconds to respond as she slowly snapped out of her trance, almost missing what Garnet had said. 

She stood up and marched over to the cockpit. She opened the door and leaned on the wall and announced to everyone. "Garnet, you keep the jet at a safe distance. The three of us will jump out and grab Azurite and take her back to the jet." 

"Azurite?" Garnet asked. The woman still hadn't checked her phone during flight. "She's still alive.."

"Still alive." then she whispered to Garnet. "and corrupted." Steven couldn't hear the last part.

_Still alive.. and what? Who is she anyway?_

Garnet exchanged an uneasy glance to Amethyst. And she kicked off the wall. "We'll be quick Garnet. _Don't_ lose our trail." she walked over to the door.

"Of course, Amethyst."

"Pearl. Talc. Come on." 

The two got up and Lion got up with him. 

"Noo. Sit Lion. Siiit." 

The dog sat and watched as Steven and Pearl walked over towards Amethyst. "Pearl." she gestured with her chin at the tablet.

Pearl put in the code on the tablet and pulled down a small black lever. A see through box slid up from the floor, reaching the ceiling and closing them off from the interior of the jet. Then she pressed another button and the door of the jet started to slide down and a gust of air rushed towards them and hit the casing they were in. 

The jet slowed as they neared the park and Steven could see bright white lights from studio lights and red and blue blinking dots from police cars, fire trucks and ambulances. A few news trucks were at the scene along with yellow police tap. And they could hear loud propellers from helicopters in the distance. 

Amethyst held a finger to her earpiece. "We're jumping out now." she told Garnet. "Take care of any helicopters that comes near you."

"Yes, Amethyst." 

"Okay." she told the crew. "Now!" she jumped from the plane and Pearl jumped after and after a bit of hesitation on Steven's end, he jumped out and held in a scream as he plummeted down towards the ground. Wind was rushing up to his nose and stinging his eyes and he left them cracked open. 

He saw Amethyst, then Pearl drag their elbows down, activating their wing gliders and he saw them use their right leg and drag it down their left one. Gliders snapped out from the inside of their jumpsuits. 

_So that's how you activate the wings on the pants. _

He dragged his elbows up and outwards and the wings sprouted out of his shirt and he mimicked what he'd saw the Gems do and used his right leg and dragged it down his left one and, GemTech glider wings sprouted from his jeans. 

_Yes! I did it!_

He followed the two down towards a small patch of trees just a few yards from the Corro Park sign. And he saw a few news reporters and a few cameras following them down.

  
  


"Yes, Berkeley. We still have a few folks out here on the scene gathering any more evidence in the area. So far they haven't found any, apart from the note that had been clipped to the woman's shirt. And, despite of showing the peice of paper to networks nobody has yet to step up and translate what has been written. We are now thinking that it is a specific code. It may very well be linked up to the mysterious L&Co person or group that has been killing people for the past month now. Or, it could be someone entirely different. The L&Co victims were either shot or strangled and left with a note in English under the logo L&Co, but here we see someone who, seems to had been in some kind of scientific project. The deformities and the dysfunction and delay of certain motor skills does not match with any known illnesses or deformities, so this could've been done in a lab. So, we could be dealing with not one but _two_ different groups targeting people. We are trying to find the pattern here, but the only pattern we found were that prostitutes and drug dealers were being targetted with two former convicts that had been released from jail. Ethnicity, gender and age were not found as the killer's pattern. But for this new finding here, and if this has been done by a different group, we could try to find the pattern and perhaps get closer to the first group, having that there _are_ in fact, two groups that we are dealing with now. But this is still very fresh and new and we are calling our best people to crack these cases and to track this or these deadly groups down." she gave a slight nod of her head. "Back to you, Berkeley." there was a bit of commotion and the woman turned her head. "What was that?" she asked to someone off screen and a look of horror came to her face as she was seen looking up into the air. News reporters and cops were seen running pass her on screen as they ran into the patch of forest. 

She held the mic up to her mouth. "This just in, it appears that the Crystal Gems have came and are now landing in the Corro forest. We have our policemen on their trails." the woman looked on cautiously, not wanting to be caught in the crossfire. She looks at the camera person and the camera soon pans left and shows a group of policemen in all black with their guns in hand and charging into the forest. 

  
  


The Gems landed on the wet grass and Steven glided down after them. 

Amethyst took out a small round, black ball out of her pocket. "Okay you two. We need to be quick-" bullets started firing at them and shells bounced off of their mask and clothes. "The video shows that she's in the first ambulance. I'll break in and get her and you two take down every single cop that comes your way." she dashed towards the bullets and took out her whip. She threw it and grabbed one cop and he made a started yelp as she swung him towards two more cops. A part of the group broke away and ran after her, shooting at her.

Pearl and Steven ran down the same path. She took out two canisters from her belt and flipped them counterclockwise and the spears flung out. Three men were coming their way and she broke away from Steven and ran towards them. The round of bullets increased and she used one spear to knock a gun out of one cop's hand as a second one brought his gun down towards her while the third one continued to fire. She put both spears in the same hand and turned around and grabbed the gun before he could land a hit as the first one tried grabbing her. She twisted her body downwards, yanking the gun out of his hand as the first guy grabbed her by the arms. She held the gun up towards her and fired. 

And Steven looked away as the first cop slid down to the ground. Blood gushing out of his neck. He heard more gun shots but didn't bother looking back.

He just couldn't..

Five more cops came out of nowhere and were coming after him and he ran out in the opening. Bright white lights and camera crews and trucks were scattered all around. He saw the news reporters running for cover, with some running back inside their trucks and filming from the inside. 

Amethyst had unraveled her rope. The man's body falling limp after being strangled from her whip. She held the round ball in her hand and threw it on the ground. Thick black smoked filled the area in seconds and Steven could hear frantic chatter from policemen, news reports and the paramedics, with some screaming and shouting out "The Crystal Gems!!" and "We need back up!" and "Go for cover!!" 

And Steven couldn't see. He didn't have on those special glasses that the Gems had.. And so, he stood still, afraid of where to move next. 

He could hear bullets firing all around, some being heard from high above him in the sky and some he felt hit his back and legs. He could hear screams from victims and shells hitting vehicles and studio lights. 

He stood there. Scared for his life. 

_Again_

He heard a loud sound of rotating propellers. The sound coming closer to him until he heard a heavy crash and the sound of something have crashing into one of the vehicles in front of him. Fire bursted out from engines and black smog filled in with the smokescreen Amethyst had used moments earlier. 

He backpedaled away from the sound of heavy machinery combusting and grinding along broken pieces and the ground below it. 

Then there was a, "One of them is in the ambulance!!" heard over a walkie talkie that sounded eerily close to him. And he heard the same voice screaming moments later and the sound of something falling lifeless into the ground. 

Then he heard a, "Yes, Amethyst. I'm just a few feet from the vehicle. There are only a few policemen left." another round of bullets were fired and he felt a few of them hit the back of his neck. 

And despite of having bulletproof clothes and a bullet proof mask on, he didn't feel comfortable continuing being pelted by bullets. 

He dragged the ring across his arm and the bubble formed around him and, he could see the area clearly with a pink tint. 

And he saw the scene in front of him. Policemen, news reporters and a couple of paramedics were on the ground dead. Vehicles were busted through from bullets and some were in flames and, what he'd heard crash down just moments ago was a helicopter having crashed into one of the police cars. 

He saw something moving out the corner of his eye. It was Pearl throwing her spear down and striking another police officer in his chest. The spear cutting through the bulletproof vest and cutting across his chest. She jumped up, kicking him in the face and he fell to the ground. And she brought her spear down and Steven turned his head to not see but still hear the finishing blow as the guy screamed out. 

He hesitated, turning his head slowly to see Amethyst hop out the ambulance across the street, holding a very tall and slim woman wrapped up in her whip and hoisted over her shoulder. Pearl was already running across to the other side towards her. 

_No! I can't let them leave me here!!_

He ran as fast as he could towards them.

He saw Amethyst put her hand to her ear and say something. And just moments later, he saw their jet flying high above them. 

The door lowered and a roped ladder fell from the jet. He picked up his pace. Amethyst jumped up, clearing fifty feet up in the air. She grabbed hold of the rope.

"Wait!! I, I can't super jump like you guys can!!" 

Pearl spun her spears clockwise and they snapped back into their canisters. She looked at Steven running up to her and she clipped them to her belt. She turned around. "No! Wait Pearl! Take me with you!!" he slid his hands across, deactivating the bubble and she jumped up. "Pearl!!" he jumped and grabbed one of her legs. 

"Let GO of me!!" she kicked him in the face. 

"OW! Owch! Ow! Stop!!" he held his nose. 

She grabbed hold of the rope and kicked him harder and he slid of her leg and he screamed and barley grabbed hold of the very last ledge of the rope. 

He looked down, looking at the chaos far below them. Four policemen were firing up at them. And he could hear the sound of helicopters coming their way. 

Amethyst started climbing up and Pearl followed her up. And Steven wasted no time in climbing up after them.

As soon as he made it in, he could hear a screeching scream from the woman Amethyst was holding and Pearl kicked him to the side. "Hurry up! So I can close this door." 

He scrambled up to his feet and out of the way. 

Pearl put the code into the tablet and pressed a brown button. The roped ladder was sucked back into its compartment and she pressed another button and the door started sliding up into the jet. She pulled the lever up and the clear enclosing they were in slid back down into the floor. 

Amethyst kicked on the door of the cockpit and Garnet opened it. A machine gun was pointed out the window of the cockpit. Amethyst ignored the wailing, screeching woman flailing in her arms. "We're going to the Gem Base first. We need to get there. Fast!" 

"I'm on it, Amethyst." she closed the door of the cockpit and began firing at the two helicopters coming their way and Amethyst walked pass the two and slid open the door and towards the bedroom at the back of the jet.

Pearl sat down on the couch and threw her legs over it. Her dirty boots resting on the cushions. And Steven could already hear Connie's voice in his mind on how filthy and germy that was.

He took a seat across from her in the recliner. 

"You grab my leg like that again." he looked up. Pearl wasn't even looking at him as she spoke. "and I'll use my spear and cut off your-"

Amethyst slid open the door and Pearl stopped as Amethyst walked back into the lounging area with a note in her hand. She sat down and, the cabin was quiet for just a few moments until Amethyst sighed. "I can't_ believe_ this." she said through her teeth. "First we got the WRONG stupid Chilli Scale jewel and, and now THIS!!" 

".. Amethyst."

"WHAT?!"

He jumped. "I uh.. have it." he took the jewel out of his pocket. 

"How did you-?! GIVE me that!" she snatched it from his hand.

"I found it when everyone was getting blasted away from those water cannons."

She placed it on the table and rubbed at her face.

"Amethyst-" 

"WHAT, Talc! WHAT! WHAT do you want now?!"

He hesitated.. but, he just. _really_ wanted to know. "The woman" Amethyst narrowed her eyes at him and he also stopped himself. He swallowed. "so she's a.. Crystal Gem or.. a family member-" 

Her lips curled up in a snarl and he thought she wasn't going to answer him. "She's a Crystal Gem."

He nodded. "Okay.." and looked away.

Silence.

And he looked back up at her. "What.. happened to her?" 

Amethyst growled out a sigh. "We don't. KNOW Talc! She's just.. SICK or whatever.." 

Silence..

Then a "Just like.. the other sick friends you were talking about before? When, Peridot gave you those vials?" 

Amethyst clenched her eyes shut as she scrapped her teeth together. Her hand clenched tightly as her arm laid on the table.

Silence..

"Is she another sick friend, Amethyst?"

Silence.. but she was fuming inside.

Maybe he said too much-

Amethyst banged on the table and he and Pearl jumped. She was looking right at him. "She's SICK, Talc! And she's NOT a friend! NONE of them are! We just. _CALL_ them that because THAT'S the name that Lonny gave them!! They're just. SICK Crystal Gems!! THAT'S it!! And those VIALS mean NOTHING because NONE of them has cured ANY of them!!" her eyes looked wild. Pupils dilated under her mask and her mouth in a tight scowl. And her teeth pressed tightly together. 

"I'm.. sorry, Amethyst-"

"Shut up.. shut UP!! SHUT UP!! SHUT UP!! SHUT. UP about being 'sorry' you have NOTHING to do with it!! It's those damn DIA-" she cut herself off, growling. She kicked the trashcan and it spooked Lion. The bin slid across the area and hit the sliding door and napkins and empty water and Gatorade bottles littered the area in a line. 

"I.. was just-"

"Talc. I _don't_" she swallowed. "want to hear another word out of your mouth!!" 

"I-" he shut his mouth. Amethyst was glaring at him. Her fingers grabbing the edge of the table hard. And she was panting deeply. Just seething with rage and he didn't want to make her even more irate.

If.. that was even possible.

He nearly said sorry again and stopped himself. He turned back around in his chair and, laid back. Not daring to say another word or, even looking her way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a refresher, the L&Co company was first talked about in chapter 62 when Connie read on her phone two murders of a man and woman. And here the news lady was talking about other killings under the same name.


	152. A breakthrough?

Steven got up twenty minutes later to go to the kitchen. Not because he was hungry. Actually, he'd lost his appetite from that little yelling session from Amethyst earlier. But he walked out the lounging room to the kitchen area to have a bit of time away from her and the whole situation in general. The air was tense and thick even after a full twenty minutes later until finally, he wanted to leave the area to actually breath and clear his mind.

And, maybe make some tea..

He hadn't had tea in awhile anyway. 

He rummaged through the cabinets to find the items he was looking for and sifted through the tea bags. He took out two Chamomile tea bags and rinsed out the kettle, poured water in it and set it on the stove. He turned the knob and sat down in the chair across from it. 

His phone vibrated in his pocket. He took it out and checked his screen. It was Connie. He swiped across the screen and read the message. She was wondering if he was okay and if he was coming home soon. He sent her a message reassuring her that he was okay and that he'd taken on a few more hours on his shift and that he should be home in another four hours or so. 

He put the phone back in his pocket and watched as the rings of the stove turned a bright orange. He could hear the water rumbling low inside of the container.

And, he heard the woman starting back up with a few snarls and shouts in the back of the jet.

He looked to the next sliding door where the woman was behind in the bedroom. 

She sounded angry.. or in pain..

Or.. maybe scared?

He was so curious. And nobody was telling him anything. He just wanted to know what happened to her, how did she get like this.. and, how did she even get there? 

The woman's shouts grew louder and he found it harder and harder to ignore her.

She just sounded like, she was in so much pain. Or, scared and confused. 

Amongst the screams he thought he heard a barely audible, elongated, screechy 'heeeelp'. But he couldn't help but wonder if that had been in his mind. Like how one would see pictures in the sky but the next person would see something different. Or, hearing something different in movie dialogues or hearing something squeak across the floor and thinking that someone called your name.

But whether she really did scream out help or not, he couldn't ignore her any longer. 

He got up and made his way slowly to the door. He hesitated, taking a few breaths before sliding the door slowly and the light from the kitchen pierced the darkness of the bedroom and the woman shrieked at the light. And Steven ran inside and slid the door close. "Sorry.. s, sorry." he couldn't see her. The bedroom was black as night.

Remembering what happened earlier, he activated the bubble on the ring and he saw through the pink tint of the bubble the woman's arms and legs tied up by Amethyst's whips. A third whip tied her torso to the chair and a fourth ship had her feet tied to the legs of it. The woman tried moving from the tight, thick ropes but couldn't. He saw her scream out again as she shook her head violently. And he noticed discoloration of her skin on her face. Green and black spots aligned her forehead the top left side and the bottom right side of her face. The rest of her face being a light brown. One eye was completely black. And the other eye with a brown pupil and the whites of her eyes being green instead. And her hair was completely white and stuck up in a curly afro. And around her jawline and on her shoulders were green and black spikes protruding from her skin.

It was nothing he'd ever seen before.

And he felt a deep feeling of dread and sorrow for her 

"What happened to you.." he whispered. He saw her look his way. Hearing a voice but not being able to see him in the dark. She belted out another scream and he noticed how sharp her teeth looked and her tongue and gums mottled green and brown.

"It's just me. Steven. A ..friend." he said softly. He took a few steps towards her in his bubble.

The woman was shaking.. trembling..

_She looks so scared.._

Maybe he could find a small flashlight.. Or turn on a small light. 

Maybe someone speaking to her in the dark isn't such a good idea.

But then again maybe putting on a light isn't either? She _was_ in the bedroom in the dark after all.. And, she did seem to be even more alarmed when the bit of light from the kitchen came in. 

Still..

He looked around and saw a tall, skinny bedroom light. He walked pass her and clicked the light on. He swiped across the bubble, deactivating it as the woman hollered out behind him. She thrashed in her chair. 

"Hey, hey.." he said softly. "It's okay.. it's okay.." he walked over to her slowly. "I'm not going to hurt you."

She started panting hard. Fear and confusion building inside of her as she looked at a distorted figure in front of her. The room spinning and bending and looming over her at every angle and she saw the creature coming towards her. She screamed out, feeling the pain in her skin and muscles and wanting to hide away from the creature coming after her. Its voice low and gravelly.

Steven stopped. The woman screamed and thrashed in her chair, trying to get out of the whips.

_Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.._

But, he took a few more steps towards her, his hands held up. "I'm not trying to hurt you. See?"

The creature's arms loomed and cracked at odd angles above her and she shouted out. Trying to get the words out of her mouth. 'Help!!'and 'Don't hurt me!!'.. anything she could say but they all came out in shouts and screeches. 

Steven put his arms down and stopped.

_Okay.. yeah this definitely isn't working..This worked out much better in my mind._

The creature was staring right at her.

It wasn't going to let her go..

And she would have to try and get away..

Steven turned around and began walking back to the lamp. He heard the woman scream out louder and turned around in time to see that she'd gotten to her feet. And was directly behind him. The chair still held tightly behind her. He barely moved out of the way as she tried tackling him. 

He fell to the floor and turned around. "Don't hurt me!" she turned to him and he double tapped on his index finger and the shield formed in front of him. "Don't hurt-" 

"-me." the boy whined in front of her. 

It was odd.

One second she was looking at a distorted creature looming over her with an inaudible, gravelly voice and then the next, the view around her was pink and she saw a young man cowering in front of her. 

What happened to her eyesight? Her.. mental state? She felt calmer and she was finally looking at familiar objects like the ones in the room she was now in; The bed, the carpet, a table and a lamp and more.. 

She looked down at the boy.

Did he do this?

_"Did you do this?"_

It only came out in grunts and screeches.

Steven looked at the woman screeching at him. Though she didn't sound mad, like before.

He slowly leaned up, keeping the shield in front of him. "You.. stopped attacking me.." was what he could think of.

The lady looked at the boy in pink. With his curly hair and friendly looking face. 

Wait.. that was him? That creature?

Her mind.. and her eyesight must've been playing tricks on her this whole time.. in years.. until she met him.

How many other "creatures" had she screamed at that were actually humans like him?

_"I didn't know that was you. I'm sorry."_

She backed up, screeching something at Steven. She was frowning. 

"I.. feel that you're trying to say something to me." he gave her a very apologetic smile. "But.. I don't understand you.. I'm sorry." 

He didn't understand her. But he stood there, patient and she could tell he was thinking hard about something. 

He looked at her. "I'm just trying to figure out how I could talk to you. I have, just a few questions." 

She opened her mouth to say that she would be happy to answer them, but decided against it. He wouldn't had been able to understand her.

"Maybe.." a small smile was on his face. "Maybe you could blink once for yes and twice for no? I could ask you some simple yes or no questions."

She nodded silently.

He had to ask this up front. 

"Are you a Crystal Gem?"

One blink. Yes.

_Okay, so Amethyst was telling the truth._ He nodded. "I am too." 

Then he went straight to the point. "I couldn't help but see that.. something happened to you physically." he saw the woman looking down at the black and green blotched arms and hands. "Does that hurt?"

One very long blink. Which Steven assumed she was trying to emphasis yes.

"I'm sorry to hear that.. Really.." then he asked. "Do you.." he felt the hairs on the back of his neck start to stand. "know who did this to you?"

One blink. Yes.

He stomach started to knot.

"Was it.. The Crystal Gems?"

The lady shook her head and blinked twice. No.

Okay.. at least it was the Gems..

"I wish I could ask more than just yes or no questions.." 

Yes.. using yes or no questions could only go so far..

But wait.. he was a Crystal Gem! So, he would know-

She started blinking her eyes in a rhythm. Stopping and starting them. Some blinks were held longer than others and in between shorter blinks.

"Is that.. Morse code?"

She stopped and then blinked once. Yes.

"I'm sorry but.. I don't know Morse code. Maybe it's something that all Gems should know but, I just became one."

That made sense with how sweet and innocent this boy was acting. Though it would only be a matter of time before they broke him..

"But! But maybe I could learn it!" he took out his phone. "If I could record your blinking, I could learn Morse Code and decode it!" 

That seemed plausible.

She nodded her head.

"Okay." he started recording from behind his shield. "Who did this to you? And when?" 

The woman blinked for a few moments, stopped as if thinking about something and she started blinking once more. After answering, she kept her eyes open and gave him a thumbs up. 

"How many people are there that's suffered the same thing? Is it a lot of you?"

She blinked a few times and then gave him a thumbs up to go on. 

"Do you know if there's a cure for this?"

She shrugged this time as she blinked. Then she gave him another thumbs up. 

He wanted to ask her if she ever wanted to leave the Crystal Gem gang, but decided not to, thinking that it would be too personal for her. It was bad enough that he asked Garnet the same thing when they first met and she nearly shut down on him when they were going up to the Solar Ground Spire.

"I.. guess that's enough for right now." he stopped the video and tucked the phone back in his pocket. "Thank you." 

She nodded her head.

And he looked at the shield. "You know, this is interesting.. I wonder if it's the color that's helping you or the shield itself or, something else." he looked at her though the shield. 

She wanted to know the same thing.

Especially if that means that she would see the world a dark, scary, distorted place once he leaves with his shield..

And she had questions for _him._ Questions like who he was and how he got recruited and what was Rose Quartz and Lonny doing now- 

Amethyst slammed open the door. "Talc!!"

She looked over, seeing the hulking monster by the broken trapezoid door. It roared and scratched along the walls. She closed her eyes, clenching it shut.

Steven saw the woman in pain. "Amethyst!"

"What are you doing bothering her, Talc!!!" 

"I wasn't! I was, just checking up on her!"

"She doesn't NEED you to check up on her!! She NEEDS to be isolated and be by herself!! And what are you doing with that shield?! Put it away before she starts up again!!!" 

"But-" 

"Now! And, get out of here!!" she pointed to the door.

"Sorry, I have to go." she looked at Steven. "But I hope that one day you'll be cured, Azurite." 

He knew her name.. 

_"I, hope so too-"_

She screeched at him softly.

"See! You're starting her up again!!" Amethyst yelled. "It's not like she understands you!!"

Steven deactivated his shield as he walked towards Amethyst. He was going to correct her, telling her what _really_happened just then. But something told him not to and he kept quiet instead and slid the door open to the kitchen to hear screeching kettle still on the stove. "The tea!!" he grabbed the kettle and burned his hand. He shouted out and let go of the handle and the kettle fell back on the stove. 

He sighed. "Okay.. that was my fault.."

  
  


Steven had started over on his tea and sat back down with Amethyst and Pearl. One looking extremely tense and uneasy and the other, laying down on the couch and on her phone.

He drunk his tea as quietly as he could in the tense silence. 

Not wanting to draw any more attention to himself.

Though it didn't seem like he was. Pearl as busy on his phone and Amethyst.. was acting very off.

A bit.. spacey 

She wasn't ever the one to really speak much during travel, whether it be in the car or on the jet. She would either be sleeping, eating or doing something on her phone. She wasn't doing either of the three.

The woman was sitting slumped over in her chair. Her arms resting on her knees as she.. stared off into the distance. Unmoving. A piece of paper he'd tried reading, _but was written in Gem language_ was clenched tightly in her hand. The paper being wrinkled under her fingertips.

-The same paper that'd been clipped to Azurite's shirt.

_I wonder what it says.._

He took a few more sips of his tea and set it down on the table, still trying to keep quiet and trying not to stare at Amethyst as she sat there in her trance.

  
  


Amethyst sat there.. a million thoughts running through her mind like a tornado. 

She couldn't stop thinking about the letter. She'd read it multiple times and every time it felt like a dream. 

She would have to call Peridot. She and the Gems would have to have another meeting with her. 

They needed a plan. And they needed it before it was too late.

She narrowed her eyes in thought. Running through every idea she could think of to take them down.

They _needed_ a plan. And.. they needed it.. before, it was too late..

She clenched her hand, crumbling the letter more in her fist. 

And she could already recite it, word for word. Of course she already could. It was such a short, straight to the point letter. 

  
  


  
  


**We have something big planned. Just you wait. The Diamonds are coming back.**

**-Yellow Diamond **


	153. Hoping for the better

Garnet slowed to a stop and parked the jet. Throughout the rest of the flight and even when she had announced to the group that she was landing, Amethyst never budged or said anything. 

The cockpit door cracked open and Garnet slid the door open slowly. 

Their boss never moved. 

And the three sat there, not knowing if they should say anything or not. 

Ten extremely long seconds went by until she blinked. She took a breath and got up. She kept the scowl on her face. "Pearl." the woman shot up from the couch and straighten up. "You get Azurite." the woman moved quickly, going to the back of the jet. 

"Garnet." the woman stood still as she was given her order. "Take Talc home and meet Pearl and I in the room." 

She nodded. "Yes, Amethyst." and turned to the tablet. She put the code in and the door opened to the floor below. She stepped back as Amethyst made it down the steps. Then she walked behind her and Steven and after a few stretches from Lion, the two walked down the steps after them.

Pearl walked down the steps moments later and she put the code in the tablet and the door raised up to the jet. And Steven noticed how quiet Azurite was as she kept her eyes clenched shut. 

"Pearl. You know where to take her. Then, you meet me down in. the room. And Garnet will meet us there after she drops Talc off." 

"Yes, Amethyst." 

Amethyst and Pearl started for the elevator and Steven decided to not open his mouth to give them a 'Goodnight' 

Though he really wanted to..

  
  


While Garnet did her checks on the jet, Steven used that time to take the gadgets off of Lion and then from himself. (Then he realized that he'd gotten rid of his shirt and that he would just have to walk through the door without a shirt on, blaming it on his "work shirt" getting messed up..) And the two waited in the car for Garnet. 

With the security systems on, the lights went off and he heard the door open and Garnet getting in. She turned the car on not saying a word and, she drove off from the spot. 

.....................................

Throughout the car ride, the both of them had been quiet. But Steven still had his questions and he wondered if Garnet would give him any answers.. 

"Garnet?" 

He could see her face tense up slightly. "Yes.. Talc?" 

"I was wondering if Azurite was going to be okay. You know.. now that we found her." he tried to weasle his way in. 

"Yes. She, is okay with us." 

"And.. the others too?" 

Garnet nodded. Keeping her full attention on the road. 

"..Even though they haven't been cured yet?" 

Garnet forced a neutral expression on her face. She nodded again. 

"Okay.. I just wanted to make sure that. She just seemed to be in pain and, scared and confused. And I was worried that the others were like that too."

Garnet was quiet for a few moments before simply saying "They're all safe, Talc. They can't do any damage to other people or to themselves-" 

"But what _happened_ to them Garnet?! Who did this to them?! Will we _ever_ find a cure?!" he looked at her. 

Garnet chewed the inside of her cheek. And Steven saw her look at the red blinking lights of the cameras inside. Then he understood why she was acting like that. 

"All you need to know, Talc, is what Amethyst already told you. She is someone who is a Crystal Gem and someone who is sick, like our other sick friends and, we are still trying to figure out how to cure them." 

And Steven thought back on Amethyst assuming that Azurite didn't understand him. And she didn't at first, but she seemed to calm down and understand him once he put his shield up. He wondered what that meant and he wanted to tell Garnet about what had happened but, he didn't. He didn't know how she would react to it and he was afraid she would tell Amethyst about it and that the whole thing would snowball. 

But.. maybe he should tell someone like Peridot? For some reason he felt more comfortable talking to her about it than talking to the Gems about it. 

"Okay." he told Garnet and he kept quiet the whole ride back to the apartment. 

......................................

Garnet stopped the car on the side of the apartment and Steven got out and opened the back door for Lion. 

"Goodnight, Garnet. And please take it easy." he wanted to say something in regards to the sick friends, but he didn't. 

"Night, Talc. And I'll try. You do the same." 

He stepped back and she rolled the window up and drove off. 

Steven took Lion out for a bathroom break and the two made it up the steps and down the hall to the door. He opened it and Lion ran in. 

"Hey Connie." he smiled instantly, seeing her on the bed and on the laptop. 

But he also noticed that her face was extremely close to the screen. 

Why wasn't she wearing her glasses? 

"Hey Steven." 

He locked the door behimd him and slid off the flip flops. "Something interesting you reading there?" 

She was squinting at the screen. She sighed and looked up at him. "Well, I wouldn't say 'interesting'.." 

"What. What's wrong?" he started walking over to her.

"It's the news." 

And his heart skipped a beat and his stomach dipped. "Y, yeah?" 

"Yeah." she turned the laptop on her lap. "Take a look at this." she clicked on the video which Steven noticed was triple the size of how big she would usually watch videos. 

His heart and stomach both were doing flips and the hair on his skin was standing on end. The video was showing the cops running into the forest. Then the scene was cut and a camera filming from inside of a van was filming.. him.. Five cops were coming his way and then, the screen went black as smokescreen filled the area. But the audio was still in, though a bit muffled from having been filmed from inside the van. 

"The screen goes black for a few minutes." said Connie and she leaned close to screen as she slowly dragged the mouse farther down the video and she clicked on the part near the end. The video was now showing Amethyst jumping up to the ropes. Then Pearl and him holding on to her leg. He could see her kicking his face and him nearly falling and just grabbing on to the last edge of the rope. The three if them made it up the rope as bullets pelted against the jet. The ropes slid back into the jet, then the stairs raised back into the jet and Garnet was seen shooting the machine gun at the two helicopters. Both of them bursting into flames and falling fast, back to the ground below. 

_Garnet.._

_I guess she had no choice.._

"They don't know what to make of this." said Connie. "They don't know if it has anything to do with the new person or group that's killing people or heck, anyone else for that matter!" she turned to him. "But the Crystal Gems took the person.. So maybe this has something to do with them? And then, there have been more murders in the city form this L&Co person or group." she shook her head. "This is getting more and more creepy." then she hesitated before saying. "And that masked person." she grimaced. "It's been a week since that happened and I'm still worrying about it. If anything, I'm even _more_ worried now with these murders happening more and more and now _this_ happened to this woman all the way in North Carolina! Steven, what if that masked person is behind the killing?! And the person they found by that tree was his victim and.. and we're _next_ on the list?!" 

He never thought of that. And now that she mentioned it, it was.. well it was certainly plausible.. But he didn't want to admit and tell her that. He needed to calm her down. 

"Connie, I still think that it's someone who's playing around-"

"But what. if it. _isn't_. Steven, you have to think about that. What if it's someone serious? Should we, go to the cops? And I'm still worried that if we do, we might start this chain reaction and the person might be after us even more or, start their plan early.. I.. I still don't know what to do." 

"We have to keep doing what we said we were going to do." he said softly. "Keep our eye and ears open and be extra vigilant."

She sighed. "And try to not be alone." she added. "Whether it's just us two or with our coworkers or a group of people waiting at the bus stop. And to not be out late at night. Like you hanging out with Lars a couple of days ago. I was still so worried that you would somehow get into something." she shook the thoughts from her head. "We just, need to be careful.. _you_ need to be careful. Pease Steven." 

"Of course, Connie. I'll do that." he smiled as he leaned in. And he kissed her on her cheek. "We both will." 

She didn't smile but she still seemed a bit calmer. "Yeah, we both will." 

"And everything will be okay." he added. "Becaauuuse" he touched her nose with his. "you're my Jammie Buddie." he went for a few Eskimo kisses. 

He got a small smile from her. "Yeah, I don't think so."

"Think so, Connie." he gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I don't want to see you worrying about this." and he snuggled into her neck. "Okaayyy." 

"I'll.." he snuggled into her neck more. "okayyy~~" he cooed. And he felt a short lived chuckle from her. "I.. guess I'll try." 

He leaned back. "Yeah-"

"BUT I _won't_ make any promises. We can't just go around acting like nothing is happening in Empire." 

"I know, Connie. And I won't." he leaned in, finally giving her a kiss on the lips. Then another. "I just don't want you to stress out over this either." 

"I know you don't. And 'll try my best not to.." 

He gave her another kiss. "Good." then he leaned up. "Now that that's settled, you know I have to address the elephant in the room." 

"What?" she looked at him, confused. 

"Connie, your glasses. What happened to them?" 

She groaned. "They broke." she pointed behind herself and at the pair of glasses. Both lenses cracked up. "I went to clean them. I set them on the table that I was folding these clothes on" she began giving him the rundown. "And I went to get the cleaner out of my bag and so I _placed_ my bag on the table and somehow ending up pushing my glasses off the table. And, perfect timing, some guy with thick, construction boots just so happens to be in the area, to step on them." she huffed. "I still had to use them for the rest of the shift to finish my work and I ended up giving myself a headache." 

"Ouch." he sat on the bed. "Well you can't keep working like that."

"I'll be fine, Steven. I'll either wear the glasses or, don't wear them at all." 

"But neither is really an option though, right? The glasses will keep giving you headaches and, you can't um.. you know.. really see without your glasses, so.." he mumbled.

She folded her arms. "I think I'll be able to do it without them, Steven." 

"Connie, how many fingers am I holding up?" he held up four fingers as he sat at the foot of the bed. 

She rolled her eyes. "Steven, I don't need this." 

He scooted over in bed and held his hand closer to her face. "Connie, how many fingers I holding up?" he asked again. 

"Steven, I'm fine." his hand was in her face but she was looking as if nothing was there. "I don't need it." 

He set his hand down. "It was four Connie. See what I mean? It's important that we just buy another pair of glasses for you." 

"I.." she sighed. "We just, have bills to pay. I'll simply use those glasses and keep advil on me. But, we need. the money. for bills." 

He instantly remembered the thousands he still had left under the bed. "I have the money. Depending on when you go to work tomorrow, we can get them before or after work." 

"I'm off tomorrow. Also, do you know how much glasses cost? Not to mention they most likely want to check my eyes which is even more money." 

"I may not be an expert on how much glasses and stuff like that costs, but I know I'll have enough." 

"Stuff like that can reach the thousands.." 

"Okay? And, I still have enough." 

She looked at him, surprised. "What? How?" 

He tried letting out a little chuckle. "I've been doing a lot of overtime. All of that adds up." 

"Still.. I don't want you to spend all of that money just on that." 

"But I want to. Come on, Connie. Let me do this for you. I want you to actually see out of two full, pristine lenses and not, those cracked up ones. I don't want you getting headaches." he cooed. 

"..Fine.. Okay. I guess we can do that." 

"Great! And since we're both off, we'll go first thing in the morning." 

She was smiling, genuinely at him. "Okay. Sounds good to me. Thanks Steven." 

"You don't have to thank me." he leaned in giving her another kiss. "You deserve it." 

  
  


Connie hadn't prepared food that night and the two had ordered pizza. 

Steven fed Lion and took his shower and soaked for twenty minutes in the GemTech solution and ate a few slices with Connie. Then the two of them talked and watched a few shows together before Connie was fast asleep before the middle of the fifth episode of a show they were watching. He closed the laptop and set it down on the table and slid back into bed. 

"Goodnight, Connie." he whispered and kissed her on the side of her head.

He slid into bed and got comfortable behind her. And, immediately, started drifting off to sleep. 

  
  


Forgetting to decode the audio clip on his phone..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Side note: Yeah, Connie didn't say anything about him not having a shirt. The chick could barely see without her glasses 🤷 So, looks like Steven got off scot-free again.


	154. Easier said than done

"We need a plan and we need a plan fast!!" Amethyst yelled. "The Diamonds are coming back!!" she waved the note crumbled up in her hand.

She was standing at the front of their discussion room. A dimly lit place with carpeting and very little furniture. A white board was behind her where she'd written down their ideas of what they could do to take down the Diamond Authority. 

Garnet and Pearl were sitting down on dark brown reclining chairs and beside Garnet was a table. On top of it a laptop and a speaker. Peridot was seen on the screen via video chat.

"It seems that everyone has given their ideas." Peridot gestured a finger behind the screen and at the white board behind Amethyst. "We can execute them accordingly where we see fit."

"And what if they don't work?! We _need_ to have a backup plan, after backup plan, AFTER backup plan."

"We have plenty of backup plans, Amethyst." Peridot reassured her. "And those ideas, those _plans_ should be able to take them down or at least slow them down until we can find a way to replicate Diamond Essence." 

"Tssh, _should_ be able to.." Amethyst shook her head. "We need a plan that _will_ take them down. Not "should". And we don't need to _slow_ them down, we need to demolish them!"

"And that we will, Amethyst." Peridot spoke calmly. "We've been working harder ever since you gave us that Destabilizer. We've been making stronger weapons which is why we've been sending out Gems to more and more missions. Because we need more jewels to make even better weapons. And we've been working nonstop to make any of the three Diamond Essence." she saw Amethyst twist up her face at her. "And yes, I know you don't want to hear this because we haven't been able to yet, but we. are still. trying." 

"Like those vials?!"

"Hey, Amethyst. Don't start it." Peridot kept her voice leveled. "I feel that we are getting closer and closer with every batch we give you. And we're looking through those results thoroughly to find the patterns. And slowly, but surely, we are seeing those patterns. Like how two deep yellow, square-cut citrines and a blue oval-cut topaz will get rid of horns on the face or that a Chalcedony facet-"

"But none of you have YET to find the actual cure!" 

Peridot resisted a groan. "Amethyst." she took a breath. "I feel that we keep running into the same argument, over. and over. and over again."

"Oh, you caught on to the braniac? It's because we ARE! Because THIS has been going on for YEARS and we STILL haven't gotten remotely close and apparently the Diamonds are holding more Crystal Gems hostage!! You saw Azurite!!" 

"Yes." she said calmy. "And I also saw that she was actually calmer than everyone else." she looked at Amethyst through her screen. "Did you give her a vial?"

"What?! No! She was freaking out BEFORE we got her AND when we put her on the jet! And then, stupid Talc comes in and checks up on her and she was starting back up again after being quiet!"

"Wait, wait.. Talc?" she leaned forward in her chair. "And..she was quiet at first?-"

"Because we left her in the dark at the back of the jet! The chick was freaking out! You know! Like how the others act!"

"So.. he just comes in she's still quiet? And.. then she was starting back up?"

"What? Tsh. I don't know Peridot! It wasn't like I was there the WHOLE entire time! Look. I put her in the back of the jet, tied her up and left her in the dark. I go _back_ to the jet to sit down, Talc starts asking questions and I cut it short. He leaves and ten minutes later I hear the STUPID kettle going off in the kitchen. And I went to go check out what the heck was going on and yell at him and, he's not even there!! And where is he?! He's in the room with her with one of the lights on and the shield on his arm!! And she's just staring at him!!" 

"Just.. staring at him?"

"Yeeeeeees, Peridot! Yes!! Why?! Why does it even matter?! He was standing in front of her with the shield" Peridot quickly took note "and she was just. STANDING there. RIGHT in front of him!!" 

"But I thought you said she was starting back up."

Amethyst groaned loud. "Yeeeeesss, that was AFTER the fact, Peridot!! I go in the room and tell him to leave out and he has a nerve to say something to her when she doesn't even understand us in the first place! And THAT'S when she was starting back up!" 

"Like talking back to him?"

"Ye-, wha-?! No! I mean, she was screeching back up after he says something about hoping that we'll find a cure or whatever and she starts back up then!" 

Peridot looked down, in thought. "I.. see.."

"Whatever, Peridot." she looked back up at Amethyst. "What Talc was doing is unrelated and unimportant to what we're discussing here. WE. need to be READY for when the Diamonds come back!" 

"Ehrem." she cleared her thoat. "Yes. Yes of course Amethyst and according to the board behind you and with what we Peridots are doing and with what Wascoite is doing and with every Gem undergoing mandatory workout and training sessions now, everyone and everything is where it's supposed to be. And when the Diamonds _do_ come, we can use any of our plans. We'll have better, powerful weapons, we'll have backup soldiers, we'll have fusion and, we are already formulating strategic war plans in taking them down one by one. One plan I have just discussed with the three of you in which we take down Yellow Diamond first-." 

"But we need. moooore." she hissed out. "We need. MORE than just stupid so-called, war strategies that might fall through! We need MORE than just stronger jumpsuits and "stronger" weapons that may not even be strong enough to fight of the Diamonds!! We need. MORE than all of that!! Don't you get it Peridot?! How can you be so damn CALM about all of this?!" 

"I." she scratched at her chin before saying casually. "Would you prefer for me to run around screaming bloody murder? Amethyst, whether I lose my temper or keep cool under pressure, the Diamonds will still come either way. And quite frankly, I prefer to act professional under this whole ordeal. It makes things run a bit smoother." she leaned back in her chair.

Amethyst glared at her. 

"Then, what do _you_ propose we do Amethyst? Since you feel as though everyone around you is sitting here twiddling their thumbs and apparently doing nothing right."

The glare deepened. 

And Peridot reached over and picked up her Camp Pining Hearts mug. The handle shaped like the top of a heart. She sipped her now lukewarm water from the green cup and set it back down. "Well?" she smacked her lips for show, she didn''t taste anything. "I'm waiting, Amethyst." 

The glare lasted for a few more seconds before Amethyst shook her head fervently. "Look, I don't know! Maybe some kind of super weapon or something! We just." she growled. "We just.. _need_ to be. _reaaadyyy._" she emphasized. 

"I was thinking about some sort of weapon to that caliber. But, doing so would push all of us back. And I'm afraid that we just wouldn't have enough time to make one having if the Diamonds will strike within the next following days or even the next couple of months. Reconstructing and adding to the armor, clothes and weapons that we have now while making more smaller, stronger weapons to give to more than one person is the only thing we can do under this short amount of time."

"Figures." she spat out.

"Look.. Amethyst, I know you may be scared-" 

"I'm not scared!!" she yelled out. "Don't you DARE say I'm scared. I'm not afraid of _anyone._. _Especially_ those Diamonds. I'm just trying to make sure that we are all. prepared."

Peridot opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off from a chime on her watch. "Excuse me." she pulled her sleeve back and read the message. Then she typed across the screen face of the watch before sliding her sleeve back down. "Okay Gems. This is about the most time I can give you three. I've already wasted too much time as it is and now I am to meet with my Peridots down in my other office." 

"Peridot." Amethyst snarled.

Peridot held up her prosthetic hand. "I have important matters, Amethyst. Matters that _you_ keep riding my back on in the first place." she picked up her mug. "I need to go back to the lab to continue helping out with the Diamond Essence. And as usual, I'll give you a call, Amethyst for any missions or if anything comes up involving the Diamonds." 

Amethyst didn't say anything. But kept her glare at her. 

"That is all I have to say, Amethyst. I am signing off." 

Amethyst kept her glare.

But Garnet and Pearl were already standing up and giving her the salute.

"Amethyst. I. am signing off now." 

Amethyst clenched her hands.

"The salute Amethyst. Someone of authority is about. to sign off."

Amethyst growled.. slowly bringing her hand up to her forehead, with a two finger salute. Her thumb holding down the other two fingers. Her other arm held up, her fist clenched and at the middle of her chest with the note still in it. 

Peridot nodded with a plain expression on her face and she raised her hand up to the screen. The video cut to black.

And Amethyst put her middle finger up on her clenched hand before dropping them both down to her sides. "Peridot wants to act like nothing is going on.." she said lowly. "It's like _I'm_ the only one who's thinking around here." she turned to Garnet and Pearl. "We'll start coming here more often." she said. "We'll continue formulating OUR own plans. And, we'll train harder. And that includes training Talc as brutal and rough as you can." she looked at Garnet. "We're not going to have a weakling on our team. He needs to toughen up." Garnet nodded. Though her heart was already aching for Steven.. He was definitely not going to like this.. 

"Pearl, you need to train him too." Pearl resisted a grimace or a chuff of disgust. "While he learns to fight with Garnet, he needs to learn more spear and sword training with you." 

She nodded. Despite of not wanting to do it. And internally groaning just thinking about having to be around him for just a couple hours when it wasn't mission related. She could barely tolerate him now _during_ missions.

"Okay." Amethyst clapped twice. "That is it." she grounded out. "This meeting is officially over."

The two stepped to either side to have her walk pass them and up to the door of the room. 

And they looked at each other, both exchanging neutral glances.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Teehee, I just love writing for Peridot <3


	155. And everything around her came to a standstill

Amethyst laid there underneath the water. Looking up at the wavy surface of the ceiling in front of her through the light foamy, misty water. She held her breath in for another full twenty seconds. 

And she counted. _17..18.. 19..20.._

And lifted her head up. 

The warm water dripped from her face and hair and she looked at the blurred surroundings of her bathroom. She wiped the water from her lashes, getting a clearer view. 

The clean and pristine bathroom: The cream colored walls, the ceramic tiles, the fogged mirrors, the various soaps and shampoo bottles-

She closed her eyes, going back under.

And held her breath for another twenty seconds.

Then another extra twenty..

She leaned up and listened as the water slid of her face and neck and drip from her nose and lips and back into the water around her. 

It'd been an eventful day.

That quickly turned into a night talking about the Diamonds again.

Their rivals..

Who apparently were the strongest now, now that they somehow know how to make Chemical Elle ghee.. Something that THEY made.. 

But that's what _they_ think..

The Diamonds and Peridot _think_ that they are the strongest.

But they're not.

The Crystal Gems were still the strongest. 

Always were and always will.

Amethyst flipped the small metal piece in the tub and got up. The water began to sink under her and down the drain. 

She stepped out the tub and pulled her purple bathrobe from the hook and wrapped it around her naked body and left out the bathroom. 

One of the Apatites would clean the tub out for her and replenish the toiletries in the bathroom as they've done every night.

She sat down by the edge of her bed. Right where the moonlight shone over her sheets through the window. And she watched the light blanket her thighs. A bat flew by, causing a quick shadow to zip pass the light. 

And she sat there.

All she could think about were the Diamonds.

And how they were coming.

And how they could come soon and when they least expected it.

And it seemed like_ she_ was the only one who was trying to figure out a bigger plan in the whole grand scheme of things.

She shook her head and laid down on the bed and set her eyes on the plain white ceiling above her.

The Diamonds were coming.

And they could be coming at any moment.

For all she knew, they could be on their way to Empire City at this very second.

A chill went down her spine and she blamed it on the air condition over her warm body after just having gotten out of the bath. 

She closed her robe up in front of her and clenched the two ends together with her hand as she laid her head down on the other, ignoring the water sliding of the strands of her hair and down her fingers and to the sheets.

She felt her stomach churning and she blamed it on being hungry. 

And she felt her body tensing up.. 

And she blamed it on sore muscles from the ice cavern mission earlier.

But all in all, she herself was fine. It was everyone around her that wasn't. And it was everyone around her that didn't care about getting things done to stop the Diamonds despite of telling her that they "so-called were".

Whatever.

When the Diamonds come, she _would_ be ready. And she would tear them down to the thinnest flake of mica they were.

It was only a matter of time they would meet their fate.

She wasn't going to be discouraged.

Not in the slightest. 

And she was going to be strong.

Tsh.. like she was ever weak in the first place.

She held her own this long and she can keep doing that, even when it's time for her to face the Diamonds.

Another churn of her stomach and she blamed it on how she was laying.

She sat back up in bed. Then thought more about it and slid off her bed and stood up instead. With the chill still on her body and, her mind still racing, she decided to go for a walk. 

And she already had a destination in mind.

Down a couple halls, steps.. passing a few doors some opened, some locked.. then passing an elevator and another hall..

And she could see the wide opening of the kitchen.

Yes.. she had nothing to.. worry about as far as the Diamonds coming and taking down their authority.

And she wasn't scared, like Peridot claimed she was. _Peridot_ and everyone _else_ was scared. Everyone _else_ was frightened. But she wasn't. She was acting like this because she wanted to see these plans through. They needed foolproof plans. They needed backup plans and more so they could always be a step ahead of the Diamonds. 

That wasn't fear talking. That was her being a leader. That was her trying to strategically plan things accordingly to wipe the Diamonds out of existence. 

She wasn't scared. 

Not even in the _slightest._

She never was and she never will be.

She didn't bother turning the light on. She simply didn't want to. And she didn't _need_ to. She knew where everything was.

She opened the top cabinet and took out a glass. Then she leaned down and opened one of the bottom cabinets and moved a few two liter soda bottles and juice jugs out of the way to get to what she wanted. And there it was, in the back. Along with the others.

Amethyst sat down with the glass and a drink in her other hand. She set the strong liquid down beside the glass, but kept her hand around the neck of it. 

Yes.. She didn't have to worry about a damn thing. 

Not Yellow Diamond.

Definitely not Blue Diamond.

And _especially_ not White Diamond.

If that old hag was still alive..

She didn't have to worry about _any_ of them.

She grabbed a bottle opener from a small holder on the table and held it close to the tight, flat cap on the bottle. She gave it a twist and a pull, cracking the top with a crisp click. She set the bottle opener back down and took in the strong scent of the heavy drink. The chemicals burned all the way up her nostrils. 

And she sat there. Staring at nothing. Just the dark of the kitchen in front of her. With just a small strip of light falling on her hands from an overturned blind in the kitchen window.

She wasn't going to let the Diamonds get to her.

She was strong. _Is_ strong. 

And the Diamonds would be destroyed. 

And the Crystal Gems would continue-_will_ continue to be on top. 

And so she _wasn't_ going to let any of this Diamond nonsense get to her. Because, it _was_ no way that the Crystal Gems would lose. Would EVER lose.

_Ever._

And nothing was going to happen to the Crystal Gem Authority.

And nothing. was going to happen. to _her-_

There was a flick of a light switch amd the light brightened up the whole kitchen and Amethyst locked eyes with Pearl. The woman jumped, not expecting to see her boss in the kitchen. 

And she couldn't ignore the huge bottle on the table in front of her-

"Get. OUT!!" she yelled as she threw her fists down hard on the table.

And Pearl jumped and without saying a word, turned on her heels and ran out. 

"Turn. the light back off!!" Amethyst shouted out to her. 

And Pearl quickly ran back and turned the light off and ran back out. 

Amethyst sat there in the dark once more.

Pearl coming to the kitchen in the middle of the night.. For what? For a snack? To get something to drink? No. To just to ruin her night. That's what.

But she quickly digressed. 

Just like the Diamonds, she would let Pearl ruin her night either. 

Because nothing was wrong and. everything was perfectly fine. 

_She_ was perfectly fine. 

Always was. Always will be.

And she was _not_ scared. 

Never was. And, never will be. 

And now, it was time for something to drink. Something to quench her thirst. And nothing more. 

She looked down at the bottle and her eyes caught a certain picture. The company's logo. It was an outline of a diamond on it below the name of the drink. And as by reflex, her arm swung across the table, hitting the bottle onto the floor. And the glass shattered loudly upon impact and the strong liquid splashed across the tiles and she felt sprits of the liquid hit her feet and ankles. 

And she felt herself deep breathing. Not panting. She was simply catching her breath from the hard swing she did with her arm. 

And she decided that she didn't like the drink. That's why she smacked it off the table. Yes. That was the reason. There were other drinks. And, they were much stronger anyway.

She got to her feet and stopped over as much as she could, her feet still stepping in the spilled drink. 

She went to the cabinet again and felt her way through once more as she pushed the other sodas and juices away. She grabbed the neck of another familiar bottle and got up. 

Still in the dark, she stepped over as wide as she could without stepping on any pieces of glass and she sat back down, ignoring the substance coating the bottom of her feet.

And she ignored the spill altogether. 

She wasn't going to clean it up. 

Just like her bathroom, she would let the Apatites clean it up. 

And she, on the other hand, was going to sit at the kitchen table.

In the dark.

Alone.

And she couldn't see it any other way and she liked it. 

Just like how she liked. No, _loved_ being a Crystal Gem. 

She did. _Does._ And she wasn't going to let the Diamonds take that away from her. 

And they weren't. 

Because she wasn't going to let that happen. 

She gripped the bottle tightly in her hand. 

Again. She would _not_ let this Diamond stuff bother her. 

She wouldn't..

She turned her head to the side slightly and she thought she saw a pair of yellow eyes looking at her in the dark and snapped around. 

It was only the small, yellow digits of the clock on the far side of the kitchen. The time blinked to 2:54a.m. 

"Heh.." she turned around shaking her head. Then she chuckled again, until she cackled lowly in the silent, ominous kitchen. Her voice echoing down the dark hallways of the base. 

She opened her eyes back up as her laughter slowly died on her lips. Her wild, dilated pupils looking at nothing but darkness and the pitiful string of moonlight light on her hands. Her hands that couldn't keep still on the neck of the bottle and on the base of the glass. 

But she was okay. 

.. It was the world trembling around her.. _not _ her..

She was fine..

And again, she wasn't scared. 

And again, not even in the slightest. 

She was never scared throughout her while life. And the future will be no exception. 

"I'm fine.." she growled out to herself. "And. those diamonds. are history."

She kept telling herself that.

She _was_ fine.

She was more than fine actually. 

And, after the Diamonds faced them, those Diamonds _will_ be history. 

And that was the truth. She.. knew it was. 

She was fine.. And the Diamonds will be no more..

She was fine. 

And..the Diamonds _will_ be no more..

  
  


She picked up the bottle opener and cracked open the bottle with trembling hands and poured herself a drink.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got a bit dark and solemn right there...
> 
> But yeah, I still hope you guys enjoyed these chapters.  
Stay tuned for An Indirect Kiss :)


	156. Going to the eye doctor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Four long chapter for you guys! =D
> 
> Hope y'all enjoy :3

Steven had woken up before Connie and had gotten an idea to make some breakfast for them. She wouldn't have to use her glasses and get a headache just to make the food or _not_ use her glasses and end up straining her eyes just to read the ingredients. 

Not only that, but it would be nice for him to finally give her a chance to relax for once.

  
  


After coming from the bathroom and giving Lion his medicine and food, he washed his hands thoroughly and started taking out the pans and utensils as quietly as he could.

He set them all down and went for the fridge and took out the butter and a carton of eggs. He set them by the pans and he heard Connie behind him stirring under the covers.

He turned around as she was leaning up slowly and he saw her reach for her glasses that _weren't_ on the table. "Good morning, Connie."

She turned to him. "Good Morning Steven." she didn't sound too happy. Or look it. She had just the slightest sour expression on her face. Though perhaps she looked unhappy to him due to her squinting and trying to focus her eyes at the kitchen.

"You put your glasses inside of your purse." he reminded her. He took out four eggs and placed them on a small, rigid coaster to prevent the eggs from rolling off. 

"I know." she whispered and he looked at her again. She definitely didn't look happy. "I'm just so used to having them on the table." 

"Oh, miss them already?" he joked. If she was already feeling upset about the glasses, maybe he could brighten the mood up a bit. "Don't worry, Connie. Out with the old, in with the new. And, now that you'll be getting some new glasses, maybe you can custom make them. Like" he leaned on the counter as he thought. "putting Lion Licker designs along the frame of the glasses." he smiled. "Or, have some wild design for your frames like.. a triangle or, have them shaped like a head of a flower!" 

He saw a wan smile, though he soon saw the corner of her lips curl down. "Yeah." there was a light chuckle. "Or, maybe just have them plain? I would like for my glasses to be a bit more on the professional side." 

Lion leaned up from his food and perked his ears up at Connie. He abandoned the rest of his food and started walking towards her side of the bed. He sat down and looked up at her. 

"Then, you can get two!" Steven suggested.

"Heh." she leaned herself up to a sitting position and Lion got up and took a few steps towards her. And she slouched forward slightly. Something that she wouldn't do. She was always against slouching and bad posture and she would always get on him for that. "Yeah, that's too much money. We'll stick with getting one pair."

"Unless.. there's a sale for two?" he kindly suggested with a bright smile. 

Her attention was focused on the blankets over her legs. "Mm." she shrugged. "Maybe. Though we really shouldn't be wasting money."

His smile wavered. "..Okay, Connie. But, that offer is still on the table if you happen to see two pairs that you like." 

"Thanks.." she mumbled.

He turned back around and slid a small bowl towards him, missing Connie clench her eyes as she swallowed back. 

Lion came over towards her and sat back down right beside her on the carpet. He tilted his head up at her. 

"Hey, Connie?" 

She turned her head to him. He'd turned around slightly with the first egg in his hand. "I'm making breakfast." he stated the obvious. Just in case she _couldn't_ see what he was doing. "Did you want scrambled eggs or an omelet?"

She grimaced. "Well-"

"Or sunny side up! Oh wait.. you don't like your eggs that soft and runny.. Well maybe I could fry them hard-"

Her mouth was salivating.. And _not_ in a good way.

She shook her head, swallowing again.

".. or I could dice up some of those leftover peppers you have and put some sharp cheese in it-"

Just the thought of sharp tasting cheese and smelly eggs, she felt herself wanting to gag. She swallowed again. "Actually, Steven. I don't want any eggs.." she dragged her hands up to her stomach.

"Oh." then slowly, another smile came to his face. "Ah, so you want some of myyyy famous pancakes? Or my Steven's Famous, Fantastic, Fancy, Flashy, Fresh Friendly French toast?" he cheesed. He waved the spatula in his hand.

Connie took a breath as she rubbed her stomach. "I don't want anything." she whispered.

He saw her. And placed the spatula on the counter. "Something up with your stomach, Connie?" of course it was. He could clearly see her holding her stomach. 

"Uh, n, no." she quickly dismissed it. "No. I mean. It's not that bad. I, think it was just from the pizza last night." she lied.

"Yeah." he nodded, knowingly. "It must've been all of that sauce. It probably gave you indigestion." he started putting the eggs back into the carton. "That's happened to me a few times." he put the carton and the butter back into the fridge.

"Yeah.. it's just indigestion." she lied. _Again._

Lion let out a soft whine that went unnoticed by the two of them as he placed a paw on the side of the bed. 

"It wouldn't feel right eating a big breakfast like that in front of you." he put the pans back. "I'll just eat some cereal." 

"Steven, you don't have to do that. If you want eggs, then just make it." and her stomach flipped and she could feel the side of her stomach knot up. 

Just even _thinking _ about the smell of them.

Just even _thinking_ about eggs in _general._

She could feel her mouth start to salivate even more.

"No, that's okay, Connie." he told her. "It's easier and quicker anyway. And I was only cooking breakfast for _you."_ he opened the fridge and took out a gallon of milk.

And though she didn't say it, she was _extremely_ grateful that he chose to eat cereal instead of making any nauseating, smelly eggs that would've easily sent her to the bathroom.

...................................

Steven stopped at three bowls of cereal. And he could've ate more. Usually when he ate cereal, he would eat more than three, but with him trying to eat healthier now with being an active Crystal Gem and with him wanting to leave early to get to the building early for Connie to get her glasses, he just stopped it at three bowls.

Also, he just _didn't_ feel right eating in general with Connie not feeling well. And eating way too many bowls, to him, was pushing it..

He ate while Connie had laid back down for another fifteen minutes and he noticed that Lion had jumped into bed at one point and had laid down beside her. 

When he was drinking the rest of the milk, she got up and started getting ready. 

The two left out just twenty minutes later and Steven took Lion out for a quick bathroom break while Connie sat on the step and waited for them.

Then the two came back from around the corner and Connie stood back up. 

"Are you _sure_ you don't want me to carry you?" he asked again. 

This time there was a chuckle. 

The first time she didn't.

"Yess, I'm fine. I'm feeling better now." 

He looked at her. Scrunching up his face skeptically.

"Seriously." she smiled genuinely. "I'm okay. I can walk to the bus stop." she stepped down the last two stairs. 

"Ookay, Connie. But if you start feeling bad again, I can always carry you." 

She grabbed his hand and interlaced her fingers with his. "I'll, keep that in mind. How's your other hand by the way?" 

He lifted his hand up that wasn't wrapped up in an ace bandage anymore. "Better than ever!" he cheesed and wiggled his fingers. 

"Good to hear." and just for the heck of it, she leaned in trying for a quick peck to his cheek, but ending up going below his jaw. 

And he heard him chuckle. 

"I.. was actually trying to go for the cheek." she felt her cheeks getting hot. 

"I don't know, Connie. It felt like your lips said otherwise." he joked, touching just between his jaw and his neck.

"I, n, no! I was trying to go for your cheek!" 

He laughed. "I know, I'm just kidding." then, he leaned in, giving her a kiss she hadn't saw coming and that she quickly leaned into. He gave her another few pecks on the lips and leaned back up. And with just the serene and relaxed look to her face, he couldn't help but smile. "Looks like my kisses made you feel better." he wiggled his eyebrows. And, just then, wasn't so sure if she saw that or not. 

"Tsh, I told you I was feeling better _before_ that." 

"Mmm, fine. I'll give you that. BUT, my kisses made you feel even. _better."_ he nudged his shoulder with hers.

"Mnno. That's not it." and he saw that wry smile on her face.

"Fine Connie. You never want to admit how my kisses make you feel." he said casually. 

She didn't say anything to that, but he could see her trying to hold back a smile.

...........................

It took Steven and Connie just a little over an hour to get to the nearest optometry building. It was a small establishment wedged in between a dentistry building and a small sub shop. An odd combo, but Steven ignored it and he had a feeling that Connie would've pointed that out if she had noticed the two buildings.

He opened the door for her and she and Lion stepped in. And the canine started looking around the new scenery they were in and Steven held the leash tightly in his hand. 

Still holding her hand both because she was his cute little jam bud, but also indiscreetly trying to guide her, the three of them made it to the front counter. And Lion started sniffing the shiny brown wood of the desk. 

There was a slim, short lady with dark brown hair in a short cut. She had on a dark blue button down shirt with a name tag with name Catherine laminated on the rectangular piece.

"Good morning and welcome to Megame's eye care & Glasses. Sign in please." she gestured at the clipboard in front of them and Connie looked down, leaning over and looking left and just as she was about to look right, Steven picked it up for her. "Here you go." he handed it to her. 

"And the pen?" she placed her hand on the top of the desk and Steven picked up the pen from the top of the clipboard. "It's on the clipboard." and she raised her hand back up and he handed it it to her.

The friendly looking woman got up from her seat. "And once you're done signing in, if you'll just step right over here." she gestured to her left. "so I can go ahead and get you checked in." 

Connie leaned her face close to the paper and started writing her name on the black line, her last name going slightly below it. Then she set the clipboard back down and Steven grabbed her hand back, _just ever so casually_. He didn't want Connie to think that she needed any help.

Despite of him pulling her a bit farther to the left so she wouldn't bump into another woman who was having a conversation with another receptionist there. Yes, that was just, a coincidence that he did that. Oh yes, of course he knew she could've avoided it herself.

"You can have a seat right there." Catherine told Connie.

And Connie looked to her side.

"It's right behind you." said Steven and he pulled her over towards the chair and her leg hit the side of it and she used that to guide her way down to the seat herself. 

The woman noticed the dog standing in between the two and to Steven she looked like she was about to say something, but she didn't.

With Connie seeing impaired Steven assumed that the _lady_ assumed that Lion was her personal seeing eye dog. (Even though he didn't have those cute little vests on that he would see Labradors or German Shepherds wear).

That could've been the reason she didn't tell him off about the dog and decided to say nothing about it.

"Are you a new patient with us?" the woman asked her.

"Yes ma'am."

"I'll need your insurance card and your photo I.D. please."

Connie opened the clasp on her purse and fished a small, red wallet out. She opened it and held the wallet up to her eyes as she went through the sections. She took out her insirsmce card and I.D and handed it to the woman. 

"Thank you." she placed the two cards down in front of her then picked up three papers. She handed it to Connie. "I'll need you to fill out some forms for us."

And he could see the grimace and annoyance on Connie's face. And he wondered why the font was so small on the paper.. Didn't they have documents with fonts that would be easier to see? One would _think_ so.

While the receptionist went back to the computer to put in her information, Connie was holding the paper up to her eyes to read the first line.

Her name.

"That line is asking for your name." he quickly told her, to save her the time. And she wrote her name in the line. Again, her last name going just below the line.

Steven helped her with the next few lines before the woman spoke back up, giving them a small "Hmm.."

They looked up. 

"I can't seem to find your medical history form under your insurance."

And they immediately knew why..

Connie raised her hand up to adjust the glasses she didn't have on her face. "Uh, yes. That's most likely because" she said slowly. "we changed insurances. The old one should have all of my medical history. We just thought" she glanced at Steven before looking back at the woman on the computer. "everything would transfer over." 

"Mm, not necessarily. With how your old insurance is set up and with its security policy, your new insurance was unable to do that." 

And Steven had to resist an eye roll.

Of course it was a security policy under her old insurance.. 

It was under her parents' name and under one big, family insurance. And it definitely sounded like them to have the card with these security procedures. 

Everything was just so confined and protected and structured with them-

".. at do you need us to do now?" Connie snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Well.. since we're unable to obtain your history, you will have to fill everything out manually." she opened the drawer just below the design and sifted through the folders in the file cabinet. She took out two more documents and handed it to Connie. "After you fill the first three out you can hand them back to me. You'll keep the last two papers with you and I'll have you take a seat in the lobby. The technician, either Tish or Penny will be with you shortly." she smiled warmly.

"Thank you so much." said Connie.

"My pleasure."

Steven helped Connie with the rest of the first paper, then the next two. She handed the three forms back to her and the three of them left and sat in the lobby where Steven helped her with the last two forms; asking for a list of any health conditions or allergies (which, apart from the Cataracts, that was it), a list of any medications and supplements she takes (which she doesn't), her family history of eye diseases (which none of them had) and other general health questions and _specific_ questions pertaining to her eyes and writing down her lens prescription. 

They waited and Lion had laid down beside Connie's feet. The canine laying his paws over her shoes as he rested his head on his outstretched arms. 

That earned some strange looks from the two and they each exchanged skeptical glances and Connie shrugged. 

And, Steven pouted. "He's never done that to _me_ before." he mocked an eye roll.

  
  


Two others people's names were called from the lobby and another half an hour later while the two were watching a trailer breakdown of a new Nitflicts show, a lady in scrubs walked back into the lobby. "Connie Maheswaren?" 

"Wait, I think she just called my name."

Steven paused the video and he leaned up in his seat.

"Connie Maheswaren?"

Connie tapped her foot up and Lion caught the memo and he moved out the way. She got up and Steven grabbed her hand as they walked towards her.

"Am I saying your name right?"

"Yes ma'am." 

"Great." she smiled. "Well it's a pleasure to meet you Miss Maheswaren."

"Nice to meet you too."

The woman held a hand out for her in a handshake, the gesture in Connie's blindspot and the handshake going unnoticed by her. And Steven subtle tapped at his eye and the last smiled knowingly. 

She lowered her hand back down, still keeping the friendly smile on her face. "My name is Tish and I'll be your technician today. Right this way please."

They followed her up a hall and they turned the corner to the first room filled with.. well, Steven didn't know any of their names.. but everything that was needed for eyes seemed to all be there.

"You can go ahead and take a seat Miss Maheswaren."

Steven guided her to a recliner chair with.. that doctor's office/ parchment paper laying neatly over it. It crumbled underneath of her as she settled in and Steven took a seat in another chair that was conveniently sitting in a corner. Lion walked pass him and over to Connie's chair and he sat down and looked up at her.

The woman closed the door and sat down in a chair right in front of a small laptop. "So what brings you in today?"

"I cracked my glasses." said Connie. She opened her purse and searched around her bag for her eyeglass case. "I just need a new pair." she pulled the case out and opened it. 

"Alright, that's no problem. And, when was the last time you had a checkup?" 

"About four years ago." 

"Mm, okay." she nodded slowly. "Well, that's no problem at all. We'll just give you a quick vision exam and give your eyes a quick checkup for Glaucoma, Cataracts and any other eye complications." she typed on her laptop. "Let me just pull you up on my computer."

"That's what I have."

The lady looked from the screen.

"Cataracts." Connie clarified. She leaned in and raised the papers up towards the woman. "My medical history isn't on the computer. I had to fill everything out manually." 

Tish looked through the two papers and with a nod, she set them aside. "Alright, so we're going to go ahead and do a few tests." 

  
  


Steven thought that it was going to take a long time with each test, but each one went by quickly. And now, Tish was performing one last test. The.. ocular.. machine.. thingy? that Connie had to look through. 

"Now, looking at the Z up there and this being one, which one is better? One, or" she clicked the second lenses down. "two?"

"Two."

The woman went through a few different lenses before going to the other eye. Then she "checked Connie's glare"? or at least that's what it sounded like to him and he saw Tish shining a small light into one eye, then the other. Then, with that done, she said. "Okay, great." and she moved the machine from her eyes. 

She typed some information into the computer before turning back to Connie. "Okay." and it sounded light and casual, yet it _also_ sounded like she was going to say something that may not sit well with them. 

And Connie must've felt the same way, with how uneasy she looked and Tish was quick to throw her hands up. "Don't worry, everything's okay." and again.. how she said it.. 

"Now, Connie. With the prescription that you put on here for your old lenses." she gestured at the first sheet of paper Connie had written on. "And everything else that you have put on here with your last eye checkups" she stated. "the analysis that we have now are different from the previous years." 

Connie looked at Steven, _or an orange blur of a figure in the corner_ then back at the woman. "..Which means.." and Connie knew what she was saying. She herself knew of her eyesight getting worse. She just never told Steven and so, she kept her old glasses, despite of them not working too well for her for the past couple of years. And it was just getting worse. 

Tish had a reassuring smile on her face as she said gently. "Perhaps you would like to go for a different approach?" she suggested. "We could either continue with a stronger prescription to combat the growing Cataracts. _or_ we can go for a small incision where they suck it all out and where they put in an artificial lens."

Connie leaned back in her chair. Tensed. "So.. surgery?"

"Oh I would hardly call it surgery at all. It's a very simple procedure that lasts no more than ten, fifteen minutes."

Connie looked at the blur in the corner again. If Steven was trying to tell her something through facial expressions, every single gesture was going unnoticed. 

She looked at the woman again. Unsure. 

The woman smiled at her, though Connie couldn't see it. "You don't have anything to worry about Miss Maheswaren. It's a very simple procedure." she assured her. "You'll be in and out and the recovery process is as simple as putting eye drops in your eyes and wearing an eye shield, which are glasses that covers the whole area of the eyes." 

Connie thought about it. Slowly, as she thought of all the complications that may come with it and.. the needles that will definitely come with it if she _were_ to get it..

But there was one other thing that was on her mind.

"How much would it be?"

"Well, it says here that with the insurance you have, it will cover half of the cost." she looked from the laptop screen to her. "So each eye will be going for $2,150." 

"What.." she whispered though her shocked expression was more animated. She gave a firm shake of her head. "I'm sorry, but, we can't afford that. I'll just get a stronger prescription." 

"No, we have enough money!" Steven quickly interjected.

"Steven." her voice sounded as shocked as the expression she still had.

"We, have enough." he looked at Tish. "I have the money now. We can do both eyes today." then he felt he was taking matters into his own hands. "If.. you want to do it today, Connie. We have the money, so we can do it today." 

And she wondered how he got all of that money.

Then she remembered he was still a drug dealer, _apart_ from his job as a stocker..

She would have to talk to him about that.. He needed to leave the drug dealing _alone_..

".. ure, we do have a couple opened spots today."

Connie focused back on their conversation.

"Connie?" she heard Steven say.

She thought about it.

It was now or later and.. she might as well do it now, since they had the money. 

She just needed to stop being afraid. 

She looked up at the blurs in front of her. "Okay. I'll.. go ahead with it." 

..............................

Tish had dilated Connie's eyes with drops before she performed other eye tests like those for Glaucoma, astigmatisms, amongst others. Then she had showed Connie a video on the procedure as well as giving her a step by step process while the video was playing before she walked the three of them back to the lobby. Steven paid for the procedure at the front desk and they sat back down. The next opening wasn't until another hour and a half, so they decided to wait and pass the time on Steven's phone.

Then, it was time for the Cataracts removal and Connie tensed up just slightly. Even having gone over the video, she was still a bit anxious and nervous.

Steven was allowed to walk her to another portion of the building to another room. He assured her that everything was going to be okay before giving her a hug and a kiss. 

Then, she walked inside the room and Steven went back out to the lobby.

Back in the room, after the area around her eyes were washed, the seat that Connie was laying in was slid farther back and the doctor put numbing drops before numbing the eye with a needle. Then he used a clamp to keep the eyes open. He went back to his table and picked up a rather small, delicate tool and went for the first eye.

And Connie grabbed hold of the edge of the chair, bracing herself as the flat head of the tool neared her cornea.


	157. An Indirect Kiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SUPAH dupah long chapter 🤷

Steven was on his phone passing the time while Connie was getting her eyes done. And while surfing through TubeTube, all he was thinking about was her and hoping that everything was going great in there. 

He clicked on another video as his other hand scratched softly over Lion's head as he rested his head near Steven as he laid across on the other chair. All four legs hanging over the edge of the seat and Steven wondered how he could be comfortable like that.. Surely he wasn't? 

An ad started playing. It was promoting a new and improved handheld translator. The robot being able to now translate both slang and nuances to the translated language.

"Heh, that's cool." he told Lion. The dog's ears perked up, though he kept his eyes closed as Steven continued to drag his fingers along his head. "Maybe I could get that to practice my Tamil, since _Connie_" the dog opened his eyes and looked around for her. "doesn't want to teach me." he didn't see her but kept his eyes open just in case he would.

Instead of skipping the video, he let it play as the promoter talked about the new features it now has.

"Oh cool." he listened to the woman go over the nuance settings on the device. "This thing can do a lot." then, his mind went from happily learning about Tamil for Connie to, a _not_ so happy thought of Amethyst.. and how the device could also help him with his Spanish whenever she would speak to the Gems about things she didn't want him to overhear.. 

Though eavesdropping is wrong..

Even if it means not being about to understand all of those secrets they're keeping amongst themselves.

And, with his mind on the Crystal Gems, another part of his mind went to the woman he'd met just yesterday, then his mind went to the hologram down at that.. cellar place? after he came from Rose's room. 

Which made him think about that audio clip that'd been randomly downloaded to his phone when he was down there.

_Oh yeah.. I _did_ say that I was going to listen to the clip again. Maybe I can do that once we get home? _

_And hopefully_ this_ time I _won't_ forget._

The video started to play and he tried to slowly come back to the present.

  
  


Just ten minutes later as he continued to watch the video, he saw someone walking up to him. He paused the video and glanced up. 

Connie was walking up to him wearing black glasses that reminded him of goggles, how it covered all of her eyes. He got up, waking Lion up in the process. "Hey, Connie! How did it go?" he walked over to her and Lion jumped down from the chair and stretched. 

She gave him a thumbs up and a beautiful smile. "It went well."

"It wasn't too bad was it?"

"No. It wasn't bad at all and I barely felt anything. Just a little bit of pressure, but no pain." 

"Great!" he looked at her black tinted shades. "So, how's your vision now?" he tried making a sexy look, with his lips out in a pucker as he raised an eyebrow. 

She chuckled and that made him smile. "Thing's are still a bit blurry, but they said that that is to be expected for the next few days. But I can say that my sight is definitely ten times better already."

His smile grew wider. "I'm glad to hear that!" he cheered. "So, what do you have to do now?" he looked at the papers in her hand.

"Oh these papers are just stating what they did to my eyes and giving me instructions on what I can and can't do for today, and for the next few days up until my next eye appointment in another week."

"You have to go again?"

"Yeah." she said casually. "It's just a quick checkup to make sure everything is healing properly."

"Right." he nodded. "That makes sense." 

"One of these papers also tells me what symptoms _aren't_ normal and that I should go back to the eye doctor if I show any signs of them. But," she said. "I'm, not trying to think about that to much. I don't want to end up worrying myself over that." she pushed back a lock of her hair out of nervous habit. 

"And you don't have to. Everything was a success so, you shouldn't have to worry about any of that." 

She shook her head, smiling. "Steven. Always looking on the bright side of things." 

"Ah, you know me all too well Connie." he leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek, and pretending that the edge of the glasses _didn't_ hurt when he bumped just below his eye. 

Ignoring the very subtle pain, he asked. "Do we have to wait for anything else? Or, are we free to go?" 

Connie chuckled. "I know that had to hurt, Steven." she called him out on it and he gave her a skeptical look, trying to play it off. "And I have to wait for my eye drops." right as she mentioned the drops, Tish was coming back from the opening of the hall. "Miss Maheswaren." she called her over. 

Connie went over and met the woman at the front desk. She handed Connie a white papered bag and went over again the main things she couldn't do for today, then the following few days, to the next week, then the second week. 

Connie walked back over to Steven who was looking at a few glasses on display. She stopped right beside him and he leaned back up. "Ready?" he smiled.

"Ready." and he grabbed for her hand and opened the front door for her.

The beautiful, warm sun hit their skin as they walked down towards the bus stop. For whatever reason that Steven couldn't seem to figure out, he was just in a good mood. Overall, he'd been in a good mood for the past few days and now with the two of them finally being out and about together on their day off on a beautiful spring day, it just made him even happier.

He leaned in _this time being careful of his eye_ and he gave her a kiss on the cheek. And just that soft skin to lip contact, he felt that warm spark that he always felt when kissing her. He leaned away slowly and he saw a smile on her face. Though with a leveled voice, she said "That was random." at the end it sounded like a beginning of a laugh was coming. 

Why did he feel his face heat up? He'd kissed her on her cheek plenty of times before. 

He could feel a rather goofy smile on his face. And he held her hand a bit firmer as he caressed her soft knuckles with his thumb. "Just, thought I would give you a kiss." he cheesed. Then he said dramatically as he nuzzled into her head. "Ah, woe is me. I just can't help it planting a kiss on thy cheek." 

She snorted, pushing his head gently away from her head. "Yeah, okay Shakespeare." 

" 'Tis true, my fair Connie." he continued to act.

She mocked a groan. "Steeeeven, we are not doing this again."

"What, acting like Shakespeare?"

"Yeeeess."

"But I thought you liked Shakespeare?"

"In books and live plays." she clarified with a sly smile. "But, you're no Shakespeare."

"Ouch." he frowned, only to break out of character and start smiling again. "But fine, Connie." he said extremely casually. "If you don't want me to act like Shakespeare, I guess I'll act.." he leaned in slowly. "more like.. MYSELF!" he leaned into her cheek and started blowing raspberries on her skin.

"Steven!" she leaned her head away, laughing.

"Ppbbt!!... Ppbbtt!!" he planted raspberries on her nose, then back to her cheek, then by her chin, eliciting more laughter from her. "Steven, quit it!"

"Pppbbt!! Ppbbbtt!!" he leaned up from her chin. "Okay one more." he placed his lips just below hers. "Pppbbbbbttttttt .. pbbt, pbbt, pbbt." then another. "Pbbt." 

He leaned back up and she gave him a mocked annoyed look with her arms crossed. "That was more than once." 

"That was a bonus round." he cheesed.

"Of course it was." the smile was still there.

"Awwe, sowwy Connie." he let go of her hand and wrapped his arm around her waist and placed his head on her shoulder. Her dark brown hair tickled his forehead when she turned slightly to look at him. He kissed her shoulder and she looked away with another short chuckle she held in. 

"Ookay, okay." he leaned up from her and held her hand again. "I'm done."

"Good." she looked at him for a solid second before giving him a smile and leaning in and placing a kiss on his lips. 

  
  


The two of them waited at the bus stop. She was sitting on the empty bench while Steven was walking Lion around a few trees to see if he he had to use the bathroom. The canine took his time sniffing around the new area and digging in a few clumps of dirt and rolling around in a few flowers. 

"You keep this up, Lion, may have to give you a bath when we get home." Steven chuckled.

Lion stopped and looked at him, only to start rolling on his back again on the dry dirt and dug up dandelions. His tongue out his mouth as he rolled side to side on the ground. 

Steven found it comical and crouched down to give his canine friend a few belly rubs.

Just twenty minutes later and the bus was pulling up. Steven was just about to throw the stick again when Connie had called him over. 

"Looks like the bus is coming buddy. Come on." he placed the stick back on the ground and jogged up towards Connie as the bus slowed down to a stop. They got on and sat farther towards the back of the bus and in front of the back doors.

They rode the first bus down to the metro and got off and Steven put his phone back in his pocket and took her hand again. They made it down to the subway and waited at the platform with a crowd of people waiting on either side for both trains.

Theirs pulled up with a screeching hault just fifteen minutes later. The doors slid open and they walked in.

On the subway ride, Steven was looking at the advertisements of various foods plastered above them on the train. One was advertising their grand opening. It was a diner that actually wasn't too far from them. Two others were promoting their chicken box specials and another was advertising their new Frenchcakes and scrambled cheesy hashbrowns as a new breakfast option at a fast food joint. 

They all sounded so delicious.

But, most importantly. 

He looked over at Connie. Her head was on his shoulder as one arm was around him in a half hug. She was looking down at her phone in the other hand.

She hadn't eaten. Not since last night.

She definitely had to be at least a little hungry by now.

"Connie?"

"Hm?" she leaned up slightly from his shoulder.

"Are you hungry? I thought maybe we could grab something before going back home." 

"Mm." she leaned away from him. "Yeah, I could go for something."

"What did you have a taste for?"

"Nothing in particular. But something light."

"Hmm~~." he pointed to his chin. "Something that's good.. but also light on your stomach.." he pondered. "What could be good for my jam bud." and he heard Connie snicker beside him. 

Then, just those words 'jam bud' alone gave him an idea. 

And that idea is PERFECT for a day like today!

He snapped his fingers. "I have a great idea, Connie! How about we have a picnic instead?" 

"A.. picnic?" she looked confused before a small smile started to come. "You want to go on a picnic of all things?"

"Mm, well, yeah. Why not? I figure us jam buds could have a nice day eating sandwiches and enjoying a bit of fresh air. Besides, we haven't done that since we started dating."

She thought about it and he saw that smile growing wider until, she thought of something and she frowned almost instantly. "But then again.. There's still.. _you know_" she whispered. "things still going on in Empire.. Remember that talk we had last night about being safe."

"I... I mean I remember the talk but" he said. "I didn't think we would stop _every_ single thing that has to deal with being outside. I figured we would be safe with this. It's nowhere near nighttime and we'll be in a park filled with lot's of other people." 

He saw Connie's lip start to curl down in a grimace.

"BUT, but if you don't want to do that, we can still order something to go and head back home." 

She thought about it. Sure it was nowhere near nighttime, but things could still happen. There are plenty of incidents where stuff happened in broad daylight. And a group of people can easily be targets as well.. 

Still..

Like she and Steven also said, she shouldn't be _too_ hung up and worried about what could happen.

Though at the same time she needed to play it smart too.

"Maybe we could go to the park for an hour or two? That shouldn't be too bad." she more so told herself than him. 

"Are.. you sure about that? If you're feeling really uneasy about it, we don't have to." 

She shook her head and tried for a very small smile. "No, I'm fine with that. I'm okay with a very small outting before going back home."

Steven looked at her.

"I am, Steven." she assured him.

_And also herself._

"Okay. But if you start to feel uneasy, we can always leave."

She nodded. "Of course."

  
  


Instead of getting off at their usual stop, since they weren't going home, they got off and had to get on the subway going back the opposite way. It was a small little sandwich shop and Steven let Connie decide on getting PB&J sandwiches like in their Jam Bud nickname or cold cut sandwiches for them. 

She ordered them thinly sliced turkey sandwiches with light mayo on his and no mayo on hers and both with pickles, tomatoes, and lettuce. And this time Steven had heard Connie actually say _no cheese_ on hers this time and ordered cheese on his. Then Steven, who was by the front door because the owner didn't want the dog anywhere near the food, had wanted to order some chicken for Lion. Then Connie grabbed four water bottles and Steven asked the cashier if he could have a small soup cup. The young boy at the cashier rung everything up and gave them their total. She gave him the money and he handed her back the change.

Their food was done in just five minutes and Steven wanted to stop at a little knick knack store that also sold odds and ends. The little corner store was just a few blocks away and all the while Steven had to hold the food up to prevent Lion from biting the bag.

They walked in and once again, Steven was told that he couldn't bring the dog into the store. Reluctantly, he asked Connie if she could hold the leash as she waited at the front of the store. She complied, as reluctantly as he was and he was quick to ask the owner something that Connie was unable to hear and she saw the man point towards the back and Steven made his way to the back of the building. Just a few minutes later, Steven jogged back up towards the counter holding a pink piece of fabric. A blanket? and something small, yellow and rectangle in the other. The owner rung it up.

Steven came back over. "I was looking for a picnic blanket, but I couldn't find any, so I bought a blanket instead."

"That's fine with me. At least I don't have to sit on the bare grass." 

They walked out the door and continued their journey the opposite way back and towards the park that was just eight blocks up.

  
  


Steven opened the plastic bag and took the small blanket out of the pouch. With two hands he snapped it open revealing the ice cream face of Cookie Cat. 

He turned around. A rather, smug, pleased look to his face and Connie hung her head in her hand. "Of _course_ you chose that blanket." she mumbled. Though he also heard just a slight chuckle at the end. 

He placed the fuzzy pink blanket on the grass and took his shoes off. "Aw, come on Connie. It's a really cool blanket." he sat down and crossed his legs. "Aaand, it's also really, really cozy." he pat his hand on the blanket beside him. 

She took her flats off and joined him. 

"See? Comfy isn't it?"

"A bit." 

"I'll take that as a yes." he grinned and placed the bag of food in front of them anf Lion made his way over to inspect the bag as well. He put his nose in the bag.

"Hey, hey, hey." Steven closed the bag up and pulled the bag towards him. "Noooo. Sit." Lion looked at him. "Siiiiiit." Lion looked at him for a bit longer before sitting back on his hind legs. "Good boy." 

He placed the bag back down and opened it.

"Wait." said Connie. She unhooked the hand sanitizer from the strap of her purse and Steven held his hands out. She poured some on his hands before pouring some on hers and she clipped the bottle back on the strap.

Steven rubbed the liquid on his hands, smelling the chemicals mixed with strong fragrance. He pulled out the first sandwhich and looked at the white paper. "Um.. I think I see cheese on this one." he unwrapped it a bit before seeing a piece of cheese stick out and a small bit of mayonnaise smeared inside the wrapper. "Yeah, this is mine." he sat the sandwhich on his lap and grabbed the next one. He handed it to Connie and took out a small, white box from the plastic bag. He popped it open, revealing pulled chicken. 

"Okay, Lion." the dog licked his chops and got up, eyeing his food. Steven placed the food beside him and Lion ran towards the pile of chicken. Then Steven opened up one of the water bottles and filled the small soup cup up. He placed it beside Lion and took out their water bottles, leaving the extra one in the bag. 

  
  


Steven and Connie were enjoying the last few bites of their sandwiches and Lion was keeping close to them on the blanket and laying right in front of them. Steven's phone was laying right between them and the canine and laying on top of Lion's food box that had been licked clean from the dog. 

They were continuing their watch on the very popular show Nevey and the Jeweled ladies. 

Sure it was a horrid name of a dubbed title, but the show was fantastic and dare they say.. even better than Laughing Dinner Enemies, which was supposedly their favorite show of all time.

Until they came across this particular series.

And they were watching a part where the half magical boy was trying desperately to cry. The jeweled ladies told him his magical mother could cry healing tears and that the magic could possibly be inside him too. And all the while, the boy tried his best to cry, only for him to eventually cry a single drop and it didn't end up working. And the Jeweled ladies eventually fixed his mother's fountain of healing tears and they were able to heal his friend. But then, as plot had it, it turned out that the boy had healing _spit_ instead of healing tears. __

_ __ _

_ __ _

Hmm, go figure.

"Glad to see he could actually heal after all." Steven threw the last piece of the sandwich in his mouth.

Connie lowered the sandwich from her mouth. "Yeah, though it was pretty obvious that would happen. I had a feeling if he couldn't heal then something good would still happen. But they actually _did_ ended up writing him as having healing powers, so it ended on a good note." she took a couple of bites from her sandwich.

Steven leaned back on his hands. "It has you wondering if his tears could do something else though." 

She swallowed her food. "I was thinking the same thing actually. Like once he starts getting a hang of his powers, if he finds out that he could do something with his tears." 

"I think it would be pretty cool if he could like, make other people magical with his tears. Like, giving them apart of his power. Or maybe, bring people back to life."

"Or maybe even both." then she thought. "or maybe it's just regular tears. Guess we'll have to continue watching the series. Apparently it has five seasons and a spin off Shippuden series." she took the last two bites of her sandwich and grabbed a napkin.

"Well, I'm all for watching the rest of the series. It definitely has my attention." he reached over to his side and pulled out the small, yellow, rectangular object she saw him have in the knick knack store. It was a Durian juice box.

She strongly disliked the taste of that juice. She remembered Steven letting her try it one day and she didn't like it. _at_ all.

He pulled the small straw from the side of the container and punctured it through the small hole at the top.

She could still imagine that disgusting taste..

And she saw him start drinking from the container.

And she watched him, enjoying the drink.

And.. just faintly.. in the back of her mind, she wondered what exactly she didn't like with the juice?

Because _now_ that she was thinking about the taste, it didn't seem that bad. 

She scrunched up her face at her own self. Skeptical of her own taste buds now that she's.. thinking about trying out that "disgusting" juice again.

Steven was setting the juice box back down when she said "I.." he looked at her. "uh.. kinda want to try that again.."

He raised an eyebrow at her with a wry, shocked smile on his face. "Really? I thought you hated the taste of it." he handed the juice box to her. 

She gave a meek shrug of her shoulders. "I don't know. I.. for some reason I, kinda have a taste for it." she took one sip and as the juice hit her tongue, her taste buds were singing. It was.. delicious and refreshing, unlike those other two times she'd tried it out with him. 

She took a few more gulps from the container, savoring the flavor until-

It was gone.

She lowered the straw from her mouth and looked at the durian fruit printed on the box.

"Eheh.. um.." she turned to see Steven. "Looks like you really like it?"

"I.. yeah." she set the empty box down. "I guess I do." then she added. "now?" then she asked. "And that's not a different flavor, that's the same one that I tried before those two times, right?" 

Steven nodded. "Yup. The exact same ingredients." 

"Hm.." 

Steven grabbed the empty juice carton and threw it in the make shift trash bag that had been their carryout bag previously. "I don't see what's so wrong about that. Looks like you're finally realizing just how delicious Durian truly is." he cheesed. 

She shook her head of the pregnancy thoughts and let out a scoff. "It's an _okay_ drink Steven. I wouldn't say it's the best in the world." she picked up her half drunken water bottle.

"Sure, you can continue telling yourself that." he turned to her. "But you'll have to admit it one day." he cooed as he puckered his lips. 

There was a rather, devious smile on her face and she went to grab at his lips, squishing them more into fish lips. He closed his eyes and moved his lips up and down like a fish and she laughed. "You're so silly." 

"If yuh wan me tew stahp yuh haf tew gif me a kiz." he mumbled through his puckered lips. 

"Hmm.." she thought. 

He cracked open an eye at her. He looked down at his fish lips and looked back up at her as he wiggled his eyebrows in invitation. She laughed more and he closed his eye back and puckered his lips up and down like a fish again. She laughed more. "Okay, okay. But you're going to have to quit moving your lips like that." 

He chuckled. "Okay." he mumbled through his puckered lips in her hand and he stopped.

She moved her fingers just slighty away, letting his lips slid back smoothly from its puckering position. And, she leaned in, slowly...

And felt something rock-like hit her on the head. "Ow!" she let go of Steven's face and felt her forehead and Steven opened his eyes. "What happened?" 

She rubbed at her head. "I don't kn- I think something fell from the tree." she looked down and saw an acorn by Steven's leg. He picked it up and they both looked up. They saw two squirrels scurrying down a branch above them. 

Steven thought that was funny, but she didn't and she was still rubbing at her forehead as she watched the squirrels jump into another branch above them. 

"Awwee, and this one has a widdle hat." he picked up the cupule between his thumb and index finger. He placed the "hat" back on the acorn. "I'll give this back to them." he got up and put on his shoes and walked over and placed the single acorn on the bottom branch amongst the green leaves. Then he walked back over and took his shoes back off and crawled back onto the blanket. 

"Well isn't _that_ kind of you." 

"The squirrels have to eat too." he smiled.

"With just. _one._ acorn?" 

"Mmyeah?" he shrugged. "I think they'll figure it out." Then he scooted closer towards her. "So, how about a kiss for the hero?" he wiggled his eyebrows again. "The squirrels did kinda ruin our moment." 

"Mmmm." she played coy. 

"Yeeeesss?" he rubbed his nose on hers. 

She giggled. "I guess I could give you just one." she leaned in and gave him a long kiss. 

And he pressed his lips firmly on hers and she could feel her chest already heating up at the touch. And she felt his arms wrap around her back and pull her in close to his chest.

And he kept going. Giving her long, firm kisses.

She put the water bottle back down and slid both hands towards the back of his neck.

He gave her a few more kisses, the last one, giving her bottom lip a nibble before he leaned away. 

And she found herself already panting, wanting more. And she saw him lean forward towards her and she leaned in to meet him halfway. He licked his lips and she licked hers.. and he brought his mouth just below her lips..

"Pppbbtt!!!!" he blew a raspberry on her skin.

"Ah! Steven!!" 

The boy was laughing and he brought his lips to her cheek. "Ppbbbt!!" then to the other. "Ppbbtt ppbbbt!!" then to her lips. "Pppbbbbbbttt!!" 

"Mmmppphh!! Stvnnn!!" she tried to mumble through closed lips as he continued. "Ppppbbbbbbbbbbbtt!!" he leaned away from her lips.

And she could still feel that nice, tingle from the vibration of his lips.

But she glared at him. The boy ruining the moment of their potential make out session.

Just like the squirrels apparently..

He was belly up in laughter. "Sorry, I just wanted to see your reaction." he laughed. Then he saw her pout and the laughter slowly died down to a giggle.. then to him letting out a single "cough" and clearing his throat. "Uh.." he felt his cheeks heat up. "Okay, _this_ time I'm done."

_For_ today_ at least._

"Riiight." 

"Really, I am." he gave her a peck on the lips and rubbed her back reassuringly. "No more raspberries." then he quickly added with a grin. "Unless we're talking about the actual fruit." 

And that got a held in chuckle out of her. "Fine. I guess I'll believe you this time."

"Thanks!" he kissed her cheek and he smiled up at her, looking unto her brown eyes. He could tell that had that big, goofy grin on his face that he seemed to do when with her.

And at least she was smiling back at that. "So." she said. "Now what?"

"Huh?" he was slowly coming down from his adoration to focus more on what she was saying.

"We're at the park. I figured we were going to do more than just eat." 

"OH! Uh, yeah. Yeah, there's uh.." he slid his arms from her as he leaned away from the hug. He looked around, looking at couples with their children feeding the ducks, playing in the playground and some joggers playing fetch with their dogs. 

"We can walk around the pond, though we don't have any food to give to the ducks.. And there's the playground, but it looks pretty busy." especially with all of those _kids_ that he wasn't fond of being around. "Maybe we could do something with Lion like those guys over there?" he gestured at a mother and son playing with a bulldog. The son was playing tug of war with a chew toy. His mother was holding the same end, helping him out as they swung the rope side to side. The dog growled playfully. 

"Mm." there was that unsure expression on her face.

"We don't have to do that. Just thought I would throw it out there as a suggestion." 

"Maybe.. not?" she got up to her feet. "I like to head to the playground."

His heart skipped a fee beat and his stomach was at his throat.

Kids..

"Uh, s, sure." he forced out a smile. He got up and Lion looked at them. "Okay, come on Lion. You have to get up." he started pulling on the blanket. Lion laid his head back on the blanket as he kept his front paws flat on the ground on either side of him. 

Steven blew out some air. "Looks like the king wants to be carried around on the blanket." he rolled his eyes. He threw the trash away and gave Connie the extra water bottle. She placed it with her other one in her purse and Steven picked up both ends of the blanket. "Onwards." he said and the two started down the grassy trail down towards the play area. And a few onlookers cooed and awed at the doggy being pulled behind Steven. 

They made it to the.. what was it again? Steven couldn't remember.. Those.. wood shaving pieces he would see at certain playgrounds. There were two swings unoccupied. The kids more so playing on the monkey bars and the slides, while others ran around the vicinity or fed the ducks. The other two swings were occupied by a father and his daughter and a boy old enough to push his self. Another swing for babies was occupied by a son and his father whole the other one hung empty beside them.

Connie sat down on the swing and he dragged Lion around the swing and behind her. "You have arrived at your destination, Lion." he said to the canine and let go of the blanket. He walked towards Connie who was letting the swing idly back and forth, slowly.

Steven stopped behind her. He gave her a gentle push on her back and she was lifted up forward. She came back down and he gave her another gentle push. He kept the momentum going with gentle pushes, and not sending her too far up. 

He heard her laughing with every swing.

"Having fun?" he couldn't contain his smile. 

"Yes." she let her legs swing up in front of her, giving herself an extra push up. She swung back down. "I always loved playing on the swings." 

"I know all too well." another push. "I remember that time when it was the dead of winter. We found that old playground and you wanted to play on the swings." he watched as the swing raised her up. "We dusted the snow off the seat and you practically had me push you for hours." 

She turned her head to the side and he saw that pretty smile. "You did _not_ push me on the swing for hours. It was barely even a half an hour."

"That's not how I remember it." another push. "I think I pushed you for three hours."

"You're definitely over exaggerating."

"Hm. I guess we have no way of finding out now." he gave her another push. 

Whether he or she was right, he really did enjoy pushing her on the swings. Be it a half an hour or three hours. He loved seeing that smile and he was happy to get her smiling even during times like these. She wasn't worrying about the masked person or anything negative. And they were both actually having fun on their day off. 

And all he wanted to do was cherish the moment 

And he wanted them to have more days like these.

Carefree.. 

Happy..

And hearing Connie's warm laughter flowing through the breeze. 

Another push.

Everything was going great. And he didn't want it to end. It was like old times when it would just be them two together and them having the time of their lives. 

Another push.

He just wanted more days like these..

He really did love her.

So much..

Another push.

He just wanted to be with her.. for the rest of his life.

Lion walked up towards them. 

"Hey boy." Steven gave Connie another push. 

Lion let out a few barks as he wagged his tail.

"Awe, you're feeling left out, buddy?"

Another few jealous barks from the canine.

"Heheheh, awwww. Looks like Lion wants to play." then he had another brilliant plan. "Oh! I know!" Connect I was coming back down. "I'll be RIGHT back." he gave her another push. "Hm?" she turned around. He was jogging away to a nearby tree. 

A few swings later and he was running back towards them with a stick in his hand. "I got you a stick Lion." he waved it in the air and Lion went for a stance, his front paws outstretched in front of him. Steven threw his hand back and Lion watched intently. He threw it and Lion ran after it. 

And Steven have Connie another gentle push on her back. "There. Now all three of us are having fun." 

Connie chuckled as he gave her another push. "That's using your noodle." 

Lion came running back. He dropped the stick in front of Steven and barked. He picked it up and threw it farther and Lion ran after it. He gave Connie another push. "I had to think of something." he told her. "I want all three of us to enjoy the park." another push.

Lion came running back. His I.D tag bouncing around his collar as he galloped back towards the two. He slowed down as he neared Steven. "Alright, let's go for round three." he leaned over to grab the stick out his mouth and Lion moved his head away. "Hey, don't want to give me the stick?" Lion walked casually over towards Connie. He watched as Steven continued to push her on the swing. And his head went up and back down as he watched the swing go up and back down. Up. and back down. He let out a little growl and chuff with the stick still in his mouth. 

"What's going on, buddy?" Steven gave Connie another push and he walked over to the canine. He reached down and Lion backed up and walked around him towards Connie, wagging his tail.

Steven looked at her and she looked from him to the canine. "What's wrong with him?"

"Uh.." Steven scratched at his temple. "Not sure."

Lion dropped the stick and barked up at Connie. He jumped up as the swing came back down and he barked again.

"I.. think he wants you to throw it?..Maybe?"

"Really?" she raised an eyebrow at the bow and the dog. 

Steven shrugged. "Maybe." he said again. He waited for Connie to swing back before walking in front of her. He reached down for the stick and Lion was quick to pick it back up. He jogged away from Steven and turned around. 

Conne was slowly losing momentum as she stopped kicking he legs. And Lion dropped the stick on the other side of her. He looked up at her and his head followed the swings pendulum motion as it continued to slow down.

"Yeah.. yeah he definitely wants you to throw it."

Connie let the swung flow up and back down a few more times before stopping the swing with the back if her heels. The swing rocked side to side.

Lion lolled out his tongue. Now he had Connie's full attention.

She grimaced. "..Looks like I'll have to touch the slobbery stick.." 

"Just throw it like twice. That should make him happy." Steven sat down on the empty swing next to her and walked up towards her. The chains above him squeaked as he did.

She groaned softly. "So, I guess I just.." she held out her hand and Lion panted happily. He picked up the stick and walked towards her. His tail wagging fast behind him. 

She picked up the end of the stick. And, threw it. Lion ran after it.

"Mm, that was a pretty good throw." Steven complimented with a smile.

"Well I'm no softball player." she joked.

Lion was already running back.

"You don't have to be." 

Lion jogged up towards her and laid his chin on her knee. He pushed the stick out his mouth with his tongue. 

"See? Lion seems to like how you throw. So that's what really counts."

Connie picked the stick up from off her thigh and Lion perked his ears up and took a step back. She threw it and he ran for it.

"You don't necessarily have to be a good thrower for him. It doesn't really take much for him to go after a simple stick."

Lion picked the stick up and turned around and ran back.

"Then we have a dog that's not high maintenance." Steven joked with her. "So that's a good thing." he walked closer to her and intertwined one of his legs with hers.

Lion came over and laid his chin on Connie's knee again and looked up at her.

"D'aawwwweee, come on Connie. You have to admit. That doggy face is preeeetty cuuuute." Steven cooed.

He did see a smile on her face. "It's okay." she said and this time she grabbed the stick from his mouth, ignoring the slobber. She threw the stick another way and the dog ran for it.

"Hm.." Steven laid his chin on her shoulder.

"What?" she turned her head slightly to see just the side of his face.

"I do find it kind of odd that he's acting like this though." then he was quick to say. "Not that I mind. I always wanted for you two to get closer. And, ever since today, he's been more affectionate towards you. I just, wonder why." 

She shrugged and his head went up and back down with the motion. "Yeah, I'm not sure either. I haven't been doing anything different from what I can think of."

Lion came galloping back and he placed his chin back on her knee. He looked back up at her.

"Okay, we're not going to be doing this all day." she smiled down at the canine. She grabbed the stick from his mouth. "Just _one_ more time." she threw the stick.

  
  


She did _not_ throw the stick one more time.

Connie had thrown the stick a few more times after that and at one point, she wanted to throw the stick elsewhere, in her words "to tire the dog out before going back home". And the two got up from the swings and Steven folded the blanket up and Lion stayed close by Connie to hand her back the stick. 

After a few more long throws along the field behind the playground, Lion seemed to finally be losing steam. He panted hard as he jogged back towards them. He dropped the stick. "Alright, I, think that's enough for you." said Connie. 

Lion didn't seem to mind and he flopped down on the grass, catching his breath.

The two decided to let Lion take a breather and they watched the ducks waddle on by them. Some going in the pond for a nice little swim.

An older lady had walked up to them, offering a bag of stale cereal and bread for the birds. She and her grandson were feeding them, but they were leaving out and wanted to see if Steven and Connie wanted the last bit of the food. Surprising to Steven, but he was happy nonetheless, when Connie was the first to speak up and gladly take the food. 

They thanked the woman and she and her grandson walked away and they started throwing food out for the birds. Connie had the dry cereal and Steven had the stale bread and the two were throwing the food every which way and ducks started waddling towards them.

Curious now, Lion got up and crouched down towards the webbed foot creatures. He took a few steps towards them and started sniffing at them. They started waddling away. "Noo." he looked at Connie, wagging his tail. She shook her head, giving a stern. "Don't bother them." and, he sat down, looking up at her. 

Steven threw a piece of bread out and one duck walked up to it. He grabbed the piece of bread and another duck had pecked his butt with his beak. The duck honked and dropped the bread and the second duck grabbed it. "Hey." Steven chuckled. "That was mean." he turned to Connie. "Did you see that just now?" she was feeding a few ducklings. She turned around. "Hm? What did you say?" 

"Oh, uh. Never mind. You missed it." he dug his hand in the bag and broke up the bread into pieces. "Some of these ducks are mean, that's all." he threw the pieces around him.

"It's every duck for themselves." she sprinkled cereal in a line. The ducklings and their mom started pecking at the kernels.

Once Steven was starting to run low on bread he offered Connie the rest. She decided that they should switch instead and the two finished throwing the rest of the cereal and stale bread.

Then they stayed there watching the birds eat up the rest of the food on the grass.

Steven grabbed her hand and laced their sticky fingers together. He gave her a peck on the temple and she leaned her head on this shoulder and he gave her a long kiss on her forehead. "This is nice." he whispered.

"Yeah. It really is." 

"Did you.. want to take a short walk down the path before we head back?"

She raised her head back up from his shoulder. "Yeah, let's do that." 

He leaned in and gave her forehead another kiss and they started for the small patch of trees down the hill. Lion was close on their heels behind them. 

They walked farther into the trees and to a small wooden path. A creak flowed underneath of them. They walked pass just a handful of people leaning on the rails. They stopped once they found a spot on the wooden dock without anyone present. The two leaned on the wooden rail and looked at the river flowing underneath them. Lion found a nice spot between them and he laid down on the dock and looked down at the water. The ripples were going smoothly over the rocks and fallen branches and twigs. And they could roughly make out their reflection against the small waves.

And Steven got another idea.

"I just thought about what we could do before we head back." he told her. He set the folded blanket down. "Be right back." he ran down the wooden path.

Connie watched the creak flow down and under the bridge. And she watched as the current push the leaves along the river. 

It was tranquil.

And peaceful.

A few minutes later and Steven was jogging back up toward her, holding the bottom of his shirt up and smiling. "Sorry it took me awhile. It was hard to find certain rocks." he pulled his shirt back revealing flattened stones. "I thought we could skip some rocks." 

He saw her smile for the umpteenth time that sent a nice warm feeling in his chest. 

She picked up a few rocks in her hand and threw the first one. It skipped four times before sinking underneath the river.

"Oooo, good one." he picked up a rock from his shirt and threw it. 

It skipped once. And sunk.

He heard Connie snort. He turned to her. "Hey, I was just getting warmed up." he picked up another rock and threw it. 

It skipped once. And sunk under.

Another chuckle from Connie and he pouted.

"Looks like you need to keep warming up then." she threw a second rock. It skipped six times and sunk under.

He pouted his lips up even more.

"Don't worry. I think you have it this time." 

He picked up another rock form his shirt, threw it aaaand,

The stone skipped once. And, sunk underneath of the water. And there was the pout again.

Connie walked up to him, trying to hold in her laughter, though a few chuckles came out. "Okay, I think you're doing this all wrong." 

"I don't see what I'm doing wrong." he looked at the next stone in his hand. He chucked it at the river. 

It sunk.

"Tsk.. that one didn't even skip that time." he mumbled under his breath.

"Exactly. It's how you're holding it and your posture. All of it's wrong." she stepped up close to him. "Look, I'll show you. Pick up another rock." 

He did. 

"See? Even how you're holding it is wrong. Here." she adjusted the rock to lay flat and firmly under his four fingers and thumb. "Now." she wrapped her arm around either side of his body and that nice spark of heat seemed to grab at his bones and blanket his skin at her touch. And he felt her body press up against his back as she grabbed his hand with the stone in it. And he could feel himself blushing. 

She used her other arm to move his body to the side. "Keep your body at an angle." she said behind his ear. "And, you just.." she directed his body down and to the side. "and right before you throw, you're going to keep your arm close to you." he pulled his arm towards his body. Her hand was still holding the back of his hand. "And you're going to twist your body forward and right as you do that, you're going to snap your arm forward and lock your wrist at a right angle." she pulled his arm back. "Okay.. now.. whenever you're ready. Just, twist and throw." 

"Hm." Steven nodded. He took a breath and.. twisted, throwing his body forward. Connie's hand was still on his as he threw his arm down, keeping his wrist bent and at an angle as he threw the stone.

It soared in the air..

And skipped once..

Twice..

Thrice..

And it sunk.

Steven gasped and he turned around and Connie saw a huge smile spread across his face. "Woohoo!" he did a little victory dance beside Lion with one hand still holding his shirt up. "Three skips!" he cheered.

Connie clapped slowly. "Not too bad." she said casually.

  
  


After skipping rocks, they'd stayed on the dock for just a few more minutes before heading back up towards the playground. Both Steven and Connie drunk the rest of their water bottles and Steven poured Lion's water out bit by bit for the canine to lap up the water. 

They threw the water bottles away and once they made it out of the park Connie took the last water bottle out. She drunk just a small amount of it and offered Steven some. Despite if him feeling thirsty, he declined and offered Lion some water instead. Then they used the rest of the water to clean off their hands and the bottom of their shoes _and paws_.

Steven threw the water bottle away and they walked out the park and started for the metro.

...........................

Steven opened the door and Lion ran in. Both he and Connie were laughing as they entered the apartment. His girlfriend on his back as he pushed the door back with his leg. He held her on his back with one hand under her as he locked the door back with the other. Then he kicked off his shoes and helped pull off her flats. All while the two continued to laugh in each other's presence. 

Steven walked them over to the bed and turned around. He tried to quiet his laughter. "Okay." he started laughing more. "Thanks." he snorted, laughing. "Thanks for flying with Air Steven. You have arrived safely at your destination." he slowly parted his hands away from beneath her and she slid down to the bed in fits of giggles. "I have to say, you're a pretty good pilot." 

He turned to her. "Well they don't hire just _anybody_ to fly" he pointed to himself. "this Airbus Demayo 747 Steven." he winked. 

"Oh course. I _should've_ known." she joked.

He leaned in, putting an hand on either side of her on the bed. "Well, now you do." he cheesed and he leaned in giving her a kiss. "And now, Miss Connie Maheswaren, now that we have reached our humble abode, we. can now. relax." he put the Cookie Cat blanket at the edge of the bed and laid back on the bed and sighed a breath of relief. She crawled up towards his face and laid down on her side. He felt her lips touch his neck and she felt her arm drap over his chest. "Looks like we had a pretty productive and easy going day today." she whispered.

"Yeah." he agreed. He kept his eyes closed as he relaxed his body on the soft mattress. His ankles just hanging over the edge of the bed.

He felt a dip in the mattress as Lion jumped on the bed. He walked towards the top of their heads and plopped down above them. 

Connie took a breath and scooted herself up closer to his body. 

It really had been a productive and very easy going day.

And she wanted more of it.

She really did love him.

And she wanted more days like these.

She felt Steven move on the bed and felt his arm around her waist. And she felt his nose on hers.

She hoped for more relaxing days like these.

She really did miss them.

It was just like old times when they were younger and more carefree.

Steven pressed his lips up against her cheek. "I really enjoyed myself today." 

"I did too." she murmured. She kept her eyes closed as she felt him scoot up closer to her. He laid back down and both of them were quiet. Simply relaxing on the bed and enjoying their day off together. He caressed her back up and down gently as he laid his face just under hers. 

Minutes went by in silence and her breath slowed, paced as she slept. He held in a chuckle as not to wake her. He continued caressing her back.

  
  


Steven sat back up slowly and carefully moved Connie towards the head of the bed. He fluffed her pillow, laid her head gently on it and gave her a kiss on the temple and rolled back to his side of the bed. He took his phone out his pocket and he unzipped his jeans and half slid, half kicked them off to the end of the bed. And, with the nice feeling of not having pants on, he was able to feel more comfortable with just his shirt and briefs on. He spread his legs out a bit, letting everything hang loose. 

He brought his phone up to his face. 

No messages. Or calls.

And he was happy with that. He hadn't gotten any interruptions from the Gems. And, that was _always_ a good feeling.

But then another thought came to his mind.

The audio clip.

And there was that gut feeling again. The same feeling he'd been having for the past couple of weeks that had only gotten stronger within the last few days.

Now that Connie is asleep, he should use that time to use the laptop and Google translate the clip.

Even if he did wanted a whole day to relax..

But five little minutes shouldn't hurt. Then he can just crawl back into bed and take his nap right along with Connie-

His phone started to vibrate as a familiar, yet different tune played through the speakers of his phone. He fumbled with his phone, trying to hurry up and answer Garnet's call before the tune woke up Connie. "Hello?" he whispered. But she was already stirring in bed from the call. 

"Hello, Talc." 

He thought he heard the sound of cars going pass. 

He slid off the bed as Connie turned over to face him. "Hey."

"We have another mission."

He resisted a sigh.

Of course they did..

And just when he thought he could have an actual full day to relax with Connie.

He looked at the clock. It read 5:48p.m

But at least they had a great time hanging out today. The two of them along with his buddy Lion. 

And they'd at least spent _nearly_ the whole day together.

".. cking you up in an hour. It should be a quick mission. We just have to go and retrieve the tear crystals at the Rose Fountain just South of Empire Town. We'll head in, stay clear of the gardeners and the weeds and crack the fountain to obtain the crystals. It shouldn't be a hard process and should take no more than twenty minutes." 

"Okay." was all he said.

And just then he actually realized that _Garnet_ was the one who was calling him about the mission and going over the plan and not Amethyst. 

That's.. odd?

He heard what sounded like wind and a few cars going by.

"G." he went for the code name. "Where _are_ you?" 

"On the freeway." 

"Did something happen to the truck?!"

"No. No I ehm.." there was a pause in her voice as he heard cars rushing pass her. "I needed to go somewhere more quiet." 

_Uh.. somewhere 'more quiet'.. yet you're on the highway?_

"What do you mean?"

He heard a faint yell from far away, though he couldn't make out what the person said. But they sounded.. mad? .. happy? He also couldn't tell.

"Huh? What was that?" Garnet was back on the phone. 

"I asked what you meant by that." 

He heard another scream, louder. And he still couldn't make out what they said or if they were mad or happy.

"Huh?" Garnet went back to the phone once more. "Ehm, sorry, Talc. I have to go. But we'll pick you up in an hour and" she hesitated. "be sure to keep an eye on Amethyst. She's.. well she's not we-" he heard the car door slam shut. _Hard_. Accompanied by slurred yelling. 

"I have to go Talc." she said quickly.

"Wait, Gar-G. What-.. hello?" he sighed, lowering his hand down from his ear.

He stood there.

What happened to Amethyst?

And Garnet seemed pretty on edge just now..

"Is everything okay?" 

He turned around to Connie. She was sitting up in bed. "Oh, uh, yeah. Everything's good. It was just bad reception." he walked over to the bed. "I agreed to come in this evening and my coworker is on his way. He should be here in about an hour." 

"Awe.." she gave him an apologetic smile. "Guess we couldn't have the _whole_ whole day to ourselves." she got up from the bed. 

"Yeah. But at least we had a good time hanging out at the park."

"Not to mention I was able to get my eyes done." she tapped at the eye shield. "So overall, it was a great day today." she smiled.

"Yeah. It definitely was."

Connie walked over to the dresser. "Well I won't hold you up any longer. I'll use this time to take my shower." she said and she started picking up her toiletries. 

"Okay." he told her. "Is there anything you want me to do before I leave?"

"Mmm, no. No, I'm fine for now." she walked over to him. "But, I appreciate you asking." she gave him a kiss on the cheek before walking pass and heading to the bathroom.

Steven used that to throw his shirt off, put the Crystal Gem shirt on, then the other shirt back on. Then he slipped his jeans on and took the rest of the money out of his pocket. He put the money (that he would need to recount sometime this week) back under the bed and gathered his weapons along with Lion's gadgets. He put them all in his pocket and sat down at the counter/ divider. 

Connie came out the bathroom just twenty minutes later. She got dressed and settled back into bed, this time, with the laptop. 

"Sorry my phone woke you up." 

"You're fine Steven. Besides, it's a good thing your phone woke me up. Otherwise I probably would've slept the whole day and be up all night. Which, I _really_ don't like doing." 

"Mm, I guess." he leaned his elbow on the counter. "But you looked so cute and peaceful while you were taking your nap." 

That earned a side smile from her. "Well, I'm up now, so.." she typed on the keys of the laptop. She signed in.

Steven smiled at her. "But there's nothing wrong in taking slightly longer naps at least. Right?"

"Maybe for some people. Not for me."

He chuckled. "Everyone needs a little rest once in a while, Connie."

Just a little over twenty minutes later, Steven decided to leave with fifteen minutes to spare to take Lion out for a bathroom break, since now that he remembers, he didn't take him out before going back to the apartment. He and Connie having way too much fun on the "Airbus Demayo 747 Steven" to remember to take him out.

He gave Connie a kiss and she resumed what she was doing on the computer and he and Lion left out. 

While at the side of the apartment, Steven had received a message from Garnet saying that they were approximately 6.5 minutes away. 

He sent her a message saying that he was already outside with Lion and put the phone back in his pocket.

The Inkas armored limo was pulling up beside him just a few minutes later and he opened the door. 

"Good eve-"

"YoOoOoooooo!!!! ¡Muchacho! Qué( what's) sup?" Amethyst belted out from the front.

"Uh." he looked from Pearl to Garnet. Both of the two looking very uneasy and tense.

"Hey, .. Amethyst." he sat down and closed the door behind him.

"AH, same 'ole same 'ole." she slurred. "Vos sabés como es (you know how it is)." she laughed loudly as she banged on the door.

"Uh.. uh huh?" he didn't know what she said.

"¡Che, Garnet! ¡Apúrate mujer! (Hurry up, woman!) ¡Nos tenemos que ir! (We gotta go!) We don't have todo el día (all day). Let's go!"

Garnet shifted gears and exited the side of the alley, while Amethyst laughed at something she only found funny. 

Steven sat there without saying another word. And he kept looking from Pearl to Garnet. The three of them exchanging glances for a full minute before Pearl finally stopped and Garnet had to focus on the rush hour traffic.

He leaned back in his seat and looked down at his hands, not wanting to make any eye contact with Amethyst. 

..Clearly she was..-

She was saying something to Garnet in a slurred mixture of English and Spanish as she found fun in moving around in her seat and hitting the door and the dashboard of the car and even giving Garnet a pinch and a slap on her arm and face. 

-..intoxicated..

Garnet sat there and let it happen. And she acted calm as Amethyst kept shouting at her and laughing as she proceeded to pinch and slap Garnet's hands on the steering wheel and grabbing and poking her face. 

Now he understood what Garnet meant by wanting a bit of quiet. She definitely wouldn't have been able to talk to him to discuss the mission without Amethyst yelling over her and hitting her.

"Yayyaaaeee!!" she shouted. "We're on our way to el fuente de agua(the water fountain) and we're going to steal some expensive joyas (jewels) and we're going a ganar (to win!)" she cackled with another slap on Garnet's arm. She leaned back hard in the back of her chair and slammed her feet down on the front of the truck. "YEAH! WE GOT THIS!" she yelled.

He'd never seen Amethyst like this (obviously) as he'd never saw her drunk before.. but it was still just as alarming and unnerving as if she _weren't_ drunk.

And most importantly _why_ did she put this on herself? He would think that as Crystal Gems that they would need to be alert at all times just in case they had on call missions such as the one they were on now or if something unexpected happens like that one time they were at the arcade.

He thought back on what had happened just the night before when they took that woman back to the Gem base. Amethyst had been.. very spaced out that whole night and seemed tensed when they were back at the garage unit.

Though.. she wouldn't.. get drunk because of that.. right? She wouldn't.. end up wasting herself away with alcohol because of what happened? Or, because of something that's.. going to happen?.. right?

Amethyst didn't want to admit it.. but she was hurting and scared.. and he knew that. And what she did wasn't going to make it any better. And he hopes that after this ordeal that he could start to talk to her and try to get through to her like what he's been trying to do with other people.

More laughter and thumps at the front of the vehicle from their completely wasted boss.

Steven sighed.. But right now? He and the Gems would have to try and protect her while she's in this vulnerable state.. While also, trying to accomplish the mission. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little while back, I read on one fic that had Steven blowing raspberries on Connie and I thought that was pretty cute and somewhat in his character and I was like.. totally gotta have Steven doing that in this fic eventually and thus, I chose this chapter ;)
> 
> Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed writing just this chapter alone. It's about time they got to relax and this is legit THE first chapter where they got to actually relax nearly for the whole day and just be themselves and be cooky and happy. And I just wanted to give y'all a better glimpse into their relationship when they're not all tensed and stressed out :3
> 
> Also yay! Lion is starting to rub off on Connie and they're getting closer! =D


	158. The Rose Fountain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As if these chapters couldn't get aaaany longer, right? 🤷

Garnet stopped behind a green polished gate. Thick green vines and brambles wrapped around the poles and the railings of it and the brambles and vines intertwined with thick bushes resting against the gate.

"FINALLY!!! Nosotros estamos (we're) here!" Amethyst cheered with a few kicks to the dashboard. "Now let's get these jewels!" she unbuckled her belt. "Vengáis (y'all come on)." 

Garnet held her hand out, looking as if she was to say something, but she didn't as Amethyst slammed the door back. She turned around to face the two in the back instead. "You two can get out. I'll put the security system on." 

Pearl and Steven opened their doors and Lion hopped out after Steven.

Amethyst was over by the gate and leaning towards the vines that had spiraled up the railings. "Hmm..." she raised her hand with an index finger pointing out. 

She leaned her hand farther towards the foliage-

And one of the vines untwisted from the rail and snapped towards her hand. "Wa! Whoa mama!" she backpedaled as the vines snapped towards her legs and she lunged to the side, falling to the dirt. 

The thick vine receded back and wrapped itself back to the gate.

Amethyst laughed. "This is going to be muy divertido (very fun)." 

Pearl was looking at Amethyst laughing at the greenery in front of her. She sat there in the dirt, giggling to herself.

Steven walked up to Pearl with Lion right by his side. 

The two locked eyes and Pearl looked away from him.

He was thinking about saying something to her.. but what exactly? And clearly she didn't want to talk to him for whatever reason he still haven't managed to find out.

So he kept quiet.

Garnet closed the door and walked up to them. "We're currently located Southeast of the gate." she told them. "It'll be easier to travel north towards the fountain since there are less booby traps at this part of the gate." 

They heard Amethyst laugh beside them. "Las lolas (boobies)." 

Garnet ignored her. "If we stay clear of the west side of the gate, then we shouldn't set off too many alarms, _if_ any." she stepped towards the gate. "And less tripping of alarms means less gardeners we'll have to fight. And less gardeners means a faster steal time."

"While that _would_ be ideal." Pearl cut in. She looked uneasy. "There's still.." she cut her eyes back at Amethyst who was slowly getting to her wobbly legs. "We just need to be extra careful. We need to protect her and we can't have her setting off these traps." 

"Right. That's why all three of us needs to keep a close eye on her while we receive the crystals."

"WOOOOOO!!!!" Amethyst ran pass them and to the other side of the gate.

And again, Garnet _looked_ like she wanted to say something, but she hesitated.

Their boss was looking at more of the vines along the bushes on the fence. 

Steven walked over to Garnet who was just staring at her boss. "Garnet, why not just _stop_ her. She's completely wasted. I'm surprised you two even let her go on the mission like this." 

"We couldn't had just left her at the base to wreck and destroy anything important." she looked at him. "Also, she's our boss. And, we need a boss to accompany us on missions." 

Steven resisted a sigh. "Then, why don't you at least just try and keep her close to you?" 

Garnet tensed up. A grimace on her face. "It's not that easy to just 'keep her close' to me." she whispered. He could practically hear the nervousness in her voice. "I wouldn't _dare_ put my hands on Amethyst." 

He looked at her, though he shouldn't be feeling this shocked that she said that. 

The time she got whipped and abused by Amethyst.. and the time Amethyst stabbed Pearl when she didn't stop talking about Lonny.. and Garnet didn't dare say anything when that happened, just like how _Pearl_ didn't say anything when Steven confronted Garnet about the abuse when they were at the shack.. 

Then it was Pearl not wanting to fight Sugilite because of Amethyst being apart of the fusion. 

And he could only imagine what else she'd done to them. 

_They're terrified of her.. even when she's in _this_ drunken state.._

_She really has them mentally scarred.._

"Then I'll do it." 

"Talc." 

"Don't worry about me. _I'll_ stick with Amethyst." Garnet didn't seem so sure. "Besides." he tried for a small smile. "I rather keep her safe than .. hurt anybody here." and she knew what he meant. They'd talked about it before on not trying to hurt or _kill_anyone. "I can keep her in my bubble while we do this. Nobody will be able to hurt us and, she won't get into anything. And I'll have my shield so she won't hurt me either." 

Garnet looked to be pondering about it deeply and a movement out the corner of her eye accompanied by a "¡Ay, caramba!" made her glance over at Amethyst who was upside down and stuck in the vines. 

Pearl jogged over as she unclipped a canister from her belt. She flipped it counterclockwise and the spear snapped out. 

She turned her attention back to Steven and he gave her what he hoped was a very reassuring smile. 

She took a breath and said "We'll be quick." then she looked over at the gate in front of them. "Just try to stay clear out of the vines and keep an eye out for the gardeners as I've said before." 

He nodded. "Will do, Garnet." 

She made an uneasy glance over towards Pearl cutting the wild, snapping vines off of Amethyst and back to him. "Be careful, Talc."

Another nod from him. "You too, Garnet."

She straightened up and gave him a minute nod. "See you inside." she looked above him at Pearl. "Pearl. Looks like it'll be you and I retrieving the crystals while Talc keeps Amethyst at bay." 

Pearl cut another vine just as a previously cut one started regrowing and wrapping around Amethyst's ankle. "I'm right behind you." she said and she cut two more vines. 

Garnet turned away and jumped, clearing the gate with ease.

Steven jogged over at the two just as Pearl cut the last vine off of Amethyst's arm. "Thanks Pearl." 

She pivoted towards him. "I didn't do that. for _you_" she pointed the sword towards his nose. 

He held his hands up as he looked at the point of the sword. Then he looked up at her, but didn't say anything. 

She leaned the sword away slowly.. took a step back, and jumped over the gate. 

He rubbed his nose. "Uh o.. kay.." he turned to Amethyst. She had a half lidded, rather dopey expression on her face. "It's going to be you and I for today. So let's stay close together and-" she turned and jumped over the gate. "Wait! Amethyst!-" he sighed. "Man.. and I _still_ can't super jump like them.."

He looked at the vine ridden gate. "How can I.." he trailed off. Pondering to himself.

Amethyst was waiting on the other side and looking right back at him. "¡Che! (Hey dude!) ¡¿Qué es la (What is the) hold up?!" she yelled out with a lazy smile.

"Huh? I don't.." he shook his head. He turned his attention back to the gate. He took a few steps towards it. "..Maybe if I just.." he reached his hand towards a small, bare part of the fence and a vine reached up from the brambles and flung towards him. "AAH!!" he pulled his hand back with a jump. "Uh.. or not.." he rubbed at his wrist as be scoped out more of the gate.

The vines.. the bushes.. the garden just on the other side..

How was he going to get through-

A purple whip wrapped around him and he scream for just a split second before realizing it was from Amethyst. "Amethyst!" she pulled him up and over and he scream as the rope flung him high in the air. Then he started for the ground. He tried to activate his wing gliders but the whip had twisted too far up his torso. The ground was coming up fast. "AAAHHH!! I'm going to hit the ground!!" the whip unraveled as he slammed hard onto the grass. He groaned, feeling the pain radiate from his face and the force of the fall pulse through his limbs and down his spine. 

He laid there. Waiting for the pain to slowly subside.

"You're el prómixo (up next), perrito (doggy). Vos sos (you're) coming with nosotros (us)." he saw her throw the whip and grabbing Lion. 

"Lion!" he got up too fast and a sharp pain shot down his arms and back. He winced. 

The whip was above her and Lion was coming back down fast. 

"Lion!" he ignored the pain in his joints. "I'm coming for you buddy!" he ran for him. 

Amethyst unraveled the rope and laughed as Steven ran pass her. 

"I got yoouuu!!!" he jumped up and Lion fell hard into his arms and he fell back hard on his stomach. He raised his head up, spitting out the dirt. "Are you okay, Lion?" 

The dog got up and started sniffing him.

Steven sighed a breath of relief. "I'm glad." he smiled.

He got up slowly to his feet as Amethyst walked over to him. "Thanks, Amethyst."

"HA! It's NO problem!" she slapped him hard on the back and he flinched. "Anything para un (for a) Crystal Gem." 

"Y, yeah.." he took a step away. Feeling her whole handprint in the middle of his back. "Let's just uh.. go find Garnet and Pearl."

"That'll be fácil (easy). Las puedo encontrar (I can find them) in no time." she ran away from him.

"Amethyst!! Wait up!!" he ran after her. "We have to be careful in not setting anything off!!" 

He heard Lion barking and turned around. The dog was barking at a squirrel. The small critter scurried away and Lion ran after it. Steven stopped. "Lion!" 

He stood there. Looking to his left and his right. "Aw." he groaned. "Who do I-" 

He heard Lion barking loudly and startled shouts coming from a tall hedge surrounded by thick rose bushes. He ran towards the noise. 

And hoping that Amethyst wasn't getting herself into anything..

He ran through the thick green foliage, following the loud barking and shouts from the men. He put his bracelet on and squeezed it against his wrist. The fine, long, needle-sized braces jutted out of the bracelet and attached to his nails. The five small round circles laid on each knuckle. Then he put the ring on his other hand. 

He wedged through two prickly bushes to the opening of the hedge. And prepared himself, keeping his back pinned to the hedge. He double tapped on his index finger and the pink shield formed around his hand. He clamped his fingers down hard on the strap. 

He braced himself.

And jumped out, keeping his shield close in front of his body. 

Three men dressed in muddy, grass-stained overalls and rubber boots had surrounded Lion. The shorter of the three with pruning shears in his hands was crouched down to Lion. The man looking to cut the dog with it. 

"Wait! That's my dog!!" 

The three turned around. 

"A Crystal Gem!" the gardener weilding a shovel yelled out. "AND his Crystal Gem dog!" 

"Then we best get 'em boys." said the shorter one. 

The third one scrunched up his face. His one tooth sticking out as he pulled on the cord of the weed wacker. The tool roared in his hands. 

"No! Wait! Don't hurt him!" he lowered the shield down. "You guys don't have to do this!"

"Pete. Georgie. Git dat no good son of a biscuit." 

The two men charged after Steven and the first guy, still crouched down had grabbed Lion by the throat. He turned the pruning shears around in his hands. 

"Stop!!" Steven twisted his body and aimed the shield towards his target. He took a step and pivoted around, flinging his arm straight out and throwing the shield. 

The weapon flew between the two men and Steven tapped on his middle finger, activating another shield to his wrist. 

"WHOA!" the shield flew into the man's face and he was pushed back and brought down to the ground on his back. The shears slid out of his hand and underneath a bush. "OoOoOOOOO, you done did it now kid." he got up. His face red and the design of the shield on his face. 

Lion was running towards Steven. The dog jumped up and bit Pete in the butt. "YOW!!! OH!!" he dropped the shovel and spun his self around. The dog was in mid air, but kept his bite on the man's overalls. 

"Stay still, Pete, I got that little rascal for ya!" he brought the weed wacker down. 

Steven threw the second shield, smacking the weed wacker to the ground. The tool spun around, cutting the nearby grass underneath it. 

"Lion, come here!" 

The dog kept his bite. 

"Uh, sit!" the dog let go and sat and Steven activated another shield and threw it at Pete just as he grabbed the weed wacker. 

The shield smacked into him and he fell to the ground, his face almost hitting the spinning blades and he made a startled yelp and rolled away from the tool moving towards him. 

Georgie had picked up his shovel and swung it down towards Lion when Steven activated a fourth shield and dove in. He brought his shield up above them. The shovel clashed with the surface of the shield and Steven nearly buckled under the down pressure of the man's strength. "He grunted, trying to push the shield up. But the man was too strong and he pushed the shovel down farther. "You and dat dere dog is gonna pay, yes uhuh!" he growled out. 

Pete picked up his weed wacker and turned the blades up faster. Steven turned around. He was about to be sandwiched in between the two rivals. 

He ran his hand across the ground and the bubble formed around them. "What da.. heck is this thing?" Georgie swung the weed wacker at the side of the bubble and the blades bursted upon impact. He shouted in horror. "My 30 Volt share TG Lithium Ion Revolutionary 12 inch string trimmer!!!!! It's ruined!!!!!" he grabbed at his straw hat.

The first guy was still reaching under the bush for his shears, until his hand finally ran across the handle of it. "Aha! Gotcha!" he grabbed the tool and stood back up. "What.." he saw Steven and Lion in the bubble and Pete and Georgie on either side. "Now.. what in the tarnation is this!?" 

Pete stood up straight. Keeping a rather stoic expression with the wheat stick at the corner of his mouth. "Looks like dis boy here has some kind of forcefield, sir!" 

"Well then, get him out of it!"

"Uh.." Steven turned to him. "That's.. not how forcefield works."

"Hey!" he pointed a gloved finger at Steven. "Don't you sass me, boy." he looked at the two men. "Well.. don't just stand there! Get that no good boy outta dere!" he ordered. 

The men jumped and turned back to the bubble. Pete brought the broken weed wacker down on the bubble as Gerogie smacked the surface with the shovel. 

The head man of the group grabbed one of Steven's shields and ran up to them he brought the shear down first and the blades broke. "WhaaaAAATT!!!" he shrieked. He glared at Steven in his bubble and waved the now toothless tool in his hand. "Now you owe me another pair of pruning shears ya little weasel!!" he threw the tool on the ground and with both hands brought the shield down. The edge of the weapon slammed down on the surface of the bubble, yet nothing happened. 

"Just keep going! It'll break eventually!!" he threw the shield down on the bubble again.

"Guys, please." he looked at the three of them. "It's not going to work."

"Don't you two listen to him!" he smacked the shield across the bubble. "He a damn lie, I know it!" 

"I'm not lying!" 

The men ignored him and kept bringing broken weed wacker, shovel and shield down on the bubble.

Steven sighed. "Looks like you guys leave me no choice." he put his hands on the bubble and spread his hands across. The bubble pulsed outwards, tripling in size and pushing Georgie into a prickly bush, their boss into the dusty ground and Pete into the hedge.

Pete yelped. The man jumping up and pulling out thorns from his tanned face. And their boss and Georgie were getting back up to their feet. 

Steven was minimizing the bubble back to size and already far ahead of them as he ran away from the three.

"Oooooo!!!! That.. NO. GOOD!!" their boss mumbled and sputtered in anger before stomping his foot on the ground. "We're gonna git dat boy! Come on!!" he ran and the two ran on either side of him.

Aaand.. they lost track of him in the thick, green, tall foliage of the garden. 

"Now ain't dis just a doggone shame.." their boss mumbled.

  
  


Steven had ran to the other side of the garden where Amethyst ran towards. And he looked around, trying to find her. He could see traps that had been set off most likely from her and broken food and bear traps laid all around. "Uh oh.." Steven whispered to Lion. He walked slowly and cautiously around the greenery. Thick bushes with fruit were as tall as him and the grass seemed to be grabbing at the bubble. He kept his slow, steady pace. 

He walked around another hedge and saw more bushes and trees filled with thorns and fruit. And more broken traps laid on the ground. "Where could she be, Lion?" he walked up the grassy path and towards another small hedge that had wedged and interlaced itself within the polished, green gate. 

Looks like he was back at the edge of the garden..

He heard slurred laughter coming from his left side. A smash group of trees and bushes had blocked his view of what was on the other side. 

Though he knew that voice from anywhere.

He took a breath. "Okay, Lion." he whispered. "Here goes." he approached the corner of one tree slowly and, easily, he walked to the other side and out into the heavily condensed field.

Amethyst was tied up by her own whip and two men were there with her. The two also wearing overalls and rubber boots. "Haha! Looks like we den nabbed ourselves a Crystal Gem, Fred!" he held his hand up and the other high fived him. 

"And she's as looney as can be too." his friend laughed. "Girlie here is as wasted as a rat in a bar's sewage system." 

"Let her go!" Steven yelled and the men jumped.

"Ayyeeeee, el gordito (the little fatty) is here. ¿Cómo andas? (How are ya?)" she laughed. "Che, digame. Por qué tardaste tanto? (Hey, tell me. What took you so long?")

_What is she.._

He ignored her. "You two need to let her go." he tried to sound.. at least a little bit.. _intimidating._

"Oh, looks like we gotta bitter." said Fred. He pulled out a trowel from his back pocket.

The second fellow held his rake in front of him.

Steven swiped across the bubble, deactivating it. 

"Heeeeheehee! Now what are you gonna do wit dat dere shield of your-" Steven had threw the shield, smacking Fred in the face. He fell on the ground next to her. 

Amethyst found it hilarious. "RIGHT in the cara (face)." she guffawed.

"Ohhh, you wanna play dirty now, do ya?" the gardener ran towards Steven. He held the rake above his head. 

Lion started growling.

"Noo, Lion. Sit. I got this." 

The dog sat down, eyeing the man and Steven ran up to him, meeting him halfway. 

"Now I'mma show you boy how we do it here down in the- AHCK!!" Steven kicked him in his stomach. He bent over and Steven raised his leg, carefully trying to keep his core balance and remembering the kicks Garnet had taught him and he kept his leg up high while his shield was keeping his face safe from any potential blows. His foot hit the gardener's wrist and he yelped as the rake was knocked out of his hand. 

He looked at his empty hand, then to the rake far out of reach. Then back at Steven. And he glared at him. He growled, reaching down towards him with his gloved hands and, Steven threw his shield, smacking the guy in his face. He stumbled back. 

"Uh.. sorry I had to do that." 

The man was too busy groaning in pain to answer him. 

Fred came up and he activated a fifth shield. He threw it at him, harder and the surface of the shield hit him in the chest and he fell back, getting the wind knocked out of him.

His friend was running back to him with the rake now in his hand. 

Steven double pressed on the nail of his index finger.

And, no shield activated. 

He looked down at his knuckles.

He'd used all five of his shields..

The gardener brought down the rake and Steven scream, barely jumping and rolling out of the way. He rolled back to his feet and double tapped on his thumb. A single, tiny, circular, pink disc was back to the knuckle of his thumb.

Another strike towards Steven and he jumped out the way once more and double tapped on his index finger. The second shield had minimized back into the knuckle of his index finger. 

"I'm not here to fight." said Steven. "I just want you to let her go." 

"Now I say, booooy, we ain't doin' that no how. Now you git a move on now before we really put a hurtin' on ya."

Steven stood beside Amethyst. He straightened his back and squared his shoulders. "No." he double tapped on his index finger and the shield activated in front of him. "I _won't."_

"Then it's high time for you to learn the lesson the hard way in playin with the grown folks."

Fred was getting his breath back. He got up and both men in towards the two. Steven threw the shield towards Fred and activated the fifth shield on his thumb and threw it towards the other. Both shields smacked into the men hard and Steven swiped the ring on the ground and the bubble formed around him and Amethyst. "Come on." he helped her up to her feet. "Yeaheaaa. My man." she cheesed. "Gracias por la ayudar. (thanks for the help.)"

"..Uh.. you're.. welcome?" he ran towards Lion and swiped across the bubble, deactivating it and he swiped the bubble on the ground again and the bubble formed around the three. "Okay, we _really_ need to meet up with Garnet and Pearl." he told Amethyst.

"Yeah, yeah." she said casually. "I sé (know)."

"You say.. said? Huh? Said what?" 

Amethyst raised an eyebrow at him. Confused. ¿Qué (What?) Yo dije que (I said that) I know."

Steven sighed. "Aaaamethyst. I don't understand this Spanglish!" he whined. 

She shook her head. "Que pena. (What a pity)" she chuckled. "Okay, tal vez entenderás (maybe you'll understand) this." she tried pushing her arms up. "Vos (you) think you puedés desatar (can untie) this látigo (whip)?"

He slowed his run. "Uh.."

"Este (this) whip. ¿Think vos lo puedés desatar (you can untie it) o no?"she tried moving her arms once more, looking at the whip around her. 

"Oh, you want me to untie the whip." he stopped. "Yeah, I can do that for you." he grabbed it and tried pulling it off. "Wow they.. they _really_ tied this tight." he grunted, trying to pull the knot from the whip. 

"No, vos sos (you're) just un debilucho (a weakling.)" she snickered. 

"Ooooo, we found him!" Steven heard the boss from earlier behind them. He turned around. He, Pete and Georgie was running towards them. And just a second later Fred and the other gardener ran through a small opening of a hedge. All five of them were running towards them. "Oh no!!" he tapped on his index finger, immediately realizing that he was out of shields once more. 

He really needed to pay more attention to that..

He swiped across the bubble and it deactivated. The boss stopped and they did the same. "Uh oh." he smirked. "Looks like this boy's gonna try and do something." he narrowed his eyes at him. "You and Bessie over there" he gestured to Amethyst. "ain't gonna get through all five of us." 

Steven double tapped all four fingers and his thumb.

And the shield the boss was holding "vanished" from his hands as it minimized back to Steven's knuckle. "Now what da.." he looked at his empty hands. "What.. in the tomfoolery." Steven swiped across the ground and the bubble formed around them. He started running away from them.

"He's finna go to that Rose Fountain!" the boss started running after him. "We can't let them get those tear crystals!"

  
  


Steven ran down a small meadow filled with huge sunflowers and looming trees. He hid beside a large prickly bush in the center of the flowery meadow. He panted. And turned to Amethyst and started at the whip again. "Okay. Now let's see if we can try and get this off of you." he grunted, pulling at the knot. "Tsk. Come. _on."_ he pulled on the knot and it slowly started to loosen. "Okay, I think I'm getting it." the rope loosened under his fingertips and he managed to pull the whip from its knot and it fell to the bottom of the bubble. 

"Heheyy, not bad." she flexed her muscles. Then she picked the whip up. "Gracias, che. (Thanks, dude)" she leaned in and placed a kiss on both cheeks. Then she pat gently at one. 

"Uh.." he touched his cheek. "You're.. welcome?.. Again?" then he went to a different subject. "Okay, let's, go find the Gems." he turned in his bubble and continued his run down the meadow.

They passed by a few trees and thick hedges and tulips before reaching a small opening of brambles. They squeezed through the spiky vines and into a small opening of kicked up sunflowers and tulips. Trees were on the perimeter and mixed with rose bushes. And in front of them was a huge water fountain. Right in the middle was a statue of a closed rose flower. Water sprouted from the top and down and along the vines that had twisted itself around the edge of the fountain.

And there, they saw the Gems fighting three men in overalls and rubber boots. 

.. while eight others laid in the grass in their own blood.. not moving..

Garnet threw a punch at the first guy's face and the man slid across the flowers, making a path as he did. Then she ran towards the second gardener while Pearl threw her spear towards the third one. The point of the spear hit his neck and he shouted out. She threw her leg up in a roundhouse kick, kicking the man on the side of his face. He fell straight to the ground. She bent down and took her spear, pushing it more into his neck.

Steven and Amethyst ran pass the bodies and towards the fountain. "Garnet! Pearl!" 

"Talc. There you two are." Garnet dodged a punch from the second gardener and in a sweep kick, knocked him off balance. He fell to the ground and she picked him up by the strap of his overalls. "We're just about done now. All we need to do is take that statue." with Steven there, she was reminded_ more_ of their little agreement. 

She wouldn't kill this one.

She threw him over towards the one she'd knocked out unconscious. He groaned, getting up slowly, ignoring his friend laying on the ground. 

"So we have to rip it out of the fountain?" Steven asked.

"We can't. We have to take it out a certain way. Otherwise the rose will crack and end up crushing the crystals inside of it." 

"What in da... more Gems?!?!" they all turned around to see the boss and his crew running up towards them. "We're NOT finna let these no good hooligans get away with our precious stuff!" 

Pearl started running for them. 

"HA!" the boss guffawed. "Now you're no bigger than a minnow in a fishing pond lil lady. Whatchu gonna do, sweetums-?"

Steven saw a spear fly in their direction. It hit Fred in the throat and another spear was thrown in his friend's chest. 

"Fred! Jimmy!" he glared at Pearl coming their way. "You Crystal Gems.." he grumbled. 

Fred was already dead. The man laying in a pool of his blood near a bush. Jimmy was trying to pull the spear out of his chest.

Pete and Georgie came after Pearl with their bare hands. She rolled her eyes. "Let's just get rid of these guys." she said casually. But Garnet didn't move. "Garnet?"

She saw Steven's pained expression. 

"We have to take them down, Garnet." she took out a canister and turned it counterclockwise. The spear flung out and she held the weapon out as the two gardeners ran towards her.

She and Steven exchanged glances before she gave him a wink. And she ran with Pearl.

Steven stood there.

.._So she's not going to hurt them.._

The gardener that Garnet had thrown was running back towards them.

Pete went for a jab and Georgie went for a kick. Pearl dodged both of the men's attacks and tackled Pete to the ground. She picked him back up and threw him into Georgie.

"Iiiii'm fixin to rough you up _real_ good!" the boss yelled at Garnet. She yanked the spear out of Jimmy's chest _and threw it out the way_ and tackled their boss to the ground. 

"Whoa!!" he hollered. Garnet picked him up and held him in a headlock. His feet dangled underneath of him. "Heh, I'm just goin' easy on ya darlin'!" he said smugly in her arm. "I'll SHOW you how much fight I have in these bones of mine!" she flipped him over her shoulder. "WhoAoAoo! OOF!" and pinned him to the ground. 

Jimmy was getting up slowly behind Garnet.

Steven gasped. "Garnet! Behind you!"

Amethyst groaned. "Por queeeeeé (whyyyyyy) aren't we doing anything?! We're missing out on all the fun!"

_Huh_

"..Y, yeah? We're.. not doing anything." he stated back at her. "I have to keep you safe and, I don't want to hurt anyone." 

"Pffft.. vos sos (you're) so booring." 

The bubble started moving. "What?" he turned to see the vines growing around the bubble. "Oh no!" 

"¡¡Síííí!! (Yes!!) Finally some action!" Amethyst cheered on her wobbly legs.

"No! No! No! No!" the vines wrapped around the surface and Steven barely made out Pearl as she held her spear underneath of Pete's throat. She pulled the spear inwards, pulling the gardener towards her, choking him. Garnet went the easier approach, using pressure points to subdue Jimmy. She reached her hand out again, jabbing her fingers on another part of the second leg and he fell down to the ground. "I.. I can't move!! That woman den did somethin' to my legs!" the same gardener who Garnet had thrown ran pass him and towards Garnet. 

The vines filled his vision and he felt the bubble being lifted up and Amethyst stumbled back, losing her balance and falling straight to her back. She laughed at herself and Lion came over to sniff her. "Yo, perrito (doggy)" she raised a drunk, shaky arm up and started scratching at the dog's ear.

"The vines have us!!" he freaked out.

Amethyst laughed louder. "No duh, gordito (fatty). Isn't that obvio (obvious)?" she snorted. 

"Parece que las vides están tratando de matarnos. (Looks like the vines are trying to kill us)." a small giggle escaped her lips. "Oh how I wonder (como nosotros) how we will get out of this one." she stayed on the ground, still scratching at Lion's ear. 

"Wait a minute.. That's it! Maybe it'll.." he placed his hands on the bubble and spread his hands out. The bubble stretched out, tripling in size and forming spaces around the vines. 

_Just like the bubble did with Sugilite's whip.._

He swiped his hand across the bubble and it deactivated and the three of them fell to the ground.

_Thankfully_ it wasn't too far of a fall..

Steven saw Pete and Georgie on the floor.

..Dead..

And Jimmy was still on the ground shouting out at them as he tried to move his legs, to no avail.

And the boss and the other gardener were slowly getting back up on their feet. 

Suddenly five more gardeners with overalls and rubber boots jumped out from the bushes. "Yeeeeeyeaaaaaahhh!! Dawggie!!!" one was holding an air horn and sounding it off in the air as the other four ran right behind him. 

"Oh great. There's _more_ of them." said Pearl.

Garnet turned to her. "Pearl, you try cutting the rose out. I'll handle the gardeners." she ran towards the group.

"I'm on it." Pearl jumped away. She landed carefully on the thorn statues of the fountain, trying to stay clear of the vines. She pointed her spear downwards and, very carefully, began cutting around the bottom of the rose bud.

Steven saw all seven gardeners running up to Garnet. The woman didn't slow down her speed. She raised her arms up in front of her. Her gauntlets glinted in the light of the setting sun behind them.

"Garnet!" Steven shouted.

"Eh, Garnet lo tiene (has it) all under control." she turned towards the fountain. "Now. YO voy a (I'm going to) speed things up." she held the whip up in her hands and ran towards it.

"Amethyst! Where are you going?!" he ran after her and Lion joined him. 

She jumped on the edge of the fountain, just missing the vines intertwined with the stones along the edge by her feet.

"Amethyst!" Pearl slowed her cut along the rose. 

"Amethyst!" Steven stopped near the rounded edge of the fountain. "You have to be careful!" 

Pearl went back to the rose, trying to quickly yet carefully cut the rest of the rose out without causing it to crack.

Amethyst laughed. "Aweee, mírate! (Look at you!) Why are you getting so worked up?" she stopped taking the edge.

"Amethyst, please!"

"(Por quéééé~) Whyyyy~~ You care about me or something~"

He stepped over a vine and looked up at her with a worried expression on his face. "Yess!!" he whined.

She backpedaled. "OoOoH , StEveN." she giggled. "I'm GoNna FaAaALL." 

He watched as her feet continued to barely miss the growing vines snapping at her heels. He jumped on the edge of the fountain. "Amethyst! You need to be careful with those vines or they're going to grab you!" he tried walking up to her, carefully stepping over the brambles. "Or you're going to fall and get hurt!"

She shook her head, still chuckling. "Talc, cálmate, ¿vale? (Calm down, will ya?). Yo soy una matóna de gemas de cristal. (I'm a Crystal Gem criminal.)" she walked back on wobbly legs. "Which significa (means), I'm not. gonna. fall- Whoa!" she tripped over a crack in the foundation and lost her already shaky balance. 

"Amethyst!" he jumped over the vines and dove in-

And barely caught her, holding her by her arm.

And just then..

.. he was reminded about Jesse.. 

.. the one who he _couldn't_ save..

The one who had fallen into the acid..

And the first person who he'd.. 

.. all because he'd let go of his arm..

He looked down at the water and vines underneath of her.. slowly turning into the bubbling waste before him.. 

He wouldn't let Amethyst suffer the same fate. 

He wouldn't let _anyone_ else suffer the same fate.

.._ever.._

He pulled her arm back hard and he grabbed her and jumped if the edge of the fountain, falling backwards into the ground. And he held onto her tightly, _hugging_ her, keeping her close and keeping her face close to his shoulder as the scene of Jesse's body being boiled alive continued to flash through his mind. He could feel his breath start to quicken and he could feel his skin getting hotter as if he was still in the building. He shook his head, trying to clear his head of the man's screams. 

And he was stuck.

Stuck in the building and surrounded by the putrid acid all around him. And Jesse's screams only got louder in his ears-

Amethyst was laughing in his ear. The boy hyperventilating as he clenched his eyes shut. He had his head pressed hard on hers as his shaky arms were locked around her.

"HAHA! Look at you! Saving mi vida (my life) and junk." she laughed. 

He didn't open his eyes. And his breath was quick and shallow on her forehead. 

She found that hilarious. _Incredibly_ hilarious.

"Yo, earth to che." she said in his tensed up face. "Oye ¿Qué pasó che? (Hey, what happened, dude?)"

_Why was everything so hot around him... And why could he still hear his screams.._

Amethyst started wiggling in his arms. "Aight. That's enough!" he still held onto her as she tried pushing him away. "Oye, oyeee! ¡Basta ya! (Hey, heeyy! That's enough!" she pushed his arms away from her and pushed him back onto his elbows. 

He laid there and looked at her, stunned. His mouth opened in utter shock as his mind slowly tried to register the present. 

She saw a tear fall from his eye. " (Qué pasa) What's up with the crying?" she scoffed.. which slowly turned to a fit of giggles. "Vos sos (you're) supposed to be un (a) Crystal Gem and you estás llorendo (are crying)." she cackled at his panting face. The boy just sitting there as another tear fell down his cheek. 

She snorted. "Qué (how) sad." she lowered her hand and grabbed him by the shirt, pulling him up to his feet. She "dusted" him off. "Dude, ain't that serio (serious). I didn't caer (fall). So, we good." she gave him a smug smile and a thumbs up. 

He was slowly coming more into the present. Not hearing the man's screams anymore and he could feel the cool wind blowing on his arms. And he was smelling the buttercups of the garden once more. He slowlly blinked his dilated eyes as he slowly closed his mouth back. His shaky breath calming slightly. 

Amethyst pat him hard on the back. "THERE we go! NOW you're coming back down to la tierra (earth)." 

Lion walked up and licked the back of Steven's hand. And he slowly looked down at the dog. His brain slowly registering that that was Lion. And, that they were in a garden.. And right by a water fountain-

Amethyst turned her head to see a prune shear coming right at them."Whoa! ¡Cuidado! (Watch out!)" she jumped a few steps from him. 

He was still just halfway in the present. "Huh?" he whispered, stiffly. "I.. don't understand." he took his first step, about to run after her when he felt something hard hit his back. He fell back on the ground. 

And his brain finally fully registered the present and what was happening. 

He was in a garden with the Gems and on a mission to retrieve the year crystals. 

And, he'd just gotten hit in the head and was now in pain. 

He groaned, looking back. He saw the long, sharp tool laying behind him on the ground. And when he looked up slightly he saw two new gardeners coming from the flowers. Each holding a shovel in their hand.

"Heheh. Esos jardineros (those gardeners) just keeps coming and coming." 

One ran towards Amethyst and she took a stance, _though extremely wobbly_.

And the other ran towards Steven.

Amethyst threw her whip, completely missing her guy. 

And Steven double tapped on his index finger and the shield activated in front of him. The gardener threw down the shovel and hit the surface of the shield. The metal head of the shovel buckled under the pressure. 

Steven stood there in front of the man as he kept his shield up, trying to push him back. But the guy only put more strength down on the shield. 

He thought hard. Trying to remember the sword training that he had weeks ago with Pearl and Amethyst. 

He kept his core balance and tried looking for an opening or at least try moving away from the man's shovel. 

He stepped to the side, keeping his eyes on the gardener's every move.

He slid his shield to the side, opposite him and pushing the man's shovel slightly away and to his right.

The gardener pushed back and Steven took a step back and pushed his shield up. The man lifted his shovel back up and swung downwards. 

Instead of taking a step back like the gardener had assumed, Steven advanced and the guy stumbled slightly as he tried to realigned his shovel. Steven was already swinging his shield down and smashing the head of the shovel down. Then he brought his shield up and hit the guy in his neck. The man stumbled back before falling to the ground and Steven grabbed the man's wrist and, remembering what Lars taught him about pressure points of the wrist, bent it back as he pressed down on the joint. The man yelped out and dropped the shovel and Steven picked the shovel up and threw it away from them, getting a glimpse of Amethyst and her rival. The gardener had dodged another whip that was far from hitting him and he threw a punch, Steven, _ for the first time,_ seeing Amethyst getting punched hard in the face. 

He gasped. "Amethyst!" he quickly turned back to the guy just as he was getting back up. He jabbed his fingers into the man's chest, causing him to lose his breath and jabbed at a couple pressure points on his legs and the man fell back to the ground, still trying to catch his breath. 

Amethyst was getting up slowly. Wobbly. And, she was laughing as blood ran down one nostril behind her mask. "This is fun." she giggled. "Hm?" she felt the warm liquid in her skin. She dabbed at it with her finger. "Sangre.. (blood.)" she looked up at the gardener and chuckled. "Buen (good) hit." she held the whip loosely in her fingers. "Ahora. Vamos a ver si vos podés (Now. Let's see if you can) get another hit in." 

"Whatchu say woman?! I don't speak dat language!" he pointed a gloved finger at her. 

She didn't answer him and raised her whip and started spinning it in the air.

"Alright, lil lady. Looks like you ain't learn your lesson." he charged towards her and Steven took a step and threw his shield. 

The pink, sturdy GemTech disc smacked the man hard in the back of his neck and he hollered out as the force pushed him forward. He grunted, rubbing his neck as he found his balance again. And, he snapped back around. He looked to Steven, then at his friend trying to catch his breath, then back up at Steven again. He glared at him. 

"Uh.. uh oh.." Steven held his hands up. "I.. I don't want to keep fighting." 

"Well you should've thought of that before you den WACKED me in the head wit dat shield!!" the man ran after him and Steven screamed and Amethyst laughed. "Yeah! Go get 'em!" she cheered the rival on.

Steven screamed and double pressed on his index finger, wanting to form a shield but completely forgetting that he'd already used that finger, the shield now being minimized back into the knuckle of his bracelet. 

The man lunged towards Steven and Lion growled at him and was about to jump on him when Garnet tackled the guy to the ground. He let out a startled shout that soon turned into a mumble as he slid across the dirt and grass on his face.

"Garnet!" Steven lowered his hand down from his face, smiling at her.

"I think that's the last of them." she said. She had the man pinned down in his stomach as she pulled his hand back and towards her.

"Garnet!" they heard Pearl shout. "I have the rose." 

The woman carefully navigated herself back down to the ground. The rose was as big as her torso and nearly twice as heavy. She ignored the pain in her side. "Let's get out of here." she started jogging away, feeling the pain erupt more from her wound.

Garnet got up, leaving the dazed guy on the ground. "Let's go, Talc." she ran after Pearl. 

"Alright, cheeee!" Amethyst slurred. "Looks like nosotros ganamos (we won)." she said casually. "As usual." she half jogged, half wobbled after the other two.

Steven looked at all of the bodies laying on the ground. Some dead, and others laying unconscious or in a daze thanks to him and Garnet. 

At least half of them are still alive..

He started walking pass them when their boss was getting up slowly to a sitting position. He rubbed his head, groaning at the aches and pains. Then he saw Steven. "Y,.. it's.. it's you! You. little.. NO GOOD WEASEL! YOU DEN DID THIS TO MY FRIENDS!! YOU AAAAND THOSE PESKY WOMEN!!" he shouted, his voice cracking.

"I'm sorry! I.. I wish I could've saved them as well."

"AND YOU EXPECT ME TO BELIEVE THAT!!"

"Yes, uh no? I mean.. I would like for you to." he walked up to the guy. "I didn't want any of this to happen. I _don't_ like it when stuff like this happens."

The man's face scrunched up. "I. don't. _either._. But you Crystal Gems keep killing all of us and stealing from us!!" he yelled. 

"I know. And, and that's wrong. ALL of it is. That's why I didn't want to fight. And that's why the other Crystal Gem and I didn't kill your friends." though now that he thought if it, he wasn't so sure if Garnet had killed anyone before he got to her and Pearl.. "We decided to _not_ kill them. And.. that's why you're still here." he looked at the man's facial expression, going to something of shock and realization before going back to a glare. "What. You and your friend want a gold medal or something?" he scoffed. "You're_ still_ a bunch of Crystal Gems who steal and kill. Y'all did before. Y'all STILL do now and y'all will CONTINUE on doing that in the future!" 

"..M..Maybe?" Steven shrugged. Then his expression softened and he felt himself smiling slightly. "Or, maybe we'll change. We saved half of the people here and, maybe one day.. we'll stop everything else. All of the stealing._and_. all of the killing."

The guy looked at him. A rather sour expression on his face. "Well you sure have a HUGE dream." 

"Yes." he beamed.

"And an IMPOSSIBLE dream at that!" Steven's face broke into a frown. "Who you think you foolin', boy?"

"I.. no one." he squeaked. "I.. just think that, people can change and. I really think that we can."

"Tshh.." the man scoffed with a disgusted eyeroll.

"It's possible." Steven whined. "It's possible for us to do that." he kept his eyes on the boss. "And, maybe you can too."

"What?" he snapped. Disgusted.

"Yeah." he nodded, going slowly for another gentle smile. "You have a lovely garden. Maybe you have a knack for plants and trees. Maybe you and your buddies could do something involving the environment. I mean, look at this place." he gestured at the rundown and overturned flowers and the kicked up grass and dirt from the fight. "Uh.. well.. you know.." he scratched at the back of his head. 

"Look ya ruffian. We don't need no lil snotty nose kid tellin' us how to run our life."

Steven was about to touch his nose to make sure, but quickly stopped himself. "Hey." he resisted a pout. "I'm not trying to tell you what to do just uh.. giving you advice on what you.. could.. do?" his voice went up in a question. "Uh.." 

"Just beat it, kid. Ain't nobody gonna tell us how to run our lives. And we're gonna keep being gardener thieves" _is that even a thing?_ "despite what you say." 

"But, maybe-" 

"Booooy, you don't got no sense to git, when someone tells you git!" 

"Uh, y, yes .. sir.." he frowned. And sighed. "I'll leave." he stuck his hands in his jeans and his left hand touched the bag of GemTech cream. He looked at the gardener glaring at him. "What now, boy? Thought you were leavin'!" 

"You're hurt." he went to take the bag out of his pocket and the boss held his hands up until he saw Steven pull out a sandwich baggy of the cream. "The heck is that you got?" 

"It's cream. But, not just any cream. It's one of the best." he walked up to him. "I figured you could use this." 

"Ya figured wrong, ya wea-" 

Steven handed the bag to him. "You're hurt." he said again. "You need this."

The man looked at him. The glare still on his face.. And he yanked the bag from his hand and Steven smiled at him. 

The boss didn't return the gesture back. "Just so you know I don't _need_ this. I just took it so you can get outta here and scat."

"Hey, that's understandable." he gave him an apologetic smile. "I'll.. take my leave."

"Good! It's about damn time you did! You den overstayed your welcome boy!"

"I'm, sorry.." he gave him a meek shrug and managed to keep his apologetic smile. "I hope everything goes well with you and everyone else here." 

"Booooy!!" 

"I'm leaving! I'm leaving.." he backed away from the guy and Lion kept to his side.

The man watched as the irritating boy and his dog walked through a small opening of a nearby hedge, disappearing amongst the foliage soon after. 

He growled and grumbled to himself. "Stupid city folk, Crystal Gems.. and that boy.. tsh.. takin' our precious crystals, then got a nerve to give us some ratty intervention, peptalk, whatever." he looked at the bag in his hand and growled more. "And stupid boy trying to give me some cream like _I'm_ the one who needs it."

Jimmy was crawling over to him. "Hm.. kinda weird how that boy and that other Crystal Gem ain't kill us, don'tchu think?"

"Ah, shut your trap, Jimmy." he threw the sandwich bag, hitting his friend in the face. "Ow! My eye!" he grabbed at his eye.

His boss looked down at the bag of cream.

And,.. after movements of looking at it.. opened the bag. "Hm.." he swiped a bit of cream off from the inside and smelled it. ".. guess it smells nice.." he grumbled to himself. "Mm.." he slowly began spreading the dallop of cream on a wound just under his eye. It stung slightly, though overall it wasn't bad at all. 

He scoffed again. "Stupid Crystal Gems... and, stupid, idiot, big dreaming boy.. Tsh. People changing just like that.. Tsh.. that boy is as dumb as they come." he zipped the bag back up and placed it in a small pocket of his overalls. "We don't need no change no how. We're doing fine as it is." he looked at the ruined area around him. The plants and bushes destroyed from the fight. And he ignored the boy telling him how they could do something involving the environment. They didn't need to change. They _didn't_ need to listen to some no good city boy.

Their boss folded his hands, giving those absurd thoughts an eye roll. "Tsh.." he grumbled.

  
  


When Steven was approaching the gate, he noticed that Garnet was still inside the garden. 

Pearl and Amethyst were on the outside and at the trunk if the truck, looking at the tear crystals inside of the now opened rose bud.

And he was relieved to see that they hadn't left.

Though with Amethyst how she was now and with Garnet not the boss yet, still slightly in charge of the crew, it made sense she would use that opportunity to wait for him without any direct orders from Amethyst to _not_ do that.

Also, she helped him too with Amethyst not giving her an order to not help him. And that was great. 

And the mission definitely felt different without Amethyst's brute and no nonsense nature. 

"Hey, Garnet. Thanks for waiting for me." he stopped just a few steps in front of her.

She nodded with a smile behind her mask. "I figured you could use a ride home." she joked. 

"Heheh.. yeah, would I."

She walked over and picked the dog up, then him and he let out a startled "whoa." she fixed the two under her arm and jumped, clearing the gate and to the other side of it. She landed by Steven's side of the door and set them down.

"Thanks Garnet." a beat later. "Again." 

Another nod with a smile. "I figured you could also use some help in getting over the gate as well."

"That's over CIEN (one hundred) tear crystals!" they heard Amethyst cheer at the back. 

"Yup. And they're all in good condition." said Pearl.

Garnet turned to Steven. "You and Lion can head in." she pointed to the door then started her walk over to the back of the car. Steven opened the door and Lion, then himself, hopped into the vehicle.

Garnet looked at Amethyst and Pearl both. "Everything's good on our end." she said. "We can leave this place." 

Pearl nodded and placed the tear crystals back inside the rose and Amethyst nodded slowly, smugly. "Niiiiice." she put the tear crystals back inside the opened flower and slid off the back of the trunk and shakily walked over towards her door. Pearl followed her, holding out her arms. "Do you, need any help Amethyst?" 

"Naw, yo no quería (I wouldn't like) any help. I don't lo necesito (need it)." she said with such conceit in her voice. And, she continued her wobbly walk towards her side of the car, only to trip over her own feet and fall face first into the door.

"Oh! Amethyst!" Pearl jogged over as she was getting up. She held out her hand. "Are you okay-?" 

Amethyst swat at her hand. "Fresh."

Pearl pulled back her hand.

"I'm good, chica." she reassured Pearl with a lazy grin. "Ahora, vos (Now, you) go back to el otro (the other) side of the car. Yo puedo (I can) handle this." she opened the door. "See? Fácil (Easy)." she slid in. 

Pearl walked to her side and got in and Garnet started the car up. 

"Yeaaahhh!!! Let's get outta aquí!! (here!!)" Amethyst shouted in the front seat.

Garnet shifted gears and pulled off from the spot. 

Steven sat back and got comfortable in his seat. He pressed the bracelet against his wrist and the five braces slid back into it. Then he snapped the bracelet off his wrist and put it in his pocket and he slid the ring off and placed it with the bracelet in his front pocket.

He pulled the mask off and let his face breathe and let his skin feel the cool air conditioning of the car. He placed the mask on his lap and opened the small compartment in between him and Pearl. He took out two bottles of water and called for Lion to come to him. Carefully the canine walked up to him and jumped up, outing his front paws on his legs. Steven cracked open a water bottle and carefully squeezed the bottle as Lion lapped from it. 

Overall the whole day wasn't bad.

He got to hang out with Connie and had a great time with her and this particular mission was a bit less hectic than the others, especially with Amethyst not constantly on their backs about getting the mission done.

Steven turned the bottle slightly to pour it as Lion continued to drink the rest of the water.

He enjoyed himself today with both Connie and Lion and he was at least able to stop Garnet from killing people (or from killing _more_ people.) 

And that made him happy.

Lion finished all of the water and the canine walked away from him, licking his lips. He laid back down in front of them.

Steven put the top back on and opened his own bottle and drunk from it. He nearly finished it, leaving just a small bit of it in the bottle and he poured the rest of the liquid on his forehead. The water rippled down his face and he put the empty water bottle down and began massaging the cold, refreshing water all around his skin.

And with the day more or less over, he can simply go back home and maybe have a little snack to eat and head to bed with Connie.

He looked outside and at the trees as Garnet drove down the empty road and towards the highway. His eyes trailed along the grassy fields of the farmlands and up at the night sky. The stars twinkled above him.

He couldn't wait to head home and get some sleep. And he couldn't wait to possibly have a few more off days (having that Peridot doesn't call them of course) and then there's another Together Breakfast again on Monday. 

His mind went back to possibly having his three days off and how he could relax at home with Lion and spend some more time with Connie after she comes from work. 

But.. there was just something in the back of his mind with these potential days off..

He looked back down from the sky and out the windshield and watched the ominous, empty, stretch of road Garnet was still driving on. The headlights lighting the dark, smoothly paved cement.

He leaned back in his chair and trailed his eyes back in front of him, now staring at nothing in particular.

He would've been pretty ecstatic about having three possible off days.. 

..had he not still had this.. gut feeling that something huge was going to happen..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Random, but that air horn is from Kevin's (from Ed Eddn' Eddy) bike. Here's a 5 second clip xD  
https://youtu.be/CeT8MPwhw8o
> 
> Also, sorry guys, no Rose Quartz fountain equivalent or "Lonny Fountain". I felt that having a monument wouldn't had worked in this fic. There's no such thing as magical tears in this story and they already have GemTech moss for healing and making GemTech clothes and weapons and having it as just a regular fountain monument wouldn't had worked either because Lonny isn't the type to construct a giant statue of himself nor would he had made a statue of Rose.  
SO I just had them go on a pretty chill mission to a water fountain instead to pay homage at  
least. 🤷


	159. To where will this all take me?

Garnet pulled up to the side of the apartment. "We're here." 

Steven unbuckled his seatbelt and unlocked the door. "Goodnight guys." 

Amethyst was knocked out sleep and snoring incredibly loud in the front.

Pearl didn't say anything (because of course she didn't..)

And Garnet gave him a smile and a "Night." then she added. "And we don't have anything scheduled as of yet, but we'll keep you updated if Peridot calls us for another mission." 

"Okay." he nodded.

"And remember, we still have our Together Breakfast on Monday for another two week rundown." 

"Right. What time?"

"Unless it changes due to any circumstances, right now we're still looking at picking you up here at oh nine hundred hours."

"Alright. I'll be here at that time." he opened the door and he then Lion hopped out of the car. He closed the door back and the vehicle drove off moments later. 

"Okay, Lion. Before we head in, you should do your business." 

Lion looked at him and Steven pointed his finger towards the alleyway. The dog looked at his hand then went back to stare at him for a few seconds before he walked away from him and towards the small patches of grass on the side of the building. 

While waiting for Lion, Steven took out his phone to pass the few minutes of his time. He unlocked his phone and saw that he was still on the audio clip he was _just_ about to listen to _right before Garnet had called him for a mission._

Hmm..~

Well, now that he was here, he might as well try and decode it.. _somehow_.. since he didn't have a device for him to play the audio into..

Maybe the least he could do would be to listen to it again to see if he could at least narrow the languages down a bit?

He clicked on the audio clip. The message started with three beeps then the female voice came on as a small red button appeared underneath of the clip. 

Something he'd missed before since he wasn't looking at the screen the first time he'd listened to the clip.

Curious, he pressed the button and a sentence bubble popped up beside the button.

**Would you like to translate this clip?**

Wow.. now that was..convenient? 

That _had_ to be a new feature that Peridot put in his phone. 

He clicked yes and as the lady was talking, the translation transitioned smoothly into English with the same voice. **".. ember of the Crystal Gems. I've been captured and I've been-"**

Steven dragged the point back to the beginning of audio clip 

Three beeps and a **"This is a former member of the Crystal Gems. I've been captured and I've been held hostage for so long. Please.. someone rescue me. Save me.. and take down the Crystal Gems.. We can't keep living like this. _I_ can't keep living like this.. Please.. I can't.. I.. I need to get out of here.." ** there was a pause and then a** "negative eighty two degrees, thirty eight-" **_what is-_ the numbers continued with commas and decimals. **"fifty decimal nine North-"** _..are.. these coordinates?_ The numbers stopped. And were repeated once more. Then she said. **"Please.. I hope this will be the message to go to the outside world.. Send in your troops. Send in anyone and everyone to this location.. Save me.. And, take down the Crystal Gems.. Please.." ** there were three beeps and the video ended. 

Steven stood there with the phone to his ear. Stunned. Shocked at what he'd just heard.

And all his mind could think of was of that woman he'd seen down at the cellar..

But.. that was just a hologram, right?

Of course the.. Crystal Gems wouldn't...hold anyone hostage..

... right...?

He lowered his phone slowly from his ear and looked at the screen. His eyes then came across the number of unread downloads and he noticed the phone app read 12/35 downloads. He pressed the backspace button on the app and went to the main page and noticed that, he'd been listening to the _last_ audio clip that had been downloaded to his phone. 

And his stomach churned and it felt like a block of cement was in his gut.

He scrolled up and hit the first audio clip noticed that this particular one, was in English.

**"I hope this works."** it was the same voice from the last audio clip.

**"It's going to work." ** the male voice sounded familiar and far away. **"This gadget has the pink diamond essence in it. THE most powerful diamond in the world." he heard footsteps. **"We can send a broadcast out into the world through this piece alone."** the voice sounded closer. **"You'll link this up to the tower and broadcast it. And, we'll go from there."** **

**"Yes, sir."**

There was silence for a few moments then a ** "I do appreciate what you are doing Miss Kyanite. Too bad we do not have another person to assist you. But, we are already stepping over our boundaries with using just you already. And I need to keep my name cleared for as long as I can." **

**"Right. I understand completely. And I'll definitely try my best to broadcast this clip. I.. I want this to be one of the very lasts thing I have to do in regards to both the Crystal Gems _and_ the Diamonds." **

**"And if everything goes as planned, then this will. And eventually, we'll all be free."**

There was a sigh. **"I.. really hope so. I want this all to be over."**

**"As do I."** the voice said softly. Then there was a pause. **"Now, after your mission on Wednesday, you'll make your move. You'll sneak out and leave. You make it to the airport by oh two hundred hours and catch your first plane. You take it to your first layover in Cozumél, Mexico and take the next one to Granada, Spain and take your last plane to St. Petersburg, Russia. There you take the train and get off at Bol'shaya Bashnya. You will only be but a few blocks from the main tower. You send the audio and act natural. Once there start to be a bit of commotion from the people there, you give me a call and give me the rundown if what's happening there. And we'll start the next step from there."**

**"Yes, sir."**

More silence for a few moments and he said gently. **"Thank you, Kyanite. May your sacrifices go unnoticed."** he sounded as if he was smiling. **"And, may the Crystal Gem Authority be no more." **

There was a sound of movement, as if the mic was being fumbled around. **"Yes. And may we finally be fr-"** the audio cut off abruptly. 

Steven quickly pressed back and clicked on the next one. 

There was the sound of running and heavy panting close to the mic. And the sound of distant gunfire and screams and shouts from afar.

**"Do you have it turned on?"** said a different female voice.

Panting. **"Yes.. I just turned it on."** said Kyanite.

**"Hurry up and recite the message. And don't forget to save it. Once you get to the main tower in Russia, you send it off then." **

Gunfire and the sound of stomps and running were getting closer.** "Sounds like they're coming upstairs! Go! Quick! I'll cover you!"**

More panting from Kyanite and the sound of her running down on what sounded like hardwood floors. There was the sound of a door opening and closing shut quickly. Then the sound of bare feet on tiles and he heard something like drapes being pulled back and a low thump of something ceramic. A single click and the sound of a window sliding open.

Huffing and puffing and the sound of grabbing and climbing out of the window. 

Gunfire and something huge exploding outside. More screams and shouts all around. Gunfire and another explosion. The screams and shouts getting louder. 

Huffing..grunting and climbing out and he heard the windowpane creaking underneath of her.

A sound of something cracking.. creaking? as she.. jumps? 

He hears a thump and a grunt as she lands. Then, the sound of panting and running. 

Then a gasp. And the running stops. 

The sound of multiple planes taking off.

Panting. Still no running. 

**"STOP HER!!! STOP HER, STOP HER!!!" ** a voice yelled frantically in front of her accompanied by other varied commands from other people to stop whoever they were referring to.

Then, fantic, panicked, shocked screaming erupted from numerous people. 

And there was a whispered **"Khǒng..(No..)" ** in disbelief. 

The running started again. Panting. Both from having ran and from pure fear from what she'd just witnessed. 

**"MY DIAMOND!!!!" **a young, female voice shouted out.

**"GET THEM!!!" **

**"COVER ROSE QUARTZ!!" **

So many voices from opposing sides were screaming and yelling at once. And there was more gunfire.

More voices. Closer to her.** "Over here!" ** one of them yells out clearly. 

Another frantic, hurried gasp. The sound of something creaking open as she hears** "SHE KILLED A DIAMOND!!!" **in a loud, horrified shriek. The sound of a door closing and the sound of feet on concrete. Panting, catching her breath now. 

The sounds of footsteps stomping above her and more shouts and guns firing off. 

And then..

**"Hello." ** she whispered. **"This is C-.. This is a former member of the Crystal gems.. I'm here to take down the authority. To free everyone here. And, there's a way to do that. There's a way to defeat us. With Chemical Elle Ghee combined with the Diamond essence, one would be able to take us down. You just take down Rose, then Lonny who's the boss of the Authority, then.. we have their main two Gems: Amethyst, Facet-5 Cut-8XM. You take her down first, then we have Pearl Facet-6 Cut-4XG. Everyone else will be easy. Simply using your destabilizers with chemical Elle Ghee and the Diamond essence in it, it will stun them to their knees. Then anyone can finish them off with another weapon of the same substances. And, with every gem being killed, the authority will start to crumble and fall-" ** there was noise. Like someone opening a door just on the side of the room and Kyanite was quiet. Chaos was still being heard from outside and throughout the inside area she was currently in. 

Footsteps that wasn't hers walked into the room. Accompanied by another pair. 

The two pairs of footsteps walked around the room, before the first pair stopped, then the second. 

**"Yeah, Lonny." ** the person was using the voice changer. **"Pink Diamond is dead, but the other three Diamonds escaped. Pearl and I are in the basement scoping out anymore people."** silence.. then a **"Okay.. We'll head up." ** a beat later. **"We're heading back. Lonny wants us to meet him at the main floor, fifth window in the West part of the building."**

**"Okay."**

The footsteps were heading away from her and back out the room. 

Silence from Kyanite for a few moments, before Steven heard her jogging towards something. 

He hears a window sliding open and her grunting, then the sound of clothes sliding across grass. 

She's heard running again. 

And the running continued for a solid two minutes before he heard a yelp and her falling down hard in the ground. 

**"Going somewhere Kyanite?"**

Steven's heart skipped a beat.. his heart already racing from the mysterious, thrilling clip. 

This person wasn't using a voice changer. 

The voice definitely sounded like Amethyst.

Screams and shouts and gunfire could still be heard away from them. 

**"No I.. I was just scoping out for more rivals. I-."**

**"I don't believe you."** she cut her off. **"You you know I've been pretty leery of you lately.. and I don't trust you.. AT.. _all._ You've been acting funny lately Kyanite.. and now I see you running _away_ from a very important fight?**

**"I.. you can trust me. I.. just thought everyone else had the vicinity under control. I was just.. trying to..-"** the sound of water and shouts from Amethyst and.. Pearl as well?! 

Kyanite is heard running again and there was a sound of what sounded like metal scraping across each other and he didn't hear her running anymore. 

**"AAHH!!" ** she shouted. And he heard her fall hard to the ground.

Then a few moments later. **"Too easy." ** Pearl says and the sound of something being pulled out and Kyanite screaming out. 

**"You _were_ trying to leave."** said Amethyst. **"You left the diamonds and know. you're. trying. to leave._. us.."_ **Amethyst chuckled lowly. **"Well,.. we have a_ very_ special place for _you."_**

Grunts.. and coughing coming from Kyanite.. And the ruffling sound across the mic on the gadget. **"Please.."** her voice sounded muffled in the audio. And the clip abruptly ends. 

Immediately, Steven went to the next one.

**"Hello..This is a former member of the Crystal Gems. I've just been captured and thrown inside this small room under Lonny and Roses's main Crystal Gem Base. The coordinates are negative eighty two degrees.. thirty eight-"** Steven felt more goosebumps on his skin. **".please. Bring your troops and save me and, take down the crystal gems.. Lonny and Rose with weapons with the Diamond essence and chemical Elle Ghee. Then Amethyst, then Pearl.. And, everyone else will be easy to take down.. Please.. everyone.. come fast..The Crystal Gems.. must be taken down.."** the video end.

And Steven was quick to go to the next one. 

**"This is a former Crystal Gem member. I hope this message comes through.. I've been captured and held here for a couple of days now.. please.. someone help me and take down the Crystal Gem Empire." ** Steven listened as she gave the mic the coordinates then explained how to take down the Crystal Gems before giving one last 'help me' before the video ended. 

The rest of the eight messages had been some variation of her asking for help and taking down the Crystal Gem Empire, with the last three being in her own language that he had to translate. 

He lowered the phone from his face once more. 

His stomach still doing flips and he felt scared.. tense.. paranoid even..

But most importantly..

He was feeling that gut feeling stronger than ever now..

Was this it?..

He was still feeling like something huge and important was going to happen.

And with every look to his phone and thinking about the audio clips, the gut feeling would only get stronger.

Maybe this was his calling..

That huge, important thing that he was.. _feeling.._

He looked at the phone screen, thinking about the coordinates he'd heard from the audio clips.

Then, he went to his maps and put in the numbers. He went back to one of the audio clips to double check if he'd put in the correct coordinates and he went back to the app. 

He looked up his first question.

How long would it be by foot?

He clicked on the icon shaped like a side profile view of a person walking.

12 hours..

_Twelve hours!?_

There would be noo way for him to do that.. 

He would need something much quicker.. faster..

..and with wheels.. and a motor..

And, that was definitely going to cost him. 

But he didn't mind. 

With what he was feeling, he somehow _knew_ it was going to be worth it.

He put his phone in his pocket. "Lion. Come on." he started for the corner and Lion got up from the ground and followed him.

  
  


He opened the door as quietly as he could as not to wake Connie and Lion ran inside. 

He made his way quietly to the bed and knelt down, then took a quick glance at Connie- _ Okay still asleep-_ and looked under the bed. (Surely motorcycles shouldn't cost _that_ much..) He grabbed two thousand dollars and left the rest underneath the bed. 

Lion got up from the carpet and began jogging over towards Steven as he opened the front door. He left it just a crack and turned around, crouching down to the dog. "Shh.. noo. You can't come with me." he whispered. 

Lion stared at him, wagging his tail.

Steven stood back up, took a look at Connie again. _Still asleep_. And he opened the door and stepped out. 

Lion began to whine.

Steven opened the door back and Lion perked back up, wagging his tail. "Noooo.. noooo..." he whispered. "You don't do that."

Lion stood there just an inch away from the door, looking up at him. 

Without stepping back inside, Steven crouched back down. "You're staying. _here."_ he pet Lion. "I don't want you getting hurt." he gave Lion a few more head scratches and stood back up. He closed the door back and immediately heard him whining.

He opened the door and looked over at Connie. _Still fast asleep._

"Lion, you're going to blow my cover." he whisper shouted.

Lion looked at him. And took a step towards him, his tail wagging happily behind him. He tilted his head. 

Steven sighed. "Fine.." he opened the door a bit more and Lion ran through. He closed and locked the door back. "But ONLY because I don't want you waking up Connie and having you blow my cover." he walked down the hall with Lion right by his side.

  
  


Without needing to check for any places that would be open at such a late time(he knew which place would still be opened), he'd taken the first bus not too far from the apartment complex. After a twenty minute ride, he and Lion had taken another bus. Another half an hour ride later, they were approaching a store that ran 24/7. 

FloorMart.

They went in and the two of them went straight to the back of the building and towards the bike section (with Lion at one point stopping. His nose having smelled dog food that wasn't too far away from their section). He gently pulled Lion away and made it to the aisle. 

There Steven walked pass the bikes and towards a few electric scooters. He bypassed them, wanting something faster _and also something to sit on_ and went to the next aisle to the motorcycles. 

Fast but.. way too loud. He would need something that was also quiet. If he is to go to this location, then he wouldn't want to be heard by anyone.

The next aisle were mopeds and we went down the aisle. 

One of these could do.

"Hm.. I wonder if there's one that doesn't make a lot of noise.." he asked Lion.

He stopped in the middle of the aisle, looking at the various models and colors of mopeds on either side of him.

Hm~

"Hey there, Sir. Could I help you with something?"

Steven turned around to see a middle aged man walking up to him in a blue vest with the the company's logo. His name tag with Jerry printed on it pinned to the vest.

"Uh, I was just looking for a moped that was pretty fast but also quiet. I live in an apartment so I don't want to wake up the neighbor's and I need something fast enough to take me to work." (A lie he'd been practicing on since his way up to the store).

"Oh, that's easy." the man walked pass him, seemingly not bothered by the Pitbull like other people. "You might want to check these two out then." 

Steven followed him to the two mopeds. The last two in the line of mopeds. One was gray with a black seat and the other was a dark brown color with a tan seat. 

"This one" he pointed to the gray one. "can go up to seventy miles per hour on just one full tank of gas. And it's quiet. You don't have to worry about that revving up sound or the loud motor like how you would hear on a motorcycle." he pointed at the dark brown one. "This one is a bit slower, but it's also more quiet. It goes up to fifty miles per hour on one take of gas."

"Are they good for.. long rides?"

The man nodded slowly. "Depending on your take on "long rides"." he made air quotes. "These are mopeds, not cars, so if you're thinking about taking a long trip to another state one day, it might take you awhile to constantly refill it." he touched a handlebar of the gray one. "You could go at least four hours on both of them, though I would recommend this one since it's a bit more sturdy." 

"Hm.." Steven pondered as he looked at the two. "How much do they cost?" 

"This one right here is three thou-"_THREE THOUSAND?!?!?!_"sand and four hundred dollars. The other one is twenty nine hundred." 

Steven swallowed. "Uh..heheh. um.." he looked at the sales associate. "Yeah, I uh.. didn't know they cost that much." he scratched at his temple. "I, only have two thousand on me.."

"Ah.." he nodded slowly. He let go of the handlebar and turned to him. "Then you might want to check out our electric scooters." he saw the look on Steven's face once he said that. "Hey, scooters aren't so bad. They still get you from place to place and they're much cheaper than these motorcycles and mopeds."

"Still, I wanted to be able to sit down and ride." _Not to mention if he ends up picking up this.. apparently non holographic lady, then it wouldn't be ideal or even enough space for two people on a scooter._ "Are you sure there's absolutely _nothing_ else I could buy that has a seat?" then his grimace deepened. "Unless I'll need to weld a seat into one of the scooters." _which again, wasn't so ideal with just him, not to mention an extra person.._

A sudden realization came over the man and he snapped his fingers and waved it at Steven. "You know what, I think I do actually." he began walking down the aisle and Steven followed him. "Though.. a young guy like you? You may not like it. Might be "too vintage" for you." he mocked with a smile. 

"Hey, I don't mind. So long as it has a seat."

The man chuckled. "And then some." 

Steven didn't understand what he meant by that and raised an eyebrow at him.

The man stopped in front of a double door that said **Employees Only**. "Wait here, I'll be right back." he pushed the swinging door and it slid open and he walked through. 

Steven waited for what felt like six, maybe seven minutes before the door was pushed open by the wheel of a moped. And as the man pushed the heavy vehicle out, Steven ran up and held the door open for him and noticed..

_..Is that a sidecar?_

He looked at Steven's shocked reaction and chuckled. "Told you it was pretty vintage." Steven let go of the door and walked up to him.

"It's pretty old. We've been putting this puppy out here every time we have a Sales Day and nobody seems to want it. This thing is from '79 and it can only go about forty miles per hour on a tank of gas and it can only ride for about a couple hours. But someone _did_ manage to put a fresh oil line and a new engine in it. It doesn't have that muffling cough noise like you would think from the old timey movies with the new engine and other new parts in it, but everything else is still very old and the frame itself already has a lot of wear and tear on it. But they did also put new wheels on it.""

"How much does it cost?"

"Uh, we put this out on the sale rack for eight hundred."

"I'll take it!!" he smiled.

  
  


Steven paid for the vintage moped and sidecar and spent another sixty dollars worth of gas. The man offered him a pair of touch screen texting gloves and two helmets, with one being half off and he gave him another one hundred dollar bill. After giving him the receipt and change, he put the three bottles of gasoline inside of the seat compartment of the moped, gave the sales associate a thanks and started pulling the heavy vintage object up towards the front of the store (and ending up passing the pet aisle where Lion had ran down the aisle, sniffing the dog food.)

Steven ran after him and was quick enough to pull Lion back before tearing a big bag of dog food on the bottom shelf. But with them being there now, he decided to grab a can of dog food and a small bag of doggy treats (he hadn't eaten since the chicken he had nearly eight or so hours ago).

The cashier rung up the two items and handed him the bag, his receipt and change. Then the two walked in a small McKee Dees that was also in the store. He managed to be their last customer before they closed for the night.

With everything that they needed, Steven had found a small spot in front of the store near the gardening area. He parked the moped and popped open the can of dog food for Lion. He poured the contents inside of an empty cheeseburger box and poured the dog some water inside of a small styrofoam cup. 

While Lion was eating he used that time to est while reading the manual for the moped.

"This doesn't look complicated at all." he told Lion and took another bite of his cheeseburger. He used his other hand to flip the page.

Lion looked up at him, only to lick his nose of the small bit of meat and dive back into his food.

After his second burger and medium fries, he'd read enough of the book. He poured the rest of the five, six fries into the ground for Lion and drunk the rest of his water.

"Okay, Lion. I think I read enough." he put the book inside of the seat compartment and threw the trash away. "Let's see how this baby rides." he said aloud casually, trying to ignore the bubbling anxiety in his gut. He slid the gloves on his hands, then put his helmet on and carefully placed the helmet on Lion (which the dog didn't like too much). He shook his head, trying to shake the helmet off.

"Sorry, Lion. But safety first. Now come on. In the sidecar you go." he gently nudged the dog towards the little sidecar and Lion, hesitant at first, climbed into the sidecar slowly. "It's okay, boy." he pat at the dog's back. "Nothing to be afraid of." 

He walked over and sat down on the seat. And, took a breath. "Okay.." he sat there.. now thinking about what could possibly happen once he followed the coordinates.

And what would happen once he gets the woman..

_If_ he can get her.

His stomach doubled over and his chest felt tight.

What would happen once he gets there?.. 

What would happen if and after he successfully saves her?

He didn't know.. 

There were so many things that could happen in the next few hours..

A swallow and another breath. He looked over to Lion who was still pawing at the helmet on his head. "Okay, boy." he tried to sound less scared, but the tremble was still in his voice. "Let's go on a little journey." he gave the dog another reassuring pat on the back to calm both of themselves down. Then, he put the kickstand up and started the moped. It vibrated and shook under them, like he would imagine this kind of vintage object would do, thought it was quiet like the man had told him. 

Another breath.

Another dip in his stomach and a flutter in his chest.

He put one earphone in his ear with the other ear out to hear the outside world. He hit the navigate button on his phone and, with a magnet already attached to his phone, he set it on the neck of the moped just below the handlebars. 

_Okay..._

_Here we go.._

He blew out a shakey breath..

And twisted the handlebars slightly.

The moped chugged forward.

He put more gas on it, twisted the handlebars and the moped began to drive along the asphalt. Steven rode slowly along the parking lot, being careful and trying to get a feel for it before taking off a bit faster.

A solid minute and he started going at a pace of twenty miles per hour. He turned out the parking lot and revved up the moped, increasing his speed as he rode up the near empty street.

  
  


  
  


  
  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Seven hours they'd rode..

With how slow the moped could go and with Steven constantly having to stop every two hours to fill up the tank (with one time also using that time to take Lion out on a bathroom break,) 

(And also himself at one point,)

The two of them were finally coming up to where the arrow was pointing on the map. 

Steven looked around. For about two hours now, they'd been riding on rocky terrain with mountains looming high above them.

His stomach twisted even more.

The terrain looked all too familiar to him..

He was hoping that, somehow, the audio clips were all a hoax. He was in denial that the lady was real.. And that..she hadn't been kept hostage for.. _however_ many years. 

But as he drove up the dirt, ominous path with rocks and dust being kicked up behind him, he realized that.. No.. everything _was_ in fact real... It was all real..

The lady..

And the audio clips..

And, the Crystal Gems being even more mysterious and.. _unnerving_ with keeping someone hostage..

He listened to the voice of the GPS system and looked down in his phone. He was close by the destination now.

He slowed the moped to a stop to check something out on his phone. He picked it up and clicked on the walking icon. The map showed a twenty five minute walk.

He placed the phone back and started his ride once more. He could already see that one, _specific,_ huge looming mountain in front of him. 

He started looking around for any huge sized boulders. He would need to hide it and walk the rest of the way.

Ten minutes later he saw two boulders sitting side by side. They weren't big enough to cover the whole moped, but with other boulders being smaller and with the destination just another ten minutes by walking, he had no choice but to leave it there. 

He turned the moped off, took his gloves and helmet off, stepped off the moped and put the kickstand on. "Okay, Lion." ..the bubbles of anxiety in his stomach.. "Let's go." the canine had been curled up and laying on the floor of the sidecar sleeping. He jumped out and stretched. Steven took the helmet off of the dog and placed both of their helmets and his gloves inside of the seat compartment, closed it back and began walking up with Lion right by his side. 

The two of them walked up the lone, dark, dusty path and Steven ignored the pebbles and grit getting between his feet and flip flops.

The stars twinkled and shown above them.

And he thought he'd heard a single coyote howl from afar.

He looked around his self. 

There was nothing but mountains, boulders and dirt around them.

He turned back in front of him and walked. Keeping clear of the mountain just beside him and keeping to its side.

He could feel his stomach and chest twsiting as he walked pass the mountain and, towards the front of it.

And he kept Lion close to him to prevent the dog from running off and tripping some kind of security switch.

And he hoped that there weren't any cameras that were already looking at him. He was already trying _not_ to walk too close.. though, cameras still being able to see them, was still a possibility.. 

Not to mention any motion sensors or trick wires or anything of the sort.

This.. _was_ the Crystal Gems he was talking about..

He stopped as he neared the front of the mountain. 

And, there it was. 

His heart started to race in his chest and his stomach was up in his throat. 

The huge, gawdy rose chiseled in the face of the mountain with the diamonds chiseled underneath of it, the last diamond, the round cut diamond with the round cut facing the bottom and the point facing up, with the diagonal crack from top to bottom of it, the crack going as far as pass the chisel of the diamond and on to the mountain itself.

They were finally at the Gem Base.

He looked down at his phone.

**You have arrived. Your destination is on your left.**

He swallowed. And took another breath.

He clicked off the map app and went to Connie's name. With fear bubbling and erupting up more in his gut.. and now sorrow and longing grabbing at his stomach and mind, he started writing out his message.

**Hey Connie. I'm taking another shift. I'll text you back when I start making my way back to the apartment.**

He could only _hope_ he would make out of this alive.

He slid the phone back in his pocket and looked up at the Gem Base again, just on the side and slightly behind him. The ominous, terrifying door just underneath of the diamonds.

He could still feel the sorrow and longing grab and tear at his gut and in his mind.

Sorrowful for lying to Connie again and being sorrow as he thought about possibly _not_ coming back home to her.

And longing.. Longing to be with her in bed and safe under the covers at the apartment. 

But.. he had to do something.. even if that meant, to some people, stupidly sacrificing his life just to help someone he didn't even know.. 

And could, actually also be .. not that good of a person..

Still..

Maybe it was his naive optimism.. 

And maybe his slight ego and.. hero complex..

But he _had_ to try and save her. He couldn't let her rot in there in that room.. 

He had to try and save her.

He had to..

Another breath that didn't calm his nerves, but actually heightened it more.

He looked down at Lion. The canine looking a bit more stoic and perhaps a bit more tense or serious than usual.

Or, maybe he was just feeding off of Steven's own tensed, rigid aura.

He took Lion's gadgets out of his pocket and started putting them on. The doggy "sandals", the lion's mane around his neck and the fronts he clipped to his top front teeth. Then he put the mask on and pressed the pin on his collar and his fur glinted pink. 

He stood up and took the bracelet out of his pocket. He snapped the bracelet on and squeezed it against his wrist. The five braces jutted from the bracelet and attached themselves to the top of his nails. The five small, flat discs laid there on his knuckles. 

He placed the ring on his finger on the other hand and turned it towards the inside of his hand.. and he took the pink mask out of his pocket and slid it down on his face. 

He straightened his back up as he eyed the area of the Gem Base. "Okay." he whispered. "Time to go on our _own_ personal mission, Lion."

Now..

There was just one question he was determined to answer all on his own..

How was he going to break in?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WhoOoOaAaAAaaaaa!!
> 
> Also, real quick just as a refresher, Kyanite had her first name drop waaaaaaay back in 「Chapter 39 The plot thickens..」 when the Gems and Peridot were trying to figure out who would give the Diamonds their powerful substance Chemical Elle Ghee. In which Amethyst drops her name wondering if she was the one who could've told the Diamonds. 
> 
> And yeahhhhh, stay tuned for Mirror Gem guys! :3


	160. Security Measures

Steven let out another breath and clenched and unclenched his hands. "Let's try to get in there one way or another, Lion." he took a step-

And the phone vibrated in his pocket.

_Is that Connie already? But it's so early in the morning-_

He slid his phone out of his pocket and swiped across the screen.

It wasn't her..

..but an icon of a red button plastered on his screen. The background jet black. And the words in white underneath of the button reading _Secret Gem Base detected._

"Huh?" he looked up, then back at the phone screen. 

_The phone knows that I'm at the Gem Base?_

_Hmm.._

He took a step back and the picture on the screen winked out and was back on his message to Connie, the app he was on last on his phone.

He took a step forward and the phone vibrated and the screen went black. The red button and the words _Secret Gem Base detected_ followed shortly after.__

_ _  
_ _

_Well this is.. new._

He clicked on the red button and what looked to be a schematic diagram of the _apparently four story_ building appeared on a light blue background. On the left were information about the house; the number of floors, the number of elevators and where they were located, the number of rooms, bathrooms, half baths, and.. the number of cameras in every part of the house and the amount of motion sensors and red lasers and where they were placed. 

"Whoa.." he whispered. "This _has_ to be another feature that Peridot put on my phone.. Is this the same system she uses to tell us where every camera and everything is in every building in our missions?" he looked down at Lion and the dog tilted his head up at him. 

"I'm glad she put this on my phone. But now.. how can I.. find the room? It looks like there's a lot of them there..-Wait!" he looked at the app closer. All of the rooms were shaded in a dark blue except.. for a hallway and one particular room that was shaded in black. Beside it were the words _Hidden cells & one hidden cellar._

He clicked on the hidden cellar and it lit up gray as a list of steps appeared below the building's diagram.

Steven was in shock.. and a bright, optimistic smile came across his face. "Looks like I don't have to figure this stuff on my own after all." 

_He looked at the phone and out of curiosity, clicked on the ground part of the photo, right in front of the diagram of the building. The ground lit up around the diagram of the building and the words _Motion sensor on ground has been activated. Four cameras located at front of building. Two at the top (one underneath of first diamond and second one located at the top left side of fourth diamond) and two at the bottom corners of the building. Three cameras on either side of building. And five cameras at the back-_ he read every detail of each camera's location and where they were positioned/ the area they were currently recording. The side that he was on stated that there were two cameras at the to, on eon each of the two corners, with one hidden within a small patch of dirt below and in the middle of the building. _

"That's great and all.. but how the heck am I supposed to get pass the motion sensor? Once I walk close to the building, I'm going to set of the alarm.."

He clicked on the side of the building he was on and the app showed the blind spots of the three cameras. The area in red showing where the cameras could see them, with one very small spot in white showing a clear zone. 

"Okay but.. How to get pass motion sensor?" he asked, as if asking Google or Cortana a question. He scrolled down where he saw more information. _The parts in red indicates where cameras are viewing. Parts in white shows "camera free" zone._

Then right below it.

_Tips for getting pass Motion Sensor CG1989 Ground Security TDA. This motion sensor alarms when foreign bodies of over 50 pounds walks across it. To bypass this, one must lay flat and crawl. _

"Huh.. ookay? Sounds simple enough." then he looked Lion up and down. "Hm.. I think you're about forty of fifty pounds." 

He was still a fairly slim dog after all, though as weeks went on he'd been steadily putting on weight and his ribs weren't shown as easily now.

Steven laid his body flat on the ground and with his four limbs, he began slowly sliding his self towards the building, following the "camera free" zone path.

Lion followed right alongside him, sniffing him and double checking and making sure if Steven was feeling alright.

Steven crawled along his stomach as he kept the side of his head close to the ground. His cheek every now and again scraping across the dirt and small dirt rocks.

He didn't stop his crawl until his head touched the mountain itself. Then he slid his arm up to his face and checked his phone. He slid the other arm up and clicked on the side of the building of the diagram. The side he clicked on lit up a pale blue.

_One can enter from this point in two ways. Entering the fourth window on the third floor (the window must be laced with liquid nitrogen to deactivate it's alarm and click and slid out of its groove) then, once inside, one must go to the left, bypassing the "camera zone" of two cameras on the right of the hallway. Or, the second way, climbing to the top of the roof on the far right and crawling towards the left diagonally across the roof to the Chimney escape. Then, the person slids down and will enter the second floor where three cameras are positioned, one at the top corner of the room, one at the top back corner and the other below the back window. This particular one rotates. The person can wait until the camera pans back and wait until they are in the "camera free" zone before opening the door and crawling to the left to avoid another camera at the right bottom corner of the hallway. Another motion sensor to the left. One must crawl. _

Then right underneath. 

_Beware: The chimney room also has a motion sensor. Just one step down from the chimney escape will trip the alarm. One must navigate through without setting feet on floor._

.._Wow.. this sure is a lot.._

Though he shouldn't be surprised. Again, this _is_ the Crystal Gem's Base..

Unfortunately, since he didn't have any liquid nitrogen on him (bold of the app to even think that he would), he had no choice but to.. climb all the way up to the roof. And, somehow _not_ step inside the room?

He looked down.

Lion was looking right at him.

And he would have to somehow do all of that with Lion with him..

He took a breath. "Alright then. Here goes nothing." he picked Lion up and carefully, jumped up, quickly using the other foot to push off in a short run up the wall and he caught hold of the first window. The tips of his flip flops bent back and his toes scrapped along the rigid dirt. He squealed. He bent a few nails back.. and he just knew at least one or two of them were cracked and beginning to bleed. 

In hindsight he should've worn proper footwear..

At least if they wear GemTech flip flops it would've been easier. 

But, they weren't..

He pulled his self up with his one hand and tried shuffling up the wall with his already sore toes.

He placed his knees on the window sill and placed one leg, then the other on each side of the frame and placed his hand at the top of it. 

Carefully.. easily.. he shimmied his legs up and let his hand grab a small, rigid piece of rock sticking up from the mountainside. He pulled his self up and placed one leg on top of the frame, then the other.

He looked at his phone.

He'd only made it up _halfway_ to the first floor.

He looked up.

The mountain loomed overhead.

He sighed and laid his head on the building.

This was definitely going to take awhile..

  
  


Steven was huffing and puffing as he reached the top.

It would've been easy had Lion just stayed behind at the apartment.. Or if the dog had some kind of, super cool, jumpy powered shoes like the Gems.. 

More panting breaths as he felt more sweat slide down his back and hit the hem of his boxer briefs.

He grunted, pulling both of them up and passing another window.

Just one more window to go before he could pull them both towards the top of the roof.

And that window, just so happened to be farther away than all of the other windows he'd climbed up.

.. because of course it was..

Otherwise it would've been "way too easy"..

He resisted a scoff.

As if it wasn't hard enough to climb up a mountain made into a building..

He found his footing on a few jagged rocks jutting out of the side and he slid his feet just an inch towards it before the rocks had already ended. 

With no other rocks or frames to find any foot or hand holds, he had to jump. 

..Of course..

A breath.

And then, he bent his legs and, jumped, leaning his body towards the window frame-

_THWAPP_

He hit his chin on the solid paneling on the bottom of the window and slid of, barely grabbing with one hand as his body dangled in mid air. He hit the mountain with his shoulder and rocks and dirt rolled down and towards the bare ground underneath him. The boy in a daze and seeing stars and lights at the corner of his eyes as he slowly tried regaining full conscious of his surroundings. With his mind fogged and his muscles of his body going a bit loose on him, he felt his arm sliding away from the dog. Lion pawed at him, trying to hold on to his arm. His back claws digging into his shirt as he tried to stay up. 

"Mmmfhh..aa.." he mumbled. He felt Lion slipping from his arm. And the other hand letting go of the windowpane. "AH!!!" he snapped out of the trance-like state and grabbed hold of the paneling and hugged his dog close to his body. 

He panted, scared and looking down at the ground that was.. soo far below him. He swallowed and forced his self to look up.

He grunted, ignoring the throbbing pain beneath his chin and his muscles screaming at him and he shuffled his feet up the dirt wall. Carefully and still being aware of the "camera free" zone, he pulled his self up the frame of the window. He grabbed the top of it and pulled his self up and placed his foot on the top of the frame, then the next one, hoping that this window as well would hold both of their weights like the other window frames they'd climbed on.

He grabbed hold of the edge of the roof and pulled himself up. He swung his arm up and pushed Lion onto the roof and grabbed hold of the edge with his now free hand. With both hands now, he pulled his self up to the asphalt of the roof and quickly remembered what the app told him and he fell to his stomach, not wanting to trip the motion sensors. He began sliding across the gritty, rough roof diagonally to the left and keeping his eyes cracked to prevent any unwanted pebbles from popping into his eyes as he kept his face close to the asphalt.

Lion kept close to him, walking right beside him.

Steven made it across and found himself right in front of the gray, rectangular chimney. He looked at the phone, still being cautious of the camera free zone. The path was clear and he got up to his feet. He picked Lion up and lifted his self to the edge of the chimney and sat down. He swung his legs over to the opening and, laid down on his back and carefully, began sliding pass the curve of the chimney and straight down the tunnel.

He placed both legs on either side with one hand holding one side and the elbow sliding down on the other. 

And all the while, he hoped that he wasn't making too much noise for the Gems to hear him. 

A solid four minutes later, _or so that's what it felt like to him_, his feet reached the end of the tunnel and he quickly brought them back up.

_Now.. according to the app, I can't step foot in the room without tripping the alarm.._

_So..what could I do?_

He thought about it.

He tried peering down the tunnel.. He didn't see any pieces of furniture he could easily grab on to.. 

And, he doubt that using his tippy toes would work.. Otherwise the app most likely would've said that.. 

And he just didn't want to take that chance..

More thinking..

And just twenty, thirty seconds later, a small thought came to his mind.

"Hmm.. that might work."

He moved his arm, using his elbow to hold himself and he doubled tapped on his index finger. A pink shield activated in front of them and Lion turned his head to sniff at the weapon.

Steven used his one hand to slid the shield off the same hand and it slid of his fingers and fell to the floor.

"Oh, I hope this works.."

Carefully.. slowly.. easily.. he slid his self down, letting his feet dangle and keeping his hand and elbow on either side of the chimney as he slid down more until, 

..he placed one foot on the shield and he stopped, bracing his self for a possible loud alarm. 

Nothing happened.

_Phewf.._

He placed the next one down.

Nothing happened.

He let go and wobbled slightly on the shield.

Nothing happened.

"It.. it actually worked.." he whispered to himself. He smiled for just a second, before a quick realization came upon him and he frowned and felt the fear and anxiety grab at him once again.

He was actually in the Gem Base.

He was actually in_side_ of the main base of THE top Crystal Gems..

And now, one false move and they could easily get him now and hurt him..

..or kill him..

Another deep breath. He leaned down on the shield on his knees and placed Lion in front of him. "Staay." he whispered and let go of him. He placed his arms on either side of him and began pushing, sliding his self across the carpet on the shield and towards the door, still being careful of the cameras. 

He stopped just before he got to the front corner of the room and watched the surveillance camera from the back window move towards him. He gasped, frozen to his shield as the camera panned over and, stopped. It started going the other way.

_Phewf.._

The door was just a few feet from them now.

He waited for the camera to pan back over.

It stopped, and right as it began to pan to the other side, he slid across towards the door.

He stood up, keeping his balance on the shield and he opened the door. Lion hopped out and stepped out the room with him, pulling the dog close to him to prevent him from running towards the camera zone. He double tapped on his index finger to minimize the shield and he closed the door behind him.

He panted..

_That was close.._

He found himself on the second floor hallway.

He laid back on his stomach and crawled to his left and down the ominous hallway..

Lion close by him in every step _or crawl_ of the way.

Steven heard someone approaching from in front of him and he quickly looked at his phone to double check his camera free zones. It showed that he could go to his right and he did. He crawled faster, going towards a small table that had a bucket on top of it. And he laid as flat as he could and brought his arm around Lion and pushed him down with him. "Lay down, Lion." the dog complied.

A woman had walked up the steps and was now walking towards them.

Steven pulled his legs up towards him, trying to hide as much of his self as he could.

The woman walked over to the table he was laying behind...

And grabbed the bucket and opened a door into a room.

Steven didn't move. 

And he waited.

Just a couple minutes later, she walked out with a few more cleaning supplies and a vacuum in her hand. The bucket, now with a brush in it in her other hand. She closed the door with her hip and it clicked close. She began making her walk back down the hallway and towards the stairs. 

And he waited a few more seconds before starting his crawl towards an, according to the app, an elevator.

He crawled up and stopped just in front of it. Again, he double tapped on his index finger and a shield activated in front of him. He slid it off his hand and placed it under him and stood on top of it. Without needing to rack his brain over the code, the app had shown the code in red. He pressed the numbers on the keypad. 

_0, 7, 1, 7, 1, 9, 8,9 _

The doors opened and he walked in. He double tapped on his finger and the shield minimized back on the knuckle of the brace. 

The door closed behind them.

The app showed that he should press the first and third button on the elevator twice, then the first button again. And he did.

The elevator began its descend towards the basement floor.

As the elevator rumbled underneath of him, so did his stomach. And his heart never did stop racing in his chest.

He tried for a few calming breaths that didn't do much help in calming him down.

Another breath..

He looked at the phone. It showed that he wasn't too far from the cellar now and that he was about to enter the hidden cells. 

Whatever that meant..

The door opened and he walked out cautiously.

He could hear moans, groans and shouts accompanied by banging and the rattling of chains loud in his ears and he jumped, his back hitting the now closed doors of the elevator. 

He panted, looking left and right at the dark, empty hallway.

Lion was on high alert. The dog having his ears perked up as he looked around.

Just a few more seconds of wallowing in his fear, he, brought a shaky arm up to his face and looked at the app. 

_Stay clear of the floor rays on the ground._

The app showed the rays in red lines. They rays intersected at various angles up the hallway.

"Okay, Lion. I'll have to pick you up for this one." he picked him up and looked at the app intently, wanting to see each and every step he could _or couldn't_ take.

He took his first step, stepping over the invisible ray underneath of him and he placed his foot, what the app was showing, right in the middle of three rays overlapping each other.

He brought his other leg, with his foot facing downwards ballerina style over to a very tiny spot just left of his other foot. Then, he stepped over to another spot, this time, a bit farther apart.

The screams and shouts grew louder and the sound of loud banging and rattling chains echoed throughout the hallway. 

He swallowed. Trying to keep his composure. 

He continued down the invisible rays and was nearing what looked to be bars along the walls on either side of him.

And the shouts and screams and the clanking of chains and banging grew louder.

He held the dog close to him. 

And continued..

..being careful of every step he took across the rays..

He was coming up to the bars now and he quickly noticed they were rooms.. _tiny_ rooms..

And inside..

.. with the small light on his phone screen, he shown the light inside..

..and hesitant at first.. he walked closer towards it.

And peered inside. 

He saw what looked to be a humanoid figure with brown and black splotches all across their bare arms, feet and their face. Small horns had formed along their arms and the back of their neck and along their nose and eyes were red blisters. Their back was hunched and one arm was without a hand. 

The person was screeching and clawing the wall with the other hand it had. The chains raking along the floor with the arms up and down motion.

Steven looked at the figure, then down at the completely empty room. 

The figure screeched and screamed out and pawed at the cement.

Lion began to growl.

"Stop.. nooo." he whispered and he laid his hand gently over the dog's nose and brushed along his face. "Don't do that." 

Lion stopped, but eyed the mysterious figure in front of them.

Steven backed up, keeping his eyes now on the app to see the red lines. He made his way across the invisible rays and to the other room directly across.

This person was shorter and bigger than the other figure. They had thick, wild mottled white and gray hair. Their skin was covered in small horns everywhere across the skin of it's arms, neck and face. And the feet were covered in a blackened goop across the toes, the bottom of the feet and heels, with one horn jutting out at the top of each foot. Their eyes were sealed shut with what looked to be the same blackened goop and the ears were calloused and gray.

The person was dragging their feet along as they limbed slowly to the other side of the room aimlessly.The person groaned as it dragged the chains across the floor with them.

Steven lowered the phone from the person.

"Now I see what the app meant." he told Lion. "The hidden cells.." 

He took another step back and looked at the app as he proceeded up the hall, and to the next two cells. "These.. must be the sick friends.. It looks like they have the same thing that Azurite has." he shown the phone inside the cell and a face smacked into the bars and screamed into his face. He screamed and backpedaled, dropping his phone on the ground. Lion started barking loudly.

"No. No, no, no, noooo." he closed the dog's mouth, panting hard. Scared for his life now. 

Did anyone hear that?!

He calmed Lion down, shushing him and the dog eventually stopped and went for a low growl.

"No. Come on, Lion." he said bluntly. "Stop." he held the dog close to him.

He waited for the dog to calm down.. and noticed- He gasped as he looked down at his feet. 

Did he hit an invisible security ray!?

He looked over. His phone was in front of him. He bent down and picked it up. 

From what he could see from the app it looked like he'd managed to bypass and step over them, landing both feet on the ray free zones.

_Pheeeeeewff.._

_Another_ close one..

He fixed Lion to his shoulder and walked pass the person yelling at him. Their blotched blue and white hands grabbing hold of the bars on their cell. Their completely brown eyes glaring at the two as they walked away.

Steven continued his journey up the hall that seemed to stretch on... and on.. and on..

He'd passed at least fifty, sixty cells on either side by now and he was still passing more.

How many of these sick friends do they have?

And he still wondered what happened to them..

He passed another twenty more cells before he noticed that one was empty. Much carefully this time, he peered inside to make sure. 

Yes.. It was empty.

_Maybe that's the last of them._

He ballerina acrossed to the other side and peered inside. And gasped.

He noticed those markings from anywhere..

"Azurite.." he whispered.

She was laying down in fetal position, screeching.. screaming like the rest of them as she pawed and pulled at her head. Her back facing him.

A lump stopped in his throat as he tried swallowing. He placed his hand on the bar. "So this is where they put you.."

She didn't hear him and continued to wail and scream out.

He sighed. 

It looked like she was back to when he'd first met her..

He slid his hand off the bar. "I need to help you too.. And." he looked down at the cells down the hall he'd just walked up. Hearing them scream out and groan. "everyone else too." 

He leaned up from the bars. "I'll be back for you, Azurite. I promise." he took another look at the woman squirming and screaming on the floor and, reluctantly.. he walked away from her and down the hall, walking pass empty cells on both sides. 

He was nearing the end of the cells and to solid walls once more and he looked down at his phone.

_Motion sensor near end of hall. Equipped with one swivel cameras. _

The app showed the amount of time he would have to bypass the camera. As well as show how slow and wide it's pan was.

He walked up the rest of the way, until he was just behind the motion sensored flooring. He got down to his stomach and began crawling across the cold floor.

He halted, looking at the camera panning towards him, before it stopped and began going the other way.

He would have to wait until the camera panned close to them again.

It panned the opposite area and was coming back towards him. It stopped and right as it began to pan away he started crawling up.

The camera was coming back, and he started crawling towards the bottom of the camera. It's blind spot, according to the app. And Steven waited until the camera was scanning the area behind him. 

He crawled away as the camera was coming up towards him. A rather, scared groan came out of him as he tried crawling faster, at the same time, trying not to put too much pressure from his elbows and knees on the floor, in fear of setting off the system. And, continued to penguin glide across the floor as fast as he could with the camera panning just behind him.

With the little bit of light from his phone, he could see a door in front of him. He looked at his phone.

_One camera filming the door and just a few inches from it. Stay by the side wall to stay in its blind spot. To shut of this camera, jump up on camera beam (weight limit is three hundred pounds) and press the two small black buttons on the back of it at the same time twice. Then press the bottom button once, the top one twice, the bottom one three times, the top one twice, the bottom one once, the top one twice again and double press both buttons four times. Must be all in one go._

_..This is going to be fun.._

He followed the app up to where it stated the motion sensor ended and, carefully, he slid his self to the left side and brought Lion over to his left towards the wall. He got up and kept close to it. 

The surveillance camera was looking right down at the door.

_Okay.. there it is.._

He could see the red light blinking on top of it.

He looked at Lion. "Sit boy." 

The dog sat down and looked at him.

He looked at the instructions again and went over it a few more times before he was a bit more sure he'd gotten it down pact.

He shuffled towards the corner, keeping his back to the wall. He could barely make out the beam in the little bit of light. 

He blew out two short breaths as he bounced on his knees. And jumped. He pushed off on one corner with one foot, and the opposite of the corner with his other. He did it once more, back and forth with the first foot, then the other and he pushed off the wall with the same foot and grabbed hold of the beam. 

He held the phone light to the back of the camera. There were two small black buttons laying one above the other. 

He looked at the instructions once more and put the phone in his mouth, holding the device between his teeth. 

He pressed the two small black buttons at the same time twice. Then the bottom button once, the top one twice, the bottom one three times, the top one twice, the bottom one once, the top one twice and then he double pressed the two buttons four quick times. 

He heard a click and the red light shut off.

He let go and landed with a thump. He took the phone from his teeth and looked at the app.

His heart increased more and his stomach was twisting.

The app was showing the cellar directly behind the door.

He swallowed and, clicked on the door of the diagram. 

It lit up gray.

_One camera inside at the upper left corner of room. This C.G.S. camera doesn't alarm, but is built to fire at unclassified targets. _

A shot of ice ran down his spine.

He read on.

_After initial code on tablet, press the pound sign four times, and press every button on the keypad from left to right next row from right to left and repeat. Afterwards, the keypad should light up a light blue. This signifies that the camera's gun has been deactivated, though, it can still film the area. This is as close as one can get. You will be seen._

_You.._

_WILL_

_be_

_seen.._

He swallowed another lump of fear. 

He guess he would.. just have to make it as quick as possible.

He followed along with the screen and put in the initial numbers. _0, 7, 1, 7, 1, 9, 8, 9_. Then he clicked on the pound button four times and went up to the first row to click on every key and down the four rows.

The keyoad hummed as it lit up a light blue.

He opened the door and immediately saw the camera pointing down and right at him. The small gun right underneath of it deactivated and hanging down.

He saw the crouched woman move away from the middle of the room and heard the sound of chains scrapping against the floor. She sat in the corner away from him. Right beside her on the other side, was a wall. And, he had a feeling that that was where he'd been when he first saw her. But he didn't see the "mirror" he was looking into. It was just a solid wall. Yet, when he was on that side, he could easily see the mirror he was at now and including the door.

Interesting..

So Rose had so she could see people dealing with Kyanite but nobody could see _her.._

He found that eery, but tried to brush the thought of her right now and, walked up to the silver-blue metallic mirror that reached no more than five feet up. 

".. Hello?"

No answer.

He crouched down and leaned close to the glass. 

"Hey.."

No answer.

_Aw... what can I say?.._

_My name? ..Should I say Talc or.. No.. No maybe I should be personal. Not associate my Crystal Gem name to me.._

"Uh.. hey." he said again. "My name's Steven." 

No answer.

"I.. saw you a couple of weeks ago.. but we never got to talk and, then I had to leave." 

No answer from the woman and she kept her frail back to him. 

"I think I got some of your messages.. Maybe?" he scooted up closer. "I.. actually thought you were a hologram.. like in Rose's room. But, I guess not?" 

No answer. 

He sighed. "Please I.. I just want to talk to you." 

No answer..

He sat down and crossed his legs. "Are you.. you can't really be kept captive here, are you? The Gems.. they aren't.. that bad are they?" 

He really didn't want them to be.. though all the signs lead to that they _were_ that bad. Or, at least some of them. 

She didn't answer him. 

"You said that you were trying to get out of the authority. You were talking to some guy. He sounded familiar.. maybe he was another Crystal Gem too?" 

She kept silent. 

"'I'm a new Crystal Gem but.. I also want to get out of it." he leaned his forehead on the glass and his breath fogged up the surface lightly as he sighed. "I don't want to live this life." he swallowed. "I.. I want my old life back.. And.. I know you want yours too." 

Slowly. _Extremely_. slowly.. he saw her turn her head towards him just slightly. 

His heart raced more inside his chest. 

_Looks like.. maybe she's starting to open up._

He clicked off the app and went to her audio clips and clicked on the last one. "See? I've listened to your audio messages." he pressed play. There were three beeps and the video started playing her voice as she spoke in her native language. She snapped her head around and her eyes were looking right at him. A shocked expression on her face, her mouth opened slightly. "But I don't speak uh, um.." he scratched the back of his head. "this language, but I translated it. See, watch-" he clicked on the button on the app. **"..ve been held hostage for so long. Please.. someone rescue me. Save me.. and take down the Crystal Gems.. We can't keep living like this. I can't keep living like this.. Please.. I can't.. I.. I need to get out of here-" **

"I don't know how it got to my phone" he talked over the clip as it continued. "but when I was down here, it just, randomly got downloaded to my phone somehow and-"

"You.. you actually _did_ hear my voice messages.." she said softly. "You weren't lying.."

"Y, yeah. Uh, I mean, _no_ I wasn't lying. Yes I.. I heard your messages." he cleared his throat. "Yeah.." 

She turned her body toward him and stared crawling over and he got a bit scare but kept his sitting position. Lion began to growl. "Nooo.." he shushed the dog and pat his back down to sit. Lion complied once more but kept a close eye on her. 

And as she got closer he noticed how milky white her eyes were. "But.. that means." 

Steven looked at her. "That means.. what?" he whispered softly. 

She looked down, her face scrunched up as she pondered about something. "Unless.. unless there's still hope." she looked up at him. "with you." 

"Huh?" 

"It's, Steven right?"

He nodded numbly. "Yeah." 

"Steven." she smiled warmly. They chose _you."_

"..H, huh?" 

"They chose you" she said again. "to bring down the Crystal Gem authority." her smile grew. 

"....Uh.."

"You have the pink diamond essence." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The groans were first heard in Chapter 130 The Cellar. Soooo, y'all know where it's all coming from now >.>


	161. Mirror Gem

Steven sat there with his mouth opened. He blinked slowly at her smiling face. "Uh..." he tried to find his words. "..Wh.. pink diamond esse- what.. what do you mean by that? I don't understand."

Her smile didn't falter. "Steven. For soo many years I've been trying to contact someone from this chip." she raised her hand to her ear and took out a small pink, square flat chip as big as a grain or rice. "This chip has essence from a pink diamond. It's literally the most rarest and also, the most powerful diamond of them all." she raised the chip up. "Only another device with the same essence could ever be able to retrieve messages from it." she placed her hands on the glass. A hopeful gleam in her smile. "And Steven.." she whispered, with absolute awe and optimism in her voice. "you have that in your phone. That could only mean that, that they chose you to take down the authority. There's absolutely no other reason why they would waste such a precious stone on just anyone." she breathed out. 

"But.. huh?" he tried to register what she was saying. "But, nobody told me anything about taking down the authority. I always thought about it personally myself." 

"Wow." she cheesed. "They actually found someone who was already willing to take down the authority from the start." she sighed, happily. "What an amazing coincidence."

He sat there and scratched at his head. "Uh.." he looked at his phone. "So.. if I have pink diamond essence on my phone.. Then.. do I have it in my weapons as well?" 

She put the chip back in her ear. "I don't see why not? If they put it on your phone, then they most likely put it in your weapons as well to make them more powerful than our average Crystal Gem weapons."

"..More powerful.." 

"Yeah. I told you. Pink Diamonds are the powerful Diamonds there are. Combine that with the most powerful substance in the world, Chemically Elle Ghee and you have yourself the most powerful weapons known to mankind." 

He looked down at the braces on his hand and the ring in the other. 

_The most powerful weapons known to man? And.. I have them?_

He didn't know how to feel about that.. Honored? Stressed now that he know that he's responsible in handling these weapons accordingly?

Still.. weapons or not- 

He looked up at her. "Miss Kyanite." she shuttered at the name and grimaced at him. "..Please don't.." she shook her head. "My name is Phi Lo Lee."

"Oh, sure, Miss Lee" he tried for an apologetic smile. "So.." he looked at her. "This.. pink diamond essence stuff. I have it and.. now I have powerful weapons to.. take down the authority?" 

"That looks like it to me, yeah." 

"But.. I want to do it with_out_ the fancy weapons." 

She tilted her head up at him. "What do you mean?"

"I want to talk to them. I don't want to fight. That'll only make things work. I, just want to talk."

She scoffed. "Steven I hate to break this to you but." there was a frown coming to her face. "but I don't think you'll be able to do that. This is the Crystal Gems we're talking about. They're brutal people. That's impossible."

He sighed, ringing his hands on his lap. "I thought I could just _try._. Talking always seems to work things out with people." 

"Maybe in your average life as an average person." she shrugged. "but even then you can't really get through everyone through talking. Some people are just dense like that. And the Crystal Gems? It'll be like trying to move a mountain." she shook her head. "It'll be impossible for you to do that." 

His heart sunk. "Maybe.." he mumbled. He looked down at his hands.

"Sorry, Steven.."

There was silence.. And he wanted to ease off from the topic or, go to another point in it. "Who's 'they'?" he asked.

"Huh?" she looked up from the chip in her hand.

"You said 'they' chose me. Who's 'they'? Was it Peridot? She was the one who rebuilt my phone and the one who made my clothes and weapons." 

"Peridot who? 3X? I don't think she knows anything about this sabatoge." 

"No, not her. Though I've met her a few times before. I'm talking about _Peridot_ Peridot." 

Another raise of her eyebrow. "What's her full facet name?" 

"I.. huh? I don't know. People in the building just calls her Peridot. I guess because she's the main one now."

"I don't know her then. People usually call Peridots by their facets, especially since there are so many of them in one building."

"It's the one with the prosthetic limbs. Mr. Wascoite's granddaughter."

Her white eyes went wide in shock. "Mr. Wascoite has a granddaughter?!"

"Well, she's.. kinda adopted.." he mumbled. He felt bad specifically saying that. Something like that was always personal. "But yes, she's his granddaughter." 

"I.." she shook her head. "I don't know of him adopting anyb-" she cut herself off and whispered sadly.. "Just how long have I _been_ in here.." her eyes were downcast as she stared at her frail, dry feet.

"Well.. Peridot is eighteen years old.." Steven said softly.. as if trying to cushion the blow of truth. "If you don't know anything about her, then you've been in here for.. at least eighteen years." 

He saw her swallow. "Eight..teen.. years.." she whispered. She shook her head slowly and her face scrunched up. "I've been in this cellar for.. at least eighteen years.." 

He felt disgusted hearing that. 

The Gems holding her hostage and in this condition for all this time.

Would they had ever let her go?

Most likely not.. and they probably would keep her in there until she..

He shook his head of the thoughts. "Miss Lee."

She looked up as she wiped her milky, crusted eye of a tear. 

"I'm busting you out of here." he got to his feet. "right now."

"Steven-"

"You don't deserve this." he stepped to the tablet beside the mirror. "Nobody does. And, I'm going to get you out this cellar." his brain remembered the code and he put the numbers in. _0, 7, 1, 7, 1, 9, 8, 9._

The glass slid up and into the frame of the "mirror" and a puff of smell of.. body odor and mildew hit his nostrils. 

Though he acted as if he didn't smell anything.

Lion, on the other hand didn't care about being subtle. The dog's nose up in the air and sniffing around.

Phi Lo leaned up to her knees and leaned over. She spread her hands on the floor in front of her, feeling her way pass the groove of the glass and into the floor Steven was on. She stopped her fingertips there, feeling the new surroundings under her skin. 

"Come on, Miss Lee." he saw her look up at him and he smiled at her. He raised a hand down. "Let's get you out of here." she didn't take his hand. 

Yeah maybe.. he was over stepping his boundaries. 

He lowered his hand down. "I have this app on my phone that tells us every security trap that's in here. Just follow my lead." he turned around.

"Wait."

He turned back to her.

She was using the edge of the wall to pull herself up, to a hunched over position. "I can't see." she raised her hand out. 

"Oh, s, sorry. I, didn't know." he just, completely bypassed her eyes, not thinking she could possibly be seeing impaired.

He grabbed her hand and she slowly, stiffly, limped over towards him. Her torso leaning forward in a hunched position. 

Sorry.." she sounded embarrassed. "They put something on my back to prevent me from running away. It has really messed with my back and legs.." 

"Mind if I see?" 

"Go ahead." she fanned her hand.

He took a step and peered over. There was a small blue tear drop shaped block in the middle of her back.

It was something so small yet, she could barely walk with it on her.

He sighed.

_This poor lady.._

He stepped in front of her and crouched down. "Miss Lee. Hope on. I'm gonna carry you out of here." 

"No.. I don't want to be a burden."

"It's okay." he cheesed. "I'll be fine. Hop on." he took her arm and wrapped it around his neck. She slid her body on his back and he helped her up. "There." he looked at the dog. "Come on, Lion. Time to get out of here." the dog wagged his tail happily.

"Lion?"

"Huh? Oh, right.." okay, maybe he shouldn't had said it like that. "Yeah, Lion is my good boy. Aren't you?" he cooed. The dog lolled out his tongue and Steven chuckled. He opened the door and closed it behind them.

"Okay, Miss Lee. I'm going to have to crawl for this one." 

"Okay."

He leaned down and placed his stomach on the floor. "Here I go." 

The three of them made it across the motion sensored floor and pass the swivel camera and back to the invisible rays. There, Steven had picked up Lion and began his journey down the darkened hallway.

"What's that noise?!" Phi Lo whispered in his ear.

The groans, screeching and loud banging echoed down the hall.

"Those are.. I think former Crystal Gems. Something happened to them.

"What happened?! Why do they sound like that?!"

Steven shrugged. "I don't know. The Gems never told me. They just call them 'sick friends'."

"That must've happened while I was in the cellar as well.." she whispered sadly. 

"Y, yeah..." Steven mumbled. He kept one hand under her and the other around the dog as he inched closer down the hall. 

Phi Lo held the app up just beside him to see where to go next. "Okay, you can scroll down." he said. And she slid her thumb down the screen slightly.

They were nearing the empty cells now and as he continued the walk, he thought about Azurite again.

He needs to help her too. He _has_ to help her AND everyone else in the cells.

They eventually made it to hers and Steven peered inside the screeching room. She was now sitting upright but still clawing at her white hair. 

"Miss Lee?"

"What?! What happened?!" she looked to the screaming to her right.

"No, no. Everything's okay, just.. I have to use my shield for a quick second. BUT, but everything's okay." he reassured her. 

She took a breath, calming herself down. "Okay."

He slid his hand from under her and double tapped on his index finger. The pink shield activated. He held it up in front of him. "Hey. Hey Azurite. It's me, Steven again." 

She heard a familiar voice in the mix of the screaming and roaring outside. She looked to her left and saw.. the same boy from not too long ago.

She couldn't believe her eyes.. And she couldn't believe that she'd forgotten about him. But, now that she saw him, everything was coming back to her. _"It's you.."_

Steven heard the lady screeching softly to him. She let go of her hair and got up. She walked over to him.

"Hey, Azurite. I'm glad to see you again." he smiled.

She saw the boys smile in a beautiful pink hue. _"It's nice to see you again too."_ she tried saying.. And hoped that at least bits of her words came out audible to him. 

"I just found out where they put you. You're at the Crystal Gem base." he told her. "And there are others down here that's in the same condition you're in. There are at least close to two hundred down here."

That shocked her to her core.

She knew it was a lot of them.. but she didn't know there were _that_ many that laid victim to the Diamonds' corruption..

"But don't worry." she looked back up at him. "I'll save you and everyone else in here. And. I _won't_ stop, until I do." his expression was serious. Determined. He leaned the shield on the bars and placed his forehead on it. "I promise, Azurite. I'll save everyone here." he whispered. 

She could already feel the tears stinging her eyes.

It was odd how this boy could have such a way of simple words that would get her like this..

She stepped up to the bars and laid her head on the shield and placed her hand on the smooth surface of it. She could feel a cooling sensation on her skin from it. 

_"I.. really hope you'll be able to help us, Steven."_

Steven heard Azurite growling lightly at him. Her eyes closed as she kept her forehead on his shield. "I'll be back Azurite. And hopefully with answers to all of this, as well as a cure." she looked up from him and he nodded with a smile. "I won't stop until I do." he said again. And he saw her smile. Sharpened teeth and mottled green and brown gums. 

He slowly leaned the shield away from the bars. "I have to go now. But I'll see you later. Take care, Azurite." 

He heard a low screech and she waved at him. He waved his shield instead, since the other arm was still holding Lion.

And, he walked away and she saw the distorted distorted creature walking away from her within the dark, looming walls. She shut her eyes tightly, trying to keep hold of the sanity that she could feel already slipping away from her. 

She stepped away from the bars and sat down in the middle of the cellar, ignoring the lack of green and black blotches on the one hand that'd touched the shield. She raised it up and scratched at the small part of her forehead, also free of the green and black blotches. Her skin smooth and a natural, light brown color once again.

  
  


Steven and Co made it up down the rest of the hall, up the elevator, down the next hall and to the room (with the app telling them when the camera had panned away from the door) and he managed to scale up the chimney with Phi Lo on his back and Lion in his arm. Once he got to the top, with very little room now for all three of them, he pushed Lion through and had Phi Lo slide out first and into the asphalt, then himself. He let her get back on his back and began crawling to the edge of the roof. He looked at the phone, pondering.. wondering if he could glide long enough to bypass the motion sensors as well as the cameras.

"Miss Lee, I'm going to try gliding down the building."

"Mm,.. okay." he could hear the nervousness in her voice.

"Hold on. I have to put you two down." he set Lion down and she slid off his back. He dragged his elbows up and out and the gliders snapped out of the side of his shirt and he lifted his right leg up and dragged it down his left one. Gliders formed underneath and on the inside of his pants. "Okay, I'm all set now." he helped Phi Lo to his back again and picked Lion up. "Alright, hang on tight." he jumped off the edge and raised his elbow up and stuck his legs as far out as he could. The gliders stretched between his pants, catching most of the air and he hovered far above the ground as he soared pass the motion sensored area, and completely bypassing the cameras.

_Wow.. These GemTech pants really make a huge difference._

He was still high up in the air and decided to use that momentum in gliding as far as he could to the moped.

"Hmm..." Phi Lo hummed in his ear.

"Everything okay up there?"

"Yeah, it's just. I missed the air.." she murmured. "It feels nice against my skin." her bob cut flowed in the air and her bangs tickled her forehead. 

Steven chuckled. "That's nice. And now that you're out of the crummy cellar, you'll be experiencing a lot more stuff now." 

She smiled. "Yeah.. I can't wait." she said against his curly hair.

He could see the moped coming up and still high in the air, he had to cut the glide short. He slowly brought his legs closer together, folding the wings in more and he brought his arm closer to the side. They started to descend towards the ground. They picked up speed and started falling down a bit faster. "We're almost at the moped." he wanted to reassure her during their semi free fall.

Just a couple yards up (and now pass the moped) he pushed his legs far apart and his arm out to catch as much last minute air as he could to float gently to the ground in a nice landing. 

He turned around towards the bike and set Lion down. "We came in a little too hot." he chuckled. "But at least we had a safe landing."

She laughed with him. "Right."

He carried them to the moped. "There's a little sidecar for you to sit in and a helmet for you." he let go of her and she slid down his back. He took her hand and set it on the edge of the sidecar and went over to the moped and opened the seat compartment. 

"Where will we even go?" she asked.

He opened up the doggy treats and threw some out on the ground for Lion. "Mmm." he zipped the bag up and placed it back inside. "I don't know. Maybe to a hospital? Maybe they could get that blue disc thing off your back." 

"Maybe.." then she gasped. 

He placed the helmet on his head and looked at her. "What?"

She raised the phone in her hand. "Could you press the numbers 7170 for me?" 

He took his mask off and slid the helmet on. "Uhm.. who are you calling? Ah, not that.. I don't trust you.." he trialed off. Lion looked up from the ground and at Steven. He licked his lips, wanting more of the tasty treats.

"I want to contact Mr. Wascoite. I just hope that this particular line hasn't been cut off. This was just our personal line. Nobody else knew about it." 

Steven grabbed the phone from her. He unlocked the phone and went to the dial pad. He dialed the numbers out and handed the phone back to her. 

She sighed. "I really hope this goes through. At least it _is_ ringing." 

They waited..

And as the phone continued to ring, she started to lose hope. She looked up in Steven's direction. "Maybe the number doesn't work any-" she cut herself off and her eyes lit up. "H, hello.." she swallowed. 

The line on the other end was quiet.

"Zero, seven, one, seven one, nine, eight, nine." she clarified. Then she added. "Seven, one, seven, zero."

"Kyanite.." the voice whispered in utter shock.

"It's you!" she smiled and Steven felt a load of relief. He squeezed the bracelet on his arm and the braces went back inside and the discs slid onto the bracelet. He snapped the bracelet off and took his ring off and put them in his pocket and sat on the moped. Lion jumped up, putting his two paws on his knee. Steven took Lion's mask off and pressed the pin on his collar and the pink light winked out from his fur. He began scratching behind the dog's ear. 

"I know." her voice cracked. "It's been so long." she stopped as she listened to the voice on the other end. "Yes.." her smile faltered. "Yes, they kept me hostage in their Gem Base." she turned to Steven. "But.. out of nowhere, Steven rescued me-" she stopped again. "Oh, uh.." she looked in his general direction. 

"I go by Talc." he answered her. He snapped the fronts from Lion's mouth, unsnapped the Lion's mane and went to take off the doggy flats from his paws.

"Talc." the person on the other end talked again and she nodded her head smiling. "Yes. Yes that's him and can you believe it? He already wanted to take down the Crystal Gems." she stopped and listened with a huge smile on her face. She nodded, still in all smiles.

Steven looked up at the sky. It looked a bit brighter now.

Wow.. He'd been up all night.

"Oh, of course. I wanted to go there actually. See if the Benitoites could fix my eyes and take the Sipal iluzal off my back." she rubbed at her shoulder. She nodded. "Uh huh.. y.. yes, uh huh.. Yes, Sir. I.. of course, I. Uh huh, I understand completely. Yes, we have a moped." 

Steven looked over at her.

"Mhm.. mhmm." she nodded, still smiling. "Yes, thank you so much. I'll see you later." she listened. Another nod. "Yes. Right.. And, thank you again." she hung up the phone. And squealed a second later. "This is the best. day ever!" she cheesed. 

"So what's the plan? We're heading over there?" he started sliding his gloves on. "I heard parts of the conversation." 

"Yes, he told us to meet him at the GemTech building. Unfortunately he couldn't pick us up. He still wants to lay low, of course and I can't blame him." 

"Yeah, me either." Steven stepped off the moped and walked towards her. "Well, looks like we'll be taking a trip to the GemTech building then. Here's your helmet." she reached for it as he placed it on her head. she adjusted the straps and he guided her inside of the sidecar. "Come on, Lion." the dog was digging in the dirt. He looked up and started running towards them. "I hope you don't mind putting him on your lap." 

"I don't mind at all."

Lion came over, wagging his tail. "Alright, here we go, boy." he picked him up and placed him on her lap. 

"Oh, a fairly big dog." she said. She pet along his side and Lion leaned up, licking her face. "Ah!" she laughed. 

"Hey, Lion." Steven moved his head away. "Noo kisses." 

She laughed as she wiped her chin with the back of her hand. "He seems like a nice dog."

"Yeah." Steven made his way to his seat. "He can just get a bit hyper at times." he kicked back the kickstand. "So, do you know the coordinates? I don't know how to get there." 

"I do." she raised the phone up in his general direction and he grabbed it from her. She gave him the coordinates and he put it into his phone. He set the phone on the neck of the moped and turned it on.

The moped chugged quietly and he twisted the handlebars back and began riding across the dirt plains.

Phi Lo looked at the mountain at her side. The view of the gaudy rose and four diamonds underneath of it steadily pushing back farthing and farther in the distance. She turned back around, giggling. "I can't believe I'm actually _outside._" she beamed. "This feels like a dream." 

Steven turned his head to her. She was petting Lion across his back. The dog laying one paw on the edge of the sidecar. His face up and his tongue out as he enjoyed the air.

"Well, believe it." he told her. He twisted the handlebars, increasing his speed. "Because there's no going back."

He heard another giggle from her. "So loooong Amethyst and Pearl. And most importantly, so looooong Rose and Lonny." she smiled.

He looked over at her.

Should he tell her?

Would that even matter? She was going to be leaving to.. Well, where ever she was going after she gets help from the medical team. So, should he even say anything about it?

"Oh, I can only imagine Rose's reaction." she gave her head a shake, chuckling. "And Amethyst? Their top Crystal Gem not keeping me "under bay"?" she made air quotes and went back to petting Lion. "Ohhhh, they are _not_ going to like this." she smirked.

Okay.. maybe he should tell her?

"Uh.. Miss Lee?"

She turned to him. "Yes, Steven?"

"Rose..uh.. she isn't here anymore."

She raised an eyebrow at him before suddenly realization came over her. "Wait.." she leaned up. "You mean.. as in she's.. dead?"

"Y, yeah.. And, apparently Lonny left and disappeared soon after."

"What?" she looked at him, shocked. "So.. they're both gone." then a beat later. "Or at least Rose is.." she leaned back in her seat. "Wow.. I can't believe it. She's really gone.."

Steven panned over to her. He couldn't make out if she was sad or if she simply couldn't believe it. 

Or both.

They rode in silence for a solid two minutes before she spoke up again. "Who killed her?"

He looked over. "Huh?"

"Who killed Rose Quartz?"

_Wait.. but how did she.._

"How do you know someone killed her?"

"Because it's Rose. Quartz." she deadpanned. "Someone like her with a heck of a lot of enemies? Not to mention someone who MURDERED theeee Pink Diamond? Yeah.. so many people had it out for her. It was only a matter of time really." she said casually.

_Well that's mean.._

"Ouch.. That's a rough assumption." he mumbled.

"Whaat?" she leaned up towards him. "Steven. You don't know Rose Quartz like we do. You don't know her at all." he frowned, putting his attention on a boulder they were about to pass by. "She's mean, ruthless, cunning, a liar.." she scoffed bitterly. "and a bit of a racist if you ask me.." she mumbled under her breath. They passed the boulder but upon hearing that he looked back at her. "Steven. She was not a good person. There was nothing. nice. about her. All she did was do bad things. And, the Crystal Gem Authority thrived on that. I guess that's why Lonny made her one of his top Gems in office and not Pearl." she shook her head. "And such a sweet, fragile woman she was." 

"Pearl?" 

"Yeah. Wait, is she gone too?"

"No. She's still here." 

"Wow, no Lonny and she's still able to function properly? I really _have_ missed out on a lot." she said with snark in her voice.

"What do you mean?"

"This is Pearl were talking about. She gives Lonny her all and more. She was practically attached to his hip and even _when_ he broke things off with her she was still a very clingy, obedient, well.. dare I say "servant" to him. She was the definition of when people say jump, they say how high, kind of person. I mean, really. She really had it bad for him." 

As much as Pearl had treated him badly or unkindly and had almost let him die that one time when they were rock climbing, he still couldn't help but still feel sorry for her.

"That's sad.." was what his brain could sputter out.

"Yeah. But hey, you said she's still working as a Crystal Gem, so she must be doing okay. Right?"

He shrugged. "She seems pretty bitter and mean. But, more so to me really." 

"Heh." 

He gave her another look over. "What?"

"Could be something psychological. You do kinda look like him." she gave him a lazy smile.

"Lonny?"

"Yeah. You favor him. You resemble a young version of him, minus the long, wacky hair he had."

Steven didn't know how to go about that. "And.. me resembling Lonny.."

"Could be doing something to her." she shrugged. "Who knows. Or, maybe you did something." 

"But I didn't, that's the thing." 

"Well, I really don't know what to tell you then. I guess you'll have to try talking to her." then a sly smile came across her face. Then she cooed mockingly. "And you _did_ say you like talking." she snorted. "So you should enjoy that."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Hey, you're.. pretty sarcastic aren't you? 

"Ah, the real me is starting to shine brightly." she hugged herself. Lion looked at her. 

Steven couldn't help but crack just a small smile. "I can see that." then his mind went to Pearl and his smile faltered. "But, you're right. I should try talking to her one day. Maybe we can settle this.. whatever this is between us." 

Phi Lo scratched behind Lion's ear. "Yeah. Maybe." she said casually. 

They rode in silence for just a few seconds this time before she spoke up again. "But you never told me." he looked over. "Who was it?"

"They don't know."

"What?! Wait, wait, wait.. THE Rose Quartz.. got murdered. And nobody knows who it was who killed her?"

Steven gave her a shrug and a shake of his head. "No. They have no clue who it could be." 

"That's.. odd.." she scrunched up her face in thought. "And like I said, she had so many enemies in general a bit after she became a Crystal Gem and then she killed Pink Diamond and even MORE people were coming after her.. It could be one of ANYONE. Heck, or more than one person even."

"Oh, uh.."

"What?"

"About that.." then he clarified. "Pink Diamond.."

She scoffed with an eye roll. "What, let me guess.." she said casually. "She really didn't kill her?" 

"Rose Quartz _was_ Pink Diamond."

"WHAT?!?!" she shrieked. Lion snapped his head up at her, alarmed and Steven swerved and quickly regained control of the wheel. "Miss Lee-"

"TELL ME YOU'RE LYING!" 

"I.." he shook his head. "No. She was Pink Diamond. I thought the Crystal Gem Authority knew that." 

"NO!! I MEAN, I DIDN'T!! STEVEN SHE SAID THAT SHE HATES THE DIAMONDS!!" she shook her head, in disbelief. "OHH! I KNEW SHE WAS A LIAR BUT. BUT THIS?! BUT HOW DOES?!.. BUT I .. I SAW HER GET MURDERED!! I.." she cut herself off. She grabbed hold of the edge of the sidecar. "STEVEN.. I SAW ROSE QUARTZ KILL HER!! WITH. HER. SWORD!! HOW CAN SHE POSSIBLY BE THE SAME PERSON!? IT LITERALLY DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE!! I. WAS THERE!! WHEN ROSE QUARTZ MURDERED HER-!!" 

Steven thought back on the second tape he'd listened to.. 

The gunfire, the explosions.. and the sound of Phi Lo running.. And.. he remembered someone yelling out 'She killed a Diamond'. 

A chill went down his spine.

He was listening to all of that.. 

"STEVEN THAT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE!!" she continued to shout. "HOW DID SHE-" then jist like that, she was quiet.. as she sunk back into the seat. Her mouth agape and her head shaking slowly. "Steven.. we were.. she was _right_ underneath of us.. the _whole_ time.." she whispered. "The whole time when we were supposedly fighting the Diamonds.. we were.. just fighting with our own enemy.." she looked disgusted. "We were fighting _with_ her to attack her own family.." then her grimace deepened as another realization came over her. "I.. I was just serving another Diamond all along.. All those years I fought as a Crystal Gem.. I'd been lied to.. all. of those..years.." her expression looked mixed.. Sad, hurt, angry.. betrayed.. "I can't believe it.." she laid a fragile hand over her face. Another head shake of disbelief. "I should've known. How ruthless and evil she was.. She acted just like her sisters then.. And, I fell for her act." she scoffed bitterly in her hand. "I told you Steven. Rose Quartz is just, a horrible person.. Cunning and a liar.." 

He sighed. Wanting her to get it all out before he would say anything.

But, just what would he say exactly?

She'd said a couple of things that stuck out to him and he wanted to address them. But he wasn't sure if now was the time.

"Uhhhhhh.." she groaned. "Whatever." she slid her hand down her face and slid herself back up. "Whatever.. Just. whatever. She's gone now and there's one less Diamond now." she mumbled.

Silence.

As Steven continued their drive between the dirt mountains.

Then he looked over at her. She was petting Lion sadly along his side. 

"Miss Lee?"

She looked in his direction. Her milky white eyes staring at him.

"I don't mean to intrude.. especially after finding out this secret.. But.. you said something just now about how.. you were serving another Diamond all along?" a beat later. "So you've served another Diamond before?" 

If he could think back clearly when he was in Rose's banquet memory, he remembered seeing three women with Diamond irises at her coronation.

Phi Lo sighed. "Yes.." she closed her eyes for a couple of seconds before opening them back up. "I used to serve Blue Diamond.."

Steven could remember the woman in blue and her cloak.. How she was having a small conversation with Rose Quartz.

"I used to serve under the Diamond Authority." she admitted. "I joined them, thinking I would, I don't know, get something valuable out of life I guess?" she shrugged. "I was young and dumb. I joined them, stayed with them for a few years and absolutely hated it. Then this new and flashy Authority came out. They called themselves the Crystal Gems. They were just jewel robbers at the time. And I thought I would like it over here with them. And well, I managed to escape and joined them instead. But, just a few years later, with the two rivals at each other's throats.. and with them starting to actually kill people.. then with Rose Quartz or.. "Pink. Diamond" being more and more brutal, I soon found out that it was just like living with the Diamonds. I mean, sure the Diamond's were much worse, especially White and Yellow Diamond, but, that didn't mean the Crystal Gem gang was any better." 

Steven listened in. It'd been one of the most informative things he'd heard since going into Rose's room.

And, he'd only gotten more intrigued as she went on.

"I remember trying to escape one time and Mr. Wascoite caught me. He could see right through me. But, I think that a lot of people could. But him? He wanted to leave as well. He told me in confidence and, he trusted me.. when he told me that he wanted to take down the authority from the inside out and free everyone from the gang. And of course, I agreed. Fast forward a few months later and the Gems, Amethyst and Pearl managed to steal one of the two Pink Diamonds. Somehow Mr. Wascoite concocted a plan and had everyone to think that the Pink Diamond had gotten lost or stolen after being delivered to the GemTech building. But, he really had it with him all along. He was going to use that, along with the powerful substance Chemical Elle Ghee to reinvent these new GemTech clothes and weapons. He was going to give these new reinventions to certain people that would help him take down the authority. But first, he had to make sure if the Pink Diamond essence was compatible with the substance as well as combine our plan of announcing to the world how to defeat us. He reinvented the little chip I showed you earlier with both substances. I was to go to Russia where somebody would've put in a bit of Pink Diamond essence in the tower structure. I was to send off the signal and everything would've started falling into place from there. But when the chip was done and Mr. Wascoite and I made plans for me to go that following week, we'd gotten a very random mission slash.. invitation of some sort. We were going to host the Diamonds. Fast forward to that day and the Gems formed a plan that was supposed to be "fool proof". It wasn't and White, Yellow and Blue Diamond jumped into their private leer jets and escaped. Leaving who I thought was a very gentle Diamond. Which, I was clearly wrong." her face looked sullen. "I didn't want to work under the Diamonds anymore and I joined the Crystal Gems. Then, it soon became like living with the Diamonds again. But you see Steven, whether you work under the Diamond Authority or the Crystal Gem Authority, the Gems that work under either of the two would think you stupid to leave. But I didn't care. I left the Diamonds and I tried to get out of being a Crystal Gem too. But, you see where that led me, don't you?" a humorless smile swept across her face. She chuckled dryly. "It left me near rotting in a cellar for what could be two decades or even more. Heh, yeah.. some life, huh?" more dry chuckles left her now frowning mouth. "I wish I could turn back time. I would've stayed away from both of them.." 

Silence between them, but every few seconds he would like at her frowning face.

"I know you're upset Miss Lee.. and maybe it's nothing I could say or do to make it any better. But, for what it's worth, I'm happy you were able to escape this life. Some people in gangs that are gone now unfortunately, weren't able to." _like Rose Quartz, but he didn't dare bring her up. Though he had a feeling Phi Lo was already thinking about her as an example._ "You got to learn from your mistakes and, you were given another chance in life. Just look where you are now. Driving down a road with the wind on your skin as you head towards a new chapter in your life." he smiled.

Silence from her, as she thought over what he said. She rested an elbow on the edge of the sidecar and leaned her face in her hand. "You know what? I think you're right. Hm." he could see a small, tired smile coming to her face. "You're absolutely right. I was able to escape this. And, now I clan start living my life better." she nodded her face in her hand. "And that's what I plan on doing. Starting out fresh." 

"And that's what you'll do." Steven reassured her. "We'll take you to the GemTech building to get you all fixed up, then we'll take you to where you want to go next to start living out the life you always wanted."

She snorted. "You're such a sap,. you know that?"

He shrugged coyly. "Soo I've been told." 

She chuckled. A genuinely chuckle this time. "But, it is nice to think a bit more optimistically." she agreed.

"Yeah. That always helps me get through my rough days." he smiled warmly.

She nodded slowly. "Yeah." there was a small side smile. "Maybe I should do a bit more of that."

"It doesn't hurt to try." 

She continued to nod slowly. "Yeah. Maybe you're right." the smile grew on her face.

Lion lifted his head up and licked her chin to cheer her up and she chuckled. She pet the canine on the head. 

As Steven continued the drive towards the GemTech building, all she could think of was to get better and to leave Empire City. To, finally be rid of the Diamonds and the Crystal Gems both.

And, as Steven put it, to finally start a fresh, new chapter in her life.

And she couldn't wait to finally start it.


	162. A pitstop to get some breakfast, then to the GemTech building

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hecka dialogue in this one... I talk too much in general, but I just wanted to clarify a LOT of stuff that was going on up to this point in the fic and I just wanted to bring some of that together.

Steven and Co were finally riding down the highway. They'd only stopped once for Steven to refill the moped and to let Lion out for a bathroom break. And now, they were finally away from the dirt plains and mountains and on the freeway with cars and tractor trailer trucks. Nearly half of drivers and passengers, giving them a peculiar but intrigued look at their means of transportation as they drove pass them. Now and again Steven would give them a wave and a smile, mouthing out the words 'Hi' or 'Hello' to them.

They'd been on the highway for at least a half an hour now in peaceful silence, with the beautiful sky above them and the slightly cool air brushing against their face and arms. Lion had taken to curling up on the floor. His back keeping Phi Lo's bare feet snugged and cozy.

Another two vehicles drove pass Steven, giving him a rather angry look right before they put their blinkers on and got in front of him. 

He hadn't noticed, too busy smiling and softly singing the theme song to he and Connie's new favorite show Nevey and the Jeweled Ladies. He kept in his lane, bobbing his head in rhythm. "Weeee are the Space Rock Jewels. The day we'll always save. And for those who think 'No way', we'll show you-" they passed a directory sign and Steven hummed as he speed read the information on it. 

_Hm.. maybe she would like to go there?_

He hummed as he looked back in front of him. "Hmm hmm the species ooof thiiis uuunivereeese, confides in, Grenat, Astythem aaand Plera and Nevey!" he chuckled to his self and turned to Phi Lo. "Hey, Miss Lee?"

She looked in his direction. "Yes?"

"I was wondering if you minded a little pitstop? I thought we could grab some breakfast. We still have a long ways until we get to the GemTech building and I figured you had to be hungry. The sign said that it was only about two miles away."

"Oh yes!" she nearly shouted and Lion snapped awake at the sudden movement of her legs. "I would definitely like to get something to eat."

He gave her a nod. "Then we'll take the next exit." 

  
  


Steven was pulling up to a parking lot of a bright, pastel colored building. "I've never been to this place, so I'm not sure what they all have." 

"I'm so hungry, I could go for anything really." then a beat later. "Though I would prefer pancakes." 

Steven smiled. "Then pancakes it i-"

"No! No, wait." she stopped him. _"French toast."_

He chuckled. "Then French toast--" 

"Oop! Wait.. wait, wait, wait.. waffles with hasbrowns." 

His smile had faltered just slightly. "Okay, waf-" 

"OH! Sorry, sorry." he resisted a pout. "Maybe.. porridge? No wait.. grits? Uh.. Cereal? Uhg! I haven't had ANY of these in years! It's so hard to choose!" 

"Ah, okay, oookay." he said softly. "How about we just.. see if they have a breakfast of the day and go from there?" 

She was slowly letting go of her helmet, slowly calming back down. "Uh, sure.. Yeah, that could work." she slid herself back up in her seat. 

Steven drove up to the drive thru. The display board showed various breakfast sandwiches and combos and special offers. 

"Good morning, welcome to Local home of Den's pancake house. What can I get for you today?" 

"Hello." Steven said into the box. "We were wondering if there was a breakfast of the day kind of thing here?"

The speaker crackled. "Yes, we have the Combo platter that comes with French toast, scrambled eggs, a side order of hashbrowns and two strips of bacon." 

"Is it turkey bacon?" 

*Crackles* "No Sir, it isn't."

Steven pouted. 

"Who cares if it's not turkey bacon? I'll still eat it." he heard Phi Lo say behind him. 

"We'll get two of those, but one without the bacon please."

"And your drinks, Sir?" 

He looked at Phi Lo. "What wou-"

"Orange Juice!" 

He turned back to the speaker. "Two orange juices please." 

He saw the order appear on a small black screen in front of him. "Anything else, Sir?" 

"Yes and can I get eight pieces of those round, breakfast patties?"

"Ah-" there was a split second of silence. "You said.. you want eight breakfast patties? Just the meat?" 

"Yeaaah.. Heheh.. There uh, for my dog." the canine in question was sitting up on the floor, smelling the air. "You can put them all in one container. Oh! And can I add two water bottles and can I get an extra container please?" 

"Eight breakfast patties and two water bottles." she rung them up.

"Yes, and an extra contained please."

"That's free of charge." she clarified. "Okay, Sir. So I have two combos, one without bacon, eight breakfast patties, two water bottles and your extra container."

"Yup."

"Your total is twenty nine eighty four. Pull up to the next window." 

"Thank you." 

Steven rode to the next window and fished his hand down his pocket. He looked inside, not wanting to take out the stack of money. He managed to slide out a fifty dollar bill right before the lady slid open the window. 

"Hello." he said.

She looked at their vintage ride and he could see her trying to hide a smile. "Hello, Sir."

He handed her the bill.

She pushed on the buttons of the register and the drawer slid out with a _CHNG. _She marked his bill with a counterfeit pen and placed his bill inside. 

She handed him his change. "Here you go, Sir." 

"Thanks." he put the money back in his pocket.

Then she handed Steven the two cups of orange juice. 

"Here's your orange juice, Miss Lee." she raised her arm up and he put the drink in her hand. 

Lion stepped up, sniffing the bottom of her cup. 

"Lion no. You don't do that." Steven scolded him.

"Did you put more patties down on the grill yet?" he heard one person say from the back.

Another person handed her a huge, plastic bag. "Here you go." she stuck her arms out the window and he met her halfway and grabbed the bag. "Thanks again."

"No problem. Have a nice day."

"Same to you." he drove off and parked under a tree in the parking lot. He shut the moped off and slid off his gloves. "Alright everyone. Time to fuel up before we head back out on the road." he cheesed. 

Phi Lo was drinking her juice. Her cheeks filled with it. "Mm?" she swallowed a few times. "Great! Let's eat!"

Steven picked up the first plate and Lion was quick to jump on his side of the moped. "Hey, Lion. We've been through this." Steven used his "no nonsense" voice. "Siiiit. I'll give you your food in just a moment." 

Lion licked his lips, but complied. He sat down. His tail wagging across the bottom of the sidecar. Steven opened the top and saw the bacon inside. He closed it back up and Lion watched as he handed it off to Phi Lo. "This one is yours." she raised her arms out and he placed it in her hands. "And here are the utensils." he handed them to her. 

He took out a smaller, square container and popped it open. "And this one's yours, Lion." he stepped of the moped and Lion jumped out the sidecar, kicking Phi Lo's leg in the process. She didn't care, or pay much attention to it, too focused on eating the eggs. "Mmmmm~~~ sooo goood." she murmured. 

Steven placed the container on the ground and went back to the bag. He took out the empty container and water bottle. He popped the box open, filled it up and placed it by Lion as he ate.

He went back to the moped and sat down. He took a few gulps of his orange juice and took out his plate. He opened the top and the steam wafted up to his face and the sweet smelling French toast practically kissed his nostrils.

He couldn't wait to devour the food.

  
  


Steven threw the trash away and was coming back over to the moped. Lion was busy sniffing around the mulch in front of them and Phi Lo was putting the rest of the food in the bag. She'd told Steven a bit about Refeeding Syndrome and told him that she didn't want that to happen to her, thus she only ate half of the food, despite of how hungry she still was. He'd never heard about that particular Syndrome before, but how she described it, it sounded terrifying. 

"Come on, Lion. It's time to go." he sat down and slid the gloves on his hands.

Lion smelled the mulch for a few moments, before taking his time going back to the moped.

"Aw, coooome on. Cooome on, Lion." he rolled his eyes with a smirk. "We don't have all day." 

Lion eventually made it to the sidecar and jumped in, hitting Phi Lo's leg once more. 

"Hey, you need to say excuse me." he joked and Phi Lo snorted. "That's okay." she reached down and pat Lion on the head.

Steven kicked back the kickstand and turned the moped on. "Okay. We've fueled up and now it's time to head on to our next destination." he began backing the moped up. 

"What time is it anyway?" 

"Hm, good question." he looked at the phone on the Beck of the moped. "Quarter before eight." then he remembered..

"Wait." he took the phone off the moped. "Let me just send a message to my girlfriend. Tell her I'm okay." 

"Awwweee, your widdle guurrfwend." she giggled. Then she added in a more laid back tone. "She knows about this?" 

"You're referring to me saving you? No, she doesn't. She doesn't even know I'm a.. you know.." he went to Connie's name. "She can't know about this.." 

"Mmmmm.. well let's just hope that all of that doesn't come back around and bite you in the butt." she laughed.

But he didn't. "Y, yeah.." he bit the inside of his cheek. "Hopefully it doesn't though." he clicked on the message.

She'd replied back to his first message from last night, sending him an 'Okay and have a good day at work' and that 'she would see him later'. 

**Hey, Connie. How are your eyes doing? 👀 Soo.. two people called out at work and they really reaaally need someone to unload these two trucks that's supposed to be coming later on today. I told them I could do it, so looks like I'll be coming home even later. But don't worry, 😏 I should be back to kiss you goodnight 😘😘 XOXO, Jammie Buddie **

He sent the message and placed the phone back on the moped. "Okay _now_ let's get going." he turned the moped around and drove down to the exit of the parking lot.

  
  


After four stops (be it to refuel or bathroom breaks or both), they were riding up to the GemTech building. Steven was driving on the sleek, silver, bridge-like one lane road that arched in a curve, bending towards the silver, paved ground that was the front of the platform of the building. The black glass of the building glinting in the mid afternoon sun.

"Hey, hey Miss Lee." Steven nudged the woman in her arm. She didn't wake and he nudged her a few more times, a bit harder. "Miss Lee, wake up. We're here."

She jerked awake. "HUH?! WHAT?! NO DON'T-" she realized where she was and immediately started calming down.

"Sorry.." he pulled his hand away from her and grabbed the handlebar. "Didn't mean to startled you."

"Uh..yeah.." she mumbled. She blew out a breath. "So, how much longer do we have until we get there?" she asked casually. 

"We're here."

She perked up at that. "Really?!"

"Yeah. The building is right in front of us." 

"Then we should call Mr. Wascoite. He said for me to call him once we get here." 

Steven picked up his phone and went to his call logs. 

The number wasn't there.

"Huh? Miss Lee did you delete the number?"

"Pfft.. Steven. I _can't_ see." a beat later. "And those kind of numbers automatically delete themselves. You know, for security reasons."

_How can a number automatically delete itself.._

"What was the number again?"

"Seven, one, seven, zero." 

He typed the numbers into the phone and handed it to her.

The phone started to ring out and Steven slowed the moped down to a stop. The huge, gleaming building right in front of them. 

"..seven zero." he overheard Phi Lo say. "Hey. Yes, we're here. What would you like us to do next?" 

Steven checked the gas meter on the head of the moped. It was nearing empty. 

He would have to refill the tank before they leave the building-

"He said to head to our left and ride towards the back of the building. Go to the very corner of it. There's a secret door he'll pull up for us that take us right up to a separate part of his other office."

"Okay." Steven twisted back the handlebars and began their drive once more. He passed by the well cut grass and the beautifully trimmed trees and bushes and towards the building. And he noticed camera scattered around the area. 

Just a couple minutes later, they were riding pass the side of the building and Steven saw more cameras scattered about the area both all around the building and within the trees and bushes.

"They sure have a lot of cameras.." 

"Don't worry." she said casually. "He just put a Freeze Block 130A in the system, so the Grey Agates are only seeing frozen images while he's actually watching the live footage."

Steven nodded slowly. His eye caught four separate cameras on the building following them (and he couldn't ignore the cannons just below the building either.) Though at least _they_ didn't move.

He turned the corner and, just as instructed, turned his moped to the corner of the building. It looked to be nothing just. Then a few seconds later a door was opening up in front of them. He rode the moped inside of an elevator and the door slid back towards the ground. The small compartment was pitch black. 

There was a low rumble and they felt the floor move up. 

And Steven wondered just how high up they were going to go..

Didn't this building have like.. 164.. or, 165 floors or something like that?

The elevator kept up for another twenty seconds before it stopped. There was a click and a door slid up in front of them lighting the inside of the small compartment they were in.

Mr. Wascoite was right in front of them and by instinct now, Steven saluted him, raising one hand up to his forehead in a two finger salute with his thumb holding down the other two fingers. His other arm held up and his fist clenched and at the middle of his chest. 

Mr. Was course acknowledged him with a minute and looked over at Phi Lo who was staring blankly ahead of her. 

"Uh.." Steven turned his head slowly. "Miss Lee. Mr. Wascoite is right in front of us." he whispered. 

"Really?" she smiled. (But he noticed she didn't give him a salute.)

Maybe they didn't have a salute back then? Or.. maybe she didn't want to associate with being a Crystal Gem? 

"Please." he was looking at Steven again. "Come in and turn the vehicle off." 

"Yes, Sir." he held his stance for a few moments as he'd seen the Gems do plenty off times before and he slowly bright his arms back down and drove the moped inside the small room. 

"Park the scooter in the corner." he pointed to his left.

Steven turned the moped towards the corner and turned it off. He'd parked next to a recliner. Just one of the few things sitting in the near empty, sleek, silver-colored room. 

He kicked back the kickstand and started to slide his gloves off. 

"You two have finally arrived." 

"Yes, sorry about that. But our mode of transportation wasn't exactly a jet." she said gently, but Steven could still sense the sarcasm in her voice. Phi Lo was slowly getting out of the moped and Steven quickly jumped off the scooter to help her out. 

"No worries." Mr. Wascoite waved a hand at them. "At least you two were able to come here." 

Lion jumped out and jogged up to the boss and he looked down at the canine.

"Lion, sit." Steven brought Phi Lo's hand to the seat of the moped to lean on. He turned back to Mr. Wascoite. "Sorry about him.."

"Yes.." Mr. Wascoite bent down towards the canine who was sniffing his suit. He adjusted the red glasses up his face. "This dog is coming along very slowly." he stated. Lion panted up at the man, wagging his tail. "Though he still needs a good deal of training." 

Steven frowned. "I know.." he mumbled.

Mr. Wascoite walked pass the dog and towards the two. Slowly, Steven actually saw.. what looked to be a.. smile on the gentleman's face. 

Quit frankly, he didn't know the old man was even capable of such an expression.

"Ah, Kyanite." he grinned. "It's been so long."

She set her helmet on the seat. "It has." there was a painned expression on her face. "I didn't think I would ever get out of there."

"But you have. After all these years, you have escaped with Talc's help." he turned to the boy. "And with that, I will forever be grateful."

"It was no problem, Mr. Wascoite. I just, couldn't stand to think of someone sitting in a cellar and being held hostage."

"Yes. I certainly agree." his attention was back on Phi Lo. "And of course I want to give my most humbled apologies. But you knew the stakes of me in rescuing you from the Gem Base."

"Of course. I understand completely. That would've compromised your position and it could've ruined all of our plans if they ha suspected you in the slightest. Please Mr. Wascoite, I will never hold a grudge against you for this." 

"I appreciate your understanding." 

_Wait.. he knew she was in there the WHOLE time and he didn't even THINK of doing something else to save her!?!?.. After all of these years?!?!_

He knew he shouldn't speak out.. but-

"You knew she was in there?!"

"Steven-" Phi Lo began.

"You knew she was in the cellar the WHOLE time and you didn't do anything about it?! But why?! You could've done SOMETHING! ANYTHING to save her!" 

Mr. Wascoite looked at him. 

Phi Lo gave a shake of her head. "Steven.. you have this all wrong-"

Mr. Wascoite put his hand on her shoulder and she looked in his direction. "Talc." he stated. "I couldn't jeopardize my own being in going to the Base. Of course I would've loved to had saved her, but doing so would've, not only possibly had killed her" Steven gasped and looked at Phi Lo. "but I would've probably lost my life as well or had been a hostage along with her. Thus, our plan of sabotaging the authority would've been a thing of the past and everyone under the authority wouldn't had had a chance to escape it. I needed to uphold my name and stay quiet." he squeezed Phi Lo's shoulder. "After they took you, Kyanite" Steven couldn't help but see the grimace every time he would say her Crystal Gem name. "I did try looking for alternatives to free you. But then, the Diamonds started attacking us more." 

_Those Diamonds again.._

_Are they that bad?_

"We were at a constant battle with them for many years after your capture. And then, the unthinkable happened and they unleashed this.. poison of some sort that infected a lot of our Gems."

Steven gasped again. "The sick friends!!"

They looked at him. "Yes." said Mr. Wascoite. "That's what Lonny called them." then he continued. "And during that war, their Gems were also fighting amongst ours, yet only the ones on our side were effected. We call it corruption. This poison has inflicted them with both physical and mental scarring that we are still trying to cure to this day. But, we have yet to find a cure." 

"Are you at least close to finding one?" Steven asked a bit too hastily. His mind went back to Azurite and the other victims inside their cells.

"Yes and no." Mr. Wascoite let go of Phi Lo's shoulder. "We have used nearly every gemstone in our vials and some, we've used with a very small dosage of pink domain essence." he gestured at Steven. "And we've noticed not only more physical and mental symptoms subsiding, but the time in which they go back to their original state takes twice as long. So, we have a hunch that diamonds may be our answer to a proper cure." he scratched at his soft, short hair. "Unfortunately, we are unable to follow through with this idea since we have no other diamond. Every single piece of diamond, apart from the one, last pink diamond, is being kept under them."

"They have every single diamond?!" 

"Yes. White, yellow and blue. All but pink diamond which we currently have one of."

"And.. we can't get any more?! Maybe a higher dosage of the pink diamond essence could help!"

Mr. Wascoite shook his head. "You need to listen, Talc. I just said that the Diamonds have every single diamond but one _last_ pink diamond. Pink Diamonds are extremely rare. Only two has ever been discovered. We have one and the other is currently being kept in a place unknown to us at the moment. However, at this current time, we are still trying to mimic that of other diamond essences but we haven't yet." 

Steven sighed. "I hope that we'll be able to find a cure.."

"As do we." he took out a small item shaped like a grappling hook as big as his hand from his pocket. "Now. Before we discuss anything else further, let us get you some proper care. We'll take the Sipal iluzal out first." he stepped behind her and placed each four hooks around the tear dropped block. He pressed a bottom on the handle of the hook and the tip of the hooks glowed blue. The blue light travelled around the edge of the tear drop as it began to heat up. 

He twisted the hook around the block and pulled. Phi Lo clenched her eyes, grunting. She dug her brittle fingers into the seat of the moped.

He placed a hand on her shoulder and pulled harder. The block began to light up a light blue as it was slowly being pulled away from its host. 

Phi Lo grinded her teeth. She exhaled hard through her nose.

Another harder pull with the hook-like object and the block was pulled out from her back. She screamed out and fell to the floor. 

"Miss Lee!" Steven ran to her side. "Are you okay?"

She was panting hard, wincing. "I'll.. be okay now.. Now that that's out of my back." she grunted. 

Steven looked back. There was a small burn hole in her shirt. And a tear drop shape of where her skin would've been. Now it was a red, painful looking wound.

Wascoite placed the Sipal iluzal block on the table and Steven saw the skin on the other side of it. Goosebumps rose on his skin and he shivered. 

That really did look painful.

"I was not aware of what they'd done with your eyes, so I bought in a few different tubes." he opened one side of his red jacket, revealing a pocket. Four tubes laid neatly inside. "But I see that you have corneal ulcers in both eyes." he took out the second tube. He shook it and as he came over Steven moved out the way. He stooped down in front of Phi Lo and lifted her chin up with his hand. He put the first drop in the first eye and she blinked rapidly, sucking in her breath. 

"Yes, it's going to burn." he put a second drop in the same eye and she blinked a few times again. "You.. could've said that beforehand." there was a dry chuckle at the end. 

"Hmph." he half answered and put two more drops in the eye. Then he went for the second one, putting four drops in it. He let go of her chin and she was bringing her hand up to her eye. "Don't rub it." he pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket. "Dab at the corners." 

She grabbed the, what Steven assumed was a rather expensive cloth and dabbed gingerly at the corner of her eyes.

"In approximately four hours, the ulcers should've been eaten away, allowing you to see." he stood back up.

"Thank you." she leaned up to her knees and Steven helped her up slowly.

"And for your diagnosis." he reached into the inside of his suit jacket and pulled out a tablet. He fanned Steven away and the boy moved to the side. He tapped a few times on the screen and a red light shot out of the tablet, scanning from her head and down to her feet. It winked out and he mumbled under his breath as he read the information. "Enzymes are elevated.. muscle atrophy.. abnormal kidney function.. thiamine and phosphate.." he continued to mumble the list. "low blood sugar levels.." 

Phi Lo had an uneasy expression on her face.

Mr. Wascoite nodded and lowered the tablet from his face. "That is to be expected of those who are malnourished." he put the tablet back in his pocket and pulled out a small bottle of GemTech cream and a pill bottle. He handed Steven the cream. "Put that on her back." he told him. Then he twisted the cap off from the pill bottle. "Kyanite, hold out your hand." she did and he placed two black pills in her hand. "GemTech pills." he stated. "Take two a day as well as eat small healthy meals. You'll need to take these for just two weeks." he put the bottle in her other hand. "And here's a glass of water." he grabbed the cup from off the table.

She put the pills in her mouth and took the cup from him. He put a finger up to his ear. "Peridot, meet me in room nine dash five." then he added. "W.&J."

A few seconds later there was an "On my way." on the other end.

Steven was squeezing the cream on his fingers. "Okay, Miss Lee. He wants me to put this on your back." he stepped behind her and gently placed his hand on the open wound.

She shuddered. The cream sending a cool, tingling sensation in her back. 

He began gently spreading the paste along the tear drop shaped wound.

Just four minutes later, another door adjacent to the door they'd came from just minutes ago slid up. Peridot stepped out wearing a green lab coat with thick, green goggles. She pulled them up and placed them on top of her head, revealing her green glasses. "爺ちゃん (Jiichan, granddaddy.)" 

Her grandfather acknowledged her with a head nod. "私の孫娘 (Watashi no magomusume. My granddaughter.)" he turned to Phi Lo who was sitting down on the recliner. "I would like for you to meet my granddaughter. Also, she has brought a few items for you." 

Phi Lo stood back up and smoothed out her wrinkled, dirt splotched dress. "That's nice of her." she raised her hand out.

Peridot met her halfway. She grabbed her hand and gave it a firm shake and Phi Lo was quickly reminded of her prosthetic limbs. The coils and the cool metal pressing against her skin. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance." Peridot said to her.

"Heh, yeah." she smiled. "Nice to meet you too." she said casually.

Peridot let go of her hand. "Now, just as my granddad has said, I have some items for you. All of these are your new and improved GemTech clothes and weapons."

Phi Lo looked to be taken aback. "What?"

Peridot opened one side of her lab coat. "We know that the Gems took your jumpsuit and gadgets from you" she dug into the one huge pocket she had. "and so during your time as their hostage we have reinvented for you your jumpsuit." she placed it on the table. "and your gloves & socks." she took out a pair of blue, extremely thin, skin tight gloves and socks and placed them beside the folded jumpsuit. All of these, though not much, they do have pink diamond essence in them. So both you, Talc as well as the pooch's." Phi Lo and Steven looked at the dog laying on the floor. "have weapons and gadgets that are more powerful than any other weapons of the rest of the Gems under this empire. And that includes the GemTech clothes as well." 

"Uh.. but.." she trailed off though the frown was clear as day on her face. "You.. brought me my ..Crystal.Gem" she forced those words out. "clothes and.. gadgets?" 

"Of course I did. You're back." Peridot said matter of factly. "And now that you're back, you, Talc, my granddad and I can continue with the plan to take this authority down."

"I.. but I.."

"Don't worry, don't worry." Peridot said with a fan of her hand. "We can train you again if you're a bit rusty."

"I.. but.." she hesitated, then slowly whispered. "You still need me?"

Peridot tilted her head, completely oblivious. "That's the plan, yes. Now that you're back, and with the Crystal Gem Authority possible going into another Gem War with the Diamonds" Phi Lo's grimace deepened. "This plan must undergo at once." 

"I.." she stopped.

"What. What's the matter?" their was a rather optimistic, smug smile spreading to her face. "You're back. AND with us having the two most powerful substances ever, we can take down the while Crystal Gem Authority!"

"I.. know but..-"

"Peridot she doesn't want to do it!" Steven shouted.

The three looked at him (with one looking at the direction of his voice). "What?" she wasn't understanding. She turned to Phi Lo. "You don't want to take down the Crystal Gem Authority with us?"

Wascoite stepped in. "Is this true, Kyanite?"

"I.. well.." she looked down, scratching the back of her head. "When I got captured and was held hostage." she swallowed. "They.." she shook her head and sighed. "With what I'd been through and _all_ of those years.. It was horrible I.. I wanted nothing more than to leave the constant torture. For SO long I had been through.." she didn't finish her sentence. "And.. when Steven saved me.. all I could think about was that, I had finally escaped from the cellar and, that I could leave.. everything else behind. And when Steven said he wanted to take down the authority, I guess I figured that.. I'd given him the torch and, that I could be rid of my old role." she looked back up. "I called because I knew that this place would be able to help me. To take the thing off my back and fix my eyes and.." she shrugged. "And.. I thought I would just leave right after that. I, didn't know that I would still be apart of the plan." 

Mr. Wascoite looked at her and Peridot looked shocked. "I thought you knew." the gentleman spoke up. "I thought you wanted to continue with everything."

She sighed. "I.. didn't." she frowned. Feeling guilty. "I mean.. I want the authority to be taken down but.. I didn't want to be apart of it.. I'm sorry.. I didn't know that we were still going on with this.."

There was tense silence.

And there was a low grunt from Wascoite.

"Please don't be mad at her!" Steven cut in again. "Mr. Wascoite.. it's okay if she doesn't want to do it anymore. I still do. Even before I knew you wanted me in on your plan, I wanted to get out of the authority and I wanted to take it down." the elderly man looked at him. "Please, Mr. Wascoite. You have to see where she's coming from. It's no wonder that she doesn't want anything to do with this with everything she has been through. And, it wouldn't be right putting her through more trauma than what she'd been through already." he kept his eyes on the man. "And if you wanted to end the authority so bad so that everyone under the empire could have another chance in life and follow their own choices, then... then you'll be a hypocrite to your own self!" he pointed at the gentleman. Peridot gasped. She glared at Steven and he kept going. "If Miss Lee doesn't want to do it, then she should have the right to not go along with it. She should have the choice. And, she could have her chance at finally living her life. Even if that meant leaving the plan you two have made so she can be rid of being a Crystal Gem entirely." 

Mr. Wascoite stared at him. His expression plain.. stone faced.

"Uh.."

Peridot stepped up to him, throwing her arm in the air. A green bolt of electricity crackled along her fingertips. "How DARE you speak to my grandfather like that! Have you no respect or intelligence?!" she lowered her arm towards him and he screamed, throwing his arms in his face. 

"ペリドットさん。(Peridot)."

She turned around. The electricity still crackling at her fingertips and the boy still cowering in front of her.

"やめろ." (Yamero- Stop that.)

"でも- (Demo- But-")

"よしなさい。 (Yoshi nasai- Please. Knock it off.)" 

She looked at him and, slowly lowered her arm. "はい。(Hai- Yes sir.)" the electricity winked out though she looked back at the boy with a glare. He swallowed, looking away from her. 

Mr. Wascoite gave Peridot a comforting pat on the shoulder and spoke up. "I cannot argue with that." he stated. "It appears that I had been so focused on this plan, that my own personal judgement and.. selfishness." he stopped. And started again. "had clouded my mind towards what of Kyanite's" he saw Steven look at the woman's uneasy expression. "of.. Miss Phi Lo Lee's _own_ personal feelings. I was not considerate of such and with that, I do offer my deep and sincere apologies." he turned to the woman. "Phi Lo. I will still be giving you your gadgets."

"What??" 

"If you are to leave and be by yourself in your journey, then you should keep your jumpsuit and your gadgets to protect you." 

She looked at him, mouth agaped. ".. Really.. you don't mind me using it only to, get to where I want to be?"

"No. I would rather you get to your destination safely." 

The shocked expression slowly turned to a teary eyed smile. "Thank you Mr. Wascoite." she gave him a hug, the older gentleman completely taken aback. Just as he was about to return back the hug, Peridot pushed her off. "Okay! Okay! That's enough of touching the boss. _Myyyy grandfather_ deserves a proper salute, not some" she looked her up and down with her face scrunched up in a pout. "close embrace that expressed unwanted affection!"

She let go, still smiling. "Sorry, sorry." there was a chuckle that was quickly cut off short. "Wait.. boss?!"

"Yes. Just before Lonny left, he turned the Authority to me."

"Wait.. then that's good! Since you're the boss then you can take down the authority! What were waiting for?!"

"I was unsure if he would come back or not. It could've very well had been a trick. Even to this day I am still a bit skeptic if he is to come back to take back the authority."

"But YOU are the boss now! So with the authority in your possession, you can tear it down RIGHT now!" 

"I wish I could. But even if I were to dismantle the empire, if he were to come back, he could easily set up the whole empire once more. Remember Phi Lo, he had also hand written everyone who has joined. So even if I had let the Peridots destroy the whole database, he would simply check his documents, which he most likely still has and he could get everyone back and then, he would kill me for taking down the authority." 

Peridot snapped her attention to her grandfather. An extremely worried expression on her face and Phi Lo's look was just as uneasy. 

"That's why I didn't want to take that chance." 

"Then.. how are you going to take down the authority if Lonny's probably still out there? If he's not taken down then you can't dismantle the empire."

"We would have to find him. We take him down and I can safely end the Crystal Gem Authority."

Chills went up Steven's spine.

To actually _end_ the Crystal Gem Authority would be..a dream come true..

And all they needed to do, was to find him.

Easier said than done though..

"How would we do that?" Phi Lo asked him.

The man sighed deeply out his nose. "Tracking and searching.. Searching and tracking" he said. "through means of our new tracing equipment that we're still currently trying to reinvent. And we're going to use his DNA." 

"What?" she raised an eyebrow at him. 

"His hair and skin follicles." he clarified. "We took them from old weapons he used to wield. See, what we're trying to do, is reconstruct a machine that would work both as a scanner and as a global positioning system. The machine takes the samples and scans them and with a mechanism that would work as a, "magnet" if you will, it would be able to spot other traces of him, be it hair, nails or fingerprints. The system would be able to map out the places he has been within the last week as well as pinpoint where he is currently based in how fresh the "tracks" are. We are trying to do the same thing with the diamond essence. But first we have our Peridots working to come up in trying to replicate those diamond essence. Once we are able to do that, we are also planning to use the essence in the same way. To scan them and have the machine to map out the real diamond gemstones as well as the Diamonds themselves."

Phi Lo and Steven looked at him. "We're still fighting the Diamonds?" the former asked. "Though why doesn't that surprise me.."

"We hadn't been." he quickly stated. "Though now it appears that they are coming back. After the corruption, in 05' they simply, stopped. We didn't hear anything about them until approximately a month ago when our Crystal Gem groups had been getting ambushed, as well as these men in black suits and white shades popping up both in the States and in the UK. And just recently, Pearl sent us a note that had been typed by Yellow Diamond stating that they, the Diamonds, have something planned for us. Something huge. So while we're mainly focused on finding Lonny, we still have to currently work as Crystal Gems and try to find the Diamonds as well as make more weapons and get ready for another possible battle."

Phi Lo looked sick to her stomach.

"And not to mention the heist.." _HEIST?! WHAT-"_ "Right now, we are working extremely hard to get both done, but more so to find Lonny." then he added. "We just have him to worry about and that's it. Rose is gone and now we just have him to worry about." 

There was a disgusted scoff from Phi Lo. "Rose Quartz.. I _still_ can't believe she was really Pink Diamond." 

Mr. Wascoite turned to face her fully. "What did you just say?" Steven saw a shocked, horrified expression on the man's face.

_Another_ look he didn't know the gentleman could make.

"Rose Quartz was Pink Diamond."

Mr. Wascoite shook his head, his mind already realizing something huge.. major... 

"You didn't know that either? I thought I was the only one who didn't know." 

"Who told you that!" he didn't outright yell, but that was the first time Steven heard the man raise his voice slightly above his monotone speaking voice.

"Uh.. Steven.."

The man looked at him and the boy held his hands up. "I just went to Rose's room! I saw some of her memories and, one of them was at a coronation banquet. I saw her mom and, her two sisters. She was being sworn in as Pink Diamond." 

"Her 'two sisters' ?! But that doesn't- Ah! Nevermind that now. HER being Pink Diamond is important right now!" he _really_ looked genuinely shocked to Steven. The man shook his head in disbelief. "If she was really Pink Diamond.." he looked at the three of them. His eyes wide behind his glasses. "then perhaps she was here to sabatoge the empire from the inside out too.. Maybe.. she was reporting us to the Diamonds." he continued to shake his head. "And if that's true, then Peridot" she looked at him. "we may very well know who was the one who'd told the Diamonds about our Chemical Elle Ghee." 

"Rose er, Pink Diamond must've told them how to make it. She probably was the one to give them a few samples as well."

He nodded slowly. "It was her.. It was her all along. She was working undercover for them." 

"See?! I KNEW she wasn't right. She just never sat well with me." said Phi Lo.

Mr. Wascoite was quickly going back to his more stoic demeanor as he scratched at his chin, his fingers going through his short beard. "That makes sense as to how Rose was able to "murder Pink Diamond" with her sword. Because, she didn't. 

"I was thinking the same thing!" said Phi Lo. "Everyone was asking how her sword that _didn't_ have Diamond essence in it could cut through Pink's clothes that _did_ have both white, yellow AND blue diamond essence in it. A sword wouldn't had been able to cut through even with just ONE of the diamond essence's in it."

He nodded. "A setup." 

"That cunning liar.." she hissed out. 

"Well," he cleared his throat. "unfortunately there is nothing we can do now. What's done is done. She is gone and now we need to find Lonny and work on preparing ourselves for the Diamonds. Talc." he looked at the boy. "That's where you come in. You'll continue to work as a Crystal Gem, but we'll also keep close communication. If anything about Lonny's whereabouts come up, then we'll be sure to contact you as soon as possible. There, we'll use you in our next step in taking him down. And as soon as we take him down, then I'll dismantle the authority and despite if there are those who don't want to leave. And we won't even have to worry about the Diamonds either. They'll continue with what they're doing and we'll be free of our own authority."

"Wait.." Steven looked from Mr. Wascoite to Peridot. "Once we catch Lonny then.. trying to fight against the Diamonds will just.. end like that? You won't even try to dismantle them either?" 

Mr. Wascoite fixed him a leveled stare. "And for what should we go into their own Authority to do such a thing? Once our Authority became even more wicked than what it already was and with the Diamonds coming into battle with us nonstop for years, we wanted no part of the gang anymore. The plan was to dismantle _our_ on empire so _we_ can be free. However, we were fighting the Diamonds as a side project because we're still Crystal Gems. Similar to what we're doing now. We're trying to reinvent any of the three diamond essences and we're currently making more weapons and gadgets and formulating plans for the Diamonds' arrival. As well as keeping a close eye on the pink diamond." _What does he mean by-_ "BUT if and when we find Lonny and we get rid of him, then I will take down the empire and we will step down against the Diamonds and everything else."

Peridot nodded. "If those clods want to continue living life like.. well, a punch of clods then that'll have nothing to do with us. We'll be free and they can rot after living their cloddy lives being clods to.. other clods around them who ALSO act like clods because they're ALL cloddy clods and!!-" 

Mr. Wascoite placed a hand in her shoulder and Peridot stopped mid rant. He turned to Steven. "They are their own separate empire. We, will focus, on ours. And only ours. _Not_ theirs."

"But.. their freedom-"

"Has nothing to do with us. We need to focus on our own people's safety and freedom."

"But why? We should help them too. The people there should also have a chance to leave the diamonds too! Even the Diamonds themselves! Everyone deserves another chance!"

Another leveled stare from the man.

"Talc." Peridot hissed out.

"Steven." Phi Lo cut in. "You don't know _anything_ about the Diamonds. They're ruthless.. brutal people who kill without any remorse and steal and torture people and-" 

"Like us?" he challenged.

Phi Lo was silent for a full second before she found her voice again. "Steven." she began. "We are _not_ like the Diamonds. They're much. _much_ worse.. Believe me.." her lip tensed into a thin line. "I know.." 

"So we're just less horrible than the Diamonds because.. they stole and killed more people than us. That doesn't give us a right to try to leave when they can't. Both of us are doing the same thing. They're just doing a bit more than us." 

"Talc." Mr. Wascoite stepped in. "Those Diamonds are the cause of why hundreds of our Crystal Gems are very ill. They unleashed a poison in an attempt to kill all of us."

"So you're saying that if we didn't have a similar poison such as that we wouldn't had done the same thing to them?" 

The gentleman was quiet.

Steven sighed. "See? This is what I mean. We're no better than them. Why are _we_ planning to save our own selves when there are people who are probably just a desperate to leave their own empire too? I wanted to leave this authority from the start. Even before I knew anything about the Diamonds and even before I found out that you wanted to use me to take down the empire. I found out those two things just today and, that just motivates me to work even harder to take down both authorities." 

Steven waited for Mr. Wascoite to counter him. Or to raise his voice slightly higher than his speaking voice. But, he asked instead. "You just found out that you were apart of our plan?" 

"Huh?- Uh, yeah. Phi Lo told me since I have the pink diamond essence that you probably planned something big for me."

The boss was quick to turn to Peridot who had a rather guilty expression on her face. "You didn't tell him? Which means he _also_ doesn't know that I ordered for the Gems to find someone to help them with the heist as a cover up to actually find someone to help out with the plan." _WAIT?! WHAT!? SO I'M APART OF THIS HEIST?!_ "All of that was supposed to be one of the first things to tell him during his verification process." 

"I.. I know.." she ducked her head between her shoulders. "But.. the Gems were there and I couldn't jeopardize them hearing me. Then I.. got a bit side tracked afterwards during those times when it was just us two when I _could've_ told him-"

"That is no excuse, Peridot." he scolded. "You were to tell him before it'd gotten this far. It is bad enough that you told me you didn't inform him of the talks you had with the Gems. It doesn't matter what Amethyst says, _I_ said that he needs to know about these discussions." 

Steven looked over at Peridot. 

Would he finally start being filled in with what's going on?

"I, I know.. but then every time the Gems would come, they would always have something to say or show me or I would have to show them something in regards to the Diamonds-"

He held a hand up. "There is no excuse. You could've called him, you could've asked for a minute with him and have the Gems leave out. Anything. You have no excuse to had not informed him of this." 

"But.." she stopped herself. Seeing a glare from her grandfather. She frowned. "申し訳ございませんでした。 (Mōshiwake gozaimasen deshita。I am truly sorry for what I did.)" she whispered meekly. She looked at her grandfather's disappointed glare. "弁解の余地がない。。(Benkai no yochiganai.. I have no excuse..)"

There was silence, though Steven didn't want it to drag out and he didn't want Peridot's embarrassment and scolding to last any longer than it had to be. 

He cleared his throat softly and they looked at him. "But.. I know it now, so.. that's the main part right? My main point is, I want to help everyone. The Crystal Gems, the Diamonds." then he quickly remembered. "And I want to help our sick friends." realization came over him. "So if we found Lonny and you took down the authority.. what were planning on doing with them?" 

"Without the authority, and by extension, the Peridots no longer working and trying to find the cure, we would've dropped them off at nearest hospitals for the doctors to find the cure." 

"Without them knowing anything about .. anything?! How diamonds may be the cure for them or everything that the Peridots had done up to this point?! 

"We would've sent them documents, yes."

"But.. would they even be able to find better cures? It seems like the Peridots have a better grasp on all of this. They could probably find it quicker." 

"Once the empire falls, it is up to the Peridots on whether they want to continue to work on a cure or not. It is, as we said, would be their choice." 

"I.." _That is.. true.. but._ "I just want to save everyone."

"And sometimes you can't, Talc. It's a tough pill to swallow. Reality. But you can't help every single person you come across. That's just not how it works."

Steven tried to keep his eyes on the man, but he felt his attention start shifting towards the floor. "I could still try.." he mumbled.

"Talc. Finding Lonny is another mission by itself. Then we have to prepare for the Diamonds as well as prepare your group for the heist." he would _really_ need to ask about this 'heist'. "And now you want to try to dismantle the Diamond Authority that has long been running for over eighty years now." he was shocked to hear that. This Authority running for that long, though he tried not to show his surprise through his expression. "And then we have the sick Crystal Gems who may or may not ever be cured. Even if we are to somehow manage to get an actual diamond or mimic the essence of one-"

"But we can still try!"

"Talc-"

"We can still. try." he said again. "Every single person deserves a chance and we need to think about _everyone_ else. I really think this could work. And, maybe we could talk to them. Instead of weapons and, being brutal. I think that.. maybe we could change their minds. The Diamonds and everyone working under them. And the Crystal Gems as well. I already have one person on my side." he didn't want to give Garnets name away. "so I think that, even if there are some Crystal Gems who don't want to leave at first, maybe we can change their minds as well. And maybe the Diamonds will give us a cure and we'll be able to save our sick friends too." 

The gentleman looked at him.

"It's.. possible." 

The man sighed through his nose. "I don't think I've ever met someone who was as naive and unrealistically optimistic as you." Steven frowned. "Something like this is unthinkable. Dealing with the Diamond Authority. It is borderline impossible." 

"Please.. I just want to try. We're already going to face them anyway? Or, if we don't find Lonny first? But I still want to do both." 

The man shook his head. "Unrealistic goals." he stated and Steven kept his sorrowful expression on his face. "Though." and Steven looked up. "If _you_ want to do this. If _you_ think we really have a chance, then that will be your own shoes to fill. And we will focus on finding Lonny and getting ready for the Diamonds and keeping a look out for the pink diamond." 

Steven quickly nodded towards the man. "Of course! I don't mind that at all!" 

There was a single nod from Mr. Wascoite. "Now that we have settled that, I believe we can continue with this later. Ky-" he cleared his throat. "Phi Lo, you can rest up here a bit more if you like. There's also a full bath if you want to freshen up. And I'll have Peridot to come back up and bring you a proper bag with a a few dried, healthy foods."

"Oh, yes, yes yes!" she cheered. "It's.. been so long since I had a proper-" she stopped, blushing in embarrassment. "well.. I'll take a shower." she mumbled. 

Mr. Wascoite showed her to the bathroom and while he was showing her where the toiletries were, Peridot was busy typing on a tablet strapped to her wrist. She lowered it down a few moments later and gave Steven a minute nod. "I'll be back." she told him and he gave her the salute. 

She walked towards the wall she'd came from. She pressed her hand on the wall and a thin white light formed under it. She lifted her hand back up and the door appeared within the wall and slid open. She walked in and turned around. The door slid down towards the floor and Steven lowered his arms back down after a few moments. 

Wascoite was coming out of the bathroom. He closed the door behind him and made his way over to Steven. He thought he was going to say something to him; instead, the gentleman walked pass him and sat down in the recliner. 

And, Steven eased up slightly and leaned on the back of the moped. 

They heard the shower water turn on.

And the two sat and leaned there in silence, say for the muffled sound of the water hitting the bottom of the tub.

And Steven thought about what they'd talked about. He'd learn so much in just a few hours with these two than he'd learned with the Crystal Gems within his two months of training with the Gems. But, there was just _so_ much more he wanted to know.. Like-

He turned to Mr. Wascoite. The elderly man was looking at his watch, possibly doing something of Gem related importance.

"Uh..Mr. Wascoite?" Steven said meekly.

The gentleman looked up from his watch. 

"Who are the Diamonds exactly? I just know that we're fighting them and that, Rose was one. And.. that they're terrible people."

The man slid his red sleeve back over the watch and turned his feet towards Steven. "They at first, were a small, two person group. White Diamond and Steel-Grey Diamond. Formerly known as Duo Diamonds when they first came out. They were a married couple who started the group somewhere between the late nineteen thirties to early nineteen forties. They built these powerful machines to practically hollow out the Earth. And some, would even call it terraforming. Though that job was later given to their Lapis Lazuli's once they hired more people.." then he went back onto the topic. "They dug up these lands, destroying them in means of finding oil and other natural resources. They would get what they needed and leave, completely tearing down and damaging the area. People were after them after the first three, four damages but they were never caught. Then news came around that they were expecting their first child, who is now known as Yellow Diamond. The one who'd typed out that warning letter to us." Steven nodded. "Of all their daughters, she's the most ruthless one of all. AND the most successful. When she was born, this was the start of their new name as their family grew. With a new Diamond into the family, they then called themselves the Diamond Authority. But that's not the only thing that changed. Apparently a bit after she was born, they thought of another greedy plan. Oil and other natural resources just weren't enough for them. They soon started digging for diamonds while they would dig up the lands. They hired people in secret and they started building their empire just a few months after their daughter was born. And, very soon after that, that's what they were known for. Digging up lands and stealing diamonds. Ten years and they had their second daughter, Blue Diamond. Way more emotional than her sister but just as unremorseful. And, with each passing decade, their empire grew. And they became even more wicked. Killing people and even tormenting them. And still, they were never caught. Then Steel-Diamond died from an illness, and was survived by his wife and daughters. And they continued after his death and still are. Though I'm not sure if White Diamond is still alive. If she is, she has to be every bit over one hundred by now." he scratched at his beard. "I'm not one hundred percent sure what Yellow Diamond meant by 'The Diamonds' in her letter. Was she including the rest of the family? With her mother as well? I know Blue Diamond is still alive. She is recruiting the men in the black suits and white shades. But they all could be recruiting people.." he shook his head. "There's just still so much that we don't know." 

So much interesting.. chilling information..

Yet even with the information he was given, they were _still_ so mysterious to him..

"Maybe we'll learn more about them?"

_And maybe it'll be something that could get us more close and personal to them.._

"Maybe. We've been learning bits and pieces of them for _this_ long."

Steven digested what he'd all heard.. but he still wanted to know more..

"I was wondering.." Mr. Wascoite looked at him. "Is Rose's door made of the pink diamond essence too? How Amethyst made it seemed, it sounded like only Rose Quartz could open it. Yet, when I went close to her door, the ring started glowing. And when I grabbed the doorknob it just slid into the door and the rose symbol spun out and opened the door."

Mr. Wascoite nodded once. "We didn't know how well the pink diamond was going to work mixed in with machines and weapons. So we used the door as an experiment. She didn't know anything about it. The only people who knew that I secretly hid the pink diamond was Phi Lo. And then, Peridot years later."

"I.. see.." then he hesitated. Soon saying as a door was opened from the bathroom. "How.. long was Phi Lo in that cellar anyway? She didn't even _know_ Peridot."

"For twenty three years."

"What-"

"Twenty three years?" 

They looked up to see Phi Lo in her blue jumpsuit.

"I've been in that cellar.. for twenty three years.."

"Miss Lee!- Uh..-"

She sighed. "Don't worry, Steven. I told myself in the shower that I wasn't going to sulk over that." she still looked upset. "I told myself.. I wouldn't think back on that." her eyes said otherwise and she looked pained. "I'm here now.. and there's no going back." 

"R.. right."

A door slid open and Peridot walked out carrying a black backpack. "I have the nourishments." she stated plainly. She walked over to Phi Lo. 

Mr. Wascoite got up from his chair with an old man grunt and Steven heard the man's bones cracking. "Alright, everyone. I can not use up any more time. I need to take care of more Gem business." he turned to Phi Lo. "Though it was extremely nice to have seen you again, Phi Lo." he smiled. And Steven noted that that was the second smile he saw that guy ever make. "May we see each other again one day, when the empire is long gone and I am living my life once more."

She smiled back. Practically beaming. "I hope we do." 

"Aaaalright. Aaaalright." Peridot cut in. She pushed the bag into Phi Lo's arms. "Just when are _you _ leaving anyway?

To Steven, Phi Lo had both a mixture of smugness to her features yet an apologetic smile on her face. "Well, since I have my jumpsuit and gadgets. And I have freshened up and I have some food for my journey." she shrugged as she put the pill bottle inside the backpack. "I could, leave now actually."

"Hm." Peridot nodded.

"Are you sure?" Mr. Wascoite asked. "I don't want you to overexert yourself."

"Don't worry. I'll be fine." 

"Okay, good." Peridot cut in. _"I'll_ be sure to kindly see you to the door and escort you out." she said matter of factory.

"Hey.. Peridot." Mr. Wascoite warned.

"What pop pop?" she said innocently. "Seeing someone to the door is proper hospitality."

"Watch it.." 

Peridot pouted.

Her grandfather cleared his throat. "As I said before, I do hope to see you again Phi Lo." he said gently. "Now, my granddaughter will _kindly"_ he gave her a stern look and she pouted more. "show you and, I believe Talc as well" the boy nodded. "out the door." 

"Okay. And, thanks again Mr. Wascoite. For everything." 

"The pleasure is all mine." he turned for the door when Seven shouted out. "Mr. Wascoite!" he still had a lot of questions.. but there was one particular one he really wanted to be answered.

"You said something about a heist. You tricked the Gems into hiring me for it.. What is it?"

"If we are to still go on with it, this will be our biggest heist yet. We are planning to steal the second and last pink diamond. For right now, it's still going under gem glow to preserve it more, but once that's done and it's put under display, then we'll steal it."

_The biggest heist yet.._

_And stealing the last pink diamond.._

He tried to ignore his stomach twisting inside him. "Oh, uh.. okay." he managed to say. "That's.. all I wanted to know. T, thank you." then he made his salute towards the gentleman.

He gave Steven a nod and turned back around. He pressed his hand against the wall and the door formed into it and slid up. He walked inside and turned around as the door slid back down between them. 

Steven held his stance for a few more moments before bringing his arms back down.

"Okay. Time for you two to go." Peridot said bluntly. "You can get inside your vintage mode of transportation and follow me." she walked towards the wall, ignoring Phi Lo. 

"I still can't see." she raised her arm out. 

"MMmmm~." she continued her walk towards the secret door. 

Steven jogged over and took the woman's arm. He walked her over to the moped and she slid inside the sidecar. Then he handed her the bottle of cream and she put it in the backpack. 

"Come on, Lion." the dog was laying down near the reclining chair. He got up and walked over towards them. 

Steven sat down and slid his gloves on while Phi Lo was strapping the helmet on.

Peridot placed her hand on the wall and the dirt that they'd came out of formed within the wall and slid open. Steven turned the moped on, backed up and turned left towards the door. Peridot was already inside the small compartment. He drove in and the door slid behind them. The rumbled and descened towards the ground floor. 

The door opened in front of them and Peridot stepped to the side to make way for them. "This is as far as I have to go." 

"See you later, Peridot!" Steven smiled.

"See you soon, Talc."

"See you, Peridot! It was nice meeting you!" 

"Er.. yes.. um..like..wise.." she looked back to Steven. "So, Talc. Keep a close ear out for us. If anything comes up, either my grandfather or I will give you a call." 

"Sure thing." he turned the handlebars back on the moped. "Take it easy, Peridot." 

"And you do the same."

He drove pass her and out the door and it immediately slid back into the ground behind them.

"Looks like we're out on the road again, Miss Lee."

"Yeah." she smiled. "And it's an amazing feeling."

Steven drove them from the side of the building and out to the front of it, driving closer to the bridge. "So, where are you going? I'm not sure where I'm taking you." 

"You can drop me off at the nearest oceanside or beach." she said. "I'll be fine from there."

"The ocean?" 

She nodded. "My gadgets work better when I'm by the water. I can utilize it. If something comes my way, I can use the water to protect myself."

"Cool.." then he wondered. "But how are you going to make it across such a huge body of water?"

"I have my ice wings." she leaned forward and pointed to her back. Two ruler-sized, thin, rectangular blocks were laying side by side together at the middle of her back. "I can activate this and the two pieces will snap out." she gestured by throwing her arms out to the side. "And the wings will slide down from them."

"Whoa.. so they're like.. jetpack wings."

"Sure, you can say that."

"Cool.. wish I could fly. Or, I don't know. Float or something at least." he slowed down to a stop.

"But your shoes are equipped right? You can super jump."

He resisted a pout. "No.. I can't do that." he grabbed his phone from the neck of the moped and unlocked it.

"Really? Huh.. that's usually one of the first things they give you."

He _really_ had to resist a pout. "I don't know.. They're still, working on them or something." 

She scoffed. "Then they must be making them extra special then."

"Yeah.." he shrugged. "Maybe." he placed the phone back on the moped. "Okay, so it says that the nearest part of an ocean is about an hour and a half ride WHICH.. means that.. we'll probably get there in about three or so hours with the moped."

Phi Lo snorted with a head shake. "Of course. But, at least on the bright side, my eyes should be healed by then and I should be able to see." 

"That's being optimistic." Steven smiled jokingly. He started the drive along the bridge once more. "Also, I can't help but wondering.. where are you going exactly? Uh, if you don't mind telling me." 

There was a wan smile on her face. "I'm going back home." and there was such a soft, melancholic tone in her voice. "I'm going back to where I grew up in Vietnam." he looked over, already seeing the tears in her still, milky white eyes. "Steven, I really can't believe this. Me, alive and actually going back home." a tear fell from an eye. "It's so surreal, being out here. Getting help and now on my way to a new life." another tear fell down her cheek. "All of this has been feeling like one huge dream and even now I'm wondering if I'm going to wake up.."

"This is real." he assured her. "You've managed to escape. And you're a brand new person now." and she really looked like one. Her clean, velvet skin glowing under the late afternoon sun in front of them. Her jet black hair shining under her helmet. And her jumpsuit hiding her bony, malnourished figure. She really did look like a different person. 

But most importantly, she was already looking much happier and more at peace.

"I _feel_ like a brand new person." she cheesed, showing her freshly cleaned, teeth. 

"And now Miss New and Improved Lee, it's time to sit back and relax and, enjoy the ride. Next stop, the ocean. Final destination.. Vietnam-", "Home." she said over him with a tearful smile..

"Yeah.. home.. And, to a fresh, start of a new journey ahead." 

She wiped away the tears on her cheek as more slid down her face. "Yes.. And I can't wait." 

Steven drove them down the bridge and farther away from the building. They would have at least another three hours until they arrived at the ocean side, but neither he or she minded that. The main thing is getting there.

And it would all be worth it. Everything that had happened up to this point was all worth it. Him leaving the house at night to go to FloorMart, him buying this old moped and driving off and on for seven hours, him breaking in, him taking her out to eat then going to the GemTech building.. and now, he was taking her to his final stop with her. Everything had been all worth it. And very soon, she would be traveling long the ocean until she reached her own final destination. And he was going to make sure of that.

He pulled back the handlebars, trying to increase the speed of the moped.

He couldn't wait and he was giddy _for_ her. He wanted to get her to the beach as soon as possible so she could start living her life.

He couldn't wait.

He was going to take her there and take her there safely.

And there, they would part ways where she turned to a new chapter in her life.

She was going to start living it.

She was going to head home and never look back.

At last, she was finally going to be free.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, guys. I know that there are many more Diamonds like steel gray, green, red, orange, etc. But to keep it simple, there's literally only four types of Diamonds in this fic. (But the Diamond family however will still choose different colored names as we saw with the husband named Steel-Grey Diamond. (And yes, I'm well aware that I spelled it as *Grey and not & *Gray)
> 
> .... ;)
> 
> Aaanywho, the heist was talked about in the very first chapter Gem Glow where the Gems were looking at the pink diamond on the screen and plotting and talking about how they would need an extra person for it.
> 
> And uh, yeah. I know this is dialogue heavy but I wanted to make sure that everyone was pretty much on the same page here and I wanted to write more about the Diamonds as well. 
> 
> Steven finally knows the truth that he was going to help them sabatoge the empire from the inside out and he FINALLY knows what Peridot and the Gems had been discussing all of those times. In extension, he finally know about the Diamonds as well :)
> 
> Also, on an unimportant note, we finally see Peridot being scolded xD All of those other times, she's been smug or stern or both and have held her ground BUT, she must always respect her pop pop :3 Nobody messes with Granddaddy Wascoite or make him mad xD


	163. Sound the alarm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nineteen hundred hours is seven p.m.

A middle aged woman was walking down the cool, dark hallway. It was now going on nineteen hundred hours and she would have to feed their prisoner, as she or one of the other Tourmalines did so promptly everyday for twenty three years now.

She put the code into the tablet and opened the door. A tray with a single piece of bread smeared with an unknown spread on it and beside it, just a dixie cup of water. 

She closed the door behind her and took her steps towards the mirror. "Kyanite," she called out for her. "your food."

Usually the woman in question would be limping her way over towards her, practically begging for the food.

But this time, she didn't.

"Kyanite." 

No answer.

Was she finally dead? Had she finally withered away into nothing? Had it finally been too much for her?

She took another step towards the glass and peered inside. "Kyanite." she didn't see anyone there. 

"What.." 

She put the code into the tablet and the glass of the mirror slid open. She leaned inside of the small, smelly, dirty compacted area. 

Nobody. was there..

And fear started to creep into her. "Oh no.." 

She dropped the tray and ran out the door and down the hall, passing the cells along the loud hallway.

She ran inside the elevator, pressing the necessary buttons to head up to the fourth floor of the base. 

The elevator dinged and right as the doors were beginning to slid open, she squeezed her way through and ran down the hall.

Amethyst's door was to her left. The door still closed. The woman not having left out since the time they'd came back from their mission at the fountain.

She knocked on her door. A few quick, urgent taps on the metal surface.

"What's with the banging!!" she heard a muffled shout from the room.

"Sorry, Amethyst! It's Tourmaline facet 4 cut 3XH!! I have some VERY urgent news for you!!" 

She didn't hear anything for a few moments.

Then faintly, she heard the shuffling of feet towards the door. It was pulled open swiftly, catching Tourmaline facet 4 a bit of guard. Though she quickly composed herself as she stood in front of her boss, Amethyst. The woman in loose fitting pants and a plain white shirt. Black shades over her eyes and her hair everywhere on her head. "What?" she snapped.

"It's.. Kyanite." she wrung out her hands. "She's gone.."

The first time didn't register as quickly. And Amethyst looked at her, raising her eyebrow up at the woman. "What?" she grunted. "You mean finally she's dead?" 

Tourmaline licked her lips. She shook her head. "No.. I mean, she's not in her cell. She's.. gone.. I think she somehow.. managed to escape." she braced for an outburst.

That registered.. and in a mix of anger and shock, Amethyst yelled out. "WHAT!!!!!!!" the lady jumped and trembled in front of her.

Amethyst ignored the splitting headache she just made worse. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE ESCAPED!!!!"

"I.. I don't know. I was coming to give her the food and she wasn't there-"

"GET" Amethyst pushed her. "out my way." she stopped in the middle of the hall. "GARNET!! PEARL!! IN THIS HALLWAY!! NOW!!" 

Footsteps were heard running to either door and both opened up. Pearl in her white bedroom cap and long nightgown and Garnet with her afro tied up on top of her head and sporting shorts, one side green and the other side white with a black short sleeved shirt. 

"KYANITE HAS ESCAPED!!" she yelled and the two looked at her, mouth agape and completely shocked. "YOU TWO HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH THIS?!?!" she pointed at them and they held their hands up, shaking their heads silently. 

Then Amethyst quickly realized-

She glared at them. "We're going to check the tapes." she grinded out. 

  
  


Pearl was rewinding the video footage.

"I still don't know.. HOW SHE COULD'VE ESCAPED!!" Amethyst's voiced bounced of the room of the small security room. "WE HAVE THIS PLACE ON LOCKDOWN!!! HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE!!!! AND THEN.. SHE SOMEHOW MANAGED TO SHUT DOWN ONE OF THE CAMERAS TOO!!!" she pointed at a black square in one of the many camera blocks on the screen.

"I'm.. not sure Amethyst.." Pearl was afraid to say anything more. She kept the tap on rewrind, now going back between the hour of eigh and seven.

Garnet also kept quiet. The woman sitting in a chair right beside her.

"OF COURSE YOU'RE NOT SURE, PEARL!! THAT'S WHY YOU'RE CHECKING THE FOOTAGE!!!" 

"Y.. yes, Amethyst.." she said softly. 

The video was now showing the footage between seven and six in the morning. Then between six and five.

Amethyst growled on the other side of her. "JUST WHEN DID SHE LEAVE!!!!-" the footage shown a door opening and Pearl paused the footage right as two figures were heading out for the door. Slowly, carefully, she began rewinded the tape back bit by bit, and more of the two figures were slowly walking backwards from the door. The second figure being Kyanite and the first figure.. 

Amethyst shot up out of her chair. "That _can't_ be.." she hissed out. 

To a normal bystander, they wouldn't had known. But to the Gems.. 

The pink hibiscus mask that he stupidly put on.. the pink flip flops.. the cuffed jeans.. 

And the dog with his pink fur was even more easy to spot out.

..it was clear who it was.

Who _he_ was..

"That.. no good piece of.." she growled out. She narrowed her eyes at the clip. "He helped her escape.. _He_ was the one.. who let her ..OUT!!!!" she screamed in Pearl's ear. The woman jumped slightly. 

Amethyst ran for the door. "SUIT UP!!! WE'RE GONNA FIND HIM!!!" she put the code into the tablet. "EVERYONE MEETS AT THE INKAS IN FIVE MINUTES!!!!" she ran out the door and they followed right behind her, Pearl being the one to lock up the room once more. 

Amethyst ran up to her room and threw her closet door open. She threw her clothes off and slipped on her jumpsuit. Then she ran out the room as she unlocked her phone. Pearl, then Garnet ran out of their rooms and followed behind her.

Amethyst pressed on a name and put the phone up to her ear. 

It rung four times before it clicked over. " Heya, Amethy-"

"Jasper, put Lapis on the phone!"

"She's sleep. Also, Good evening to you t-"

"Wake her ass up!! This is important!!

"Tcsh.. fine.." he got up from the couch and began walking up the stairs.

"HURRY UP, JASPER!!!" the Gems ran inside of the elevator and the doors closed in front of them.

"Okay, calm down........... runt." 

She snarled. "Not today Jasper."

He opened the door and walked over to Lapis napping peacefully in their bed. Their daughter, Malachite finding the carpet more comfortable. The lady snoring back on the floor beside the bed.

He shook her shoulder gently and it didn't take long for the blue haired woman to be woken up. She cracked open a blue eye. "Jasper.. really?" 

"Amethyst is on the phone." 

"Amethyst?"

"Hhnn." he grunted and held the phone out towards her. 

She leaned up on her arm and grabbed the phone. "Hello?" 

"LAPIS, I'M GOING TO SPLIT SCREEN THIS TRACKER APP!! YOU'LL NEED TO BRING YOUR GADGETS AND FOLLOW THE TARGET!!"

"Whoa, Ame. What's going on?" she looked at Jasper. He could only shrug his muscular shoulders.

"TALC!!!" , "Who's Ta-", "UNLEASHED AN ICE GEM!! WE NEED SOMEONE WITH YOUR EXPERTISE TO COME AND TAKE KYANITE DOWN!!" 

"What?! Kyanite escaped or-"

Jasper looked at her in disbelief. 

"YOU'RE OUR BEST WATER GEM!! IF THERE'S ANYONE WHO CAN SUBDUE HER, IT'S YOU!! SO HURRY UP!! WE NEED ALL FOUR OF US!!"

"Okay, I'm on it, Amethyst. Be there as quick as I can." 

The woman hung up and Lapis sighed dramatically as she sat up. 

"What? What happened?"

Lapis slid off the bed. "Apparently someone let Kyanite escape." she jogged over, leapt over Malachite and continued her jog over towards the dresser.

"Someone was actually able to bypass the cameras?!" he couldn't believe it.

She opened her drawer. _"And_ the motion sensors." she added. She took out her mottled dark and light blue jumpsuit. "They need me to join them in taking her down." she threw the jumpsuit on the dresser and took off her shirt. "Not sure how long I'll be," she looked at the digital clock beside them. _14:12_ "but I should be back for the mission in Kauai." she took her pants off and grabbed her jumpsuit. She put one leg in. "I'll keep you and Mal updated, but I'll try and be as quick as I can." she pulled the jumpsuit up and zipped up the front.

"Malama pono. (Take care)" Jasper gave her a kiss. "A hui hou (See you soon)." 

She left out the room and Jasper walked pass Malachite. He took the blanket from the bed and slid it off and laid it over his daughter. 

  
  


Lapis checked her phone. A tracker app was pulled up on her screen and she could see a red dot going slow and if she could remember correctly.. the dot was going towards the Delmarva area.

She clicked the phone to her wrist and pressed a blue button on the other. Glass that'd been cut and shaped into a wavy form of water slid down from a horizontal bar from her shoulders. She pressed the inside of her index finger, activated the flapping mode and the wings raised upwards and back down fast, shooting her up towards the air. The jetstream of the air behind her hitting and crashing into the palm trees beside their lanai (patio). 

  
  


Amethyst was glaring at the screen on the tablet in front of them as Garnet drove them down the highway fast, vehicles blurring into the scene on either side of them.

She rubbed at her forehead. "That damn Talc.." she hissed out. "What was on his.. mind!!!! How did he even get in?! How did he even KNOW about her?!-" she shook her head hard. "He's.. going to get it.." she said coarsely. "Heh.. oh he's gonna get it.." 

Garnet kept her stoic posture. Her face plain and still. Though the fear and worry she had for Steven was boiling inside of her. 

She didn't want anything to happen to him.

But she knew she couldn't do anything about it if something did..

And if something _did_ happen to him, she wouldn't forgive herself..

Just like how she still didn't forgive herself for the death of-

She shook her head of the thoughts and kept her eyes on the road as she changed lane after lane, driving in between cars, motorcycles and tractor trailers.

Pearl leaned back in her chair, completely unfazed. She didn't care what Amethyst would do to him.

Amethyst opened the glove compartment in front of her. She took a bottle of advil out and popped two capsules into her hand. She dry swallowed them and threw the bottle back in the compartment and slammed it back shut. She threw herself back in her chair, waiting for the effects of the medicine to hurry up and alleviate the migraine she still had. 

"He's definitely going to get it." Amethyst growled out again. And Garnet glanced at her before looking back at the fast moving road ahead of them. "Just wait.. when I get my hands on him.." she clenched her hands, bearing her teeth. "See if he'll live after that.." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoaho! We FINALLY got a smaaaaall glimpse of Lapis, Jasper and Malachite! (Even though the latter was sleeping, lol) =D
> 
> *Also, just a little tidbit, they live in Hawaii. Hence the different time zone and them having a mission in Kauai ;D
> 
> Aaaand, not to mention the Hawaiian phrases ;P


	164. NOT so fast.. Where do you two think you're going?

Steven was still driving towards the ocean.

They would've been there at least an hour ago but.. the vintage moped.. wasn't doing too hot. 

"Come on... come on.." Steven grumbled under his breath. The moped sputtered and rumbled underneath of them. He sighed. "Sorry, Miss Lee.. But I think we're going to need another pit stop. See if I can figure out what's going on."

"Okay." she looked at him, rather than in his general direction. Her eyes now completely cleared of the ulcers.

Just a few blocks down, they were nearing a lone gas station. He pulled in and drove away from the gas pumps and beside an air pump with an Out of Service sign on it. He slid off the seat and opened it up. He pulled the manual out. "Hopefully I'll figure out what's wrong with it." he opened the book. "No.. no it's not the gas. We have plenty of that." he flipped a page.

Lion, noticing that they stopped and that they were in a new area, got up from the floor. He leaned one paw on Phi Lo's knee and the other on the edge of the sidecar. He looked around, taking in the deserted place of the gas station, say for one Winnebago truck pulling in from the dusty road.

"Hey, Lion." Phi Lo cooed. She started scratching the side of Lion's face and the dog turned his attention to her. He climbed up on her and she laughed as he tried to get comfortable on her lap. She continued petting along his face. 

"Hmm.." Steven looked at the moped, lightly smoking, then at the book again. "No.. no I don't think so either.." he flipped another page and noticed. "Huh?" he moved the book just slightly out of his face. Black liquid had formed around his flip flop. "Uh oh.." he crouched down and saw the liquid dripping from some part of the moped. "That's not good.." he stood back up. "Miss Lee?" 

"Yeah, Steven?" 

"Uh.." he placed the book back in the seat and closed it. "Looks like we have a leak coming from somewhere." he looked up seeing the trail behind him. She followed his eyes to the single black trail on the concrete. "Eeeeuuuu.. that's definitely not good." 

"Maybe I could call you a cab." he took his phone off the neck of the moped. Then wondered. "Wait.. I wonder if cabs can drop you off near the ocean side?"

"That's okay, Steven. Now that my eyes have gotten better, I can pretty much fly from here. The beach isn't too far either. It's just another twenty minutes."

He lowered his phone down. "Are you sure? It won't be long." he hovered his fingers along the screen.

"Yeah, it's no problem. By the time a cab comes here, I would be flying above the ocean." 

"I mean.. if you say so."

"Yeah." she gave him a reassuring smile. She gave Lion a gentle push and he got off of her and she stepped out of the sidecar. "Don't worry, Steven. I'll be fine."

"O.. okay." he scratched at his hair. "So I guess this is it? We're, parting ways here."

"So it appears." she went for a small shrug. "And you'll be okay by yourself, right?"

"Heheh, oh. Yeah, I'll be fine. Who knows, maybe I could call Peridot and have her both fix the moped and have someone take me home."

"Good." she smiled. Then her face slowly wrinkled up as she held in her tears. "Steven, I really can't thank you enough." her voice wavered. 

"It was no problem."

"I'm serious. I honestly thought I was going to die in that cellar. But you saved me. Steven, .. no words can express how happy I am that you did this for me. You didn't have to do it. You didn't know me. You just heard the audio clips.. And, you came to rescue me. There aren't many people in general who would do that. Not even Gems would do that. Especially if it meant they would have to risk their life going up against the Crystal Gems in their own gem base. But you didn't care about that." she smiled warmly. "There really is something special about you." 

He blushed, trying to find the words to say. "Uh. It's.. just who I am I guess.." he mumbled shyly. "I couldn't have anyone being trapped inside of the cellar.. It just wouldn't had been right. So,.. I had to save you. To me, that was the right thing to do." 

Her smile grew. "You're going to be someone absolutely remarkable. I just know it." she gave Lion a few pats in the head. "See you, Lion." she leaned back up and picked up her bag. "Thank you so much again, Steven." 

"No, prob, Bob."

She chuckled and placed the bag over her back. "It was really nice meeting you."

"It was nice meeting you too." he saw someone coming towards them and looked pass her and she turned around.

What was he doing here?

"Hey." his neighbor called out to them with his hands up. "Didn't want to scare you two." there was a dad chuckle, that Steven noted that guy did a lot of..

"I just wanted to make sure if everything was okay over here." he looked at the line of oil on the ground and the smoke seeping up into the air from between the moped and the sidecar.

He really didn't feel like talking to the chattery, happy-go-lucky guy..

"It's.. just something minor." he tried playing it off. "It shouldn't be anything too serious. We're fine." 

"Are you sure?" the man had a small, apologetic smile on his face as he walked up towards them. "Looks like you have an oil leak. If you don't have any of the proper tools on you, I'm afraid you two won't be going too far in it." he gave the two such a friendly looking smile that churned Steven's stomach, and he couldn't understand why. 

The guy was just.. always so.. happy. And, such a good natured, dad.. person.. neighbor.. guy..

"If you want, I could take a quick look at it for you." 

"Uh. well." he looked at Phi Lo and she nodded. "Why not?" she suggested.

"..okay.."

"Don't you worry, this'll take a second." Mr. Vecino walked to Steven's side and slowly lowered his butt to the floor. He fished out his keys from his pocket and clicked the back of a small little portable light. He pointed it up and started looking around underneath the engine.

There was a few hmm's and ah's from the guy and then he slowly slid his back away from the moped and sat up. "Now, the good news is that it's nothing major like you said. But if you don't have the two specific pliers and bolts for this model, then you won't be able to fix it."

Steven frowned. "Oh, well.. I was just planning on calling someone anyway." he took a glance at Phi Lo before looking back at his neighbor. "Uh, like, a cab or something." 

"Whaaa?" he said in a rather high pitched voice. "And spend all that money?" he put the keys back in his pocket. "I don't mind taking you home. Shtu-ball" _Uhg... he has his annoying son with him too?_ "and I were just heading home anyway. And" he looked back at Phi Lo. "I could take you to where you have to go as well."

"Oh." she looked surprised. "Well.." she looked at Steven and the man looked at him. "Really. It's no problem with me at all. Why waste so much money on a cab when I could take you two to where you have to go?" 

"Uh.." Steven resisted a sigh. "Sure? But it seems like we're asking a lot." he tried to act guilty.

"No, no. Not at all." he chuckled. "I'll drop you two off. Come on." he tried getting up, grunting and he fell back on his butt with an 'oof'. He rolled back up to a sitting position. "Heheh, old bones like to sneak up on ya." he rolled to his knees and grabbed hold of the moped, and slowly as he grunted, he helped himself. "Phewwwwf." he pressed his hands at the bottom of his back and cracked his back. "Okay. You two wait there. I'll bring the van over." 

He walked pass them and towards the Winnebago.

Phi Lo snorted. "Well he seems like a nice guy. A bit of a goofball, but sweet."

"Mm." Steven leaned on the moped. "It gets annoying pretty quick."

Phi Lo raised an eyebrow at him.

"What? It does. The guy's always so.. okay with everything and..happy happy and, just.. I don't know. It's like he always sees the world in rose tinted glasses."

Phi Lo laughed. "Sounds like you're describing yourself."

"What?" he twisted up his face. "No way. I have my moments when I'm like that, but then I also have my more serious moments. While this guy is always in high spirits and floating on air." 

She could only laughed more. " 'Floating on air' ." she laughed. "And that's a bad thing? You seem pretty mad about it."

"Huh? N, no. I'm not mad about that, I just.. don't understand why he, I don't know, has to be like that all the time. He and his son are both like that. Especially his son. All they do is have fun and go around being happy and, living life like nothing's wrong in this world."

They heard the van turn on behind them.

"OoOoOOhHhhh.." Phi Lo nodded slowly.. knowingly. "I already see what's going on here." she had a sly smile on her face. 

He tilted his head. "What?"

She pointed an causing finger at him. "Yoooouuuu're jealous."

"What?!" he leaned off the motorcycle. "So just because I get a bit annoyed, I'm jealous?"

The van was driving to their side. 

"No, that's not always the case. It definitely isn't. I'm saying, in YOUR case it is. How you're talking about the guy and practically indirectly bragging about his positive qualities even though they don't effect you in any way. And then you bring up the relationship with his son." she kept her sly smile as she folded her arms. "Looks like you have sort of a "wanting that for yourself" kind of thing going on if you ask me."

"I don't." he said a bit too bluntly.

Her expression dropped to surprise. "Uh oh.. Looks like I hit a sensitive nerve there."

It was his turn to be taken aback. "I.." he sighed. Already calming his self down. "No.. I just.. I'm not jealous of them.." he whispered.

The van had backed up and was now driving back up as the wheels turned to the left. 

He wasn't jealous of them.. Why would he be?

They were just two, average people. Just a son and his father acting so happy and at peace together.

Nothing he should be jealous about..

"Steven.. you don't have to be afraid or embarrassed to admit it.." she said softly. And he looked up at her. 

Why did his stomach feel like they were in knots and why did his throat feel tight and..

Why did he feel like he was about to cry-

There was a knock at one of the back doors and one of them opened slowly and Mr. Vecino peered his head out the van. "Good. Didn't hit anyone with the door." he let out a dad chuckle. He pushed it all the way open, then the second one. "Okay, watch and be amazed folks because THIS van has a cool little dolly elevator." he winked and put two thumbs up. 

They looked at him.

"Uh, heheh." he cleared his throat. "Observe." he took a step back and pressed a button on the side of the van. He stepped to the side as a black, metal panel with beams on each side started sliding out from the floor of the car. There was a low whirring sound as it slid all the out and hovered above the ground before the beams started lowering it down. 

"You can roll the moped up on there and this puppy will bring it back up." he said with enthusiasm in his voice.

Steven ignored what he felt just moments ago and ignored what Phi Lo had said. He shook his head of, whatever he was feeling and focused on the present. He kicked back the kickstand and started rolling the moped onto the metal flooring. Phi Lo stepped on with him. 

Mr. Vecino pressed the button again and the beams started pulling the panel back up. Lion looked around, then he looked down as they were pushed farther up and away from the ground. The panel started sliding back across the floor and Lion turned around, looking at the interior of the van.

The panel stopped with a low click.

"There we go." said Mr. Vecino. He walked over to close the doors behind them.

"Oh, cool!!!" Gregory exclaimed from the front seat. He fiddled with his seatbelt and clicked it off roughly. He crawled over the seat. "Is that a sidecar!?! That's what they ride in the comics!!" he ran up to it, bouncing on his toys. "Awe dad! Can I sit in it while you drive the van?! Please, please pleaaaase!!"

His father closed and locked the double doors. "Gregory." he said gently. "That's not ours to play with, son." he walked pass Steven and looked at him. "Sorry." he told him. Then he turned back to his son. "Now come on." he ruffled his hair and Phi Lo looked over at Steven as he watched the interaction. "Let's sit back in our seats and put our seatbelts on." 

"Awwwww.." the boy pouted and walked sadly over to the passengers seat.

"Hey, kiddo. How about some ice cream instead. Won't that cheer you up?"

He sat down and sulked. "Maaybeee.." he pouted. "Or maybe if we could get some pizza too that could cheer me up.." he said sadly. 

"Uh. Sure!" he scratched at the top of his bald head. "I don't see why not." 

And just like that, the boy was in all smiles. "WOOOOO!!!!" he pumped his arms up in the air.

Mr. Vecino turned to the two. "Did, any of you want some pizza and ice cream?" 

Steven, still slightly in his funk shook his head, but Phi Lo was nodding her head fervently. "I haven't had pizza in YEARS!!"

"Years?!" the dad and son exclaimed. 

"Dad! We should take her to Toni's Pizzaría!" he looked at Phi Lo. "They have the GREASIEST CHEESIEST, SAUCIEST pizzas ever!!!" 

"Sounds unhealthy." she deadpanned.

The two started frowning.

"Sounds delicious! Count me in!!" 

The two cheered and Phi Lo cheered with them.

Steven looked at Lion. The dog watching them cheer. "Well, at least you're not acting like that-"Lion started howling with the crew and Steven frowned. "Not you too.." he sighed.

  
  


Mr. Vecino had brought two large chicken and pineapple pizzas (as apparently not only them, but Phi Lo also loved that kind as well) and a two liter soda and two bottles of water (for Steven and Lion) from a small eatery that was actually along the way towards the beach. 

He and his son had one full box and was eating in the front and Phi Lo had taken out two slices and put it in a little to go container she'd asked for. She'd placed it inside the backpack and had gotten two slices to eat now for herself. 

And with Steven out of his funk, whether because of the good smelling food or because he'd given himself time to calm down, he didn't know, but when he was offered pizza again, he gladly took it that time. And he took only two. 

Lion was given a mixture of the last bit of his doggy treats and picked off chicken from the pizza. And he was thorough enjoying it.

"How's everybody back there?" Mr. Vecino was grinning up at the rearview mirror. Sauce all around his mouth and beard.

Phi Lo gave him a thumbs up. "Greasy, cheesy and saucey. Just like the little kid said." she joked, pointing a thumb at the boy. She took another bite of her pizza.

"Well Shtu-ball here is what one may call a food connoisseur." he joked along with her. "He definitely knows his way around foods." 

Gregory turned around in his seat to face her. "Kids at school call me Greg Ramsey!" he cheesed. He folded his pizza and took a massive bite out of the makeshift burrito. Grease slid down his mouth and he chuckled. "Geht icht? Lihk Ghowdan Rhamshey." bits of pizza flew out his mouth. 

Phi Lo saw that and his dad went for his signature nervous chuckle. "Oh, Shtu-ball, you have to be careful talking with your mouth full, son." 

The boy nodded happily and took another huge bite of his pizza. He turned around thumped back down hard on the seat. A single muffled voice of him saying, "Happy summer vacation, Empire City!" was heard, accompanied by chuckles that was soon followed by an overly ecstatic, "Yeaaahh!!" 

"Huh?" the little boy looked down at the blue object underneath of his butt. "Uh oh. Sitting on my mirror." he took another two large bites of his makeshift, burrito pizza, finishing it off. He grabbed the handle of the mirror with his greasy fingers and slid it from under him. He pressed something on the back of the mirror and another voice that sounded like a frantic Lars said aloud after a squeal of panic, "Careful where you're going, Gregory!" The boy laughed and pressed on the back of the mirror again. A voice, this one of Sadie asking casually, "Hey, Gregory. What can I get for ya?" the boy turned back around in his seat towards the two as he chewed the last bites of his food. "Thish mirgror ish shoo cohool!!"

"Uh.. come again?" Phi Lo smirked. She took a the of her pizza.

Gregory chewed a few more times before swallowing. "I said, 'this mirror is so cool' !" he raised the object in the air.

It was a small, round shaped hand mirror. A silver-blue metallic color around the edges and the handle itself. The front of it was a reflective blue glass with both diagonal, horizontal and vertical lines etched faintly inside of it. When Gregory turned the mirror to the back, they could see a series of small buttons right at the dark blue center of the object. 

He pressed one of the buttons and they could hear his voice clear as day say, "I said, 'this mirror is so cool!" Then they saw him press another button and in a clear, sarcastic voice, they heard Phi Lo saying, "Uh.. come again?" 

Steven and Phi Lo exchanged skeptical, uneasy glances yet Phi Lo was back to her smirk. "Hey, Gregory, ya gotta tell someone when you're filming them." she pointed the pizza at him. "That's like, the rules." the complacent smirk was still on her face. 

He tilted his head at her. "Huh? What do you mean?" 

"Uh.. eheh, son.." his father cleared his voice, perhaps from the pizza. "you.. can't just.. film_ every_.. uh, single.. person." his dad said softly. 

"Oh why not?" they could already hear the whine in his voice. "I'm just filming voices. It's fun." 

"Weeell uh, sport. To _some_ people that is." he said softly. 

"I still don't understand. This mirror is hilarious." he pressed another button. In Sadie's voice the mirror asked, "Hey, Gregory. What can I get for ya?" he pressed another button. In Phi Lo's voice, "Uh.. come again?" the boy was up in laughter. "That's not meeee." he pressed a button and they heard Sadie's voice once more ask, "Hey Gregory. What can I get for ya?" another button and, "Uh.. come again?" another button and in Gregory's voice, "I said", another button, ".. what can I get for ya?" another button and in Gregory's voice, "..This mirror..!" the boy was roaring with laughter. 

Mr. Vecino gave the two an apologetic, nervous smile and Phi Lo waved him off. "Ah, it's fine. I was just half joking anyway. The kid's just having a bit of fun." she looked from Mr. Vecino to him. "So.. the mirror can basically repeat stuff, huh?" she asked in a deadpan voice. 

The boy's smile grew more to a full on teethy smile. He pressed a button on the back of the button and turned the mirror around. They could see a video of him in blue. The boy in all smiles as he said "Yeaaahh!!" the same 'yeah' they'd heard from earlier. 

"Oh, nice. So it doesn't just record audio." she nodded. "Interesting concept for a mirror." she took another bite out of her pizza.

"I know! And check THIS out!" he turned the mirror to face him. "Miss Lee!!" he turned the mirror back around and pressed a button. They saw his face inside of the glass in a blue hue. "Miss Lee!!" another button was pressed in the back. The video changed to Gregory petting a Gold Retriever, "..is a new friend!" the boy said happily. 

"Awwwweee~~" she feigned bashfulness. "I am?"

The boy pressed a button and the video changed, "Yeahhh!!!"

"You're my friend too." she smirked. 

He pressed another button and the boy in the same video was now laughing.

"Heh, yeah, that toy isn't half bad."

Steven sat there. To him, the toy could get extremely annoying, extremely quick..

"Wanna try it out?!" he happily suggested towards the two.

"I'm eating." Steven hoped he didn't say it too bluntly. Then another part of him didn't quite care if he did.

"Eh, sure. Bring it here." she finished the rest of her pizza and brushed her fingers across her shirt. She crawled over on her knees and Gregory leaned down and handed her the mirror. She turned it towards the back, then back to the front.

"You record by pressing the button on the handle." 

She swallowed the rest of the pizza. "Mmm.. gotcha." she turned the mirror towards her. 

"So, whatcha gonna do?" Gregory asked happily.

She turned to the side to look at him. "Something absolutely. legendary." she said in a rather mysterious voice. "Watch." she turned back around.

Silence..

The four of them looked at her..

She took a deep breath...

And..

Placed her hand over her mouth, "Pppbbbbttt." 

Gregory looked taken aback before a huge smile came to his face as he laughed loudly in the van.

Steven rolled his eyes.

"Hilarious! That really was legendary!" he turned the his father. "Wasn't it dad!" 

"Heheh, sure was."

Phi Lo was handing Gregory back his mirror. She wiped the grease from the handle onto her shirt.

Gregory turned to his father. "Ooooo, dad! And I almost forgot to show you!" he pressed a few buttons consecutively before pressing one single button. They heard Mr. Vecino's voice as he shouted, "OH!! My back!! Achk! Gregory.. you're old man needs help getting off of the couch again." the boy laughed and his dad chuckled shyly. 

The boy pressed another button and Mr. Vecino's voice was heard in a sigh, "Ah.. then clogged up the toilet again.."

The man began to look a touch embarrassed and with Phi Lo chuckling lightly in the back, it didn't make things any better. 

Gregory pressed a button on the back. In a whispering near mumble, "Ah.. then clogged up" another button button pressed, "My back!!" 

The boy laughed. He pressed another button.

"OH!! My back!!" another button, ".. then clogged up the toilet again.."

The boy could barely contain his laughter. "I didn't know your back could do that daaad."

"Heh.. glad you uh.. like the mirror Grandpop and Grandma got for you." he smiled shyly.

"It's amazing!! The BEST toy I got for being so good in school all year!!" he cheered. He pressed another button. "Achk! Gregory" he pressed another button, "then clogged up the toilet again.." 

He chuckled. "No I diiiiidn't." he said giddily. 

"Pppbbbbttt.", OH!! My back!!", ".. then clogged up the toilet again..", "Uh.. come again?", "I said," , "OH!! My back!!", "then clogged up the toilet again..", "What can I get for ya?", ".. your old man needs help getting off of" , "this mirror!" the boy roared with laughter along with Phi Lo having a good time laughing along with him. "Wow, this kid is tooo good." 

Steven didn't think any bit of that was funny, just, extremely annoying. 

The boy continued to play bits of his dad's audio along with Sadie and Phi Lo's audio clips. 

Mr. Vecino ducked his head low in embarrassment. He scratch at his neck and tried for a smile, "Heh.." 

Steven felt a buzz in his pocket. He pulled his phone out and looked at the screen. It was from Connie again. After he'd sent her that text this morning that he would be taking in yet _another_ shift, she'd texted him how she was worried that he'd been taking too many shifts back to back and that he needed his rest. He'd sent her that he was okay and that he'd be home by tonight. Yet, it was already nighttime and he _wasn't_ there yet. 

**How long until you'll be here?**

The message was short and right to the point and he was wondering if she was starting to get worried about him.

Maybe he should call instead of texting her.. At least she'll know that it's really him.

He pressed on her name and held the phone up to his ear.

The phone rung just once. "Steven, what's wrong?" she blurted out. 

"Huh? Ah, nothing. I just, wanted to call you instead."

"Oh.." she practically breathed out the word. Relieved.

"I should be" the mirror, 'Pppbbbbttt' in the background. "home soon."

Hopefully she didn't hear that, too focused on him or simply not hearing the annoying toy over the phone.. 

"When? Steven you really need your rest." he heard the sound of their curtains being pulled back. "And it's already dark out."

"I know, Connie. And I'll be home in like, I don't know, uh-." 

"In about an hour." he heard Mr. Vecino whisper from the front. 

"In about an hour." he told her.

"In about an hour.", ".. your old man needs help getting off of the couch." , "in about an hour." 

Steven narrowed his eyes at the boy wielding the most annoying toy in the world. 

He heard a sigh on the other end. "Okay.." then she added. "Then I guess I'll see you when you get here.."

"Yeah, I'll see you when I get home." then he had a small thought to cheer her up. He brought the phone up to his mouth and covered his mouth with his other hand and whispered. "Remember, I told you I would be home to kiss you goodniiiight." he cooed. 

"Heh." there was a single, sad chuckle. ".. yeah.." a beat later. "I'll see you when you get home."

"See you, Connie."

She hung up and he put his phone back in his pocket. 

Phi Lo had a look on her face. "Awwwwweeee, don't think I didn't hear that little bit at the end, Mister Kissy Face." she cooed.

"I don't know what you're talking about." he could feel himself blushing.

"Ha! He IS Mister Kissy Face!" Gregory agreed with her. "He's aaaaaaalways kissing his giiiiirlfrieeeeeeend." he teased. "And holding haaaandss and going mwah, mwah, mwah, mwah, mwaaaaaahh." he pressed a button on the mirror. Steven's voice was heard in a low whisper, "Remember, I told you I would be home to kiss you goodniiiight." 

The blush radiated throughout his whole face. 

_Did he really have to record that part too?!_

"Ah! He gotcha on candid camera!" Phi Lo egged it on with the kid. 

"Remember, I told you I would be home to kiss you goodniiiight.", "Uh.. come again?" , "I said" , "Remember, I told you I would be home to kiss you goodniiiight." 

The two laughed loudly in the van.

Steven leaned back on the side, trying to ignore the heat in his cheeks and trying to ignore the two teasing him.

Mr. Vecino looked at him in the rear view mirror. "Hey! How about we, uh, get a move on, huh?" he tried awkwardly cutting into the mirror's audio. "It _is_ getting late and I don't want to hold you two up any longer. Also, Gregory and I have been out all day and I know he's getting tired now." 

"Nu uh, dad." he rubbed at his eye. "I'm nowhere near tired." he blinked slowly. The mirror tipped slightly in his hand.

His dad chuckled. "Come on, let's drop off the nice lady and take us home." he turned the van on.

"Aw.." he leaned back in his chair, already half falling asleep. "But are we at least still getting our ice cream?"

"Heheh, sure we are, kiddo." he ruffled his son's curly dark brown hair and the boy chuckled. He held the mirror back up. "But are we at least still getting our ice cream?" , "Heheh, sure we are, kiddo." accompanied by the sound of chuckling.

Everything was just.. _so_ simple and.. sooo loving between the two..

Steven finally looked away and caught Phi Lo looking at him. She raised an eyebrow at him. 

He ignored the gesture and looked away from her..

Mr. Vecino pulled out of the parking lot and turned into the street.

Phi Lo drunk from her styrofoam cup, drinking the rest of the soda. She picked up the two liter bottle and slowly tipped it over, pouring some more for herself. She leaned the bottle back up and and twisted the cap back on it. She took a few more sips and held the cup in her hand.

Gregory was already fast asleep. The mirror held loosely in his greasy hand. When his dad reached the next stoplight, he grabbed the mirror gently from him and place it gently between the crack of the seat beside him.

The ride was quiet. Though a peaceful quiet and how the van rumbled softly under them, Steven felt himself getting sleepy. Then he remembered that he'd been up for nearly a day and a half. Even Phi Lo was able to get a couple naps in when they were going to the GemTech building and when they were on their way to the beach.

And now, he was starting to feel how tired his body really was.

He dozed off and felt his body tip over. He snapped his self back up. 

Phi Lo was laughing at him. "If you're that tired, then just go to sleep."

"I.. wanted to see you off." he mumbled.

"Then I'll wake you up." she suggested. "But you look wiped. You should get some rest."

"Mm. ..mhm.." he was already dozing off and tilting once more. He snapped himself awake. "Uh?" 

"I didn't say anything."

".. oh.." and right then, he gave up, letting his body win the fight. He laid down on his side, right next to Lion's head. The dog laying down with his back towards them. Lion turned around, realized that it was just Steven laying down beside him and turned his head back around. 

Just as Steven felt his self going to sleep, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. 

His mind went straight to Connie.

Keeping his comfortable position, he slid the phone out of his pocket. Resisting a yawn, he unlocked his phone and immediately, his heart skipped a beat.

_Oh no.. Don't tell me another mission.. Not at this time.. We're all busy!_

He clicked on Amethyst's name.

And his heart almost stopped once he read the message..

**We know you and Kyanite are in this Winnebago. Tell him to pull over. **

He swallowed.. and slowly leaned up from his spot. His heart beating fast in his chest. 

"Steven," she saw the worried look on his face. "what's wrong?"

"Uh.. guys?" the two looked at Mr. Vecino. He had an uneasy expression on his face. "Now.. I want everyone to stay calm.." he said slowly. "I don't want to alarm anyone but.." his eyes looked out the side mirror at the high beams bouncing off the surface from a car behind him. "I.. think we're being.. followed?" his voice went up in a question. "This car.. has been following me for the last five minutes now.." 

Steven could feel his stomach twisting inside of him..

He got up on wobbly legs.

"Steven?" Phi Lo watched as he cautiously looked out the back window of one of the double doors.

His heart raced more in his chest and he felt his self getting sick to his stomach. 

The black car with tinted windows was driving close behind him. 

The Inkas Armored limo..

The Gems were right behind them..

He fell back into the side of the van, hoping that he hadn't been seen through the window but just _knowing_ that he had been..

"Steven?" 

His stomach churned and he swallowed the bile back down.

"Steven-"

"It's the Gems.." he whispered, panting. He swallowed again.

"What?!" 

"Uh.. is.. everything okay back there?" Mr. Vecino looked up at them through the rearview mirror. They could see the man's sorted expression.

"Steven." Phi Lo whispered. "What are we going to do?"

"I.." he trailed off.

"Okay, guys. Let's stay calm." said Mr. Vecino. "Maybe.. maybe they're just going the same way as us until we get to this next exit?" 

The car changed lanes and drove up to the side. 

"Oh.. S, see? Looks like they're changing lanes already.. Heh..they were.. just going the same way for a short distance-"

The car rammed into the van and everyone, say for Gregory who was still asleep, screamed out in terror. 

Mr. Vecino pulled the van back into the road. "O..okay!!" he panted. "Looks like they're trying to get us after all!!" 

"Steven," he looked at Phi Lo. "we have to think of something fast." she whispered to him.

The car rammed into the van again. Harder. And the side view mirror was smashed off of the van. 

"I.. we need to.." his phone buzzed in his hand as a.. familiar tune played and Phi Lo gasped. "Don't tell me.."

Steven, shakily.. raised the phone to his face.

Amethyst.

More fear and anxiety continued to build inside of him.

He turned the phone screen to her and nodded in affirmative. He swallowed. "It's them."

"Don't answer it!"

And.. he didn't.

The tune ended and started up once more as she called back.

The car rammed back into the van and this time, kept pushing the car, forcing it out the road and into the grass. Mr. Vecino could only scream as he tried to gain control of the wheel.

The tune echoing in the van..

"I'm sorry Miss Lee.. but.. I have to answer it."

"Steven, no!"

He swiped across the screen and brought the phone up to his ear. "H, hey Amethyst. How are-"

"Get out of the car." she growled out. _"Now."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned for Ocean Gem =)


	165. Heading for the shore

"Amethyst.." he tried to formulate his words. "..but.."

"I SAID GET OUT OF THE CAR NOW!!"

"I.." he took a breath and shouted out. "NO!!! What you're doing is wrong!!! I am NOT listening to you!! She wants to go home and THAT'S what I plan to do!!!!"

There was silence on the other end before she whispered coarsely "Then you plan to die too."

He swallowed.. panting. "I.. Amethyst."

She hung up.

This was it.

He was trying to save Phi Lo and now he was, without a doubt, going to die today. This was it..

And now all he could think about was Connie.. and all of those things he did behind her back as a Crystal Gem and so many things he _didn't_ do to show that he really loved her-

Mr. Vecino was screaming and now his son had finally woken up. The boy screaming his head off with him; right after the brink of waking up and still fighting off the dream fluff with a bit of daze and confusion in the mix.

His father was now screaming out something to them. But he wasn't catching it. Too occupied with his own thoughts.. wondering just how painful his death was going to be and what Connie would do when the police comes to the apartment and gives her the news.. and.. what she would do without him..

But.. but she_ would_ be better without him.

She could find someone.. so much better..

"Steven!" Phi Lo snapped him out of his reverie and he looked at her.

"Guys!" Mr. Vecino yelled out again. "Uh, still.. Don't be alarmed but, I don't know how long this van will be able to handle this!" there was a sound of a door being bent in from the Inkas truck, still ramming the Winnebago along the edge the guard rail.

Steven was trying to think of something. Anything. He would have to give all that he had since he literally had no other choice. 

And that he was going to die anyway..

While trying to think of a plan, he saw the first strip of the beach coming up.

"Mr. Vecino! Drop us off here!"

"WHAT?!"

"Steven, what are you planning on doing?!" Phi Lo asked him.

"We'll be fine!" he told them both.

"No you two won't!!! There are.. THUGS after us!!! I think it's the Gems!!" then he whined out. "This is JUST like the beach when they just, randomly showed up!!!!"

He took the bracelet out of his pocket and snapped it across his wrist. "Miss Lee. I'll distract them while you leave." he took the ring out and slid it down his other finger on the opposite hand. 

"Steven.." she shook her head. "you don't mean-"

"Don't worry. You can leave and I'll try to hold them off." he squeezed the bracelet on his wrist and five braces jutted out of it and stopped and clipped to his nails. The tiny, pink flat discs laid ready for battle on his knuckles.

Mr. Vecino couldn't believe what he was hearing. OR seeing. 

..Were the two of them both... Was this lady and Steven, his own neighbor apart of the Crystal Gang?! Was he actually in the car with TWO people in the most deadliest gang ever?!

He couldn't believe it.. He was apart of some kind of cat and mouse chase and they were already losing..

He AND his son was now apart of all of this without even knowing it.. 

".. ven. There's no way you'll hold off one. Let alone all THREE!!"

There was another crash and the van nearly tipped over the guardrail.

"You're.. you're one of them!" Mr. Vecino finally managed to sputter out.

Steven looked back at the man's terrified.. and betrayed face in the rear view mirror. 

"Mr. Vecino. I'm soo sorry. I had no idea this was going to happen honest." The man watched as he took a pink mask out of his pocket. "But you can drop us off here. We don't want you or Gregory to get hurt." he slid the mask down his face. Then he took of his shirt revealing the red GemTech shirt underneath of it.

It was even more surreal. Seeing that pink mask and that red shirt with the rose on it..The same mask and shirt that were on t.v during the Breaking News.. It was him along.. with the Gems as they took that.. physically ill person from the paramedics and then escape via helicopter.. 

He still couldn't believe that someone like him would be in a CRYSTAL GEM GANG.

Even if he didn't _truly_ know the young man apart from him living in the same apartment complex as him, amongst a few other basic things.

But he still didn't think he would be apart of something like this. 

Still..

Despite of everything..

He still knew him. And he was still his neighbor and just a young man who was clearly trying to run away from these women.. And he didn't want his self to blame if anything were to happen to him or the lady he knew absolutely nothing about.

"But.. I don't want you two to get hurt either."

"It's okay, really." said Steven. "We'll be fine."

"I'm sorry but.." he didn't believe him. He couldn't trust these two to make it to the beach safely. He put all his weight down on the gas pedal and the Winnebago roared, but gained hardly any more speed. 

The guardrail finally ended.

And the opening of the beach was just a few blocks ahead-

The Inkas rammed into them one last time and the van drove off the edge and shook and trembled down the rocky cliff. Everyone screamed as the van bounced up and rocked, the vehicle just a few rocks away from tipping over and rolling down towards the sand.

"Just hang on everyone!" the man clung on to the steering wheel as it juddered between his grip. Chipped rocks and dust kicked up from underneath of the vehicle as they bolted forward.

The van hit one lone boulder and the vehicle's tire bounced up, richoetting off the surface and tossing the van hard to the side. Mr. Vecino held on, turning the steering wheel the same way the vehicle was sliding and they spun around in one.. two.. three fast circles before he stepped on the brake and the van rocked hard to the side, nearly tipping over before it landed back on all four tires. Then, he bolted forward, driving the now smoking truck towards the shore.

He was trying to get his breath back. He turned around, looking at his frazzled son and the three in the back. "Is everyone okay?" 

Steven let go of Lion. "Y, yeah.." 

"..I think I peed a little.." Gregory whispered. 

Phi Lo was rummaging through her bag. She took the thin, latex-like gloves and socks out and started sliding the gloves on. 

"Miss Lee, what are you doing?!" 

She started sliding the socks down her bare, frail feet. "Steven.."

The Inkas made it down the rocks and floored towards them.

"now that we're here, I'm in my element. I can help fend them off and run for the shore." 

"But,.. you're still weak." 

The vehicle sped up and turned sharply, causing Mr. Vecino to crash into the side of the armored limo. He held his arm out, holding his son back as they crashed forward. The front of the truck bent and smashed up towards them, giving the window in front of them a few deep cracks from the impact. "Gregory, are you okay?" he said to his panting son.

The Gems threw open their doors and rushed out the truck. 

"Steven! There's no time! Once they open these back doors, they're just going to break in and get us!!" she zipped the bag up and threw it on her back and hid in front of the moped. "They're going to be here any minute." 

They heard the locks of the door being stabbed off on the other side from Pearl's spear and Steven double tapped on his finger and a pink shield formed in front of him. 

"Whoaaaa~ Look at that shield." 

"Gregory, please." Mr. Vecino said softly. 

Steven looked at the son and father. "Again.." he swallowed. "I am so.. soo sorry. I didn't mean for you two to get caught up in this." 

The noise stopped from the door.

"This is it, Steven." and he turned back around. 

Silence..

And they sat crouched there in anticipation and Steven took a step forward and covered them behind his shield and she scooched up closer beside him and held one gloved hand up beside her.

The doors flew open and in one split second, with Garnet and Pearl on either side of the opened doors they'd opened for their boss, Amethyst threw her whip forward and grabbed hold of the moped they were hiding behind. And right as she pulled it back, using her above average strength to pull the vehicle completely out of the truck, Phi Lo threw her hand across her and Steven saw a wave of water rush up and crash into them, bulldozing them far away from the truck along with the moped. And she clenched her hand and the last remnants of the water turned into ice around their legs. 

"Okay, come on!" she jumped out sloppily on her boney legs and Steven jumped out with her and turned around as the dog ran after them. "Sorry boy.. I can't have you getting hurt." he closed the broken doors back and heard the dog start to bark and whine inside. 

He ran forward but looked back behind him at the Gems frozen in the ice, their masks having been pulled from their faces from the impact of the water. The three already using their weapons to chisel their way out. He turned back around. "Whoa.. how did you do that?!" 

"Told you I can use the water to protect myself." 

  
  


Amethyst swung down and cracked her whip against the ice. "She's going to get it now." she growled.

Pearl jammed and stabbed around her legs and Garnet threw her gauntlets down into the ice two more times, successfully breaking free. 

"Get them Garnet!!" Amethyst yelled.

And the woman jumped away. 

  
  


"We're almost there!" said Steven.

Garnet landed in front of them.

"Garnet!"

"Talc, you made a HUGE mistake."

"Garnet, please! Just let us go." 

She took a step towards them and Steven held the shield out in front of them. 

"She HAS to come back with us, Talc-"

"WHY! SO SHE CAN BE LOCKED UP IN THE CELLAR AND BE TREATED BADLY AGAIN?! NO!!" 

Garnet stared at him. Her hazel and blue eye going from the woman and back to the boy. She shook her head slowly. "Talc, you don't know what you're doing. You don't understand-"

"No, YOU don't understand!"

She closed her mouth.. clenching her jaw as she eyed the two. 

"Garnet.." he said softly. "What happened to our talks? Remember what we said at the jewelry store? We said we would try to not hurt and kill people. YOU said it yourself that you don't like fighting. But, but NOW look what you're doing." 

She kept her gauntlets up, but didn't advance towards them. "Talc.." her face scrunched up. 

"Garnet please.." his eyes never left hers. "You know this is wrong.. Why is it so important for her to be tortured in the cellar? Why..can't she just go home?" he took a step to her side and she advanced, blocking them once more. "Garnet-"

"That's.. just our rule, Talc. Whoever tries to leave the gang gets put in a cellar. And they stay there, until they die." 

"And you're okay with that!?!" 

Her expression dropped. 

"This is wrong, Garnet. And you know that. Miss Lee shouldn't have to go through that.. this is all wrong-" 

"GARNET, WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!! GET THEM!!!" they heard Amethyst shout out behind them. She and Pearl were almost out of their ice cuffs. 

"Don't listen to her, Garnet!" 

She looked back down at the boy. "It's not that simple, Talc.." 

"YOU SHOULD KNOW BETTER THAN THIS!! DID OUR TALKS MEAN NOTHING TO YOU?!" 

"Talc.. I..." she clenched her teeth. "You _don't_ know what you're getting yourself into." she said coarsely. "This is serious." 

He frowned. Disappointed in her. "Then you have went back on everything that you've told me." 

Her mouth twitched under her solemn expression. "I.. have to bring Kyanite back." she said robotically.. sternly. "That's an order from my boss, Talc." 

He kept his levelled stare on hers, despite of how terrified he truly was in front of her. "You know what the right thing to do is." 

She stood there. Torn. 

"..I need to..." she stopped herself. 

"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR, GARNET!!! GET THEM ALREADY!!!!!" 

She looked back down at them and Steven shook his head. "Miss Lee needs to go home." 

Then Phi Lo countered. "If you could leave.. wouldn't you want to go back to your home too?" 

Garnet looked as if she'd been stunned. Her mouth dropping and her eyes wide and staring blankly ahead. Her arms dropped to her side. 

"Miss Lee.." Steven whispered and she looked at him as he shook his head. Maybe she shouldn't had said that.. He still remembered all too well how Garnet reacted to that simulation game. 

Her face tensed up as her eyes squinted towards them. Her expression growing colder until her face became a snarl as she barred her teeth. " Of course I would like to go back home. I would LOVE to go back to my family." she said with such ice and venom in her voice it almost didn't sound like her. And he'd never seen her look so.. chillingly angry. "But I can't." she whispered out lowly. A tear slid down her eye. And she huffed. And her breathing became shaky. "I CAN'T!!" she screamed out again. "BECAUSE I KILLED THEM!!!" more tears slid down her one hazel eye.

Steven and Phi Lo both gasped and froze under the trembling woman, seething over what she'd done. 

"GARNET!!! GET THEM!!!" 

She glared down at the boy. She advanced a step. "Don't make me use these, Talc." she held her arms back up. 

"Garnet.. despite what you did.. you can't hold her hostage.. She deserves to leave if she wanted to." then he added. "So that's what I'm going to do. I don't care what anybody else says."

Amethyst and Pearl had just broken from the ice and were running down towards them. 

Garnet saw them coming and pressed her gauntlets together and swiped them down and spikes formed at the knuckles. "Then you leave me no other choice." she added. "Boss' orders. And I have nothing else to live for anyway. I have nothing else to lose." she swung down.

He stood there, watching the gauntlets come down towards them.. and within that second, he felt the fight or flight response, his mind in defense, not wanting all of their hard work.. everything done for nothing. This was wrong and he was going to help her. No matter what-

"She's coming.. with ME!" he threw his arm out to the side as she brought her gauntlet down and he pushed away with his shield, her hand being pushed off from the surface and her own gauntlet hitting her back in the face hard and Steven saw the small, oval shaped, blue glass eye staring right at them in the sand. 

And Garnet's face still turned to the side towards it. 

_Oh no.._

"Uh..G, Garnet.." 

She snapped back around to face them, giving the two of them a one eyed glare. Her socket half opened on the other side of her face. 

Steven screamed. "I'm sorry!!" and right as Garnet went to throw another gauntlet down towards them, Steven held his shield back up as Phi Lo threw her hand down and across from her. Water shot out from the ocean and tackled into Garnet, throwing her across the beach. 

"Come on!!" she jogged towards the shore and Steven jogged after her. 

Something sharp hit him in the back and he stumbled forward. 

"Steven!" 

He turned around to see Pearl's spear in the sand-

And Amethyst's whip coming towards them. 

Right as Phi Lo raised her arm and a tower of water came out of the ocean, Steven had swiped his ring across his arm and the bubble formed around them. The tower of water fell back down and Phi Lo looked down at her hand. "What?" the whip wrapped around the bubble and Steven spread his hands across the surface. The bubble tripled, quadrupled in size, ripping the whip in pieces. 

Amethyst snarled, shoving the handle of the whip back on her belt and she took out another whip. Pearl took another canister out from the clip of her belt and flipped it counterclockwise. The spear flung out of it. 

"You have nowhere to run!!" 

Steven ran his hands inwards fast along the surface, making the bubble snap back to its original size. "Amethyst why can't you just let her go!!" 

"She broke the rules!! Now she has to pay the price!! You try leaving the authority and you get punished in the cellar for life!! And she knew that!!" 

"But I STILL don't know why that's a rule!! If someone wants to leave, then they should be able to!!"

"That's just a rule, Talc!!! And it's no changing it!!" 

"A rule to just torture and starve people just because they want to leave an evil authority?!?!! That's just cruel!!" 

"WE'RE THE CRYSTAL GEMS, TALC!!!! WE ARE CRUEL PEOPLE!!" 

Garnet was walking back towards the two. The woman looking less angry and more.. guilty. 

"But WHY do we have to be like this-" Phi Lo placed a hand on his shoulder and he looked up at her. She was glaring up at the bubble and towards the three. "They want a fight.. They'll get one."

"Miss, Lee, no!! They'll hurt you!" 

"Can't you see, Steven? They're not going to let us leave." he looked at the three woman just a few yards away from them. "I'm by water. I have a higher chance than if I wasn't around it. But, I need to get out of this bubble." she raised her hand up. "I don't know, maybe they put something inside of the bubble wear it cancels the powers, but I can't move the water with my gloves." she waved her arm down to the side and nothing happened. "You have to let me out so I can face them." 

"But.. It's three of them.. And you're still so weak.." 

"Please, Steven. I have no other choice." 

He shook his head. "No. I'm not letting you out! They're just going to hurt you." 

"Steven, you can't keep me here in a bubble.." she said softly.

"But.." 

"Please.." she looked sadly at her own pink reflection. 

He really didn't want to.. The Gems were going to take her down and he just wanted to protect her. But, despite of that, he was still keeping her caged up. If she wanted to be let out, then who was he to keep her encased inside of the bubble. 

She kept her stare at her pink reflection.

He sighed and swiped the ring band across the surface of the bubble and the bubble deactivated, going back into a small, pink round jewel. 

"Thank you, Steven." then.. the glare was back. The water behind her started to churn and Steven looked back at the ocean. Black as the night above them and raising up behind her, towering over them. She straightened her back up. "And _this_ is why you should never back a wild animal.. into a corner." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Told myself that if anything, I would have to play homage to Steven smacking Garnet's hand and her own hand hitting her visors off and revealing her three eyed glare 😝😝
> 
> By the way, I had to stupidly look up if one could still cry with a glass eye (since I had to either write that she was crying out of only her hazel eye or both) and the answer is yes.. Yes they can. As long as the lacrimal sacs aren't removed or destroyed, the eyelid will still produce tears. 
> 
> So yes, I still wrote down that she cried out of one eye because the lacrimal sacs had been removed.


	166. Ocean Gem

The Gems watched as a wave began to tower over Phi Lo and Steven.

"Get her!!!!" Amethyst shouted. She and the Gems ran towards the two, weapons at the ready. She, then the two of them right after, took out a small, square GemTech gadget and placed it over their nose and mouth. They tied it behind their heads tightly. 

Phi Lo swiped her hand down and the water came crashing down towards them. The three jumped away, Pearl jumping up, clearing thirty feet up in the air and throwing her spear down. Phi Lo raised her other arm and a stream of water snaked out from the ocean and in front of her. She circled her wrist and the water spiraled into itself and formed into a round disc and she clenched her hand and the water turned into ice. The spear smashed into the ice shield, the head of the spear cracking against the impact. 

Pearl landed and threw another spear and just as Phi Lo raised her other arm up again and another tower of water came out of the water, a shield was thrown, hitting the spear away from her. 

Pearl looked down, glaring at Steven who double tapped on his index finger again, bringing the shield back to the bracelet. 

Amethyst threw her whip back. "Pearl, you handle Talc. Garnet and I will take down Kyanite." 

The woman nodded and started running towards Steven. She unclipped another canister from her belt and spun it counterclockwise. The spear snapped out of it. 

_Uh oh.._

  
  


A whip was coming after her and she used the ice shield, unclenching her hand. The ice turned back into water and she flipped her wrist downwards. Imitating a lasso, similar to Amethyst's, the water flung towards the whip and grabbed hold of it. Amethyst yanked hard, trying to pull the whip back and Phi Lo flung her wrist up easily and the water pulled the whip and Amethyst, until the woman let go. The whip was thrown into the water and Amethyst took out another one. 

Garnet lunged towards her, holding her gauntlets out in front of her. Phi Lo raised her arm up and water shot out from the ground and grabbed her legs. She swiped her arm towards the left and the water threw Garnet into Amethyst. 

  
  


Pearl jabbed her spear down and he pushed his shield up. The weapon cracked along the surface of the shield and, holding the spear tightly in her hands, she swung down towards his side. He threw his shield downwards to block the hit and Pearl found an opening and turned around, giving him a spinning jump kick. Her boot smacking into the side of his face. 

She gave him a narrow eyed stare. She twisted the canister clockwise and the handle snapped back in and she clipped it back to her belt.

"Come on, Pearl. We don't have to fight." Steven said softly. He swiped across the bubble deactivating it. "We can just-" 

Pearl took another canister out and spun it counterclockwise, the spear snapping out of it. 

"Uh oh.." 

Pearl swung down and he stepped out the way as he held his shield up. She threw her spear down on either side back and forth, each time hitting his side but grazing across his GemTech shirt. 

"We don't have to do this." said Steven. The spear hit his neck and he stumbled to his side, quickly regaining his footing as he held his shield to the side to block another hit from Pearl. "Shut up!" she jabbed her spear down on the surface of his shield and he fell backwards on the sand. "I _want_ to do this." she put her foot down on the shield, using her weight to push the shield further down towards his body. He grunted under the pressure, trying to push the shield and her up. 

"Face it, kid. You _can't_. beat me." she turned the spear downwards and towards his eye. "I saw what you did to Garnet." she whispered out coldly. "How about an eye.. for an eye." 

"NO!!" he screamed. 

She threw her spear down and a block of ice slammed into her, she hollered, getting thrown a few feet and into the sand. Then Steven saw the block of ice turn into water. He looked over. 

Phi Lo gave him a minute nod and turned away to continue fighting with Amethyst and Garnet. She raised up her two hands and a wall of water rose up. She threw her arms down hard and the wall of water lunged towards them, knocking them into the Inkas car. 

Pearl was getting up and was eyeing him down. He quickly took the shield off his wrist and slid it across his other hand. And as she started running back towards him he double tapped his middle finger and another shield activated in front of him. 

_Maybe I can at least stun her some way.._

He threw the one from his other arm.

She dodged it and he threw the second one and quickly double tapped on his ring finger. She dodged the second on with ease and threw her spear just as he threw a third one. He double tapped on his pinky finger as he tried moving out the way. The spear hit him in his head and he was thankful he still had on his GemTech mask to stop the point of the spear from piercing his head. 

She was coming up fast and he threw the shield into her. She grabbed it as it hit her stomach and she turned her body and he ran the ring across his arm as she threw the shield. The bubble formed around him and the shield bounced off the surface. Pearl not seeing that coming, assuming the shield would shatter upon impact, the heavy disc came hurtling back towards her. With no time to dodge out the way, the shield smack into her face hard with a force to knock her a few feet. 

Steven looked at her, then the bubble, then back at her on the ground. "Whoa.." 

Pearl got up slowly, glaring at him. Her face red and scratched up from the shield. 

"I.." he backed up in his bubble. "Sorry about that, Pearl.. I didn't know that could even happen." 

She picked up the shield and strapped it to her hand and took out another canister and spun it counterclockwise and the spear snapped out of it. 

She walked slowly towards him.

"Pearl, come on.. Let's just stop this already.."

"Get out of the bubble, Talc. And face me like a man."

"I told you! I don't want to fight! I never did! I just want Miss Lee to go home!" 

"Then she should've thought of that before even becoming a Crystal Gem." she stood directly in front of him. Just the bubble in between them. Her scowl burning directly down at his face.

"Pearl, please. You don't have to do this either." he leaned into the bubble. "All of us can be free, Pearl.. You can't tell me that you like doing this too.."

Her scowl was still ever present. Just a single flicker of her eyes as she looked at the boy's soft, gentle lips.. then snapping back to his eyes.

"You don't have to keep doing this anymore either.. You can start living your own life too." he leaned in more and his breath fogged the inside of the bubble slightly. "You can start a new life too. Away from being a Crystal Gem. Remember Pearl. You're better than this. You need to give yourself more recognition.. You deserve a better life.. Nothing like this."

Her scowl wavered, falling under a more sorrowful expression. 

"You can leave too, Pearl."

She lowered her spear down and he looked up at her, smiling. "Pearl! Oh, I knew you wanted to-" she tackled the shield into the bubble, sending Steven rolling in his bubble a few yards away. 

He groaned and slowly pushed his self off his stomach. The shore was just beneath him. The water churned and sloshed against his bubble. He saw Pearl coming for him, but looked over when he saw a bright purple light. He gasped as the hulking, purple gem slammed back down into the sand with her boots. The Gem cracking her two pairs of hands.

"Okay, Kyanite. Let's see what ya got now. Try ta defeat me, I would like to know how?" Sugilite said smugly. She clenched her top hands into fists and threw her arms out in front of her and her gauntlet-like hands shot up out of her wrists and into the air as two new pairs of hands grew from her wrists. Then she used her bottom hand to take a whip from her belt and she threw it up. The two gauntlet hands formed into each other, turning into a huge mace. The whip attached to it, forming into the lash and the flail came back down hard into the sand. 

He looked over at Phi Lo. Panting.. using a piece of ice to help her stand up. 

"Miss Lee!!" 

She looked over at him with her tired eyes. 

"Hey! I'm over _here_, Kyanite! Don't pay attention to him!" Sugilite pat her chest in jest. "Let's get this right, it's me you wanna fight." she took a step towards her and held the lash tightly in her two top hands. "So watch me ignite like dynamite." She scoffed. "See if you can make it out alive tonight." she threw the lash forward, the mace coming at her fast.

"Miss Lee!!" 

She didn't look back at him. She raised her arm up and a tower of water came out of the ocean. She held her hand to the side and curled her fingers back, as if she were holding something. "Mallet." she said and Steven looked on in shock as the water formed into a head of a mallet as more water rose up for the handle. 

She let go of the piece of ice she was leaning on and, gesturing a bat in her hand she swung her arms out to the side. The mallet turned to ice and crashed into the mace, cracking it slightly.

_How did she do tha-_

Pearl landed in the water in front of him and tackled him farther out at sea. He started sinking and quickly held his arms and feet apart and the bubble started rising back up. 

Pearl was walking through the water, waste deep towards him. 

Sugilite only chuckled. "Ah, looks like you _do_ have a bit more energy in you." she started spinning the mace in the air and bits of it started flying off. "Come on, let's see what you got, 'lil blue." she threw the mace forward.

Phi Lo raised her arms up and more water was added to the ice mallet. It turned to ice. She swung down harder and the mallet shattered upon impact.

Sugilite growled-

The mallet was now coming towards her. She threw all four arms up in front of her to block her face and torso and the ice slammed into her, sending the colossal Gem hurtling pass the two vehicles and right into the edge of the cliffside. She slid down the rocks slowly and back to the sand. A huge crater left from the impact of her body. She grunted, the grunt quickly turning to a low snicker. She got up to her feet. "Nice shot, Kyanite. But you're gonna have to do more than that-" 

The ice mallet came towards her, striking her right in her face, pushing the Gem back into the cliff. "Okay." she growled out. She pushed back off the rocks. "No more playing aroun-" the mallet struck down on top of her head, then it raised up and clashed into the middle of her face and the Gem crashed back into the rocks. She glared at Phi Lo. "You.." she snickered. "Is that all you got? You think that's enough to beat m-" a poof of purple smoke engulfed the area.

And Amethyst and Garnet fell to the sand exhausted and in a daze.

Phi Lo sighed and fell back to the ice she was holding onto. She used that time to catch her breath.

"Miss Lee!" Pearl was right in front of him. "Don't worry! I'm coming!" 

Pearl held both spear and shield up.

"Pearl! I have to go help Miss Lee!" he tried manoeuvring around her above the water in his bubble, but she only stepped to her side, blocking his path. 

He sighed. "Fine. You leave me no choice." he placed his hands on the bubble and spread them out. The bubble ballooned up in size, bumping the woman a few feet from the impact.

Steven started running towards the woman. 

Amethyst slowly got up to her feet. Still coming to from her daze, she started half stumbling half jogging towards Phi Lo, leaving Garnet face down in the sand. 

She unclipped another whip from her belt and threw it towards the woman. 

Tired.. and reluctantly.. Phi Lo raised her arm up. A stream of water snapped out of the ocean. The water grabbed the whip and pulled it in. Amethyst was pulled with the whip and she let the water yank her in, using that momentum to be pulled in close to Phi Lo. 

She took out another whip as she flew towards the woman. She gasped and threw the same arm down. The water bulldozed forward, pushing Amethyst away and across the beach.

She fell hard on the already smashed up hood of the Winnebago.

"AAAAHHHH!!!!" the father and son screamed out. 

They saw the woman getting up already and sliding off the smashed up hood. 

"That was close.. If she was hit farther up she would've crashed into the windshield." Mr. Vecino looked at the already cracked up glass in front of them. 

Gregory watched as Amethyst, looking to be unharmed and unfazed, walking back to the woman near the shore. "Wow.. they're really strong." he watched as Garnet got up slowly and started making her way back to the woman as well. "Really _really_ strong.. They're like anime people." 

Mr. Vecino watched as Garnet walked pass and he waited for a few moments until trying to start up the van again for the ninth time. The vehicle struggled to start, but didn't click over. "Come on.. come on.." he tried again. The van didn't click over. 

"Oh, pleaaaase.. come on... come oooon." he turned the key again and the van struggled. He pressed his foot down on the gas. "Come on, you're trying to.. I can hear it.." 

A few more stomps on the gas pedal and the van sputtered to life. "Oh phewf, we got it going." 

"YEAH!!!!" 

"Okay." he grabbed the steering wheel and his eyes went over to Steven and the woman who was with him. Two were fighting the woman and he saw a slim one going against Steven. She tackled him with his own shield towards the sand.

He didn't want to leave them to fend for themselves..

But he also didn't want to put himself or his son in danger either..

"We should leave.. maybe.." he whispered to his son as he continued to watch the fight unfold in front of them. 

"I don't know, dad. They're not doing so hot." 

The man froze. Torn between helping the two out but also keeping his son safe as well. 

  
  


A hydro pump of water blasted into Amethyst, knocking her away and pass Garnet who was getting back up from a water blast. She ran back towards the woman slumped over the slow crackling ice that'd been holding her up.

Pearl tackled the bubble once more, sending Steven sliding across the sand. He got up. "I don't want to fight! Why can't we just talk about this?!" 

"Pearl!" Amethyst yelled and the woman turned around. "Leave him. And come here." 

She looked back at Steven, glaring at him.. before leaping away. 

She landed in front of Amethyst.

Her boss was looking at Phi Lo. "Look at her, Pearl. She's _physically_ weak." she spat out. "All she has is her water to prevent us from getting close to her and now she can barely even stand." and evil smile swept across her face. "She's getting tired. Soon, she won't have enough energy to use her little water." she turned to Pearl. "Sugilite is strong." she said. "But we need someone who's agile and fast." Pearl immediately knew what she was getting at. "We keep dodging her water and firing arrows, some of them will be bound to hit her." she held her hand out in invitation. 

  
  


Steven watched as Amethyst and Pearl finished their dance. The latter hoping into her boss' arms and a bright white light filled the spot they were in. 

Steven gasped. "Opal.." 

The tall, slim robot emerged from the light. She dropped the small shield and took out a whip. She strolled over towards the woman as she raised her top arms up with the whip. Then she brought her arms down as she raised her bottom arms up, the spear hitting the whip and forming into a bow. 

Phi Lo launched a shot of water towards her and she dodged out the way, performing to front flips and landing gently on her toes. 

She got up and pressed her ring finger down near the bottom of her hand. An arrow jutted out from the inside of her wrist and she pulled it out- 

Another hydro pump of water came directly towards her and she jumped up high. Phi Lo raised her arm up and the water followed her up. The robot fusion attached the arrow to the bow and released it towards the water. Phi Lo clenched her hands and the water turned into ice, trapping the arrow in-

For just a second, before the ice shattered into pieces. The first half of the mini arrows rupturing the ice as the other half came towards her. She screamed, holding up her other hand as a wave of water was pulled from the ocean. It wrapped around her in a sphere and turned to ice. The miniature spears pelted against the ice, picking at the surface and cracking one side of it.

Distracted and looking at Opal, she didn't see Garnet lunging towards her. The woman slammed her gauntlets down on the ice and she turned around screaming as chunks of ice fell away, close to her head. 

Opal fired another arrow and it split apart and pelted against the other side, picking more at the ice.

"Miss Lee! I'm coming!!" Steven was running in his bubble. He swiped across it and it disappeared back into the ring. He double tapped on his thumb and held his last shield up in front of him.

Phi Lo leaned away from the ice she was slumped against and raised both arms up. A huge wave came out of the ocean and was launched towards them. Garnet jumped to the side and Opal jumped back up in the air. She took another arrow from her wrist and placed it in the bow. 

"Opal!! Stop!!!" Steven yelled. He threw his shield and she took the arrow away from the bow and with her two top hands she bat the shield back at him. He yelped in surprise and the shield smacked hard into him and he slid a few feet on his back. He grabbed the shield by the edge and sat up, groaning. 

Arrows pelted against the sphere, breaking more off and Phi Lo looked even more exhausted from before, not even bothering to put more ice back into the sphere. 

Steven gasped. "No." he got up and slipped the shield back into his arm. He ran back towards them.

Opal landed daintily on her toes. She held the bow and arrow in front of her and pulled back. "Say goodbye." she said sharply. 

Phi Lo panted. Trying to muster up just a bit more energy..

She held her hands up directly in front of her. "Bow and arrow." she whispered. The water towered over behind her and split into two blobs. One forming a giant bow and the other forming into a giant arrow.

Opal unleashed her arrow and the watery bow and arrow turned into ice. Phi Lo imitated as if she were pulling back on the bow and she opened her hand, "letting go". The arrow of ice shot towards Opal's.

Opal looked at her smugly as the two arrows came head to head together. "Time for the cellar." she said coarsely.

Steven was running up to them. "Nooooo!!! Stop fighting!!" 

"Steven!!" Phi Lo shouted. 

The arrows collided into each other and exploded upon impact.

A gust of wind kicked up sand and debris from Opal's arrow and Steven squinted as pieces flew into his face. He ran the ring across his arm and the bubble was send flying back from the wind.

And all he could see was smoke.. and blackness..

  
  


Amethyst and Pearl were thrown against the Inkas armored limo. The two falling to the ground along with Garnet who was caught in the blast.

The area around them was already starting to clear up and they could see that Phi Lo was still in the sphere, now pristine and undamaged once more.

Amethyst got up slowly. "We almost had her." and a smile came to her face that reached the narrowed look on her eyes. "We need someone much stronger." she chuckled dryly. "She won't be able to dodge _her_ arrows." 

Garnet and Pearl exchanged shocked glances before looking back at their boss. She held her hands out on either side of her in invitation. "Now let's finish this fight."

The two nodded and took her hand and a white light started to engulf them. 

And the form was growing taller.. and bigger..

"Không..(No..)" 

With all her strength, she raised up a thirty foot tall wave of water and dropped her hands down towards the ground. The wall of water roared towards them as heaps of four more waves were rampaging directly behind the first. 

The first block of wave hit the form and the large figure was pushed down towards the sand. And as the wavering form tried to get up, the second, then the third crashed the form farther down into the ground. Then the forth wave, pounding it down harder, forming a deeper crater within the sand.

The ocean started receding back from the hole..

And just seconds later, all three Gems were pulling themselves out of the crater-

Thick, sharp shards of ice were coming right towards them to finish them off. 

For a split second they looked surprised and they each held their weapons up in a futile way of blocking the daggers-

When a shot of water rushed in front of them and turned to ice. The daggers pelted hard against the shield.

The ice shards shattered and soon turned into water and a few seconds later, so did the shield. 

The Gems watched on as a familiar Gem landed softly onto the sand in front of them. Her glass wings glinting brightly on her back. She tilted her head to the side as a wry smile came to her face. "Kyanite." 

The woman scrunched up her face, glaring at her. "Lapis." 

She giggled. "It's been awhile." 


	167. Fighting ice with ice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, supah long chapta 🤷

When the smoke and blackness had began to dissipate and he was able to see a bit clearer, he noticed his bubble had been encased in ice. 

"Miss Lee.." he whispered. He got up to his feet and saw the Gems grab each other's hands and he saw a bright white light. 

_No way!!!! Are they going to turn into some kind of super mega fusion?!?!?_

Though it'd been short lived as Phi Lo launched a series of waves towards the figure, immediately stopping them to become.. whatever fusion they were going to be.

He couldn't lie and say that he wasn't curious as to how the Gem was going to look, but with what was going on, he was also happy that they didn't fuse into it. 

They _were_ unfortunately, in a fight after all.. 

He started running in the bubble/ ice bubble towards them and he saw multiple blobs of water raise up from the ocean. They turned into thick, sharp ice shards. "No! You're going to hurt them!!"

He saw a stream of water shoot out from the ocean right as Phi Lo launched the series of ice daggers towards the Gems just as they were getting up from the hole in the sand. 

The stream of water turned into ice in front of the Gems and the shards pummeled against it. 

He saw Phi Lo's expression turn into a grimace as she unclenched her hands. The shards of ice melted back into water. 

The mysterious, new Gem waved her hand and the ice shield melted into liquid.

_She can do that with water too?! AND fly?!?! Who is she?! _

"Kyanite." the woman spoke up first.

"Lapis." she snarled.

The woman giggled. "It's been awhile." 

"Twenty three years, to be exact.." she said coarsely.

"Oh? It's been that long?" she mocked innocence. "Why, I didn't even notice." 

The Gems started climbing out of the crater. 

Phi Lo grit her teeth together. "You know I've been in there for that long.." then she screamed out. "YOU were the one" she threw her hand down and a rush of water surged forward towards her. "who put me in there!!" 

Lapis raised her arms up in front of her face and the first bit of the water hit her before she swayed her arms out to one side and redirected the water around her as she turned around, lifting her arms out in an arc before throwing them back down and pushing the water back towards Phi Lo. The woman snapped her arms out to either side and the water split in two, gliding pass either side of the ice sphere.

"Oh, come on, Kyanite. You can't _still_ be mad about this~" she chuckled. 

"Pearl with her spear.. then Amethyst with her whip.. and, you just swooped in for the final blow!!" she shouted. "YOU saw them take me!! And you didn't.. do ANYTHING to stop them!!!" she threw her arms down in front of her and a wave of water came towards the woman.

Lapis, completely unfazed and with a bored look on her face, held both hands up and froze the water coming at her and shattered the ice into daggers before sending them back towards Phi Lo. The woman sent a wall of water down in front of her. She raised the water up and clenched her hands and it turned to ice. The shards cracked against the ice shield. "YOU were the one who took me away.." she thought about the day.. right as she fell back down to the hard ground after getting hit with Pearl's spear.. and she remembered Lapis landing right in front of her with that proud look on her face.. And how the woman ripped her gloves off.. and how she pushed the Sipal iluzal on her back and used her own gloves to wrap ice around her.. Then right after the shattering.. the _fake_ shattering of "Pink Diamond" a.k.a, "Rose Quartz".. how she was kept in her ice prison until Lapis, Amethyst and Pearl took her down to the cellar.. where she threw her in.. closing the mirrored door behind her and into the dark, dingy, small room.

Seething wasn't even the right word for what she was feeling now.

"Wha oh." Lapis started walking up to her. "Looks like some one is. P._O-ed"_she mocked surprise. 

Amethyst, Garnet and Pearl started walking behind her, yielding their weapons in front of them.

"Kyaniiiite~~ Let's not do this, yeah?" Phi Lo watched as Lapis motioned her hands up and a wave of water was pulled out from the ocean behind her and towards the woman. "You and I _both_ know how this will all end." she flipped her wrist around in a circle and the wave of water formed in a sphere. "Back. in the cellar." she whispered sharply." she clenched her hands and the sphere turned into ice and she threw her arm down, hurtling it back towards her fast. 

Phi Lo raised her hands up, slowly turning the ice back into water as it crashed into her sphere. She was thrown back into the ocean and she raised her arms back and a hill formed up and turned into ice, catching her like a mitt. 

The ice hill turned back into water and she pushed herself back to shore with the wave. She stopped just short of the sand, holding onto the thin block of ice, panting hard. 

Lapis flew up into the air. "Face it, Kyanite." she saw the woman raise her arms up again. "You can't win this." 

"Miss Lee! Behind you!"

Just as Steven yelled out she saw the shadow of a wave forming behind her. She turned to see a rush of water rocketing towards her. She raised her hand up, pulling up a wall of water in front of her and right as she clenched her hand to freeze it, the wave smashed into and cracked the thinly made ice and rushed through the barrier, hitting Phi Lo's sphere. She bent her arms back and a another wall of water shot up from the ocean and caught her from underneath before she reached the sand. She was placed gently back down and the water receded back into the ocean. 

She started to get up slowly once more. Her face streaming with tears.

"Huh.. looks like you somehow _still_ have enough energy to get back up." Lapis flew just a few yards in front of her. The Gems directly underneath of her. "You wouldn't be getting up like that if you still had that Sipal iluzal on your back. It's a shame you got that taken off of you." the tired, frail woman looked up at her as more tears felldown her face. "It's also a shame you managed to somehow get your eyes fixed as well." she looked over at Steven and he gasped and held his shield up in front of him. "Maybe it was him? Your little, helper there."

"Leave him alone."

She raised an eyebrow at the woman. "Oh, I'm not coming for hiiim..~" she glided softly over towards the woman. "I'm here. for you!" she slammed her arms down by her sides and a wave of water pushed out from the shore and she raised her arms and the water jutted up, pushing Phi Lo's sphere up in the air. Phi Lo, turned the water into ice and her sphere rolled down the slide and she flapped her arms up. The sphere was pushed off from the ice slide and as she was falling towards the ocean she motioned her arms in a circular motion at her side and the slide turned back into water and was pushed back towards Lapis in a block of ice.

Just seconds from hitting her, Lapis twisted her arms up and the block of ice was pushed up overhead and she pushed her fingers out and the ice crackled under the pressure. The pieces of ice fell from the air and Lapis rubbed her hands together and the ice turned into snow, falling softly towards the sand. She looked down at the woman slowly coming back to shore. "Hm.. not bad.." then she smiled proudly. "But we're still taking you back. And this time. for good."

The woman slouched there. Panting. She shook her head as tears slid down her cheeks. "Not anymore.." she swallowed. "I'm not going back.. I.. am _never_ going back!! NEVER!!!" 

Lapis clicked her teeth. "Too bad." she said playfully. _"You_. have no. choice." she smiled.

Phi Lo leaned off of the ice and raised her hands up on either side of her. "I... am sick.. and tired.." Lapis looked up behind the woman as two large water hands came out of the ocean. "OF WHO I USED TO BE!!!!" she clenched her hands and the gigantic fists froze into ice. "I AM THROUGH BEING CAT'S EYE KYANITE!!!! AND YOU CAN'T KEEP ME HERE ANYMORE!!!" she cried. 

"Miss Lee!" 

She threw her arms down and the fists slammed down towards them. The Gems were hit and flew to the sides and Lapis flew away, dodging the other fist and used the ice from one fist and turned it into water. She shot it back at Phi Lo and the woman clapped her hands together. Two blobs of water came from either side of her and formed in front of her and she clenched her hands together and the wall of water turned into a tall, thick wall of ice. Lapis raised her hands up and the water flew high above, clearing the wall of ice and Phi Lo raised her hands back and the wall curved above and back down on all sides and the water smashed into the ice. Lapis pushed her hands out and away from each other and the wall of ice started breaking in. 

Pearl threw her spear and Amethyst threw her whip. The spear went through a hole in the ice barrier and smashed into the spear and just as the whip came towards the barrier, Phi Lo pushed her arm out and a gush of water flew out of the water, engulfing the rope and flying towards them when Lapis redirected the water from the two and rocketing back into the barrier, shattering it to pieces and tackling the sphere towards the ocean. 

Lapis raised her hands up high above her head and a fifty foot wave shot up from the ocean, the tide receding as the sphere was pushed up high. 

_What should I do?! What should I do?! What should I do?!?!_

Steven spread his hands across the bubble and the bubble doubled in size, shattering the ice. He slid his hands back to the middle, snapping the bubble back to its original size. 

Lapis brought her hands down and the wave of water grabbed the sphere and pulled it towards the ground.

Phi Lo swiped one arm in front of her and the water turned from the ground. She split the water, one going towards Lapis and the other one taking her back gently down to the sand. A spear was thrown, cracking her already cracked and damaged sphere and Lapis turned, spiraling the water back towards her in shards of ice. Half pelted against the surface and the other she managed to turn into water and fill the holes of her sphere. 

Garnet landed down on the sphere and began slamming her gauntlets down on it. The spikes breaking apart massive pieces. One hit, breaking a hole in the sphere. Phi Lo gasped. She brought her hands towards her, wrapping them to her sides before throwing them back out. A block of ice from the sphere shot out, pushing Garnet away and just as Amethyst threw her whip at the opening of the ice, Phi Lo raised her arm up, bringing more water to fill the now opened area until Lapis tried to overpower her, trying to redirect the ice away from the opening. 

The water hit the whip down just as another spear was thrown and Phi Lo moved her head, just in time for the spear to just graze her cheek and cutting her skin as it flew pass and crashed into the inside of her sphere.

Lapis cracked the ice up into slush and Phi Lo tried to use the slush to cover up the opening. A whip was thrown again, grabbing her wrist. "NO!!!" he screamed out.

Steven swiped across the bubble, deactivating it and he took his last shield and threw it towards Amethyst.

"Look out, Amethyst!!" still holding her arms up to try and over power Phi Lo, Lapis snapped her leg out beside her and a stream of water came out of the ocean and smacked the shield before it could hit Amethyst. 

Phi Lo used that one second of distraction to pull a tube of water up around her, encasing herself inside a shield of ice. 

"Not THIS again!!!" she yanked on her whip and it broke off from the ice. The other part still inside of the ice and attached to the woman's wrist. She hollered out and took out another whip. She glared at Steven. "YOU!!!" 

The boy screamed and ran the ring across his arm. Just as the bubble formed around him and just as the whip came forward, a water hand grabbed him inside the bubble and he screamed until the hand pulled him fast towards Phi Lo's ice and he stopped, realizing it was her. She grunted, trying to force Lapis' own grip on the water hand. She tugged harder, ignoring the spear and whip hitting the shield as she pulled him into the ice. A small hole opened up on one side of their ice and he was pulled inside of her tube of ice. "Are you.. okay?" she panted. 

"Miss Lee.. look at you.." 

Ice shards came towards the shield, pelting against the ice and chipping it away. Phi Lo held her hand up and a small stream of water came up and barely covered her. She clenched her fist and the water turned to ice and a spear had already broken through it. She dropped her hands, panting. 

"Please, Miss Lee.. you're tired.. We can just use my bubble." 

She glared at them weakly. "I don't need your bubble.." she raised both arms up and a tower of water twisting up into a waterspout rose up, along with a wave just behind it. _whoa...._ The water spun at dangerous speeds. "I need.. MY FREEDOM!!" she threw her arms down and the waterspout shot out towards them, picking the Gems up and ripping the underwater breathing gadget from their nose and mouth and flinging them across the beach as the wave behind it filled the area. A huge block of ice pushed through the water, hitting Lapis, knocking off the gadget from her nose and mouth and she flapped her wings as she was pushed a few feet through the air. She twisted herself back around and flew back towards the two. 

Garnet and Amethyst were sent flying into the Inkas car and Pearl into the windshield of the van. The glass shattered and both father and son screamed out again as they held their arms out in front of their face. The slim woman got up to her hands and knees. "Ah, shut up." she spat out. 

She glared at the son, then at the father. The two staring _and glaring_ at each other respectively. She clenched her teeth at him, but otherwise didn't say anything. And all he could do was sit there shaking in silence, hoping that the blue eyed woman didn't attack him or his son.

She turned around and jumped off the hood and they watched as she landed back down into the sand and towards the fight. 

"Whoa.. they also jump like the people in the anime." Gregory said in awe. "They're soo strong. Strong in the real way." 

"Gregory, noo." his dad whined. "These are VERY. bad. people. You shouldn't learn from these guys." 

"Aww, but what about our neighbor? I though _he_ was nice." 

"I, uh.. well, he is! I guess? I, uh.. just.. just not the other guys..?" 

"And what about the woman?! She likes pizza!! And EVERYONE knows bad guys don't like pizza!" 

"G, Gregory, what?" he whined. "Son, this is really life we're talking about." he tried to speak gently to him. "And.. the lady's good too.. I guess? But not because she likes pizza."

His son tilted his head at him, not understanding. 

His father sighed softly.

  
  


Another spear was thrown into the ice, accompanied by another whip and ice shards. 

The woman fell to her knees. "Miss Lee!" and she fell towards him. He caught her as she slouched on his side, exhausted. 

"You're exhausted.." 

She took a breath. "I know.. that if I wasn't so weak..I could.. do so much more.." she panted. 

_Really?!?!?! She was al_ready_ doing a lot!_

A block of ice hit and crashed into the shield, shattering it into pieces and leaving them out and vulnerable and in the shore. 

"I got her now!" Lapis swung her arms down and another ice block came their way. 

Phi Lo clenched her eyes as she raised a shaky arm up. Just a small hill of water, barely a foot tall formed up from the ocean and Steven ran his ring across his arm and the bubble activated. 

The block of ice shattered upon impact. 

Phi Lo opened her eyes and looked around at the pink view in front of her as the water slowly seeped out of the bubble. The Gems were running up towards them. A spear was thrown towards them and Phi Lo jumped. The spear shattered on the surface of the bubble. She got up slowly as Lapis slammed down a hill of ice on the bubble and she jumped again. The iceberg of ice shattered completely, the bubble not even giving a ripple from the impact. 

"You're safe." she heard Steven say softly to her. She looked down at him and he was giving her a reassuring smile. She didn't return the gesture. She sighed. "Steven, look at them.." a tear slid down her cheek. "They're not listening to us.." her face scrunched up as another wave of emotion came. "They want me to.." she started crying, burring her face into her hands. "I can't go back in there.. I can't go back in the cellar." she cried. Then her voice cracked as she whispered in her hands. "Who knows what they'll do to me this time.." she swallowed. "I.. can't go back in the cellar."

Steven threw his other arm around her in a hug. "And you're not going to. I promise. We'll think of something." 

She sniffled, trying to take in a shaky breath. "I don't know what we're going to do. At least with the Gems.. I was slowly tiring them out.. But now that Lapis is here?" she sighed weakly. "She's just going to keep redirecting the water away from them and back towards me. I don't know how long I can keep going back and forth with her.. If I try to form another ice sphere around me, she's going to keep trying to crack it open.. and if I try to keep the Gems away from each other with the water, to prevent them from fusing.. she's just going to push the water back and away from them." she took another breath. "They almost got me when they formed Opal.. If I hadn't stopped them from forming Alexandrite, they would've got me.."

_So_ that's_ the fusion's name.._

_  
_

"If any one of them were to fuse.. then that'll be it for us.." 

He looked at all four Gems glaring at them. Lapis up in the air. She threw down another block of ice and it shattered against the bubble.

He looked back at her. "It won't be. Whether they fuse or not, we'll take them down. You and I both." he looked up at the Gem flying around, looking at her gloves. Then, as if a wire in his mind had been tripped..

"Wait, Miss Lee! That's it!" 

"What?" 

"All we need to do, is take down Lapis." then he clarified. "We need to either take the gloves and socks away from her, or, I can try and trap her inside of my bubble. Remember, your powers can't work inside the bubble and _you_ have a bit of pink diamond essence in your gloves and socks. If your gadgets can't work, then hers can't work either." 

Phi Lo looked at him, a sudden realization coming over her. "Maybe.." then she quickly said. "But putting her in your bubble is too dangerous. Even WITHOUT the water, Lapis is skillful in martial arts." a beat later. "We all are. But if you just joined..?" 

He waved a hand at her. "I'll be fine. I'll just make the bubble bigger." 

"Steven-"

He placed a hand in her shoulder. "Let's get you home." he got up slowly, helping her up. "Okay, all we need to do, is get close to her and-" 

"Wait, Steven." he looked up at her. "Let me out of the bubble." 

"Again? But Miss Lee, you've already.. but you're exhausted." 

"If we try to combine both of our gadgets, then it could be quicker. I can try to use the rest of my strength to push her down to the ground." 

"Oh,.. right.. she flies.." he watched the woman still flying in front of them. 

Too bad he still couldn't super jump like the Gems..

"Just one more time." she said. "I'll keep my focus on the Gems too, but once you get close to Lapis, I think I'll be able to at least do that much and use a bit of water to push her towards you." 

"Got it." he nodded. "And I'll keep my focus on the Gems too." 

He swiped across the bubble and the bubble deactivated back into the ring.

Phi Lo pinwheeled her arms, forming another sphere around her just as Lapis threw a block of ice towards her. The block cracked the sphere, chipping some of the pieces off from it. 

Steven doubled tapped on all four fingers and his thumb and the discs minimized back into the knuckles of the braces. He ran towards Lapis and Amethyst jumped in front of him. "Going somewhere?" 

"Amethyst!"

"We're not dumb! We know you two were planning something!" 

He double tapped on his index finger and a shield formed in front of him.

Amethyst looked at him smugly. "So you wanna dance?" she raised her whip up in her hand. 

"N, no! I don't want to fight!" _I just needed to protect myself.._

She threw her arm back and he held his shield up when a wave of water smacked into her. The same water being redirected back to Phi Lo in ice shards. 

The woman raised her arm up, barely making an ice shield. The daggers shattered against it.

"Kyanite!!!" Lapis bellowed. "We're taking you down!!!" she raised her arms up and threw them outwards with her hands out in a mid grab motion. More ice shards came her way. 

Steven ran up between them and ran the ring across his arm. The bubble formed around him and the shards pelted against the bubble. 

Lapis glared at him. "You know, you're beginning to be a little _pest."_

"Guys, please.. we don't want to fight!! Why can't she just go back home?! Why is it so bad for her to leave?! If she wanted to, then she should be able to!!" 

Lapis paused for a split second, raising an eyebrow at him when Amethyst shouted out. "Get him Lapis!!!" 

Instantly, she threw a hydro pump of water towards him. He screamed. The water pushed him into Phi Lo's sphere, pushing the both of them farther out into the ocean. He tried running away in his bubble, just because. Just trying to _possibly_ move out the path of the water-

When he noticed the water being split in two and going on either side of the bubble. 

Lapis raised an eyebrow at him. "What?" she raised her hands up, shooting the water up into the air, but the bubble stayed afloat at the shore as the water shot upwards on either side of him. 

He looked down at his legs running in the bubble. He stopped and the bubble was shot up into the air and he screamed. 

Lapis laughed. "Now _that's_ more like it." she focused back on the Gems out in the water and trying to break through Phi Lo's sphere. She launched more ice shards towards her.

Another wave came, weaker, but just enough to knock the Gems back to the beach just before Lapis used the same wave to knock Phi Lo farther out and away from the shore. 

Steven had deactivated his shield and bubble and was gliding back down towards the beach with the glider wings, when he saw a whip coming right at him. He quickly ran the ring across his arm and the bubble formed around him. The whip wrapped around the bubble and he spread his arms out. The bubble ballooned three times it's size, snapping the whip into pieces as he fell straight down to the beach. The bubble absorbing some of the impact, though he still felt just as much of the fall.

He groaned, getting up slowly. 

Amethyst was running up to him. 

"Amethyst, please! I'm begging you, just let her go!" 

"NO!!!!" she snapped. "We're CRYSTAL GEMS and our rule is to DIE as one!! Whether Kyanite likes it or not!" 

He looked at the woman barely holding on. The sphere chipped and damaged. Another wave hit Garnet as Pearl threw her spear along with Lapis sending out another ice block. Amethyst snickered and he looked back at her. 

"You know. Once we get her back..she's _definitely_ going to wish she never did leave." Steven looked at her in shock before a more angered look took its place. Amethyst smiled at his expression. "She thinks _that_ was bad.. wait until we bring her back." she chuckled lowly. "Oh, she's going to find out how evil we can truly. be." she laughed louder. 

Steven double pressed on his index finger and a shield formed around him, and she stopped laughing. "Oh? You wanna fight, Talc?" she placed her hand on the bubble. "Think you can handle me?" and took a step forward. "Then get out of your bubble." a sly smile came to her face. "Prove yourself."

He looked at her.. angry.. and she just stood there with smug look plastered across her face. "Go ahead and prove yourself, Talc."

But.. that wasn't him..

He was angry.. but he wouldn't want to fight. 

He was disgusted at what she'd even thought about doing.. but he would stoop to her level and have a brawl. 

Sure he knew he would lose. But, it just wouldn't be right to fight, in general..

He spread his hands out and the bubble doubled in size, pushing her away. Right as she was flying up into the air, he deactivated the bubble and threw his shield right as she flipped back towards him. She caught the shield and as she was coming back down she thew her whip. He activated the bubble and the whip wrapped around and she quickly unraveled it, preventing him from tearing another one of her whips.

He slid his hands towards each other and the bubble snapped back to its original size and he began running towards her as he double tapped on his middle finger to activate another shield. 

She ran up to him and he bumped into her, the woman stopping him in his bubble. He deactivated it and right as he threw the shield at her she grabbed it and he activated his bubble just as she threw the shield back to his bubble. The shield bouncing off and hitting her in the face and she stumbled back. He deactivated the bubble again and double tapped on his ring finger and threw a third shield and quickly activated his bubble as her whip came down on the surface. She ran up to his bubble, snarling at him with a wild look in her eyes. The bottom of her eye bruised from the shield. "You're afraid Talc." she growled. "You don't even want to get out of your stupid little bubble because you _know_ I'm going to tear you to shreds." 

"I don't want to fight Amethyst. Me OR her don't want to fight!" 

"What is WRONG WITH YOU?! YOU'RE a GEM like US Talc!! YOU are a CRYSTAL GEM!!" his stomach churned at the fact. "And you will _always_ be one.. just like Kyanite." he looked at the woman still barely fending of the Gems. The woman barely moving in her near shattered sphere. 

"Face it Talc." he looked back at her. "This is the end for her." she chuckled. "And maybe even for you too." 

He couldn't let them take Phi Lo away.. 

"NO!!" he spread his hands out across the bubble, quadrupling it in size and the woman was pushed yards away from him. 

He deactivated the bubble and double tapped on his pinky finger and threw a four shield at her right as she flipped back around. She didn't bother using her whip, anticipating him to activate his bubble, but he double tapped on his thumb and threw the fifth one. She landed and caught it as he quickly double tapped on his fingers and thumb, the shield minimizing from her hands. She growled, throwing her whip back and he double tapped on his index finger, activating a shield. The whip came towards him and he threw the shield at the whip and activated another one and threw it. She dodged it and swung the shield she'd caught with her whip back at him and he ran the ring across his arm and the bubble formed around him. The shield bounced off and came flying towards her and she jumped out the way. 

She got up slowly, forcing her body to not pant or show any signs that she was even a _little_ exhausted. 

"You.. and that bubble.." she growled. 

He stood there in his bubble, not saying anything. Waiting for her next move. 

A wave had pushed Garnet far above the two of them and over the two vehicles behind them. 

Amethyst looked back at Phi Lo, on the verge of stopping. She looked back at Steven and with an evil look to her face, she ran towards the woman.

"Amethyst!!" he deactivated the bubble and ran after her as he double tapped on his two fingers to minimize the shields back to the knuckles of the braces.

Phi Lo barely hit Pearl with a stream of water and right as she clenched her hand and froze her in ice, Lapis unfroze the water and Pearl threw her spear at the ice sphere again. 

Steven stopped and looked at the Gems fighting Phi Lo. 

Lapis would be too hard of a target to get with her flying around.. But Pearl or Amethyst would be good targets. All he would need is one good hit in and try to stun them.

He activated a shield and slid the shield to his hand and-

Something hard crashed into him, knocking him into the sand and the shield slid out of his hand. And he screamed as someone turned him over, covering his mouth. He stopped screaming. "Garnet?" he voice was muffled by her gauntlet. 

She was looking down at her. A scared look on her face. "What are you doing! You need to STOP this, Talc! You shouldn't be trying to beat us!" then she added, forcing out through her teeth. "You _can't_ beat us!"

Steven was trying to say something and she pulled her hand from his mouth. "I don't care!! I STILL need to try!" 

"Talc! We're bringing her down and there's nothing you can do." she looked up at the woman, somehow still hanging on. Garnet shook her head. "Even in her state she's incredibly strong.." she whispered. "Even stronger than Lapis.." she looked down at him. "Regardless of how strong she is.. we're going to take her down eventually.. and we're going to take her back." she leaned towards him. "I know what we said Talc, honest.. And I still try not to kill people during our missions and I haven't killed as many when Amethyst isn't around. But this, Talc? This is not our everyday mission and Amethyst is right here with us." the boy struggled to get up but Garnet didn't budge. The woman was solid and how she had him pinned down, he could barely move his limbs. "Amethyst will kill you, Talc." tears were in her eye. "Don't give her any more reasons why she should."

He looked at her solemn expression.. The lone one hazel eye showing so much pain.. and remorse. 

"Please.. I can't lose you too.." 

"Garnet.. I.." he grunted, trying to move from under her. "I.. I'm sorry.. but I have to help Miss Lee.. she needs to go home." 

The woman sighed and leaned down, pinning his shoulders further down to the sand with her arms. 

He grunted. "Garnet!" 

"I won't let you die on me too.." a tear rolled down her cheek. "Not if I can help it." 

"Garnet! You have to let me go!" he struggled to get free.

She shook her head. "No.." she whispered. 

"Let me go!!" 

A single hydro pump of water blasted into the woman, sending her hard into the Inkas armored limo and the water froze up, freezing her to the car. She struggled to get out. "Talc!" 

He picked up his shield and shook his head slowly. "I'm sorry, Garnet.." he ran away from her. 

"TALC!!" she saw him running off and she.. just laid pinned against the van. "I'm going to lose you too." she whispered. Another tear slid down her face.

Steven was just a few yards away from the fight. Pearl and Amethyst were by each other now. 

He turned his body, took a step and threw his shield towards the two, hoping that the shield would hit at least one of them.

Amethyst landed back on the ground and just as she was about to throw her whip, the shield smacked the back of her head and she stumbled forward and quickly snapped around.

"Amethyst, are you-" Pearl stopped mid sentence as Amethyst threw her whip fast towards Steven. This time, too fast for him to run the ring across his arm. Right as he moved his arm over, the whip was already around his neck and choking him. He grabbed at the thick rope, struggling for breath. 

"Why don't I just kill you now." Amethyst tightened the rope around his neck, leaving him no chance to breath. Suffocating him. 

  
  


"That's it. I have to do something." said Mr. Vecino. He backed up the van and turned, driving towards the woman. "Hang on, Gregory." he held his arm over his son. 

The van bulldozed towards them and Amethyst jumped out the way, unravelling the whip from Steven's neck and the boy fell down limp on the ground.

Amethyst growled. "That guy!!!!" 

Lapis turned around. "How about we do something about that." she raised her arms up and a spiralled of water came out of the ocean. The water wrapped around the van, ripping the hood clean off in the process and she lifted the vehicle up. Mr. Vecino and his son screamed as the vehicle was hurtled towards the other side of the beach. The ground came up fast towards them and the truck landed face first into the sand.

Lion slid across and fell on Mr. Vecino's shoulder and the man bent his arm back to keep the dog from falling towards the sand. 

"Are you okay Gregory?!" he looked at his pale son.

He groaned. "Yeah, I'm.." he swallowed. "I'm fin-Mphh!!" everything came up from his stomach and into the sand. 

His dad grimaced, but reached over to rub his son's back as more came out from the boy.

"But.. apart from that.. No broken bones?" Lion sniffed Mr. Vecino's bald head then licked it.

The boy burped. "Mm, mm." he shook his head. 

"Good." his dad smiled. "See, that's why it's important to wear seatbelts, kids." 

  
  


Steven came to, gasping for air. He held his throat as he laid there in the sand. 

He could see through his bleary eyes the Gems, even Garnet now, still attacking Phi Lo. She'd landed on the ground and looked back at Steven and it looked as if a wave of relief had washed over her, seeing him still alive. 

He got up slowly to his knees, then up to his feet. She gave him a subtle shake of her head and he nodded back. He double dapped on his middle finger and another shield activated. 

He ran towards Lapis and threw his shield towards her. He missed and she saw the shield fly pass her. She turned around. _"YOU_ again, pest? I thought you were dead." 

He double tapped on his ring finger and another shield formed around him. 

"Okay, pest." she raised her arms up. "Time. to go.. SWIMMING!" she threw her arms down and water shot out from the ocean. He threw the shield and the water slammed into him. The shield missed the woman and he ran the ring across his arm and the bubble formed around him and was being pushed away by the current as the excess water seeped from the inside of the bubble. The water curved pushing him towards Pearl who was standing there, glaring at him. Her spear raised up in front of her. Just waiting for Lapis to bring him over.

The water snapped back, pushing the bubble towards the woman as it was redirected back to Phi Lo.

Pearl was getting ready. She raised her spear up and within seconds, the scared look on Steven's face soon turned to a look of determination as he double tapped on the nail of his pinky finger. The shield formed in front of him and he swiped across the bubble, deactivating it. 

Pearl tilted her spear to the side as Steven came down hard with his shield, using the momentum and weight if gravity and his own strength to push the shield further down. She pushed up and he landed back down on the sand. 

  
  


"Whoa.. that was so cool." said Gregory. "Like from an anime." 

He and his dad watched _upside down _ as Pearl came towards him. He shifted the shield to his other hand and activated the last shield on the knuckle of his thumb. He held one shield up and the other below as he tried hard to block Pearl's spear attacks.

"It.. looks pretty brutal, Gregory." his dad mumbled. "Maybe you shouldn't be watching that kind of anime." 

Pearl took a step and snap kicked. Her foot pushed him a couple feet and into the sand.

"Oh no! Our neighbor still needs help!" 

Pearl lunged towards him and just as he tried to roll over and get up, she kicked him back down and stomped her foot to his back and pulled his arms back. He hollered out. 

"Now. Time to finish what I've started." he heard Pearl say behind him.

  
  


"I can help him!" said Gregory. "I'm strong! I've been working out with Lars and the group!" 

"That doesn't mean for you to go looking for trouble! Also, working out with Lars a few times does NOT add up to you going against a bunch of criminals!" his dad whined. 

His son started fidgeting with his seatbelt. 

"Gregory! What do you think you're doing?!" 

"I'm going to help them!" 

"Gregory, no!" 

The boy finally managed to unclip his seatbelt. "Gregory! Don't go out there!" the boy shimmied the door and pushed the door open. "Gregory! Get back here!!" the boy ran out into the sand."GREGORY!!" his father went to his seatbelt to unfasten it. 

  
  


Pearl picked Steven up. One arm pinning his arms and shields towards her with her other arm holding the spear up to his throat. 

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!"

Pearl turned around, turning Steven around with her. They saw Gregory holding the handle of one of Pearl's broken spears and hollering out as he ran towards them.

"Oh you got to be kidding me.." Pearl grumbled in annoyance.

"Strong in the real way!!!!!!" he hollered.

Pearl sighed with an eye roll. She let go of Steven's neck and threw her arm back. "Don't hurt him!" Steven threw his shoulders back into her as she threw her spear, messing up her throw.

The head of the spear hit the boy's leg and he hollered out, dropping the handle and falling to the sand, screaming out in pain. 

His dad was rushing after him. "Son!" 

Pearl snarled. She reached down for another canister.. then checked the other side.. then behind her.. 

She scrunched up her face as she brought her arm _empty handed_ back to Steven's throat. 

Unbeknownst to the father, his life amd his son's life had been spared.. Pearl finally running out of spears.

.. Something that hadn't happened in years..

Right as Pearl started walking away from them, a stream of water wrapped around her neck, turned into ice and pulled. She let go of Steven and tried banging on the ice. 

Steven ran towards Mr. Vecino and his son and ran the ring across his arm. The bubble activated around them and the father look around the pink surface as he held his crying son in his arms. 

"Come on." Steven gently held the boy's legs and he cried out more. There was a huge opened wound from his shin and diagonally cut down towards the side of his ankle.

The father held him by the torso and they picked him up and Lion started running towards them from the truck. "Lion, no! Go back!"

"Look out!" Mr. Vecino pointed. 

A hydro pump of water rocketed towards them. The water blasted the bubble forward and some of the stream rushed against the bubble hitting Lion in the process. The dog getting thrown into the van.

"Lion!" 

The water was redirected back towards the Gems only to be redirected once again from Lapis and towards the woman and just as it came towards her, she turned the water into ice. 

Steven deactivated the bubble and shifted Gregory's legs to one arm as he picked up the dog in the other. "Come on. To the other side of the van." 

The two jogged behind the van to the driver's side. Steven put Lion down, who didn't seem to had suffer any injuries. Then gently, he and his neighbor knelt down, sitting Gregory back to the sand. 

The boy moaned and groaned.

"Shtu-ball.." 

"Why would you even go OUT into the fight like that!" Steven yelled. Scared. Terrified. Nervous. Adrenaline on high.

"I.. was trying to help you." the boy cried. "I thought I was strong, in the real way." 

"What?! Doing that isn't being strong in the real way!! You don't just run into the fight like that! You have to be smart! Strategize! Being strong is not about strength and showing off! And now look at you! She messed up your leg!"

The boy cried. Both from pain and getting yelled at. 

"Oh, Steven.. don't be _too_ hard on him." Mr. Vecino held his son close to him. 

"Mr. Vecino. This is serious. He has to be more careful. We're dealing with the Crystal Gems here."

The man sighed. "I know.." he said softly. "but.." he looked down at his sobbing son and Steven's demeanor started to change slowly. He frowned. "I.." he sighed. "Look, I appreciate you trying to help me. And you did. Pearl let me go." the boy cracked open his bleary eyes, sniffling. "But you really need to be careful with your own life too. I think your father would appreciate it if you were to be around." sure it may have been a bit too dark to say.. But it was the truth. If he didn't hit his back against Pearl, who knows where the spear could've landed. 

And his death would've been his fault..

Just like Jesse at the acid plant.. and LJ and the innocent bystanders at the fast food place..

He sighed again, shaking those thoughts from his head. He got up. "I have to go." 

"But, you have to worry about your life too." Mr. Vecino looked up at him. 

"I have to help Miss Lee." then he added. "Don't worry. I'll be okay." he walked away and Lion followed him. "Noooo. Sit." he told him. "Siiiit." the dog complied, sitting down. 

He walked away, hearing the dog whine behind him. Then, he decided to run away from him. At the moment, he didn't want to hear him and he didn't want to think about possibly dying. Right then, he was only focused on helping Phi Lo. 

And Lapis was his target. 

_Just go right to her, Universe. Forget about the other Gems._

He ran up to the fight, passing Pearl and Garnet as Amethyst was sent flying pass him and he threw the shield towards Lapis right as a whip wrapped around him. The shield hit Lapis in her arm and the wave went askew from Phi Lo. She turned around and threw a hydro pump of water at him. Phi Lo raised her weak arm to move part of the water from him and grab hold of the whip. She clenched her hand and it turned to ice and she threw her arm down, the pieces of ice, along with the whip, broke apart and Amethyst screamed out angrily. 

..that being her last whip..

And she'd never ran out of whips before..

She looked around for some debris to throw at the woman. 

Steven wiggled the rope away from his arms and ran his ring across his arm and the bubble formed around him and the bubble was pushed away until he started running in it again. The water split pass the bubble, going on either side of him. 

Lapis huffed and redirected the water back towards Phi Lo. 

"Miss Lee!" Steven ran back towards Lapis. He threw the last shield towards her and missed. She turned back around, glaring at him. "You're starting to _really_ get under my skin." she hissed out.

Phi Lo threw a very weak stream of water towards Lapis, knocking her forward slightly and she turned back around. "You two trying to take me down?" she scowled. 

Steven double tapped on all four fingers and his thumb. The discs minimized back to the knuckles of the braces and right as Lapis was pulling up another wave, he activated one and threw it. Then a second one. Both missed and Lapis hurtled the water towards Phi Lo. She turned it into ice and the block smashed and shattered the rest of Phi Lo's sphere. She fell to the shore of the ocean on her knees.

"It's about time!!!" Amethyst shouted. She, with the smashed up hood from the van, Garnet still with her gauntlets and Pearl with just a head of a broken spear came towards her.

"Miss Lee! Don't give up!" Steven stayed right underneath of Lapis. He deactivated his bubble.

The woman took a breath and glared at Lapis. Staying on her knees, she brought her hands out to her side and one lean tower of water came out the ocean and she threw her arms down and the water came towards Lapis. The woman, now tired herself, held both hands out, trying to push the water away from her. 

Steven activated a third shield and threw it hard. It hit the back of her wings and she lost her tracking slightly. Distracted, shifting herself back with her wings Phi Lo pushed the water farther down towards her. "Oh NO you don't!" she grunted, slowly forming the water to ice. 

Steven activated a fourth shield and threw it, then the fifth shield. The fourth one hit her back again and she spun up to her side and the fifth one hit her in the back of her neck, stunning her. In a daze, and with little energy she tried keeping, she tried holding the wave up, but to no avail. 

Phi Lo pushed the slush of water towards the women, bringing her down towards Steven. Just as the woman reached within a foot of him, he activated his bubble around them. 

Lapis fell to the bottom of it and Phi Lo mustered up enough energy to move a small wave towards the Gems, knocking them over a bit. She panted. 

The Gems were already getting up. 

Lapis was slowly coming to from her daze. She looked at Steven, then at the pink bubble. She got up slowly, snarling at him. _"You!"_ she raised her hands up and Steven braced his self. 

Nothing was happening.

Lapis looked at the ocean behind her. She waved her arms down and nothing happened. She looked at the back of her gloves, then the front of them. She looked down at her feet and threw a kick out and Steven held his hands in front of his face. The ocean didn't move. 

She put her leg back down. "What.." she growled. "did you DO!!!!" she lunged for him. Steven barely jumped out the way and spread his hands across the bubble, quadrupling it up in size and as he tried jumping away from her a second time, he felt a kick to his neck and he fell to his side. He got up and started running to the other side of the gigantic bubble. Lapis leapt off from the side and fell. "What?!" she looked at her wings. "What did you do to my gadgets!!" she got up and ran towards him. 

"Steven!" there were four small streams of water coming from the ocean. The streams hit the surface of the bubble. Phi Lo was looking right at him. "Deactivate the bubble." 

This time, he didn't ask any questions and reluctantly, he swiped across the bubble and just as the bubble disappeared, the water streams grabbed hold of Lapis' gloves and socks and started yanking them off. "No!" she tried fighting the water just as her gloves were snatch off, then her socks. Phi Lo brought her gadgets over towards her and froze them in ice and Lapis started running after her. She flew up into the air. 

Pained and tired, Phi Lo placed her hand down to the shore, causing another wave to come up from the ocean and lunge towards them. The waves some into all four Gems and she clenched her hand and the water formed into ice around them. 

The woman crouched there. Panting. 

Steven ran over towards her, running through the water. "Miss Lee!! Miss Lee, you did it!! Now we can go!!" he cheered. 

The Gems were trying to get out of the ice, but couldn't. Too tired. And the ice had formed around their shoulders on down. 

He stopped beside the exhausted woman and placed a hand on her shoulder. "We can finally leave." 

The woman had her head down.. slowly panting, and her breath became more quick and her body started to shake. 

"Miss Lee.. are you oka-" 

The woman started chuckling lowly.. wearily.. until the chuckling became more pronounced as she lifted her head up. A wry smile under her tired eyes as she began to chuckle louder. 

"Miss Lee-" 

"I thought you said that you could beat me." she panted. "I thought you said.." she started to get up and Steven slowly pulled his hand away from her shoulder. "that you could take me down." she snickered. "That you could take me back." she held her hands up and the ice started turning back to water. "Well think again." she said sharply. "I have one more once of energy left.. and I'm going to use it wisely." she lifted the water up to their faces, covering their necks on up in the blobs of water, suffocating them. 

"Miss Lee!!" 

"You like that!!!" she shouted out.

The Gems started choking on the water. 

"Miss Lee, stop!!" he shook her arms and she lost her footing, but the water stayed around their heads.

Tears streamed down the woman's face. "THIS IS FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAVE PUT ME THROUGH!!!" she screamed.

"Miss Lee!!! Let them go!!!" he pulled her arms back. 

"You don't know what I've been through Steven." she choked. "Nobody does!!!" she cried. "But they're going to pay for it!!!" 

"Come on Miss Lee! You can just leave! You DON'T have to do this!" 

"But we can kill them Steven.. Right here.. right now.. We won't have to worry about them anymore." 

"This is wrong!! We can't kill them!!" he tried pushing her but she formed a block of ice around her legs. "Maybe they can change!"

"I doubt it." 

The Gems weren't breathing.

"We can't be rash!! We CAN'T do this! There's OTHER things we can do that's less brutal!!"

Phi Lo's glared expression wavered. 

Steven stepped up on the ice and grabbed at her shoulders in a hug. "Please.. don't be like them, Miss Lee." the woman cried and he hugged her shoulders tighter. "You know this isn't right.." she looked at the woman unconscious under the water. "Don't be like them.. Just, let them go. And we can finally leave." then he whispered. "You can finally go home."

She kept her stare at the women for a few more seconds, before sighing. She dropped her arms down and the water fell down to the sand. 

Steven slowly let go of her shoulders and with a small, teary eyed smile he said "Thank you, Miss Lee." 

She raised her arm up and the water came up and out of their lungs and into the sand and Steven's smile grew wider. 

"It's time for me to go, Steven." she said tiredly with a drained expression on her face. 

He nodded and he grabbed her brittle hand. "Let's go." 

The Gems started choking as they caught their breath. And Amethyst was the first one to start getting up to her feet, choking as she held her throat. 

And the glare was clear as day on her face.

"She tried to kill us.." she snarled.

"But she stopped!" said Steven. 

She looked at him. "And you're just _standing_ there on the opposing side." she said through her teeth.

"Amethyst, please. We don't want to fight." 

"Then you two should've thought about all that before coming here!" she started running towards them and Garnet, Pearl and Lapis got up and followed suit.

"Steven!" Phi Lo stepped back. He doubled tapped on his fingers and thumb and discs minimized back to the braces.

Amethyst picked up the bent up hood from the van that'd been placed so conveniently there on the sand and threw it.

Phi Lo raised her arm again, trying to lift up a much bigger wave from the ocean. 

Steven ran out towards them. He double pressed on the nail of his index finger and the pink shield formed around him. "We said.." he held the shield up as the van's hood came towards him. "We _don't_ WANT TO FIGHT!!!" the smashed up piece shot towards the shield and he braced for impact, putting his hand on the inside of the shield. The hood slammed hard into it, sliding Steven back across the sand and the surface of the shield vibrated rapidly, sending out a piercing sound outward from the front of it. The hood cracked under the pressure and the Gems fell to their hands and knees in pain and Lapis fell out of the sky, disoriented and falling hard back to the ground. Their earpieces short circuited under the high frequency sound and caused more damage and pain in their ears and nerves. 

All four of them laid there in the sand completely incapacitated.

"Phi Lo dropped the wave back down into the ocean. "What did you do to them?" 

He looked at his shield. "I don't know. I don't even know how I did that. I didn't even know the shield _could_ do that." he looked a the women still playing stunned on the ground. "I hope they're okay." he said before looking up at her. "But now that they're down, we should leave."

Phi Lo looked at them. She nodded

Steven deactivated the shield and turned towards the ocean. Both he and Phi Lo began walking hrough the water. And every so often one or the other would look back, only to see the Gems still laying on the ground.

As the water began to get deeper, just below Steven's knees, Phi Lo brought her foot up on the surface of the ocean and as if the water was solid, she stepped up and pulled her other foot out from the water and started walking across it. The woman completely nonchalant about it all.

Steven's mouth was left agape in wonder as he followed her through the water. "You can do that too?!?!?!"

"Yeah?" she raised an eyebrow at him. Then she said casually. "And turn the water into ice." with her next step on the water a small patch of ice formed underfoot, then the next step was the same as a small patch of ice was left from the foot. Steven looked back at the random ice plates floating across the water, then looked forward to Phi Lo stepping on the surface as the water turned to ice under her every step. 

"Cooool.." 

After a few moments, the ice stopped underfoot and she began to walk on the surface of the ocean once more. 

They continued to walk in silence and further away from the beach. Just as the water went up to shoulder level and he noticed that she wasn't stopping, he ran the ring across his arm and the bubble formed around him. He placed his legs on far sides of the bubble and it floated up and he began walking with her on the surface of the ocean as the excess water seeped out of the bubble. 

She looked over at him and he gave her a thumbs up. She chuckled and nodded at him with a smile. 

Once they were out a good distance from land, Phi Lo stopped and looked out at the open, black canvas of the ocean and sky in front of her. "I think we can stop here. I think we're far enough." 

There was silence for a few seconds until she heard a "So.. this is it, huh?" 

She looked down at the boy's teary eyed look. She gave him a meek nod of her head. "Yeah." she said soflty. "I guess it is." 

He scratched at his hair. "I.. know we've only met just a day ago.. but I'm going to miss you, Miss Lee."

"I'm going to miss you, too. It was nice meeting you, Steven." 

"It was nice meeting you too."

There was silence once more, before Phi Lo spoke back up. "Sorry I'm not helping you.." she whispered. 

He shook his head good naturedly. "Don't worry about that. Mr. Wascoite and I will have everything under control." he assured her. "But now it's time for you to be completely rid of being apart of anything that has to do with the Diamonds Authority or the Crystal Gems." he smiled at her. "And you will make me happy by finally living your life." he clasped his hands in front of him. "This is the start of a new chapter. You're free, Miss Lee." 

"... Free..." she whispered. She looked longingly at the slow moving water in front of them. "Free.." she tried it on her lips once more. "I'm.. free.." she blinked a few tears down her face and she rubbed at one of her cheeks. "This is it." she looked back at him and saw a few tears down his own cheeks. Though the smile was still on his face. "Make it home safely." 

She nodded. She took the backpack off and pressed a small blue button on the shoulder of her jumpsuit and the two rectangular pieces that were laying vertically on her back snapped up to the side opposite each other. A sheet of ice slid out of the thin metal pieces. And Steven noticed the ice looked to be carved into wings. 

The woman turned back around in all smiles and she said with such happiness and gratitude "Thank you, Steven."

He looked at her. "No prob bob." 

She laughed and snorted. "You already said that to me." 

"Oh, uh.." he shrugged. "It just seemed fitting in this situation too." he smiled awkwardly. 

"Right." she smiled. She straightened her back and turned slightly towards the land. Her smile faltered and she looked back at him.

"Don't worry." he reassure her. "I'll go back and face them on my own. I'll be fine." she didn't look convinced. "Really, Miss Lee. Don't worry about it." he gave her a thumbs up. "Whatcha waiting for? Time for you to go on your journey." he tried giving her the most reassuring smile he could give her, despite of the bubbling fear and anxiety in his gut. 

The smile was back, but only slightly. She bent down and wrapped her arms around the bubble. "Thanks again, Steven." another tear rolled down her cheek.

He leaned on the bubble with his arms out, "hugging" her back. "Take care, Miss Lee." 

"You do the same, Steven." she leaned away from the bubble and took a few steps back. "Well.." another tear fell and she said softly. "Bye." 

He felt a tear slide down his own cheek as he waved at her. 

She turned to the side, allowing the wings to face away from him. And, the clear, sparkling wings raised up and as they pushed back down she jumped up, leaving a gust of wind and a spray of water and the rippling surface of the ocean behind her. 

And he watched as her crystal-like wings twinkled with the stars as she zipped fast across the sky. "Take care, Miss Lee." he whispered. 

He watched until she disappeared just moments later and he looked back down towards the land. 

His stomach doubled over and churned. 

He took a breath that didn't calm his nerves or his breathing. 

_Okay, Universe.. It's time to go back and face them.._

  
  


  
  


Steven was walking back to shore.

And the Gems were just starting to get up.. and he saw Lapis by the shore on the other side of the beach just breaking apart the ice. She started taking her gloves and socks out of it.

He deactivated his bubble and slowly started making his way towards the angry pair of eyes. Say for Garnet who looked scared for him.

Then, there was one pair of eyes in particular that were glaring at him and his heart started beating faster.

He slowed his pace as he tried to calm his shaky breath. 

This was what he was thinking about in the van and off and on throughout the fight. 

How slow or how quick and how painful his death was going to be.

And he could only hope that Connie would be safe and live a happier life without him. 

Amethyst was walking up to him and his heart started to thud harder in his ears and his legs started to feel like lead, but he still continued to meet her halfway. 

He couldn't put it in words what he was seeing. The look on his boss' face. It was something he'd never seen before on anyone. It was something irate. It was something wild. It was something feral. It was something completely void of any leniency or sympathy. 

He could only see vindictiveness and anger and evil in her eyes. 

And when she finally got close to him, he could practically feel the tense and cold coming from her. 

He swallowed the lump of fear in his throat.. One last swallow before he felt cold, rough hands grab his throat. 

And he couldn't breath. 

"You _let_.. her go.." she hissed out sharply through he bared, clenched teeth.

He couldn't say anything. He reached up to her hands.

"You touch me, I'll choke you even harder." she pulled his mask off and watched as the boy turned red in front of her, slowly losing conscious. 

"Garnet!!!" 

The woman ran up by her, trying not to look at Steven's listless eyes. 

Amethyst pointed over by the van. "Make sure those two are dead." she ordered. "They already saw our faces. We can't have any witnesses." 

"Yes, Amethyst." she ran over towards the van. 

"Pearl!" the woman ran up towards her. "The trunk." 

She ran over to their car and placed her hands underneath of it. The security system scanned her fingertips and the trunk popped open. "And attach the moped to the car. We can put that to old use." 

"Yes, Amethyst." she ran over to the knocked over moped and sidecar just a few yards away. 

Amethyst walked over, the barely conscious boy's feet dragging along the sand. She threw him down hard in the trunk. 

The boy gagged and coughed as he wheezed for air. 

"You're lucky we don't kill you or throw you right in the cellar where _she_ was in and give _you_ the same treatment." she said coarsely. But we'll use you for our biggest mission, then we'll just discard you afterwards." 

He panted heavily underneath of her glare. 

".. Amethyst.." his voice cracked. 

She slammed the trunk down shut. 

  
  


Mr. Vecino saw Garnet coming over to them. The man grabbed his son and pulled him close. "Please! Don't kill us.." 

She looked over slightly, seeing Pearl opening the door for Amethyst as Lapis said something to her. Pearl closed the door back and started walking away and Amethyst said something back to Lapis. The woman then responded with a single head nod before flying off.

She turned her eyes back to them and ran up to the car, closing the distance between them. The man gasped as Garnet crouched down towards him. Her face just an inch away from his and he couldn't look away from the empty socket where her eye would've been.. and to the glare of her other one. 

He swallowed. "Please don't kill us." he shuddered under her look. "We won't say anything. We promise." he whispered. 

"Even though you say that, tons of people had said that too. And I _still_ killed them." she said bluntly.

He wheezed, pinning his self to the car pointlessly. He held his son close to him. "Please.. at least just let him live." he arms trembled. "He's only a kid." 

"I've killed people of all ages." 

Tears started welling up in his eyes.

There was silence between them, say for the sound of the man's shaky breath. 

Moments later and her expression softened and she said, "But I'm a friend of Steven's. I won't do that to you two." 

The man sighed out heavily. 

Lion came out of the driver's window and trotted over to Garnet. "Hello, Lion." she pat him on the head and the dog wagged his tail. She turned and faced Mr. Vecino. "And thank you, for saving Steven." he turned to the boy. "And you saved Steven a second time. Thank you." the boy started to become less scared and he slowly began to smile. He nodded his head.

"Now. I must go." she lifted her hand from the dog's head. "The dog stays with you until if and when Steven comes back to retrieve him." Mr. Vecino nodded fervently. 

"Lion. Sit." 

The dog sat and she got up and started running back for the car.

All while thinking about Steven and hoping that he's okay and that he _would_ be okay..

She opened the door and got in.

"Took you long enough to just kill them." said Amethyst.

Garnet pushed the button on the car and it started up. "I thought I could watch them suffer." she lied. "Their pulse was low."

"But you _did_ kill them." she eyed Garnet.

Garnet resisted to look away from her. "No." she tried to level her voice. "They're near dead. That's why I was waiting for them to die. They haven't yet, but them having a slow and painful death is a casuse from them trying to get in our way."

Amethyst scoffed. "Not bad. I like that." though she didn't smile. 

They could hear the faint sound of helicopters and ambulances in the distance. She turned away from her. "Hm, looks like the authorities are finally coming." she leaned back in her seat casually. "Take us to the Gem Base." she ordered.

"Yes, Amethyst." 

She could only imagine (though she didn't want to) the many things that they would be doing to Steven once they made it back to their place. But she tried to ignore those thoughts as she shifted gears and drove down the sand, away from the two she didn't kill.. and towards their destination.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry no water clones.. just thought that that would be overdoing it. The mechanism in her hands can manipulate and change the state of the water and also turn them into objects, but NOT to the point that they are alive in any way. Thus, no water clones that could fight and attack on their own. Still hope y'all enjoyed the two previous chapters though :0
> 
> And ooh boy.. Looks like Mr. Vecino and his son knows about Steven and how the Gems look =x


	168. The Chamber

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going back and forth with this chapter, wondering if I should put this in or if it would be way too brutal..  
But I eventually decided to put it on here even though it may be extremely distasteful for some of you to read... but without saying too much, (for those who don't like to be given spoilers) but Steven is going to get a pretty nasty beating. Like, extremely bad. 
> 
> For those of you who don't want to read Steven getting beaten, then please, skip this chapter and scroll down to the notes. I'll fill you in without the gory details. That way, you'll now where we are for the next chapters.
> 
> **Seriously, you have been warned.**  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Steven was terrified. 

He didn't know what they were going to do with him, but with Amethyst clarifying that they weren't going to kill him, or that they weren't going to keep him in the cellar, he could only wonder what that would mean for him. 

And when he felt the car stop, but this time accompanied by the slamming of doors, his heart started to race in his chest. 

The trunk was pulled open by Pearl and Amethyst grabbed him hard by the neck again. She dragged him out the trunk and to his feet.

They were at the garage unit. 

He was dragged towards the elevator as Pearl put in the code on the tablet.

The doors opened and Garnet and Pearl stepped to either side, as Amethyst stepped in. 

Steven looked up at Garnet, but the woman avoided any eye contact.

Instead of going up to the first floor of the living room, like they'd done before, the first time he'd went there, the elevator started going down to an even deeper part of the basement. 

The doors opened with a ding and Amethyst walked out to the dimly lit hallway. They passed by a few doors labelled in GemTech writing and turned left to the next hall. 

The Gems were so eerily quiet. Just the sound of their boots against the floor filling the silence. 

They turned down to another hall to a pair of double bolted doors. "Pearl-" the woman was already jogging up to the doors to unlock them. 

Just as Pearl was opening the doors, Amethyst's grip tightened around his neck. She pulled him down and he tripped o his weak legs and she started dragging him into the empty, square room. 

Sharp rocks made into the floors clawed and scratched at the top of his feet and he tried to turn them around to the bottom of the flip flops, but Amethyst turned him back around and the rocks raked across his feet again, some cutting his skin. 

She threw him down hard on the floor and he looked up at her. 

"Talc." she scowled at him. "For what you have done, unfortunately we won't kill you or lock you up in a cellar. As I've said, you'll be accompanying us on our mission before we discard you." she took a step towards him. "But, you _will_ be punished for what you've done." 

"Amethyst." he wheezed. "Please-" 

"Garnet. Pearl. Strip him down to nothing." 

"Amethyst!!" he screamed. 

Garnet and Pearl came towards him and he tried getting up when Pearl tackled him to the ground and ripped his mask off and threw it. She held her arm by his neck as Garnet took his flip flops off then started undoing his pants. 

"Amethyst!! Please!! Don't do this!!!" Garnet slid his jeans down. 

He didn't know _what_ they were going to do to him.. but he didn't want it to happen-

Garnet slid his boxers down and threw them by his jeans and Pearl pulled him and his body scrapped along the jagged floor, scratching his skin.

And Amethyst watched the two. Pearl stepped to the side, giving Garnet space to grab his Gemtech shirt. Steven grabbed at her hands as he kicked his legs and Pearl grabbed his hands and pulled them back. Garnet pinned his legs down with hers and pulled his shirt up and Pearl yanked his arms up and grabbed the shirt from Garnet. She pulled it off and Pearl grabbed his ring while Garnet pressed the bracelet down on his wrist. The braces went back into the bracelet and the pink tiny discs went back inside of the bracelet. She yanked the gadget off and threw it with his clothes and the other gadgets. 

Then, they let go of him and the boy laid naked on the floor. He looked at the three.

Amethyst started walking away.

He watched as she opened a small square door in the wall and pulled out something from it. She closed the door back and began walking towards him and he noticed it was a whip. 

He sat up quickly, only for the rocks to scrap across his balls and the back of his thighs. 

Amethyst started smacking the whip in her hand.

"Looks like you'll finally be getting a taste of what Garnet went through that day when she effed up that time at the arcade." 

Steven looked at her and the woman kept a plain face. Her hazel eye not looking at him.

She held the handle and the rest of the whip fell down to the floor. "Garnet. Pearl. You two are dismissed." 

"Wait!! No!" he watched as they walked away. "Garnet!! Pearl!!" he shifted to his side and the rocks scratched at his leg and hands. "Garnet!!! Pearl!!"

Amethyst turned around to see Garnet look back just slightly as Pearl continued to walk away.

"You know what." the two stopped and turned to look at their boss. "Pearl, you go call Mr. Wascoite and tell him what happened about what transpired tonight. And Garnet." the woman's heart started to beat faster. "Come here." she beckoned with her finger.

Pearl walked out the room and Garnet made her way back to the two. 

Amethyst started with a head shake. "You know, I saw what happened. With Garnet not fighting you when she had the chance. When Kyanite was with you.. before she even got to the shore." she looked from Garnet to Steven and back to Garnet. "You had the chance to get her then. To get. _both_ of them then. But you waited at the last minute to get them." she turned her glare to Steven. "And look now? You're calling out for them when _I_ was the one who ordered them to leave? Are you that. stupid?" she took a step towards him. "Garnet and Pearl started attacking Kyanite and tried getting her back. because I _ordered_ them to. And when I tell them to leave the room, they do it." she looked at Garnet. "They do _not_. look back." then she added as she looked into Garnet's eye. "OR show any remorse or sympathy." she looked back at Steven once more. "How many times do I have to tell you that Garnet. works. for _me? I_ give _her_ orders. No matter what you two have towards each other," his eyes never left hers. "she will always obey my orders. And she will always be a Crystal Gem first and foremost and she is not to forget what kind of ruthless people we are." Amethyst shook her head. "We don't have friends, Talc. Remember that. None of us are your friends. And if you think _she_ is your friend, then watch how easily I put her against you. Now. Observe what I mean." she leaned back up. "Garnet. Hold him while I whip him." 

The woman started walking over toward him. 

"Garnet!-AAAHHH!!!" Amethyst whipped him across his chest. And she threw the whip down four more times, getting his arm twice, his face and his legs twice. He looked down at the red marks on his body then up at her. "You say her name, that's five for each whip." then she threw her whip down again at his neck and he hollered out, grabbing at his skin.

"Garnet! Hurry up and grab him before YOU'RE next for insubordination!" she yelled. 

The woman picked him up and grabbed his arms, pulling them back and she threw her other arm around his neck in a chokehold. 

"Amethyst!!" Steven cried. He flailed his legs in the air. "Stop!!!" 

She bared her teeth. "You're going to pay for letting Kyanite go, Talc." she threw her whip down at his chest. He screamed out and she kept at it. Swiping the whip down and across his chest. Blood started to seep from some of the cuts. 

She went up, going for his face and the rough whip sliced across his cheeks, then his chin and one going just below his eye. He screamed out in pain as tears fell down his face. 

He flailed his legs, in a futile way to break free from Garnet's arms. "Stop moving your legs Talc." she threw the whip across one of his thighs. "Amethyst please!!" he begged. "Stop!!" he kicked his legs up more.

"I said STOP moving your legs, Talc!!' she brought the whip down harder, cutting the whip across both legs. Blood dripped from the wounds of the cuts and pieces of his skin hung off. 

He cried more, feeling the rope burns and his body blistering and peeling.

"Amethyst!!! I'm sorry!!" he cried. Tears met the blood on his cheeks as they slid down his face and down his chin.

"You shouldn't have let her GO!!" she whipped across his neck and back to his chest again and he hollered. His breathing was shallow and quick and she kept going. Hitting him across his face and back down to his legs. But there was just one other spot she hadn't gotten to.. even with flailing his legs he kept his thighs together and over him as he shifted his body to the side.

"Face me, Talc!" she whipped his stomach and sides and across his thighs. 

He reluctantly complied, but kept his self hidden. She scowled at the boy shaking in front of her. She raised the whip up. "Garnet. Grab his thigh." 

"NO!!!" he screamed and tried pulling away from her. She let go of his neck and grabbed his thigh and pulled it back. "Amethyst!!!" his voice cracked as he screamed. Garnet pulled his thigh back more, revealing himself. 

Amethyst threw the whip down between his legs amd he let out a blood curdling scream. 

She ignored it, smiling as she threw the whip down on him two more times before throwing the whip up, getting directly in the middle between his legs. The boy bent over, heaving and retching at the pain and she whipped him across his front again between his legs. He heaved, throwing up on the floor. And she continued, whipping his front again before going back to his face and chest. Then down his thighs, his knees, his shins and down to his ankles and feet. And back up to his front twice and slashing the whip across his chest.

The minutes went on with the whipping until she out her arm down. "Garnet." Amethyst called out the woman's name as she looked into the boy's bloody face. "And to show him that you are not a friend of his, punch him in his face." 

Garnet let go of his thigh and threw her hand down hard to his jaw. And he felt the immense pain surging through the side of his head and down his jaw to his neck. And he felt something rolling around in his mouth and he could taste blood. 

Amethyst snickered. "Knocked out a tooth? Spit it out."

He quickly listened to her, spitting a molar out to the floor with his blood filled saliva. 

"Heh. Nice." then she looked back at the woman. "Now. Throw him on the floor." 

She threw him down and he fell limp and face first on the rocky floor. 

"Garnet." the woman kept her attention on the boss. "You're dismissed." 

"Yes, Amethyst." she walked away, listening to Steven's sobs and gagging and coughing fill the emptiness of the room. 

Amethyst walked up to him and he looked up at her with his bleary eye. The half side of his face on the jagged rocks. He coughed, hyperventilating on the ground as the blood seeped from his wounds.

"And now. for the other side." 

He didn't scream for her to stop. She wouldn't. And he just laid there, sobbing as he felt the first whip hit his back. 

She whipped him across the back of his legs, his neck, his head, his back again and his arms. He started screaming out again as more tears fell as she whipped him harder. She swung the whip down between his legs and he let out another blood curdling scream. And she whipped him there more before going back to his legs, then his arms, then his back again.

The whipping went on for minutes before she said "Roll over. I didn't get the front of you arms." 

He did as he sobbed and coughed on his mucus. She swung the whip down, whipping his arms before going back to his stomach, between his legs and his chest and neck. 

And after a few more minutes passed, she slowly lowered her arm back down.

He laid there in pain and crying out on the ground. 

"That should teach you a lesson." she growled out. She stepped on the side of his head and crouched down. "I'll be back later to get you." she hissed in his ear. She sucked some air back and coughed up spit. She spat in his face and got up and started walking towards the door. 

Steven laid there in pain. His stomach queasy and churning and his body burning and stinging everywhere. And blood lined his wounds and dropped slowly from his skin and to the ground. 

He felt so sick.. and exhausted.. and weak.. 

And now he was there all alone and naked and cold and in pain. 

His eyes fluttered as he tried to keep them open.. The pain was everywhere and he could feel his strength and consciousness leaving him.

He let his eyes shut for a few seconds and he heard a tune on the other side of the room. He opened his eyes back up, slowly weaving in and out of consciousness as he tried to remember what the tune was.. 

The tune stopped. 

What felt like just a minute or two later he heard a little ding across the room. 

He'd lost track of time on the hard ground and he heard the tune again. He couldn't open his eyes, too weak to open them. 

And slowly, his mind started to register that it was Connie's ringtone.

His sweet, lovely Connie~

He kept his eyes close.. and he left his mouth agape as he breathed in shallow breaths.. 

His ears listening to Connie's soothing ringtone on his phone as he felt his consciousness slip away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I had to end it on this note :/
> 
> For those who didn't read it, the Gems took Steven to this room called The Chamber. There, Amethyst ordered the Gems to strip Steven of his clothes and leave him naked. Due to Steven calling out for the Gems and only Garnet making a mistake and looking back, she has Garnet to redefine herself/ emphasize to the both of them that Garnet is a Crystal Gem and that their little friendship needs to end. She has Garnet hold him while she beats him with the whip and has Garnet punch him in the face resulting in him to lose a tooth. Afterwards, Amethyst tells Garnet to throw him on the floor and leave out the room for her to do the other side of his body. Then she tells him that she'll be back later, spits in his face and leaves. And bloody and in pain, he falls unconscious as he hears Connie's ringtone playing on his phone in his pants pocket on the other side of the room.
> 
> OKAY GUYS!!!!!
> 
> We're FINALLY halfway through season one!! :D  
For those of y'all who are still reading on, WOW, that's amazing and y'all are really troopers and I deeply thank all of you!! :)  
I'm still not tired of this fic, so if I don't end up like, dying any time soon, I plan to finish the rest of the season.
> 
> And, I can only hope that at least some of y'all will like the next 26 episodes/ the rest of season one =)
> 
> Stay tuned for House Guest!


	169. Sick of this morning..

Steven had woken up in a daze. Not knowing how long he'd been in the chamber or how long Connie had been calling him. But he heard her ringtone playing on the other side of the room once more. 

He looked around himself, in small puddles of his own blood and his tooth just a foot away from him. He looked down at his body.. the welps and scratches and open wounds etched up and down his skin. 

And he was in so much pain.. 

He laid there in silence. 

He kept his face on the rocky flooring as he began to close his eyes once more

There was a sound of a door opening up.

He opened his eyes back up slowly as he heard boots stomp across the gravel.

The shadow began to crawl closer towards him and right as he saw a dark purple boot step in front of his face, a hand grabbed his neck and pulled him up. He gagged as Amethyst pulled him up to a half slouch half standing position. 

He was staring right at her narrow eyed glare.

"Time to go." she said coarsely. She squeezed his neck harder. "Put your clothes on. We're taking you back out of here, as per Wascoite's orders." 

He couldn't say anything. Her hand was grabbing his neck, choking him harder and as his lungs started burning for air once more she finally let go and he dropped to the floor, the rocks going into his opened wounds and agitating them more. He flinched, groaning and gagging as he got his air back.

"Hurry up!" she kicked him between his legs and he bent over in fetal position, in more pain. 

"I'll give you three seconds." spikes jutted it from the bottom if her boots and he gasped. "Or I'll kick you harder. One-"

He turned over, groaning at the pain and the new pain from the kick and the pain of the rocks picking along his wounded skin as he turned over towards the side his clothes were on. Grit and pebbles poked his skin as he pushed his self to his knees. He crawled on them, trying to ignore the stinging and burning on the opened cuts on his knees, legs and hands as he crawled over to his clothes. 

He turned his self over to a sitting position and grabbed his boxers. He slowly slipped them on, getting a look at how bruised his thighs were and between them..

He picked up his jeans and slid them on and the material agitated more if his skin. 

Then he put his GemTech shirt back on and put his mask, bracelet and ring in his pocket. 

He looked back up at Amethyst for another order. And not moving until she said otherwise. 

She stepped towards him and grabbed his neck again. He gagged as she pulled him up. 

The two made it out of the room and down the halls to the elevator. There, Pearl was waiting for them in front of it. She turned around and put the code into the tablet and the doors opened. She stepped to the side for Amethyst to step in before doing so herself. 

The doors closed and Pearl pressed the buttons on the elevator and they went up to the next floor.

The doors opened to the darkened basement and Amethyst pulled him out of the elevator. He heard Amethyst say "Pearl. The trunk." and he heard the sound of running feet and a few seconds later the sound of the trunk being popped open. 

Amethyst walked up a few steps before stopping. Then he felt himself getting pulled up off the ground and she slammed him down into the trunk. 

And, without saying a word, she slammed the trunk shut.

..............................

He'd either passed out again or had fallen asleep, he didn't know.. but right as he started opening his eyes once more he heard some muffled voices outside. 

The trunk opened and Pearl stepped to the side.

Amethyst grabbed him by the throat again and pulled him out of the trunk. She pulled him towards her face. "Again.. you got to live to see another day." she growled in his face. "But you pull a stunt like this again?.. I'm capping a bullet right. between. your eyes.." he couldn't say anything. Her hand wrapped tightly around his throat. "Now. Tomorrow you'll be having your second day of training with Garnet. Be here at eleven hundred hours. And then we have our Together Breakfast on Monday where we'll see you here at oh nine hundred hours." his lungs started to ache but she squeezed his throat harder and kept her hand there for a few moments before letting go and he dropped hard to the ground. 

"Pearl."

The woman quickly shut the trunk and ran to the passenger's side door and opened it. Amethyst climbed in and Pearl walked around. The two meeting eyes, with Pearl glaring at the boy's sad, watery eyes. 

She looked away and he heard the door open and close shut behind him. And just seconds later, he heard the car pull off.

And he laid there. Still in so much pain.

.................................

He'd woken up again, not sure how long it'd been since he'd been laying in the alley beside the apartment complex. 

But just laying there wouldn't help him..

And he kept thinking about Connie and how worried sick she must be about him.

His stomach started to bubble.

What was he going to say to her this time?

And would she believe yet another one of his lies again?

He grunted and groaned, pulling himself to a sitting position, to pushing himself on his knees. Then, slowly, pushing himself with his hands and up to a crouching position, then slowly rolling his body up to a slouched stand. 

He took his first step and stopped. Then another step. He started a slow shuffle across the gravel, feeling the fabric of his clothes rub across his skin.

He dragged his feet around the corner of the apartment and his eyes caught the sight of the near empty parking lot. His neighbors having left for work or for college. 

But there was one truck that _wasn't_ there. 

.. due to his poor neighbors being caught up in his own Gem problems..

He wondered if they were okay..

And he wondered about Connie even more.

He sighed.

_What's the damage?_

He dug his hand in and his skin scraped along the material of the pocket as he grabbed his phone. He pulled it out of his pocket and unlocked it. 

Nine missed calls, six voicemails and six messages.

His heart started beating fast in his chest.

This had been the most she'd ever called him.

And there was probably no way to come down from this..

He read all of the messages, practically skimming them as he went along. Not wanting to read each message as they became more frantic and anxious, with the last one reading. **Steven, you have to call me, please. I've been calling your phone. You said you were going to be here in an hour and it's already the next day. I don't know if anything happened to you or you got into an accident or what. But please, pleaase call or text me back that you're okay. I'm worried sick about you. **

Then he.. very reluctantly, listened to his voicemails. And each of them being more panic-stricken and distressed than the last and he thought she was crying during the last two, though he really hoped he was only imagining that.

Now he didn't want to face get at the moment..

He knew he was in big trouble and he still hadn't formulated a proper lie.. and if a proper lie would even get him out of something like this.

Should he perhaps send a message in a futile way to possibly soften the blow? Should he call?

He went back to her name.

**I am sooooo sorry, Connie. I took another shift at work and I ended up going back. And, I kinda got hurt on the coils again and I had to go to the hospital. But don't worry! I'm fine! I didn't have any reception in the hospital and I'm just getting your messages now. My co-worker is bringing me home right now.**

He sent the message, feeling a cut on his thumb as he pressed on his screen.

And he was anticipating her to call him within seconds of receiving the message screaming and crying in his ear.

But when a minute went by..

Then two minutes..

And five minutes..

_He_ started to get worried.

She wouldn't had ignored him. 

And she wouldn't go to sleep without knowing he was safe.

And even if she was at work, she most likely would've went somewhere like the break room to talk to him.

That wasn't good..

And when five more minutes passed without a text from her, he hovered his thumb over the call button.

And when two more minutes passed, he finally couldn't take it anymore. He would just call her. He needed to know if she was okay or not. Screaming and crying in his ear aside, he needed to know if she was alright. 

He pressed the call button and held the phone up to his cut up ear. And he anticipated her answering as each ring went by.

A fourth ring.. a fifth ring.. a sixth ring..

He started feeling more nervous-

She answered on the eighth ring. "Steven!" there was a sound that Steven would think crossed between not quite a burp with a slight cough.

"Connie, I'm SO sorry I didn't call!! I, I got injured on the job." he heard her crying on the other end. "With the coils!" he quickly blurted out the lies. "Remember that time when the deep freezers weren't working? They weren't working again and a co-worker and I went to go check it out and he and I got really hurt." he heard that mixed sound of a burp.. cough? but it sounded away from the phone. "He and I had to go to the hospital and I didn't have any service so I didn't get any of your texts or calls until I got out! Connie, I'm soooo, sooo sorry. I know I should've called you when I took up another shift and I know I should've called saying that I had to go to the hospital! I'm sorry!!" he swallowed. Just waiting for her to blow up.. 

More crying on her end and that only broke his heart more. "Steven! Why do you keep doing stuff like this!!"

"I, I don't know-"

"You must LIKE making me worry!! Why can't you just answer your texts or your calls! Why can't you TELL me if you're alright instead of just having me worry about you all night!!" she cried. "I called hospitals, I called the police station!! I-" she sobbed. "I can't." her voice cracked. "I can't take this with you Steven." she took a shaky breath. "I really can't." 

"Connie, this won't happen again." he heard another cough on the end. "This shouldn't had happened and I'm sorry for what I did. And I don't like seeing you like this especially when it's my fault.. Connie, please forgive me.. I won't do this again to you.."

He heard more coughing on the end. "Whatever Steven-" 

"Connie, are you-"

"Whatever. You're safe now." she burped. "I gotta go."

"Connie-"

She hung up the phone.

He lowered his phone, looking at it.

That didn't sound good..

And she just.. sounded off.

He sighed and put his phone in his pocket.

Hopefully she was alright. And he was trying to tell himself that.. but she just.. what happened just didn't sit right with him.

He stood outside for a few more minutes to somewhat clear his mind and to try and trick or reassure his mind that she was okay and at work and that that was the reason to why she was acting like that.

He opened the main door to the complex and took his time walking up the stairs, feeling every cut on his nether region as he raised his leg up with every step.

He walked down the hall and jammed his wounded hand back in his pocket. He took out his keys and put the house key in the lock and turned it. With a click, he turned the knob and opened the door and stepped in. He closed the door behind him and slid the flip flops off.

Connie wasn't in bed or in the kitchen or in the surrounding areas of the studio apartment. 

There he hoped even more that she was safe and at work.

But just in case, especially with these killings and that masked person they saw just a little over a week ago, he had to make sure if that's where he was. Or if she was at least safe and okay.

He slid his phone back out of his pocket and heard Connie in the bathroom.

And it did _not_ sound good.

He wanted to make sure if she was okay.. but at the same time, he didn't want to disturb her either.

He quickly pulled his Crystal Gem shirt off and tucked it in his back pocket. 

.. revealing _more_ cuts and wounds on his skin..

He heard the toilet flush. Then a second later, the water and her gargling before the door opened up and her walking out, rubbing her stomach.

They locked eyes. 

She dropped her hand from her stomach. A look of shock on her face, taken a back to see him standing there, then a look of embarrassment as she realized he was listening to her.. then her getting a look at his skin and grimacing at him. "Steven, look at you." 

He raised his hands. "I'm fine, Connie." and she saw the cuts and wounds on them. "Uh.." he quickly closed them and threw his arms back down, irritating the skin on his shoulders. "The coils got me again." 

She gave him a levelled stare. Though it went unnoticed by him from her black post-cataracts glasses. "That looks.. _really_ bad, Steven.. Look at your chest and stomach! What happened to your-" she answered her own question, looking at the shirt tucked in his pocket.

"I know it looks bad.." he took a few painful steps towards her. "A co-worker and I got caught in them pretty bad compared to the other two.." 

Connie kept staring at him. Looking at the opened wounds on his arms and from his neck on up. It looked horrible.. and red and painful.. and most of those cuts were wide open. "Steven, the hospital just.. discharged you looking like this?" 

_Uh.._

"Or.. did something else happen to you?" 

"Oh, well-" 

"Tell me the truth." 

"I, y, yeah. The deep freezer started acting up again and I thought that, maybe with a bit more experience now, that me and a few other coworkers could fix it and.. it turned out that it was worse off and.. then some stuff happened with some electricity and the coils-" 

"Why don't they just hire _actual_ electricians instead of their employees?? Are they that cheap?! Or do they just _not_ care about their employees?! .. Or both?!" she stopped herself and closed her eyes and swallowed. She was about to reach for her stomach when she put her hand back down. She sighed, opening her eyes back up. "I don't like that they keep putting you and your coworkers in situations like these. It's not fair and it's dangerous. That shouldn't be in your job description. You're a stocker, not a person with a degree in electrical engineering or a licensed technician. And I know that they know that too." she eyed his wounds. 

"Yeah, but-"

"But NOTHING! ALL of this doesn't make any sense! Steven, I'm just going to go ahead and say that.. I just don't believe you!" 

"What?" he tried to fiegn innocence, but he had a feeling it wasn't working. 

"Look at you." she gestured at his skin. "They don't look like they came from coils. I don't know _what_ they look like exactly. But, not from coils." 

"But it _is_ the truth. This is what happened last time and it happened again." 

"At least that time looked like it could be from coils. Steven, it looked like someone.. I don't know, cut you or something? Look at your skin!" 

"Coils can do that! Especially under high currency!" ..maybe? He knew absolutely nothing about electricity, but hopefully he sounded like he knew what he was talking about. "You've never dealt with coils Connie, so how can you know if they're not even from them? Why would I lie to you about that?" 

"I wouldn't put it pass you to lie. You've done it before. You've lied to me about other things. You didn't tell me about you still being a drug dealer." she pointed out.

And that itself was a lie because he wasn't anymore.. 

"But that doesn't mean I would lie about _this_. And I didn't lie Connie, I just told you that I couldn't tell you." 

"What?-" she shook her head. "That's not the point-"

But, you can't just assume I would lie either-" 

"Where's Lion?" 

He almost gasped. _LION!!!_

_Oh, I hope my buddy's okay!!_

"I..iii, lost him." he thought of anything. "at the hospital. We got separated somehow and-" 

"Where's your discharge papers? And I still can't see the hospital letting you go like this." 

"I..I left!" he blurted out. "They were.. taking too long and I figured the cuts weren't too bad. All I needed was that cream and put it on the cuts and that's it. It's not like a broken bone or anything like that." 

"Those are deep, open wounds. Even small cuts can get infected and you're acting like you're not at high risk for it! What happened should've been put in the documents at the hospital! Did you at least file an accident report at the job?!" 

"Oh, y, yeah. Of course I did. We all did." 

"Then you should've had papers from that too." she crossed her arms. 

"Uh.." he shook his head, irritating the skin along his neck and the back of it. "No.. they didn't give us our copies."

"Come ooon, Steven. Don't give me that." 

"Give you what? They didn't." 

She huffed out some air, aggravated. "Just tell me the truth!" he heard her voice crack and he could see her face wrinkle up, her mouth quivering as it curved down in a frown. 

He looked at her. 

The truth...? 

The truth was that he was a Crystal Gem and that he helped this prisoner leave and he got tortured for it! 

He saw a tear align the bottom of her glasses. 

"I.." _am a Crystal Gem._ "am telling the truth." he whispered. 

"Steven! I can see choke marks on your neck!" she cried. "You can't say that THAT is from the coils!" she shouted at him. "And there's blood on your teeth! And just, all around your mouth!" 

_Crap.. Why didn't he check his face?!_

Trying to think fast.. he said. "One of the pieces hit my tooth the wrong way." then he quickly added. "And I knew you were going to point out the marks on my neck. It does look like it, and I was afraid you were going to think that." 

" 'Think that' ?! There's literally four fingers on one side and a thumb print on the other. There's CLEARLY something you're not telling me! Was it the drug dealing?! Did someone try to get you?! Or a group of people were?!" she shouted. "Just. _tell_ me!" 

He felt his own self start to tear up. 

He couldn't tell her the truth..

She saw a tear slid down his face and she cried more. "Steven.. what _really_ happened to you.."

Tell her..

He knew he shouldn't..

But what could he say.. unless he should just come clean. Right then, right now. 

"Steven, tell me.." 

"I.." _am. a Crystal. Gem._ "am not lying. I wouldn't do that to you." and his heart sunk at saying that.. and sunk even more seeing her frown deepen. Her mouth slightly agape in shock and denial.

She was shaking her head fervently.

"That really did happen. It was just a coincidence that the marks look like this-" 

"Whatever. I'm officially done with this." she said sharply. "You don't want to tell me." 

"I told you-"

"I _don't_ want to hear it-" she stopped in mid conversation and brought her hand to her stomach. "I just.." she swallowed. "Whatever, don't tell me. I'm really not in the mood for this." 

"Connie, what's wrong?" 

He couldn't see the glare she shot at him from behind the glasses. "Steven, what do you think?!" she burped, throwing her other hand over her mouth.

"Uh, Connie?-" he watched as she ran back into the bathroom. 

He sighed.

He shuffled his way over to the bed and sat down, only to stand right back up, as pain from his balls shot up to his stomach and throughout his body. He blew out some air, feeling the pain throb between his legs.

He just decided to stand.. and he couldn't wait to put both GemTech creams on his skin.

And he waited, feeling bad at what he was hearing in the bathroom.

He wondered if she ordered some bad takeout last night or something.

A few minutes later he heard the toilet flush and the water turn on and her gargling. She opened the door to see him by the bed. She looked away, not trying to make eye contact.. a bit embarrassed.

She walked pass him, holding the three bottles of cream in her hands and going towards the closet by the bathroom. 

"Um.." Steven watched as she took out a washcloth. "Ate something bad?" 

She shot him another glare that he didn't see "No.." she grumbled. "I think I'm finally getting this _morning sickness."_ she emphasized. 

For just a split second he didn't understand. Then another split second later he realized.. it'd been something that he caused..

_That's right.. something that _you_ did to her.._

He stood there, trying to find some kind of words to say.. But what exactly? 

"But enough about that." she walked back into the bathroom and rinsed the washcloth over some cool water and walked back out. "Let's clean your wounds and put some cream on it." she still sounded annoyed, but she was still very helpful at least. She placed the creams on the table. 

"Are you sure? I can do it myself.. you don't feel well." 

"I'm fine, Steven." she said a bit too coarsely. "Now, which creams are you going to use? I wasn't sure which one so I just got all three."

"I was planning.. on using both the black and the gray bottle." he said meekly. "Not the light brown one. The.. brown one is to put in the tub and soak in."

"Okay." she grabbed his hand and looked at the back of it. Then turned it over, looking at the cuts. She sighed. "I really don't understand why you can't tell me.." her voice quivered. 

He frowned. "It.. really was from the coils, Connie.." he whispered. 

She didn't answer him, and lightly dabbed at the cuts and he winced, sucking in some air as he pulled his hand back. She pulled his hand back towards her. "I have to get in there." she whispered sternly. And he could still here the agitation in her voice. She placed the cloth on the cuts, dabbing at them and getting the black pieces out if it. Then she turned his hand over and did the other side. "We may have to do this in the bathroom, so I can pour the water along your arms versus dabbing the washcloth on them too." she grabbed the two bottles. "Come on." 

He followed her to the bathroom and she turned the faucet on, turning the nobs back and forth to the sides until she found a warm temperature. She rinsed the washcloth under the water. "Give me your right arm." he brought his right arm over the sink and she squeezed the cloth over it and the water rolled down the cuts, stinging his arm. She did it two more times, dabbing the washcloth here and there for the more stubborn pieces that wouldn't come out. And that only stung and agitated the inside of his cuts even more. 

"And your left arm." he turned around, bringing his left arm to the sink. And she caught sight of his back and leaned over. "Steven, your back too?!" 

"There's coils in the back too!" he quickly said "There's coils everywhere back there." 

"Steven.." she shook her head. She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it back and took a deep breath. She began cleaning his left arm off. 

She rinsed the cloth off again and cleaned his chest and back. Then his neck, then his face. Going from the forehead on down and to his ears and once she got to his jaw, he tried to not wince at the pain from her pressing down on his gum.

She went to place the washcloth on the sink before stopping herself. And just to make sure, she looked down. And sure enough, he had cuts on his feet. 

She raked a hand through her hair, taking a deep breath with her eyes closed and she trailed her hand from her hair and down to her neck. She opened her eyes back and looked at him silently. 

"It got the top of my feet too.." he mumbled.

"So you don't want me to see the bottom of it." she snapped. "Fine." she waved him off. She rinsed the washcloth off and rung it out. "Did it get your ankles too?" she kept her stare at him.

He wanted to lie again.. but..

"...y, yes.."

She let out an exasperated sigh, but didn't say anything else.

He brought his foot up and he noticed she purposely didn't move his pants leg up,(most likely to prevent seeing any more wounds and preventing any more comments from her) and only wiped around his ankle and the top of his foot. 

He lowered his foot down and brought the other one up and she did the same, ignoring the pain in his legs and thighs and everywhere else from his waist on down.

She placed the cloth on the side of the sink and picked up the black bottle. She untwisted the cap off, getting a smell of the cream inside. And she covered her nose, burping. "Uueehg, this cream is just." she coughed. And quickly swallowed. 

"It's okay, Connie.. really." he grabbed the container from her hand. "I can do this. I don't want you getting any more sick."

And she really did look it.

She just didn't seem like herself at all.

"I.." she shook her head, swallowing again. "Yeah, I'll just let you do it.." she said wearily. She shuffled pass him.

And he turned around. "Did you uh.. need to use the bathroom?" 

She shook her head, not looking back. "I just..really need to lay down right now." she whispered in a mumble. She climbed on his side of the bed and crawled to her side and laid down, holding her stomach.

_All of this could've been avoided Steven.. if you simply had just.. pulled..out.._

He shook his head of the thoughts.

What's done.. is done.

He needed to focus on putting the cream on his skin so he could start feeling better.. because now, he was just in aching, burning pain everywhere on his body.

But.. now that Connie wasn't going to be the one putting cream on his skin.. and since he was feeling a bit musky and sweaty.. he decided to take a cool shower to rinse of the wounds from his waste on down and to just, rinse off the sweat and blood Connie may had missed with just dabbing the washcloth across his skin. 

He took his jeans and boxers off slowly and placed them on the hamper before making a quick pitstop to the use the bathroom.

And, it took every once of him to not scream or yelp in pain. He looked down, wincing as he went. The stream hitting a cut right at the tip.

Did she really have to get him _there_ too..

He quickly finished, flushed the toilet and stepped into the tub and turned the water on. After checking the temperature, he turned the showerhead on and let the water pierce his skin. 

Or at least that's how it felt to him.

He managed to last six minutes in the shower before it became too much and he figured that he was clean enough and he turned the water off. 

He stepped out and started putting on the GemTech cream healing cream _all_ over his body, letting the cream sting his wounds. Then he put the oil on his skin for the aches and pains. He put the two bottles and the light brown bottle that he didn't use back in the cabinet and closed it, catching a glimpse of his face. It looked a bit swollen from the punch and his jaw was still in pain. 

He rinsed out his mouth a few times, watching each gargle go from red to clear and he opened his mouth to see the gaping red hole on the side of his mouth. 

He opened the cabinet back up and took out a pill bottle and dry swallowed two pain pills. Then he took a couple minutes to take a lot of tissue from the roll and wipe the sink dry then the floor and he threw the tissue in the toilet and flushed it. 

He took out his wallet, cellphone, bracelet, ring, his GemTech shirt and Lion's gadgets and threw his jeans and boxers in the hamper.

He opened the door and even the cool air on his body agitated his skin.

He peered over at the bed and saw Connie still laying down with her head laying on her arm and using the same arm to shield her face as her other arm still held her stomach.

He tiptoed over and bent down, ignoring the pain and he threw everything under the bed before looking back at Connie. 

She still had her eyes closed.

He quickly jogged over and pulled out a drawer from the dresser. He grabbed the first pair of boxers he saw and slipped them on, then the first pair of pants he saw. A thin, light blue pair of pajama bottoms. He slipped them on.

_Good.. she didn't see me.._

He tiptoed his way back to the bed and crawled into the blankets on his pained hands and knees. "Hey.. Connie?" he whispered.

"....Mmm?" she kept her arm over her face. 

"How's your stomach?"

"..Mmm.."

"Want me to rub it for you?" 

"....No.. I'm fine.." she mumbled.

He knew Connie. And she wasn't one to ask for any help or comfort like this..

Steven slid over behind her and gave her a kiss on the temple and brought his hand over her stomach, gently pushing her hand out the way and started running small circles along her shirt.

She didn't stop him and he continued to rub her stomach gently.

And right then he realized that he was actually with her, in bed. And that they were both safe in their apartment with each other. 

And his mind started to wonder towards what had happened with the last two days.. 

He managed to find the Gem Base and rescue Phi Lo, he learned about his double identity as a Crystal Gem and more about the Diamonds at the GemTech building and he managed to help Phi Lo escape and was beaten for it.. 

_So.. that all just happened.._

He leaned in, placing his head down on her hair as he tried getting comfortable in bed. He continued to massage her stomach. 

_Whatever.._

_The main thing, is that I was able to help rescue a prisoner and I was able to survive the beating for it.._

_And if I could go back and do it again, I would._

_They had no right to hide her and abuse her and I'm glad that I was able to help save her. _

He turned his face up slowly, trying to take some of the weight from the wounds on his face. 

And now with Phi Lo long gone and forever free, he now had to focus on two sides of his self: his title as a Crystal Gem and training to become stronger and getting his self prepared for the biggest diamond heist yet and to prepare himself for the Diamonds' arrival and all while trying to find Lonny. And, his true self: to help and save everyone else under the tyranny of the Diamond Authority and to save those under the Crystal Gem empire and to help find a cure for the sick friends.

He gave Connie a loving kiss on the shoulder as he rubbed her stomach slowly.

Phi Lo was now free. 

And now for his other plans to unfold. 

Just one plan down.. six more to go.

Find Lonny, reluctantly help the Gems steal the second and last pink diamond, prepare for the Diamonds' arrival, help find a cure for their sick friends, dismantle the Diamond Authority and help Mr. Wascoite break down the Crystal Gem empire if need be. 

And he was going to do this. 

Especially the last three. 

Or he would die trying..

  
  


Fifteen minutes went pass and Steven looked at Connie's sour expression still on her face. And her swallowing.

"Still feeling bad?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I'm still feeling sick to my stomach.." she mumbled.

"Hmm." he slowly stopped the circles across her stomach. "I'll be right back." he kissed her on the temple again and slid off the bed, noticing his body in less pain. The burning and aches being more bearable. 

He walked into the kitchen and grabbed a little trashcan that Connie had bought as a replacement trashcan, just in case the one they were using would ever crack or get messed up. He closed the cabinet back and took out a bag from another cupboard and put it inside of the small trashcan.

Right as he started for the bed again, there was a light knock on the door.

"Go check who's at the door." Connie mumbled into her arm.

Steven walked up to the door and looked through the peephole.

It was Mr. Vecino carrying his son on his back. The guy was placing a pair of crutches on the wall behind him.

And with his buddy Lion there with them!!

"It's Mr. Vecino." he unlocked the door and opened it. "Hey Mr. Vecino." Lion ran in the apartment and Steven giggled. "Hey, Lion." 

"Hey, I.." he looked at the cuts and wounds from Steven's waste on up and all around his face and.. the choke marks around his neck.. "just thought I would swing on by and bring him to you. And also, you left your shirt in the van as well." and with that, Gregory, who was still on his dad's back, handed him the shirt. "Thanks." he threw the shirt over his shoulder.

There was a bit of silence before Steven spoke up. "Mr. Vecino.. about what happened. I'm really, really sorry. I honestly didn't know that they were following us." he whispered. He looked at his neighbor's son. "And Gregory got hurt and they crashed up your van..I.." he sighed.

"Hey, hey.. It's okay." he scratched at the back of his mullet. "But, I kinda wanted to talk to you about that too, if I can."

"Oh, uh..s, sure." he heard Connie burp behind him and he looked back. He turned back to his neighbor. "Just give me a sec." he kept the door open as he jogged over to the bed. He placed the trashcan in front of Connie. "Are you sure there's nothing you want me to do?"

_"Yesss,_ Steven. I just. want. to lie down for a few minutes.." she didn't open her eyes and she kept her arm over her face.

"..Okay.." he kissed her forehead and started making his way back to the door. 

Lion jumped up on the bed and started sniffing her.

"Hey, don't bother her right now, Lion."

The dog looked at him and laid down beside her. His eyes still on Steven as he slowly turned back around for the door.

Out of sight now, Lion laid his head right behind Connie.

"Phewf, okay, Gregory. Your old man needs a little break." he started sliding his son off his back. 

"Awwwww." he took his spot, leaning back on the wall by his crutches. 

Steven stepped out, leaving the door open just a crack to hear Connie if she needed him.

"Aw, someone doesn't feel good, huh? I had myself some bad takeout just two weeks ago." Mr. Vecino said casually. 

"Oh, no. It's just morning sickness-" he choked. He looked up at Mr. Vecino who had a surprised look on his face.

Maybe he was shocked at her being pregnant.. or maybe he'd gotten a better look at the wounds on his skin.. or both, but the man had a wide eyed look at him.

"Uh.."

"Dad, what's morning sickness?" his son asked. "Is that why his skin is so messed up now?"

"Gregory." he said gently, stopping the boy from saying anything else further.

"Whaaaat? It was only a question."

Mr. Vecino looked at Steven who had a slight blush to his cheeks. He cleared his throat. "Well, uh.. It seems you two are uh.. looking to start a family." he said awkwardly. "That's.. certainly a different path to go down." he said softly, trying to find the right words.

"Y, yeah.. It's, still new to us.." then he quickly said. "Well, _she's_ learning a lot about it but I'm still.. lagging behind.." he whispered as he trailed off. 

Mr. Vecino gave a slow nod of his head. "Maybe you'll start learning more about it, now that.. that's happened." Steven had a guilty look on his face. "BUT.. BUT uh.. I'm not trying to judge or uh.. tell young, soon to be parents what to do uh, heheh." he chuckled nervously that turned into him clearing his throat once more. "But, that is quite the responsibility and.. I.. hope for the better for you two and" he looked to be torn from being unsettled to sympathetic. "if you two need any help during this time or even after she has the baby, remember, I'm just two flights up and four more doors down from you."

"Right.. I'll keep that in mind.. Thanks." 

More awkward silence between them..

And Steven was the one to speak up once more. "So, how are you two?" then he whispered to him. "With the Gems crashing up the van and.. Pearl messing up your son's leg." 

"Yeahhhh, the van has definitely seen some better days." he said casually. "But I filed a report" Steven had a terrified look on his face. "Don't worry, don't worry, I didn't give them too many details. Right around the time you and the Gems were leaving, the police and the paramedics came asking me questions already knowing about the Gems. Apparently a bystander saw the fight and immediately told them of the Crystal Gems. So, I only told them that my son and I went to the beach and when the Gems came to attack the woman, we tried to get into the van and leave, resulting in us getting caught in the fight. I didn't tell them about you or how they looked or anything. And, afterwards, they took us to the hospital to get checked out and they were able to clean and staple up Gregory's leg." 

Steven sighed and ran his hand through his curls. "Mr. Vecino. I'm so soooo sorry all of this happened." 

"Heyy now, you have to stop apologizing so much." he said calmly with an apologetic smile. 

"But it's_ my_ fault that this happened."

"But we're okay. No broken bones or sprains. And just a cut on Gregory's leg. And the van should be fixed soon." and he emphasized. "And you didn't know they were going to come and, it seemed like you really wanted to help that woman out." 

"..I did. She was a prisoner who didn't deserve to be one.. So I broke her out of where they were keeping her hostage and I was trying to take her down to the beach and that's when I bumped into you. When my moped started acting up."

"And-"

Gregory gasped. "A prisoner!" 

The two turned to him and his father shushed him gently. "Gregory, remember what I told you. We have to be _very_ quiet about this. Remember, this is our own little secret team." he winked. 

_Secret Team?_

His son nodded in all smiles. "Oh, right!"

"Gregory." he said in a hushed tone. He placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "You can't be loud about this, son. We have to keep this a secret between us three."

"Righty-o, dad.' he cheesed.

His father ruffled his hair eliciting giggles from the boy and he turned back to Steven and whispered. "And" he started again. "they didn't like that at all." he stated. He looked at the deep gashes on the boy's face and the red bruise around his jawline and the hand print on his neck. "I saw them take you. That's what I wanted to talk about." he clarified. "I thought they were going to.." he didn't finish his sentence. "And I was even debating on knocking on the door or not. If you weren't here and your girlfriend was and she hadn't seen you.. I probably would've had to tell the truth and have people looking for you. Resulting in my son and I being targets for the Crys-.. for _them."_

Steven nodded. He understood completely. "They would've killed me." Mr. Vecino made a disgruntled noise as if he'd been hit. "But I have to help them.." he shifted his eyes to the side before looking back at the man. "with a couple important missions.. And that's why they didn't. But my boss made it known that what I did was unacceptable under the Crystal Gem law." the man looked down at his red stomach and chest. And the welts and wounds made his skin chill. He looked back up at the boy. "So.. you really are a Crystal Gem.."

Steven gave him a levelled look before nodding sadly. "Yes... but I have no choice but to stay in it unless the leader of the Crystal Gems gets rid of the whole authority and dismantles it all.. But until then, I'm stuck in it.." 

"Why?" Steven raised an eyebrow at him. "I mean, why even be in one? Why would anyone ever want to be in one?" he asked softly. "I know I'm not supposed to judge or.. tell other people how to run their lives but.. something like this?" then he added meekly. "Especially when.. you're trying to start a family.." his stomach twisted.

For one, he wasn't even _trying_ to start a family..

"I didn't want to be one. But I was afraid that they were going to kill me if I said no."

He remembered Amethyst looking at Garnet and giving the woman little gestures and Garnet sliding her hand in between the couch and the cushion..

"So I said yes.." 

The man sighed with a deep, solemn expression on his face. "And there's absolutely no other way out?"

Steven shook his head. "That's how Miss Lee, the woman who I rescued, became a prisoner. She was trying to leave and they captured her and threw her in a cellar. She was in there for twenty three years until I came to break her out." 

Mr. Vecino once again, had a very uneasy look on his face. "Why even.. start a group as brutal as this.."

"It's a long story." said Steven. "But, please, pleaase don't tell anyone that I'm in it-"

"Oh! Of course not! Never." then he scratched at his face. "But.. I really hope that there will be_ some_ way you can get out of this. I don't want to see.. Well, I _wouldn't_ want to see ANYONE in something like this." 

"I know.."

Should he.. even tell him?

He already knew he was a Crystal Gem so..

"That's why a couple people and I are trying to take down the authority from the inside.. We're trying to-"

The door opened behind him and Connie looked at the three of them. Then she looked back at Steven. "Hey, Connie." he waved with a nervous smile. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling a bit better.." she turned her attention to her neighbor. "Good Morning, Mr. Vecino." and she saw crutches beside his son. "Oh no.. I see crutches."

Gregory piped up. "Yeah!" he cheesed. "I had to get these staples for this huge gash on my leg that I got from!-Uh.. That I got from.." he looked at his dad. "That I got from........ fighting these strong aliens from outer space! Yeah! And they were all like krgkrgkrgkrgkrg. And I was all like. No! Back OFF you alien, space rocks!! And I gave them a kick and a punch and a heeyaaaaah!" 

Connie raised an eyebrow at the boy but she didn't say anything. But at least Steven saw a crack of a smile from her at the boy's wacky imagination.

"And, I won!" he cheered.

"Well thanks for keeping the planet safe." she joked.

"You're very welcome." he stuck a heroic pose with his fists on his hips in triumph. 

And she chuckled and she turned to Steven, her chuckles subsiding. "I'm heading off to work." she looked at his skin on his chest before looking back up at his eyes. "Try to get some rest."

"Of course.." then he wondered. "Will you be okay walking to the bus stop?" 

"Yes.." she started walking away.

"O, okay.." he watched her walk away from him and down the hall. "Did you at least eat yet?"

"I had a couple pieces of toast and cinnamon." she answered without looking back and she disappeared around the corners to the steps.

"Uh, okay! I'll.. see you when you get home!" 

She didn't answer him.

He frowned.

"Ah, don't worry kiddo."

_'Kiddo'? .. really?_

Mr. Vecino placed a hand on his shoulder. "She just doesn't feel well." he assured him. "My Stephanie was the same way with Gregory."

"Yeah.." hopefully he was right.. But he tried focusing on what was going on now. "Anyway, we're planning on taking down the authority and I'm helping them out. All we need to do is fine the one that started the Crystal Gems and take him down."

"You mean that Lonsdaleite character?"

_Lonsda-.. who's that? _

Then he thought..

_That can't be.. Lonny? _

_Lonsdaleite.. Lonny? Lonny being a nickname for Lonsdaleite?_

"Uh, maybe?" he shrugged.

"He's the one they said that disappeared years ago. It was all over the news. They were even trying to connect that Rose woman's death to his disappearance. Yeah, that was all over the news too." 

He berated himself for hardly ever watching the news back when he was in school way back then.. Maybe he would've known a bit more about the many mysteries about the Crystal Gems and maybe even the Diamonds as well..

"Yeah, that's him. He disappeared and now the new leader is trying to find him and take him down. If and when we do that, then he'll step down and dismantle the empire."

Mr. Vecino nodded. "I really hope you find him. I just, can't stand to see people in gangs. I want the better for them." 

There was a look of shock and awe in Steven's face. "I do too." 

"Then let's hope that everything will work out."

"Right." he agreed.

The two were silent once more, before Mr. Vecino spoke up. "I.. guess that's all I wanted to talk about really, even though it wasn't much to begin with." 

"No, that's okay. And, I'm just glad it's you and not anyone else. I trust you."

"And me! You can trust me too!"

"Gregory, son.. please." he tried hushing the boy gently.

There was a sound of a telephone ringing and Mr. Vecino took his phone out of his pocket. And it was a phone that Steven had never seen before but he could tell it was rather ancient. "Hello? Uh, yes. Yes ma'am. This is him. Mhm.." he listened to the lady on the other end. His expression dropped slowly. "Oh.. really? But I.. mhmm.. yes.." he listened. 

Steven took a look inside the apartment to make sure if Lion was alright. The dog in question was sleeping in his little bed on top of theirs. He stepped back out into the hall.

".. ell I'll try my best to get there as soon as I can. Yes.. Yes, I'll see you soon." he lowered the phone from his ear. "Oh boy.." 

"What dad? What's going on?"

"Ah, something about the van. I need to go down to the shop where I towed it to and get a few things situated about it."

"Oh, cool! That sounds like fun! When are we going?!" 

"Oh, Gregory. You really shouldn't be coming with me. You need to rest that leg of yours."

"Aww, but dad. I can just sit in the car."

"But I might be there for hours. I don't want to keep you couped up in there." he went to his phone book. "I'll just call up Grandpop and Grandma and see if they can watch you for a few hours." 

"Oh what?! But all they have are old knickknacks and your old yearbook that they always show me every time I go there! And Grandma never has actual cookies in those round cookie containers! They always have sewing stuff in them. And, they don't put sugar in their iced tea!" he whined. 

"Sorry, kiddo. But I can't leave you at home by yourself."

"But I'll be good! I'll just sit in the living room and play my games." 

His dad ruffled his hair and the boy pouted. "Now you know I can't do that. I can't leave you in the apartment alone."

"Hmph." the boy crossed his arms. 

"Now let's see.. Dad's number is.." he scrolled down by using the down arrow in his phone.

"So I.. guess I'll let you to it?" Steven assumed. "I'm going to head back inside."

"Oh! Right, right, right. Sorry. Get your rest." 

Gregory looked at Steven as he stepped into the doorway and gasped. "Wait! What about him!"

Steven stopped and turned around. The boy was pointing at him.

"Gregory, no. That's not-"

"But daaaad. He's our neighbor! And, that way Grandpop won't have to waste his gas coming up here. I can just stay with him!" he cheered. 

Mr. Vecino shot Steven an apologetic look. "Ah, Shtu-ball.. you can't just go ahead and suggest that yourself." he said delicately. 

"But he doesn't mind." the boy stared at him wide eyed and smiling from ear to ear. "Right?"

"Uh, well.. I was just planning on resting."

"Yeah, you see, Gregory? He really needs his rest."

"But.."

"Besides, Grandpop and Grandma have been wanting to see you for the past week."

"Awww.." 

"Come on, Gregory."

The boy hopped over to Steven. 

"Gregory!-"

"Aww come ooooon." he pleaded to Steven. "Pleaaaase. Pretty, pretty, pleaaaaaase!"

"I.. really don't-" 

"Gregory, that's not being fair to him. You shouldn't be doing that."

"But I'll be good! Just for oooone little day!! I never got to hang out with a neighbor before!" 

Steven grimaced.

He really didn't want to deal with some ratty kid..

His father was coming over. "Come on, Gregory. Maybe you could hang out with other neighbors? But now, why don't we call up Grandpop? I think he'll even swing pass Fish Stew Pizza and get you one of those fancy pizzas." he grinned.

He frowned. "You don't like me?" he asked Steven.

_Don't let him guilt trip you, Universe! You know this all too well! That's YOUR shtick!_

"You're fine with me. I'm just tired."

"But I won't make a noise! You can rest and I won't even make a sound." he puckered his lips in a frown. "Pleaaaaaaaase." 

_This boy doesn't know when to stop, does he? _

Steven sighed. 

Whatever.. maybe it won't be too bad..

And his dad _did_ help take them to the beach.. Not to mention saving the each saved his life once..

It was the least that he could do.

".. eeds to get some rest-"

"Well.."

They looked at him.

"If the kid says he'll let me have my rest. Then, I don't see why not?" 

"aaaaaAAAAAHHHH!!!" the boy shouted. He hopped on pass his dad and grabbed his crutches. "Okay, dad! I'll see you later! I love you!" 

And Steven watched as the dad ruffled his son's curls. "I love you too, son." and he turned to Steven. "Now, are you really sure about this?" his dad whispered. "I know you had a tiring day yesterday. Not to mention..what happened to you-" his son pushed on pass them and ran inside. "YEAHHH!!! NEIGHBOR BUDDIES!!!" , "I know you really want to relax."

Steven shook his head of the interaction between the two just then and scratched at his hair. "It's, the least I can do. You helped me and Miss Lee out. And you also saved my life twice."

"But you still don't have to do that. It's not that kind of system where you have to do something because we did."

Steven shrugged. "He's already in the apartment. And, what's a few hours." 

Mr. Vecino smiled at him. "Well I have to say I do appreciate it no less. And it saves me a lot of time. I'll head over to the shop right now."

"With what car?"

"I rented a car for the next week."

"Oh.. Glad you have something to ride in."

"Hey, Mister! Where's the t.v?!"

"Huh? Oh, we don't have one."

"WHAT?!?!"

"Uh, Steven?"

He turned back to the guy. 

"I can't believe I'm saying this but.. since you'll be seeing.." he whispered. "The Crystal Gems again.. can you tell Garnet thank you?"

That caught him off guard. "Garnet?"

"Yes. She spared our life. She, spared my _son's_ life." he had a grateful smile on his face with teary eyes. "She said that she was a friend of yours and that she wasn't going to kill us."

_Friend.._

She really said that?

And there Garnet was, having to obey orders from Amethyst..

_Amethyst shook her head. "We don't have friends, Talc. Remember that. None of us are your friends. And if you think _she_ is your friend, then watch how easily I put her against you. Now. Observe what I mean."_

And she had to hold him while she whipped him.. and then had Garnet punch him.. 

".. ease tell her how thankful I am that she spared our lives."

Steven nodded. "Don't worry. I'll tell her."

"Thank you."

Mr. Vecino gave him a wave and a goodbye and walked down the hall and Steven stepped back into his apartment. Trying to ignore the anxiety building in his gut at having to actually watch a kid.. and for the _first_ time at that..

And hoping that it won't take the dad that long to come back from the car repair shop.. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As a refresher, Steven references the lie he told Connie in Chapter 40: Bottling up.. current percentage 78.92% when he got hurt with one of Peridot's gadgets Cat Fingers in Chapter 37: Cat Fingers. He tells her that the marks were from the deep freezer coils again.


	170. House Guest

Steven closed and locked the door and took a couple steps in. "What-"

"Hey, Mister!" he laughed at Steven's shocked expression. "Yeah, it's a little hot in here, so I decided to make myself comfortable." the boy was sitting on their bed in just his Cookie Cat tidy-whities. His clothes having been thrown on the floor by the wall. He pat Lion on the head. "So, what's there to do in this place?" he looked around. "I don't see anything. What's for fun? Videogames? Sports?" then he gasped. "Let's play 'The floor is lava'!!" he slid further to the middle of the bed. 

Steven shuffled his way to the fridge and took out a bottle of water. "Oh, I don't really play that." _Correction: I don't play that at all._ He closed the fridge door. "If you want something to drink, there's some bottles of water in there."

"Just water?!?"

"Yeah?"

"No juice or soda?!?!"

"Uh, I think there's a little bit of pulp orange juice in the container. And we have a case of ginger ale." 

"Ewwww, I only drink that when I feel like I'm about throw up.. And I don't like that pulp kind! It feels icky and weird!"

"Oh." Steven said nonchalantly and he sat down in bed. His body beginning to ache and burn already and it'd only been about an hour since he'd put both creams on.

Maybe he didn't put enough on his skin..

Gregory started bouncing on the bed on his butt. "Do you at least have those Kool-Aid thingys to put in the water to make the water taste better?"

"No. We don't have that either."

"WhaaaaAAAT?!?!" he stopped bouncing on the bed. "How is a young, growing boy supposed to stay hydrated in this place?!?" he whined dramatically. 

"Drink water?" he shrugged and took a few gulps of water before setting it down on the table. He laid down and the blanket only scratched across the open wounds on his back and he grunted, but kept his body laying on the covers. He started closing his eyes, trying to ignore the pain.

..when he felt the bed bouncing again.

He opened his eyes a crack.

Gregory was bouncing again on the bed. "Aw, you can't be tired! Come on! Let's do something!! We can wrestle! My dad and I like to wrestle! Oh! Or we can pretend the floor is ice and pretend to ice state!! Oh! Oh!!" he bounced harder in the bed. "We can built a fort!!!! And Lion can be our Dragon-Doggy hybrid!!" 

Steven sighed. "Hey.. kid. I thought we were going to let me sleep while you, made little to no noise."

Gregory eased up on the bouncing, though only slightly. "Nnnyeah? But I figured that would be waaaay too boring." he started bouncing harder again. "So I changed my mind and thought I could play with you instead!!" he cheesed.

"Hey, hey. You have to calm down with the bouncing. You're going to mess up the springs." 

"Awww, but it's fuuuuun."

Steven sighed. "Gregory. You can't keep bouncing on the bed."

"Awwww..." though the boy continued on bouncing.

Steven sighed again.

And closed his eyes. 

_Whatever.. maybe he'll eventually tire his self out.._

The bouncing continued and he was doing his best to ignore it, when the bouncing seemed to venture further up towards his head. And the bouncing stayed there.

He cracked open his eyes, almost glaring at the boy now.

The boy was bouncing right beside him. "Come on! Wake up! Wake up!" he cheesed. "Let's do something fun!" 

"How about take a nap.." he grumbled.

"Aww what?!"

_Pfft.. 'Aww what?' is what _I _ say.._

He laid there..

He was just.. so mentally and physically exhausted..

And his body really was starting to burn and ache..

Maybe he _shouldn't_ had agreed to this..

How does one even play with a little kid anyway?

Steven sighed for what felt like the ninth, tenth time in a row. "I don't know." he mumbled. "Just, go play with Lion or something." he closed his eyes back.

Lion looked their way and tilted his head. 

"Yeah!!! That's a great idea!!" he bounced off the bed and immediately, it felt nice to not have the bed bouncing underneath of him. 

"Come on, Lion!!" 

Steven kept his eyes closed and felt Lion jump off the bed and heard him land on the carpet.

"Let's play with one of your toys!" 

Gregory picked up a long stuffed animal and waved it in the dog's face. Lion jumped up and grabbed it and began tugging it away from him. The boy laughed as he jerked the toy left and right in his hand.

Lion pulled harder, tugging the toy out of his hand and Gregory giggled. "Wow, you're strong."

Lion chewed and flailed the toy around in his mouth.

"Hmm~." Gregory looked around and spotted a round toy by the foot of the bed. He gasped. "I have an even BETTER game we could play!!"

  
  


Steven had dozen off for a good twenty minutes, but had woken up abruptly to something smashing onto the ground. He jerked up in his sleep, holding his arm in front of him to "shield" his body from a shield he didn't have on him.

And the cuts and wounds on his arms and neck burned and ached at the sudden movements.

He turned to the source of the sound. Pots and pans were scattered across the floor and two cabinets were wide opened. Lion was in the middle of the pans and chewing on the round toy.

"Hey! You're up from your nap!" Gregory was hopping into the kitchen. 

"What are you doing with our pots and pans?!"

"I was using them as obstacles." Lion dropped the toy on the ground and Gregory straightened his bad leg out as he bent his other one. He picked up the slobbery toy.

"We EAT from those! You can't just, _PLAY_ with them on the ground!"

"Well what else was I supposed to use for my obstacles?" 

"I.. I don't know? But not our kitchenware!"

"Uuuuuuuuhhhhggggg." the boy threw the toy and it went flying over the bed and to the other side of the room. Lion followed it, jumping on the bed and running across it and jumping back down, only to lose his balance and hit his side on the wall.

"Lion!" he turned to the boy. "You have to be careful with Lion! And you can't just THROW objects around the place either! 

"Oh, why not?!" he pouted.

"You could break something or hurt yourself or Lion."

"But that's still not fair. My _dad_ let's me throw stuff in the house."

"Well I'm not your _dad._"

"Good! Because you're so BORING!"

Steven groaned and rubbed at his face, only to snap his hands away and feeling his face burn from his agitated wounds.

And that just put him more in a sour mood.

_THIS is part of the many maany reasons why I do NOT want kids.._

He heard Gregory already into something and he turned his sore neck to see him opening the closet by the bathroom. "What. are you doing noooow?" 

"I was curious and wanted to see what was in here. What. I can't do that either?" he poked out his lips. 

Steven sighed. "It's just nothing but towels and washclothes and little odds and ends in there."

"Yeah _now_ I know. Because I just looked inside." he started walking away, leaving the door opened. "Now, for the next one." 

Steven didn't even bother stopping him and the boy opened the closet to see their clothes and other odds and ends inside. He walked in, touching and grabbing all over the different fabrics and materials of the clothing and checking out the vacuum cleaner and iron amongst other objects. "Smells good in here." he ran his hands over the old projector and an old lamp before dragging his leg as he stepped back out of the closet. He stepped in front of the dresser and started making silly faces in the mirror. Every face he made he laugh at. 

He turned around to Steven. "Hey, why don't you make some silly faces too?" he suggested.

..his face was already in pain..

He grimaced. And that hurt him too. "My face hurts."

"Oooooh, because of all of those big cuts?"

"Yes."

"Hm..maybe you should put some stuff on it. When my dad gets a cut or a scratch, he puts stuff on it."

_That's what I should do again actually.._

"I'm going to do that now.." Steven rolled to the side of the bed, not trying to sit down (and relive the pain that he felt from sitting down earlier) and he got up. 

He walked into the bathroom and closed the door. His chest and face looked puffy and red in the mirror and just the look of his skin made his own skin crawl and that only agitated his skin even more. 

He slipped his pants and boxers off and placed them on top of the hamper. He opened the cabinet and grabbed the black and gray bottles. He opened the black one and poured the dark green cream on his hands and began carefully placing it all around his body. All while trying to listen to the outside, keeping an ear out for Gregory.

He did his back and his legs and ended at his nether regions before placing the top back on the container and placing the bottle back in the cabinet. Then he opened the next bottle and poured the oil on his hands and began to smooth it across his face and neck-

The door opened and he jumped, covering himself. "Hey! What are you doing?!" 

Gregory laughed and pointed at him. "You have hairy boy parts." he teased.

"Get out of here, Gregory! You're invading my privacy!"

The boy hopped away, laughing.

_Seriously! What is UP with this kid?!?! _

He quickly placed the rest of the oil on his skin. Going from his chest on down, then his arms and hands and his back and down his two kegs and the nether region. He put the top back on the bottle and placed it in the cabinet and closed it. 

He thought he heard Gregory talking outside the bathroom. "Gregory, who are you talking to?"

The boy didn't answer him.

He slipped on his boxers and grabbed his pants and opened the door.

"Uh huh.. Yeah, this is Gregory. Who is this?-"

Steven ran up to him, ignoring the aches and pains. "Give me _that."_ he snatched the cell phone from his hand. "Hey!" the boy protested. 

"Just. go do something." Steven snapped back at him and the boy pouted and hopped away from him. 

Steven ignored the boy and looked at his phone. 

It was Amethyst. 

His heart began to race in his chest as he quickly placed the phone up to his ear. "Amethyst! S, sorry about that. I'm watching my neighbor's-"

"Peridot has called us for another mission. We're picking you up in eighteen point five minutes. Be there." she hung up. 

That was abrupt.

And she most likely didn't give him a lot of time to get ready on purpose..

But he guessed she was still incredibly irate at what he'd done..

It _had_ been just last night when everything went down after all..

But enough about that. _Now_ he had to hurry and get ready.

But.. there was just one thing..

He looked over to see Gregory giving Lion a belly rub.

..What the heck was he going to do with this kid?

"Hey. Gregory." the kid looked up at him.

"I have to go out for a bit."

"Oooooohhh.. you mean.." he looked left and right as if looking for anyone else in the room and cupped his hand to the side of his mouth. "like Gem stuff?" 

"Uh, yeah. That." then he quickly added. "But I can't take you with me. So, maybe I'll just give your dad a call. What's his number?" 

"Noooooo!!!!! But then I'll have to go to Grandpop and Grandma's house! And there t.v only has three channels!! And NONE of them has cartoons!!" 

"I can't just leave you here. That was the whole reason your dad left you here in the first place."

"But I can look after myself!"

He groaned. "Kid, pleaase." he looked at the time on his phone. He only had just fifteen minutes left.

Even if the kid _didn't_ mind going over his grandparents house, he still wouldn't have enough time to wait for the grandfather to come anyway..

He sighed. "Fine. Whatever. It's not like I have time anyway." he threw his pants on the bed and started pulling his shirt and his gadgets from under the bed.

"Yayyyeeeee!!!!!" he turned to the dog. "You hear that, Lion? I'll be staying.. heeeeereeeeee." he rubbed across the dog's belly and Lion wagged his tail and kicked his leg. 

Steven slipped on his Crystal Gem shirt. "You know what, that's not a bad idea." he said aloud and Gregory looked back up at him. "I'll leave Lion here with you. He can keep you company and protect you."

The boy squealed. "We're gonna have SO much fun!!!!" he rubbed the dog's stomach once more.

Steven walked over to the closet and grabbed a pair of Gemtech jeans from the bag and slipped them on and he put his gadgets and mask in his pocket. Then he slipped another shirt on.

"Okay." he said to the two on the floor. "Try to behave yourself. And Lion. Watch the kid. Make sure he doesn't get into anything he's not supposed to." the canine looked at him. 

"Actually." he looked at his phone again. He still had an extra ten minutes. "Come on, Lion. I'll take you out for a bathroom break." he walked to the door and slipped Connie's flip flops on. "Come on." he beckoned with his hand and opened the door. 

The dog followed him and the two left the apartment.

While Steven was waiting for Lion, he was already hoping that Gregory wasn't tearing the house up.

It was kind of sad really..

He felt like he could trust the dog to not tear anything up versus this kid..

Lion jogged over to him from the grass. "Good boy." he pat at his side and the two walked back up to the room. 

Steven was already anticipating a huge mess..

He opened the door.

Gregory had pulled everything out of the closet. The vacuum cleaner, the iron, the old projector amongst other objects and a few of his and Connie's clothes if the hangers. The boy was now digging through his bag and pulling out his GemTech jeans. 

"What are you doing!?!"

"I got bored and wanted to get a closer look at what you had." 

Lion jogged over to the new, interesting objects and started sniffing them. He started biting on the nozzle of the vacuum cleaner. "Hey, hey. Nooo." he clapped and Lion stopped and looked at him.

"Gregory! You can't just, PULL things out of people's closets! Everything. is all. over. the floor!" he gestured to the items scattered everywhere on the carpet.

He was starting to sound like Connie..

It was like being on the other end now.

Was this how she felt when he would occasionally leave his boxers and socks at the foot of the bed or on the floor?

"But I'm not doing anything." he countered. "I'm just looking through your stuff."

"That's." he clicked his teeth. "Exactly! It's rude to rummage through people's things!"

Seriously.. how was their place going to survive this kid's antics..

"Seeeee.. this is what I mean. I just don't trust you being by yourself if I'm not here."

Gregory looked at him, before a gasp and a smile came to his face. "Oh I know how to solve that problem!" he got up, pushing up on his good leg. "Do you have the Warp Whistle app?"

"I've never even heard of that."

"What?!" he shouted. "It's only the most coolest way to see people over the phone and talk to them! It's like FaceThyme and Schipe. But better! Here, give me your phone. I can download it for you."

Reluctantly, Steven unlocked his phone and handed it to the boy and he took another glance at the clock (three minutes to spare) and he watched as Gregory went to the play store and typed in the name of the app. "See?" he pointed at the photos revealing things about the app. He downloaded it and handed it to Steven. "It just takes a minute to make your profile." 

Steven quickly typed in his basic information and verified his account through his email. 

"Give me the phone back. I can add me and my dad to your friends list." 

Steven handed the phone back to him and watched Gregory type in his name and click add, then his dad's profile name and click add. There was a chime in the boy's pocket. "See, there we go." he handed the phone back to Steven. "Now I can accept your request!" 

"Yeah, okay." Steven said in a rush. "I really have to go." he jogged out the room, being thankful that he wasn't feeling any of the pain in his body.

He just hoped that it would last at least through the whole mission..

He jogged out the main door and to the side of the apartment.

The Inkas truck was already there.

He looked around as he ran towards the armored limo, still being mindful if Amethyst would pull any sneak attacks on him.

He opened the door and got in. Immediately noticing how clean the car was.

".. Hello Amethyst.." he said shyly. Then looked at the other two in the car. "And Garnet. And Pearl."

Nobody answered him.

He slouched back in his seat.

Garnet shifted gears and pulled off.

And the car was tense. And silent.

Until an unfamiliar chime echoed from the back seat.

And from his phone in his pocket..

He took it out and looked at his screen. 

It was a picture of Gregory wearing a banana costume. He was with his dad who was wearing a slice of bread costume. A plastic piece to replicate melting butter was in the middle if the costume.

He answered the call.

"HEY!! the boy shouted and his voice was loud in the silence of the vehicle. 

He got side looks from every Gem in the car and he turned his volume down. "Yeah?" he whispered.

"I don't want anything!" the boy shouted. His face covered the whole camera. "I was just making sure if everything worked or not!" he smiled.

"Oh.. well, it does." he deadpanned.

"Yeah, now I know." he cheesed. "This app is cool, right?!" 

"Hey, I gotta go."

"Awww, but-"

He hung up and put the phone back in his pocket.

Only for his phone to ring again..

He swiped across, ignoring the boy's call and placed the phone back in his pocket 

Two minutes passed, then five.. and he thought he was clear of the calls until the tune sounded again.

He sighed and took his phone back out his pocket. This time it was a picture of the boy's dad eating ice cream. His son was right beside him with a huge bowl of ice cream topped with bananas, nuts and chocolate sauce. The name Ross Vecino underneath of the picture. 

He answered the call.

"Hey! I just got your request! I didn't know you had a Warp Whistle account." said Mr. Vecino.

"I didn't, at first. But, your son suggested I get it."

"Heheh, yeah that sounds like him. That kid really loves this app."

".. yeah.."

_Okay, is that it pops? I reaaaally shouldn't be on the phone. ESPECIALLY talking via video chat like this._

"So is.. that all? Or.." 

"Um.. eheh, yeah. Yeah, that's it." 

"Okay. Well, see ya." 

"Oh, wait!" 

Steven looked at him on the screen.

"Could I talk to my son?" the dad smiled. "I just want to see how he's adjusting to the environment and see how he's doing." 

"Oh! Uh..he's....in the bathroom.. right now." and he quickly added. "But he's doing really good!"

The dad chuckled. "Well I guess I'll take your word for it. Hey, tell him to wash his hands, okay? He has a habit of not doing that." he chuckled. 

Steven resisted a grimace. 

_...oh great..._

"Yeah, I'll be sure to tell him." 

"Thanks."

"Okay, bye." he said quickly.

"Oh, okay!" he waved. "B-"

Steven hung up the phone

And just as he was about to put the phone back in his pocket there was another chime. _Oh, COME on.._

It was Gregory. 

This time he answered it. "What.." he asked. 

The boy was in all smiles. "I didn't know you could see me and my dad's porch from here too!!" he pointed to a porch above him. 

"Why are you on the porch?" 

"I just wanted to see how your porch looked." the boy shrugged. "That's why I was calling earlier. To ask how you open the sliding door, but I found a way anyway." he had a proud grin in his face. 

"Well get _off_ the porch and back in the house before someone sees you! You know you're not supposed to be at home by yourself!"

"But Lion is here. And nobody has to know I'm home alone~~~"

He groaned. "Lion doesn't count. He's a dog.. And that's besides the point!" 

"Fiiiiiiiiiiine.." as the big turned around, he lowered his phone from his face and the camera was facing the bottom of a porch above him, then the boy moved and the camera was showing him sliding through a square hole where they used to have an air conditioner before it broke. Though they'd patched up the hole months ago. 

"Gregory! What did you do?!" 

The Gems looked at him, with Amethyst glaring at him and he lowered his voice. "Why did you rip the hole up?!" he whisper shouted. He saw all of the newspaper and plastic all over the floor and Lion was chewing on a piece of cardboard. "Lion! Stop!" the dog looked at him, but went back to knowing on the board. 

The boy got back up to his feet. "Huh? I told you already." the boy said. "I wanted to see how your porch looked. Weren't you listening?" 

"You don't _tear_ stuff up in peoples houses!" 

The boy sighed dramatically. "There's nothing to drink here, I can't play with the pots and pans, I can't throw stuff, I can't go through your stuff in the closet, I can't go on your porch, I can't rip up stuff. What can I do in this place?!" he whined. 

"Just, lay down or something. Take a nap." 

"But I don't wannaaa! I'm not even tired!" 

Steven inhaled deeply and exhaled out of his nose. "Look, just.. do something that doesn't involve you or Lion getting hurt or you having to dig through or rip rup anything." 

The boy looked at him, confused. "Like wha-" 

"Just think of something." he hung up. 

Really.. what has he gotten his self into with this kid..

The same tune filled the vehicle yet again. He quickly answered it. "Yes?" he said a bit too coarsely. 

"Oh hey! Tell Shtu-ball -Wait is he out of the bathroom yet?" 

"..No.." 

"Oh boy.. I told him that double chili cheese with onions wasn't a good option for breakfast. Yeah, be sure to tell him to wash his hands." 

This time Steven grimaced. 

"Tell him I'm still here with the van filling out some paper work. It took quite a bit of damage, but they've showed me everything wrong with it and gave me an estimate of the bill. And tell him I'll be back in no time and that I can't wait to come back and see him and that I love him." 

Did the guy really have to say all of that? He'd only been out for under an hour.. 

Pfft.. it's not even that serious..

"Uh.. yeah.." he frowned. "Will do.." he mumbled. 

"Okay, thanks!" 

"Mhm. See ya." 

"Yeah! S-" 

He hung up. 

And the phone was ringing back already. 

He answered it. 

"Sorry! Forgot to tell you. Have a nice day! Heheh." 

Amethyst banged on the door and he looked up. She was scowling at him.. As if warning him. 

"Uh, gotta go." 

"Oh, okay.... Oh! Tell Shtu-ball-" 

He hung up the phone.  


Okay..

What has he really.. _really_ gotten his self into.. 

He looked up to see Amethyst still glaring at him through the rearview mirror.

He looked away slowly.. guilty..

And tucked his phone back into his pocket and just _hoped_ that neither Mr. Vecino _or_ his son would call back within the rest of the car ride..


	171. The Geode

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another long chapter becauuuuuuse, welp.. y'all know me. I talk a lot 🤷

Steven had been on the edge of his seat, hoping that nobody would call him. Not just Mr. Vecino and his son, but no one in general. He didn't want to anger Amethyst any more than what she already was. 

And, thankfully nobody called him.

And he and the Gems were already approaching a huge glass dome. So huge, it seemed to stretched for a mile on each end.

Inside, he could see thick, dark green foliage. 

Garnet parked the car right beside it as everyone started putting on their masks. 

"Pearl." said Amethyst. 

Pearl exited out the car and Steven thought (or hoped he was right) that it was also his cue to leave. He opened the door slowly and when Amethyst didn't say anything, he opened it all the way and slid out of the car just as Pearl opened Amethyst's door. 

"Use the laser and make a door." Amethyst ordered.

"Yes, Amethyst." she jogged her way down to the glass and unzipped a pocket on the shoulder of her jumpsuit. She took out what looked to be a pen shaped object and she double clicked the back of it. A red laser shot out of it and from the ground, she started bringing the laser up a few feet and curving it over and bringing it back down to the ground. Then she pushed the glass forward and they could hear thunder rumbling inside and the sound of rain pelting down in the leaves and the ground. A lone wildcat screeched in the far distance.

Steven heard a door slam shut then head the doors of the car lock behind him. Footsteps began to approach them as Garnet walked up to them.

"We have to retrieve the Forest Jewel." he had a feeling she was saying it only for him. The Gems most likely knowing about the mission. "It's in the middle of the forest enclosed inside of another dome." and with that, she walked in. And Pearl waited for Garnet to walk in before she walked in after her.

And Steven walked in after all of them..

The foliage was even thicker than he'd imagined and the cold rain soaked his hair and cooled the wounds on his skin.

He looked around, watching the Gems navigate through the thick leaves and bushes as he followed them.

He took the bracelet and ring out of his pocket and put them on. Then he pressed the bracelet on his wrist, activating it and the five braces jutted out of the band and attached to his fingertips.

He saw the Gems looking around there surroundings intently. The three of them already holding their weapons.

He double tapped the nail on his index finger and a shield formed in front of him. And he proceeded to walk with them, stepping in the wet, thick mud and pushing back the gigantic leaves in front of him.

And the four of them continued there walk through the heavily sensed forest.

Monkeys chattered and whooped to each other while jumping from the trees above them as lightning streaked across the ceiling of the dome.

_How did they reinvent something like this?_

He pushed back more heavy leaves and tried to keep up with the Gems. The ran came down hard on him, some of the the raindrops hitting and stinging the corner of his eyes. He blinked a few times and picked at an eye.

"Wait.. I think I just saw something." said Pearl. She pointed her spear in the direction she was referring to. "I thought I saw a figure just dart from those trees further down." 

Amethyst nodded as she stared at the area. "Then they know we're here." she continued to hike through the mud. "Keep an ear and eye out." 

Pearl looked at the spot for a few moments before following her boss.

Steven tried to see what she was talking about. But he didn't see anyone-

There was a chime and the Gems looked back. "Talc!!" Amethyst shouted.

"Sorry!" 

He took out his phone, fumbling with it. He caught it with his wet hands and turned the phone over.

It was Gregory.

He sighed.

He answered the call. 

"What is it now, Gregory?"

"Hey, Mister!" 

He groaned. "I told you.. you can just call me, Steven."

"Yeah. You have any more blankets?"

"What? For what?" he squeezed his self through two blueberry bushes and was met with grass as tall as him. He started trekking through, the grass nearly obscuring his view. "Because I want to make a bigger fort for Lion and I!!" Steven stood up on his toes, getting a glimpse of the Gems further away from him. He tried picking up his pace. He took a quick glance down at the phone and saw that Gregory had every single clean blanket from out the hall closet out into the room. Some were on the floor and the rest were draped over the bed, the table and over to the couch. "See?" Gregory bent down and showed him the hole of the fort where he saw Lion laying down on a few more thick blankets and thin bed spreads inside.

"Gregory!! Did you have to pull out EVERY single thing out the closet?! You even pulled out the towels!!"

"Whaaat.." he asked. "I was only trying to make a bigger, sturdier fort." 

"Shhhh, you hear that?" he heard Amethyst say and the Gems were looking up to their left. Weapons held tightly in front of them. Steven looked around, not seeing anything.

"This fort is OFFICIALLY only for boys and dogs!!! No girls!!!" he cheered. Then he quickly corrected his self. "Except for Mignonne because she's my best friend and she doesn't have cooties!!!" he threw his fist in the air triumphantly. 

"There!!" he heard Amethyst say and looked up from his screen again. He saw Pearl throw a spear up into the thick leaves of a looming trees as a figure dressed in all green jump down towards them. They jumped out the way and Amethyst threw her whip, wrapping the person up. Another figure in green had fallen from the same tree. A spear in his chest.

"Look, Gregory." he stopped the boy in his ramble. "Just, call me for emergencies only. Okay? ONLY for emergencies." 

"Okay. But the blankets!-"

Steven hung up and pushed his phone back into his pocket and trudged through the grass until he stepped in something. He looked down.

Feces from some unknown animal had caked underneath of the flip flops. Some of it getting on the top of the flip flop and on his toes. 

"Uueehhggg..-AHH!!" something hard hit him in his back and he fell down hard on his shield. He turned around in the muddy grass and another person in green was swinging a spear down towards him. He yelped and pushed his shield up. The head of the spear clacked against the surface of the shield. The man brought his spear down to the side and Steven turned his shield towards the swing and blocked it. And the guy swung to another side and another and Steven barely blocked each swing. 

"Ahck!! We.." he blocked a hit from his face. "don't have to fight!" he blocked a hit towards his chest. 

The man nearly stopped. But said to him. "If only I could trust you on that." he swung down and Steven threw his arm towards the spear, pushing the man's arm away for just a split second and he threw the shield, hitting the man in his face. The hit stunned the man and Steven leaned up, grabbing the guy's spear and the man pulled the spear back towards him. 

Steven pushed forward as the man continued to pull back his spear. He found his opening and he let go with one hand and wrapped it behind the man's shoulder. He pushed it up, bending the guy's shoulder forward and he screamed out. Steven pushed to his side and the man lifted up from off his legs. The guy tried pushing his spear back towards Stevens face and he tilted his neck back, trying to push the spear away from him as he used his leg to wrap around the side of the man. He pulled in as he lifted his other leg up, pinning the man's leg to him. And he pushed hard, toppling the man over on his back and the man tried bringing the spear down to his face and Steven grabbed the man's arm with his hand and used both hands to bend the man's arm back towards his own face right as the man grabbed his neck with his free hand. 

Steven bent the man's arm, then his hand further back and bent the spear right at the guys throat. He pushed the head of the spear down to his skin and the man let go of Steven's neck and tried to pull the spear away. 

Steven looked into the man's eyes. "Don't worry. I won't kill you.. I really don't want to fight.." he pushed off the man and he laid there, staring at him. "I'm sorry we've entered your forest.. but I don't have a choice but to follow them. But I promise I won't kill anyone here." 

The man stared at him with a look of shock and disbelief.

Steven stood back up. "I'm sorry that we're trying to steal your jewel.." and without waiting for a response from the man, he ran down the thick bushes in search of the Gems.

.. who all could be _anywhere_ by now..

There was a familiar chime that he'd already gotten extremely tired of REAL quick..

It was Mr. Vecino.

He took his mask of (even though he knew that he shouldn't had..)

He answered it. 

"Hey, Gre- Oh.. whoops. Heheh. Guess I called you by mistake." 

".. yeah.." 

"WELL, since I'm in the phone with ya, I guess I'll tell you, then tell Gregory." he smiled. 

Steven saw the Gems in the distance and started running as he held the phone close to his face and the other swatting pass the leaves and the tall grass and flowers. 

"Wait are you.. taking a shower?" he saw water pouring down Steven's face form the downpour. 

"Uh.. yeah! Yeah, I am." 

"Whoops! Sorry." he scratched at the back of his mullet. "Eh, that's okay. I'll be quick. You see I was watching the FUNNIEST commercial. 

Lightning streaked and thunder rumbled loud above him. "Yeah?" he hopped over a log and landed in mud up to his ankles. He pulled his feet out and started running through the bushes.

The Gems were fighting two people in mottled green jumpsuits. Garnet punched one of them in their face and the other lunged towards Pearl. She flipped out of the way and right as he went for another lunge, she jumped up and wisted her body, giving him a spin kick to the face. 

Mr. Vecino was up in laughter as he thought back on the commercial. "It was the one for the dog treats where the dog's dressed up like a doctor. You ever saw that one? When the dog dressed up as a patient enters the vet and-"

Steven drowned him out, looking at his surroundings as he got closer to the fight. 

He double tapped on his index finger, minimizing the shield back to his bracelet and he double tapped on the same finger again, reactivating it. 

The figure that Garnet had punched was punched by her again. Then she grabbed him and kneed him in the stomach and threw him hard into a tree. Three more figures jumped from the trees and down to the grass in the middle of the four of them. One going towards the Gems and Steven crouched down behind a bush. 

"...nd then the pet owner asks. "But doc. My dog only barks after he drinks water." in which the doctor dog jokes and says-" 

Amethyst threw her whip hard, slamming one back into the ground. And Garnet tackled a stocky guy towards a boulder. She uppercut him with her gauntlet and took him by the shoulders and flipped him over her back and slammed him hard into the ground. Pearl threw her spear at the third man's shoulder and he shouted out. She ran up to him, kicking him hard into the chest and sending him falling back into the mud. 

Two more jumped down right behind Steven. He screamed. 

"Right! And the dog SCREAMED and-" 

The two ran after him and he switched the phone to his other hand and ran the ring across his arm. The bubble formed around him. The two men swung their spears down, cracking the spears upon impact. They looked at their broken weapons and back at the boy in the bubble. They started banging on the surface. "I don't want to fight!" 

"No, no.. he said. 'I'm _not_ gonna _bite'_. And the patient dog-" 

Steven held one hand up in surrender. 

_Great.. now they know how I look.._

"I'm not like them. I don't want to fight or kill anyone." he whispered, shaking his head. 

The men looked at each other and one gestured at the boy. And the second one said "Out of the bubble." 

"Uh.." 

"Prove that you don't want to fight." 

"..Oo.. kay?" he swiped across the bubble, deactivating it. 

And they looked at each other.. 

"Wait!" he heard one of them say as they ran after him and he turned around and threw his shield behind him and activated another and threw it. 

"Wait, we weren't trying to-OW!" he got hit in the face with the shield and his friend caught the second shield before it hit him. "Are you okay?" 

He sucked in some air in pain as he rubbed his nose. "Yeah.. yeah I think I'm okay." 

  
  


Steven was running down a heavily vined area. He ducked and dodged the hanging vines as he neared the Gems. The three women jogging down the crowded path of tall grass and flowers. 

"And then he left out the vet feeling better!" the man laughed. "If I ever get heartworms, I'm eating _those_ dog treats." 

A spear was thrown and Amethyst dodged it. She looked up. "There's more up in the trees!!" she threw her whip and grabbed one. 

Four more men in various shades of green in their jumpsuits leapt down from the trees with spears in their hands. 

"Uh, I gotta go, Mr. Vecino!" 

"AAHAHAHAHAHA!!! AH, huh?" he tried stifling his laugh. 

"I gotta go." one was charging right at him. "Yeah, I gotta go! I gotta go!! Uh, I got soap in my eyes!!" 

He activated a third shield. 

"Uhg, soap. Yeah, that has happened to me bef-" he hung up the phone and shoved it in his pocket. 

The man in green swiped down and Steven raised his arm up, blocking his hit and he found an opening and kicked the man in his stomach. He bent down, his spear lowering with him and he brought his shield down, hitting the man in the back of his head. 

He fell straight to the ground.

"Sorry about that." 

"It's just over this log!! It's right on the other side!" he heard Amethyst already a good distance from him. 

"Oh no!" he threw his mask back on and ran pass the man. "Sorry again!" he splashed through a few deep puddles as he ventured pass the looming trees. Thunder roared louder above him and lightning streaked across the sky in numerous amount of times. 

Another tune on his phone mixed in with the thunder and the whooping and screeching monkeys overhead. 

Another sigh from the boy. 

He answered it. 

He looked down at his phone. "It better be important, Gregory." he ran into a tree branch.

"HA! I saw that!" 

He growled. More so in embarrassment. "Just, what do you want _now_ Gregory?" 

"I'm hungry." 

"Already?" 

"Yeah! And I want to eat in our fort." he pet Lion beside him. The dog content and laying down inside the blanket fort with him. 

"Umm.." he ducked under a block of thick leaves. "How about some chips or something to hold you over? Or.. I think there's some Cookie Cat ice cream in the freezer." 

"Ooooo, those ice cream bars sounds good!! But I want fooood right no!!" he smiled. 

He thought he saw a figure run from behind a bush in front of him. 

He held his shield up in front of him.

"I'm huuuungryyyy." 

"I don't know, Gregory! Everything else we have in there you have to cook." 

Gregory poked his head out of the fort and looked at the stove. 

"NO!.. Noooo. Don't touch that stove." 

A random spear crashed against his shield. And he looked up just in time to see the figure lunging right towards him. He threw his shield and the nimble person dodged it with ease and turned around kicking him in the side. He flinched and fell to the ground. 

"Hey, Mister! What can I eat?! I'm hungry!" 

Steven activated his fourth shield and held it up in front of him as the man brought down his spear. "I don't know! C," he grunted, trying to push the man off if him with his legs. "Come on, kid. I'm busy! Just.. eat some ice cream for now!" 

"But I want food too!" 

"Just." he grunted. "Hold on, give me a sec!" Steven lowered his hand and the man pressed down harder on the shield. He shoved the phone in his pocket and deactivated his shield. He grabbed the man's hands as the guy fell forward towards him. He pushed one hand off and grabbed the one with the spear and used one hand to try pushing his arm away and the other to press down hard on a pressure point. The man yelped and dropped the spear and brought his other hand to one of Steven's hands. Steven turned his body over, tipping the guy over to his side and with the other hand he jammed two fingers into both of the man's arms, the arm that was holding onto Steven's hand, dropping limp to the ground. The man's breath hitched. "My arms!!"

Steven got off him and took the spear. 

The man looked at him. Terrified.

And Steven brought the spear up and back down.

Bringing it down on his knee and snapping it in half. He threw the two pieces to the side. "I'm not here to fight." and he jumped over the man and he flinched, closing his eyes. Nothing happened and he opened his eyes back up, watching Steven running down the forest and away from him.

  
  


Steven couldn't find the Gems anywhere. 

"NO!" 

"What happened? Did you break your butt?" the boy giggled. 

Steven took his phone back out his pocket. "No. And that's not funny." 

"Well YOU wouldn't know jokes if it bit you on the nose!" 

"Whatever, I'm hanging up. I have to go and find the Gems." 

"Oh, wait, wait, wait! But I'm still hungry!" 

Steven groaned. He thought long and hard as he tried navigating around a few thorny bushes. "Uh, I think there's like.. a few celery sticks and.. one apple we didn't eat yet?" 

"Awwwwee, you mean you and your girrrrlfrieeend." 

Two spears flew pass him.

"AHH!!" he turned around to see a tall, stocky figure coming towards him.

"I gotta go!"

"But my foo-" he hung up and put the phone back in his pocket. 

Steven activated his shield and threw it. It hit the guy in the chest, though he barely budged and proceeded to charge towards him. Steven screamed as he tackle him to the ground. The man grabbed his neck- 

And there was yet, another familiar chime.. 

_Ooohhh, NOT noooww!! _

He answered it without looking at the screen. "Yeah, Gregory." the man flipped him hard on his back, still keeping his muscular arm wrapped tightly around his neck. 

"Was that on purpose?" the man laughed. "This is Mr. Vecino." 

_Crap! It's him!_

"Nng." he grunted. "Yeah?" he choked out. The man pulled him up off the ground and flipped him on his back. 

"Whoa! Are you okay?!" 

Steven tried to shake the man off, but to no vail. "Just uh.. playing with Gregory." he wheezed out. 

"Oooohh, I see. You two are wrestling. That explains why you have your mask on.. Though you might want to use another one instead of your Crystal Gem one? But hey, you two are having fun, so that's what matters." The man threw Steven into a tree and right as Steven tried to get up the man put him in another headlock. "Heheh that boy does love his wrestling. But please watch his leg though." the man flipped Steven down on his side before dragging him across the mud. "Yeah, he can definitely wrestle his old man. The boy's a real natural." the man threw him into the same tree and this time, right as Steven was being thrown, he ran his ring across his arm. He hit the tree and the bubble formed around him and the guy crashed into it. He groaned holding his neck. "Uh, gotta go Mr. Vecino." he spread his hands across the bubble, doubling it in size and pushing the guy back.

"Oh, yeeah, yeah, yeaaah. Don't want to come in between you and Shtu-ball's wrestling." 

Steven deactivated the bubble and started running away from the man. "Right. Okay." he hung up the phone and put it in his pocket. 

And another chime. 

Maybe he should just deactivate his account at this point.. 

He took his phone back out his pocket. 

It was Gregory. 

"Yessss... Gregory I told you we just have snacks-" 

"No, that's okay." he smiled. " have all of that taken care of.. but I want to see Teenage Superhero Samurai Tortoises!!" 

"Wh.. what?" 

"You have a laptop!" he held up he and Connie's laptop in front of his phone. And he started bouncing on the bed with his bad leg sticking out. "I want to watch Teenage Superhero Samurai Tortoises! I want to watch Teenage Superhero Samurai Tortoises!!" 

"You're going to end up breaking the laptop!" he jogged up to a log reaching to the other side of the forest. 

"No I'm not! I know how laptops work!" he bounced on the bed. "I have one!" 

A misty abyss laid underneath of the log and he could hear rushing water underneath. He looked at the other side of the forest again and he could see the Gems on the other side. 

"Come ooooon. Let me watch my favorite show with Lion!" he whined. 

"Fiiiine." he groaned. 

"Yaaayyy!!!" he jumped harder and Steven could hear the springs creaking under the mattress. 

"Okay, okay! Just, stop jumping on the bed!" 

The boy laughed and slowed his bounce down to a stop. "What's your password to get in? 

"Jam Buds June 2017" he watched as the Gems walked farther and farther away from him. He walked towards the edge of the cliff, right at the foot of the log.

"Uh.. weird password..." then he shouted out in a smile. "But okay!!" he jumped up landing back on the bed in a bounce. He typed in the password and quickly went to their Nitphlicts account. "I'll just use your Nitphlicts account." 

"Uh, sure." Steven stepped on the wet, mossy log. "Whatever." he slid his other foot on the log and almost slipped. "Whoa!" he held his arms out. And looked up at the other side.

_Too bad I _still_ can't super jump..___

"Yeah!!!! My show is on!! 

Steven heard the theme song playing. 

He slid further along the log slowly. "Okay so.. you're okay now, right? You have your fort, you're good on food.. and you're watching your show. So you should be okay now." he looked at the long drop below him. The downpour of rain disappeared within the mist. Lightning streaked faster across the sky and the sky rumbled louder. 

"Yeah, I'm okay!" 

"Okay.. so I won't get any more calls from you, right?" 

"You got it, duuude." he licked his tongue out at him, giving him a wink. 

"Uh.. yeeess.." he continued to slide across the log. "Okay, well I'm still busy. So I'm hanging up now." 

"Awwww, but-!" 

He hung up and put the phone back in his pocket.

"Okay Universe. You just have to climb over this huge body of water.. And that's it." he slid his legs together and slid his other leg out again. "And.. that's it.." he said again. He slid his other leg to his right one. "Eaaaaasy.... Eaaa... syyyy..." he slid his feet together over the slippery moss. He wiped the water away from his eyes for the hundredth time since he'd been there. "Oh, I hope this is the last part of this mission.. I really, reaaaally do.." he whispered.

A spear flew pass his face and he screamed. He turned around. The tall, stocky guy was coming back. And running fast towards him. He jumped up on the log.

Steven pushed off in a run and in a few steps he slipped on the moss and slid down the side of the log. He screamed and barely caught hold of a hole in the bark. 

He pulled his self back up just in time to get kicked in the face and he fell back and grabbed at the log to stop him from slipping. 

The stocky figure was coming up to him and Steven activated his fifth and last shield as he got up to his feet. 

The man punched the surface of the shield, pushing him back and slipped on the moss again. He tried regaining his balance but the man continued to kick and punch at him and Steven barely blocked every hit as he slipped across the moss. 

A thought of throwing the shield at the man came to mind, but he didn't want to risk knocking the man to the waters underneath. 

And he kept the shield in front of him to block more of hits that came his way. 

Until he stepped back and his leg went through a hole in the log. "Oh no!!" he tried pulling his leg out. 

The man kicked him on the side of his face, pushing Steven over he hollered out, looking at the misty abyss below him as he grabbed at the air, grabbing at anything as he slid off the side of the log and, catching his hand on a small base of a broken branch. He took a few breaths and grunted, swinging his body up and he grabbed the other side of the log, holding on to the ridges of the bark.

The guy glared at him. 

Steven slid his other hand from the base of the branch and back to the log and tried climbing underneath of it. 

The muscular man started stepping on the fingers of each hand. 

"Ow! Owch! Owch! Ow!!" 

Too bad he didn't have any kind of protective gloves like the Gems had.. 

The hulking figure continued to step on his hands and fingers. 

"OW!! Ow!!! OOOWW!!" 

Another chime ~

Steven groaned. 

He let go with one hand, deactivated his shield and took his phone out of his pocket. He answered the call. 

"Whaaat, Gregory?! What now?! -OWCH!!" 

"Just calling to see if you wanted some pizza." the boy took a huge bite out of his slice as he sat underneath of the fort. The light from the laptop shining brightly in his face. His skin giving off that light blue off white tint under the covers.

"Pizza?! -OW! Who ordered you pizza?!" 

_I_ did. I called and used the money I found under your bed." he crawled from out of the fort and turned his phone over to the bed. The rest of his cash, mainly in hundred dollar bills laid across the bed. And beside it an opened pizza box. And laying on top of the other side of the opened box was Lion. The dog happily munching on his slices of pizza stacked in front of him.

Steven looked on in shock. 

"I found it when Lion's ball rolled underneath of the bed. The money was in the envelope and underneath of a shoebox." he smiled. "I ALSO found this super duper cool cheeseburger backpack!!" Gregory picked up the bag. "And it had money in it too!!" he cheesed. 

As if he didn't know where he put his own money.. 

"Gregory! You can't just, spend people's money without asking! And how many slices did Lion eat?! I don't want him getting sick!" 

"Well how else was I going to pay for the pizza?" he took a slice and bit into it and placed it back into the box with the other two more slices. "And I only got a small box. And I... think Lion only at three? Or.." he looked at the dog eating another slice. "I think that's his fifth one?" 

"AAAAHHH!!!" the man started crushing his fingers with the heel of his boot. "G, Gregory just, put the money back in the envelope and close the pizza box up. AAHH!! No more pizza for Lion before he gets sick!!" 

The figure slammed his foot down hard on Steven's fingers one last time and he screamed out, finally letting go. 

He was free falling fast and he quickly dragged his arms up and out and dragged his right leg down his left one. Both GemTech glider wings sprouted out of his shirt and jeans and he started gliding down towards the water. He steered right, going back towards the other side of the mountainside.

"Whoaaaa... Cooooool." Gregory looked at the misty, scenery on Steven's phone as he glided gently down and he saw Steven turn slightly more, coming closer to the dirt side. And he grabbed hold of a root wedged within the dirt and stopped his descend.

"You can fly!!" 

"It's gliding. Not flying. I can't fly." 

"Well it's still pretty cool!" 

Steven wasted no time in finding his footing and he began climbing up the rocks and roots on the side of the cliff. "Did you close the box up yet so Lion won't get to any more pizza?" 

"Uh, not yet........... Hey, come on Lion. You have to get off of the pizza box............ Yeah. Thank yoouuuuuu." he heard the sound of the box closing back. "Mission. Accomplished." 

"Good. Okay, gotta go." 

"But-"

Steven hung up and put his phone in his pocket. Then he swung his body up. And just then, his body started to ache. 

And he remembered the wounds and cuts on his skin.. 

The cream and oil were finally starting to wear off.. 

He climbed up faster on the wet, muddy hillside, wanting the mission to be over so he could hurry up and get back to Gregory and prevent him from making any more mess AND so he could put more stuff on his skin.

The climb lasted for what felt like a few minutes and all the while rain pelted against the skin on his hands and arms. This time, hurting it slightly.

Steven took a few more breaths and reached up to the edge of the cliff, feeling the wet grass under his cut up, burning fingers. 

He pulled his self up. 

And a jaguar was right in front of him. It belted out a screeching roar and Steven screamed and slid down, catching his hands hard on the vines and rubbing dirt inside of his opened cuts that he could finally feel again. 

He grunted, ignoring the burning sensation on his fingertips and he started scaling the ground farther down, only for the Jaguar to follow him. He looked up and sighed in defeat. "Looks like I have to get pass him.." he began climbing up the hillside once more. 

Right as he got to the edge of the cliff, he activated his shield. The Jaguar growled in front of him. 

He sighed. "Sorry, Jaguar." he raised his arm and smacked the jaguar in the face. 

The phone started to chime.

Steven pulled his self up as the jaguar shook it's head. It growled as it stepped slowly towards him. 

"Hey, whoaa.. niiiiice jaguar.." he pulled his phone out and answered it. "Gregory, I JUST got off the phone with you just a few minutes ago!" 

"I just remembered. You never answered my question. Did you want me to save you some pizza or not?" 

The cat ran towards him and jumped. "AAHH!" Steven ran the ring across his arm and the bubble formed around him. The cat ran into the surface of the bubble hard. 

"Whoaaaa!!! An actual jaguar!!!" 

The cat lunged up, trying to scratch and bite at the surface. The bubble laid unscratched and pristine.

"...Sorry again.." Steven said to the jaguar. He put the phone in his pocket and spread his hands across the bubble and it ballooned in size, knocking the jaguar back. 

"Woohoooo!! Get 'em!! Get 'em!!" 

Steven deactivated the bubble and threw his shield hard. The surface smacked the animal hard in the face, pushing it back. It shook it's head hard again and looked at Steven. 

And stood there, eying the cat. 

And.. it started walking away from him. 

"Oooohh, woohoo!!! You did it!! You did it!!" 

Steven took the phone back out of his pocket. "Hey, you shouldn't be cheering. You shouldn't do that to animals. That's mean." he started walking away from the cliff. He looked back a few times to see if the jaguar was following him. It wasn't and he continued the walk down the forest in the downpour. "Unfortunately.. I didn't have a choice.." 

"Ohhh...............But it was still a pretty cool fight! It was like something off of a cartoon!!" 

"Yeah, well. This isn't one of your little Saturday cartoons. This is real life." he looked around the heavily densed forest. 

_The Gems could literally be aaanywhere.._

_And that's IF they're even still here.. _

"Alright, that's enough action for you for one day." 

"Aww, what? What do you mean?" 

"I gotta go. I need to find the Gems." 

"But wait!" 

"What?" 

"I'm bored!"

"But what about your favorite show?" 

"Yeaaaaah, it was only two episodes I didn't see. But I just watched them! So now I'm back to being bored!" he laid the laptop on the bed and got on it. He started jumping on the bed again. 

"Come on with the bed jumping. You're going to mess up the springs." 

"But my dad ALWAYS let me jump on the bed!" 

"Come on, Gregory. You just ate too. Stop bouncing." 

The boy continued to jump and laugh as he bounced around the money that he still didn't put up and the pizza box. "Don't you do ANYTHING fun?" he smiled. 

"At home, I just watch stuff on the laptop. And sleep." 

"Boooriiiiiiiing." 

Steven stepped in something thick and it squished underneath his flip flop. He sighed. "Not agaaaain." he looked down and realized. "Huh?" 

He tried picking up his feet, but he couldn't. "No!! No, no, no, no, no!!! This CAN'T be... Quick sand?!?!" he pulled at one foot. "Mmmmmphnnnn!!!" he panted. "Gregory, I gotta go." he hung up before the boy could protest and he put the phone back in his pocket. 

"Oh, HOW am I supposed to get out of this?!" 

_Should I use my bubble?! Water can seep out of it.. but what about quicksand?! No I can't take that risk.. What if I sink quicker?! .... Maybe I should try a shield?_

Steven double tapped on his thumb and a small disc snapped back into the knuckle of his brace. He double tapped on his thumb again and the shield activated. He slid the shield off and slowly placed it on the quicksand. And slowly, put some weight on it. 

The shield didn't sink under, as if the quicksand was solid. 

"It works!" 

He grabbed the shield with his other hand and double tapped on his index finger and the shield minimized back. Then he double tapped on the same finger again and another shield activated. He pulled his self up, pulling his knees out of quicksand and started using the shields to crawl across it. 

His knees and legs started to sink back into the quicksand and he crawled across faster, making it over to the other side. 

He placed the shields onto the muddy wet grass and pulled his self away from the quicksand. He turned over on his back, panting. Letting the rain sting the wounds on his arms, hands and feet. 

And.... he heard a familiar tune. 

He sighed for the hundredth time. He deactivated his two shields.

Still keeping his back flat to the ground, he took his phone out of his pocket and answered it. 

"Yeesssss?" 

"Hey, do you have any more of these sticker paper thingys?" 

"What?" 

"These." he held up a rectangular piece of a white, soft cotton material. The small personal item curved along the two short ends with one small plastic wing on each side. 

Steven was at a lost for words. 

He sat up straight, looking at the boy smiling at him. "I've been taking the back off of them and sticking them everywhere!" he turned the phone around, showing Steven where he'd placed the 'sticker paper thingys'; on the walls, on the carpet, on the bed, on the sliding door, on the window, and when he showed the kitchen they were all plastered on the counter, on the fridge and on the floor and a few were on the pots and pans that were still on the floor. 

"And look!" he turned the sink on and placed the item underneath of it. The cottoned material filled up and didn't leak. He turned the faucet off and shook the item and started laughing. "They're REALLY absorbent!"

And Steven finally found his words as he felt his cheeks heat up. "That's Connie's pa-.. that's Connie's stuff!!!" 

"Awweee, it's your girlfriend's stuff?" he cooed. He looked at the item then back at him. "But why is it only hers and not for the both of you? What does she use it for?" 

Steven's face was hot. 

And he didn't answer him. 

"Just, leave the rest alone." 

"That's all of them. That's why I just asked you for some more." 

"Look, just... whatever.. guess I have to buy some more before she starts back up again." he grumbled. 

"What do you mean?"

_It just means that I can't have fun with her for about a week when it happens.._

"We just don't have anymore. Okay? Now. I have to go. You can't keep distracting me.. Last time you did that I stepped in some quicksand."

"But I'm still bored!" 

"Then use your imagination." he hung up. 

His body was starting to ache and burn more in pain.. And both the outside elements _and_ his clothes were irritating his skin- 

Two figures jumped down in front of him and he screamed. One if them was still holding onto his shield.

"We finally found you!" 

Steven ran the opposite way. 

"Wait!" the two started running after him. 

Steven ducked under a branch and grabbed it. He pulled it back and let go. The branch smacked one of them in the face. He sucked in some air, holding his nose again. 

"Are you okay?" his friend asked. 

"Oooooo, he got me in the same spot." he groaned. 

  
  


Steven ran out of a thick patch of grass and into a muddy opened area. Lightning streaked chaotically across the sky and thunder rumbled louder in his ears. 

From a far distance he could see a small dome. Inside it he could barely make out something yellow and white zapping around inside it. 

And then he saw a spear being thrown at it. 

_They're still here!!_

The Gems were running up towards it when five figures in green jumped down from the trees and started attacking them. 

_I need to hurry up and get to them!_

He started running down the mud when a spear was thrown his way. He turned around and saw four figures dressed in green behind him. 

"Wait." he held his hands up. "I don't want to fight!" 

A spear was thrown into his back and he stumbled forward. He turned around and saw five more people behind him. 

"Oooookay." he looked at both sides. "I'm not.. trying to fight.." 

They looked at him. 

And he looked at the five on either side of him.. 

And they started charging towards them. 

He hollered and quickly ran the ring across his arm and the bubble formed around him. A few of them crashed hard into the bubble. "Uh.. sorry." they were slowly getting back to their feet. 

They glared at the boy through their green leaf masks. 

And Steven put his hands back up, despite of having the protective bubble around him. "I didn't mean to cause any trouble. Really.. I don't want to fight any of you." 

"Then maybe you should get out of your _bubble." _

_Oh, no.. you're not going to get me with that like that other guy._

He spread his hands across the bubble and it tripled in size, pushing everyone back hard a few yards. 

He deactivated the bubble and ran pass all of them. "He's getting away!!" he heard one of them shout. 

He ran through the thick mud and waist height grass and through a few thorn bushes and he heard them right behind him. 

He exited out the bushes into another clearing and he saw a lone gorilla walking along and minding his own business.

Or was.

The strong, muscular animal stopped and glared at him. 

He stopped in his tracks. 

The animal turned around to fully face him. 

He beat his chest. 

"Oh no.." 

Spears came flying out of the bushes and towards him and the gorilla. 

"Wait, stop! You're going to hurt the gorilla!" 

The animals beat his fists against his chest and started charging towards him. He screamed. 

More spears came flying towards them as six men jumped out of the bushes.

Steven activated his shield while still keeping an eye on the charging animal with long, sharp teeth, whooping at him.

They watched as Steven deflected the spears away from the direction of the gorilla before activating his bubble again. 

The gorilla ran up, pounding his fists on the surface of the bubble. 

The six of them started jogging down towards the gorilla as the other four leapt from the bushes. 

The animal stopped and turned to them. 

And Steven watched as they seemed to calm the gorilla down with hand gestures and soft speech from another language. 

The animal leaned off of Steven's bubble and showed a hand gesture with his own hands and started walking away.

_Wow.. how did they do that?_

The group started to crowd around his bubble once more. 

"Uh.." he looked at them. "You uh, heheh.. you saved me from the gorilla." 

"And _you_ saved the gorilla." one of them pointed out. A tall, chubby man with jet black hair that poked from under his mask. 

"Oh, you mean the shield? Y, yeah... I mean, I couldn't just have the spears hit him.." 

"And you prevented him from getting injured."

".. Yeeeah?" 

A few of them nodded as the spoke amongst each other. And the guy spoke back up. "You said that you don't want to fight."

"Y, yeah! I don't. I don't want to hurt anyone. And I don't want to hurt the animals."

"And so you want to protect?"

"Yyyeah? I don't like doing stuff like this." 

The middle-aged man nodded. "We also try our best to protect and don't like fighting. Unless, we have no choice and that fighting itself leads to protection." 

"Uh... y...yeah?" 

_What is this guy getting at here?_

"You are safe away from your bubble. We will not hurt you." 

_Can I trust him?_

"But Shouxi. What if he's lying?" 

"I'm not lying! I come in peace!"

_Okay.. maybe I didn't have to say it like that like I'm some kind of alien.._

"I trust him." he said to the skeptic man. And he turned back to Steven. "And you. are a Crystal Gem. Yes?, 

"Uh.. well.. yesn't?" the man looked to had not understand him. "Yes.." Steven frowned. "I am..but, only by name. That's not how I really feel.. with us doing all of this fighting and killing. But I have no choice." 

The man nodded again. "It is nice to had finally meet a Crystal Gem with this mindset." he turned to his left and pointed an opened hand at the area where the Gems were still fighting. "Your group is only here for the jewel within the dome. But they are ignoring what we are saying about not cracking the dome. They unfortunately have killed a heavy amount of our people, only to get a destructive jewel that is hidden in a dome that we had put around it. At first it wasn't that bad when we put the encloser around it.. Then over the years it only grew more and more fearsome inside of it's dome. That's why we've made a bigger dome out of a geode." he gestured his arms out. "If it were to break, we would be preventing the explosion from travelling farther. And since then, we have been checking on the dome and helping the animals here. This has been our duty for many, many years." he took a breath. "Too bad they do not have your mindset. But perhaps you could talk to them." he looked at Steven. "If they are to crack and shatter the dome, the active elements from the jewel itself will explode and destroy this whole dome. It will destroy us, the animals.. And even they themselves." 

"Then we have to stop them!" 

Another nod from the man. "As we must." 

He and his group started for the dome and Steven deactivated the bubble and ran with them. 

The two figures jumped from the bushes, panting. The first one still holding the shield. He pointed. "Quick! Shouxi and the group are leaving us!" he panted, running toward them with his friend trying to keep up. His nose red and broken behind his mask. 

  
  


Steven was running down the dense forest with the group, when he heard a familiar chime. 

_..Again.._

_Who could it be _this_ time.._

He took his phone out of his pocket and looked at his screen. 

It was Gregory.

He answered it. 

"Yeah, Gregory." 

"Check out our outfits!" he exclaimed. "YOU are looking at two new superheroes!!" he turned the camera so Steven could see their attire.

Steven's eyes went right to the cheetah print speedos the boy was wearing over top of Steven's khaki shorts. "Hey!! That's my underw-" he stopped his self. Feeling his self start to blush again. Not to mention the boy wearing Connie's bra on his head and another one backwards on his chest. "Why are you wearing our clothes?!" 

"Because we're superheros!!" 

Steven looked at Lion. The dog wearing Connie's bra on his head and another one, also facing the opposite way. The bra over top of a red shirt that was his. And two gray socks and two black socks were on the front and back paws respectively. And the attire finished off with a tie around the dog.

"We are... Barkman." he panned the phone back to him. "And Woofboy!" he made a heroic stance. The boy wearing four ties around his neck and the cheeseburger backpack on his stomach. "And check it out! He and I both have wings!" he pointed to his back, pointing at the cups of Connie's bra. "So we can fly!!" 

He panned the camera to the both of them. "Barkman and Woofboy!!! Go!! Arooooooooo!!!!

Lion tilted his head up and started barking with the howling boy. 

The boy hopped away and Steven got to see more of the house. 

It was MORE of a mess.

Now added into the already messy apartment was water everywhere on the kitchen floor, toilet tissue and napkins were ripped up and scattered about the floor and feathers from either a pillow or a blanket were mixed with it. Some toilet paper rolls had been rolled in a line from the opened closet and down to the door and up and down the counters, the chairs and the bed and couch. 

"Look!! At ALL of this mess!!" 

The boy didn't hear him, to busy laughing and having fun. "Quick, Barkman! Another villain!" he took out a pillow from the hall closet and dangled it in front of Lion's face.

"What are you doing?!" 

The dog grabbed hold of it and started pulling and thrashing the pillow around. Fabric started ripping and tearing apart.

The boy laughed. "The villain is about to be defeated!!" 

"No!! Not the pillows!! Stop!!" Steven yelled. 

That time, Gregory heard him. "Why? The pillow's the monster." 

"Lion. That's a BAD dog. Baaaad boy." 

Lion let go of the pillow and hung his head down. His ears dropping down on the sides. 

"Awww, you made him sad." 

"You're having him tear the pillows!" 

"It's only a pillow. Oh, and a half of a blanket. 

"What?!" 

"Yeah, it was a dragon." 

"You're tearing up the apartment!!!" he shouted. "Look at the area!!"

"But we were just having fun." 

"Look at the house!!" 

That was it.. he'd done WAY too much.

The boy had NO type of structure AT all.

Gregory frowned. "I didn't think it was bad. I just wanted to have fun with Lion and-"

He growled. "Just.. just sit there!! And STOP messing up MORE of our apartment!!!" he yelled.

He hung up on the sad looking boy. 

Now he really _really_ wanted to go home.

He _needed_ to. 

He ignored the aches and burns that were manifesting more, with the cream and oil just about worn off. 

_Come on.. come on!!! Why is this mission TAKING so LONG!!!_

Or at least that's what it felt like to him..

"Was that your brother?" Shouxi asked.

"Oh, no. Just a neighbor's kid that's at me and my girlfriend's apartment."

"It appears that you two aren't seeing eye to eye."

_It appears? Unless he's trying to sound humbled, it's pretty obvious we don't.._

"Of course we don't! He's just some, bratty kid who trashed up the place!" Steven followed the man and climbed over a fallen tree right after him.

"And your method was to scream at him and not give him a proper talk? Not telling him why he shouldn't do certain things or, even see it from his point of view as a young kid his age?" he stepped through the small stream. His handles clanking over the pebbles. 

"Ah, well.. I'm mean.. I'd given him.. talks?" _or did I just constantly bash everything that he did? _ "Okay maybe I didn't really sit down and talk to him.. But the boy was just, well, all over the place! It doesn't seem like he knows what's right and wrong or personal space or anything!" 

"Well some children don't know. Especially if they were never taught that." 

"Well, it's not my fault. I'm not his dad!" Steven ducked down and lifted a few thick, heavy leaves from his face.

"And so you can't teach him because you aren't? As a young man such as yourself who knows more about the world and it's etiquettes than him, you're not allowed to help and teach him as well?" 

"Ah.. I mean.. That's not what I was going for. I didn't even want to babysit him in the first place." then he blurred out. "I don't even like kids."

The man smiled. "I had a feeling it was something else." 

"Huh?"

"I can sense it." 

Steven raised an eyebrow at him.

"You having this.. animosity towards the child. Maybe it's something that's deeply rooted. Or, something that has happened recently from him. Or perhaps it's a mixture of a few things. I'm feeling two different things myself. You not liking kids seems to be something else entirely. Then it's you feeling this way towards your neighbor's son. Sure, it could be due to you not having a liking to kids, but I think it could be something else, that you know personally yourself."

His mind couldn't help but go back to him and Phi Lo at the gas station.

_OoOoOOhHhhh.." Phi Lo nodded slowly.. knowingly. "I already see what's going on here." she had a sly smile on her face. _

_He tilted his head. "What?"_

_She pointed an causing finger at him. "Yoooouuuu're jealous."_

_"What?!" he leaned off the motorcycle. "So just because I get a bit annoyed, I'm jealous?"_

_The van was driving to their side._

_"No, that's not always the case. It definitely isn't. I'm saying, in YOUR case it is. How you're talking about the guy and practically indirectly bragging about his positive qualities even though they don't effect you in any way. And then you bring up the relationship with his son." she kept her sly smile as she folded her arms. "Looks like you have sort of a "wanting that for yourself" kind of thing going on if you ask me."_

Steven snapped out of his memory.

The man had a gentle smile on his face.

"I uh.. I'm not sure what it could be exactly.." he mumbled.

"Mm.. well maybe in time, you will. But until then, try seeing from the boy's perspective. I don't think that would be hard for you. I can actually see you as sympathetic and also an empathetic person. Though it seems that you like to choose who you're empathetic towards or cut corners at times." 

Steven tried to not glare at the guy.

"You saved the gorilla and you don't want to fight. Yet you nearly blew a fuse when the youngster littered the area because he was trying to have fun." his eyes seemed to be looking right into him. "You seem to have anxiety and self doubt engraved in you.. And also a bit of traumatic stress and deeply rooted anger."

And just like that, the man started to make him feel uncomfortable. At first, everything seemed fine, but he.. started getting a bit too personal.. 

The man smiled brightly at him and laughed a good natured laugh. "I'm not trying spook you. I just have a gift of reading and understanding emotions through how people talk and their facial and muscle movements. And, I like to add a dash of empathy into the mix as well. Aaaand a bit of psychology and sociology into it."

"Oh uh.. heheh..?"

He was still creeped out by the man.

He was just way too specific.

"Ah, and here we are." 

They were coming up to the small dome. 

People lay scattered about on the ground.

Pearl threw her spear and it crashed into the dome, cracking it more. 

Up close, Steven could see yellow and white and now red, purple and gray zipoing across the dome. And withing the smokey clouds and the lights streaking across, he could make out a black jewel as big as two feet tall and a foot wide within the case. 

Amethyst threw down her whip, cracking more of the top of the dome.

"Come, young man. We need to stop them before it's too late." he and the group ran after them and Garnet and Pearl ran towards them with the weapons. 

Steven ran pass them, running up to the scary looking storm cloud within the dome. Amethyst cracked her whip down on the surface again and more cracks formed.

"Amethyst!" he ran up to the hill. "Amethyst, yu can't break the dome open! You're going to end up killing everyone here!"

The woman jumped up and he gasped as she landed right in front of him. A scowl on her face. "So you're listening to them." she picked him up by his neck. "You're going to keep disobeying me?" 

He gagged. "Amethyst.. I'm.. just trying to save you.. and everyone here." he wheezed out. 

She scoffed without a smile on her face. "Yeah, I don't buy what they're saying. And I'm going to crack open the dome. And get the jewel. And leave." she lifted him up off the ground. "And _you're_ going to help me!" she threw him into the dome hard and the surface cracked more. 

Bits and pieces started to chip and fall to the ground. The smoke started to thicken and the dome began to vibrate under the pressure of the jewel. Hello, white, red, purple and gray colors arced and streaked madly inside. And the two could feel the heat seeping from the surface as smoke started to come out of the cracks. 

"It's breaking!!" one person from the group yelled.

Amethyst chuckled and let go of Steven's throat. He dropped to the ground, couching.

"Come to momma." she grinned. 

Steven slowly pushed his self back up to his feet.

Everyone was running for cover in a vain attempt to escape the explosion, say for Garnet and Pearl. They ran up to the hill.

"We got the jewel now." their boss snickered.

The two men finally caught up. They stayed up in the trees ready for their moment to come down and attack the Crystal Gems, except the one with the pink mask with hibiscus flowers on it.

"Amethyst." Steven rubbed at his throat. "We should really leave-"

"NO!" she shouted. "We're not leaving. until we get this jewel."

The dome cracked more and black smoke swept up into the air as electricy started zapping around the outside of the dome as the lights from inside zapped rapidly around the enclosure.

Then, it shattered.

"There we go!"

Steven ran his ring across his arm and the bubble formed around the four of them as the pieces shattered to the ground and a gust of wind fired out, knocking them back hard inside the bubble as it rocketed across the field. 

Fire engulfed the hill it was on as hot gusts and tornado-like winds filled the area. The weather getting stronger and stronger. Winds kicked up faster, blowing the embrace around to various spots and the lightning above at the ceiling of the second dome turned bright yellow. Dark storm clouds friend overhead and lighting started pelting against the ground.

"This is what they were talking about Amethyst." Steven said shakily.

Everyone started screaming around them as lighting struck at more places. Fire spread out rapidly down the hill and towards the rest of the foliage.

A long swirling tunnel started to form out of the black clouds and towards the ground, bringing stronger winds and more lightning strikes.

The Gems started looking at Amethyst. She had a glare to her look. Her teeth clenched and her hands into fists. The woman debating on staying or leaving.

"Amethyst, please." Steven spoke up again. "This place is only going to get worse." 

She didn't answer him. 

The two men hung on for dear life in the tree branches. "We should've gotten them while we had the chance!!" a gust of wind blew up into the air and pushed their tree branch up. The first one barely held on, the shield slipping from his hand. "Oh no!" And the second one had flew up into the air. His face hitting a tree branch above them. "OHHH!!!" he grabbed his nose and fell back on the same branch his friends was on.

The shield fell down and slammed into the black jewel. 

"Oh no!! Oh no!! Oh no!!" his friend shrieked. "What's going to happen now?!"

Bright pink light engulfed the jewel and the shield. The light grew brighter, obscuring the view of the jewel as it lay within the pink light. 

A pink gust of air shot out from the area, pushing back the foliage and the bubble back into a tree.

And another shot of air pushing everything away from the jewel in a darker shade of pink.

And then..

Slowly.. 

The gusts of winds began to dissipate and the dark clouds started floating back up into the ceiling of the dome as they lightened up to a more gray color, then to white. Lightning had stopped and the roar of thunder had vanished. 

The rain had stopped. Small droplets fell from the looming leaves and fires had been extinguished from the last two pink gusts.

Everything looked brighter. The sun seeping into the dome from the outside.

And there lay on the hill in its own crater was the black jewel and the shield, bright and pristine.

"Whoa, what happened.." said Steven.

Amethyst snapped her fingers. "Deactivate the bubble." he swiped across and the bubble snapped back into the small pink jewel on the band.

Amethyst began running up the hill to retrieve the jewel.

Shouxi and just three others were emerging from their hiding spots. They started to head back to the area of the jewel. The others having ran farther away from the site.

Amethyst looked at the jewel. No scratches or dents.

The two men jumped down. 

She looked at them. 

"Prepare to fight, you Crystal Ge-" Amethyst wrapped the two up together in her whip and threw them across the field. She wrapped the ship back up and clipped it back to her belt.

Steven came jogging over. He double pressed on his three fingers and the shield in the crater along with two others had minimized back to the knuckles of the braces. Then he double tapped on his thumb and the shield deactivated and minimized back.

Amethyst snickered coarsely. "Told you we ain't leaving out this place without the jewel. And now. we got it." she looked at the bracelet on Steven's wrist. "That shield of yours better not had effect the power of this jewel though. We'll see what Peridot says about it." she turned to the Gems. "Come on. Let's get out of here."

Steven was running behind them when Shouxi was jogging up to meet him and the boy stopped. "What happened?" The man was in awe.

"I don't know." Steven shrugged. "One of the guy's had dropped my shield on the jewel and.. it just.. pffffffft. Everything turned bright pink and.. then everything just, started looking like this." he looked around. The sun was shining brightly over the trees. 

"Hmm.." the man scratched his chin under the mask. "Perhaps the shield had neutralized it somehow." he looked at the bracelet. "That must be some strong, sturdy material you have there. 

_You have no idea._

"I do thank you deeply."

"But.. I didn't do anything."

"Well, if it wasn't for your shield, the place would've been in ruins. And yes, I do also thank the one who dropped the shield on the jewel as well. The two of you both, helped save the forest. And now, without any threats of the jewel, we can take the geode dome down and build and flourish this forest even more and help the animals in a better way."

"Now I like the sound of that."

The man nodded. "As do I."

Steven took a quick glance back to see the Gems leaving him and Shouxi noticed. "I.. kinda have to go with them. They're my ride home."

"Of course, I understand completely." 

"Well uh.. guess I'll see ya." he took a few steps away from him and the man nodded and waved back. 

Steven jogged away. 

"Remember who you truly are and what you're truly trying to seek in life! And try to see life from different perspectives!" the man shouted. "And find yourself as you journey on in life!"

_Okay.. now he's going a bit overboard._

"And, may you and your neighbor work pass everything and become closer!" 

Steven simply waved back and turned right back around and not saying anything more to the man, despite of actually believing a lot of what that guy had been saying to him. 

Steven ran down the tall grass, looking for the Gems. They were still a good distance away. He tried picking up his speed, having to completely ignore the wounds and cuts on his legs and the cuts and wounds in between them.. 

Four long minutes later of burning and aching throughout his whole body and he'd caught up to them. They turned around, realized it was him and turned back around and proceeded to walk through the forest. 

Another five long minutes later and they were exiting the hole that Pearl had made earlier. Garnet left the group, getting into the car first and deactivating the security systems and Pearl jogged up to the passenger's door. She opened it up for Amethyst and their boss slid in and she closed the door back. 

Steven slid into the car and slid his self slowly down to the seat, still wincing at the wounds underneath of him.

He really needed more of that cream and oil at home..

And speaking of which, he wondered how Gregory was doing.

The boy hadn't called him on the Warp Whistle app ever since he yelled at him.

Which, after his little debriefing with the guy and him calming down a bit now that the mission was over, he felt the yelling was probably just a bit too much.

Especially since he hadn't treated the boy so well since the boy first stepped foot into the apartment.

He sighed.

_I should really see how he's doing.._

He went to the app and went to his Warp logs. All filled with Gregory and Mr. Vecino's logs. 

He clicked on Gregory's name and the screen displayed Gregory's picture as the phone called out.

He felt Garnet turn the car on and she began to back the vehicle up.

The call rung out until the app ended the call.

_That's odd.. _

_He can't be mad.. right?_

_No, he probably is.._

_Though I never saw him truly made before.._

Then his mind started to wonder.

_What if something happened to him?!_

Garnet pulled off from the spot and going too slow for his liking.

He wanted to hurry up and get to the apartment and make sure that nothing had happened to the annoying little, bratty boy.


	172. Clean up and do one's share

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another long chapter :0

Garnet pulled up to the side of the apartment complex and Steven was quick to open the door.

He'd called Gregory three more times since the drive to the apartment and he didn't answer any of his calls.

"Whoa." Amethyst said plainly.

Steven stopped and looked at her through the rearview mirror. She nodded. "We managed to get the jewel." she stated the obvious. Then quickly changed subject. "You have your second day of training with Garnet tomorrow. She'll pick you up at eleven hundred hours. Then we have another Together Breakfast Monday morning. Be here at oh nine hundred hours."

"Yes, Amethyst. I'll see you then."

"Good."

"..Goodnight everyone." 

Nobody answered and he didn't care. He quickly got out and closed the door and ran up to the apartment as he heard the truck pulling out of the alley.

Ignoring the aches burns of his body yet again, he ran up the two flights of stairs and down the hallway to the door while taking the keys out of his pocket. 

He unlocked the door and pushed it open, the door knocking the toilet rolls and clothes behind it and revealing the messy place. 

He ran in. 

And saw Lion laying down next to Gregory. The boy fast asleep on the bed and the phone right beside him. 

Steven sighed a heavy sigh of relief. 

_He just fell asleep. That's it._

He looked around the room again and sighed for a different reason. 

This was going to take him awhile. 

He looked up at the clock. _4:47p.m_

Would he even have time to clean up all of this mess before Connie comes?!

Well he could try.

He went for the biggest challeneges first. 

All of the blankets, sheets, covers, comforters, washclothes, pillowcases, towels and clothes scattered around the room or built into a fort. He could try and get every single piece washed while he got everything else situated in the room.

Hopefully the laundry room wasn't filled.. It _was_ a late Saturday afternoon after all..

He took everything from the kitchen, the bathroom, the hallway, and the bedroom and threw them by the door making four huge piles and counting. He shook out more crumbs, plastic and more ripped up fabric from blankets and covers and threw them in one of the piles.

Then he went back to the bed. 

He pushed the napkins, errant objects and feathers from the floor with his foot and grabbed the boy lightly. He stirred slightly but didn't wake up and Steven gently pulled him down to small, cleaner space on the floor. 

And he stood back up and Lion was looking right at him. Steven narrowed his eyes at him and the dog lowered his head and look away from him. His ears falling back to his face. 

"Now you know better than that, Lion." Steven scolded. "Tearing up our stuff."

The dog looked up at him guiltily. He whined.

"Now _go_ sit in the corner. and think. about what you've done." he pointed.

The dog got up and Steven stopped him. "Wait, I need to get this stuff off of you.." He took off the two bras, the shirt and tie and the socks off. "Okay NOW go sit in the corner. and THINK about what you've done." he pointed with a glare.

Lion ducked his head down at Steven. He jumped off the bed and quickly walked over to the corner and laid down. He kept his head down on the floor without making eye contact with Steven.

Steven threw the clothes into any pile and without trying to wake the boy up, having to take the clothes off of him too as well as the cheeseburger backpack. He threw the clothes aside in the pile and brushed all of the tissue, napkins, ripped up cotton and feathers, Connie's pads, the money and other various objects he pulled from the closet on the floor. He placed the phone right by him, took the pizza box and placed it on the counter and placed the soda he also ordered from the place (tipped over with some of the soda spilled on the blankets) on the counter by the pizza box and ripped the blankets and sheets off and then the pillow cases. 

There. That was all of it..

And now to somehow take them all to the laundromat..

He picked up the thicker, heavier items and put them all on each shoulder and a few towels and covers over his arms and grabbing a few washclothes in his hands.

Then he realized that he didn't have any money or the detergent and jogged over towards the bed. He shifted the blankets over his shoulder and grabbed a few of the smaller bills off the floor and grabbed the detergent from hall closet. 

He left out the apartment and jogged down the steps, hoping that the washing machines weren't all filled.

He jogged inside and only heard one washing machine running.

_Yes!!_

He ran over to the empty four, only filling up three of them. Then he poured the detergent in and went ahead and put the dollar into the machine, being thankful that their washing machines could use both bills _and_ coins, preventing neighbors on asking each other for change for a dollar every week. 

He ran back upstairs and grabbed another load and went back down to the basement and filled the fourth one up.

Sure he felt bad about using up all four.. but drastic times calls for drastic measures.

He ran back up to the apartment.

Gregory was still fast asleep.

And Lion was still in the corner and in timeout. The dog still with his head turned, but looking at Steven shyly out the corner of his eye.

Steven looked around, trying to figure out what to do first.

_Okay how about I pick up all of this money first._

He picked up the bills and change around the house and under the bed and all around for the envelope. He eventually found it beside the closet crumpled and ripped. 

He sighed. 

_Really? He ruined the envelope too?_

He put the money in the envelope, took the rest of the money from the cheeseburger backpack out of the bag and put it with the rest of the money to keep everything all in one spot, found the shoe box that had been thrown into the hall and brought them both back under the bed and placed the envelope back under the shoe box. 

Then he decided to go into the kitchen and almost slipped. Forgetting about the wet and apparently soapy floor. Then he noticed the water had been filled all the way to the top of the sink. He pulled the wad of tissue from the mouth of the drain and the water started going back down. He threw the tissue away and checked the bathroom and, sure enough, the water was filled up to the sink with tissue in it and even the bathtub had been filled all the way to the top. Tissue floating along the water. And water was all on the bathroom floor. He pulled the tissue out of the bathroom sink and threw it in the toilet and flicked the knob up in the bathtub. 

Ignoring the water on the floor for now, he washed his hands and began washing and drying every pot, pan, spoon, plate and everything else the boy had pulled out into the wet kitchen floor. He put them all up in their respective cabinets and looked around. 

There was just soo much stuff still out and everywhere..

He grabbed four huge trash bags and started cleaning up the area; picking up the toilet tissue, napkins, paper towels, ripped up plastic bags, pieces of cotton, feathers, Cookie Cat ice cream wrappers and pizza crusts and ripping off Connie's pads from all of the walls, the furniture and everywhere else in the kitchen, the two closets and the bathroom. While cleaning the area, he'd found more bills that had been buried underneath of the clutter. He put the money in the envelope and continued to pick up more trash.

He walked over towards Lion and the dog looked at him, still guilty but having a slight hope to his features that his friend would tell him he's out of timeout. 

Steven went over to the hole where the air conditioner would be and started picking up the plastic, cardboard, tape and pieces of wood chippings. He stood back up and Lion looked at him. He gave the boy one wag of his tail. Steven shook his head. "Stay." 

Lion went back to looking hopeless and guilty and he placed his head back on the carpet.

He placed the three trash bags by the door and by the three piles of clothes and other various linens and he put the extra trash bag back in the cabinet.

He pulled out a few pieces of cardboard and plastic from behind the pantry shelf and grabbed some tape from the hall closet and made his way back over to the air conditioner hole. 

Lion looked at him discreetly as the boy started watching up the hole and tapping it back up. 

He ripped off another piece of tape with his teeth and placed another piece of plastic over the cardboard and tapped over them. 

Eight teeth hurting, finger burning minutes later, he was done. "Good. That looks even better than the last one." he pat at the tapped up and sealed material. 

He looked around the room. Seashells he'd gotten for Connie when he and the Gems hung out at the beach with the Pizzas, the vacuum cleaner and other household items and odds and ends were still scattered about the floor. 

And now.. to start disinfecting everything..

He grabbed the disinfecting sprays and other cleaning supplies and looked for any paper towels to use. 

There were none..Gregory using all of their ten rolls..

He sighed.

Now he had to hurry and make a quick pitstop to the store..

And since he was going to be outside anyway..

He looked at Lion.

The dog was beginning to have another hopeful look on his face. 

"Alright, come on Lion. Looks like you and I will have a little walk to the store." 

Lion scooted his side across the floor and stopped.

"Yeah, come on." Steven beckoned with his hand. "I need to take you out to use the bathroom anyway." 

Lion got up and started trotting over to him. Steven grabbed the leash from off the coat rack by the door and clipped it on to Lion's collar. He took a look back. Gregory was still knocked out sleep and he left the apartment. 

Only to come back.

"Actually, I think an hour went pass already." he picked up more linen and clothes and the two went down to the laundry room where Lion started sniffing around his new surroundings.

The three washing machines were done and he put the blankets, covers, washclothes, sheets, covers, towels and clothes inside the dryers.

And he berated his self for not coming back down sooner and putting in the fabric softener during the rinse crycle..

He put the new loads inside the three machines, went back up to the apartment with Lion, grabbed the last pile (and a fifty dollar bill from the envelope) and went back down and filled the last washing machine up.

And feeling bad again that he was using not just the rest of the machines, but also the dryers now..

He walked out the complex with Lion and the two of them walked down to the convenient store.

The main cashier girl wasn't there and he quickly grabbed a family size roll of paper towels, toilet tissue and napkins.

And.. also made a walk of shame to the.. feminine hygiene section and grabbed two bags of the pads he would see Connie get..

Then he made another quick stop to the dog food section and grabbed Lion a few more canned food and two bags of doggy treats. He was about to walk to the counter, but had a small idea.

_Hmm.._

He grabbed a juice pouch and two packs of toys and headed over to the counter.

The cashier rung him up with little to no conversation, which Steven was thankful for and the two of them walked back out of the store and back to the apartment.

Once they made it back, Steven let Lion out on the side of the building to do his business before they headed back up to the room. He locked the door back and unclipped the leash from Lion and hung it back up on the coat rack.

_Okay.. NOW to start disinfecting the place. _

His eyes caught the wet floor of the kitchen.

_Oh yeah.. I still have to clean up the water on the kitchen and bathroom floor too.._

He put the items away (say for the toys in the bag) and ripped open the paper towels and took out a roll. He threw a handful of sheets on the floor. 

Too bad he didn't have a towel to clean the mess up with..

He wiped the kitchen, then the bathroom floor dry, using up majority of the roll to clean up all of the water. 

Well good thing he bought the family pack.

He began disinfecting every nook and cranny of the house, say for the carpet he would do last. He wiped off the empty shelves in the two closets, the cabinets and the counter tops in the kitchen and the floor of the kitchen. He wiped off the stove, the fridge, the chairs and went to the bed frame and legs and started wiping them down, then he went over to the small couch and wiped down the legs and he shook the crumbs from the laptop and wiped it down and shut it off. He cleaned and disinfected the table and placed the laptop on it and went to the next table on his side. Then he started disinfecting the objects and items scattered about the room; wiping down the projector, the iron, the vacuum cleaner, the seashells (and he placed them back on the windowsill), a few portable lamps for when the powers goes out, spraying his belts, and both of their shoes and slippers and more various items. Then he put them all back in the closet, and put the chargers and batteries that he'd also found on the floor and the hallway back in their boxes and double checked to see if he'd missed anything. A dirty sock, an ice cream wrapper, Connie's _sanitary napkins,_ anything. 

But he didn't.

Then he went over to the door, cleaned the dirt and feces infested flip flops off, then the plastic mat it was laying on and even his own feet off and he threw the wipes and used up paper towel sheets and threw them all in one of the three garbage bags.

And now, with the floor nearly spotless, say for the crumbs still on the carpet, he went over to Gregory and cleaned the boy's grubby hands off.

_Well, his dad _did_ say that he doesn't wash his hands. I can't take any chances._

He threw the napkin away and stopped midway in his cleaning. He grabbed the fabric softener, pour some into each of the four washing machines while the clothes were undergoing their rinse cycle and he went back up to the apartment to resume the deep cleaning.

He picked up the Windex multi surface cleaner and began spraying the window, the sliding door, the mirror in the bathroom and the microwave and counter tops and the sink.

Then, it was the dresser.

Everything was scattered about on the dresser and perfume and cologne had been sprayed on the mirror and the top of the dresser and powder, their shampoo bottles and toothpaste had been poured up and down the the dresser and drawers had been pulled out.

He started to clean and disinfect the area and putting the caps back on everything. He cleaned the mirror off with Windex and started wiping down everything else and putting everything back.

Then he looked at the toothbrushes on either side of the dresser. Both his and Connie's toothbrush were still inside of their capsule.

But..

He just didn't trust the kid..

He grabbed a pair of scissors from one of the cabinets (and thankful it was hidden under other items and Gregory didn't get to it) and went to the now cleaned out hall closet and grabbed the pack of toothbrushes. He took out two that were the same colors, threw the old ones out, rinsed out the capsules in hot water, dried them off and put the new toothbrushes inside.

With just about everything done but the carpet, he picked up the three big trash bags, threw them into the dumpster and went back down to the laundry room. He took everything out of the dryer and placed them on top of the machine and emptied out the four washing machines and put them all in the dryers. He took everything he could on his shoulders, arms and hands and took the clothes and linens back to the apartment and he went back for the rest. 

He closed the door and sat the rest of the load on the bare bed with the other pile. 

He took a breath.

_Okay.. I think I did it.._

_I think that's nearly everything!_

_Now I just need to make the bed, put everything away and vacuum the carpet._

He picked up Lion's water bowl and dumped the old water out. He rinsed the bowl out a few times before pouring in some cool, fresh water. He placed the dish back in the holder and had a thought.

He looked over at Lion smelling the fresh sheets on the bed.

"You know what, Lion." the dog stopped immediately and looked at him. Not wanting to get into any more trouble.

"Maybe I need to give you a bath too. I haven't done that in awhile." 

Movement caught Steven's eye as Gregory started to stir awake. The boy stretched and blinked open his eyes.

_Ah boy.. here we go.._

Gregory looked around and his eyes caught Steven in the kitchen. He jolted up to a sitting position. "Hey! You're back!" he cheesed. 

_Hm.. so I guess he's not mad then?_

"Yeah, I've been here for about two hours cleaning up." he looked at the boy. Though he had a feeling Gregory wouldn't catch the hint.

"Ohhhhh..." he looked around. He started sniffing the area. "It smells pretty nice in here. It's like when my dad would clean and the area smells lemony." 

"Yeah, well. That's what cleaning does. It makes the place look and smell good." 

Maybe he should dial back on being indirect. Besides.. he shouldn't be treating the boy this way. 

Or better yet, maybe he should follow a bit of that advice from that Shouxi character..

Maybe it'll work and maybe it won't.

"Hey, Gregory?"

The boy was smelling one of the blankets. "Huh?" he turned back around. 

Steven leaned on the counter.

_Where should I even start?_

_Or maybe I should just go right out and say it._

_Short and sweet._

Steven rubbed the back of his hair, irritating the cuts in his fingertips. "Uh, about today." 

"Uh huh?" the boy picked up a towel and started sniffing it.

"Maybe.. I was a bit too harsh on you. You know, with you just trying to pass the time and have fun." 

"Oh yeahhhh.." he said as if he'd just realized it. "You didn't want my to do anything in here." he dropped the towel and picked up a shirt. "And then you yelled at me really bad." he smelled the shirt.

"I knooow, I knooow. And I shouldn't had done that. I guess I was.. I don't know, not in the best of moods today. With what happened last night, then I just didn't feel well physically and then.." _I have this.. thing where I don't really care for little kids.. and you? for whatever reason.._ "and.. I just took it all out on you. And I shouldn't had so.. I'm sorry." he forced the last part out. Saying it to a little kid. Though after it came out, he did already feel a bit better. And now the kid was smiling at him. "Apology accepted!!!!!" 

_Well.. that was easy?_

"But I do have to say and explain to you this."

The boy looked at him.

_"And your method was to scream at him and not give him a proper talk? Not telling him why he shouldn't do certain things or, even see it from his point of view as a young kid his age?" _

All he needs is a simple and easy talk with the kid. 

He took a breath and said gently. "You do need to realize that you have to be careful with what you do in other people's houses and what you do with other people's things. You can't just, do whatever you want." then he added before the boy could interject "Even if you can do it at your own house and maybe your grandparents'. The point is, it doesn't mean that it's okay to do it at other people's homes too. People live differently than you and some people prevent you from doing things so you won't get hurt. It's in their best interest. Now, I can understand that you want to have fun, but there's different ways to do that that doesn't involve tearing things up or going through people's personal belongings for your own entertainment. You can see it from your end, but you should see it from their end too and be thoughtful to their feelings as well. You wouldn't want other people to feel bad right?" 

"No.." he frowned. 

"Right." and he tried for a supportive smile. "It's something to think about."

The boy nodded at him, wide eyed as he digested what Steven had said. "Yeaah." 

"Well, I'm going to give Lion a bath." he opened the fridge door and set the juice pouch on the table and Gregory immediately looked right at it. 

Steven picked up the two packs of toys from the bag and placed them on the counter and Gregory eyed them too before looking back at Steven who had a sly grin on his face. He shrugged. "I don't know. You could play with them or not. But I figured I could try to get you something that would keep you entertainmed a bit."

The boy squealed as he ran over.

"Take it as, an apology gift or something." Steven said casually.

Gregory started ripping the plastic off the thin cardboard. He laughed as he grabbed the plastic toy out of the package. "Dogcopter!!!" he pressed the button on its hind legs and nothing happened. 

"It needs batteries." said Steven. He walked over to the closet as Gregory started pulling the plastic off of the next package. "Cookie Cat!!! Equipped with his own little spaceship!!!!!" he laughed as he raised the two in the air. 

Steven popped the batteries in the toy's belly and pushed the top back over it. He pressed the button and the dog barked and the propellers on its back started to spin. 

"Hey! It's working!" Gregory hopped over to him. Steven handed him the toy. 

"Woohooooo!!! Now Dogcopter and Cookie Cat can defeat the evil forces. TOGETHER!!!!" 

Steven got up and closed the closet door. He did let out a genuine chuckle he was trying to hold back. "Well, have fun. Come on, Lion." he picked the dog up.

  
  


It took Steven fifteen minutes to wash Lion.

With the dog now clean, he opened the bathroom door and let him run out. 

Steven thought he would see the place a mess, but he didn't. Gregory was on the floor playing with the toys with the juice pouch right beside him. 

The boy waved the Dogcopter toy in the air and in a deeper voice, he said. "Oh no, Cookie Cat. This looks like a job for your spaceship! We need to go to the moon to stop the aliens!" 

In a slightly different voice, he raised the Cookie Cat toy and said. "We can use the turbo booster and get to the moon in seconds!" 

He popped open the spaceship and placed the two toys inside it. The spaceship being too small for the both of them. "Now, hang on, DogCopter. This spaceship moves at light speed!" 

Lion came over to the boy dripping in water.

"Hey, Lion. You want to go to the moon too-" Lion shook his fur, the water getting all over Gregory and the toys. The boy laughed. "Oh no!! The water!! The spaceship's only weakness!! Now we can't move, Dogcopter! We need to think of another plan!" 

Steven walked over to the bed and started folding things up and putting things away as the boy played with the toys.

He put away the thicker items first unto the closet bfore dealing with the lighter linens and the washclothes, towels and pillowcases.

".. copter. You can try flying us all the way there!!" the boy gasped for the Dogcopter toy. "Maybe I can!" he stacked the toy on top of the cat. "Hang on!! Dogcopter, part dog, part helicopter combo moves. Activate!!! Tktktktktktktktktktkt." he got up and started hobbling across the room. Dogcopter carrying Cookie Cat under him as they ventured out into space.

It didn't take long for Steven to put everything away and make up the bed. And by the time he was finished, it was time for him to go back to the laundromat and get the other loads that would be significantly easier sice majority of them were clothes and a few washclothes and pillowcases and maybe a towel or two. 

"I'm heading to the laundromat. I'll be right back." he told Gregory. 

The boy took a few sips of his juice pouch. "Okay!"

It took Steven two trips and he put the piles all on the bed. He began picking out the washclothes and the pillowcases and began folding them and putting them in the hall closet.

He folded up one title that was in the pile and started for the pile of clothes.

While folding an undershirt Gregory came over and placed the toys on the bed. "Looks like we have landed on a different planet, Cookie Cat." he gasped. "This must be the ancient planet where only boring things happen like folding laundry!"

Steven scoffed lightly but didn't say anything. He folded another undershirt.

"Come, Cookie Cat. Let's take your spaceship and fly to another planet where it's more fun! We can leave this person here to do boring stuff!" he placed the toys in the spaceship.

"Ah, it's not that boring." he finally spoke up.

"Yeah it is. It's reaaaally boring. I just have my dad do it for me. All you do is fold.. and fold.. and fold.. and put it in the closet."

Like a light switch, Steven had an idea.

".. Weeeell, maybe you're just not doing it right?"

Gregory tilted his head up at him. "What do you mean?" 

Steven had a sly smirk on his face. "But first, I need two volunteers." he pointed at the Dogcopter and the Cookie Cat toy. Gregory looked hesitant at first, but gave him the toys. Steven walked over to the dresser and placed the toys on top of it. Then he turned around in the mirror and picked up Connie's eyeliner. He drew a monocle around his eye with the "chain" of it being drawn down his cheek. Then he drew an evil, curly mustache. He ignored the pain from his skin.. and put her eyeliner back, put a twenty minute timer on his phone and turned back around with a mocked evil expression. "MWAhahahahahahaaaa!! It is I, the villainous mastermind who have captured" he gestured to the two toys. "Dogcopter and Cookie Cat." 

The boy gasped, though he was still smiling. "Oh no!" 

"The ONLY way to save them, is to put the clothes into the drawers!" he opened up four different drawers. "I will give you a color and OR tell you which item to pass me. You must do it all under twenty minutes. But if you DON'T." Steven pointed at Lion who was sleeping on the carpet. "They will be given to the Dog-Dragon hybrid to be eaten." 

"No!!! I have to save them!"

"Then, young warrior. You must start handing me the clotheeessss...... NOW!" Steven pretended to hit the start button and placed the phone on the dresser. "Quick! I need two red socks!! Two red socks!" 

"Uh? Uh!!" Gregory looked at two red socks laying right on top of the pile. He threw it to him and Steven caught it, folded the two together and put it in his drawer. "I need a black T-shirt!" 

Gregory quickly grabbed the T-shirt. 

"Quick, quick, quick!!" the boy laughed as he threw it to him and Steven held his thigh up, folded the shirt on it and put it in Connie's drawer. "Okay, now I need one blue pair of wings!" Gregory threw Connie's bra at him.

  
  


The game went on for twenty five minutes, though it didn't feel like it. And throughout the game Steven kept giving him time checks, despite of him not keeping the time. 

At the end if it all, Gregory managed to save Dogcopter and Cookie Cat from being eaten and surprisingly enough to Steven, Gregory wanted to play another game.

With just the carpet to do, Steven had to quickly come up with another game. He went to the kitchen and took out a bottle of baking soda. He sprinkled it around the carpet and took out the vacuum cleaner which Lion was eyeing.

Steven had told him that the vacuum cleaner was DogCopter's spaceship and that the powder on the floor was the fuel he needed to retrieve. 

It wasn't interesting like the other game, he knew that, but he couldn't think of anything. It was essentially just vacuuming. Yet, putting it like that, Gregory practically ate it up and he nearly snatched the vacuum cleaner out of his hand.

The boy placed both of the toys on top of the handle of the vacuum cleaner and turned it own.

It roared to life and Gregory began retrieving the spaceship's fuels on the carpet. 

Lion got up and was barking at it. The dog jumping and lunging at the machine and playing with it. 

Gregory only laughed and thought it was apart of the game and kept driving the spaceship throughout space as he tried to flee from the flying Dog from planet Woof-Bark.

After the game, Steven rewarded the safe landing of the spaceship with a spray of febreeze which he let Gregory spray around the house. 

And with that, the house was in tip top shape.

  
  


"Looks like another day has been saved!!" Gregory exclaimed holding Cookie Cat. The boy was wearing a crown they made from the cardboard behind the pantry rack and Steven's cheeseburger backpack that he, _this_ time, asked if he could use. 

"You know what that means." said Steven in his Dogcopter voice. The young man now sporting three whiskers on each side of his nose with his nose filled in black. He bobbed the toy back and forth as he spoke. "This calls for... your very own theme song, Cookie Cat!" 

"That's right!! Let's hop on the Spaceship and sing it!"

Steven lowered the Dogcopter toy into the spaceship as Gregory placed Cookie Cat inside. And as if on cue, they both started belting out the song at the same time. "Ooooooohh, he's a frozen treat with an.all.new.taste, 'cause he came to this planet from ou.ter space! A refugee, of an interstellar war! But now he's at, your local grocery store! Cookie Cat! He's a pet for your tummy! Cookie Cat! He's super duper yummy! Cookie Cat! He left his family behind! Cookie Caaat! Now available at Gurgens off Route 109!" 

They laughed at the catchy jingle.

"Where is" the boy laughed. "Where is Gurgens anyway?" he laughed.

Steven tried to call down from his laughter. "I have no idea." 

Gregory found that even funnier and started back up again with his laughter.

There was a knock at the door and Steven calmed his self down as Gregory kept going. He got up from the floor and looked up to the door and looked through the peephole. It was Mr. Vecino. He unlocked the door and opened it. "Hey Mr. Vecino."

"Hey, Steven." 

"DAD!" Gregory shouted and got off the floor. The boy hopped towards him.

"Hey son! Oof!" the boy crashed into him and wrapped his arms around him. His dad ruffled up his hair, being careful to not hit the crown off. "Ya had fun, kiddo?" 

The boy looked up from his dad's jacket. "Did I!" he shouted happily.

His father chuckled and ruffled his son's curls again. He looked up at Steven. "So I take it you two had a good time?" he looked at the whiskers on Steven's face. "I heard you two laughing as I was walking up the hall." 

"Oh, I.. didn't know we were that loud." 

"Aaahhh, whaaat?" he brushed it off. "That was a compliment. I'm glad Shtu-ball here had a great time."

The son shouted out "He gave me toys too!" and he raised his back up slightly. "AND his cheeseburger backpack!! It's going to go GREAT with my PB&J backpack!!" 

"Really?!" his dad sounded at awe. "Well I hope you thanked him for that."

"Oh wait.. did I?" he turned around in his father's arms. "Thanks Mister!" he cheesed.

"Heheh.. I, keep telling you. You can just call me Steven."

"Okay, Gregory." his dad pat him on the shoulder. "How about you put on your clothes and let's get ready. We can make our famous dessert waffle breakfast." 

"YEAHH!!!!!" the boy ran off and pass Steven.

His father smiled at his son, then looked at Steven. "I hope he wasn't too much of a handful for ya." he had an apologetic look in his eyes. "I know how hyper Shtu-ball can get at times." 

Steven thought back on the many times the boy called him on the Warp Whistle app and what he came home to once he opened the door..

"No, it wasn't that bad." 

"Oh, phewf. Well I'm certainly happy to hear that."

The boy came hopping towards them on his crutches. The crown still on his head. "Ready dad!"

"Ookay, kiddo." he turned to Steven. "Thanks again for watching my son."

"It was no problem."

"Oh, dad!! Can he help us make our dessert waffle breakfast?!" 

"Oh, uh.. well." he looked at Steven for confirmation. "I'm not sure. He could be pretty tired." 

"Awww.."

There was apart of him that didn't want to. But there was a much bigger part that did. Despite of him being in a lot of pain from his wounds, he didn't mind helping the two out in just one more thing. 

And he was in a pretty good mood in general. 

"Sure." he said. 

"Yeah?" his dad asked and his son cheered. 

"Sure, I don't mind." he stepped back into the apartment and grabbed his keys. "Be back Lion." the dog was laying down in his little bed. He looked at him, then turned his head back around and laid it back down.

"Heheh, he's like 'ehh, I don't care'." Steven closed the door and caught glimpse of the pizza and drink on the table. "Oh, did you still want your pizza and soda?" 

Gregory shook his head grinning. "No, you can have it. I don't want the soda. They gave me the wrong kind. And I saved the pizza for you." 

"Ah, that's nice of you." Mr. Vecino pat his son on the shoulder. 

"Thanks." Steven stepped out the room and locked the door and the three of them started walking down the hall.

"Dad! Let me get on your back again!" he grabbed at his father's side.

"Oookay, easy there, kiddo. Your old man isn't as young these days." he chuckled. He grabbed the crutches from his son and easily and carefully, he hoisted his son up to his back. Gregory placed the Cookie Cat inside of his spaceship on top of his dad's bald head while he placed the Dogcopter toy on his shoulder.

As they walked up the two flights of stairs, Steven thought about how this would be the first time he saw their apartment. 

They walked down the hall and Mr. Vecino unlocked the door and stepped in and his son slid off his back. He placed the crutches near a folded up exercise equipment on the wall and walked down a small fuzzy black carpet.

The place was extremely cluttered and messy but, not dirty by all means, if that made any sense. Everything looked clean and he saw solutions and a dustpan nearby in an cluttered closet and the area smelled of pinesol. But the place was just chaotic and messy with videogames and covers everywhere amd packing peanuts and clothes thrown every which way. 

But despite of it all, the place certainly gave off this homely, comfortable feel to it. 

He started feeling this ache in his chest.. 

A large furry cat strolled on towards them. "León!" Gregory bent down to pat the cat on the head. "Hey buddy." the boy turned to Steven. "He was one of the strays that we took in to foster. And, we decided to keep him." he scratched under the cat's chin. "He's a good kitty." he got up and started hopping over towards the kitchen. The cheeseburger backpack bouncing up and down as he did.

The cat sniffed Steven's jeans as he walked slowly on pass. He saw a large fish tank filled with colorful fish swimming amongst the coral leaves and rocks and it somehow made the place feel even more cozy and welcoming.

He walked into the kitchen and Mr. Vecino was pulling out the cooking utensils from the cabinet and a big bottle of waffle mix. "Shtu-ball and I made this little desert breakfast about a couple years ago. And, it just stuck with us." he turned to his son. "Hey, you wanna do the honors?" he threw the two uncooked packets of popcorn towards him and Gregory caught it, the crown tipping slightly on his curly hair. "Ooooohh!!!" 

"Nice catch, son!" 

Gregory threw the bags into the microwave and pushed a few buttons and the microwave started to hum."

Steven watched as Mr. Vecino started pouring waffle batter into a waffle iron. "So.. you two are eating breakfast.. for dinner?" 

"Well it _started_ as a breakfast item, but then we just loved it so much, we started having it ANYTIME." he placed the bottle on the counter. "Hey, don't be shy. Open the fridge behind ya." Steven stepped to the side. "Grab the container of strawberries, the chocolate syrup and the whipped cream." 

Steven opened the fridge. The inside was filled with various juices and sodas, a gallon of strawberry milk, and chocolate bars and other various sweets. There were apples and oranges on one side and the other side had protein shakes, a half a cake and various jams. Majority of the stuff was very unhealthy and he could practically feel Connie breathing down his neck and it was not even his fridge. 

He moved a few items away to get what he needed and closed the fridge back. 

Popcorn started to pop inside of the microwave. "Oh! Oh!" Gregory cheered. "They're starting to pop!"

Steven placed the items on a cluttered table filled with all kinds of cereal boxes, G.U.Y.S. action figures, and opened and empty videogame cases (and now the newly added Cookie Cat and his spaceship and Dogcopter). 

"Hey, dad." Gregory smiled. 

"Yes, son?" he opened one of the top cabinets and took out a large plate. 

"While you were out I made up a little song for you." 

"Really?" the boy nodded fervently in all smiles. "Ah, well ya gotta let me hear it." 

Gregory started tapping on the edge of the coutner. "Dear old dad, remember wheeeen.. you would sing to me, could you do it agaaaiin~. Dear old dad, remember hoooow... I would sit on your shooouulders, well how 'bout it noooow? Dear old dad, I was wondering whyyyy As I get older now, the days keep going on byyy~ Dear old dad, remember this toooo: In this whole WIIIDE world, there's no one liiike yoooooouu ~oouuu ~ouuuu ~ouuuu ~ouuu ~ouooouuuuu. There's no one liiikee yoooouuu, ~ouuu ~ouuuu ~ooouuu ~ooouuuuuu." 

Steven looked over, listening to Gregory sing about his "dear old dad".. 

The boy singing and tapping his fingers and his dad swaying to the beat and listening to the lyrics that was made personally for him. And the man looked so happy as his son sung to him. 

"..ere's no one liiiiike" he pointed to his dad. "youuuuuuu ~ooouuu ~ouuuuu ~oouuuuu ~ouuuuuuuuu." 

The boy held out the note and ended the song and the dad applauded him. "Ah, that was great, son. And you wrote that all by yourself?" 

"Yeah." he nodded. 

"Impressive." 

The boy was in all smiles.

"And I like that beat. Hey! Here's something. Give me that again." 

Steven watched as the boy began tapping his fingers along the edge of the counter once more. 

"My darling soooon, I remember wheeeen... I would sing to yoouuu, and I would do it agaaaain." he gave his son a side hug and the boy giggled as he looked up at his dad. "Beloved chiiiild, remember this tooooo. In this world of treeeeasures, there's no one like yoooouuuu, ~ouuuuu ~ouuuuu ~ouuuuu ~ouuuuu. There's no one like yooouuu ~ouuuuu ~ouuuuuu ~ouuuuu ~ouuuuu." 

And the dad just simply.. thought of all that on the spot.. 

And every word sounded so endearing and so genuine coming from him. 

The boy joined in with him. "Youuuuuu ~ouuuu ~ouuuu ~ouuuuu. Youuuuuu ~ouuuuu ~ouuuu ~ouuuuuuuuuu." 

They really are close..

Mr. Vecino hugged his son closer as he laughed with him. "Wow, you're really good at this." 

"I learned from the best." the boy beamed. 

"Awwee shucks, kiddo." he chuckled. 

Steven had been leaning on the counter as he watched the dad and son interact. The song was sweet, especially since it was so personal.. and, they just seemed so close. He felt the strong love between them. 

And for some reason, he felt himself tearing up and he didn't know why.. 

..before a memory came back to mind.. 

_"So just because I get a bit annoyed, I'm jealous?" _

_"No, that's not always the case. It definitely isn't. I'm saying, in YOUR case it is. How you're talking about the guy and practically indirectly bragging about his positive qualities even though they don't effect you in any way. And then you bring up the relationship with his son." she kept her sly smile as she folded her arms. "Looks like you have sort of a "wanting that for yourself" kind of thing going on if you ask me." _

He looked up at the two as tears stung at his eyes. 

"Ah, that really was a beautiful song, son." 

"Thanks dad." the boy grinned. "I love you." 

"I love you too. More than you could ever imagine." 

_Miss Lee is wrong.._

_I'm not jealous.._

Mr. Vecino placed the waffles on the plate then he poured some more waffle mix inside the waffle iron. 

But..he couldn't help but wonder how it would've been if his own father was in his life.

Would he had been nice like him?

He let a tear slide down his face. 

_.. why did he leave me.._

"Hey uh" Steven quickly snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Mr. Vecino. "Are you okay?"

"Oh uh" he quickly wiped the tear away. "Yeah, just um.. I think something got in my eye. That's all." 

"Ah, must be the smoke." he nodded knowingly. "Happens to me usually when I'm frying food." he unlocked the window and pushed it up. "There we go. We need a bit of fresh air in here anyway." 

Steven tried to pull his thoughts away from his own father he hardly knew anything about and he tried focusing on something different. He looked around, catching sight of the cat that was laying contently on a reclining chair. His body stretched out and his stomach out in the open. His tail swishing gently from side to side. Then he looked over at the fish swimming in the tank.

Moments went by and he heard Mr. Vecino say. "It's looking good already." 

He looked over at the two stacks of waffles as Mr. Vecino put the last waffle on the second stack. "Okay, time for the chocolate syrup." the two looked at Steven with friendly smiles. 

Steven caught the memo and picked up the syrup bottle. "So is there a certain way you want me to pour it on here?" 

"Nope. Be creative. Pour it how you want it." said Mr. Vecino. 

Steven squeezed the bottle, pouring the chocolate syrup on top of the waffles and all around them and in between them. Then he poured some along the plate to make the food look more fancy, like how the chefs do on t.v for those higher end, exquisite meals. He placed the bottle on the counter.

"You got a bit decorative there at the end. I like it." Mr. Vecino complimented. 

"Thanks. I was going for something fancy." 

"Well it certainly shows." he gave him a thumbs up and a smile. And those little gestures for some reason, made him feel warm inside. 

"Okay, Shtu-ball. Time for the popcorn." 

Gregory opened the microwave and opened the two bags of popcorn. Steam seep up from the bags. He poured the popcorn all around the plate and on top of the waffles. Some he'd even put in between the waffles. 

"Nice, Gregory." 

"And now for the whipped cream, dad!" 

The man cracked his knuckles and wiggled his fingers. "Okay. Here I go." he picked up the can sprayed the whipped cream around the plate, then around the stacks of waffles and on top of them he sprayed the letters, S. G. R.

Steven didn't realize what the initials meant until Gregory shouted out. "Those are our initials!" 

"Yup." he placed the can on the table. "This is our first dessert waffle breakfast." 

And, maybe he was still a bit emotional.. and maybe he would've kept it to his self otherwise. But he said. "You.. put me first?" 

"Of course. This is your very first dessert waffle breakfast. And, it is also out of respect." 

"But I didn't do much." 

"Are you kidding me? You had the most prestigious job. The chocolate syrup pourer. And you did excellent on that and it was your first time!"

Okay.. he did smile a bit at the man's overly dopy, excitement over something so juvenile. 

"And now, we would like you to do THE most prestigious job there is. And that is." he gestured to the small plastic casing of strawberries. "Putting the finishing touches on the breakfast by placing the strawberries on there." 

Okay.. so he may had said juvenile before.. but just then he felt a bit of stage fright being the one to do it.

He didn't want to mess it up. 

He picked up the container and popped open the top. He didn't know how many to put on there, so he sprinkled a few around the base of the waffles, one above and below each initial and one strawberry on either side of the stack on the plate. Again, going for a more decorative approach. 

And.. 

He stepped back. Though they could already easily see the food. 

And Steven stood there. On bated breath. 

_Did I.. do it rig-_

"This is..... IN..CREDIBLE!!!!!" Gregory squealed. He turned to Steven. "Look at you! You're out of control!"

"Now this right here, is a masterpiece." 

Steven was genuinely cheesing from ear to ear. 

Something so simple.. so childish.. 

And it was something that he liked. And it filled this hole that he didn't know he even had. 

A hole that he couldn't quite explain..

"I knew you were going to be a natural." said Mr. Vecino.

"I knew that too!" Gregory added. 

And just like that, so easily, Steven was beaming. On cloud nine. 

He was glad that someone else felt like he did something right for once, even if it was just that. 

And, it was also really nice to feel wanted. 

And he really liked the kind words they were giving him. 

It was nice feeling appreciated. 

And he was enjoying their loving, bubbly company. 

It was nice to feel like he was apart of something. Something real. Something genuine. 

  
  


"Goodnight, Mr. Vecino. And thanks for the food."

"Hey, it was no problem at all." 

"Heads up dad!" they heard Gregory say and Mr. Vecino turned around to have a paper airplane hit him right on the nose. "I'm gonna get you son!" he laughed. 

Steven heard Gregory laughing and the sound of him hoping away. 

"Well I'm not going to keep you up. I know you must be tired."

"I am actually. I'm exhausted. And I'm still in pain." he let out a single chuckle. 

Mr. Vecino gave him a sad, wan smile and nodded slightly. "Then I won't stop a young man to get his much needed rest." 

"Right. Goodnight Mr. Vecino."

"Goodnight, Steven. And thanks again for watching my son."

"You're welcome. Night." he said again.

Steven made it down the two flights of steps and up the hall to the apartment. He opened the door, getting a huge wiff of citrus and detergent. He locked the door behind him and took of the flip flops. Lion was still in his bed sleep and he walked into the kitchen and placed the paper plate in the microwave. Then he poured the soda out, threw the cup away and took out the three pieces of pizza and placed them between two paper plates and broke down the pizza box and slid it beside the trashcan. 

Now it was almost time to relax..

He threw his gadgets under a certain spot under the bed and took his clothes off. He threw them in the hamper except for his Crystal Gem shirt and got into the shower. He turned the water on, setting it to cool for the water to still burn at his skin. 

He didn't give his self a proper show. Not using soap or scrubbing his skin to prevent any more irritation. He only stood underneath of the shower, hoping that he was getting even just a little bit clean even with the cool water..

Then he hand washed the Crystal Gem shirt and got out the shower. 

And the pain that he was in..

He was in pain for two hours bending and grabbing and crouching just to get the apartment cleaned up. Then he marked all on his face and over the wounds for Gregory and played with him.

And his body. was screaming at this point. His skin feeling like it was pulled pulled off from his body.

He wasted no time in putting the GemTech cream on his skin, then the oil all over his body before he left out the bathroom. The cool air hit his skin and he sucked in some air in pain.

Lion was looking at him. He let out a little whine.

"I'm okay boy. Just got a little.. hurt. That's all."

The dog looked at him.

"It doesn't matter." Steven walked over to the dresser and pulled out a drawer. "I think I did a good thing in helping her escape and setting her free." he slipped on his boxers then a pair of loose fitting pants to cover up the marks on his legs "And, if they don't see it. Then so be it." he walked back over to the bed and slowly and gently, sat his self down. "I'm a Crystal Gem by name. _Not_ by heart."

  
  


Steven was sitting by the counter and eating the dessert waffle breakfast when Connie came in. And his heart was fluttering with joy.

"Hey, Connie."

"Hey, Steven." she locked the door and took her shoes off. "I would've been here much, muuch sooner but the first bus never came, so a few coworkers and I had to wait for the second bus, making me miss the second bus I have to take."

"That sucks." he ate a few pieces of popcorn from the plate and saw her walking over to the closet. He held out his arms and she rolled her eyes playfully and walked over to him.

"Teeeell me about it." 

He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a peck on the lips. "But you're home now. And, that's what matters." he gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"Yeah, you're right." she walked back over to the closet and took off her pants. "So, how was your day today?" 

..Events at the Geode and him having to come home and clean up the place played in his mind..

"Oh just, a relaxing day really."

"And by relaxing you mean cleaning?" she raised a skeptic eyebrow at him. She looked at the clean bedding and she could smell the various cleaning products in the air.

His heart skipped a beat.

"Uh, y, yeah?" then he collected his thoughts before saying, "I.. felt pretty bad about.. you know.. me not calling you and" she frowned. "I don't know, I thought cleaning would be one thing I could do? I mean it's a poor way of saying sorry, but I know you didn't want me leaving out the house." 

She looked at him solemnly.

_Oh no.. Did I somehow made things worse?_

"About that.." she hung her pants up and putt them back in the closet. "I think I may had been.. maybe a bit too harsh on you." she scratched the back of her neck. "I was angry that you didn't call me.. but you did come back and apologized and I just kept going." she lowered her hand from her neck. "A lot of that was coming from me not feeling well. But I shouldn't had took it out on you." 

_So she's feeling guilty? She shouldn't be.. I'M the one who hasn't been truthful to her.. she still doesn't know I'm a Crystal.Gem!_

"It's okay, Connie. I've been like that too." 

_Today actually.. I was in so much pain I had taken some of that out on Gregory._

She groaned. "That's not the point. That still doesn't make it right."

He smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "It's okay, Connie. Really. It's water under the bridge. Besides, _I_ should've called you to prevent you from worrying about me all last night." 

"Yees, but even after all of that. When we already talked and everything. I was leaving out and all you were trying to do was be thoughtful and ask me if I was okay to go to the bus stop and asking me if I ate. Then you said see you later and I just gave you the cold shoulder." 

_Wow.. she was really thinking about all of that?_

"That wasn't right for me to do that." 

"You were just upset. And you didn't feel well. A lot of us has done that before. But I'm not mad." he finished his last bite of the food. A piece of waffle with chocolate syrup and a small dab of whipped cream on it. "Like I said. It's water. under the bridge."

"I guess.." she grumbled.

And Steven went for bringing the mood back up. "So, how's your new pair of eyes?" 

That got an immediate smile that she tried to hold back. " 'A new pair of eyes'? What am I, some robot?"

"You could be. You've seen those movies, Connie. They look pretty life-like."

Connie shook her head, though he could see the smile on her face. "My eyes are doing one hundred times better." she answered him.

"That's great!" he cheered.

"And it makes everything soooo much easier now." she started picking up her toiletries. 

"Yay for newly improved eyes!" he continued to cheer and he managed to get a chuckle out of her that time. He got up from his seat and folded the paper plate. "By the way Connie. There's some dessert waffle breakfast that I made with the Vecino's." he threw the plate away. "It may not be something that you eat, but I thought I would still save you some." 

"You made breakfast with the Vecinos? You mean when he came here earlier?"

"No. He came here because -uh.. he found Lion. He was bringing him back." _That was close._

"Wow. Right place at the right time." she looked over at Lion who was being good and still laying down in his bed and looking at her.

"Yeah." Steven was washing the fork off. "We made this deluxe breakfast with chocolate syrup, popcorn" Connie scrunched up her face. "whipped cream and strawberries." 

Her face wrinkled up even more in disgust. "Yeah, I think three of those ingredients don't belong. It's hardly even breakfast at that point." 

Steven chuckled. "I had a feeling you were going to say that." he placed the fork in the dish holder. "Just thought I would still ask anyway."

"Yeah.. no thanks." there was still a small smile on her face. She took her underclothes out and placed them on her arm. "I'll eat something else."

He cheesed, showing all teeth. "More for me then." he gave her a kiss on the cheek before sitting back on the bed. 

She walked into the bathroom and closed the door and he got up. He grabbed the laptop and sat down and turned it on.

During the twenty minutes Connie was in the bathroom, he was passing the time watching videos on TubeTube. 

A tune starting to ring out in the room from Connie's cellphone and he ignored it, going back to the video he was watching.

Connie stepped out of the bathroom in her underclothes. "Why do I have a feeling that's my manager calling me." she jogged over to the dresser when the phone stopped ringing. She placed the toiletries back and opened the drawer. She put on a long shirt and grabbed her phone. 

She swiped across the screen and went to her call logs.

And her stomach dipped 

And her face contorted. A look of unease and shock on her face.

Steven paused the video. "Connie are you okay?"

She didn't answer him. Her eyes focused on the name on the screen. 

"Connie, who was that?" 

There was a bubble of anxiety in her gut. A feeling of uncertainty and denial.. Distress.. worry.. nervousness..

Fear..

Steven got up. "Connie, who-"

She turned on her heels to him. Her face a mixture of doubt and worry. 

"Connie-"

"That was my mom." 

His heart jolted in his chest. 

There was a ding from her phone and she looked down at the device. "And.." she swallowed. "she just left a voicemail."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned for Space Race! :)


	173. Something to think about

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Real quick, a nice commenter on here stated they were surprised that Gregory didn't find the cheeseburger backpack. They figured that he would've wanted to keep it if he had found it.
> 
> And I was like OOP!! I COMPLETELY forgot about that cheeseburger backpack! XP
> 
> So yes, long story short, I added that when Lion's ball rolled under the bed, Gregory not only found the envelope with money, but he also found the cheeseburger backpack (also with the last bit of money inside) which he threw out on the floor as well.  
Fast forward to when Steven comes back home and he starts cleaning up, he took the backpack off of Gregory along with the clothed he had on and he took the rest of the money out the bag and placed it with the rest of the money in the envelope and put the money back under the bed.  
Fast forward again when Steven and Gregory are playing with the toys, I added that (off screen) they made him that crown but also that he was now wearing the cheeseburger backpack that Gregory, this time, specifically asked if he could use). And when his father came back to get him Gregory told him that Steven let him keep the bag (again with Steven having told him that off screen) 👍
> 
> ..Would it even be called "off screen" even though this is a fic and not a show? Lol. But y'all know what I mean xD

Steven looked at her. Dread and misery filling his chest as seconds ticked on. "Your... mom?" 

She trailed her eyes back to him from the screen of her phone and nodded once. 

"It's, kind of odd that she called. Especially after all this time."

"There has to be a reason why. Someone got sick? Or, maybe someone died?" Connie wondered. "But even then I still can't see her calling me.." 

"Well it must be something serious for her to had called." the dread continued to fill his chest and spread to his gut. 

She let out a tiny sigh. "I won't know unless I listen to the voicemail." slowly, she went to her Visual Voicemail app and even slower, she clicked play and held the phone up to her ear.

Steven watched as her tensed face changed to something more confused to something of surprised shock to sadness, all within seconds as she listened.

She lowers her phone from her ear-

"What did she say?!" he barely gave her time to speak up.

"She basically said that.. because of what's been happening and I think she's referring to the killings lately.. that she and dad were worrying about me. And they wanted to know if I was alright."

Steven stood there, going over what she said to him. And if he was being honest.. Well, he just couldn't believe it. "So.. she called just for that?"

Connie looked to had taken offense to that. "Yeah? Why did you say it like that? She wanted to know how I was doing. If everything was going well with me."

"I.. I mean, I don't know, Connie, it's just.." he scratched at his hair. "It's been two years since we've heard anything from either one of them and now.. your mom calls because of what's happening?"

"But wouldn't that make sense? We haven't talked and now with so many things happening now, not only in Empire City but throughout the States in general, I can see why she would call now to see if nothing bad has happened to me."

"R, right.. no, you're right.." he sat back down. "I guess it's just.. something out of left field?" Connie walked over to him. "I mean, it's good that she's checking in on you now? But.. ah, I don't know Connie." she sat down next to him and he could smell the shampoo from her damp hair. "I just don't know what to think of her trying to come back into the picture? But.. I mean that's a.. good thing, right? I mean of course it is, she's your mom so.. that's.. always?... a.. good thing? For parents to.. try to come back? Even if they aren't.. the most uh.." then he mumbled out. "heartwarming and nice.." 

The corner of Connie's mouth twitched.

"Or uh.. maybe I, shouldn't had.. said that last part.." he cleared his throat. 

"Steven.. despite of what you may feel towards them, they're still my parents no less."

He sighed. "I knoow, I knooww, Connie. I shouldn't had said that about them. It's.. just.." he trialed off.

There was silence between them.

Connie placed the phone on her lap. And after a breath she let out, she said. "I'm a bit uneasy too." he looked at her. She had a frown on her face. "It's been so long since we've talked and, I'm not sure how it would even go if she starts being in my life again." she looked at him. "in _our_ life." his stomach twisted again. "But, maybe this will be different. She _was_ worried about me and, she _did_ call me. I think I should give her a chance..?" 

He knew she wanted some kind of confirmation from him. Some kind of reassurance or encouragement on his end. 

And....... if that was what she wanted then.. 

He leaned in and wrapped an arm around her side and grabbed her hand gently. ".. Sure? I'm all for uh, reconciling and rekindling and peace." he caressed the side of index finger. "I think you you should give her a call back and.. talk to her." his stomach continued to churn. 

Connie squeezed his hand softly. She brought her thumb up to brush across his finger that was massaging hers. "Yeah. I should." then she said more confidently. "I'm going to give her a call back." she nodded at her idea slowly. "Yeah. I'm going to call her. I need to talk to my mother." and just saying that made her heart skip a beat and her stomach dip. 

"Then, you do that." he said gently. "Maybe it's high time for you two to get close again."

Despite of the fear and anxiety she was feeling, she still really wanted to talk to her mother again. See how her mother and father was doing and to tell them about her life with Steven. 

Connie leaned up from his side and grabbed the phone from her lap with her other hand. She looked at the blackness of her phone screen.

Steven leaned his head over to her. Her phone now showing his reflection on the screen. "So,.. what are you going to say?" 

Connie shrugged. "I'm not entirely sure.. How does one even go about calling a parent back after they've.. more or less been disowned by them.." 

Steven brought her in close and she leaned in and placed her head on his shoulder. He gave her a kiss on the top of her forehead. "You do what you feel comfortable. If you don't know what to say now, then you can always call later." 

She looked at themselves on her phone screen. "Yeah, that's what I was thinking about. I just don't know what to say now and I still have to unpack.. these" _feelings_ "thoughts." she frowned. "I'll just sleep on it and then give them a call tomorrow morning once I've gathered up everything on what to say." 

Steven tried for a reassuring smile that she saw from her screen. "Sounds like a plan." he looked at her through the phone. "I think it'll work out just fine."

She really loved seeing that smile from the boy.

And she felt the corners of her mouth curve upward. "You know.. I have a feeling it will too." 

  
  


Connie had decided to call it in early for the night. Whether it was due to her thinking about her parents or due to her being tired, Steven wasn't quite sure. 

She cooked herself a bit of ground turkey and put it in a sandwich with lettuce and the last bell pepper they had in the fridge and ate that for dinner before getting her clothes out and then sitting up in bed for some time to let her stomach digest the food. 

Steven was laying down on his side. His face against the pillow and nearing sleep.

Connie had joined him after some time and slid herself down, laying down next to him. "Alright, I'm heading to bed." 

He leaned over and gave her a kiss. "Goodnight." he gave her another kiss. 

"Night Steven." there was just a tinge of worry in her eyes as she looked at the scars on his face.

"What?" he said softly. He tried to keep the smile on his face.

"Nothing.." then she raised her hand to the back of his head and said what was on her mind. "Things are always happening to you.." 

His smile wavered. "But.. I'm fine now."

She sighed. "I know but.." she stopped herself and said instead. "Just, get some rest, please." she looked into his eyes. "You really need it. Don't take another extra shift.. It's been two, three days straight since you've been working around the clock. You need your rest and there's no way you can work any extra hours right now in your condition." then she added. "Or work in general, really."

He scooted closer to her. "I'm fine, Connie. I've been putting on that cream and oil on my skin and they're really making a huge difference."

"Right..... Still. you _need_. to take it easy." 

"And I will." he gave her another smile. And slowly, very slowly, she returned it with a tiny, hopeful smile and used the hand she had behind his head to pull him in. She gave him a deep, loving kiss and pulled just slightly away. "Night, Steven." her breath was warm and inviting on his lips. 

"Goodnight, Connie." he leaned in, giving her a deeper, longer kiss before she pulled away. He could see a slight blush on her face as she leaned away. "..See you in the morning." she whispered. She turned over and turned the light off in her nightstand.

"Uh, see ya then?" he said back to her with a wry smile.

She laid down, now facing away from him and he scooted closer to her, getting into the same, nice, spooning position he would always go to. He wrapped his arm around her waist. "Night, Connie." he said again.

"Goodnight, Steven." 

He laid his head right behind hers. Getting the scent of her shampoo again. And that relaxed him. He was actually home. He was able to make it out alive once more and was able to see his Connie again even though he thought for sure that he was going to die after saving Phi Lo.

But he didn't.

He got to see another day.

And now he was with his Connie and in the comfort of their bed.

He wrapped his arm just slightly tighter, bringing himself closer to her. 

He loved her. And he was so happy to see her again.

And he could only hope that he would see her after his training with Garnet, having that nothing happens and that he doesn't get hurt on a mission that may randomly come up like the one today.

But, only time will tell if he'll get to see her face everyday for a very long time..

There was just so much going on already with his life as a Crystal Gem. 

He tried to shake his head of the negative thoughts.

He needed to start thinking positive, which he'd done before and it'd helped him get through his weeks.

But this time was different.

He was having another one of those.. "gut feelings" again.. Like something huge was going to happen. Something bigger than him just rescuing Phi Lo. 

Despite of everything he'd been told about trying to find Lonny now and about being the only person with the pink diamond essence (apart from Phi Lo only having a little bit in hers) and the secret person to help Mr. Wascoite to take down the Crystal Gem Empire.. and to find a cure for the sick friends and to try and dismantle the Diamond Authority and to get ready for the jewelry heist.. he was still trying to look on the bright side. 

And any other time, thinking positive and looking on the bright side would help ease his mind.

But this time.. he couldn't ease his mind..

That gut feeling felt stronger this time. He couldn't help but feel that something incredibly huge and dangerous was going to happen.. Something much bigger that'll change his life..

And.. why did he somehow felt that Connie may come into play with it..


	174. Space Race

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The words in italics is her parents speaking in Tamil on the voicemail and when she's speaking to her mom on the phone.
> 
> Also, I don't know a DAGGONE thang about building Go Karts. So yeaaaaaaah......

Steven had woken up feeling more refreshed then he thought was possible. Within the last three days he hadn't had any rest apart from him passing out every now and again on the hard ground. But with the cream and the oil having worked their stuff on his skin and with him being with Connie and being in the very comfortable bed, he'd gotten his self a very, veeery nice sleep.

He'd open his eyes to see Connie still in bed and fast asleep. He leaned up slightly to check the clock on the wall. _7:23a.m_. 

Not bad at all.

He'd gotten a little more than nine hours of sleep.

And he was definitely feeling every bit of rest he'd gotten.

He leaned up in bed and stretched. Lion was looking right at him in his little bed. "Good morning Lion." the dog started wagging his tail happily.

"You had a good night's sleep? I did." he reached over to pat the dog on the head. "Man was I completely out." he scratched behind the dog's ear. "I don't even think I got up for a snack." he chuckled as he scratched the dog's ear. Then he realized something and gasped. "And I never took you out last night for your bathroom break!" he checked his phone. The alarm had been dismissed after a few minutes of ringing. He withdrew his hand back and hurried out the bed, looking for any accidents. He sniffed around. He didn't smell anything. Or see anything. 

He looked back at Lion. The dog blinked at him.

"You didn't do anything?!" he was both shocked and relieved at the same time. "Good boy!" he jogged over to the door. "But I won't let you hold it any longer. Let's go." he beckoned him with a hand. 

Lion hopped down from the bed and ran towards him, wagging his tail and Steven's eyes had went back to Connie still in bed. "Oh. Wait here boy." 

He jogged into the kitchen and gave his hands a quick wash before taking out a box of saltine crackers. He took the half of sleeve out of the box and put the box back in the cabinet. Then he took a can of ginger ale out of the fridge and plucked a straw from a straw holder. 

He walked over to her side of the bed and placed the items on the table before going back into the kitchen and grabbing the extra trashcan again and putting a bag in it and going back to the bed. He set the trashcan down.

_Just_ in case the morning sickness would happen this morning as well. 

And.. maybe this will be something that he would have to add to his routine now too?

... all because he didn't pull out..

He ignored those thoughts and brushed her hair back. He kissed her temple and walked back over to the door. "Okay, Lion." he said a bit to sadly. "Let's take you out to use the bathroom." 

The two of them walked down the hall and down the stairs to the main door. Steven opened it and Lion ran out in front of him. The dog running right over to his neighbors, which he didn't expect to see so early in the morning..

Gregory laughed as the dog licked him in the face. "Hey, Lion!" he scratched around the dog's face. Lion panted in front of him. "Ewwww, doggy breath." he giggled. 

"Lion!" Steven jogged over to the boy and his father sitting in the grass. "Sorry about that." he grabbed the dog gently and pulled him away from the boy. 

"It's okay." the boy cheesed. "Lion just wants some affection." he cooed as he reached over and pat the dog.

Steven looked over at his father who was holding a steering wheel in one hand and a few small pieces of gears in the other. "Good morning, Mr. Vecino."

"Good morning Steven. How did ya sleep?"

"I slept great. The best sleep I ever had in awhile actually." 

"That's good." he nodded. "A young man like yourself needs his sleep."

"Like me!" Gregory added.

And how right the guy was. Especially since he'd been derived of sleep for so long.. 

But something had caught Steven's attention. Beside the man was a table filled with various metal bars of all lengths, nuts, bolts, screws, gears, a tape measure, welding equipment, a hacksaw, an engine, a white destruction manual, a box and other tools laying scattered across the surface. In front of his two neighbors was a solid metal floor attached to a set of four wheels. The inside was completely empty and bare, say for the metal bars in the front. The three bars coming together to make a pyramid shapped point and a metal bar on either side of the flooring jutting two inches away from the base and a metal bar in a vertical rectangle between the two bars. Behind the rectangular frame was empty space, apart from the bare flooring. "So.. you're making something this early in the morning?" 

"Weeeeell." Mr. Vecino drawled as he scratched the back of his mullet. "I wouldn't really call this early." Steven must've made a face because the man laughed. "Yeah, Shtu-ball and I get up earlier than this on the weekends-" 

"We wake up early to watch the sunrise and have father son bonding time!" the boy cut in with a cheery shout.

_What?!?! The sunrise?!? Seriously... how wholesome can these two get?! Waking up at what.. four something in the morning to watch the beautiful sunrise and just.. talk and bond and stuff?!_

".. at's right kiddo." Mr. Vecino placed the steering wheel on his lap and ruffled the boy's curls and the boy laughed. "So seven o'clock is nothing to us." he looked back at Steven who was looking both astonished and bewildered. He laughed at the boy's expression. "Yees, everyone seems to be shocked whenever we tell them that that's the time we wake up." 

_Uh.. y, yeah.. Sure. _That's_ the reason why I'm looking like this.._

_NOT because I'm jealo-_

"And to answer your question." the man snapped him out of his thoughts. "We're building a Go Kart for the annual Go Kart race tomorrow."

"It's Space themed this year!!" Gregory shouted. "Last year was fruit and the Go Kart was a banana. And the year before that it was sweets and ice cream and the Kart was an ice cream Cookie Cat and the year before THAT the Kart was bread and I was dressed in yellow as the stick of butter!! And the year before THAT-" his dad placed a hand on his shoulder. "I, heh.. think he gets it, kiddo." the father looked over at Steven. "We're building a rocket-" 

"It was my idea!" 

"Yeeeeah it was." his father smiled. Then he quickly clarified. "Well, not an _actual_ rocket _rocket_, but a Go Kart _shaped_ like one." 

"Yeah, too bad we're not NASA or aliens. Or too bad I wasn't part alien. THEN we could make an ACTUAL rocket!"

His dad pat his shoulder good naturedly. "Heheh, well building Go Karts as humans is just as fun."

"Mmm." he pouted. "But it could be even more fun to actually go into outer space.."

"Weeell, how about we focus on Go Karting instead for now? And we can just imagine flyyyying into the cosmos. That should be fun." 

The boy's pout started to turn up into a smile. "Okay." he cheesed.

Mr. Vecino brought Steven back into the conversation with a "It usually takes us the whole day to get this puppy up and running. So we decided to start right after the sunrise." 

Steven looked at the Go Kart that was essentially just a shell at this point. Just the bare metal framing on wheels.

Gregory saw him looking at their work and asked. "Doesn't this look cool already?" 

"Uh.. yeah?"

_I guess the framing looks cool? And the tires look sturdy. Nothing else I can say though.._

"I can't WAIT until we finish this! It's. going. to look. AMAZING!" he threw his hands up in the air. 

"Yeah." Steven nodded. The boy looked so excited to work on the Go Kart and his dad was in all smiles as well. 

He looked over at the table again and noticed Lion sniffing around the items.

He should take his dog out to do this business. And let his neighbor's focus on their Go Kart.

"Well I don't want to keep you two from working on the Go Kart." he took a step towards Lion who was now sniffing the ground and at the loose pieces of metal bars in the dirt. "I have to take my dog out anyway."

"Oh wait!"

He turned back to Gregory.

"Got any cool tips to make this baby even better?" he cheesed. 

"Oh uh.." he didn't. He never even made one before. "Iiii'm.. afraid not." he shrugged. "I've never made one before." 

"WhaaaAAAT?!?! NEVER MADE ONE?!"

"Oh, Gregory. You have to keep your voice down. We don't want to disturb the others." his dad said in a hushed tone.

"But dad, he's never made one before!" the boy whisper shouted. He turned his attention back to Steven. "You've never made one with your dad!?" 

Steven was caught off guard by the son's inquisitive question. His face dropping to a frown and his expression abash and desolate.

Mr. Vecino caught his expression. He went to intervene. "Uh, Gregory. Not. everyone. builds Go Karts son." 

"But why?!"

"Gregory.. remember what I told you. Not everyone has done the same thing as you." he said gently. "And you haven't done the exact same thing as other people." 

"But even Go Karts?" the boy looked up at him, confused. 

"Even Go Karts."

The boy was completely shocked and at a loss for words. His dad looked up at Steven, giving him an apologetic look. 

".. Yeah I should go.." he told the two and the man looked more guilty as Steven took a couple more steps back.

"Wait!"

Steven hesitated before turning back around. 

The boy was staring at him with a huge smile on his face. "You should help build the Go Kart with us!!"

He grimaced. "I.. well I don't know.."

"You should!" he cheered. "You've never made one and we can use an extra pair of hands!" 

Steven was still stuck on the whole question of him not doing this with his dad that never even wanted him.. Not to mention the whole 'sunrise' thing..

"I.. think I might pass on that-"

"Aw, come on! Come on!" he cheesed. "It'll be SO much fun!"

"Hey.. Gregory." his dad went to intervene again. "You can't force anyone to do things they don't want to do." he gave the kid a reassuring smile. "He's busy today. But hey, you can still work with your old man and we can show this puppy around the city when we're done. And you can even show it to Mignonne." 

The boy frowned. "Nyeah.. I guess.." he looked up at his dad. "But it would've been so cool if he could've joined." 

"Weell, son.. He's just busy today." he said softly. "You can't be upset about that."

The boy pouted.

Mr. Vecino gave him another apologetic look. 

Steven just returned the look with a head tilt and an awkward, sad smile before turning to Lion who was walking towards the Go Kart. "Come on. Let's go, Lion."

Lion ignored him and walked closer to the Go Kart. He started sniffing it. 

"Hey Lion. Don't you think he should come and help us out with the Go Kart?" 

Lion looked at him and back at the Kart. He licked the metal bar on the side and turned back to him, wagging his tail. The boy perked up with a gasp. "I think that's a yes!"

"Weeell.." his father started "I don't think it quite works like that.."

Lion looked at Steven. He dropped his mouth and lolled out his tongue.

_Really Lion.._

"He wants you to stay!" Gregory cheered again.

_..._

_.........._

Should he really give in and do this..

It wasn't like he _didn't_ want to do this in the first place. He'd just been taken aback from the whole sunrise speech and the question.. But the thought just stung him mentally. Despite of it, within the layers of his feelings and his thoughts.. he couldn't deny that he actually wanted to try this new experience out. 

".. an't do this to people." Mr. Vecino said gently. "It's not very nice." 

"Uh-" they looked at Steven as he shifted from one leg to the other. "I, guess I'll join?"

"YeaaAAHHH?!?!" , "Oh, Steven. We're not trying to pressure you into doing this." 

"No, it's okay. I'm not being pressured." he tried giving them a small smile. "I.. think it would be pretty nice to learn how to built a Go Kart." then he added to brighten the mood up. "Maybe I could even build one for Lion and I one day." 

The dad let out a genuine dad chuckle and Gregory agreed with him with a "Whooooo!!!" and a "This is great! I hereby declare this Go Kart as Vecino and-" he looked at Steven. "What's your last name?" 

"I go by Universe."

Not his real last name and he figured Mr. Vecino knew that from his _actual_ last name printed on the mailbox downstairs. But if it wasn't anything relating to official paperwork, he didn't want anything to do with being a 'Demayo'.

".. clare this Go Kart as Vecino and Universe's Space Travel Go Kart!!" he scooted up to the metal frame of the kart. "Come on guys! Let's get started!!"

"Yeah, let me just.. take Lion to the side. I'll be back." 

"Okay!" Gregory picked up a gear from the ground and twisted it around in his fingers as he studied it. 

"Come on, Lion." the dog followed him and the two walked to the side of the apartment. 

Just a few minutes later they were coming back to the front. He saw a thick black cushion with a back attached to it beside them, despite them not having anything to sit on themselves. 

"We thought you could use something to sit on so you won't dirty up your pajama pants." Gregory pointed at his striped blue pants. "So we gave you the Go Kart's seat."

"Oh, thanks." he sat down on the cushion _slowly_ to not agitate the cuts on him. "But I wouldn't had minded. I could just wash them afterwards." especially since everyone else was all on the ground and getting dirt on their clothes. He didn't want to be an outlier. "So uh.. what are we doing now?"

Mr. Vecino picked up the steering wheel from his lap. "We're going to be hooking up the steering to the frame. We're going to weld an upper steering blocks" he got up and picked up the pieces from the table and then pointed to the frame of the kart. "to the top of the kart's steering post." he then picked up more black, alloy pieces from the table. "Then we're going to weld the lower steering blocks to the front of the frame." 

Steven sat there as he listened to the plan. Following along as the man laid the pieces on the flooring of the kart. "..screw the steering wheel to the steering shaft and then thread the shaft assembly through the upper and lower blocks. Then we'll just bolt a pair of spherical rod ends to the steering arm at the bottom of the shaft by using nylock nuts and-" 

He didn't understand most of what Mr. Vecino was saying, but he was hoping he would go over it once again. Or he would give him something beginner-esque to do.. Or both.

"I want to be the one to weld the lower steering block to the front of the frame!!" Gregory exclaimed. He picked up his face shield from off the ground.

"Sure." he gave his son a thumbs up. He dropped the pieces into the boy's hands and glanced over at Steven. "You can choose which one you want to do."

"Oh, well uh.." he looked at the steering wheel in his hand and the steering blocks in the other. Then at the Go Kart. "I'm not quite sure actually.. I don't want to mess anything up." then he admitted. "I'm still a bit lost on this."

Mr. Vecino smiled brightly. "Ah, that's okay. We'll just go over it together." he reassured him. "Hey, if you want, we can go over both. Starting with the steering blocks." 

Steven saw him pick up the blocks from the floor and raised his arm out towards him. Steven held out his hands and he placed the blocks in them. Then Mr. Vecino picked up his mask and handed it to Steven. "Safety first." Steven grabbed it. "I hope I'm not taking your last one." 

"Neg, we a few extra ones in the box." 

"Now I'll get the welder and Shtu-ball and I can show you how to weld the pieces together." he leaned back up and picked up the two portable plastic welders. He gave one to Gregory and the other to Steven. He sat back down on the ground beside him. "Okay, Steven." he couldn't deny how.. genuine and father-like he said his name. Though he quickly dismissed the thought to pay attention to his lesson. "Now, first. One must know what a welding machine does." and his time was very professional. "One must._become_ the machine. Be one with it, in order to properly work with the machines themselves." There was a pause. Then he gave him a minute nod before breaking out of his serious tone. "Yeah, welding machines are pretty rad. They regulate electrical output as a constant current or a constant voltage. Sometimes welders use a filler to hold the welding materials together so that the fusion of materials can take place. Gas, electricity, energy, just to name a few can-" the guy was definitely thorough with his lesson, but he appreciated him going over every detail. He already felt like he was learning a lot from him.

".. and you can do that with this button right here." he gestured at the side button of the welder he was holding. 

Gregory was already at it. Welding the steering blocks to the front of the frame and in all smiles with the face shield over his face. His dad looked at him then back at Steven and jammed a finger at him. "This kid's a natural." he smirked. 

Steven watched the kid look at the blocks and the frame intently. His hands precise and strategic with their movements. And the boy quiet. He was like a different person, so engrossed into what he was doing. 

"We're going to do exactly what he's doing, except we're going to do the bottom of the frame. Just press the gray button." and Steven pressed it to turn it on. The machine vibrated lightly in his hand. "Great. And we're going to put one of the blocks at the base of the frame." Steven put one of the steering blocks between his fingertips as he kept the other one held down in his palm. "Flip it the other way, no, the-yeah, like that. And we're going to put that on the bottom of the brace there-yeah! Just like that. And we're going to weld around the edges of it slowly." Steven held the machine as careful as he could as he brought it down to the steering block. "Hey, Gregory! Why, I think we may just have another natural one our hands!" he smiled. 

The boy stopped his welding and looked at Steven welding his part of the frame. "I think he is!" 

Now, they could've been saying that to make him feel good. A bit of motivation and compliments to fill his head up.

But that sure didn't keep the genuine smile from coming to his face.

  
  


Steven had been enjoying his time with the Vecinos and learning the found fundamentals of Go Karting. He was also learning about welding (and also had stumbled upon talking about soldering) and learning about gears, nuts and bolts and the equipment that uses them amongst other informative information pertaining to tools. 

And he was genuinely having a good time with them. He was slowly starting to realize that they weren't _as_ annoying as he always thought they were when he and Connie had first moved in. 

Buuuut they were still just as talkative and just as corny. (And okay, maybe just a _smidge_ annoying).

But overall, he was enjoying their company and simply laughing and talking to them about cars (in which he learned that Gregory loves his dad's old Dondai that was held at their aunt and uncle's farm for when he gets older and that Mr. Vecino liked his Winnebago van (that Steven had apologized again for having his van get messed up and Mr. Vecino quickly dismissing it with a smile) and they learned that Steven liked sports cars. They also talked about sports and Steven had learned that all three of them both liked baseball and that they were both really bad at soccer. And the rest of their conversations had went on smoothly as they went to topic to topic. 

They'd welded the steering blocks to the frames and all three of them had put in the engine in the back. 

Now, they were about to do the cables. 

And Steven was excited about something ng something else new.

Though he would've been more excited and happy if he wasn't in pain that had started about an hour and a half after he started working on the Go Kart with them.

He grabbed one of the cables from Mr. Vecino and sat back down on the cushion. And winced. The cuts between his legs sending pain throughout his groin and to his stomach. 

"Ooo, you okay there?" Mr. Vecino asked.

Steven blew out a breath. "Just.. in a bit of pain from the cuts." he mumbled. 

"Do you want to take a break? Gregory and I can handle the cables while you relax for a bit." 

"No, no. That's okay. I'll just put some more cream and oil on my skin."

"Cream and oil?" Gregory asked. He grabbed two cables from the pile. 

"Yeah, the uh." he stopped himself. 

Should he really tell them about the Gems and their more or less super powered medicine that not even doctors have? 

He might as well..

They already knew he was a Crystal Gem.

And telling them this information wouldn't change much.

"It's this cream that the Gems have that you put on cuts and wounds to disinfect and heal them. And they have this oil that you put on your muscles if they're sore. They also have this stuff you put in the water to soak in for you muscles. This stuff is really fast and effective too."

"..And it's from the Gems?" Mr. Vecino looked uneasy.

"Y, yeah. It's this stuff they made for us for when we get injured. And, that's what we use."

Mr. Vecino was about to say something before Gregory spoke up and said. "Whoa.. your own personal Crystal Gem stuff."

Steven shrugged. "Yeah. But I just wished that everyone else knew about it. This stuff could really help people."

Mr. Vecino nodded. He had a knowing look on his face. "Right. It would be nice to have that kind of stuff too. But. his eyes were gentle and his face was calm and at peace. "maybe one day we'll have something similar to that." _Yeah I _really_ doubt it.. This stuff is pretty advanced._

Steven gave him a nod. "Yeah. Maybe." and he gave him a fake smile before setting the cable down. "I'll be right back to finish that cable." 

"Okay." Mr. Vecino started hooking up one of the cables to the engine.

"Be back Lion." the dog had been laying on the ground, being a good boy and watching them work on the Go Kart.

He walked inside the main door and up the stairs and down the hall to the door. He unlocked it and walked in. 

He could still smell the citrus and detergent in the room~

Connie was coming out of the bathroom.

"Are you okay?" his mind quickly went to her morning sickness.

"Huh? Oh, yeah." she quickly reassured him. "I just went to the bathroom." she walked over to the closet.

_Phew.. that's a relief.._

"Where were you anyway? I thought you were at work." she opened the closet door and took out her shirt and her pair of pants.

"I was outside working on this Go Kart with Mr. Vecino and his son." 

"Really?" she raised an eyebrow at him. Though it was the beautiful smile that really grabbed his heart. "You're building a Go Kart with the Vecinos?" she placed the clothes on the bed. 

"Yeah. I bumped into them again when I was taking Lion out for a bathroom break. And the kid asked me so." he shrugged. "I figured.. why not?" 

Connie laughed. "Wow. I can't believe you said yes. I thought they were "sooo annoying"." 

"Oh, well. They are. Just uh.. not. _as_ much as I thought." 

"Mmmhmm." she had a sly smile on her face.

He mocked ignored her, though a smile was on his face.

He heard her snort. "Fine. That's what you say." she took her shirt off. "I just think they're finally rubbing off on you."

"All I'm doing is helping them with the Go Kart." he tried brushing it off casually. "That's it. It's, just something to do."

"Heh." she kept the sly look on her face. She took her pants off and threw them on the bed and grabbed her work shirt.

Steven leaned on the counter and was about to say something and he leaned back up. The edge of the counter having went into a few of his wounds on his back. 

And he was thankful Connie didn't see that. The girl too busy putting on her work pants.

He ignored his skin burning and aching behind him. Everywhere on him actually. 

"So. Going to work I see." he changed the subject to stating the obvious.

Connie buttoned up her pants. "Yeah. I have a twelve o'clock shift today." she tucked her shirt into her pants. "I get off at eight." 

"Wow. That's pretty late for you."

"It is." she folded the clothes on the bed and tucked them underneath of the pillow. "But I'm off tomorrow. So I don't mind." 

"Glad to see that you can relax after today."

"Right." she walked over to the dresser. "But what about you? Do you work tomorrow?"

_Tomorrow is the next Together Breakfast.. so I won't even know if we have a mission tomorrow or not._

_And even_ then_ that could change since Peridot can easily call us for another random mission.._

"I won't know until tomorrow when I see my schedule."

"Hopefully you don't." she picked up her brush and started brushing her hair. "You still need your rest. Not to mention your skin still has a lot of healing to do."

"Right. And maybe I don't have to work tomorrow." he walked over to her as she brushed her dark brown hair over her shoulder. "Then you and I can hang out and relax together in the house." he wrapped his arms around her from behind (and quickly remembering about the cuts on his body but ignoring the pain) and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

And she smiled as he brought his lips up to her temple. She scoffed good naturedly. "Hooopefully we can. But more importantly _you_ need your break from work)." she put her brush down and looked at him in the mirror. Her smile faltered slightly as she got a better look at the cuts in his face and arms. "How's your skin by the way?" 

He looked at her face, now looking a bit concerned. He held her closer in the hug and gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "My skin feels fine." he lied. "I was just coming back up here to put some more stuff on it." 

She was quiet for a few moments as she looked at the deep wounds on his face. "Do you need me to put the cream on you? My stomach isn't acting up today." 

He nuzzled his sore face on her neck as he squeezed her gently as he hugged her body. "No, I'm fine." he reassured her. Then he loosened his arms around her as he looked back up from her neck. He smiled at her in the mirror and was afraid that the gesture didn't quite reach his eyes. "I'll do it myself. Besides, I wouldn't want the cream to start making you nauseous." he gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "Yeah.." she said softly." 

He gave her one more kiss, slightly longer on her cheek and he slid his arms off of her. "I won't keep you. I'll let you get ready for work."

"Okay." and as she watched him as he walked towards the bathroom, she said. "And thanks for the ginger ale and the crackers. I drunk the soda and I ate the crackers with some soup." there was a small smile on her face. "That was very thoughtful of you."

She chortled at the smug look he gave her. "Well thoughtful_ is_ my middle name."

"Oh? I thought it was Quartz."

"Ah.... well, that too." he cheesed.

Connie gave him a playful eye roll and went back to the mirror and Steven, still cheesing, walked into the kitchen. He took out two plastic bags and walked to the bathroom.

Connie raked her fingers through her hair before stopping to give everything a look over.

Everything looked in order.

Except for the cell phone she kept eyeing on the dresser..

She still had yet to call her mom back. She hadn't even thought of what to say to her.

What _would_ she even say?

How would she even start the conversation?

A bit reluctantly, she picked up the phone. She unlocked it and sat down at the foot of their bed and went to her call logs.

She looked at her screen and looked at the name _Mom_ under her missed calls.

She sat there as she tried calming her racing heart. She was already feeling anxious and uneasy.. not knieing how it would all go.. 

She hovered her thumb over her name..

Only to exit out the call logs altogether and go back to her visual voicemail app. Wanting to listen to the audio again to, in some way, ease her nerves and to possibly think of a rebuttal. 

She clicked on the voicemail and brought the phone up to her ear.

The audio was quiet until it reached the ten second mark-

_"Hello.. Connie."_

Her stomach twisted in her chest at her mother's voice. It was so surreal and so shocking and unnerving.. yet she was feeling a bit hopeful underneath the barrier of fear and nervousness. 

The voicemail quiet as if hesitating.

_"This is your mom."_

Perhaps her mother was nervous as well, stating the obvious. Or at least to Connie, it was obvious. Of course she would be able to recognize her own mother's voice. 

_"I, hope that all is well with you."_ then she added. _"Both your dad and I are hoping that this voicemail sees you well."_

More silence then a nervous _"Hello.. Connie." _ from her dad. 

Then silence.

Before a _"We.."_ then she changed it up. _"Well..with what has been going on lately. And.. we have decided to give you a call. Just, to make sure how everything is with you and if you're.. well. And, if you're still.." _ she cut herself off. _"If you're doing well for yourself. It has been quite some time and, we just wanted to give you a quick call." _

The voicemail had went on in silence and the first time when she'd listened to it last night with Steven there with her, she just paused the audio. But this time, she let it play out. 

Thirty seconds passed..

And there was a soft. _We love you, Connie."_ from her mom. Then a _"And we miss you."_ from her dad. _"I know you may find this call sudden."_ her mother said stiffly. _"and.. maybe even jarring to say the least, but" _ there was a breath on the other end and her mother whispered. _"we never stopped thinking about you. And there was never a day where we didn't think about you or worry about your well being." _ there was a pause. _"We hope that you are doing well, Connie." _ the voicemail went on and she thought she would hear something else from her parents, then the voicemail ended.

With her listening to the end.. now sadness and, somehow guilt was filling into her gut and mixing with the fear and worry. 

But.. she would have to try and bypass those emotions and focus on what her parents had said.

They loved her. And they missed her. 

And they were always worrying about her and they're hoping that she's still alive and well.

She exited off the app and without thinking twice or so much as pausing, she clicked on her call logs and quickly clicked on her mother's name and called out.

She held the phone up to her ear as her stomach bubbled. She grabbed it with her other hand.

The phone rung out another few times.

And she was trying to formulate a sentence in anticipation that her mother would answer.

The phone rung out..

Unless.. of course her mother was at work? 

All of this time, her mother's schedule could've easily changed multiple times within the past two years.. Especially with being a doctor..

The phone rung out..

Maybe she was busy-

The ringing stopped abruptly as someone answered. 

Silence.

Connie slid her fingers back, grabbing her stomach just slightly more. "... Hello?" then she hesitated before saying in Tamil _"Mom?"_

_"Connie.."_ and her heart started racing more in her chest. 

There was such tense, thick silence over the phone. The two not knowing what to say, despite of the both of them pondering over what to say to the other. 

_"How are you, Connie?"_

It was so surreal and dreamlike to actually hear her mother over the phone.

_"I'm.. doing well."_ she paused.

_"That's great to hear, swe-"_ she cut herself off though Connie had already caught it. Her mother cutting herself off from using a term of endearment.

She felt a bit hurt but realized her mother probably figured using a pet name would be distasteful during their first talk in years.

_"How are you and dad?"_ her voice was so quiet and shy. 

_"He and I are doing well."_ then she added softly. _"He just left the house for work a few minutes before you called." _

_"O, oh.."_ she wanted to add more, but she was still at a lost for words and trying to figure out what to say. _"Sorry I missed him.."_

_"That's okay. I'll tell him that you called."_ her voice sounded light at the end.

Silence came back between them once more.

..Now what is she going to say? What is her mother going to say? How was this conversation even going to hold?-

Her mother cleared her throat lightly. _"Speaking of your dad. He and I were both wondering how you were doing. We've been watching the news lately. There have been killings for the past month, mainly in your city.. That's, if you still live there.. Then there was a lady that was terribly ill that was found in North Carolina and then there was the recent activity with the Crystal Gems fighting their own along with the woman just off the skirts of your city."_

She remembered seeing that over the news on her phone yesterday. And her coworkers were talking about it as well. She was going to talk about it with Steven after apologizing for how she treated him that morning, but with his jokes and him changing the topic it had slipped her mind. Then she took her shower and her mom called and that was all she could think about.

_"Yes.. I've been keeping track of that too."_ then she quickly tried to reassure her mother. _"But I've been fine. And I've been trying to be as safe as possible in the city." _

_"That's good. I'm glad that you are." _

Silence..

Before her mother spoke back up to ask something that'd been in her mind for years since her daughter left. And something that'd came to her mind, along with worrying about her daughter's well being, from the moment she saw Connie's name on her phone.

_"So you are doing well in Empire City."_ she stated, though it sounded more of a question as she tried focusing on what she truly wanted to ask. _"And.. you've been doing well on your own or I assume with your neighbors? Living in a big city such as Empire is not the easiest."_

Connie knew what her mother was getting at. It was obvious she wanted to address the elephant in the room. 

The elephant that she'd met a little over three years ago.. The elephant that her parents said would have such a bad influence on her.. The elephant that'd been bumping heads with her parents since the moment she introduced him to them..

The elephant whose name started with an S.. and ended in 'teven'..

_"It hasn't been that bad. The neighbors here are nice and very helpful."_

_"Good."_

She could practically sense her mother picking at her own brain. Just waiting for Connie to either drop a huge weight on her and talk about Steven.. or make her happy and relived by saying that they weren't together anymore.

She might as well come out and say it.

_"Yeah, they really are." _ she tried saying casually. _"They've been a huge help and they've been really kind to Steven and I." _

She thought she heard a sound mixed between a choked gasp and a grunt. Though it was so quick and subtle, she wasn't sure if it was from outside, from the hallway outside their door or from the background noise wherever her mother was.

Silence..

Silence..

_"Hello?_

_".. I'm still here."_ her mother answers her. And her voice sounded tense.

Silence..

And Connie knew her mother was upset to hear that name. To know that she was still with him..

_"So.. you two seem to be living.. ok. with.. each. other." _

She wasn't so sure how to make of that..

_"Y, yeah. He's been-"_

She heard the bathroom door open and she returned around to see Steven walking out. He looked at her. Then raised an eye brow. He mouthed out. 'Your mom?' 

_"He's been great."_ she nodded silently at him and he looked uneasy, but quickly changed his expression to something of encouragement with his apologetic and gentle look. He gave her a nod and a thumbs up. 

_"Mhm.. I see."_

Steven kissed her forehead and whispered. "Everything will be okay." and with a smile that didn't reach his eyes, he gave her another nod and turned away to leave back out.

_"Yeah.."_ she watched as he opened the door. He looked back one last time to her and noticed that she was staring at him. The nervousness was coming back to his face. 

She quickly waved him off and tried to force out a smile. She raised her hands up, giving him a thumbs up. 

He didn't seem to be completely convinced, but he nodded and walked back out the door, leaving her to her privacy and closed the door behind him. 

_"At least you two are doing well. with each.other. And everything. is going. well.." _

Her mother was trying. And she could feel the dread from her mother seeping through the cellphone.

_"Yes."_ and she added for good measure and to put Steven in a better light to ease her mother's worry. Even if it was just a bit. _"He's really changed over the years. He has a better job now and, he and I are living on the good side of Empire City."_ it wasn't much to add actually, now that she thought about it. Steven was already a great guy, despite of his outbursts either angry or self loathing here and there that he used to have. But her mother didn't believe he was any good for her daughter at all. 

_"He has?"_ and how she said it, she sounded surprised. But relieved. 

_"Yeah. Everything has been going great with us." _

_"I.."_ she stopped herself. Of course she couldn't believe it. But perhaps she shouldn't say it aloud. _"That's good to know."_

_"Yeah.. it is.." _

Silence..

Then a,_ "What about you and dad? When I called, I didn't know if you were at work or not." _

_"Yeeess, my schedule has certainly changed throughout the years and it has been changed again just two weeks ago. I'm now working the graveyard shift until further notice." _

Connie checked the time on the wall. _9:34a.m_

Wait.. had she.. woken up her mother? 

_"Sorry! Did I wake you up? In hindsight.. maybe I should've sent you a text instead of calling."_

_"No, that's fine Connie. You don't have to worry about that." _ and a beat later. _"And your dad still has his security job and his schedule has been as up and down as mine have."_

_"He's still working for Prose&SimplipointTDA?"_

Her mother scoffed. _"You know he is. That man is stubborn enough to stick with that company. Claims it's "the best"."_ she scoffed again. _"I guess that's the reason why they haven't given him a raise in five years and they don't even cover his dental." _

Connie snorted.

Glad to see that he's still with the job that he likes but her mother _doesn't_ like. At least _that_ hadn't changed. 

_"I mean, really? Who does that! WHO would stay in a company like that? They just changed their uniform and wouldn't you know it? It had to come out of his paycheck! His PAYCHECK, Connie! It wasn't even free!" _

Connie couldn't help but laugh at how animated her mom was. 

She really. _really_ didn't like that job.

And despite if it all, even after sixteen years and counting, he was still with the company to her mother's dismay.

_"One of these days he needs to realize how horrible that company is."_

Connie doubted it. He'd been at the job for all this time.

_"Maybe."_ she chuckled with a genuine smile on her face.

She and her mother, after her mother gave her few cents more about the company, they started talking about other topics; her mother getting promoted and getting a raise, her father now having a bit of back problems, her mother then asking if she was being healthy and eating healthy and exercising (in which she said yes) and then talking about Connie getting a job and how she was thinking about saving up for a car. 

It had been uneasy and just a bit terrifying to say the least, to talk to her mother at first. But as the conversation went on, their talk became more fluid and natural. 

It was like old times.

Connie was chuckling at her mom being animated once more as she was telling her daughter that she had to take back a car that her dad had brought. It was clearly a piece of junk and he didn't agree. But after the car fell apart piece by piece, they had no choice but to take it to the junkyard and get it crushed into scrap metal and getting _scrap_ money for it.

_"Just be careful when looking for cars. Especially if you're not going to a dealership. Auctions and cars parked at gas stations are very, very shady." _

Connie chuckled. _"Yes, mom."_

That had came out more natural then before. As if she'd been saying that for the last two years.

It was really nice talking to her. And as they continued to talk, she realized just how much she truly missed her parents and that she wanted the conversation to be longer.

And in the back of her mind.. how much she wanted to see them again and give them their hugs.

Her mother sighed as their conversation reached a lull. But a very relaxing, peaceful lull as they enjoyed each other's presence over the phone. 

_"I'm so glad that you called me back, Connie."_

That struck her. And she felt the tears coming to the fore.

_"Of course." _ she felt the tears on the bottom of her eyelids. _"You're.. my mom. Of course I'll call back to talk to you."_

She thought she heard a quiet sound of a sniffle on the other end. But otherwise, silence.

_"I missed you too, mom."_ a tear slid down her face.

  
  


Steven had hooked up the cable to the Go Kart with Mr. Vecinos help.

They were really getting everything together and the kart was really coming along.

"Just look at this beauty!" Gregory cheered. "It looks even better then our other Go Karts! And can you believe it?! We're already almost done with the hard stuff!" 

Mr. Vecino wiped the sweat off his forehead with a rag. He placed it on his lap. "That makes sense. We have an extra person on our team." he gestured at Steven with a smile. "AND he's really good at it."

"Ah, well." he shrugged. "I'm just following what you're telling me." 

"And you're doing great at that. Just keep it up." he encouraged him.

Gregory got up and hopped over to the table. He searched around the items. "Dad, I can't find the-oh, never mind." he picked up a gear and hopped back to his spot. 

"Oh, that reminds me." said Steven. 

He couldn't believe he'd forgotten about it so quickly. 

He took out the two plastic bags. "I thought I would give you some of the cream and oil I was telling you two about." he waved the bag with thick dark green paste in it. "This is for healing wounds." and he held up the second bag with the watery, clear oil. "And this is for aches and pains." 

"That was nice of you." said Mr. Vecino. He turned to his son who was in awe. "What do you say, Gregory?" 

"Cool!" he dropped the gear and the wrench and grabbed the two bags from him and looked at the bags in his hands. "Real life Gem stuff.." he looked up at Steven in all smiles. "Thanks!" 

"It's no problem. I figured you could need it."

"Hey, dad! Can I put some on my leg right now?!"he waved the paste in front of him.

"Sure, I don't see why not." his son opened the plastic bag. "Though you might want to clean your hands off before you-" Gregory quickly wiped his hands off on his shirt and stuck his hand into the bag. "I.. guess that works too."

_Yeah.. Connie would've said otherwise._

Gregory pulled his pant leg up, revealing his staples from his shin and crossing diagonally to his ankle. He placed the cream in his leg and shouted. 

"Oh, sorry. I should've told you that it stings a bit." said Steven. 

Gregory pouted sadly.

The main door of the apartment opened and they turned around to see Connie walking out.

"I'll be right back." he told them and got up from the comfortable cushion. 

"Teehee, mwah mwah, mwaaah." he heard Gregory behind him then his dad saying his name, scolding him lightly. He ignored the two and jogged up to the pavement. "Hey, Connie."

"Hey." she held up his cell phone. "Since I'm leaving out and you'll be out here, I think you should keep your phone on you, just in case."

"Oh, right." he looked at her red eyes. "Uh, t, thanks.." he put the phone in his pocket. "Is.. everything.. Did something happen?"

"N, no, I just.. we just caught up on things, that's all." and he saw a smile coming to her face. A wan, appreciative smile. "Everything went well. Don't worry."

And this time he felt like he could believe her. He was convinced of it, unlike earlier how she was looking.. but now she'd looked better. More relaxed. And happy. 

And that brought a small smile to his face. "See, I knew you had nothing to worry about." 

"Suuure you did."

"I did." he smirked.

Connie took a step away from him. "Whaaatever." and he followed her. 

"Do you need me to walk you to the bus stop?"

She waved behind him. "Good morning Mr. Vecino. Good morning, Gregory." 

"Good morning." Mr. Vecino waved back and his son stopped putting the cream on his leg and started making kissy faces at them.

"No, I'm fine. You can continue building the Go Kart with them."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. It's just a few blocks and I don't want to keep you from your fun." 

"I mean.. fuuuuuun? It's-" he saw the face she gave him. He pouted with a playful eye roll. "Okay." he said. 

"I'll see you later." 

"See you later, Connie." he gave her a hug and a kiss.

"Eeeuuuuuu, kissing agaiiiin." 

Steven leaned up from her lips.

"Gregory.." his father whispered.

Connie chuckled at the blush on Steven's cheeks. "Okay. Let me get going." she gave him a quick peck on the cheek and started walking away. 

He watched her as she walked down the side walk and crossed the street to the other side.

He walked back to the two and sat back down.

Gregory was still making kissy faces at him.

'Ah, Gregory.. please.." his father said gently.

"So.." Steven ignored the boy and the blush he felt on his cheeks. "What are we doing now?" 

"We're going to put more gears and bolts on the cables and the steering blocks." he picked up a few bolts from the floor of the Go Kart. "You know how to put these in, right?"

"Yup." he grabbed the bolts from the man and picked up the socket wrench.

Gregory was now finally focused on his job as he screwed the socket caps onto the bolts at the base of the cables.

Steven went to the base of the bottom steering blocks and started working on the first block while Mr. Vecino looked back at the engine, making sure they hadn't missed anything. 

Just fifteen minutes later, Mr. Vecino got up after his inspection. "Okay, folks." Steven and his son looked up at him. "I think it's high time we have ourselves a little snack break."

"Lemon bars and lemonade!!!!!!" Gregory cheered.

"Yup! Just like how we usually do it when we're building Go Karts." he looked over at Steven then quickly added. "Unless you wanted something different, I can get something else for you."

He shook his head with a grin. "No, that's fine."

"I'll be right back." Mr. Vecino made his way towards the apartment and Steven went back to screwing the caps to the rest of the cables. 

"We're soooo close to finishing up! Then we'll have the even MORE fun stuff and we can start making the doors and the hood of it! And then we can paint it!!"

Steven finished the last cap on the bolt. "Yeah. And then you and your dad can take this to the annual Go Kart race."

Gregory leaned closer to the kart. "I wonder how smooth it rides now." 

"Uh.." he saw Gregory get inside it and touch around the ignition and the steering wheel. "we might want to wait until we finish the Go Kart first. We still have some pieces to put on it."

"Aw, whaa?? But I ALWAYS do this with my dad."

Steven tilted his head at him. "Remember that talk we had yesterday. Just because you do certain stuff with your dad doesn't mean it's the same for other people."

"I mean......... I remembeeeer.... but this is different, right? I'm not messing up anyone's stuff and all I want to do is drive the Go Kart. Just to" he pointed to the curb across the parking lot. "that curb and back." 

"I still think that's not such a good idea."

"Awww, come ooon. Don't be such a wet carpet." 

"You mean wet blanket." 

"That too!" 

Steven resisted a sigh.

"Come oooooooon~"

Why is he even _thinking_ about giving into this boy's whining..

He should just ignore him. And wait for his father.

"Coome ooooooon.. pleaaaaaaaase~~."

He sighed.

No. 

He wasn't going to give in.

  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


"Now remember, Gregory. If you run into any trouble out there, you can always bail. There's never any shame in bailing from Go Karting." said Steven. The two of them were in the parking lot on one end of the lot facing towards the far end lengthwise.

Gregory nodded. "Advice understood! Thank you, Steven! And now, time to light the engines!" he turned the Go Kart on and Steven lit a sparkler that Gregory had grabbed from the box on the table. He placed it on the back of the kart just behind the cushion they'd thrown in. 

Gregory began driving the Go Kart down the parking lot. "WOOOOOWHOOOOO!!! Vecino and Universe's Space Travel Go Kart, GOOO!!!"

Mr. Vecino was walking back out of the building with a tray in his hands. Three ice cold lemonade glasses, three plates stacked with lemon bars, one water bottle and an empty bowl and a bag of beef jerky laying on top of it. 

Steven was walking up to him. 

Mr. Vecino placed the tray on the near empty table and looked towards the open spot on the dirt. "Where's the Go Kart?" 

"Gregory has it." he pointed at the boy turning back around and going back to the curb he'd just came from. "He wanted to take it out for a little test run." 

"What?!?!" Mr. Vecino shrieked. He grabbed at his hair at the back. "But we didn't install the breaks on it yet!!"

_WHAT?!?!_

"I didn't know!!" Steven and Mr. Vecino ran out into the parking lot.

"AHHHHHH!!!! I can't stop! I can't stop!!" Gregory pressed down on the brakes but the Go Kart kept going.

"NOOOO!!!" his dad shouted. 

The curb was coming up fast towards the by. "No shame!!" he got up on wobbly legs and jumped out the Go Kart falling hard on his side, he cried out, holding his leg. The Go Kart hit the curb and nearly flipped over, the cushion shifting and almost sliding out of it. It landed back down on it's back tires. 

Steven ran up to him. 

Mr. Vecino stopped on his lead-like legs. He watched as Steven knelt down to the boy holding his bad leg. "Please-please-please-please-please!" he saw Steven pick him up and start walking over to him. "Ahhhh..." Mr. Vecino started kneeling on the ground. "Oohhhhh.." he grabbed at his chest. "Ohh, this kid's killing me." he laid down on his side and began cowering. "Ughhhh.."

Gregory had a few tears slide down his face." 

"Hey." he looked up at Steven. "Are you okay?" 

"My leg hurts." he sniveled. 

"Don't worry. We'll just put some of that oil on there." then he thought and added. "And maybe some more of that cream too." 

Gregory placed his head back on his chest as he grabbed at his leg. 

Steven walked over to the man cowering on the ground. 

"Uhh.. you good, pops?" 

He trembled on the ground. "Y..y, y, yeah.. I'm.." he took a shaky breath and whispered with fear in his voice. "I'm.. o, okay.." 

Yeah, he definitely felt guilty now. 

Letting Gregory get hurt AND causing the father to hyperventilate like that. 

"I'm.. just going to set him down on the step." he told his neighbor. 

"Uh, uh huh..s, sure.." he trembled. 

Steven sat Gregory down carefully. "Just stay right there. I'll be right back." 

He walked pass Mr. Vecino who was slowly calming his breath down now and he walked over to the curb. He turned the Go Kart off and began rolling it back to where they were building it. 

He turned it around to face the other way and just as he was about to go back to check on Mr. Vecino, the man was slowly walking back towards him. A spooked expression still on his face.

He leaned back up. "I'm.. really sorry about that Mr. Vecino. I didn't know it didn't have brakes." 

"N, no it's.." he took a breath. "It's okay." 

"But I knew it still wasn't finished and I still let him ride it.." 

He just _haaaad_ to listen to the little twerp's whining.. 

"No, no, really." he held a hand up. "It's fine. It's fine. Shtu-ball is okay now and.. that's all that matters." he walked up on the curb and towards the Go Kart. "Nobody's at fault here." 

_What?! Nooo way. Clearly I'M the one at fault here._

"You two didn't know about the brakes. And, accidents happen. It's okay." he reassured the both of them. "Gregory didn't suffer anything major and I'm just thankful for that." 

Steven frowned, despite of Mr. Vecino seeming to not be bothered by him almost putting his son in danger. The man simply dismissing it, despite of him being incredibly terrified just moments ago.

Steven picked up the two bags from the ground and started walking back up to Gregory. 

"How are you holding up?" Steven asked him.

The boy had rolled up his pant leg to see his staples. Nothing seemed to had been affected in any way. "..It still hurts.." he mumbled. 

Steven opened the bag of cream up. "First we'll put this cream on, just in case your wound got agitated from the fall." he put a bit of the cream on his fingers and started spreading the stuff across his staples. Gregory winced and hooted as he touched his leg. 

Mr. Vecino picked up the tray and walked over to the two. "How are you feeling there, kiddo?" he asked gently. 

"Sore.." he pouted. 

Mr. Vecino leaned the tray towards him. The sad boy grabbed a lemon bar and took a sad bite out of it. He sighed. "This tastes delicious.." he took another sad bite out of the square, then reached over and picked up a cup of lemonade and began drinking from it. He smacked his lips. "This is delicious too.." he dipped the square into the drink and took a bite.

"Are you sure we should be doing this?" Mr. Vecino looked uneasy. "Maybe we should call this one out and-"

"WhaAAAT?!" bits of food flew out of his mouth. 

"Yeah, ..Shtu-ball.. I don't want you getting hurt."

"I'm fine!!" he quickly said. "I'm fine now!!!" 

"Oh.. I don't know-"

"I can just cover my leg up before the race!! Or.. or I can put more of the cream and oil stuff on my leg!!" he pointed at Steven now putting the oil on his leg. "Or both!" 

His dad didn't look convinced.

"Come on dad. Pleeeeease. It was just one little accident. And this time the Go Kart will have doors and I'll have my leg wrapped up." he looked at his dad. "Pleaaaaaaaaaase." 

"I.." he took a breath. "Well.. I guess if I wrap your leg up well-" 

"Yayy!!!" the boy didn't let him finish. 

"But, you're still going to have to be very careful." he said softly. 

"Of course!!" he took a happier bite out of the square and threw the last piece in his mouth. He grabbed another one.

Mr. Vecino handed him the plate and he put it on his lap.

"There. Done." said Steven. He zipped the bag up. 

"Thanks!" said Gregory. "Hey dad! How about an ice cold lemonade and some lemon bars for our hero!" 

Mr. Vecino leaned the tray over to him. 

"Heh. Thanks." Steven grabbed his plate and his cup of lemonade. 

Gregory drunk more of his lemonade and smacked his lips. "Hey dad. What's with the jerky?" he dipped his lemon bar into the drink. 

"It's for Lion." the dog looked over and raised his ears up. "I just thought he could eat something too." Mr. Vecino placed the tray on the stoop and shook the bag. Lion came running over. He opened the bag and poured a small hill of jerky on the ground and Lion went right to it. 

"Thanks Mr. Vecino." said Steven. He took another delicious, lemony bite out of his snack.

"Any time." he untwisted the top from the water bottle and filled the empty bowl up and placed it by Lion. Then he picked up the tray and sat in between the two. He picked up a lemon bar and bite into it. "Mmm, mmm MMM. Makes you wanna do a little dance." he shook his shoulders and Steven and Gregory laughed.

  
  


  
  


Steven, Gregory and Mr. Vecino were working on putting the door on the Go Kart. They'd finished all of the mechanical parts of it, including officially putting in the brakes. Then they'd put in the hood on the front of it. 

Now, the three of them were working diligently and showing Steven how to properly install the door, just like they'd shown him how to install the brakes, the hood and everything else in and on the Go Kart. 

He was laughing with them. Mr. Vecino having said one of his jokes, which Steven _in his mind, not aloud_ referred to them as dad jokes.

"Okay, okay." the man laughed. "How about this one. What kind of shoes do ninjas wear?" 

"Sneakers!" Gregory shouted.

"Aaaaah I already told you that one! Okay, here's another one. How does a penguin built its house?"

Steven and Gregory thought about.

Mr. Vecino chuckled. "Tell me when you two give up." he looked at the door in front of him. "Looks like this is done." he opened the door and moved it back and forth, looking at the hinges from the inside, then the outside. Then he closed it and opened the door again. He nodded his head. "Yup. Done." he closed the door and stood up and his back cracked. "Achk!!" he held his back. "Oooo boy.. I'm getting old." he shuffled away and the two boys laughed. 

Mr. Vecino picked up the door that the three of them had made with a saw and a measuring tape. "So, you two give up yet?" 

The two of them exchanged glances before nodding, now calming down from their laughter.

"Igloos it together! Ha!" he started laughing at his own joke and they followed along in his laughter. The three of them having a good time.

Mr. Vecino made his way back to the Go Kart, chuckling as he sat back down. "Okay." he chortled. "We just have one more door and I still have TONS and TONS of jokes up my sleeves." he looked at his bare, tanned arms. "Well, you know what I mean." 

Steven was calming down from his laughter as he grabbed the hinge, bolts and socket caps for the door and Gregory shouted. "Yay! More jokes!" 

The two walked to the other side and heard a tune that the two of them heard just a couple days ago, playing in Steven's pocket.. 

And dread started filling his gut..

He slid his phone out of his pocket and answered the phone. "Hey Amethyst." he frowned. 

Gregory looked shocked while his dad looked uneasy. 

"Yo. Training day." she said bluntly. "Be at the side in four minutes." 

And his heart skipped a beat.

He'd COMPLETELY forgotten about his training with Garnet! 

But.. what did that have to do with Amethyst? Was she coming with them this time? 

"Okay, Amethyst. I'll-" she hung up. ".. be there.." he lowered his phone from his ear and looked at the two. "Sorry.. but I have to go. I forgot I have my workout routine today with Garnet." it felt weird saying a Crystal Gem's name out loud to someone who wasn't one.

"Awww maaan.." Gregory whined. "But.. but we were going to paint the Go Kart together!!" 

"I know but" he took a step away from them. "But I can't." he looked at his phone. "I'm really, really sorry." he looked to the boy then at Mr. Vecino. "But I only have four minutes to get ready." he took a few steps before running up to the main door of the apartment. "Sorry I can't finish the Go Kart with you two!" he opened the door. "I really enjoyed it!" he ran inside.

"..I wish he could've stayed and finished this with us.." Gregory frowned.

Mr. Vecino sighed. "And I just hope that he would be able to get out of this some day.. " his son looked at his dad's solemn face. "He doesn't deserve to be in that gang.. Nobody does.."

  
  


Steven had thrown his pants off and put the slightly damp Crystal Gem shirt on. Then he went to the closet and put on a very comfortable jogging suit. He put both his and Lion's gadgets in his pockets, just in case Peridot would call them for another mission while he was out training.

He looked at the clock.

He only had one more minute to spare..

He grabbed two protein bars from the pantry shelf and ran back out the house.

_Good thing Connie gave me my phone.. Otherwise I wouldn't had gotten Amethyst's call. _

_And who knows what would've happened if I hadn't answered and in extension, had not met them at the side of the apartment at eleven o'clock.._

He opened the main door of the complex. Mr. Vecino and Gregory were putting in the door. He waved to them and they waved back with.. rather sad expressions on their faces.

"Come on, Lion!" Steven beckoned with his hand and he turned and ran to the side of the apartment.

Lion got up and ran after him.

The Inkas truck was already there and he jogged up, while looking about his surroundings. 

Nothing happened.

Nobody snuck up on him and there were no surprise attacks from anywhere.

He opened the door just as Lion came running up to him. He stepped to the side and Lion hopped in. He climbed in after and closed the door.

The air was still tense. He could already feel it.

"Hello Amethyst. Garnet." 

He immediately noticed Pearl wasn't there.

Garnet ignored him.

And Amethyst ignored him as well. Instead, turning to Garnet. "Take us to where we have to go."

"Yes, Amethyst." she nodded. And she shifted gears and drove out the alleyway.

Steven very.. veery slightly moved his head and cut his eyes as far as he could to the side to see Mr. Vecino looking at the vehicle, then Gregory looking at his father's nervous face and looking to where he was looking. The two watching the Inkas truck pull off, and away from them.

Steven looked down at his hands in his lap. He didn't want Amethyst to see him looking over and he really hoped that she didn't notice when he _was_ looking over there. 

He looked up at the rearview mirror. 

The woman was looking down at her phone.

He slid his self more into the seat. 

Hopefully she didn't see him looking at them.. though he thought for sure she would've said something or had at least given him a glare through the mirror.. But she didn't.

He tried to shift his focus away from his neighbors and _not_ think of them being under the radar if and when she finds out that they're still alive.. 

But who knows.. maybe Amethyst will have the Gems leave them alone?

Like that would happen..

Again, he tried shifting his thoughts away from them. They were okay. Just like Connie.

He tried quickly ignoring the negative thoughts from her as well.

Right now, he should be a bit more optimistic that everything will be alright between the three and that he should focus on the present. In other words: 

Both his neighbors AND Connie were going to be okay and they will never have anything to do with the Crystal Gems.

And now in the present, he was focusing on psyching his mind up for his second day of training with Garnet, in which Amethyst was coming along to join them. All he had to focus on now, was getting ready, most likely, for a training of his lifetime.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm SO glad to finally have her mom come into the fic.


	175. Building up muscle and stamina

The drive was two hours, according to his phone.

Garnet was driving up the hill. The same hill she'd went up before for their training.

Steven looked out the window to stare at the trees and the birds and little critters that dwelled in them.

They were passing by a third waterfall and he saw a few people playing around in it. While some were in lawn chairs and relaxing.

Another ten minutes and they were nearing the area where he and Garnet had trained.

She stopped the car, turned it off and got out. 

Amethyst was still quiet and he wasn't sure if he was allowed to get out of the car or not.

Garnet opened the door for her and she got out the car. 

And rather hesitantly, he opened the door and slid out himself. 

Lion hopped out after him and bolted to a patch of flowers. 

He closed the door behind him as Garnet was walking to the back of the truck.

Amethyst was walking away from him and he, hesitantly again.. started walking very slowly after her, keeping a good distance away from her. 

She stopped at some rocks wedged inside of the dirt and surrounded by a group of trees.

Right where he and Garnet had went to stretch.

The woman in question was walking up to them with a few exercise equipments.

Steven had stopped in front of Amethyst, though she still didn't say anything to him.

As Garnet steadily approached them, he noticed she was wearing an eye patch. 

And he starting feeling a tinge of guilt.. since he was the cause of it..

The woman placed the equipment on the ground.

Amethyst was finally looking at him. A glare to her eyes and her jaw tight. "We're going to do a few stretches." she said bluntly. "After that, I'm going to teach Garnet how to properly train you." 

..Or maybe she just wanted to use that time to torture him even more..

Garnet definitely did a good job of training him the first time, so there was no other reason why she would have to teach her. 

"First. The hamstrings." said Amethyst. She stood with her feet together and facing forward. Then Garnet did the same and Steven followed. She leaned down from the hips and touched her toes, then the ground. And Garnet did the same. 

And Steven went as low as he could..

..and that was nowhere near his feet..

..Would he even be as flexible as them?...

..................

Twenty minutes later and the three of them were sitting down, now going over their last rep of their final stretch. 

From their sitting splits position (or in the _Gems_ case, a splits position.. Steven couldn't stretch his legs out that far) they began leaning to the right. They reached up and grabbed their right foot and held the stance, stretching out their groin and back. They held the position for twenty seconds before leaning back up. 

"Okay." said Amethyst. "We're going to do some circuit training and then a kickboxing cardio workout before we start our training." 

_I've never heard of this.. 'circuit training'.._

_And the cardio workout just _sounds_ like it's going to be hard.._

"We're starting with bicycle kicks." she pushed to her back. "We're doing this for thirty seconds before we go to the next exercise."

Garnet laid on her back Steven laid down on his.

Amethyst placed her hands near the back of her head and picked up her legs and the two followed her every movement. She brought her left leg up as she turned and brought in her right elbow towards her knee. 

She started counting, bringing each leg up one by one swiftly as she brought in alternate elbows towards each knee.

The thirty seconds went by extremely slow and Amethyst, then Garnet rolled over to their hands and feet. "Now push ups." and Steven followed them just in time as they started. 

Amethyst counted as she and Garnet did their push ups, while Steven tried to keep up.. which he quickly realized he couldn't and slowed his push ups down. "Come on, Talc! Keep up!!" he panted, trying to quicken his pace. 

Thirty seconds went by and Amethyst brought herself up and Steven thought she was going to go back down for another push up, but she kept her arms straight. "Now, mountain climbers." she brought her right leg, then her left leg in, running in place as she kept her hands in the ground. And Garnet did the same, then Steven.

Steven was already feeling tired..

"Hey! Knees up! Knees up!"

Steven took in a few breaths as he tried bringing his knees further up.

Thirty seconds went by even slower and Amethyst slid her torso underneath of her in a crouched position. "Punch hops." she said and began throwing each arm out twice and bringing them back in as she bounced in the crouched position, keeping her knees bent as she made short little hops in place.

Steven followed her and Garnet. Feeling himself almost falling and having to keep his balance.

Thirty seconds.. then Amethyst brought her arms back down and pushed her legs back out horizontally. "Burpees." she brought her legs back in and pushed off with her arms into a stand. She jumped up, lifting her arms up and brought them back down and pushed her legs out to a horizontal position again. 

Steven.. panting harder.. followed the two women.

Thirty.. seconds.. later..

And right as Amethyst jumped up, Steven jumped back down into another burpee and she and Garnet began running in place as they spun their arms around each other in front of them. "Shoeshine."

Steven quickly jumped back up and began doing the same.

Thirty dreadful seconds later..... and Amethyst stopped. "Okay, so we're going to do four more reps."

_WHAT?!?!_

She laid her back on the ground and Garnet did the same and Steven, still panting from the first rep, laid down on the ground. "Bicycle kicks." said Amethyst and she brought her arms and legs up.

And Steven panted, trying to keep up with the two.

......................

Amethyst had changed her mind and added in an extra FOUR more reps..

Then they had started their kickboxing cardio workout filled with various punches and kicks. And that lasted for another twenty minutes..

"Last rep!" said Amethyst. She stood up straight and held her arms above her head with her legs shoulder width apart and he and Garnet followed. They started their squats.

They did fifteen of them and dropped their arms and began rolling just their wrists as they hopped in tiny steps in place, mimicking them jumping rope.

Seconds passed by and he heard Amethyst say "Hands up!"

The three of them brought their arms up. 

"One!" 

They threw out one punch with their right hand.

"One, two!" 

They threw out a punch with their right hand, then their left.

"One, two, three!"

They threw out a punch with their right hand, then the left, then brought the right hand forward and across them with their elbow out in a hook.

"One, two, three, four!" 

They threw out a punch with their right hand, then the left, then brought the right hand forward and across them with their elbow out, then brought the next hand out in another punch. 

Amethyst kept moving around on her feet as she threw out her punches. "One, two, three!" they threw out their punches. "One, two!" the followers her. "One, two, three!" another three punches ending in a right hook. "One, two, three four!" 

Steven was exhausted..

"One!" he threw a punch. "One!" he threw another punch. "One, two, one two!" A right punch, then a left, then another right punch that wasn't a hook, then another non-hook punch.

"One, two, one, two, three, four!"

_So.......tired......._

"One, kick!"

They threw a right punch and raised their legs out in a side kick, with Steven bringing his leg up nowhere near as high as theirs.

"Lift your leg up higher, Talc!! One kick!" 

Another punch and he threw his leg up as high as he could with them, which still wasn't nowhere near as high. The Gems throwing their legs up above their heads in a split. And his couldn't even go pass his shoulders..

"One, two, switch kick!" 

He was barely keeping up..

"One, two, three, four!

More punches and a hook.. and then another tired punch from him..

"More power in those throws, Talc! How can you punch ANYONE with that weak right hook!" she shouted, still pushing up on her feet. "Again! One, two, three four!" 

He tried harder..

"Thirty high knees!"

He panted..

He brought his right knee up as he brought his arms, hands together, down. His hands touching his thigh for a split second. He went to his left knee, then back to his right knee, then his left again.

Right after the thirtieth knee up, Amethyst picked up the twenty pound dumbbells and shouted out. "Hands up! One, two, one two!" 

And he picked up the twenty pound dumbbells and went back to his stance with his arms out in front of him. He threw out his punches.

"One, two, three!" 

"One, one, one!"

"One, one, two!"

"One, one, four, one, two!

"One, two, three, four! Switch kick!" 

Exhausted...

"Hands up! Thirty punches! Go! One, two, three, four, five-

He threw out punch after punch.. after punch..

.. after punch..

"Hands up! FIFTY punches! Go!"

He couldn't wait for the last rep to be over..

"Thirty high knees! Then one, two, one, two, kick! One, two, three, four, switch kick!" 

_So..... tired.... and achey.._

"One, two! Duck!" 

He threw out two punches and went for a half squat as he ducked.

"Three, two, switch kick!"

"Thirty front kicks!"

"Fifty front kicks!"

"Talc! Keep your legs up! Higher!" 

"Not high enough! Start over! Fifty front kicks!

He could cry..

He pushed out his leg in front of him, trying to keep it as high as he could for the remaining twenty front kicks..

"Knee up! Kick out!"

He was trying..

"Now left leg! Fifty kicks!"

"One, two, three, four, duck, duck! One! One! Three, two, four! Front kick! Kick! Switch kick! One, one, two one! One, two, three, four, three! Front kick!" 

"Okay, now squat! And parry!"

They lowered their bodies, keeping their hands under their chin. The dumbbells held securely as they moved side to side, side to side as they went in for a squat. Then back up.

"One, two, one two!"

"Twenty straight punches go!"

"Switch kick! Switch kick! Front kick! Kick! Switch kick!"

"Thirty punches!"

"Now push ups! Twenty!"

And this was it.. The push-ups were near the end..

He couldn't wait..

The rep was almost done..

Amethyst jumped back up. "One, two, three four!

"Three, two, two!

"Front kick, front kick! Switch kick!"

"Squats! Parry!

"Duck! Duck! One, two, four!

"Front kick! Switch kick! Duck! One, two, three four, one, two!" 

"And, jump rope!"

And Steven was already, completely out of it..

And panting heavily.

He was trying to calm his breath which seemed near impossible at this point, even with the light hopping they were doing now. 

His heart was beating hard and he just KNEW that vigorous exercise like this definitely wasn't humane or healthy for the heart..

"Now we can get to the real training."

_WHAT?!?!?!_

He'd forgotten that that was just a workout _before_ the actual training..

..................

"You gotta hit the glove harder, Talc!" 

Steven was drenched in sweat. And exhausted. 

He was standing right in front of Garnet. The woman sporting two sparring gloves. She held one in front of her face and the other just slightly below it.

More deep breaths..

And he threw out a punch as hard as he could.

"Harder!!"

"Amethyst.." sweat from his nose dripped down to his lips. "I.. I can't.." he licked the salty sweat off his lips.. "I.." he panted.

She walked up to him. "What did you say to me?" she growled. Her hands held tightly in fists. 

"I.." the words died on his lips as a hand grabbed at his neck. She pulled him in close to her face. "You. do _not_. tell _me_. what you can. and _can't_.do." she hissed. "Now.. you will do as I say.. or _else."_ she looked into his eyes. "You got that?" 

"Y, yes , Amethyst." he choked out. 

She let go of his neck and he dropped to the ground. 

"Now.." she said roughly. "Again." 

..................

Garnet punched him in the chest and he flew back to the ground. The wind was completely knocked out of him.. and he had a feeling she wasn't even using all of her strength..

"You were COMPLETELY open, Talc!!" 

Yeah, like that was it..

He was up against someone who was dangerously strong and who had been doing this for.. well he didn't know how long, but he was pretty sure that it was a long time.

At least when it was just him and Garnet she would actually give him a bit of leadway..

AND she was giving him tips while sparring with him. 

But with Amethyst there and clearly still extremely angry from what had happened just a couple days ago..

He got up slowly.

.. she wasn't going to let him off the hook that easily..

"Again! And THIS time, we're adding kicks in!"

And he hadn't even gotten pass just the punching..

.. and Garnet could definitely throw a mean left hook..

He looked at her gloves as she brought them up. 

And a powerful corkscrew punch.. 

He stepped up to her, his face and chest in pain from her punches. He held his gloves up. 

"Start." 

Steven looked at Garnet. The woman had a plain, unreadable expression on her face. 

Then.. she pulled her arm back-

..........................

Steven was laying on the ground in more pain.

He'd been sparring with Garnet for the longest thirty minutes of his life..

And.. there were just so many punches and kicks.. and jabs and uppercuts thrown at him.. 

His body laid on the muddy ground in pain. And with the cream and oil now starting to wear off, the wounds slowly started to hurt..

He felt a hard kick to the back and he yelped. 

"Get up. Now." 

He panted, getting up slowly to his sore feet. 

Amethyst was glaring at him. "Time for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu." she looked over at Garnet. "Grapple him down." she walked away and Garnet made her way to him.

_Oh no.._

She lunged towards him and grabbed his neck with her arm he brought his body down as dead weight to flip her over or at the least, make her lose her balance.

Neither happened..

And with her having him in a headlock, she pushed back, pulling him down down hard to the ground. She grabbed one arm and flipped him over and she pinned her knee to his other wrist. 

He screamed. Her knee pinching a nerve in his wrist.

"Are.. are you screaming?!" Amethyst asked. 

"AAHH, nn, no!" 

"Are you screaming?.. Are YOU screaming!!!" 

He shook his head in the dirt. "No.." he wheezed.

"There's no screaming!!" Amethyst yelled. "There's no screaming in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu!! There's no screaming!!" she turned to Garnet. "We're doing this again! Harder this time!" she turned her attention back to Steven. "And I _better_ not hear. ONE little grunt. OR squeal out of you.." 

Garnet leaned up off of him and he took his deep breaths as he rubbed his neck. 

He barely got up to his feet before he heard a "Start." he turned around and Garnet was charging after him. He opened his mouth to yell out but quickly closed it back. He held his arms out in a futile way to help his self, only for the woman to knock hard into him. He felt his hands being grabbed and pulled back behind him and he was lifted up. He saw the clear blue sky for one second before he saw the dirt as his face was slammed hard back into the ground. 

"Wow, Talc.. you really.. _really_ suck at this." 

Then he heard an, "Again."

.................

Amethyst must love watching him suffer..

He'd been sparring with Garnet for another hour during their Brazilian Jui Jitsu training. And each and every time, he would be pinned down or choked or twisted up in some kind of way..

It was impossible to even grab her arm, let alone to pin the tank of a woman in the ground.

And he felt like he as dying at this point..

His racing heart, his lungs, his muscles, his joints the wounds and cuts in his skin.. Everything was aching and hurting him..

And, Amethyst was just not letting up. The woman watching him getting beat up and giving him barely any pointers. More like snide comments, if anything, and he wasn't learning as much like he was with Garnet who would tell him how to get out of headlocks and grapples.. 

But of course the woman had stayed quiet during the training and was only doing what Amethyst was ordering her what to do.

"You SUCK, Talc." she'd said to him for the umpteenth time since he and Garnet first started sparring.

"We're doing this two more times. Then it's Krav Maga." 

_I reaaally can't wait until this training ends.._

................

Steven was in a headlock once again. But this time, it was during his Krav Maga training and not due to Garnet pinning him down and putting him in another chokehold.. 

She had a dumbbell to the side of his head, replicating a gun. 

And he didn't know how to get out of it..

It was a gun. And even if there weren't any makeshift weapons involved, just trying to hit her in the chest or the gut with his elbow wouldn't had worked. He would either had not landed a punch or his elbow wouldn't had had much effect in her.. 

Until.. he finally thought about it..

All he was trying to do was overpower her..

When he could go a different approach.

He could go the Lars approach. 

He grabbed at her wrist and he knew at that point if it had been real life, the person would've already fired off the gun. But here, he was just trying to disarm the gun from her. 

He grabbed at her fingers and in extension, the top of the gun and he used his other hand to press down on the pressure points on her wrist.

Her hands snapped open and he yanked the gun out of her hand.

"Whoaaaa!!!! I know you didn't just let him do that, Garnet!!!" she looked pleased. 

Steven barely turned around before she grabbed the gun and hit the middle part of his wrist hard. He lost pressure in his hand and it opened and she yanked the gun back out of his hand. Then she took the dumbbell gun and hit him just below the diaphragm, knocking the wind out of him. He bent over, falling to the ground and she brought her leg up, kicking him (and he noticed it wasn't too hard) on the side of his face and he fell to his side. 

Yeah.. the kick still hurt very bad though..

"Eh.. well that was short lived.." Amethyst shook her head before bringing it back up. She clapped. "Okay, again! Then the next scenario will be a knife." she took out a pocket knife from her side and twirled it between her fingers. 

Great.. they would be dealing with an actual knife..

Well.. at least he managed to get the gun out of Garnet's hand, so he had that going for himself.

Un..less of course she let him do that.. 

Who knows..

He got up, still trying to catch his breath before he heard another "Start!"

...............................

Steven was shuffling over to the tree.

And never before had he'd been so afraid of trees until this point..

Because he knew what she was going to have him do..

And.. it was the same tree as last time..

The same old, weak tree..

..that wasn't weak enough to be knocked down by him last time..

He stopped in front of it and his already sore, burning, aching legs were burning and aching more just thinking about what he was about to do..

Time.. for his Muay Thai training..

_Come on, Universe.. If you can remember correctly, after this you three should be going down to the waterfall to do some more exercises and then.. head back up to the car.._

_And.. go home.. and soak.. _

He looked at the tree. 

_Come on, Universe.. Maybe the faster you do this, the faster you can be done with it.._

He raised his leg up.

And swung his leg.

And the pain..

Something he'd never experienced before.

Or so he thought at that moment. His brain completely blanking out his time in the chamber room and every time in his life in general.

The excruciating pain shot up his leg and he felt the chips of bark stab the inside of his cuts as the pain spread up his leg and to his stomach and arms and around his body.

He was on the ground, holding in his scream. His leg vibrating as pain shot up and down, coursing through every vein, artery, muscle, bone, meat and everything else he had in there.

"Get up, Talc."

He just couldn't..

He really couldn't this time.

A tear managed to slid just at the corner of his eyelid. He tilted his head back to prevent it from sliding down.

"I said... get. up."

He moved his head back and looked up at her clenched hands, then up at the scowl on her face. But didn't say anything.

"We're doing this..again." she said coarsely. 

Reluctantly.. and in severe pain.. Steven nodded quietly. He got up shakily, barely putting any pressure on his leg.

She looked at his watery eyes. "STOP crying.. You wouldn't be in that much pain if I hadn't whipped you. And that wouldn't had happened had you NOT let Kyanite go! Now do it again!!" 

He tried holding in his tears as he took a breath. He threw his leg out at the tree- 

And feeling the extreme pain shoot up his leg.. The pain so intense.. so severe..

......................

Steven's legs were bleeding from the twenty minutes of him hitting the tree. He could feel it sliding down his skin and see the blood spots on his pant legs.

But Amethyst didn't care..

She was having him run down to the waterfall. And every step was agonizing..

But he couldn't stop..

In fear of what she would do to him if he did..

Lion had followed them down like he'd done before and Amethyst stopped as he and Garnet (and Lion soon after), walked (and jumped) into the water (and splashed into the water and began doggy paddling).

"Hold your breath for forty seconds. With the dumbbells, you're going to throw out punches. Then you go in again, hold your breath for another forty seconds and do jabs. Go in again and do uppercuts. Then side kicks. Twist kicks. And ankle sweeps. Then high kicks, mid kicks, then lows kicks. Then you're going to repeat and do four more reps of that." 

_This.. is going to be fun.._

  
  


If he was with Garnet, the training would've ended.

The training would've ended RIGHT as he opened the door and he would've been sitting back all sweaty in his seat.

But no.

He was with Amethyst.

And he had to run SIXTY laps around the Inkas truck while they sat inside and relaxed and drunk their smoothies..

And it wasn't like they were tired or had broken a sweat like him!

One last lap.. 

And he felt like his legs were about to give out and his lungs and heart were definitely hating him right then..

He finished the lap and.. 

.. he was done..

The intense training.. was officially... dooone..

He raised up a shaky, sweaty arm and grabbed the door handle. He could barely open it.. he was so weak and tired..

After a few tries he heard the door unlock. He looked up at the side mirror and saw Amethyst snickering. An evil look to her face. 

He tried opening the door and managed to pull the door open after the second try. 

Lion wagged his damp tail as Steven crawled inside and sat down slowly and closed the door behind him.

_Psshtt.. even _you_ got to relax and you weren't even doing anything.._

"You managed to survive, Talc." he looked up at the rearview mirror to see her face. "I'll like for Garnet here to train you exactly. like that." she looked at the woman in the driver's seat. "and. she will. Isn't that right. Garnet?"

The woman nodded. "Of course."

Amethyst looked back at him in the rearview mirror. She scoffed. "Looks like you'll be fit. in no time." 

He didn't know if he was supposed to answer her, so he nodded silently. 

That seemed to work and a smug expression came to her face before she looked away from him.

Good.. now it looked like he could finally relax without her bothering him..

"Garnet." she gestured up with her chin. 

Garnet turned the car on. 

He opened up the compartment beside him and took out a chilled Gatorade bottle. He untwisted the top and took a huge gulp of the blue drink.

And just then, he wanted to guzzle it all down, but he knew it would end up hurting his stomach..

He took a few refreshing sips and put the cap back on the bottle.

"You know what, since we'll be going towards our base first, drop me off there and _then_ take Talc home." 

"Yes, Amethyst." she shifted gears.

Steven took a few more sips and placed the Gatorade beside him.

He leaned back in his seat. 

Exhausted wasn't even the right word at this point..

And his body was beyond the words 'aches', 'burning' and 'pain'..

All he wanted to do, was go home, take a cool shower, put the cream and oil on his skin and go straight to bed and sleep all day until the next morning..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone caught that 'A league of their own' reference? ;)  
(I freakin' looooooove that movie!)
> 
> I also ripped off their pre workout from these two videos :P
> 
> Circuit training for boxing:  
https://youtu.be/qudd1PE1UrQ
> 
> Best 30 Minute Cardio Kickboxing Workout  
https://youtu.be/Uvr-oAmwfVo


	176. Vicious Cycle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bogus writing on fixing mopeds and I ripped off like, bits of info from the internet on certain things. xP

Garnet was just parking the truck in front of their mountain Gem base.

Pearl was running from some part of the area and towards the passenger's side of the car. She wiped the oil from her hands to her gray shirt and she opened the door.

"Yo, P." said Amethyst. She got out of the car. "How's the bike coming along?"

"It's coming along very well, Amethyst. Just a bit more additions I have to put on it before we send it to Peridot for the bigger installations." 

"Nice. That's what I like to hear. Progress." she looked over at the bike. Then, had a sudden thought.

"Hmm." 

Pearl looked to where she was looking. Right at the moped. Then she looked back at her. "Is.. there something wrong, Amethyst?" she said with worry in her voice.

"I think I may have another lesson for Talc."

"O, oh?" she didn't understand, but she didn't dare let her boss know that. "Okay." 

Amethyst nodded at her idea. "Yeah.. yeah that'll work." she turned to Pearl. "You're going to teach him what you know about mopeds and fixing them." 

Pearl resisted a squeal or a grunt of protest. Though she must've made a face, Amethyst quickly and coarsely telling her "That's an order, Pearl." she pointed behind her. "Now go wake him up. And tell Garnet to park the car in the garage unit. She'll be taking Talc home later."

"Y, yes Amethyst." she walked pass her and over towards the car. She opened the back door.

Steven was laying slumped over in his seat. The boy's jumpsuit completely drenched in sweat and the pant legs from the bottom half of his shins on down, dotted up and lined with blood. 

She looked up at Garnet. "She said for you to park the car in the garage unit. She wants you to take him home later."

Garnet nodded. 

She moved Steven's shoulder roughly. "Hey, kid. Wake up." 

Steven was deep asleep.

"Hey." she pushed his shoulder. "Wake up." she grabbed his shoulder and shook him roughly, not caring if it could do any damage way.

She kept shaking his shoulder and he was slowly waking up.

"Finally." she hissed out. She shook his shoulder harder. "Hey, kid. Wake up already." 

"Mmmfha..Ah?" he opened his eyes a crack.

She snapped in his face. "Alright, time to wake up. You're coming with me." 

"Huh?- Wha?" he was still trying to wake up and register what was going on. 

"I said you're coming with me. Amethyst wants me to show you some thing about the bike."

"The.. bike?" 

"Oh, just come on." she walked away from him. 

He stifled a yawn as he leaned up in his chair, quickly getting severe pain from everywhere in him and he flinched. 

Garnet saw him take a few deep breaths and slide slowly and painfully out the car. Lion followed after and he cosed the door.

The truck pulled off just a second later. 

Amethyst was standing a few feet away. "As a Crystal Gem you're also going to need to learn the ins and outs of vehicles and other means of transportation. That way, if anything happens, you can troubleshooot it. So, since Pearl here is really good at building equipment and repairing, she's going to teach you a few things about mopeds." 

He could only focus on how sore and achey his body was feeling.. and how his skin was burning everywhere on his body.

And how extremely exhausted he was..

He nodded numbly.

"Good. Now, follow Pearl over to the moped. Garnet will take you back home in a few hours." 

So much for being home and relaxing..

Pearl was already walking away from him and towards the moped.

He shuffled slowly and painfully behind her.

Lion was too busy digging into the ground to care to follow the two.

And as he got closer to the moped that was hiked up on a car jack, he noticed..

"Hey, that's my moped." 

Pearl scoffed. _"Your_ moped? Heh.. well now it belongs to all of us."

"But.. I.. I paid for that.."

"And? You act like that gives you the right to keep it." 

"Well, yeah!" 

Pearl walked to the side of the moped and sat down on the ground. "Well deal with it. You have something one day and then, it's gone in the next." she grumbled. "Such is life.. such is people.. Deal with it." she grabbed a wrench that'd been holding onto a socket cap and began twisting it tight onto a small pipe underneath of the moped. 

He sighed and walked over. He sat down slowly at the front of the moped as she continued to twist the cap on tight.

And he watched her.

In silence..

And he let two minutes slip away until he spoke back up. "So uh.. are you.. going to.. show me how to fix a moped?" she picked up another socket cap and a bolt. "Or.. maybe something about.. tools?" 

He watched as she put the bolt in between her teeth and laid down on her back. She took her hands and moved a piece just slightly to the left, then she kept one of her hands there and used the other to grab the piece from her mouth. She wedged the bolt between a solid, metal piece. Then she put the socket cap on the neck of the bolt and brought the wrench up and began twisting it tightly. 

He let a full twenty seconds go by before he said "Pearl?"

She leaned back up. A scowl to her face. "Do you even _know_ anything about fixing mopeds or anything REMOTELY similar?"

"Uh..I.. fixed my friend's bike once when his chain popped." he shrugged. 

"Not. the same." she hissed and laid back down and picked up another bolt and socket cap. 

He leaned over. "But, Pearl-"

She sighed in annoyance and leaned back up. "Look, kid. There are TONS of things you need to know about mopeds. And you don't know ANYTHING about them except for how to ride them." 

"Ah, I mean-"

"Know anything about running the engine management system? What about ABS? Wheelie control?" 

"Uh.."

"Electronic suspension? Traction control?" 

"Uh.. well n-"

"What about dealing with any bike with a carburetor?"

"Uh, n, no.."

"And THAT'S one of the EASIEST parts. And what about engine mounts? Heat shrink, connectors, wires?" 

"Uh.."

"Metallurgy? You at least know that, right?" 

He shook his head stiffly. Feeling guilty. 

She sighed. "See what I mean? You know NOTHING about this. You don't even know metals and their properties. How else will you correctly select a metal for a particular application? When you are customizing a motorcycle or moped, you end up working with metals in SOME way shape or form. How did you not know that?" 

"Be..cause I never fixed a moped or a motorcycle?" he shrugged again. "That's why I need to be taught this."

She scoffed and laid back down, grumbling under her breath something that he couldn't make out.

He sighed.

He felt his phone vibrate and his heart jumped, before he quickly realized that he was already with the Gems..

Then his heart jumped again as he thought about Connie and his mind went straight to something bad happening.

He took his phone out of his pocket and unlocked it.

It was Garnet.

**Meet me inside by the front door.**

He resisted the urge to look behind him. He typed in an 'O.K' then put the phone back in his pocket. He got up, his body.. in so much pain..

Pearl cut her eye to him.

"I'm just going to the bathroom. I'll be back."

She didn't answer him and went back to focusing on the coils and the engine under the moped.

He walked pass Lion who was running up the dirt plain, amusing his own self as he ran his paws through the dirt. He watched the dust kick up around him.

Steven opened the door and walked in, being amazed and at awe again at the extravagant, shiny, expensive looking area. 

Garnet was coming from one of the tables to his right. She was holding a bottle of GemTech cream and oil in one hand and his half bottle of Gatorade that he hadn't finished due to passing out or falling asleep in the car, in her other hand.

"Thought you could use these." she said with a guilty, apologetic smile.

"I definitely can!" 

She chuckled and gestured with her chin at the spiraling staircase. "By the steps." she said. "Take the jogging attire off."

He shuffled over to the stairs as he started taking off his two shirts. He threw the sweaty clothes on the bottom step.

Garnet placed one of the bottles on the fourth step, then handed him his Gatorade. "Thanks." he downed the rest of it. 

It wasn't as cold.. but was still just as thirst quenching and delicious.

He sat the empty bottle on the step as she twisted the cap off of the bottle of cream. 

Wordlessly, she poured the thick, dark green paste on her fingers and began putting it on his face. 

It stung.. just like all of the other times he'd put the cream on his wounds. And just like the other times, he had to ignore the pain. 

She went to his right arm, then his left. 

Silence..

Neither of them talking.. but the tension was there and they could feel it. One of them would have to speak up on what's really on their minds.

Garnet poured more of the cream on her hands and went to his neck. She looked at the mark of Amethyst's hand on his neck as she smoothed the cream over it. She spread the paste down his chest and down to his stomach and to the waist of his pants. 

Then she sat behind him. She poured the paste on her hands and began rubbing it along his neck and down to his shoulders.

Silence..

And Steven was about to speak up when he heard a sigh behind him. He felt her hand leave the top of his back. 

"Steven, I'm so sorry.." she whispered. Her voice wavered behind him. 

He turned around. 

Garnet's one hazel eye showed so much guilt and sorrow in it. "I'm sorry I helped Amethyst do this to you.." then she added softly. "And for what happened today."

He hadn't been thinking much about it. He knew it was only business and that she was following Amethyst's orders that night.. and he knew that she didn't have a choice but to spare with him roughly and to train hard under Amethyst's supervision.

Sure, at the same time he could still say that he was upset. But overall, it was Amethyst that he was mainly thinking about. And worrying about Connie and now, his two neighbors.

"Garnet, I.." he paused, then began again. "Thanks for the apology.." the woman looked pained. Her eyes looked to the deep gashes on his back, then to the chock marks on his neck. "I know you didn't have a choice." he said and she looked up at him. "That's how it is as a Crystal Gem." he said matter of factly. "It took me a while to come to terms with it.. But slowly, I have been." 

Her expression fell and she looked at him solemnly. "She's breaking you down again.." 

He resisted any look of anger or sadness then. He tried keeping a plain face. "She's not." he shook his head, feeling himself getting defensive. "I'm still Steven. And I'm still going to act like myself. Even as a Crystal Gem. We talked about that before when I was having my meltdown. I won't let her get to me like that ever again." he could feel his jaw tightening. He breathed out hard through his nose. "Amethyst can do whatever she wants. She's never going to truly break me. I'm sticking to what I believe in and if she doesn't like it, then I'll lose my life over it."

Her light brown eye widen and her mouth opened in utter shock. "Don't say that." she warned him, though still keeping her voice low.

He slowly tried calming down his thoughts. "It's true. She and I don't see eye to eye and I'm not going to have her run my life. And she may kill me because of how I view things." he tried easing his thoughts through his lips without letting the hurt and anger seep through. "Two days ago, I helped Miss Lee escape from her cell. You two kept her locked up because she wanted to leave the authority. And that wasn't right." 

Garnet's eye was fixed on his. The woman silent.

"And you know it wasn't right either."

She closed her eye for a few seconds as she took a breath. "Steven" she opened her eye back up. "That's our rule." 

"JUST like it's under our rules to steal from people? Just like it's our rules to kill people? JUST like it's our rules to" he raised his arm showing the deep gashes on his skin. "torture people?" he put his arm back down. "I'm getting tired of hearing about these Crystal Gem rules, Garnet.. It's just not right.. And I thought you of all people would know that. We had our talks. You know how horrible the authority is and it's inhumane principles."

She sighed. "I do, Steven.." then she added. "And I remember our talks. And while I've tried to not kill as many people.." she grimaced. "that night with Kyanite.. I had no choice but to do what I was told. Amethyst was watching all of us.." 

Steven sighed. He rubbed at his temple, agitating the cuts on it. "This is what I mean, Garnet. All of this. The killing, the stealing... the abuse." he looked at her. "All of this needs to end. I want it _all_ to stop. We need to get out of this." 

"That's near impossible.. if not impossible.." 

"I'll still try. No matter what, I will. Even if I have to save another person like Miss Lee. Even if I have to go up against Amethyst herself" Garnet's expression could only be described as fearful and nervous. "I'll do it. I'll do everything I can to get people out of this authority. No matter what." he said again. 

She sighed deeply. "I know you will.. And that's what I'm afraid of."

"I'm not giving myself a choice to stay in this authority, Garnet. I'm getting out of here.. or I'm going to die trying." 

Her heart tightened in her chest. "That's bold of you."

Steven felt his self calming back down. He shrugged and his shoulders burned with the simple movement. "Maybe? I'm just going with my best option. And the best option isn't always the safest.." he turned away from her.

"..Right.." she said sadly.

The conversation went to a lull and moments later, Garnet began putting cream on the rest of his back. 

Seconds went by and Steven turned back around to face her. "Garnet?"

"Yes?" 

"I'm sorry for what I did to your eye.."

There was a flicker of shock before she tried for a very tiny smile. "I deserved it." she said casually. She put the bottle on the step and picked up the oil. She untwisted the cap off and he turned back around. "I was trying to stop you from helping her escape." she poured the oil into her hands. "I was afraid that Amethyst would kill you." 

He felt her place the oil on his neck. "I had that in my mind that that was going to be my last night living.." she spread the oil down to his shoulders. "But I still didn't care. I knew that was the right thing to do." 

She nodded, though he didn't see her. "And you were able to get out of that somehow." her voice sounds hopeful behind him. "You managed to set her free. And you're still alive." 

"Yeah.. surprisingly." 

She spread the oil on his back-

"I'm not sorry I did it." he brought the conversation up again. He felt her stop, then a second later start rubbing the oil on the last part of his back. "And I hope that Miss Lee is safe and that she already made it to Vietnam."

She made a small "Mhm." half answering him. The woman too focused on Steven's bravery and dangerous plans that could easily get him killed.

The area was silent once more and Garnet spread the oil on his arms and his neck on down to the bottom of his waistline.

"How's your legs?" she asked. 

"Extremely sore." the two looked at the blood stains on his pant legs.

"Pants off." 

He slid that off while still sitting on the step. He placed it with his other sweaty clothes. 

She looked at the dried up blood on his red, blistering legs. She took out a clean cloth from her back pocket and a water bottle from the other. She untwisted the top crouched down. She poured a bit of water onto the washcloth and dabbed at his leg- 

"AH-" he shut his mouth, holding in his scream as the pain throbbed up his leg and to his stomach.

"Worse than I thought." Garnet whispered. "I'll try doing it lighter." she dabbed at the blood and it was still extremely painful to him. 

She wiped the areas off as gentle as she could and put the oil on his skin first so the chemicals could start working on his skin and muscles. Then she went for the Gemtech cream. She spread the paste from his thighs and gently went cross his shins.

"That should do it." she put the top back on the cream.

"Thanks Garnet." his body was already starting to feel much better. Except for one other part..

"No problem."

She stood back up. 

"Can I get just a dab of that cream and oil?" 

"I missed a spot?"

"Uh.. well.." he could feel the heat rising to his cheeks. He looked down at his shorts. "She.." he cleared his throat. "got me there too remember.."

A wry smile came to her face. "Yeah, you're going to have to do that part." 

He felt his cheeks heat up more as she untwisted the top back off the cream. She held the bottle out to him. He held his left hand out and she poured the paste into his hand. Then the oil. "Thanks." 

She picked up the two bottles. And put the water bottle and the bloody cloth back in her back pockets and picked up his empty Gatorade bottle.

"Guess I'll just.." he pointed behind him at the bathroom. 

"Yeah, go ahead." she started walking away.

He watched her walk pass before walking to the bathroom just a few yards away from him. 

He walked inside and pulled down his shorts to put the cream and oil on his waist, the upper part of his thighs and most importantly, in between him.

He gave his hands a quick wash and walked back out. Garnet was back and was holding a new Gatorade bottle and a bottle of water. "Figured you were still thirsty." she raised the water bottle up higher. "And this is for Lion."

And that brought a smile to his stomach and he felt his actual smile spreading across his face. "I definitely still am." he grabbed the bottle and took no time in drinking the refreshing sports drink." he sighed, taking a few breaths before going back for more.

She chuckled. "You're going to end up getting a stomachache." 

He swallowed the drink and took another breath. "I can't help it. The training was brutal." 

Her smile faltered. "It was." 

He sat the bottle on the step and started putting his hot, sweaty, smelly jogging suit back on. 

He really couldn't wait to take a shower..

"I'll leave this here." she placed the water bottle on the step.

"Yeah." he put on his second shirt. "Thanks again." he picked up his pants. 

There was a half shrug from her. "The least I could do."

He slipped his pants on and grabbed the two bottles. "And I appreciate it." he looked at the door. And he immediately thought about Pearl. "..And, now I have to somehow learn about mopeds with Pearl." 

"So I've heard." he heard a snicker from her. "This should be interesting." 

He felt a bit uneasy going back out there. Especially due to how long he'd been inside the base. "We'll see how this goes." he started walking to the door.

He opened it.

"Wait. Steven." she made her way to him. 

He turned back around. 

"What you did.. that night." she whispered. She paused for two full seconds before saying "that was brave of you.. And you did something that I wish I could've done long ago." she stopped again. And nodded. "You let her go. And I think that was the right thing to do as well.. And I also hope that she's back in Vietnam and safe." 

Steven felt just a small, sad smile tug at the corner of his lips. "I think she is. And that's what matters." he opened the door wider. "And now to save everyone else." 

"I.. would like to believe that can happen."

"And it will. I have a strong feeling it will." he gave Garnet a nod and stepped out the door.

She sighed and whispered to no one. "I really hope you're right.."

  
  


Steven was crouched down, calling Lion's name. 

And he was, ever so thankful that the cream and oil was working, otherwise he would've been screaming like someone off of an opera.

Lion was running over. 

"You thirsty, buddy?" he untwisted the top from the water. "Garnet gave this to you." 

Lion sniffed the bottle in his hand and Steven tilted it slightly. Lion began lapping up the water. 

He tilted the bottle over more as Lion drunk more of the cool, refreshing drink.

The canine lifted his head back up and licked his lips. 

"Done?" he smiled. 

Lion wagged his tail and Steven scratched behind his ear, smiling. "You should thank Garnet for that." he pulled his hand away from the dog's ear and twisted the top on the quarter full bottle of water. He stood back up and put it in his pocket. "Well, carry on and tire yourself out." he told Lion. "Hopefully we'll be back home in a few more hours." 

Lion looked at him, wagging his tail happily as Steven walked away. He started running across the dusty plains again.

Steven was walking up to Pearl and the moped. The woman saw him coming and looked up at him. And instantly, annoyance filled her features. She grabbed a screwdriver and began untwisted a screw from a peddle. 

He sat down in front of the moped. The same spot he was in earlier.

He watched her untwist the next screw from the peddle and place it down in front of her.

Then the next one.

Then the next one..

All in silence..

He wanted to say something to her.

Something to not only get her to talk to him about the moped, but something to "break the ice" sort of way and to have a casual conversation with her. 

But there was a small part of him saying that.. maybe he shouldn't.

He looked up at her-

"You better not say anything to me." she spat out.

_Seriously.. what is her problem?! She's less mean to be one second then the next, she hates my guts!! _

_.. It's jarring.._

She took her glare off of him and took the peddle off.

And he watched in silence as she put a thinner, shinier peddle on the moped and started twisting different shinier, sturdier screws inside of the holes. 

He looked around and scratched at his hair. 

He should really say something.. despite of what she said. 

Even if he couldn't have a decent talk with her, he could at least get her to lecture him about mopeds like Amethyst had specifically told her to. 

Pearl picked up a square, metal piece and started hooking it up to a metal box just inside of the neck of the moped she'd popped open. She grabbed a small, shiny black gear in her black, oily hand and placed it on top of the square piece. She picked up a wrench and began tightening the piece down to it. 

"So.." 

She snapped her eyes at him.

He stopped. 

And she turned her attention back to tightening the gear to the square piece. 

_Come on, Universe. Just do it._

_Work your charismatic charm._

"The motorcycle." he said slowly and she picked up another piece and went to another part of the metal box. "It's.. certainly coming together." _Yeah, so much for 'charasmatic charm'.. _

She ignored him and picked up a torque wrench. 

"That's a fancy looking tool." he complimented. "I've never seen that one before." 

She continued to work, not even looking at him now.

He placed his elbows on his knees and placed his chin in his hands. He sighed. 

Seemed like she was completely ignoring him now.

He watched her as she placed various tools and pieces back down and picked more tools and pieces up. He saw her take stuff off and put different pieces in their place. 

And he watched..

Until he finally decided to give it another shot. 

He didn't want to give up. 

He was going to get to Pearl one way or another. 

He was going to at least get her to reach him about fixing mopeds. He could try for causal talks later. 

She took another gear from a different part of the engine and set it down. Then she picked up another bolt and put it in its place. 

Steven nodded knowingly. "Ah, I see that piece is definitely a better fit for that part." 

Pearl put a bolt within a thick wrapping of coils. 

"That sure is some fancy hand work.. I wonder why you put that there." he continued egging her on. "Is it supposed to make it faster?"

She continued working. 

He sighed. 

And she continued working. 

He had it. What was her problem with him? Why couldn't she just, talk to him?! 

He stood up straight. A plain, no nonsense tone to his voice now. "Okay, seriously Pearl. You keep working on the moped without me. You're not even at least telling me what you're doing."

She finally stopped what she was doing and glared at him. 

He was going to play a low blow/ tattletale of a card and he knew it. But quite frankly, he didn't care. 

"Besides, wasn't it _Amethyst's_ idea for you to properly teach me the ins and outs of a moped? And in her words, learn how to troubleshoot it?" Pearl stared at him. "I don't think she would appreciate it so much that you're being insubordinate." he challenged.

Her sharp jaws clenched. 

She shut her eyes tightly and breathed hard out through her aquiline nose. 

She opened her eyes to glare at him. 

She put the wrench down, got up and.. walked away from him. 

"Pearl?"

He watched as she walked to an opened toolbox. She knelt down and he saw her pick up something. Then she stood back up and started walking back. As she got closer he noticed it was gloves and something else in her hands.

She walked back to her side of the moped and held her arm out sharply. "Here."

He held his hands out and she dropped the Gemtech gloves and a pair of Gemtech goggles attached to a face shield in his hands. 

"For when we start burning metal and soldering." she spat out. She sat back down. 

He smiled and nodded. 

"What I'm doing now, is working on the accelerator." she said coarsely. "Now pay attention to what I'm doing. You see this piece?" she picked up the object. 

Steven nodded once and lookd at her. 

"This is an accelerator pump. I already assembled this." she clarified. "It is a component on a carburetor which not all motorcycles or mopeds have. It's an old school piece really, but this is a GemTech one, so it's better than your average EFI systems that they have in these bikes now." Steven looked at her. She sighed dramatically. "Electronic Fuel Injection system." she explained coldly. "The accelerator pump is responsible for providing the momentary additional fuel needed under heavy acceleration conditions. And that is exactly what we need for our missions." she pointed at the pedal. "With this new pedal I installed, when you press on it with your heel, the throttle" she pointed at the throttle on the moped. "will open, instantly adding additional air for additional power." 

"Coool." said Steven. He raised his hand up to the object to point at it. "So this piece right here-"

She smacked his hand away and he withdrew his arm. _"Don't_ touch it." she hissed. 

"O, okay.." he sat his hand down in his lap. "So that piece makes the moped go faster." 

She took a breath. "No. It's just one piece that, put together with other parts of the carburetor, makes the moped go faster." she pointed to the engine of the moped. "Now, I'm going to place this piece by this plug. And _you're_ going to watch. my hands. as I do this." then she added. "And listen closet as I describe in full detail, what I'm doing." she glared over at him. "And you better remember everything that I tell you, because I _will_ not. repeat myself. Got it?"

He nodded. "..Got it." 

She turned back to her hands. "Now watch how I put the accelerator pump in." 

  
  


Pearl wasn't at all motivating, unlike Mr. Vecino who would correct him gently and still compliment him. 

He really preferred his approach and the more Perl scolded him or chided him, he was missing Mr. Vecino's calm, gentle and encouraging approach more and more.

But even then, despite of Pearl berating and belittling him, he was still thinking up how to strike up a conversation with her. 

It'd been an hour of work now and he wondered if he could possibly start lightening the tension and the mood up.

And after some time of thinking, he decided to just go for it again. 

"Hey, Pearl?" he was working on the back tire of the moped. The woman teaching him the Gem way on installing Gemtech bolts and screws that could endure twenty times as much weight and blows than your average bolts and screws. He was twisting a screw inside one of the holes if a Gemtech hubcap. 

She looked up annoyed. The woman mugging him down. 

He kept his smile. He was determined to get her to grin even just slightly and to get her in a more happy mood. "If you could go anywhere in this, where would you go? It could be a fictional place or not. My neighbor's kid would like to go to space to see the cosmos." he chuckled. "Yeah, I guess I would too and like, find super cool aliens or something. But I would personally like to go to these fictional places in a show that my girlfriend and I are warching." he picked up another bolt and socket cap. "It's called Nevey and the Jeweled Ladies. It's a pretty awesome show." he placed the bolt, then the socket cap into another hole. "I definitely recommend it."

She didn't answer him. She continued working on the coils of the engine. 

"Fiiiine.. you don't have to tell me." he tried to joke and play it off. 

Silence from the woman. 

"Okay. So how about this." her face twisted in a grimace as she tried focusing in the coils in front of her. "If you could have any super powers, what would it be?" 

Silence..

"I think it would be pretty cool to be able to float. Other people would choose invisibility or flying or, I don't know, heat vision or super speed." he shrugged and picked up another bolt. "But I would like to manipulate the air around me. I could make myself as light as a feather or as heavy as a ship. I could free fall down fast or stop and gently float down." he looked at her. "Ah? I think that's pretty creative, right?" he cheesed. 

Her lips were tight in a scowl. 

_Come on.. think Universe.._

"So uh.. any.. favorite books.. or........." she snapped her eyes back at him. "uh.. t.v shows?" she looked away and continued with what she was doing. "Oh.. no? That's okay.. Most are pretty garbage anyway, heheh." she didn't laugh. And he cleared his throat. "Like I said, my girlfriend" her face tightened up more in disgust "and I love Nevey and the Jeweled Ladies. It's our favorite show. That and Laughing Dinner Enemies." then he added. "And she's been trying to get me to watch this hospital drama called Under the knife." he shrugged. "It's not really something that I would watch, but she seems really into it." he twisted another bolt and socket cap into another hole.

Pearl was looking intently at what she was doing to the coils of the engine. 

"Hmm.. I wonder if Garnet has a favorite show she watches." he asked his self. 

She didn't answer him.

"If I can remember correctly, my neighbor's son likes to watch a lot of cartoons. But I think he watches a lot of anime." Steven shook his head with a small grin on his face. "He wants to be strong in the real way, but he's looking in all the wrong places for it." 

This time Pearl stopped and looked at him.

A flashback of that doughy, bratty boy coming to her screaming out that exact phrase with one of her broken spears played through in her mind. 

Then she remembered throwing her spear right as Steven had hit his shoulder into her.. 

Then Kyanite came and used her water to wrap around her neck before turning it to ice.. 

That boy prevented her from finally killing Steven off and Steven prevented her from killing the boy..

She glowered at him. 

".. really does need to be careful with trying to be bad and macho-" 

"You mean that boy I was trying to kill?" she grumbled, cutting him off. 

"Yeah-" _OH NO!! She wasn't supposed to know he was still alive!! ..Was she going to tell Amethyst?!_

"Annoying piece of crap."

"Hey.." he put his screwdriver down. "He's not that bad." 

Okay maybe he can be.. majority of the times. Still, calling him that was out of line. 

"All that boy did was ruin my plan.. Coming at me with my own weapon.." she grumbled. "How stupid can he be.."

Steven was trying to not get too defensive on the boy's behalf. "He was just trying to save me. _You_ were trying to kill me." 

"You shouldn't had broken Kyanite out in the FIRST place. That wouldn't had happened. None of this would've happened. Us getting Lapis, us tracking you down, the fight, nothing." 

He resisted a grimace. "WHY is it so bad that I let her go?! Pearl that was mean and you know it! How would _you_ feel if you were put in a cellar and starved and beaten?!"

"I wouldn't even have to think about anything like that because I would never have that idea of leaving in the first place."

"So you're telling me not once you thought about it?" then he added. "And even if you hadn't Pearl, I'm talking in general terms here. Crystal Gem or not, _nobody_ would want to be in a cellar for over twenty years starving and being beaten."

She tried keeping her eyes on him, but her eyes wavered, wanting to look away.

"And I still don't believe that you've never thought about leaving. Not even once." then he quickly added. "Or you're just afraid to admit it because you don't want Amethyst to find out?" 

She kept her expression as plain as she could. 

"You can't really like doing this." his eyes never left hers. "Maybe you want to do things for yourself instead of being associated as a Gem." 

Her eyes wavered more before she finally looked away and back to her work. "We need to focus on this." she began unplugging a cord from a metal head under the coils. 

"Come on Pearl." 

She ignored him. 

"It's me Steven. Not "Talc". You know you can just be yourself around me. Amethyst isn't here with us. It's just the two of us here." 

_'Just the two of us here'.._

Her hands stopped.

And her eyes glanced at his face. His dark brown eyes and the round curve of his chin.. his rosy lips- 

She picked up a wrench and went back to the coils. "Remember what I told you about the bolts on the tires. Just focus on that. Then I'll show you what I'm doing with the coils." 

He was about to say something more, but sighed instead. "..Okay.." 

He went back to working on the back tire as she continued working on the engine. 

Minutes passed with them working in silence. 

Until Steven decided to start singing. 

It was from a movie he hadn't watched in a long time, but once the song randomly popped up in his mind, he couldn't help but sing the catchy a cappella. 

Pearl snapped her eyes at him again. The glare ever menacing. 

"What?" he smiled. "I know I can't sing." he chuckled. 

Though in her mind he could..

And she hated that thought in her mind.

"But I like it. Keeps me happy." then he asked her. "Do you like singing?" 

Her lips turned down in a tight scowl.

She absolutely hated singing.

"It's a distraction." she growled. "Just like other things. Now focus like I said."

He picked up the last bolt and socket cap. "I think you have a nice voice. Something tells me that you do." he placed the two pieces inside of the hubcap. "I can hear it by the way you talk." he started twisting the pieces inside. "You ever thought about singing?"

..Flashbacks of her and Lonny singing romantically and dancing and her laughing flowed through her mind as smoothly as the flow of her dress in the wind as she twirled with him. 

_"You have an amazing voice Pearl."_ right before he would hug or kiss her. Or both.. The two of them dancing on late nights after their missions..

Pearl shot him a glare. This time, a look of contempt and hurt. 

Steven quickly noticed it and he stopped any further questions on that. 

He cleared his throat and went back to tightening the last piece. And slowly, with the narrowed eyed, pained look still on her face, she looked away from him and he went back to her own work.

Just seconds later and he was finished with the bolt. 

He cleared his throat, hoping she would look up and see that he was done. 

She didn't. 

And he should've known that. Especially with what had happened just then. 

He waited a full minute before sliding over towards her. He saw her look out the corner of her eye to him. 

"You uh.. told me that when I was done.. that you were going to show me what you were doing to the coils." he said bashfully. 

The scowl was still there. She growled out a sigh. 

"I'm redesigning the coils and adding stronger Gemtech parts in it to improve the moped's air fuel mixture. For example." she pointed at three dark gray coils. "These are ignition coils. They function as induction coils that convert the motorcycle's or the moped's volts into the tens of thousand volts that are required to jump the spark plug gap and ignite the engine's air-fuel mixture." 

He had no idea what that meant.. and he knew that she knew that as well. But once the lady picked up another Gemtech piece and started at the coils again, he figured she wouldn't elaborate more on it.

He leaned back and watched her. Her delicate, nimble, expert hands going over and under the coils in such precision and grace. The oil smudging up her skin and dirtying up her sleeves. 

"You really know your stuff Pearl. That's so cool." 

She continued as usual, ignoring the boy as she tried finishing up the last coil of the engine. 

She picked up a flush cutter and went to the coil.

And Steven watched on intently, despite of not having a firm grasp on what she was doing exactly. But what she was doing still looked intricate and interesting. 

"How did you get so good at this.." he whispered in amazement.

She dropped her hands down hard on her lap and pivoted to him. "Why are you trying to talk to me?! Can't you take a hint?! I. _don't_. want to talk to you!" 

"I.." he leaned back before scooting back just slightly. "Because we never get a chance to talk." he said gently. "We're always with the Gems.. but we never got to actually be alone and work on a project together." he gave her an apologetic look. "I was just trying to get to know you, apart from being a Crystal Gem.. Is that so bad?" she kept her eyes on him. "To want to know more about someone who I'm working with when it has nothing to do with the job?" he shrugged meekly. "Just thought I could bond a bit with you." he frowned. "That's all." 

Her eyes wavered once more before her expression faltered to something more dejected and forlorn. 

She turned back around and picked up the face shield. She put it on, then her gloves and picked up two foreign tools he'd never seen before. 

He sighed as she began tapping the tools across the coils. Sparks arced with every tap on the surface. 

He put his own face mask on and began watching her in silence. 

He watched the electricity spark across the engine for a few minutes.. 

..until she slowly lifted the tools away from the coils. She sighed behind her mask as she lowered her hands down on her lap. "There's nothing that you need to know." she whispered sadly. "I'm just a Pearl.. working for the Crystal Gems.. Nothing more." 

He looked at her. 

Nearly at a lost for words at her actually speaking back up. 

But what she said to him.. 

"I think there's more to you than that." she wasn't looking at him. "And I wanted to know _apart_ from you being a Gem. What you like, your favorite color, your interests.. anything like that." 

Her face was twisted in despair and heartache. 

And she hesitated.. before bringing the tools back up to the coils. 

He didn't say anything and instead, watched her work. 

The sparks flickering across the coils once more. 

Minutes went pass in silence..

..until Pearl stopped and brought the tools back down to her lap once more. 

"I'm just a _person_.. living life day by day." he looked over at her. "That's it.. That's all this person is.."

Steven crinkled his face up in thought. She was finally talking to him. But it was all but cheery.. 

He had to brighten the mood. He wanted to. 

"But.. what _does_ this "person" who lives life day by day like?" he tried reeling her in.

She shrugged. "The person forgot.." 

He nodded slowly, even though she still wasn't looking at him.

He had to be careful as he tried easing the conversation towards her. "So... does she like.. fixing motorcycles and mopeds? Or is that.. just a façade? Maybe she likes.. fixing bikes instead? Or maybe something like fans or.. she would like to built and fix a train? Or, maybe even jets or helicopters." 

"Mm." she mumbled. "Fixing motorcycles is fine.." she rubbed her gloved hand gently across the edge of one coil. "It reminds me-.. _her_ of fixing other things with her f-, with people." then she added softly. "It also reminds her of sewing. Something about fixing vehicles and sewing materials and clothing has it's similarities to her." 

"Sewing sounds relaxing.. especially if she done it with people.. I, hope they were nice people."

"Yeah.. they are." 

Her family is _very_ nice. 

And they always gave great advice.

..Like staying away from certain people that were clearly bad influences..

Though she didn't listen.. 

And look where that got her..

Steven stared at her, wanting to ask more but he didn't.

He already shouldn't had said "I hope they were nice people". What if they weren't and she'd clammed up again?-

"I like the color black." she spoke in first person. Her eyes were misty behind the clear face shield. "Love it, actually." then she added and said harshly. "And I _hate_. the color pink." 

_Owch.._

But his weapon was that color.. and so we're his mask and his and Lion's gadgets.

He looked at her peach colored hair. 

It was also odd how she'd dyed her hair a color similar to pink.

Steven tried to go for another joke to lighten the mood. "What, too girly for ya, huh?" 

"No... too homewrecker for me." she grumbled. 

He closed his mouth. 

She shook her head of a thought and sighed a breath through her nose. "Interests.." she said. "If I could think back.. maybe it has something to do with baking.. or.. maybe it involves singing and dancing." she shrugged. "Maybe knitting or reading a novel.." then her eyebrows furrowed in thought. "Though she still performs." she went back to third person. She had a sad and guilty look to her face. And maybe even disgust. "And people like her." she quickly switched back to first person and clarified. "People like. _me_.. And so, I get my enjoyment from that." 

_Does she mean.._

_No.... she couldn't had meant her other job as a prostit-_

"But....does she really like doing the actual performing part? Or just the attention from it?" 

Her expression went from shock to quickly twisting in repugnance.

A few seconds of silence rolled by between them, before she spoke back up to his surprise. "I hate being picked last." she whispered. "..and not being wanted and not being given a chance."

"Heh." she looked at him. Her face still pained. She raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh, uh." he tried to clarify what the chuckle meant. He gave her a smile. "A lot of people feel that way. I know I definitely do." her expression softened immediately.

Though she stayed silent.

He leaned back on his hands. "You know, this person seems interesting. And she seems like a very special person." he looked at Pearl's watery eyes and said honestly. "Wish I could get to know _her_ more, instead of just her alter ego.. I want to focus more on the person she is with_out_ the Crystal Gem mask."

She sat there quiet with a sloemn expression. 

"I think I could really get to know her more." he said. "I would _like_ to." 

"I think it's a waste of time.." 

"I think it'll be pretty rewarding. I finally have a chance to get to know someone special and outstanding? Now, why would I give up that opportunity?"

She finally looked at him. 

And he smiled. "But only, if she gives _me_ that chance."

She held back her tears. 

His smile grew wider and he leaned back off his hands. "You can just be yourself around me, Pearl. We're in a comfortable environment. Just you and me."

She looked conflicted.

He turned his body fully to her. "You said that.. perhaps you used to like baking?" her eyes flickered back to his. "We can talk about that. What kind of stuff do you like to bake?" 

She looked reluctant.. but answered him slowly. "Cake." then she added. "Though I also like baking Lemon Meringue pies, Chocolate Soufflés and Baumkuchens." 

"I've never heard of that last one."

"It's a European dessert. Cake batter is poured in layers over a continuously revolving spit in front of an open flame." 

"Whoa, an open flame? Now that sounds exotic." 

"Sure. Exotic and a a cake that can take up to hours to prepare if not done correctly."

"And I take it you know how to do it correctly?"

She scoffed. "Of course." And he was definitely seeing a smug look on her face minus a smile.

"So.. that means you're going to fix me some of that, right?" 

"Tsh, what?"

"Yeah, how else am I going to see if you're the next Martha Stewart or, female Gordon Ramsey?"

She scoffed again. "Kid, those two don't have _anything_ on me."

"Theeeeeen, you can make it for me." he cheesed. He pat his stomach. "I think I would be a greaaaat taste tester for your desserts." 

She scoffed. Though one could argue it was kind of a snort or a snicker. And he _did_ see a very, veery tiny curve at the end of her lips.

And that right there, he thought was an achievement.

  
  


Steven and Pearl had talked for maybe twenty minutes or slightly longer. He'd learned that Pearl learned her cooking skills from her mother and grandmother who were both culinary chefs. Her grandmother was a pastry chef and her mother was a roast and a sauté chef while her grandfather was a fisherman and a barber and father was a construction worker who'd also done a bit of mechanic work on the side. She told him that she'd learned both about cars and schematic diagrams from him.

When he'd asked if she had any siblings, her demeanor changed a bit to something blameable and downcast. She told him that she had an older sister, but that was it and she quickly _quickly_ changed topics and went to talking about her parents and grandparents again. 

And the conversation went on like that.

  
  


Steven was laughing at Pearl's story she was telling him. "Aw, come on, Pearl. I know it wasn't_ that_ bad." 

"It was!" she exclaimed. "Uhg, I would always haaate it when I would have to go to my grandfather for my hair! Sometimes I would go to an actual hair salon and get my hair done, but then there were times when they took me to him to, I don't know, save money or, because they felt bad and wanted him to do my hair?" she sighed dramatically. "EVERY time. EVERY. single. time.. he would give me this, ridiculous bowl cut!" she sighed into her hand before sliding her face back up. "It was sooo embarrassing. And that was all the way up to senior high too.." she grumbled. 

Steven laughed harder. "I'm not one hundred percent sure what a bowl cut looks like, but I have a feeling it looked really great on you." he smiled.

There was just a slight, single chuckle from her as she scratched at her rosy cheek. And there was this, small smile on her shy expression. 

She closed the moped back, covering the engine once more. "Looks like we're done with that."

"Yeah. And it didn't take long either because you're so good at it."

"Well." the smile widened just slightly. "I gotta thank my dad for that."

"And don't forget about your grandpa for making you look rad!" he added.

"Uuuuuuhg, he did _not_. And 'rad'? We didn't say that when I was growing up."

"What about fly?" he pretended to pop his collar on his sweatshirt. "Or fresh? Far out? To the max? Funkadelic? Groovy? "

"Okay, now you're just messing around."

He chuckled. "Okay, maybe just a bit." 

Pearl picked up a rag and started cleaning off most of the oil from her hands. "Okay, now we're going to do the front wheel. We have to take the wheel off for this one." 

"Okay." he gave her a thumbs up. 

Pearl scooted over towards the front of the moped. "Ever changed a moped tire?" she asked. 

He shook his head. "No." he scooted over to the spot she was in to get a better look.

"What about a car tire?"

He shook his head again. "Nope."

She sighed, though he still saw a small smile. "Wow. Looks like I have to show you how to do this as well." she nodded. "Okay, all we need is three simple tools for this." she gestured at the three tools in between them. 

Steven watched as she picked one of them up. She brought it up to her face. _"This_ piece is important." she waved the object in the air. 

The sunlight was glinting off of the object as she spoke about it's use. And as she continued to explain what it was for and began twisting a bolt inside if the tire, he couldn't help but notice how the sun was shining on her face.

She really was a very stunning, beautiful person with such mesmerizing features. 

And he knew that underneath the Crystal Gem was also a beautiful woman on the inside.

He smiled.

One day, he'll save her from the life of a Crystal Gem.

And, one day she'll be someone's everything. And what a happy guy that person will be. 

Pearl took off a bolt and was about to hand him the piece when she stopped. She raised an eyebrow at his smiling face. "What?" 

His smile grew on his face."I'm just glad that I'm finally getting to know the real you for once." her face dropped to something of shock and he continued. "You truly are something special, Pearl. I just.. wish you could see that for yourself."

"...What?" she almost looked away and he saw a slight tinge of blush on her cheeks.. though it could've been from how hot her skin was from working under the sun. He felt his own self slowly roasting under the sun.

Pearl was looking at him, still with a rather surprised look on her face.

He'd complimented her.

Though if she could remember back, he'd done that before on her outfit once as well as complimented on how she was as a person. 

But this time was different. 

Looking at him right then, she felt something she'd felt at times when she would be with him. Whether it was during a mission or in the car.

It was something she'd always tried to ignore.

But this time, it was different..

He looked at her, still having such a gentle, handsome smile that she'd saw so many times before. A smile that'd given her both happiness and heartbreak countless times.. 

She liked at his dark brown eyes, the curve of his chin, his smooth, rosy lips.

It was a face so familiar to her. 

And when she thought back on the compliments she'd heard throughout her life, she could hear him saying beautiful words to her in her mind. 

Her dear Lonny.. complimenting on how blue her eyes were.. And how, apparently to him, that they would somehow twinkle in the sun or sparkle under the lamplight at night as he whispered gentle words into her ears and hug her dearly to him.

And she could remember how he would kiss her so passionately. So longingly.. 

Steven was looking at Pearl. The woman seemingly leaning towards him more. A content, small smile on her face and her eyes, glazed with passion and fondness. 

"Pearl?" he didn't know what to make of it. "Is.. something wrong? Are yo-"

_"-ou okay?"_

She heard him say to her. 

Of course she was okay.

Whenever she was with Lonny she was okay. 

More than okay.

And.. he would just smile back at her..

And pull her in closer in a tight embrace.. 

And tilt her head up..

And she could still smell his cologne as he leaned down towards her face.

She still remembered how she would gently put her hand at the lower part of his neck and pull him in as she felt the soft skin on his lips. How smooth and gentle the motion was and how her heart jolted with every second of the kiss. 

The feeling was something she couldn't fully describe. 

It was something so compelling, so enticing, so alluring, so overwhelming, so inviting. 

It was how she loved him.

The feeling she always harbored in her chest and a feeling that never went away for him.

The blissful nature of it all; the affection, the love, the passion.. 

The moment that would always take her breath away.

The affectionate touches of his caress..

It was unimaginable.. incredible..

His kiss..

  
  


Steven was at a standstill. Everything had froze around him, say for the woman in front of him.

His mind halted before it slowly started to register what was going on.

His brain pulling in multiple directions as feelings of shock, disbelief, surprise and puzzlement all clashed around inside of his head.

Pearl was kissing him. 

_He_ was kissing _Pearl._

He looked at the woman. Her eyes were closed as she massaged the back of his neck. 

It'd all happened so fast.

One full second she was kissing him and-

Steven yanked away from her lips. A feeling of shock and disgust was creeping into him and his brain immediately thought of Connie as quilt crashed into him, despite of him being the victim.

He wiped off his mouth with the back if his hand. "Pearl, what are you doing? I, I have a girlfriend." 

The woman looked at his confused and stern face as he scooted back from her. 

Just then, her glossy, sensual eyes looked horrified and guilty.. at her actions.

"Pearl." he stated bluntly.

She had her hand up to her lips. Her blush evident on her cheeks. "Uh.. I.."

He looked at her wide eyed, guilt ridden expression. And.. he suddenly felt.. a bit bad for her.. "Pearl.."

She got up shakily on her legs. "I.. I didn't mean to, I-" her explanation died on her lips.

Steven was getting up-

"I have to go." she ran off. 

"Wait! Pearl!" he ran after her. 

"I just.. I need a moment!!" she yelled and ran towards the front door. 

"Pearl! We need to talk about this!"

"NO!" she ran up and opened the front door and ran inside.

He ran across the muddy ground and towards the door. He sprinted up, opened the door and ran in after her.

Pearl was putting in a code on a tablet at the far end of the hallway. She opened the door and ran in.

Steven ran down the hall and stopped at a door he assumed she was putting the code into. He pressed the numbers on the face of the tablet and the light lit up green. He opened the door to a steep pair of steps directly under him. "Whoa~." He almost mistepped. He started running down the long staircase. His flip flops tapping on the metal of the steps. 

He could faintly make out footsteps from Pearl underneath of him.

He stomped down the rest of the three flight of steps and to the bottom of the dimly lit hallway. "Pearl! Pearl!" he looked left, then right and decided to go to his left. "Pearl!" he ran down the quiet hallway. "We need to talk about this!" 

Nobody answered him.

He kept his pace up, running down the long hallway. 

He panted as he charged forward down the cellar flooring of the area. "Pearl!" his voice echoed off the walls and he could hear his voice down the opposite hall behind him. 

He kept running, until a dead end reached him. He turned the corner and ran down the next hall. He sprinted down, passing another hallway and seeing a familiar figure.

He stopped and ran back.

It was Pearl at the far end of the hall. 

"Pearl!"

She turned her head in his direction and saw him. She pivoted around to face him. Her expression more guilty and ashamed. 

He ran down the hall towards her. "Pearl, we need to talk about this! I.. I didn't know I was leading you on! I just wanted to get to know you as friends! I just.. I didn't think you felt like that towards me!" 

_He's_ sorry.. yet_ she_ was the one who kissed _him.._

"I _don't_ want to talk!" 

He stopped just in front of her. "But why? Clearly we need to-"

"You listen here." she pointed her finger at him, cutting him off. "And you listen good." she hissed out. She jabbed a finger to his chest, pushing him back. "What happened, shouldn't had happened. I made a HUGE mistake and I'm sorry I ever did it!" 

He stood there, confused. "Wha.. what? I.. but you-"

"Listen, kid. Don't you be having any ideas. Okay? I _don't_ like you. I never did when I first saw you in the alley when we were fighting Centi and I never. will. So stop. _trying_ to be my friend. I don't. need you and your sympathy. or your stupid friendship. So _leave_.." she stepped up to him. "me.. ALONE!" she pushed him. 

He fell back hard in his back and he grunted.

"Maybe you'll finally get it through her head.. Maybe you'll finally stop now." she glared at him. "I despise you." she said through her teeth. 

Steven got up to his feet. 

His expression was serious and stern. 

"I.." he clenched his teeth. "Pearl, you say stuff and do stuff that's.. so contradicting!! No matter WHAT you do, I try being nice to you! And then, I get that glimpse of you lowering your guard and being yourself and then you're back to being mean to me! You almost let me die MULTIPLE times already! You almost KILLED me at the beach a couple days ago! And then you just... you just KISSED me!! It's like a rollercoaster with you, Pearl!! I don't understand!" 

"Just!!-"she tensed up. "Uhg, nothing!! You wouldn't understand!!" 

"If you just.. simply _tell_ me I would! Things would be MUCH easier if. you would just. tell me!!"

"I.." her eyes were tensed and misty. She shook her head. "Nothing!!" she shouted. "Forget it!!"

"So that's it!? We're just going to, act like that didn't just happen back there?!" he couldn't believe it. He really couldn't believe she was acting like this.

_"Yes."_ she said coarsely.

He stood there glaring at her. And she met his with a narrowed eyed look of her own. 

Silence..

He _still_ didn't know what was going on with Pearl. Her indecisive actions towards him. Her, love-hate relationship towards him when he literally didn't do ANYTHING to her.. And just when he thought he was finally getting through to her as they talked and had a good time laughing.. and then with the kiss, she does a 360 and saying that she despises him. 

What. _was_ it with this woman.. SERIOUSLY! 

He was upset. Of course he was. He was irritated and annoyed and confused. And now he had this guilt because _she_ kissed _HIM_.

He kept his glare on hers and her scowl wavered. He could see tears in her eyes.

The woman masking her emotions as she usually did..

And her barrier was slowly being broken down..

That look..

Slowly.. slooowly, he could feel his self steadily calming down. 

Clearly she was going through something. 

And yelling would only make it worse. 

Besides.. he was supposed to be a new and improved Steven Universe.. that's what he'd told his last therapist. 

And the new and improved Steven Universe wouldn't have his outburst and take it out on people like he'd done many times before.

_This_ Steven would take a better approach. 

He was going to talk to her. 

And he only had one simple thought.. one question he wanted to ask that could make matters worse or better.. or without an effect at all. 

He had to address the obvious. 

With the ups and downs of her emotions towards him.. he only had one idea he wanted to discuss and talk about. 

His expression softened to a saddening look. He couldn't believe he didn't of this just a few seconds sooner before he yelled at her. 

He sighed. The anger completely gone from him. And sympathy and comfort were creeping back into him. He looked up at her downcast eyes. "Do I .. somehow remind you of him, Pearl?" 

She cut off a gasp and stayed completely still. "..W, what?" 

"Lonny." 

She looked at him. 

"Miss Lee was talking about it. She was saying how much I resembled him." he shrugged. "I wasn't sure if it was some.. emotional thing? Or.. I don't know.. but maybe you're seeing him in me?" then he added. "But please correct me if I'm wrong." he stepped towards her. "Am I making this painful for you, Pearl? Do you see his face whenever you look at me?" he saw a tear slide down her cheek. "Is that it? Because.. I'm having a hard time figuring out why you're treating me like this. Do you treat me bad because you really have this love-hate relationship with _him_ and _not_ me?" 

He watched as another tear fell down her cheek.

"I'm.. sorry, Pearl. I don't want to make you cry but.. we really need to get to the bottom of this.. I'm tired of being treated this way." 

More tears fell down her desolate face. 

And he stood there. Waiting patiently. 

More tears fell silently down her cheeks and she wiped at one. She sighed. "Talc,... I-" 

They heard a low creak from down the hall, a ways from them. 

To Steven, it souded like it could've been a door being opened. He turned around. "What was that?"

Pearl had a confused look on her face. "Sounded like the door to the cells." 

_Does she mean the cells where they're keeping their sick friends?!_

"The what?" he turned back to her. 

Pearl shut her mouth. Her eyes opened wide as she realized her mistake of letting that slip out.

Though little did she know.. he already knew about them..

"Don't worry." he quickly said. "I already know about them. I, was just making sure I heard you correctly." he tried to play it off. Then he added. "I walked down the hall where the cells were when I went to go rescue Miss Lee."

Pearl relaxed her eyes back. Then she realized that she was currently talking to someone who she was just about to have a deep conversation with. Someone she'd just yelled at before that.

She twisted up her face in embarrassment and ran pass him to investigate. 

"Pearl! Pearl, wait!" his voice echoed throughout the halls. 

She turned around and shushed him loudly and turned back around and headed to her left down the hall to the door.

Steven kept quiet as he ran far behind her.

Pearl reached the huge, heavy, dark gray metal door. 

Steven was still trying to catch up to her.

She put in the code to the tablet and opened the door. Slowly, she slid herself through and closed the door softly behind her.

Steven caught up moments later and put in the code. The light lit green and he pushed open the door slowly and carefully. He turned around and closed it back quietly.

And he could hear the shouts, screams and groans from their sick friends accompanied by banging, clanking and chains sliding across the floor of their cells. 

Pearl was already halfway down the hall. He started running after her and she turned around, scowling at him. She put her finger up to her mouth and gestured with her other hand down at the flip flops. 

He nodded fervently and took the flip flops off and picked back up on his running.

He'd eventually caught up to her moments later and the two walked down the rest of the hall together to the end of it and to an adjacent hall to their left. They looked down the hallway to see Garnet just turning the corner to another hall. 

"Garnet." Steven whispered. 

Pearl had a skeptic look on her face. "What is _Garnet_ doing down here? She knows we're not supposed to be down here unless accompanied by Amethyst or a Tourmaline. Or, even an Apatite." she started down the hall and Steven followed closely behind.

The two of them continued their walk, hearing the screams and groans growing louder and the clanking and the rattling of chains getting louder the closer they got to the end of the hall.

They made it to the corner and Pearl crouched down and slowly, carefully, she peered around the corner.

Steven took a step beside her, bending down slightly and he peered around the corner with her. 

Garnet had stopped and turned around to face a cell. She crouched down in front of it and began waving her hand in a beckoning motion.

"What is she doing with our sick friend?" Steven whispered.

Screams, screeches and clanking echoed louder in the area. 

Garnet brought her hand back to her side pocket. She took out four vials and placed them down in front of her. 

Pearl's mouth opened slightly in shock. "And what is she doing with those vials?" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned for Secret Team! :)


	177. Caught vial handed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! Three chapters already! ~o~  
XD

Pearl leaned back from the corner. "I'm getting to the bottom of this." she got up and jumped out from her spot. "Garnet!"

"Pearl!" she pivoted around to the woman. She snatched the vials from off the floor.

"What do you think you're doing down here?!" she walked up to her.

"Pearl, I was just.." she was getting up slowly. She looked worried. 

She'd been caught.

And now.. she would have to explain herself..

Steven put his flip flops back on and walked out from the corner. 

"You were just. _what_. Garnet?" she saw the woman look at Steven, then back to her. Pearl crossed her arms. "What are you doing with those vials Garnet?" she ignored their sick friends poking their arms out between the bars of their cell and screaming out. "And what are you doing down here? You _know_ you're breaking a rule. You know you're not supposed to be down here unless escorted."

The woman's face twisted. "I know.." she whispered. 

"Then what's your reason?" she rounded on her.

She sighed. She looked to her side at an older woman screeching at her. Her brown skin mottled and crusted with green and blue lesions on her face. Her eye completely yellow and the other showing a milky white iris and the whites of her eyes bloodshot red. Dark blue and yellow spikes lined the side of her dry, scaly arms and legs and her neck and feet were covered in gray, flaky patches. 

She looked back at Pearl. "I was planning on mixing these vials and trying it on her." 

Pearl contorted her face in skepticism. She raised an eyebrow at her. "So you're using the vials.. to try and treat her.." she deadpanned. "Even though that's what we've been doing for everyone else here.." she didn't quit understand what Garnet was getting at.

There was another sigh, more tired, from Garnet. She looked back at the sickly woman. "The truth is.. I've been trying to find a cure for these people for years, but I've been trying it on just one specific person." there was a guilty, sorrowful look to her eyes. "Every time we would get vials, I would always leave a drop in there and keep the vials. Then, I would start mixing them together by myself in my room to make up my own medicine." she kept her eyes on the screeching woman as she clawed at the walls. "Then I would come back down here and give her the new vial." 

"You're trying to make your own cures." said Steven and Pearl turned back to glare at him. 

Garnet turned from the cell and nodded at him. "Yes." then she added. "The Peridots are trying the best that they can.. and I figured I could try and do it too." she took out a small notepad from out of her pocket. "And with very mixture, I would write stuff down. I have tones of these newfound analysis stored in a box in my room." 

"Wow, Garnet..Even without anyone telling you, you're still taking the extra approach to save them." Steven smiled. He saw an appreciative smile coming to Garnet's face before Pearl cut in. "But your little stunt is sabotaging these vials, Garnet!" 

She dropped her smile as she and Steven looked at the woman. 

"What if what's needed is EVERY drop?! Then YOU are essentially preventing us from finding a proper cure!" 

"I was thinking that too.. but.." she bit at her bottom lip. "I still took that chance to find a cure. We need to help them to get better-"

"But we DON'T even know if what you're doing is preventing that! The Peridots are specifically writing how much we used and constructing their analysis like that, BUT now every piece of information has been wrong because of you!" 

"I didn't mean to make it out that way. I don't think that taking a bit should matter.. though I see where you're coming from." she put the notepad back in her pocket. "I just want them to get better." 

Pearl shook her head. "No, Garnet. You want _her_" she pointed at the woman. "to get better." she threw her hand back down to her side. "What you're doing is selfish." 

Garnet's expression went from shock to a narrowed eyed glare. "Well, sorry you feel that way." she said plainly. "I'm just trying different methods. If you think that's being selfish, then that's on you." 

"It is being selfish. You're not _really_ caring about these Crystal Gems." she gestured with her arms on either side to the cells around them. "You're only thinking about that woman. And if it wasn't for her you know you wouldn't had been doing this." Garnet's eyes wavered and she looked down, away from Pearl's scowl. "You know you wouldn't. You're only doing it for _her._ NOT for _them."_

Garnet turned away from Pearl. "I still think my method is working." she untwisted two vials and poured one into the other. "I could make a breakthrough." she put the empty vial into her pocket. "I could be just steps away from finding a cure." she untwisted the top off of the third one. 

"This is wrong Garnet." 

The woman ignored her and poured the small drops in. She placed the empty vial in her pocket with the other one and started untwisting the top from the last vial. 

Pearl's scowl grew tighter. "What would Amethyst think of what you're doing?" she hissed out. 

Garnet stopped and looked at Pearl. She resisted a nervous look though Pearl could still see the fear in her eye. 

"What do you mean?" she tried to keep her voice leveled. "Do you think she's ever going to find out?" then she raised her eyebrow at her. "Or you mean that _you_ will tell her?" 

Pearl was staring at the woman. The last vial still in her hand and tipped over towards the other vial. "It's possible for her to find out what you're doing." 

"When you tell her you mean." 

"I didn't say that." 

"I'm doing this Pearl." she said plainly. She turned her attention back to her hands and poured the drops into the vial. She put the empty tube inside her pocket with the other two and took out a small case. She opened it and took out a needle. 

"Garnet." Pearl's voice was soft. Almost pleading now. "You can't keep doing this. You probably really are messing our analysis up."

Garnet looked at her.. then turned back and went to the needle in her hand. She pulled the piece up and the liquid slid up into the tube. She put the empty vial in her pocket and turned around. "Now, if you will excuse me, Pearl. I need to open her cell up." she started walking down the hall-

Pearl stepped in front of her.

Garnet shifted her glare to the woman.

"Garnet.. you can do this one last time since you already sabotaged these remaining vials" she warned. "but that's it. All of this needs to stop. You're ruining our chances of finding a proper cure." 

"I don't see it that way."

Pearl sighed. "I'm not trying to be the bad guy here. I _also_ want these Crystal Gems to get better. And that includes the woman too. But what you're doing is shifting the Peridots' evaluations off." she turned to the side. "I'll open the cell to save you some time. You just, hurry and go give her the needle so we can hurry up and get out of here before Amethyst decides to come looking for us." she started walking away.

Garnet went back to the cell.

Pearl walked towards Steven. The boy was looking at her as she power walked down the hall. She twisted her face at him. "And _you_ can go back upstairs. You don't need to be here." she walked pass him. "We don't need you." she grumbled.

..And there she goes again..

Steven jogged up towards her. "Pearl, WHAT is going on?! Why can't you treat me like a. sensible person?!"

She looked down at him. Her face showing contempt and disgust. "I have nothing _sensible_ to say to you. So just leave me alone." 

"But I don't think there's a fair reason why you're acting like this towards me." 

Pearl stopped in front of a tablet around the corner and began pressing the numbers into the keypad.

"So you're just going to ignore me now?"

"Garnet, what's the cell number?"

"Twenty three." she heard the woman.

_..one, nine-_

"Pearl, this isn't right!"

_eight_ "Leave me alone." she snapped. _nine_. The light lit up green and the screen on the tablet went to the main menu.

"I won't! This time, I won't. I want to get to the bottom of this." 

"I'm busy." she scrolled down the page-

"Is it Lonny? It's him, isn't it? Just tell me the truth!"

"Talc, shut it!"

"What's the hold up!?" they heard Garnet yell out from the adjacent hallway. 

"Uh, I'm going to the menu now!" Pearl clicked on the numbered option and was taken to another page.

Steven leaned towards her. "Pearl, you can't keep avoiding this. I've been patient for so long and.. uhg, I'm just. TIRED of it. I just need to know!" then he added with irritation in his voice. "Please!"

She clicked on the second option and was taken to a series of cells in the area. She started scrolling from Cell 1.

_Cell 2, Cell 3, Cell 4, Cell 5.._

"Pearl-"

"Talc, I have NOTHING. to say to you." _..Cell 9, Cell 10, Cell 11, Cell 12, Cell 13.._"so just.. shut your mouth already!" _..Cell 19, Cell 20.._

"No! Not this time."_..Cell 22, Cell 23.._ "I think I deserve an answer!" _..Cell 25, Cell 26.._ "We need to talk about this!" 

"Talc!"_..Cell 28, Cell 29-_ "Tsk." she growled as she scrolled back up. _..Cell 28, Cell 27.._ "I DON'T want to talk to you. _..Cell 25, Cell 24.._ "And right now we need to focus on getting out of here!" she went to press the number twenty three on the screen-

"But, I just don't see why we can't just talk!-"

She hovered her thumb over the release button and she leaned into his face. She used her other hand to grab the front of his shirt. "You listen here, kid." she hissed. "What we're going to do RIGHT now. is let Garnet hurry up and do what she has to do." her thumb was idly slanting towards the red **Open All** option on the screen. "THEN leave. and we go back to that STUPID moped you brought to rescue Kyanite on. and continue to fix it. and we don't even SPEAK of what happened. earlier." her angered face was just a couple inches away from his.

His face dropped. No matter how many times he asked and yelled, it didn't seem to matter to her. "B, but.. Pearl.. I just want explanation. Please.. that's all I want." he frowned. 

"Pearl! What's going on?"

Pearl growled. She threw her hand out, pushing him back and he stumbled. She pressed her thumb on the screen and heard the sound of bars sliding up-

"PEARL, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! CLOSE THE CELLS!! YOU OPENED ALL OF THE CELLS!!" they heard Garnet yell. 

"WHAT?!" she shrieked. 

They heard loud piercing screams and screeches and the sound of heavy stomps across the floor accompanied by Garnet yelling out. And more banging and something heavy slamming into the walls.

"Garnet!!" Steven started running for the corner and Pearl quickly pressed the **Close All** option on the screen and ran right behind him. The sound of bars coming back down joined in the commotion in the hall. 

Steven stepped out from the corner just as a heavy figure knocked into him, knocking the wind out of him and tackling him down to the floor hard. 

Pearl squealed as the hulking woman had turned on her heels and was now coming for her.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Easy!" Pearl went to grab a canister from her back pocket when the woman bulldozed into her, knocking Pearl off her feet. She slid a few feet across the basement floor and the woman rushed down the empty hall. 

Steven groaned, slowly pushing his self up and rolling to his knees. He saw Pearl get up. "Hey!" she started running for the woman. "Hey get back here!!" she spun her canister counterclockwise and the spear going out. 

Steven gasped. "Pearl! Don't hurt her!!" he pushed his self up to his feet as five other figures of all sizes ran pass him. He screamed and held his arms up. Three went towards his right and two went to his left. The last one, running into him and knocking him back hard into the floor. 

He groaned harder, pushing his self up to a sitting position. His body felt like it'd been hit by a ton of bricks. He saw Garnet fighting off two women. One had her in a headlock and the other one had her arms wrapped around her legs. 

"Garnet!" he got up to his feet and ran for her.

Garnet elbowed the first woman in the stomach. The woman bent down, grunting and Garnet threw her arms up. One hand grabbed the back of the woman's head. And the other, palm facing her, grabbed the top of the woman's neck, just below her jawline. Garnet squeezed her thumb into the bottom of her jaw and the woman screamed out and let go of Garnet's neck. She went to grab at Garnet's hand, trying to pull it away from her jaw and Garnet used her other hand that was on her head and pulled down. Her neck bent hard to the side and Garnet kept her hands there, holding the lady in a painful pose for a few moments until she bucked back, pushing the lady back hard as she let go of her. The lady stumbled back, in pain and lost her balance and fell on the floor, holding her neck. 

Steven ran up to Garnet as she was leaning over the second woman. Her arm wrapped around the back of the woman's neck. "Garnet!-"

"I got her." she grunted. "You get the one on the ground. Pin her down!"

"Uhh..nnnnng.." Steven, _nervously_ ran towards the hulking, muscular woman. "Uh.." he looked back at Garnet. 

"Get on the stomach! Remember what I taught you on the first day of training!"

There were a few things he was taught and he was freaking out so much he couldn't remember even one. 

He ran up to the woman just as she was slowly leaning up to a sitting position. He lunged towards her, using his shoulder and his body weight to knock her upper torso back to the floor and he quickly straddled her waist. She threw her arms out towards him and grabbed at his arms and he screamed as she went to pull him off of her.

"Talc! Lock your legs under hers so she can't push you off!" Garnet jammed her fingers into the woman's collarbone and she screeched. She let go of Garnet's legs to try and pry her hand off and Garnet used her other hand to hit her in her side. The woman bent to her left and Garnet used the momentum to push the woman further over as she used her leg in a sweep kick, hitting the woman's ankles and knocking her off her feet.

Steven had managed to wrap his legs under the woman's. Her legs snugged tightly right behind the crook of his knees. She continued to try and push him off but she couldn't.

"The inside of the arm, Talc!" Garnet shouted. 

He looked over. "Like this!" he saw Garnet press the inside of the woman's arm just a couple inches from the elbow. The woman screeched as Garnet pushed the woman's arm down.

Steven struggled under the woman's hands. He lifted one arm up from the elbow and tried bringing his arm across him to the other side towards his opposite arm. He grabbed at the woman's arm and squeezed.

Nothing happened.

"It has to be further down. And pinch harder!"

He tempted to. Her slowly slid his hand further down and squeezed his thumb into her arm. 

The woman screeched and let go of his arm. With his other arm now free he brought it over to her other arm, doing the same thing. His thumb pinched into her nerve and she let go with another screech.

"Talc!"

He looked back at Garnet. "Do this!" the woman was about to grab Garnet when she grabbed the lady's arm and threw it down to her chest. Garnet laid her torso on top of the woman's arm, putting her weight on the woman's torso and she took the lady's other arm and threw it to the ground, bending the elbow up into a right angle.

Steven did as instructed. He took his lady's thrashing arm and threw it in front of him and laid his weight on her. She was about to grab with the other arm when he pressed on the nerve on her arm again, making her screech in pain. He threw the arm to the floor and bent the arm at a right angle from the elbow. 

"Grab the wrist!" he saw Garnet grab the woman's wrist on the ground, keeping the top of her arm and shoulder pinned down to the woman's neck and the side of her face. Then she used her other arm, palm facing up, and sliding underneath of the lady's arm. She grabbed at her own wrist, locking the woman's arm in place underneath of her. She pinned her head to the woman's arm and pulled up slightly.

Steven darted his eyes from both Garnet, to his last and back to Garnet and the lady again as he tried to mimic what Garnet had down while keeping his weight in the woman moving underneath of him.

With the arm he was laying on, he stretched his arm out and grabbed at her wrist on the floor, then slid his other arm underneath hers and grabbed at his own wrist and he felt the secure lock on her arm. He brought his head down to her arm and pulled up hard. The woman hollered out loud in his ear- 

"Talc! You're pulling her arm up too high, you're going to tear her shoulder or break her arm."

"Oh! Sorry! I didn't mean to!-" he was easing off of her-

"But not too loose! Don't let her break free!"

"Uh?..." he pulled back on her arm just slightly.

The two of them laid there, keeping hold on the women.

"Are you okay?" Garnet asked. 

"Uh.. y, yeah." he looked down at the woman underneath him then back at Garnet.

Garnet sighed. "How did this happen?" she said sharply.

"Uh..." he shrugged. 

Garnet eyed him skeptically.

He cleared his throat and looked down, pretending to keep an eye on the lady under him.

They heard more screeching and the sound of Pearl grunting.

They turned around and saw a looming, staggering shadow coming towards them from down the hall.

Moments later and they saw Pearl with the hulking woman. Her spear right underneath of the woman's throat as she had the woman's back pinned down to her. She was walking backwards towards them, barely keeping the woman at bay. 

"Pearl!" Garnet shouted. "How did you open ALL of the cells?!" 

"I-" the woman tried leaning up and pulling away from her. Pearl grunted, pushing the spear closer towards her throat and the woman choked. "It was an accident." she dragged the woman down the hall and farther towards them.

"How did you make such a huge mistake like that?! Pearl! We have at least twenty of them running around amuck throughout the basement now?!" 

Pearl sighed hard. "I.. I just pressed the wrong button, Garnet!" 

"And now there are Crystal Gems most likely causing havoc as we speak!" 

"We gotta tell Amethyst!" Steven whined.

Pearl snapped her face towards him. "NO!! NO way!! I just freed a bunch of CORRUPTED Crystal Gems, okay?! They're going to crawl who knows where, ALL over the basement! And when Amethyst finds out, I am SO dead!!" she shrieked. 

Garnet tried calming herself down. "She's NOT going to find out." she told them. "We're going to catch them. ALL of them." 

Pearl was hyperventilating. "You're right. E, every single one. ALL back in their cell!! Back in the basement!!" she tried taking calm breaths, but they came out as short and shallow. "L, like nothing eever happened. "And" she looked at the two. Her eyes pleading and fearful. "And this is going to be our little secret." 

Garnet looked at her. 

Pearl looked even more fearful. "This HAS to stay a secret, okay?! Amethyst.. she's, she's going to-" 

"Relax, Pearl. We'll keep this as our little secret." she looked at Steven. "All we need to do, is hurry up and try to get everyone and put them all back in their cell before Amethyst finds out." 

"Easier said than done.." Steven said nervously. The woman continued to screech and waggle underneath of him. 

"We have no choice." said Garnet. "We're doing this."

Pearl pulled on the spear more, pulling the woman further into her chest. "Okay, let's just hurry and put these three back into their cells." the lady tried breaking free from her. 

Pearl let out a low, gruff noise as she pulled the woman. "Oh NO you don't!" she grumbled. She pulled on the spear harder and the woman screeched. 

"Pearl, bring her over!" Pearl looked at her shocked. "I'll hold her. You open her cell. I'll put her in." 

Pearl dragged the screaming, squirming woman over towards her. She threw her leg out and pulled it back in, letting her heel hit the woman's shin. The lady screeched. She picked up her pained leg, losing her balance in the process and Pearl turned her body to the side, flipping the woman down to the ground on her side. 

Pearl let go as Garnet let go of her lady and went in for a grab. She pulled the woman over top of her lady's arm and twisted the woman's arms up and pinned them down. The woman thrashed her legs around. 

Pearl hurried to the tablet. She put the code in and went to the first cell that the tablet had showed was empty. The motion sensors indicating no weight in one specific area or any movement. 

_Cell 2_

Pearl clicked the **Open Cell** option and heard the metal bars sliding up.

Garnet quickly shot up from the lady under her, keeping the woman that Pearl had tightly to her. She dragged the thrashing woman up the hall just as her lady began getting up.

Steven got up from his and lunged towards the woman. She screamed in his face and jumped to her left, trying to get away from him. He jumped with her, blocking her way and he kicked right where he saw Pearl kicked her lady. The woman screeched and grabbed her leg. Steven grabbed her arms and tried pulling her down just as the one he'd pinned down got up. She started running the opposite way from him. "No!" he shouted. He managed to throw the lady to the ground and he pinched both nerves in her arms. He threw one arm under him and leaned his chest on her as he slammed her other arm to the floor. He grabbed her wrist and slid his other arm underneath of hers and grabbed his own wrist, locking her arm into place. "Garnet!" he placed his head on the lady's shoulder and pulled her arm up, being mindful of not pulling up too far. "The woman is coming after you!" 

Garnet glanced at the woman charging towards her. She dragged the lady faster down the hall. She took her arms and pulled the woman to the side. She advanced a step and pushed the woman hard. The lady stumbled back, falling backwards in the cell. "Pearl! Close the cell!" she heard the sound of the bars coming back down as the woman rushed down the hall, seemingly to run pass her and Garnet lunged towards her. She tackled her to the ground. "Open the next one!" 

Just a few seconds later she heard and saw the bars of Cell 3 opening up in front of her, right across from the cell she'd pushed the first lady into. 

She picked the woman up, keeping her in a headlock and she took her leg and swept it low, tripping the woman. She pulled to the side hard, knocking the woman off balance and bushing her into the room of the cell. "Close the cell!"

A second later and the bars started to come down between them. The woman lunged for Garnet but ran into the bars. She half screeched half growled at her as she threw her arms between the bars to get at the woman.

Garnet ignored her and started running towards Steven. "Pearl, open the next one!" 

Pearl scrolled down to see Cell 6 ative but currently empty. She pressed the **Open Cell** button on the screen.

"I got her." said Garnet.

Steven started to get up from the squirming woman and Garnet grabbed her. He stood back up as Garnet put the lady in a headlock. She started dragging her up the hall and Steven followed her.

Garnet threw the woman inside of the cell. "Pearl, now!" the bars started to come down. 

Steven sighed in relief. "We managed to get _those_ three in."

"Yes." said Garnet. "But there are still plenty of other Crystal Gems running around down here."

Pearl was jogging back towards them.

Garnet turned to her. "Pearl. I was going to ask you to count how many active cells were empty."

"Twenty one of them." she answered. "I checked before logging back off."

"Twenty-one corrupted Gems?!?!" Steven grabbed at his hair.

"Then we don't have time to stand around. Let's hurry up and move out." she started running down the hall and the two followed on either side of her. "But how are we going to do this?!" Pearl shrieked. "We can't just keep going back and forth, back and forth!! That's going to take hours and Amethyst is DEFINITELY going to be looking for us to take him home." she jammed an accusing thumb at him. And he felt bad. Him being a reason Amethyst would be looking for them at any given moment.. 

"We'll just have to do the best that we can." said Garnet. "We don't have much of a choice." 

They heard loud banging and screeching in an adjacent hall to their left. They turned down the hall and saw another corrupted Gem dragging his feet across the floor. He bellowed out another screech as he made his way down the hall.

"I got him." said Garnet she picked up her pace. The guy wasn't paying attention. Keeping his eyes forward as he shuffled his green and blue blotched, spiked feet across the smooth basement flooring.

Garnet tackled him from the back and he let out a loud, screeching roar. He tried turning around and she pulled his arms back, pinning them to his back. She slid off of him and pulled him up to his feet. She started walking backwards, keeping him close to her.

The three of them went back, making it back down the hall and back to the hall with the cells. Pearl jogged away from the group and went back to the tablet.

A few seconds later and Cell 11 started opening up. Garnet pushed the man inside. "Pearl! Close the cell!" the bars started coming down. 

"Well.. at least that means we only have twenty more to go.." Steven said sheepishly.

"Mm." Garnet half answered him.

Pearl was running back down to them.

Garnet turned on her heels and started down the hall again and the two kept up with her. They turned down the same adjacent hall.

They could already hear another Gem just up ahead.

The woman was scratching and banging on the dead end wall.

"I got it this time." said Pearl. She ran up to the woman. She turned around just as Pearl got within a yard of her. She threw her calloused arm down to land a strike and Pearl dodged out the way. She jumped towards her and jumped up once more, throwing out her leg in a spin kick and kicking the woman in her face. The force and the pain knocked her to the ground and Pearl slammed her body down on the woman's chest. She swung her spear up to the woman's throat and pulled back hard. The woman choked.

Keeping the spear close to her throat, Pearl pushed the weapon upwards. Not trying to be choked, the woman leaned up with her, following Pearl's upward movement as Pearl got up to her feet. The lady thrashed about just a second after and tried pulling the spear from her throat.

Pearl grunted. "This one.. is" she pulled. "MM! Even feistier than the first one that I had!" she pulled the spear up more, nearly choking the woman. "MMMMHH!! See?! Doing THIS is.. UHG!- Going to take hours!!" she pulled the woman to the side, managing to knock her balance off slightly. "We can't keep going back and forth with this Garnet!! And then Talc can BARELY fend off a regular person, not to mention a CRYSTAL GEM who's CORRUPTED!! They're strong!! Even for us!!" she took a breath. "There's no way we'll be able to go back one by one like this!!" she started dragging the loud, screeching, fiesty woman towards them. "If they were much calmer!" she growled. "It'll be a bit. MMM!! EASIER!!" she snapped. "Oh. JUST.. STAY STILL ALREADY!!" 

The woman thrashed and bellowed out a loud scream.

Then Steven gasped and the two of them looked at him. "That's it!!" 

"What's it?" Garnet asked.

Pearl growled, still trying to keep the woman at bay.

Why hadn't he thought of this sooner?!

They were dealing with CORRUPTED Gems!

JUST like Azurite.

And, if his shield worked on her those two times then..

Steven dug into his pocket and took out his bracelet. He slid it on to his wrist.

"Your shield?" Garnet asked, confused.

"The heck is THAT going to do?!" Pearl grumbled out loudly. The woman struggled to get out from her spear.

Steven pressed the bracelet against his wrist and five braces jutted out from the band and latched onto the nails of his fingertips. The five, tiny, shiny pink circles laid on the knuckles of each brace. "You'll see." he smiled. He double tapped on his index finger and the pink shield activated in front of him. 

He jogged away from Garnet and towards Pearl. He stepped in front of the screaming woman and held the shield in front of him. "Don't be afraid." he said gently. "We're just trying to save you." he said into the shield. 

"What?! Are you kidding me?! You think.. TALKING to them will work?! They DON'T understand us!! They DON'T know what's going on!!" 

The woman was looking at a gentle looking face that'd told him they weren't going to hurt her. She'd been looking at huge, terrifying looking figures and distorted images and terrifying sounds like the one she was still hearing behind her as she still had her neck held under the figure's grasp. But now, she was actually looking at a person.

She was so confused. 

She could see him in a pink tint and hear him clearly. Yet she was still being held onto by the mysterious figure who was still shouting and roaring in her ears. And the round pink tint of the object was met with the distorted world around her. She tried not to focus on the outside perimeter, instead, keeping her eyes forward. 

_"Who are you?! What's going on?!_ she tried saying to him but she could only hear screeches coming out of her own mouth. She squirmed under the figure's strength.

"..ld you, Talc!! Nothing's working!!" Pearl shouted.

The woman squirmed and thrashed around under her spear.

Steven shook his head. "No, I think she was trying to say something that time. I saw something." he looked at the woman again. "Sorry.. but we can't understand you. I know you're scared, but you weren't acting like yourself. You were scratching and banging at the walls and we had to restrain you to prevent you from getting hurt." 

She was listening to the boy. 

She was doing that? From what _she_ saw, it'd been a dirt canyon and she was trying to dig herself out of the cave. 

She stopped struggling under the figure's grasp.

If she was doing that in reality, then she could understand why they would restrain her. 

And trying to squirm out of the hold probably wasn't a good look either if she wanted to be let out.

Pearl and Garnet looked at each other, exchanging surprised and shocked glances at the woman standing completely still. 

They looked back at Steven. 

"You were at war with the Diamonds." Steven explained. "They had unleashed this toxic stuff that had corrupted you and many other Crystal Gems. The stuff disfigured your body and done something to your mind." the woman listened intently. A horrified look to her face. "You and the others are now living with three Gems at one of our bases. We're still trying to find a cure." then he added. "There was a mistake just now and you ran out of your room." he wouldn't _dare_ say 'cell' "and we had to come and get you. And there are others that fled their rooms too. And we have to go get them as well." 

She had so many questions..

But without a voice, she couldn't..

"I know you must have so many questions." he said, as if he'd read her mind. "But once we find a cure and get you and the others better, we can answer all of them for you." she saw him look up and pass her. "Pearl." she heard the boy say. Was it the same Pearl that worked with Lonny and Rose Quartz? It must be since he didn't say a specific facet number after her name. So she must be THE Pearl.. ".. et her go. She's okay." 

She could assume it was hesitation on Pearl's part that prevented her from being released immediately. But after seconds later, she felt the grip leave her neck. She took a breath, rubbing the sore area. 

"To prevent you from going back to how you were acting before." she looked up at the boy as he talked to her once again. "You can stay by me, behind the shield." 

Without questioning she walked over to him, trying to keep focus on the shield and not the dark, terrifying place that wasn't tinted in pink. She got behind the shield to see the pink outside world.

And she saw THE Pearl with a shocked look to her face.

She was right. It _was_ the actual Pearl working under Lonny and Rose Quartz.

She was looking off to the side and at the boy standing beside her. "How did you do that?" she heard her ask.

"It's just something in this shield that calms them." and now he knew.. it was most definitely due to the pink diamond essence.. 

But _they_ couldn't know that..

"But.. what could be in it exactly that's making them calm? Maybe we should tell Peridot about this." said Pearl.

"I agree." she heard another voice unfamiliar to her. She turned, only to see a looming distorted figure and she turned back around to look at the pink in front of her. 

"And wait.." everyone looked at Pearl. She was looking at Steven. "How do you know about all of that?" 

"Huh?"

"About the Diamonds, the war, all of that. We never told you about them."

Steven almost gasped.

That's right..

It was Rose's room, then it was Mr. Wascoite, Miss Lee and Peridot who had told him more.

"Uh, Rose's room." he blurted out.

"But the memories in Rose's room doesn't have the last Gem war in it.." 

_Uh..._

Pearl narrowed her eyes at him. "I have a feeling that Kyanite told you all of that. There's no other way you would know all of this."

He shook his head. "It wasn't."

"It was." she said. "There's literally no other way. She was with you earlier and I have a feeling she told you a lot." he could hear the annoyance and anger in her voice. 

"Right now is not the time, Pearl. It doesn't matter how Talc found out the information. The point is he knows it now and there's nothing we can do about it. But right now, we should hurry up and get the others." 

Pearl's glare slowly left him and she looked back at Garnet with a more skeptic look to her face. "How are we supposed to have the rest of the nineteen Crystal Gems standing behind this small shield? Not all of them are going to be able to look at it."

"Oh.. yeah.." Steven realized and Garnet was quiet in thought. "Hmm.. you're right.." she eventually said.

"Yeah.." Steven mused. "Too bad I don't know how to make a bigger shield.. Amethyst was rushing the lesson and Peridot couldn't show me how."

They thought for just two solid seconds before Steven gasped again. "Wait a minute! I can try out my bubble!" he dug inside his pocket and took out the ring.

Pearl raised an eyebrow at him. "Ahh... could that.. actually work?" she looked at Garnet.

"Mm mm." she shrugged.

Steven put the ring on, feeling that warmth and spark that he always felt when placing the ring on his finger. He ran the ring across his arm and the bubble formed around the two. 

"Does that also work?" he asked her. 

They saw her look around.

She looked at the area, the first being to her left to see who's voice she was hearing. She had no clue who that woman was.. 

But then again, she didn't know the boy either.

They most likely recruited more people to fight off the Diamonds.

She looked above herself, then to her right at the boy and behind him. She felt a cool sensation under her feet and looked down at the pink tinted ground.

And also at the dark gray and blue blotches across her skin from the disfiguration the boy was talking about.

.. hopefully they would find a cure..

She looked up and gave them a thumbs up.

"Yay!!" the boy exclaimed as he threw his arms up in the air. "The bubble works too!! Guess I don't need this then." he double tapped on the nail of his index finger and the shield deactivated back into a tiny flat disk.

"I can't believe my flipping eyes.." Pearl gawked at the two in the bubble.

"Okay you three." they looked at Garnet. "Now that we've learned that we can use Steven's bubble, we won't have to constantly go back and forth AND everyone will be able to stay calm inside the bubble." she added with a head nod. "Now come on everyone. Let's go and get the others." 


	178. Secret Team

Garnet ran down the hall and Steven, accompanied by the woman and Pearl on the other side, ran with her.

The woman looked at the tall woman in front of them.

Was she the knew boss?

No.. that can't be.. 

They wouldn't let anyone like _that_ in charge.

(As sad as that may be..)

But, speaking of bosses.. where were Lonny and Rose Quartz?

The three of them followed the woman out the hall and to the left, going down the rest of the jall they'd just been in.

She could hear loud screeches and banging and screaming everywhere around her. She looked around the bubble.

The sounds sounded just like her when she tries to speak..

"Those are the rest of the Gems." Steven said to her. "Some are back in their rooms but we still have nineteen more to find." 

"There he is!" Pearl shouted.

There was a short, stout figure with scaly orange and red skin. He was running down the hall and away from them.

"He's not getting away that easily." said Garnet. She dashed down the hallway.

The man looked back and screamed out a blood curdling scream. He tried to run faster but Garnet quickly caught up to him. She tackled him to the ground. He tried tussling under her but she wrestled him further down and put him in a headlock. 

"Don't worry! We're not here to hurt you!" he heard an unfamiliar voice say from behind him but he scream out as someone put their knee in his back and pulled his shoulders upwards.

They're not? Yet here he was on the floor. The person letting go of his neck and shoulder and now grabbing his arms and pulling them back hard behind him. _"Then why am I being grabbed!?"_ his.. voice only came out in shrieks.

"Sorry, we can't understand you! You've been corrupted by the Diamonds during the war!" the voice said. And he was being picked up back to his feet. "You're sick and we need to put you back in your room! You and a few others ran out and we had to catch you before you hurt yourself or anyone else!" he was being turned around. He saw a distorted figure on one side but a bubble in front of him. Inside it, a young man, maybe in his late teens or early twenties and beside him.. a woman who's skin had been calloused and mottled with purple and black goop. Both eyes completely white.

What did she have?!

Could he catch it too?!

Who _was_ she?!

And who was the boy and why didn't _he_ look like that?

He stopped, not wanting to go near her. _Who are you too?! Where am I?!_ more screeches came out. He dug his heels in the floor.

Garnet pushed him forward.

_NO!!_ he tried getting out of her arms and Garnet tighten her grip on him.

"Don't be afraid! It's just me and another Crystal Gem who also got corrupted."

What?! 

Was _that_ what corruption looked like?

He looked down at his feet calloused just like her own skin, but orange and red in color and minus the goop. And he had horns coming out if his feet unlike hers.

So he was already just like her..

Just _what_ happened during the corruption? He could remember being at war.. then.. 

The man looked like he was in thought as he began walking with Garnet once more.

Right as Garnet and the guy were just a few inches from him, he said. "Okay, I'm about to deactivate the bubble for just a second. But don't be alarmed." they watched him swipe across the bubble and the bubble disappeared and for a split second as he ran the ring back across his arm, they were seeing the distorted, looming, terrifying figures around them. The woman seeing one figure letting go of another figure and him seeing two standing side by side in front of him. And a second later, they were seeing pink again. 

"Sorry about that guys." they heard the boy apologize to him. 

"Eighteen more to go." said a familiar voice and the man turned to see.. Pearl. 

But.. where was Amethyst? And.. who was this new woman? 

Were Lonny and Rose out on another mission while they had to go and get them and out them back into their rooms? 

How did they even get out in the first place?-

The group was running now and he stumbled, not paying attention. 

"Sorry." said the assumably new Crystal Gem. "I thought you heard us."

They ran down the hall immediately running into another corrupted Crystal Gem. Her skin was covered in purple rashes and bumps and she had horns running along the back of her arms.

She noticed the two looming figures and a bubble in the middle with a boy and two other disfigured humans. 

Did those figures capture them?!

She didn't want to be next one and turn out into those two.

Maybe the boy hadn't been with them long enough to not had been affected like the other two? But she didn't care what the reason behind that was and she was already sprinting down the hall and far away from them.

"Don't run! We're not trying to hurt you!"

She ignored them. 

She didn't believe them.

And she tried picking up her pace but she soon felt something heavy slam into her. She slid across the floor was immediately put into a chokehold. She screamed out. 

"Don't worry. We're just here to help you." she heard the voice again. "You've been corrupted by the Diamonds during the war and the toxic stuff disfigured your body and messed up your mind." she was being picked up and she still thrashed under the chokehold. "Please, you have to calm down." the voice said gently. "We're the Crystal Gems just like you. You broke out from your room and we had to quickly get you back before you hurt anyone else or yourself." she was being dragged towards the bubble. The looming figure with a huge, sharp weapon in her hand right by the pink bubble with the prisoners inside. _"Let me go!" _ she screeched out. 

She couldn't talk to them..

But why-

..The boy's words of her being disfigured came to mind..

She looked down at her feet covered in purple rashes and bumps. She screamed. Horrified. 

What exactly did the Diaminds do?!

Were they trying to take her back to give her the cure?!

She stopped squirming.

Maybe the boy was right after all..

Maybe she could trust them?

Someone was pushing her towards the bubble.

"We're going to put you in this bubble along with everyone else. There's something in this bubble that helps you to calm down." he said.

Pearl watched from the side as Garnet got close to the bubble.

"Now, I'm going to deactivate the bubble for just a second to put you inside with us." he warned them.

He swiped his hand on the bubble and it disappeared. The corrupted Gems saw the distorted area around them for a second before seeing the world pink around them instantly after.

They heard a loud bang. Like the sound of something hard running into the wall up the hall behind them. 

"Looks like we have to go back." said Pearl she ran down and Steven, accompanied by the corrupted Gems and Garnet ran behind her.

There was a woman who was running down towards. She slammed her shoulder hard into the wall and bounced off. She ran back again, throwing herself hard against the surface. She screeched and emailed loudly.

The corrupted Gems looked at her bumpy blue and black skin and dark gray eyes. They looked on in shock and horror. 

"I got this one." Pearl sprinted up and the woman saw the creepy figure crawling fast towards her and she stopped in her tracks. She turned back around screaming.

Pearl leapt from the floor to the side wall and pushed off the surface, using the momentum to rocket her body hard into the side of the woman. She lost her balance and she was tackled into the ground.

And Steven quickly went to prepare his speech. "We're not trying to hurt you! We're the Crystal Gems just like you! You've been corrupted by the Diamonds during the war just like the ones in the bubble. You ran out of your room and we had to go and find you before you hurt yourself or any one of us!" she was being pinned down on the floor and she could feel an object towards her throat. "Sorry for using the weapons, but it was just to restrain you. We're just here to help you. To take you back to your room just like the others." she slid her face across the ground to look to her right to see where the voice was coming from. She didn't recognize the boy and she was horrified to see the other "Crystal Gems" so disfigured. And even _more_ horrified to see a terrifying figure beside them. 

The weight on her back was slowly being lifted off of her as someone behind her started to get up. "See? We're not here to hurt you. We're just going to put you in the bubble since it helps calm people down." she was helped up and she looked down her arm to see long, bumpy fingers from the figure she stopped in her tracks and looked at the horrifying thing. 

Steven saw the woman's eyes grow wide with terror. "Don't worry, that's just Pearl. She's trying to help." 

THE Pearl?! What happened to her?! Was that corruption too?! 

She looked at the other corrupted Gems and their looks but they weren't as distorted and terrifying as _her._

Did she look like her too?!

She looked back down, not paying attention to her arm the first time she looked. Her skin was mottled in blue and black. And she had both small and big blue and purple bumps all around her skin.

This was horrifying..

This has never happened to them.. Even in their worst of battles nothing like this has ever happened..

"Don't be alarmed, but I am now about to deactivate the bubble, then reactivate it back around us." 

Pearl let go and just as Steven ran his hand across the inside of the bubble, deactivating it, he quickly ran the jewel back across his arm and the bubble formed around them once again.

And the woman turned around to see.. Pearl again. The actual Pearl. Exactly how she looks except now pink through the pink tint of the bubble. 

Had her eyes been deceiving her? Did she not really look like that figure she was seeing just a second ago? She_did_ did notice the discolored eyes on the other corrupted Crystal Gems, so maybe hers was like that as well? 

"Looks like we're getting somewhere!" he looked to the corrupted Gems around him.

They heard more loud noises coming from the opposite end of the hall where they were heading down before.

"No time to celebrate now." said Garnet. "Sounds like we have a group of Gems just up ahead." she started running back down the hall. 

Steven spread his arms out slightly to widen the bubble. "There, now we have more room." he told them. "Okay, now let's go." he started a slow jog in his bubble to ease them into what he was doing before running behind Garnet. 

Just as they were halfway down the long hall of closed doors, a tall, hulking gem had ran out from an a adjacent hallway, almost crashing into Garnet. She jumped back just in time before the woman could tackle her down. And when she threw her muscular arms down towards Garnet, Garnet back flipped out the way as her dark red blotched hands slammed down hard into the floor. 

Pearl came running up pass the bubble with the spear in her hand. The woman saw her and screeched out in fear. She ran away from her and towards the corner of the hall they were in and the adjacent hall. She started climbing up the corner and towards the high ceiling to get away from them. 

"Where does she think she's going? She can't possibly think she can get away from us." Pearl grumbled out smugly. She jumped up, clearing ten feet up and she grabbed onto the woman's shoulders and wrapped her arms around her torso. The woman screamed and tried bucking her off as she steadily climbed up and Pearl threw the spear around the front of her face and under her throat. 

_Welp.. here comes another short speech._

"Don't be alarmed!" he shouted up at her. "We're not trying to hurt you. We're the Crystal Gems and we're just trying to help you! The Diamonds corrupted you and lot's of other Crystal Gems in the war! Your body has been disfigured and the toxic stuff also did something to your mind."

Now that he thought about it.. he kept saying 'toxic stuff' but.. he honestly_ still_ didn't know how the Diamonds corrupted them..

"Sorry for scaring you and for putting a weapon under your throat, but we weren't doing that to hurt you! Just to restrain you!" 

He saw the woman look back.

He waved at her. "See? I have them in the bubble because this bubble has some kind of healing stuff in it. It's not a cure but it helps calm you down." he explained. "And we're here _now_ because you and everyone in here had escaped from your rooms. We just want to put you and everyone else back in the room to keep you safe from harm. We don't want you running around in the Gem base and getting hurt or hurting anyine else."

The woman screeched out softly and her expression dropped to more confusion.

Steven shook his head and gave her an apologetic smile. "Sorry.. but we can't understand you.. That's one of the symptoms from the corruption."

There was a mixture of a huff and a screech and Steven assumed it was an equivalent of a sigh from the corrupted woman. She started climbing back down and Pearl jumped off of her and landed back down to the floor.

Steven walked up towards the corner as she steadily climbed down towards him. He waited until both of her feet were back on the floor before he gave them a warning. "Now I'm going to deactivate the bubble and reactivate it back around us. It'll only take like a second." he ran his hand on the bubble and it deactivated and he quickly ram the jewel across his arm to activate the bubble back around them.

They could hear the same loud screaming and banging from before. 

"There's still plenty more up ahead!" said Garnet. She ran and Pearl and Steven with the bubbled corrupted Gems followed her. 

As they started reaching the dead end of the hall, they saw four corrupted Gems. Two were above them, each one on top of a security camera and the other two were below them. All four of them were screeching and clawing at he walls. 

And the first woman that Steven had put in his bubble wondered if that was how _she_ looked when she thought she was digging through the "dirt of the canyon."

"Steady.." said Garnet. "They could either continue clawing the wall or start charging at us.."

"I can take the ones up top." said Pearl. She narrowed her eyes in determination towards the two women.

"Wait!" Steven stopped them and they turned around. "Maybe we can just try talking to them?" then he shouted out. "Hello?!" the corrupted Gems all turned their heads back towards them all at once.

Garnet and Pearl braced themselves. Garnet putting her hands up in front of her and Pearl holding the spear steady in her hands.

They saw the looming, nightmarish figures right in front of them and they started to panic and scream at them. The turned back around and started clawing harder-

"Whoa.. whoa.." Steven held his hands up despite of them not looking. "Don't be afraid! We're not going to hurt you!" .. how many times has he said this already?..

"We're Crystal Gems like you and we're just here to save you four." 

The corrupted Gems inside of the bubble and Garnet and Pearl watched as the corrupted Gems turned back around to Steven. They could see other people, though disfigured unlike him, inside the bubble with him. 

They were so confused..

They'd never seen that Crystal Gem before.. 

And why was he surrounded by those people? And what happened to them? 

He said _'We're_ Crystal Gems'..

Was he referring to the ones in the bubble or the terrifying figures _outside_ of the bubble? 

They were just _so_ confused.

And scared.....

And.. did he just say .. 'to save you four'?

They started looking around. They only saw _more_ nightmarish figures beside them and they screeched. They only panicked more.

He couldn't had been referring to _them.._ as other Crystal Gems? They didn't even look remotely human. At least the ones in the bubble _looked_ human. 

"It's just other Gems, just like you." he was trying to reassure them. "You all have been corrupted by the Diamonds during the war. It affected your bodies and your minds."

Was that really what happened?

They were trying to think back on what had happened. Each of them having their own different memories of what they were doing during the war and then hearing and seeing a loud blast-

"A handful of you escaped from your rooms. We need to bring you back to get some rest and before you hurt yourselves or anyone else. Everyone is in this bubble because the healing properties in it keeps them calm." then he added gently. "We just want everyone to be safe."

Steven waited patiently in his bubble as one on the floor started to slowly walk up to him. Then one started to climb down from the security cameras, then the second one. Three of them cautiously came towards them. 

"Sorry this happened to you. We're still trying to find a cure."

Aside from the first corrupted Gem Steven put in his bubble, that shocked the rest of the Gems both inside _and_ outside of the bubble. 

"But the Peridots are working extremely hard to find one."

They stopped a foot in front of the bubble, not sure what to do next or how to get in.

Steven looked pass them and at the one who was still over by the wall. "You can trust us. Everything we're saying is true. We're just trying to take everyone back in their rooms. We don't want anyone else getting hurt.

The lady stood there.. still worrying and wondering if she could _really_ trust him or not..

Where was everyone else?

Lonny? Rose Quartz? Amethyst? Pearl? Mr. Wascoite?

And who was _he_ exactly? She'd never seen him before.

"Come on." he beckoned a hand with a smile. "I promise, you'll feel much better once you're in the bubble."

Did she really have a choice? Those figures looked incredibly strong and they looked like they could easily overpower her anyway..

Maybe they would take her regardless..

Hesitantly, she began making her way towards the three and towards the bubble, shaking under the stares of the other two figures just on the other side of the bubble.

"Okay, so." they heard Steven say. "I'll be deactivating the bubble for just a quick second to let you four in. Just, stay calm. It'll only be for a second." he swiped across the bubble and for just a second, he and everyone else turned into terrifying creatures, before everyone was seeing pink once again. 

"Whoa, looks like the bubble automatically got bigger." Steven noticed. "Cool." then he put his hands on the bubble. "Though we could still use a bit more room." he slid his hands away from each other and across the bubble and it grew slightly bigger. "There. Much better." 

And the four of them, especially the one who'd been reluctant, immediately realized that the two "looming, distorted, terrifying figures" had been Pearl and.. some other person they didn't know.

But they soon realized that their eyes and mind had been playing tricks on them..

And that the bubble was healing them at least to the point of being allowed to see the world for how it truly looked, just now through a pink tint. 

"You know..this might not take too long after all." said Pearl. "We already have nine of them." 

"Then we have what, eleven more to go, right?"

Garnet nodded once. "And so long as we keep it up like this, we should have the rest of them in a decent amount of time."

They heard loud stomping coming up towards them. 

"And sounds like one is coming _right_. to us." said Pearl. 

"Hm." Garnet held up her fists. "Stand by."

The man wounded the bin and immediately stopped once he saw the two distorted figures and the disfigured people in the bubble. 

It was something out of a nightmare and he just knew they were coming to get him next-

"Wait! Don't be afraid!" he heard a voice, but he didn't bother stickng around. He turned on his heels and ran the opposite way.

"We're not trying to hurt you!"

He heard them running after him and he screamed, though it came out as a screech. 

What happened to his voice?

"We're Crystal Gems like you! You don't have to be afraid of us! We're trying to save you! You're very sick!"

He felt something hard tackle into him and his arms were pulled back hard and pinned to his back.

He thrashed under them in a futile way to get out. _"Let go! _ he couldn't speak.. 

What happened to him?!?!

Where was he?!

"I know you're scared! But we're not here to hurt you, but we have you pinned down to restrain you so you won't hurt yourself!" the unfamiliar voice of the boy explained. "You got corrupted by the Diamonds during the war. You and lot's of other Crystal Gems have been affected by it both physically and mentally."

What?! 

He couldn't believe him.. or, didn't _want_ to. But he was believing everything that the boy was saying already. 

"You ran out of your room in an unstable condition and we had to hurry and retrieve you so you wouldn't damage anything in the Gem base and most importantly to not hurt yourself or anyone else here." he was being picked up now. Someone turned him back around to face the bubble. "We have to take you back to your room. You and everyone else." he gestured at the other corrupted Gems. "And we have everyone in the bubble because the bubble helps to calm you down. It prevents you from going back to the mental state you were in just moments before." 

He was nudged gently and he started walking forward towards the bubble and the friendly looking boy smiling at him. "Don't you worry. We'll take you back to your room to get some rest." 

But.. he didn't want to rest.. he wanted answers.

He had so many of them but he couldn't talk.. he couldn't ask even just one..

"Alright, time for you to join the bubble of serenity." he cheesed. "I'll be deactivating it for just a second to let you in."

The man watched as he swiped across the bubble and it disappeared and he and the other corrupted Gems turned into nightmarish figures and just before he could scream out and run away he saw pink and was looking at the boy and the rest of the corrupted Gems once more.

Was.. this what the boy was talking about with the bubble calming them and preventing them to going back to their mental state? 

Steven watched as the man looked around and in thought as he tried to register what was going on and no doubt, with tons of questions.

He slid his hands across and made the bubble bigger.

"Okay, Gems." said Garnet. "Time to move out and find the others." she ran up the hall.

They began running on either side of her and Steven was even more thankful that he had his bubble. Pearl was right. There was absolutely no way they all could've huddled around him and behind his shield. And even if he _could've_ made a bigger shield (which again, he couldn't), the bubble was still ten times better. It's more mobile and easier. AND it surrounds them at all sides. 

They turned down and began running up the main hall passing the cells and the corrupted Gems inside the bubble watched on in horror at the ones behind the bars.

Were these the "rooms" he was talking about?! Or are some of them being held there because they're worst off then them?-

"Down here." said Garnet. She turned left and dashed down the hall. 

And they could hear more screeching and banging just up ahead.

.............................

Garnet and Pearl were standing in front of the huge bubble.

"Okay. That looks like all of them." said Pearl.

Garnet lifted her hand up and started counting the corrupted Gems inside the bubble. 

That was great to hear. He'd been giving out his speech to every corrupted Gem they'd encountered. Some were easy to obtain while others were a bit more difficult to get through to. But overall, everyone had eventually trusted them or had given up and went inside the bubble with Steven. And he felt bad that he couldn't answer any specific questions they were definitely harbouring within themselves. 

He could _only_ imagine what they were thinking..

_It's all the diamonds fault that we're stuck like this.._

_I doubt we can find a cure if the diamonds did this.._

_This is the Diamonds fault!!_

_What if we never find a cure?_

_It's all_ my_ fault that I'm like this.. I should've been paying more attention.._

_I thought our suits could protect us?! Did Lonny and Rose Quartz lie to us?!_

_I knew I should've been working for the Diamonds instead.._

_What's exactly in this bubble? Are they using what's in the bubble to put into our potential cure as well?_

_What if Lonny and Rose Quartz knew about this power the Diamonds had but still let us go out into war without proper uniform and weapons!?_

_What will happen to us if and when we get cured? Will we just go out in missions again? Will we have to go out into another war? What if we get corrupted again or what if something even worse happens to us?!_

_Who are these two knew people?_

_They're recruiting more people now?_

_Where's Lonny and Rose Quartz? Out on a mission? Recruiting new people? At the GemTech building?_

_What about Amethyst? Why isn't _she_ helping? Unless she's been corrupted too? No that's impossible.. I can't see someone like her getting caught in it.._

_Is this bubble somehow healing us? Then what's in this bubble?_

_I wonder if Amethyst is corrupted too? We haven't seen her helping them out._

_Hopefully we can find a cure.._

_Who is this boy?_

_Which Gem base are we in? _

_If only I could speak to them.. I have so many questions.._

_How many other people have been corrupted?_

_Are we still currently at war with the Diamonds? That would make sense if they have new people and are maybe recruiting more._

_How long have I been like this?_

_I wish I could get out of this if and once I'm cured.. but I don't want to end up like Kyanite.._

_Is Kyanite still alive?_

_I would've already left this authority if I wasn't so afraid to end up like Kyanite.._

_Who is this new woman giving out orders?_

_Did they end up killing Kyanite?___

_ __ _

_ __ _

_That boy kinda resembles Lonny.._

_He looks a bit like Lonny.. Didn't he and Rose Quartz have a son? .. That's right they did, but he died at childbirth.._

_What an uncanny resemblance.._

_Was this the new boss? Did both Lonny and Rose Quartz get corrupted?!_

_No, she can't be the boss of the group. Of course not.. They wouldn't have _her_ be the boss._

_Did Lonny and Rose Quartz get corrupted too?___

_ __ _

_ __ _

_There was a rumor that Rose Quartz is actually a diamond.. I wonder if it's true..She_ did_ seem to know an awful lot about them and she only claimed she'd been working for them in the past.. That could've been a lie.._

_What if Rose Quartz sabotaged us? What if she _knew_ this was going to happen and we fell for her trap?_

_What if Lonny knew this all along and he strung us along for the war and let this happen to us? What if he was _trying_ to kill us so he could.. I don't know.. possibly join the Diamond Authority and leave the Crystal Gem empire?_

_Lonny and Rose Quartz probably did this on purpose.._

_What if-, How come-, Is there a way-, When can-, But what if we-, Who is-, Where are-, I can't believe-, This is-, What's going to-, Lonny-, Rose Quartz could be-, I want-, This authority needs to-,Who-,What-, I don't-, Why-, Where-, Maybe we can-, When-, Wh-_

Garnet put her hand down, frowning. "No, wait. There's still one more-" 

A figure jumped on Garnet from behind and she grabbed them hard with her bare hands and Pearl gasped as she held up her spear. "It's that lady you were trying to give the medicine too!" 

"What?" Garnet quickly let go and the woman punched her in the face. 

"Stand still, Garnet." Pearl growled out. She held her spear out. 

"NO! Don't hurt her!!" 

The woman grabbed Garnet by the neck pulled and Garnet let her pull her down.

"Garnet, what are you doing?! Just, get her already so we can get out of here!!"

"I... I don't want to hurt her.." she whispered.

_"Garnet!" Steven shouted. "Um, hello?! We're Crystal Gems like you! You don't have to be afraid of-"_

"She doesn't understand you, Talc." she turned her neck slightly in the woman's chokehold. _"Ma'am. I am not trying to hurt you. My friends and I are trying to save you." _

The woman could only hear the figure as it roared into her face. She pushed and Garnet let herself be pushed into the wall. _"Please. We're not here to do any harm to you, I promise. Unfortunately, you fell sick and we have to take you back to your room to get you better."_

"What is she saying.." Steven looked at Pearl and she only shrugged. She looked at Garnet. "That woman doesn't seem to be understanding YOU either." she said snarkily.

The woman began throwing punches and kicks into her back. "I don't understand why."

Steven gasped. He double tapped on his index finger and the shield formed around him. "Garnet!" he slid the shield off his hand. "Use the shield!" he turned to the corrupted Gems. "Okay, just bare with me here. I'm about to deactivate the bubble." he turned back around and swiped his hand across. The bubble disappeared and he threw the shield and quickly ran the jewel across his arm. Garnet caught the shield as the bubble formed around Steven and the Gems and he widened the bubble for more space for them.

Garnet put the shield in front of her face and turned around slightly as the fiesty older woman continued to hit and kick her back. _"Ma'am, I'm not here to hurt you. I'm here to save you. This is all a big misunderstanding."_

The older woman looked up to see an actual person this time. It was odd and almost felt like a dream in that instant. A nightmare that she'd woken up from. 

She was looking at a younger woman with an eye patch over one eye and a coarse, styled afro. Her one eye looking right at her through the pink shield in between them.

_Was_ she dreaming? What the pink didn't reach, she could still see dark, terrifying images..

She was so confused.

She turned her head to see a figure carrying something large and dangerous in its hands. A red eyed glare with sharp teeth looking at her. But beside it, also in pink, was a boy. Beside and behind him were people who looked very ill- 

_"It's okay, don't worry."_ the woman said to her. _"The people in the bubble are undergoing the same thing as you."_

What? Now what exactly did she mean by that?" _"Child, what do you-"_ she stopped herself. Hearing the screeching noise come out of her own mouth like the figures she'd seen.. 

'Undergoing the same thing as' her..

She looked at her arms covered in black and dark blue bumps and she could see small spikes along her arms and fingertips.

_Look at what happened to my arms! What happened to me?! Did YOU do this!!-_ the woman screeched out at Garnet. 

Garnet sighed sadly. _"Please forgive me.. but I'm not able to understand you."_

She screeched at Garnet, pointing a finger at her. She stomped her foot in anger. 

_"Unfortunately, ma'am.. you and lot's of other people have been seriously hurt from a war between the Crystal Gems and the Diamonds that had transpired in our village. We've named this illness corruption. It affected you and other people both physically and mentally, which is also a reason why you're unable to speak to me." _

The woman was quiet. She was now trying her best to think back on what she could possibly remember, but everything in her mind was such a blur. 

Maybe that was also a side effect of the illness.

_"While trying to give you your medicine, you managed to run out of your room and so I came back to get you before you could hurt yourself any worse."_

She could vaguely remember hearing commotion outside and.. people running.. she could faintly make out her family warning her and running away from trees falling...

She tried to think harder..

Everything was loud and chaotic..

She started to remember now.. the ground shaking hard underneath of her and fire and smoke.. and screaming..

And the only thing else she could remember was something hard hitting her in her chest..

_"I'm very sorry this has happened to you."_ the young woman sad softly. _"Please allow me to take you back to your room to give you your medicine. Here. This shield helps to calm you." _

She grabbed the shield and held it up.

Steven started walking over. 

Garnet held a hand up. "That's okay. I can carry her on my back."

"Are you sure?"

"I want to." she turned to the lady and crouched down. _"Ma'am. I'll carry you on my back to conserve your energy. We'll take you to your room."_

Steven watched as the woman threw her leg over Garnet's back and Garnet held her arm under her and stood back up.

The woman was screeching out something as she pointed at Pearl. 

_"Oh! It's okay. She's a Crystal Gem but she's helping us. She's sorry for what happened and she wants to make amends."_

No damn way she was going to trust those Crystal Gems.

_"I don't like them and I don't trust them." _ she could only screech out.

Everyone seemed to had ignored her and first, the one they called Pearl, then the boy inside the bubble, started to turn around. Most likely assuming she said that she was okay with it. Which she wasn't.

But at least right now she was with someone from her tribe, so she would rather stay close to her.

  
  


The group, except for Pearl who'd broken away from them to go to the tablet, was nearing the cells and they could hear the screeching, screaming and banging and chains rattling.

_"These are the other people who have been caught in the corruption." _ said Garnet.

Steven turned around in his bubble to face the corrupted Gems. "Okay everyone. Looks like we're here at your" _cells_ "rooms."

They looked around and.. they definitely didn't look happy looking at the dark, dingy "room" with the metal bars.

"It's okay." he quickly said. "It looks bad, but it isn't. We can't have any solid doors because we have to keep a close eye on you to make sure you're not getting hurt in your rooms. Bars will hold you in but also give you that fresh air you need, instead of putting up just a see through wall instead." 

.. Hopefully they believed him..

They heard Cell 15 opening up already.

"Ah, well would you look at that." he cheesed, hoping they wouldn't see through his facade. "It's uh, your room." he pointed at one of them randomly. 

The pointed to herself and Steven nodded with a huge grin on his face. "Yup! You're first!" he smiled. 

Okay.. maybe he shouldn't be _too_ eager and dial it back some..

They walked to the cell and stopped. 

"Alright, time to deactivate the bubble. In three, two, one." he swiped across the inside and the bubble disappeared. 

The woman hesitantly at first, began slowly walking away from them and Steven quickly activated the bubble around them. 

She walked in..slowly..

"Okay, Pearl!" Garnet shouted.

The bars started to come down a she turned around. She grabbed in the bars. 

This was HARDLY even a room.

Did they trick her?!

What was REALLY going on?!

She screeched out angrily at them. Her arms now out and through the bars.

Steven smiled and waved. "See you very soon." he said to her.

No! She wasn't being happy! She was TRYING to tell him off and to be let go!

The heard another cell open and they began to walk away. She screamed out to them. But at this point, they most likely thought she was simply going back to the state they'll all soon go back to..

And as the bubble began to leave, she could only see the nightmarish world once again. And.. she could feel the sanity slowly leaving her-

  
  


Steven had went to each cell one by one, activating and deactivating his bubble for each of the corrupted Crystal Gems to leave and go back into their "rooms". 

The second to last cell had closed. 

"Don't worry. We'll find a cure soon. I promise." he said to her.

There was a screech from her that they didn't understand and Steven waved and he and Garnet walked away. 

They heard the last cell opening and they started walking back to it. 

Cell 23.

At least they remembered_ her_ cell number while everyone else had pretty much been put in any cell. 

Though it wasn't much of a problem since the Apatites never paid attention to who were in the cells. They would simply push the food under the base of the bars and that's it. And both Amethyst and the Apatites would constantly rotate them with every vial test as well. 

_"Here we are." _ said Garnet. She crouched down low and the woman slid off of her back. 

"Garnet, can you tell her that we'll find a cure for her soon?" 

The woman looked at Garnet.

_"He said that we'll find a cure very soon."_ she translated. 

The woman tried to say something, but..

..Only screeches..

_"Soon."_ Garnet said sadly. _"We'll find it."_ she said, mainly to reassure herself. Then.. sadly.. she said _"Sorry.. but I need to give the shield back to him." _

The woman gave her the shield. 

"Talc, can you hold the shield up between us?" she kept the shield between her and the woman. 

Steven swiped across the bubble and it deactivated. He held the shield and Garnet let go and grabbed both of the woman's hands gently and brought them up to her lips and kissed her knuckles. "Ije ọma. (Safe journey)" 

Steven watched as the woman smiled brightly at her. She slipped her hand from Garnet's and pat at her cheek softly. Then with a single, content nod, the woman walked back into her cell..

"Okay, Pearl." and Steven could hear the hurt in Garnet's voice. "You can close the cell." 

The bars started to skid down in between them.

Garnet sighed.

Pearl was jogging back down to them. "Okay you two. Congratulations." she said impatiently. "Now let's go and get out of here."

"Wait." said Garnet. "I still didn't give her the medicine." she walked over a few steps and picked up the needle laying on the floor. Untouched. She took out a GemTech disinfectant dry cloth from a top pocket on the thigh of her pants and began wiping it off.

"Oooohhh, are you _kidding_ me." Pearl rolled her eyes. "Is she even a Crystal Gem?!" she gestured at the woman.

Garnet tucked the cloth back in her pocket. "No. She's not." she said bluntly. 

"Soooo, we've been keeping. a _non_ Crystal Gem inside of our Gem base?" 

"Yes." Garnet stopped beside them. "I saw Lonny and Rose Quartz taking her and the other Gems inside of the helicopters. They must've known she wasn't but took her with them anyway." 

"I, but why would?!"

Garnet shrugged. "Why did they drop more explosives in my village as they left?" she asked bitterly. "Why did they take me and not leave me there to die like everyone else?" she narrowed her eyes at Pearl. "Why would they do. a _lot_ of things. Pearl?" 

Steven looked at the angered and pained expression on Garnet's face. Her eye misty as a tear threatened to fall from her year duct.

"Garnet, I.." she said softly. "I didn't mean to say it like that, I was just.." she trailed off as she saw a tear slide down Garnet's cheek. "I'll.. I'll just be upstairs.." she whispered gently. She didn't want to speak on anything about the war. She would rather avoid the whole topic completely.. 

Especially when it had anything to do with.. Garnet..

She started walking away from them.

Steven turned back to see Garnet's glare as she watched Pearl walk further down and away from them.

She wiped at her cheek. "Let's just give her the medicine." her voice wavered.

She turned to the woman. _"Terribly sorry about that."_ she tried keeping her voice levelled. She held up the needle._ "I just need to give you your medicine and you can get your rest."_

The woman looked hesitant. 

_"It's okay." _ she tried for a smile._"This should make you feel a bit better." _

Or so she hoped..

The woman raised her arm down between the bars.

_"One, two, three." _ she stuck the woman in her arm.

She put every drop of the medicine in. Then she took out the box from earlier from her pocket, put the needle back inside the case and put it back in her pocket.

And she waited..

The woman looked at her..

The bumps and spikes were leaving her skin, though her skin still stayed black and dark blue. And her eyes turned from completely yellow to completely white. 

"Hm.." Garnet took out the notepad and slid the tiny pen out of the spine of it. She began writing down notes. What kind of ingredients were in the medicine and the effects of it. Then she looked at her phone and wrote down the time of when she gave her the medicine. 

She _did_ feel better.

Too bad she couldn't tell her..

After a minute of writing down her analysis, Garnet slid the pen back inside the notepad and put it back in her pocket.

"Okay, Steven." she still had the sadness in her voice. "Time for us to go." she turned to the woman. _"I'm so sorry this has happened to you.. but I promise. We _will_ find a cure." _

The woman smiled. She knew they were. She nodded at the two. _"I'm sure you two will."_

Garnet's heart jolted in her chest. She and Steven exchanged shocked glances before smiling. She looked back at the lady. _"Ma'am.. you actually talked to me."_

It was the lady's turn to look surprised. She touched her lips with her fingers. Completely shocked. _"I'm.. not screeching.." _ she started to smile. 

Garnet took out her notepad and quickly wrote down the newfound discovery in her notes. _"This is amazing! This is a breakthrough!" _

The woman nodded proudly. _"Of course you were going to make a breakthrough." _

Garnet held her face as tears started falling from her eye.

_"Oh, come here.." _she reached over through the bars and pulled Garnet in and Garnet dropped the notepad and slid her arms through the bars and hugged her.

_"I'm proud of you." _ she said in her ear. She rubbed her back._"I can only but imagine how difficult this is to help find the cure for us."_

Garnet took a breath as more tears rolled down her cheek. _"I've been trying to find the cure for so long.. and I feel that I'm getting closer and closer to that."_

_"And you are. You have your evidence." _ she reassured her. _"You'll find it. I'm sure that you will. You're almost there." _

Steven didn't know what they were saying.. but it sounded like a nice little reunion maybe? 

The woman said more things to Garnet and she nodded. She let go of Garnet and pat at her face gently again before wiping the tears from her cheeks. She said something else to her and Garnet smiled sadly and nodded. 

_..'ll let you go. I know you're a very busy person." _

Garnet sighed._ "I would stay longer if I could.." _

_"Ah."_ she waved her off. _"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine." _

Garnet took the elderly woman's hands and brought them up to her face again. She kissed her knuckles and gently placed her hands back and got up. 

Steven heard the woman calling back for her. She beckoned her over. Garnet turned back around and she started talking to her once more.

_"..is your name?"_

_"My name is Adamma."_

The woman chuckled. _"That name fits you very well." _ she complimented. _"Thank you, Adamma, for what you've done. I appreciate your hard work. You have a huge heart."_ that only made her cry more as she smiled at the elderly woman. 

Steven waited for the two to hug it out once more before Garnet kissed the woman's knuckles again, said one last thing to her, put the notepad back in her pocket and got up.

He continued to keep the shield up between them and only put it back down once they got farther down the hall.

Garnet was still crying and sniffling beside him.

Should he say something?

He looked up at her. "I'm glad that you made a vial that could help her speak." he smiled.

"Yeah.." she whispered. "I can't believe it." 

Steven was carefully thinking of what to say and they fell silent as they walked pass the corrupted Gems. Some of them, being ones who they had to retrieve. Now they were back to the mental state from before. 

Sad..

They turned the corner.

As they walked up, Garnet wiped at her cheek and sighed. "Pearl was right."

"About what?"

"Me doing this because of her.. It's true. I wouldn't be doing it for anyone else." then she added. "What if I _did_ end up sabotaging the Peridots' analysis?" 

"Well.." he scratched at his chin. "There's no way for us to know." 

Garnet sighed but didn't say anything more.

And the two walked in silence again..

And minutes passed them and Steven began hearing Garnet cry again. He looked at her. 

"I have to find a cure, Steven.." her voice cracked. "I have to do it for her.." she swallowed. "She's the only one I have left from my village." she rubbed at her eye. "If I can't save her.. then there will be nobody else." she cried more. "Then I would've saved nobody.." 

"..Garnet-"

"EVERYONE else is dead!! EVERY. single. person!!" she sobbed.

Steven stepped over and wrapped his arms around Garnet. She turned around and returned the gesture, hugging him close to her as she cried. 

"We're going to help her, Garnet." her body shook with her shallow breaths. "She's going to be cured. We'll save her." 

He wasn't there at the war.. And he was thankful for that.

But he couldn't imagine the pain that she was feeling. And he could only piece together the little bit of information that he got.. which was that the corruption happened right in her village and one person ended up being corrupted from her village.. they spared Garnet's life and took the lady with them.. and that they bombed the rest of the village.. 

And he couldn't help but wonder about her family.. Were they involved in it too? 

He thought back on the arcade.. how Garnet was running away from the Queen and how she reacted when the woman took the infants from her arms.. 

And her reaction after losing the game and how she sobbed right after. 

Then.. what she said at the beach to him and Miss Lee.

_Her face tensed up as her eyes squinted towards them. Her expression growing colder until her face became a snarl as she barred her teeth. " Of course I would like to go back home. I would LOVE to go back to my family." she said with such ice and venom in her voice it almost didn't sound like her. And he'd never seen her look so.. chillingly angry. "But I can't." she whispered out lowly. A tear slid down her eye. And she huffed. And her breathing became shaky. "I CAN'T!!" she screamed out again. "BECAUSE I KILLED THEM!!!" more tears slid down her one hazel eye._

...he still didn't understand..

She seemed so intensely sad and guilty towards her family and everyone in the village.. 

Yet she killed them..

She seemed to really love them and the people in her village..

_So.._

_Why did she do it?_

_Why did she kill them?_

...............................

Steven and Garnet were coming up the steps. They'd stayed down in the basement for a few minutes as he tried to console her.

He reassured her that they would be finding a cure for her and she was determined to do that.

Garnet put in the code and opened the door and they stepped out into the empty, quiet hall. 

He looked up at her. "Are you okay, Garnet?"

She took a breath. "I will be.." she whispered. She started walking away from him. He followed her up the long hall and was back in the living room area by the staircase. She turned, going up the steps. 

"Garnet?"

She stopped and looked back.

It was something he'd noticed.. and something that he wanted to say to her.. something that he wanted to point out.

"You're a good leader."

She turned to him fully and raised an eyebrow at him. "What?" she whispered. Surprised.. Wondering if she heard him correctly.

"You're a good leader." he repeated. "The small amount of time in the basement and how you were navigating us through the halls and dealing with the Gems. He gave her a small smile. He shrugged. "Just seemed like good leadership skills to me."

"Oh.." she looked away from him as she started picking at the banister. "No.. Only Amethyst is."

His eoexression dropped. "You're good too. Maybe even better than her since you actually have heart."

Garnet twisted her face up. She looked uneasy. "No, only her.." 

"Is that what she tells you?" he deadpanned.

..Is she brainwashing them too?!

She looked back at him, but didn't day anything. 

It really was painful and sad to watch both her and Pearl to act so beaten down and to be so terrified of this lady..

"She doesn't have a say in it. And if she can't see that you have good leadership skills then.." Steven stopped his self then said a much milder comment instead. "Then hopefully she'll see that eventually.."

Garnet didn't say anything. And steadily, started turning back around and heading up the stairs.

"I also think that you're in the right Garnet. If it wasn't for you taking those drops from those vials and doing your own research, you wouldn't had helped your friend. And Garnet, if you hadn't noticed, you did something that not even those Peridots could do. You got one of them to talk. And that right there is a huge accomplishment."

She kept her back towards him as she grabbed hard on the banister.

"..Thanks.." and she walked up the stairs.

He decided to not say more. She seemed really emotional since the vial incident and wasn't really acting like herself.

Though could he really blame her?

He could only imagine how emotional hurt she was..

He turned around for the main door. He could see the sky getting just a smidge darker as night began to approach. He took his phone out if his pocket. _7:12p.m_

Connie would be getting off work soon.

And just thinking about her sent butterflies in his stomach.

He _had_ to send her a message!

He went to her name.

**Looks like you have about 45min to go! Can't wait to see you when you come home 😚😘😍**

He sent the message and put the phone back in his pocket. Then he took the ring off, pressed the bracelet on his wrist for the braces to go back inside it and he put the two gadgets in his pocket and opened the front door.

Pearl was outside and working on the body of the moped and Lion was just a few feet from her and sleeping. 

Oh right! He COMPLETELY forgot about Lion being outside alone!

Hopefully his buddy was okay..

He started walking towards them and Lion woke up. He lifted his head up and watched Steven as he walked over towards Pearl.

_"Don't_ talk to me. about happened between us."

_So.. just off the bat, huh? I barely made it over to her and that's what she immediately says._

Whatever..

He wasn't going to get angry.. or annoyed at this woman.

He was getting tired anyway both physically from the brutal exercise today and mentally from dealing with Pearl and from worrying about Garnet.

And he'd talked enough down at the cellar and repeating his self for the corrupted Gems. So he didn't feel like doing anything or talking anyway.

So.. he let her win this time, sure.

But, he _will_ get to the bottom of this.

Whether she liked it. or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ard, mane, mane. I understand that some cultures they kiss the elders' hands or kids will kiss the hands of adults. In the Igbo tribe? That's not the case. 
> 
> Just wanted to put that out there that I just added that despite of it not quite being in the culture. Buuuut, this is a fictional fic and I just put that in their because I liked it =) So in Garnet's case, it's to show respect for her elder :3


	179. A night back at the house from the Gem base

For the following half an hour Steven had sat on the ground and watched Pearl as she finished the body of the moped.

She had just finished putting on a back light and leaned up from her spot. 

They heard the sound of the ground tunnel opening up. They turned to their side and saw the Inkas truck coming up from the tunnel and driving towards them.

Pearl got up quick to her feet and stood still as the truck came towards them. The vehicle turned in front of her and stopped on its side. 

The passenger's window started to roll down. 

Amethyst leaned her head slightly out the window and looked at the moped. She nodded slowly. "Good. Looks like you really worked hard on the bike." 

"Yes, Amethyst. And I'm done." Pearl said softly. "So if you want, we can take the bike to Peridot and have her put the rest of the parts on it." 

There was another slow nod from Amethyst. "Cool." then she brought her head back inside the car. "Ard Talc, let's leave Pearl to put the bike back in the garage. Get your tail in here so we can take you home." 

Steven got up and looked at Pearl. 

She purposely kept her eyes down and away from him.

He walked away from her and Lion got up and jogged over towards him. He opened the door and the dog jumped in and he slid in after him and closed the door. 

"Yo." 

He looked up at the rear view mirror at Amethyst.

"You betta had learned something from Pearl."

"..Yes, Amethyst." he told her. And he turned his head to look out the window. "I learned a few things." the woman caught him looking at her and she turned her whole body away from him. 

Amethyst had looked out the window with him. She either didn't notice what happened just then or didn't care. And since she notices a lot of stuff, she most likely just didn't care. 

She looked away from the window. "Alright, Garnet. Let's get out of here." 

Garnet shifted gears and started to drive away and Steven had to take another look back out the window to see Pearl grabbing the moped by the handlebars and kicking the kickstand back. She started rolling the bike away without looking back. 

...........................

Garnet stopped on the side of the apartment complex.

"Yo! Aye, yo, yo, yo! Wake up!"

Steven was knocked out sleep.

Amethyst growled out a sigh. She took off her flip flop and turned herself around in the seat. She tilted the flip flop at a specific, very effective angle and hummed it.

The flip flop smacked him incredible hard in the face and he woke up immediately. "AHH!! HUU!! WHAT?!" he panted.

He looked down at the flip flop on his lap.

"Heh." he heard Amethyst and looked up still with an alarmed expression. She had a smug look on her face. "La chancla _siempre_ gana." (The flip-flop _always_ win."

He didn't know what she said..

"Now hand me back the weapon of discipline." 

"Uh.." he picked up the flip flop and handed it back to her.

He saw her turn around and put it on. Then she turned back around to face him. "Together Breakfast. Meet here at oh nine hundred hours sharp."

He nodded. "Okay. I'll be there." he opened the door. 

She turned back in her seat. 

"Goodnight." 

She didn't say anything back and by extension, so didn't Garnet. 

He opened the door wider and Lion jumped out and he jumped out after him. He closed the door and the the vehicle drove off. 

Steven stayed outside for a few minutes for Lion to use the bathroom, then the two of them went inside the complex.

He unlocked the door and opened it and Lion ran in.

"Connie?" he closed the door behind him and locked it. 

"Yeah, I'm in the kitchen." he heard the fridge close.

He was in all smiles. He took her flip flops off and walked farther in.

Connie was placing a bottle of water down on the counter right by a small takeout tray. She sat down in the chair.

"Hey." he cheesed. He walked over and gave her a kiss. And was just about to give her a hug when the kiss was short lived. She broke away from the kiss and pushed his arms back. "Uagh, Steven." she twisted up her face.

"What?"

"Did they work you and your coworkers extra hard today?" she pushed him back farther and he leaned back.

"What do you mean?"

"You smell like.. someone just poured buckets of dirty mop water and onions on you." 

He grimaced at the analogy.

But.. with the work he was doing with Garnet and Amethyst..

Oh shoot! Could the corrupted Gems smell him inside of the bubble?!?!

Could the.. could the Crystal Gems smell him in the car?!.. TWICE?!!?

Aw man.. and he worked with Pearl like this too..

"OH! Uh, yeah. Yeah, we had an extra three trucks come in and we had to work like, three times as hard today."

She was holding her nose. "I can _smell_ that.." her voice was nasalled. "You need to take a shower, like, right now." 

"Ooookay, ooookay." he said casually with a smile. He walked away towards the dresser then turned around and posed with his fists on his hips in a heroic pose. "But this. is the smell. of a working man, Connie." 

"Uuuuh, no. No it isn't."

He laughed and started taking out his toiletries and his boxers. He walked over to the bed and grabbed his pants and walked into the bathroom. Then walked back out. "Oh wait, I have to feed Lion and give him some water."

"Nooo no. _You_ take your shower. I got Lion." she slid off the chair. 

"And he needs his medicine." he smiled.

"I knooooow, Steven. Go take your shower. You reek."

He laughed and walked back inside.

Connie opened Lion's personally cabinet and took out a bag of dog food and his medicine. 

Lion heard her and ran into the kitchen.

She opened the bag. "Sit." 

Lion sat down and licked his chops. His tail swiped happily across the floor.

She heard the shower water turn on as she poured the dog food into the bowl and Lion got up immediately and dove into the bowl, knocking the bag away with his head as he did to get at the kernels. She placed the bag on the floor and took out two pills. She placed them carefully just on the side of his food and rolled the bag of dog food back up and put the bag and the medicine back in the cabinet. Then she picked up his water bowl and gave him some fresh water. She placed the bowl back in its holder, washed her hands and st back down in front of her food.

  
  


Connie was just finishing up her last bit of rice when Steven was coming out of the bathroom. With her focusing on the meal, he quickly threw the shirt and the gadgets under the bed and when she turned around he was pulling the blanket back from his side of the bed to play it off. 

"Tsh, tired already?"

"Yeah." he mocked stretched and sat down. "Told you. The manager really gave us a rough time today." he leaned back, laying his back on the soft blankets of the bed. "I'm beat." he whispered out tiredly.

And he wasn't lying entirely. 

He really was tired.

Amethyst had really let him have it today. And not to mention the mini mission he had to do with Garnet and Pearl..

"Hmm~ Ookay then. Guess you don't want any of this delicious food." she slid off the chair.

And just like that.. he noticed how hungry he was.

And now that he thought about it.. the only thing he'd eaten ALL day were those two little protein bars when he was in the car on the way to the training site with the Gems..

He leaned back up from the bed. "Wait, wait. Whatdja get?"

Connie was putting her takeout box in the trash with a sly smile to her face. "Ah, I knew that would get you up. It's from this new Lebanese restaurant that just opened up by my workplace." 

"Sounds exotic." 

And he and Connie knew how his stomach could be with exotic spices and foods..

"I knew you were going to say that." she chuckled. "That's why I just got some Lebanese rice and beef kafta."

That still sounded pretty exotic..

He never even heard of 'kafta' before..

But.. maybe he could eat just a little bit of it? He did that when Connie started making her.. rather exotic Indian dishes.. and he had to ween his self on to it. So why not with this Lebanese food as well? 

He got up and started walking over. 

"And of course, if you don't like it, I could always make you something."

"Oh, no, no, no. This is fine." he walked into the kitchen and she gestured at the fridge. He opened it and took the bag out. He placed it on the counter and took his tray out. He popped it open to see pieces of meet cut up and in a horizontal line and over top of yellow and white rice. Parsley leaves and fried almonds were scattered around the food.

"It looks and smells good."

"And there's also a half piece of pita bread and a small cup of hummus.

"Nice." he smiled. 

Now pita bread and hummus he was familiar with since they'd had it with her Indian dishes from time to time.

He put the tray in the microwave and turned around with a bright smile. "So, how was work?"

"Ah, it's the usual." she shrugged. "Dealing with customers and putting up clothes on the rack." she said casually.

He snickered. "Sounds fun."

"It's a living." she had a grin on her face. She grabbed her water and took a few sips of it.

The microwave beeped and Steven took the tray out. He took the pita bread out of the bag and put it in the microwave for just fifteen seconds. He placed his tray and the hummus on the counter in front of her, then grabbed a water bottle from the fridge before the microwave started beeping once more. 

He took the bread out and sat down. And she could smell the cream and oil he must've put on his skin after taking his shower. 

And she was thankful the smell didn't agitate her stomach this time..

She waited for him to pray over his food before she spoke up again. "Guess who I bumped into?"

He'd just stuffed a whole spoonful of rice in his mouth. "Hmhp?"

And.. it was. deeeelicioouuus~

She snickered and shook her head at him. "Just eat your food." and he did happily. "I bumped into Lars." then she corrected herself. "Well _he_ bumped into _me_. I was waiting at the bus stop and he took me home." then she added. "And Sadie was there too. They closed the shift together and grabbed some extra donuts which" she pointed behind him and he turned around to see a pink and white pastry bag. "they gave me a few of." Steven turned back around and picked up or of the pieces of meat. He bit into it.

Deliciooouus~~

"Those aren't the ones that I eat, but I figured you might like them, so I said yes."

He chewed a few times and swallowed the food. "Thanks!" he ripped apart a piece of the pita bread and wrapped it around the meat and took a bite.

Just so.. deliciooous.

"And.." her expression looked a bit dubious and uncertain. "Apparently they're going on this camping trip tomorrow.."

"Yeah?" he said with his mouthful. He chewed a bit faster and swallowed a few times. "Yeah, Lars can be pretty outdoorsy." then he quickly added. "Not sure about Sadie. Though she seems like someone who wouldn't mind something like that." he peeled open the lid to the _mild_ hummus and picked up another piece of meat.

"Yeah, I know. That's what Lars do. He loves to do stuff like that."

"Sounds like a 'but' is coming." he tore off another piece of the bread and wrapped it around the meat and dipped them inside the hummus. 

He took a bite.

And.. his taste buds were singing~

"..ut he asked if you and I wanted to come with him and Sadie."

"Really? That's cool." he dipped the food into the hummus again. "What did you tell him?" he took a bite.

"Well.. I obviously told him how uneasy I was with stuff like that. Especially with what had been going on." then she calmed her voice slightly. "But I told him that I would still ask you. And that I wasn't sure if you worked tomorrow or not." 

Steven swallows the food. "Yeah, that's something I wouldn't mind doing." he picked up the spoon again and scooped up some of the delicious rice.

Connie sighed dramatically. "I knew you were going to say that.."

"Of course, Connie." he chuckled. "I like being indoors. But I also really like being _outdoors_ too. And it would be with Lars and Sadie at one of those professional cabin camping site thingys that he goes to. So it'll be pretty safe." he said casually. 

She still looked uneasy.

"Unless you.. don't want me to go?" 

"I, well.. it's just.. haven't you heard about what's been going on? And he wants to, go out camping??" 

"Nyeah?.. But you can't just stay cooped up in the apartment all day everyday." 

Connie took a deep breath out her mouth. "I knooow.. but it still doesn't mean that I'm any less worried about this." 

He scooped up another spoonful of rice. "Then I won't go." 

She sighed, and leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms as she did. "No.. I can't do that to you either.." 

"Well, it really doesn't matter to me. I can either go or not. And maybe staying here would be better since I won't be the third wheel." he joked.

He got a small smile from her but it quickly came and went. "Mm.." she grumbled.

"And we don't even know if I can even go. I won't know my schedule until tomorrow. I might have to go to work tomorrow anyway." 

".. yeah.." 

Steven continued to eat the food in silence for the next few minutes before Connie spoke back up. "Maybe I should go.." she whispered in thought.

"Heh, you don't have to force yourself to go, Connie. If I'm off tomorrow, you and I can just relax here in the apartment. We've done that plenty of times before when we didn't have jobs." 

"..Right.." she looked to still be in thought.

"Really. You don't have to do this for me." he scooped up some rice and dipped it into the hummus. Two grains of rice were left behind as he lifted the spoon back up. 

He began eating in silence once more before she spoke back up once again. "Yeah.." she nodded. "Yeah I'll go." then quickly clarified. "Having that you're off tomorrow."

He looked up at her. "Are you sure? I told you we can just relax here."

"Yeah, I know.. but Lars also seemed super excited to invite us." she shrugged. "You know how he can get. He really wanted us to go." 

"Heh, yup. That sounds like Lars alright." he dipped another spoonful of the Lebanese rice inside of the hummus.

"So.." she said. "I'm going to go. Lars would be glad to have us and I can go there to keep an eye on you."

He almost choked on the rice. He swallowed hard and cleared his throat. "Keep an eye on me?"

"Yes." she deadpanned. "You've been very accident prone lately, so I would feel better being there with you."

Steven snorted. "I'm not a little kid Connie." he ripped a piece of pita bread and put some rice inside then a half bitten piece of meat.

She shrugged. "Sometimes.. I feel like I have to trea-" she stopped herself but she figured Steven already caught it. The boy stopping halfway in folding the bread over the food. "I mean.." she said softly. "It's just, you know how you can be. You'll probably be off trying to start your own fire and hurt yourself or, trying to run after some fox or deer and get hurt or, I don't know, get caught in one of those rushing rivers?! Aaanything." then she thought of another scenario and added. "And I've seen way too many slasher movies where those creepy guys come into your sleeping bag with an axe!" 

He put his hand back down with the food still unwrapped. "Connie.. that can happen to anyone."

She sighed and raked her hand through her hair. "But I feel that it can more so happen to you.." she whispered under her breath. 

Steven took a breath to calm his self. He lifted his hand back up and wrapped the food. "Okay." he said plainly. "Then I simply _won't_ go. That way, you won't have to think about any of that." he took an annoyed bite out of the food.

The deliciousness slowly becoming diluted from his mood.

"No, no, no." she said matter of factly. "We're going. I was saying that those things _could_ happen and, I just feel better coming with you." then she added, in a futile way to brighten the mood. "And it'll be good to have a bit of fun. And, we've never went camping before." she forced out a small smile. "It would be something we can check off on our "things we've done in our relationship" list." 

Steven didn't seem convinced. If she didn't feel comfortable going, then she shouldn't go. But, it seemed like she had her mind set on it.

He matched her forced smile with his own. "Yeah.. I guess we could." then he too, tried to brighten the mood back up. "And I didn't know we had this "things we've done in our relationship" list." 

Connie looked just a bit shocked before a wry smile came to her relaxed face. "Oh? You haven't?"

Steven shook his head silently and took another spoonful of rice which was now going from tasting really good and back to tasting delicious once more.

"Yeah, it's a given. Once you start a relationship the list automatically just 'pff' appears" 

"Hm. Can't believe I've never heard of it." he grabbed another piece of meat and dipped it into the hummus. "Soo... anything you would like to add and check off on that list?" 

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Uh, well I've never thought about that."

"You knew about the list and you never even thought about that?!" 

"Heh.. Steven.."

He kept the joke going, though in a way he was being a bit serious too. If they could make this list real, what would _she_ want to do? 

"Aw, come on, Connie. You can't think of just _one_ thing you would like to do?

She shrugged though he could see her in thought. "Mm mm.. maybe a trip somewhere? I don't know." 

"Yeahhhh. Yeah you do because you specifically said 'trip'." 

"I only said 'trip' because that's what a lot of couples do."

He wasn't buying it. "Where would you like to go, Connie?" 

There was an impassive look to her face before she slowly broke out of character with an eye roll. "Mmm, Paris?" 

"Paris?"

"Uuhhg, I knoooww. See? I don't know, that was just the first thing that came to mind."

"No, no, no, I was just... Paris, really?"

She shrugged. "I guess I always kinda wanted to go and see the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre."

"Huh.. well that's different." then he gave her his reassuring smile. "Yeah, we can always save up and go. I think it would be pretty cool to go to France. I heard they had really good cheese."

She snorted. "We're talking about, one of THE top vacation places to go to and.. you're thinking about a bit of cheese?"

"Well, yeah. You know I like my cheese." he picked up another spoonful of rice. 

"Heh, ookay. But just know that a lot of those cheeses have animal by-products like rennet in it and alcohol, beer and wine and pork." 

"Oh.." he frowned. 

_Guess a lot of those cheese are out then.._

He tried being optimistic. "Well there's.. still other stuff to eat that's still just as good." 

"Oh yeah, definitely." she picked up her bottle of water and took some more dips from it.

"So it's settled. We can start saving up to go to Paris, France one day." 

He saw a smile growing wider on her face. She looked away from him. "Yeah, I guess we could do that." and he could hear the giddiness in her voice.

"And I guess I'll have to start learning some traveling French too. Oh and get my passport." then he asked. "We don't need a visa right? To go to France. Just a passport." 

Connie thought about it. "Yeah, if I'm not mistaken, I think a U.S passport would suffice to go to France. But I'll double check on one of those embassy websites when we actually officially start planning and booking things."

"Nice." he smiled. "I already can't wait."

  
  


Steven had finished up the rest of the scrumptious food within ten minutes and the two sat at the counter and talked for awhile before heading over to the bed and cuddling and talking some more. 

At that time it was reaching a half past ten and Connie called it a night, mainly for Steven since he had to get up early for work.

The two of them turned their lights off and got comfortable in bed.

"Goodnight Connie." he kissed her on the back of her head. 

"Night, Steven."

He wrapped his arm around her waist and laid his head on the pillow.

And just like that.. his mind starting to wonder like how it usually does.. though he tried to quickly dismiss the thoughts.

He hoped that Garnet was okay and that she was feeling better now.

But he _was_ happy that she was able to have her breakthrough with the medicine.

Hopefully she would only get closer and closer to finding the cure..

And he also thought back on Pearl kissing him.. and if he would ever get to talk to her about that or, if he would ever even get through to her in general.

He really wanted to. He _needed_ to. If anything, more so for her than for him.. Clearly something was going on with her..

He took a breath and leaned more into Connie's hair, still feeling that guilt of Pearl kissing him.. 

He sighed lightly.

It'd already been done..

And now, he just wanted to forget about it, to _not_ think about it right then and just relax and.. get some much needed sleep.

He would have Together Breakfast in the morning and maybe even a mission. But if not, he and Connie can go camping.

(And hopefully he and Connie will have fun and be able to relax at camp tomorrow night along with Lars and Sadie.) 

But why oh why did he feel that something or someone was going to mess _this_ up to.. 

Or maybe he was simply thinking too hard about it because something, just like Connie had said earlier, always seem to happen to him. 

He ignored the thought.

If he didn't have a mission tomorrow, then he and Connie were going to go camping and have an AMAZING time with Lars and Sadie.

Of course they were.

Nothing was going to happen. 

And they were going to have an amazing time. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned for Island Adventure! :D


	180. Another Together Breakfast morning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I SERIOUSLY didn't think I was going to write THIS much guys..  
  
..Euughh.. sorry..

Steven woke up to the sound of his alarm and Connie facing him with her arm over his shoulder. Her breath gently caressed his skin as she snored softy.

He chuckled, trying to hold in his laugh. He leaned up and gave her a kiss on the forehead and took her arm gently and slid it off him as he sat up.

"Good morning, Lion." he whispered. 

The canine moved slightly in his bed and wagged his tail.

Steven turned the alarm off and took the earphones out of his ears then leaned over and pat Lion on the head. "Another day, huh, Lion?" he leaned back up and slid out of bed. 

He'd given himself just a twenty five minute grace period, setting his alarm at 8:35am. 

He gave Lion his breakfast and fresh water and put the medince inside of his food. Then he used up ten minutes to use the bathroom and to put on the cream and oil on his skin as the dog ate. 

He came back out the bathroom and walked over to the closet. 

Connie was still fast asleep.

He quickly took out a pair of GemTech jeans and a shirt and slipped on his pants. He made his way back to the bed.

She was still fast asleep..

He kept his crouched position and took his damp, wrinkled Crystal Gem shirt and quickly through it on and ignored the cold hitting his warm skin, then threw the other shirt over it. He put his and Lion's gadgets in his pockets and stood back up.

Still sleep..

He put his wallet and phone in his pocket and walked into the kitchen. Lion was now drinking from his water bowl.

Steven grabbed a few crackers and a can of ginger ale and placed it on the table by Connie. Then he went back and grabbed a trashcan and placed it by the bed.

Yeah.. maybe this _was_ going to be his routine..

He dismissed any baby thoughts, pushing those thoughts out of his mind. He leaned down and gave her a kiss on the temple. 

"Alright, come on Lion." he whispered and the dog jogged in front of him and met him by the door.

Steven opened the door and the two of them left the apartment.

With just a few minutes to spare, Steven use that time to let Lion stretch his legs and to use the bathroom.

He checked his phone. _8:59a.m_

As he was lowering his phone back down he saw a Mercedes-Benz SUV coming towards him.

_Cool. We're riding in the Benz today._

The black, shiny truck stopped just a couple yards away from him. 

"Okay, Lion. Let's go." he pat his leg.

Lion looked up from the grass and ran towards him.

He opened the door and slid in and he waited for Lion to jump into the car before closing the door.

The dog started to sniff around the new area.

"Good morning Amethyst. Garnet, Pearl." 

Nobody answered him.

He guessed it was still too soon for them to start casually speaking to him..

It'd only been what.. three, four days or so since what'd happened?

"Garnet." Amethyst ordered.

The woman shifted gears and drove out the alleyway.

  
  


The ride had been incredibly silent. Even when Garnet had parked the car everyone kept to themselves.

Pearl opened the door, then Steven and he let Lion jump out first before he slid out himself. He closed the door as Pearl was opening up the door for Amethyst.

Garnet was waiting for them at the trunk of the SUV. Amethyst and Pearl walked pass Steven silently and met Garnet at the back of the vehicle and the three of them started walking over to the dinner and he jogged up to catch up to them.

And again.. Steven couldn't help but gawk at how stylised they all were. And he found it pretty cute that Garnet had on a blue skirt to match with her blue eye patch. The two pieces were the _exact_ same color.

Steven walked inside with them and they were met with a familiar face yet again. The same hostess from the first two times. or.. three times? He was already losing track of how many times he'd been with them to this diner.

"Hey guys." she waved at them. And she noticed the cut on both Amethyst and Pearl's face and the wounds across Steven's face, neck and arms.

He had a feeling she knew something must've went down since she too was a Crystal Gem, but at least she didn't know _what_ exactly.

"Follow me." she smiled, obviously acting like she didn't see anything.

But what could she had said anyway? She knew it wasn't any of her business.

"Got you four the best table in the house as always." she said. 

"Great." and Amethyst gave her a thumbs up.

The four of them sat down and Steven slid to the middle. Lion jumped up on the seat and sniffed the table. "Hey. Noo." Steven moved his face away from the table.

The hostess looked at the dog sitting at the table, but didn't say anything. She turned to Amethyst. "Just sit tight. The waitress will be here in a couple minutes." 

"Good. Because I'm ready to chow down." said Amethyst.

The girl turned away from them, but not without taking another glance at Steven and the cuts and marks on his face as she walked by.

He turned his attention on Lion and started patting along the canine's back.

And just like she'd said, a waitress was coming up to them. "Well hi." she said with a southern drawl. "Y'all four ready to order yet?" 

"Yeah." Amethyst said casually with a head nod. "We're going for the whole-wheat blueberry pancake platter today with a side of hashbrowns and egg whites. Our drinks, that famous orange juice that you have."

The woman jotted down the order on her notepad. "Aaaaalrighty." she looked up from her notes. "And would that be all?" 

"Yup. That's it."

"Alright then. I'll get y'all your drinks and the food should be out in about twenty minutes. she said sweetly. 

"Good." said Amethyst. The lady turned to walk away, but not without looking at Steven. Her judgemental face looking at his wounds.

Or maybe she was looking at the dog at the table..

Or, both.

She started walking away from them.

  
  


It didn't take long for the waitress to come back with their drinks. She'd even brought in a little bowl with water in it for Lion, which she'd hesitantly placed on the table with a smile.

The dog lapped up the water and bits of water flung on the table.

Then a little more than twenty minutes later, she'd brought in their food in addition to a few pieces of breakfast patties. Amethyst was a bit skeptic and asked about it and the lady reassured her that one of the waiters had messed up a person's order and that the man didn't want meat with his food. So she wanted to see if they wanted it for the dog before they threw it out. And when Amethyst asked if the patties were going to be on the bill as well and the lady said no, she gave the lady the OK to give it to the dog.

The lady left and everyone started digging into their food including Lion who was flinging bits of food too close to Steven's plate. The boy put his arm in between his plate and the dog and slid farther down in the seat.

"Alright." said Amethyst and everyone looked at her. 

She tore a piece from her hashbrown. "They only gave us three missions for the next two weeks. Now whether that's because of your little EFF up of setting Kyanite free," Steven frowned under her glare. "who knows." 

She threw the piece in her mouth and crunched on it angrily. And they waited, eating their own food nervously until she swallowed her piece and spoke back up. "Now. The first mission is on Sunday." she took another piece off. 

"We're going to a museum to steal a few rare Fire Agates." she crunched on the piece and swallowed it. "We're off Monday. And Tuesday, there's an abandoned jewelry store holding a rare chunk of Obsidian." she looked up at Steven. "And _that_. mission. will be very.. _very_ important." she narrowed her eyes at him with a mischievous, belittling smug smile at him. 

_..What did she mean by that?_

".. off Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and then we head up to Colorado for another jewelry store on Saturday and we're off on Sunday." she threw the piece in her mouth.

Then she chewed a few times and swallowed and went over the plans. "This week. Just a museum on Sunday. Then next week there's the abandoned jewelry store on Tuesday. Then we have the jewelry store in Colorado on Saturday. So, just three missions. Again, unless Peridot calls us up for another mission." she waved a finger at him. "And you still have your training with Garnet on Sundays, don't forget that."

"Right, right." he nodded. "Of course."

"So this Sunday coming up, you'll be training with her, she takes you back to the Gem base, then a few hours later, we leave out to go on our mission." 

He nodded. "Right."

Amethyst gave him a levelled stare that lasted for a few long moments before going back to her food.

He slowly went back to his and the table was silent once more as the four of them continued eating their food.

  
  


It didn't take them long to finish their breakfast and Amethyst was soon calling for the check. 

The waitress came towards them with a pep in her step.

"We just want the check." Amethyst said bluntly.

The lady smiled kindly at her. "Of course dear. Let me just go get that for you." she walked off and Amethyst picked up her glass of orange juice and started drinking the rest of it.

The waitress came back moments later and handed Amethyst the check. "Was everything good? Did y'all enjoy the food?" her voice was giddy and high pitched. 

Amethyst nodded with a smirk. "Not bad." then she added jokingly. "Compliments to the chef."

"Oooooh, I'm very glad to hear that." she cheered.

Amethyst put a one hundred dollar bill on the receipt and handed the two back to her. "Keep the change."

"Why, thank you very much." she cheesed and moseyed on away from them. 

"Alright." Amethyst got up. "Time to go."

The three of them, with Steven motioning Lion to get out of the seat, followed her down the diner.

The Crystal Gem/Hostess was busy sitting a family down on the opposite side of the diner.

"¡Che, chica! We're heading out!" Amethyst yelled out. 

A few guests sitting at their tables glanced over at her, though they didn't say anything.

"Okay! See you guys later!" she shouted back with a wave. Then she went back to speaking to the family.

Pearl held the door as she usually did for Amethyst and Garnet then quickly stepped in front of Steven as she let go of the door.

_... We can't_ really _be doing this again.... are we?_

He opened the door and he and Lion followed the three women to the truck.

Garnet got in and unlocked the doors and Pearl opened the door for Amethyst as Steven opened his. He and the canine got in and Pearl got in moments after. 

Garnet pressed the button in the car and the vehicle rumbled lightly under them. She shifted gears and started backing out of the parking lot.

  
  


It was another quiet car ride as Garnet drove them back to the apartment complex.

She stopped the car at their usual spot.

"Alright, Talc. Unless we get another call, we're good for the next four days." she reminded him. "So Sunday be here at fifteen hundred hours.

_12..13..-_

He counted in his mind.

_3.p.m._

"Okay. I'll be there at 3p.m. sharp." 

She nodded. "Good." she stared at him..

He slowly looked away from her and opened the door. ".. Okay.. see you all on Sunday.." 

And again, nobody answered him.

He slid out the car and moved out the way for Lion to jump out. He closed the door back and the vehicle drove off seconds later.

_Okay.. so four days off (hopefully) and not including today._

_(Hopefully)_

Lion ran off and went to one of his many spots where he would go to use the bathroom.

_Hmm.. I wonder what I should do for those next four days?_

_These days would be easier to plan if it weren't for these out of nowhere, on call missions that we could possible have at any given moment.._

_But maybe I should just focus on today at least._

Lion came jogging back to him and wagging his tail. "Heyyyy, buddy." he smiled. He scratched at the dog's head. "Let's hope that we don't have any missions today and for the next four days." Lion lolled out his tongue and Steven laughed. He scratched at the side of the canine's face.

Who knows. Maybe today he can actually relax and have a good time with his girlfriend and friends today.

That would be nice. 

Both he and Connie needed another relaxing day with each other. And it would be nice to hang out with both Lars and Sadie again like they'd done a few times years ago.

He leaned up away from the dog. "Come on, Lion. Let's go and see what Connie's up to." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got that "Well hi"from this cat video, lol:
> 
> https://youtu.be/Z-yJTjbswhw


	181. Planning ahead

Steven opened the door and Lion ran in. He stepped in and closed the door behind him and locked it. He started taking off his flip flops.

He heard Connie on the phone speaking in Tamil and his stomach instantly started to twist.

_She was definitely talking to her mother.. Why else would she be speaking in Tamil?!_

_..What all had they'd been talking about?!_

He started walking up and he saw her sitting on her side of the bed with the laptop on her lap.

_".. an't wait. See you and dad there. Okay... Right.. right.. Yes.. See you two later. Be safe."_

Steven slowed his pace as he got closer to the bed.

Connie lowered the phone from her ear and looked up at his nervous face. "Uh.. hey?" he said.

"Hey." then she added. "Is everything okay?"

"Oh, uh, yeah. I just.. uh.." he cleared his throat. "You were.. talking to your mom?" 

"Oh.." she understood perfectly now. "Yeah, I was talking to her_ and_ my dad."

His stomach felt like it was coiling in on itself. 

"Oh?" he asked. He took a few steady steps towards the bed. "So.. it was a good talk? Or.." 

"Yeah. It was."

Lot's of crying between her and her parents and a bit of catching up..

"Oh.." he nodded. "That's.. good."

"Yyeah." then she slid the laptop off her lap and turned to face him. "We really had a nice talk just catching up on a few things. It was nice." 

He nodded again. "Good." then he added. "Really good." he sat down on the bed and slowly swung one leg around. "So.. they're not.. you know" he scratched at the side of his head. "still mad at me?"

Connie resisted twisting her face at the question. "Well, we've.. kinda only spoke just a bit about you." 

_That doesn't answer my question.._

"Oo.. kay?"

His expression grew tense and more nervous.

"Don't worry, it's not necessarily a bad thing. They just, wanted to focus on how _I_ was doing. And by extension, those questions had pulled you into the conversation too."

_..Questions like what?.. Were they.. good questions? _

_What would even quality as a 'good' question? What does a good question even mean?!-_

"But those were pretty general questions."

He didn't know what to make of those "general questions".

"Also.."

With just one word he felt his heart skip a beat. 

".. e made plans to see each other."

His heart was beginning to beat a bit faster.

And he tried to calm his self. 

She was only planning to meet and rekindle with her parents. The two people who completely hated his guts. That's all.

That.. wasn't so bad.

That's.. great that they're making the necessary plans to meet......

"Really?" he strained out.

"Yeah. We decided on Wednesday." 

"Wednesday?" he tried to keep his voice leveled though he knew she could hear the nervousness in his voice. "That's.. only in a couple of days." his heart raced faster. 

"Yeah, but the both of them work the rest of this week and next week and I get off early that day, so I didn't mind."

"..Where.. is it going to be?"

"At Foy Raidley's."

"You mean that extremely expensive fish restaurant?!"

Connie let out a breath through her teeth. "Yeah.. I guess I wanted to impress them by going there, my treat." 

_Her treat?!_

"That." he tried to carefully think of what to say. "Well that's going to be a lot of money."

"I'll just use the money that I have in my account."

"I can give you the money." he stated quickly. "That way, you can use your own money for something else."

"It's okay, Steven. _I_ was the one who offered."

"But the food there is really, _reaally_ expensive. I can just give you the money." then he added for good measure. "Besides. My money, is your money."

Boy.. he was glad that Connie wasn't those type of girl's that would completely deplete a man's bank account.. Otherwise, he would've been kicking himself in the butt for saying that..

She was thinking about it. Then reluctantly, came around eventually. "Sure.." 

He managed a small smile. "See, was that so bad?"

"Mm." she shrugged. She seemed to still be in thought. She looked at him. "Also, Steven.."

And there goes his heart again..

She took a breath. "I'm.. well I'm setting my mind on telling them the truth about us.." 

"L, like?"

He already knew what she was going to say.

She hesitated before saying "I need to tell them that I'm pregnant." 

"Are you sure about this, Connie?!" he blurted out. His heart was racing in his chest.

"Of course, Steven. They need to know. They _deserve_ to know what happened over the past couple of years and what I've been doing with my life recently and" she stopped and there was a slight blush to her face. "and what you and I have been doing.."

He felt his own face heat up, but the fear was still ever present in his chest. "You're going to tell them.." he whispered out. 

_"Yes,_ Steven. I need to come clean to them and I didn't want to do it over the phone. Something like this, I wanted to see them face to face for." 

He looked uncomfortable. And nervous.

"And it's not like I would be able to hide my pregnancy. I'm going to start showing eventually and what's going to happen once I _have_ the baby?"

Once she has the baby..

What a day that'll be..

"I know.." 

"But either way, I _want_ to tell them. And, I plan to" she took a breath. "..over dinner.."

He could only imagine what was going to happen when she drop the huge news on them, but he knew it wasn't going to be a pretty sight.

And he knew that _she_ knew that as well.

This was going to be bad.. _reaaal_ bad.

The fact that he had sex with their daughter was already breaking one of their major rules that they held extreeemely importantly.

And then.. he eventually ends up getting her pregnant..

Yeah.. they were going to kill him.

Or maybe they would come at him with a sharp object and.. 

He lowered his hand between his legs.

Connie raised an eyebrow at him. "You okay?"

"They're going to spay me.." 

First of all, spaying is for females and _neutering_ is for guys.." she said matter of factly. "Also, my parents.." then she thought about it. "They.. wouldn't do that." she didn't seem so sure herself. 

"They're going to.." he said with fear in his voice. 

She sighed. "You know, it was just going to be my parents and I. It wasn't like we had officially planned you in."

He looked at her. Just a bit shocked to hear that. And, maybe a bit hurt too. 

"Don't take it the wrong way." she said quickly. "We really wanted to see each other. And by extension, since I'm with you, they asked if you would be coming too and I told them that I wasn't sure because I didn't know your work schedule. But I didn't tell them the other reason was that you may not want to go."

And she was right. He really didn't.

"So you don't have to go. It'll just be the three of us catching up more."

No..

No he couldn't do that to her.

He should really be more supportive and go with her. Besides, it was her family. If they were going to start being in her life once again and if he was to continue being with her, which he planned on, then he should just start getting to know them more and trying to get on good terms with them.

"I'll go Connie. This is important to you. And I think it'll be the right thing for me, as your boyfriend and.. you know.." he mumbled out "the father." his stomach twisted inwards. "of your baby. of. _our_ baby," his stomach felt like it folded in on itself. "I should start seeing them more as well." then he added despite of not wanting to. "And.. I think you're going to need someone there when you give them the news.." 

She looked at his nervous face and she tried for an appreciative smile. She leaned over and grabbed his other hand. "I appreciate you doing this. I can't imagine how nervous you must be."

..Yeah, no kidding..

She crawled over slightly and gave him a kiss on the temple. "I'm nervous too. But doing this now will save us a lot of problems and arguments in the long run. And we'll get it all done and over with." 

"Right. Just put everything out on the table and.. just get all of the tension and yelling out of the way." 

She sighed. "Yeah.." and she knew it was going to be plenty of yelling..

It was settled. They would have to face her parents and come clean. He wasn't ready to do that.. and she wasn't either. But they had to do it. They put this one each other and now, they would have to endure the consequences of their actions. 

He slid his other leg over on the bed and wrapped his arm around her. He rubbed her back. "I know it'll be okay." he reassured her gently. "I have a feeling everything will get better once we tell them." or so he hoped.

She laid her head on his. "I really hope so, Steven."

"It will." he said softly. He turned his head slightly to the side and she leaned up almost telepathically knowing what he was going to do. She turned her head to face him and he tilted his head, giving her a kiss. He leaned away just slightly. "Everything will be fine." he gave her another kiss and leaned back moments later.

"Yeah, that's what I'm telling myself."

"Don't_ tell_ yourself. Believe it." he tried for a smile.

And she tried to mirror it, giving him a small smile of her own. "Yeah." 

She leaned away slowly from the hug. "Well, enough about the whole parents situation" she said gently. "So.. you're here early." 

"Huh?" then he realized what she'd meant. "Oh, yeah. Well it turns out that something had happened and that the other two trucks were delayed and weren't going to be at the store until later on tonight. So the manager let me and two other new co workers go."

He was getting maybe a bit _too_ good at telling these stories.. And quiet frankly, he wasn't too thrilled about that..

"Does that mean that they'll call you back tonight?"

"I'm not sure."

_Well I can only _hope_ that I won't be called for another mission.._

"But I don't think so."

"Oh.." a beat later. "I was just making sure if you were or not since, we were supposed to go to this camping thing with Lars and Sadie."

"Yeah, I didn't forget that." and there was a more genuine smile to his face. "I was still planning on going."

And there was _no_ smile on _her_ face. She nodded. "Ah, okay. So we're going."

And his smile wavered. "I mean, we can just call it quits if you changed your mind-"

"No, no, no. It's okay. Um, we can" she looked at the clock on the wall. _1:42p.m_ ".. start packing" she turned back around. "and you can call Lars now to tell him that we're going. I don't want to call him too last minute." 

"Right." he took the phone out of his pocket and went to Lars' name as Connie turned the laptop back around. She was on the Foy Raidley's restaurant website. She clicked on a tab before it and was on a camping site. The title **Camping For Beginners** as its title. 

She scrolled down to read as the phone rung out in Steven's ear.

Connie's face twisted slightly. "We don't have most of these things.." she mumbled.

"Huh?-" 

The phone clicked over. "Hey, Steven!" 

"Ah, hey Lars."

"How's it going?"

"Oh, everything's good over here. Just wanted to give you a quick call to say that we're going." 

"That's great! Man I was hoping that you two would be able to go. It's going to be great!"

"Oh yeah, definitely." he saw Connie shaking her head at the screen in front of her. A slight frown was on her face. He turned his head and Connie saw him and looked over. "We don't have any of this stuff." she said to him.

"Oh, is that Connie? Tell her I said hi!"

"Uh, Lars said 'hi'."

"Hey." she waved to the phone then went back to the topic at hand. "Steven, I don't know how we're going to camp exactly when we actually _don't_ have proper camping gear _to_ pack." 

".. ave Steven on the phone." he heard part of what Lars had said. Then he heard a "Hey, Steven!" in the background. 

"Hey, Sadie." he said back.

"Man, I can not WAIT to go on this trip!" she cheered. "Oooooooh, I can already taste those delicious smores already."

There was a slight bit of air going through the phone.

Were they outside?

Then he heard Lars grunting and something loud thumping against something hollow. "I can't wait either." his voice sounded far away before he said "Yeah, Sadie and I are putting the gear into the truck. I want to get there early, preferably around three o'clock so we can do a bit of outdoor activities before we start setting up camp." 

"Oh that sounds good." he simply said. "So, you will be here in what, an hour or less?"

Connie snapped her eyes towards him, her mouth slightly open in shock. "Steven. We're not even close to getting ready. We don't even have proper camp gear."

He resisted a sigh. "Hey, Lars? We're going down the camping list now and.. looks like we don't have all of the right gear.."

"Oh, that's no problem at all." he said gleefully. "You two don't have to worry about that. I actually packed an extra tent and some sleeping bags and a tarp and some camping pillows" 

_'Camping pillows'? That's actually a thing?_

".. ings in the truck. The only thing you two would have to bring is some extra clothing and some swim gear if you want to and your toiletries. And, maybe a bit of snacks but I have all of that covered as well." 

"He got that right!" he heard Sadie shout in the background.

"AH! Sadie! You're eating up all the Graham crackers!" 

"No, I'm not!" 

"But.. I, .. that's a second box!"

"You're seeing things Lars!" 

There was a sigh over the phone. "Fine.. I'll just go back in the house and get some more.." he mumbled in defeat.

Steven looked over at Connie who was skimming on a new site. "Lars says he has some camping gear for us." she looked away from the screen. "The only thing we need to pack are our clothes and toiletries. And he said swim gear as well if we want. And he said we can bring some snacks but he has all of that too." 

"So he has an extra tent and a tarp and-" 

Steven was nodding his head. "He has all of that. You know Lars. He always have extra of stuff." 

"Yeah, that _is_ Lars.." she pushed the laptop away and slid off the bed. "Is he still coming to get us in an hour?"

He went back to the phone. "Lars?"

He heard the sound of wrappers crinkling and the sound of boxes moving, then someone picking up the phone. "Yeah?"

"When will you be here exactly?"

"Mm.. I guess in about forty or so minutes? Sadie and I still have a few more things to put in the truck, then I need to go to the gas station and get some gas. Then I'm going to your place." 

"Okay. That should give us some time. We'll see you then."

"See ya, Steven."

He hung up the phone. "He says in about forty minutes. He and Sadie are still packing up. Then he says he wants to go and get some gas before picking us up."

"Okay, then let's hurry up and start packing." she walked over to the closet. "Forty minutes go by fast."

  
  


It didn't take them long at all to pack up. They took out two extra clothes for each of them and their nightwear and under clothes and put them in one dark blue duffle bag. And much to Steven's liking, she put in her bikini in the bag along with his very old pair of swim trunks. 

They packed two towels, washclothes, their toiletries, a sleeve of crackers and three cans of Ginger Ale (just in case her morning sickness sets in (and sets in more than once) ) and one of Connie's prenatal vitamins and her eye drops in one side of the bag, a small first aid kit and two separate sandwich bags of Steven's cream and oil (which he also used that time to put on his skin for the second time that day) in another pocket of the bag, Lion's dish bowls, medicine, food and treats in another compartment and two different cans of bug spray and repellant in another.

Connie was zippering up the last compartment. "That should be it." she got up from the floor and was about to pick the bag up- 

"No, I got it. I got it." he jogged over from the kitchen holding a few protein bars in his hands. "I can carry it." he unzipped the main compartment and smushed the protein bars along with their clothes and zipped the bag back up. He got up and threw it over his back. "You sure that's all you want to bring?" 

"Yeah, we have all of the main stuff." she said. Though she looked around their small studio apartment, just to make sure. She nodded. "Yeah. That's it." 

"Then I guess we can wait outside for him? Unless you want to relax in here, but I need to take Lion out before we go."

"No, I'll just wait outside on the step."

"Okay. You're the boss." he kissed her cheek and she let out a short chuckle.

"Alright, time to go, Lion."

The dog ran pass them and to the door.

"We should get his leash too." said Connie.

Steven took the leash from the coat rack and clipped it onto Lion's collar. He opened the door.

"You go ahead with Lion. I have the door." she said and she took the keys from her pocket.

"Alright, you heard her Lion. Let's go!" he started jogging with the dog down the hall. Lion panted happily as the two ran down the hallway and down the flight of steps.

Connie shook her head smiling as she locked the door. "Boys.." 

Steven and Lion ran out the main door and towards the side of the apartment. He stopped and Lion started jumping up on him, the dog overly excited with energy. 

"Hey, hey, okay." Steven laughed. "Hey, I'm not playing anymore." Lion jumped up, throwing his paws up to his chest. "Come on, you gotta hurry up and do your business." Lion panted, wanting to ply more. He jumped up and Steven turned to the side and Lion kept jumping up. "Hey. Heeeeeey. Sit. Siiiiiit." 

Lion stopped and looked at him. His mouth still panting open and his tail wagging happily behind him.

"Siiiiiit."

Lion closed his mouth.. only to open it back up slightly as he looked out his tongue.

"Siiiiit." 

Lion licked his chops and sat down.

"Good boy! Now lay down."

Lion panted. Then slowly, slid his front paws down and leaned his body froward and laid down.

"Good boy again!" then he thought. "Hmm.." he took the duffel bag off his shoulders and placed it on the ground. He unzipped Lion's side and opened up his treats bag. 

Lion heard the familiar sound and got up to investigate. He jogged over to the bag and Steven's hand and started sniffing the familiar scent of his treats. "Here you go." he threw three pieces of dog jerky on the ground and sealed the bag back up and zipped the side pocket back.

Lion was crunching on his treats.

There was an unfamiliar tune coming from his phone and his heart jolted in his chest as he automatically thought of the Gems. He grabbed the phone from his pocket.

It was Lars.

And he blew out a sigh of relief.

He swiped across the screen and answered the call.

"Hey, Lars."

There was a giggle. "It's Sadie. Lars wanted me to call since he's driving. We should be there in about ten minutes. We just left the gas station." 

"Okay. Connie and I are already outside."

"Cool. We'll see you then." 

"See ya, Sadie."

"See ya." then he heard faintly. "He said he and Connie are-" she hung up the phone.

He locked his phone and put the device back in his pocket.

Lion was now smelling around the usual areas on the side of the building.

Steven hoisted the bag back on his back and waited for him.

Lion came back moments later, tail wagging behind him. "You ready?" Steven asked with a smile.

Lion opened his mouth and closed it back.

"Iiii, take that as a yes." he cheesed. "Come on." the two of them power walked to the side of the building.

Connie was sitting on the top step on her phone. She looked up at the handsome, smiling boy. His smile was definitely contagious more times then not and she felt herself starting to smile. She put the phone back in her pocket. "Why are you smiling?" 

"What, I can't smile?" he sat down next to her.

"I didn't say that-" he leaned forward and kissed her. "I.. was just asking."

He gave her another kiss then threw his arm over her shoulder and pulled her in gently. "Just happy to be having another day with you, that's all." 

She scoffed. "Awww, how sweeet." 

He chuckled. "It's true Connie. We finally have another day to have some fun." he gave her a long kiss on the temple. "And we get to see Lars and Sadie again. So that's nice too."

"Right. I haven't seen her in years. Wonder what she's been up to."

_Well...._

He couldn't tell her about Sadie and her addiction.. or her living in an alley.. 

Though maybe she changed at this point? It'd been a week or a little over that since he'd saw her so who knows.

"Not sure." he shrugged. "But at least we'll get to see her in a few more minutes."

Lion decided to walk up the stairs towards them.

"Hey, Lion." Steven cheesed. He raised up his hand to pat him and the dog moved away to go to Connie.

"Owch, Lion.." Steven withdrew his hand. 

Connie snorted.

The dog hopped up the steps and sat on the top step by her. She sat there looking at him. Then she turned to Steven. He shrugged. 

And just a few seconds of no head scratches from her, he headbutt her gently on the shoulder. 

"I think he wants you to pet him."

She blew out a breath, though it didn't sound at all annoyed or angry. "So first the stick.. and now this?" 

"Mmyeah? I don't know what all goes on in his mind." 

"Mm.." she pouted. Though she still didn't pet him.

Eventually Lion laid down beside her and placed his head on her lap.

"Awwwwee, I'm so jealous but aaaaawwweeee, that's so cute." Steven cooed.

"Heh.. mmmaybe.." she mumbled. Though she did have to admit.. it did bring a little smile to her face from the dog doing something as random as that. And, it was _kiiiinda_ cute.. 

A few solid seconds had passed and she slowly.. raised her hand towards his head- 

"Lars is here!" 

She stopped and looked up as she heard his pickup truck driving into the lot.

Steven hopped up to his feet and gave the two a wave. 

"Hey, Steven!" he waved his hand out the window. "Hey, Connie!" 

She got up slowly and Lion leaned his head off of her. "Hey Lars! Hey Sadie!" 

"Hey you two!" Sadie shouted from the passenger's seat.

Steven and Connie, along with Lion right beside her, began walking to the truck and Lars got a good look at the wounds on Steven's skin, but acted as if he didn't see anything. 

The three of them walked towards the back of the truck.

And saw..

Steven almost did a double take. His eyes widened and he gasped dramatically. "Are those kayaks?!"

There was Lars' signature dad chuckle. "No, those are canoes. I thought we could do a bit of paddling at one of the rivers." 

"I hope it's not too choppy.." Steven heard Connie mumble behind him.

"Oh yeah, we'll be fine." Lars reassured her casually with a smile. "I purposely chose this particular campsite because of it's calm waters. It's good for practice, which is why I brought Sadie to this one. She wants to learn how to paddle a canoe, so these calm rivers are good for beginners."

"Can you teach me too?!" Steven blurted out.

"Of course!" then he saw the worried look on Connie's face. "Uh.. don't.. worry Connie." he scratched at his hair. "I have life jackets. And the water isn't too deep." then he added. "And, we won't be _too_ far from land." then he added with a kid-like, sheepish grin. "And did I mention these were calm waters?" 

"..Yeah.."

"'Oh, come on, Connie." Steven threw his arm around her. "It'll be fun." 

She looked at the canoes as he opened the door for her. "Now" and she looked back at him. "after you, m'la-" Lion jumped into the car. He chuckled. "Sorry." he cleared his throat. "After you, m'lady." 

She raised her foot on the step and he pushed her up and she climbed into the truck. "Hey, Connie. Long time no see." he heard Sadie say. 

'Yeah, it's been years." 

He closed the door and went to the other side. He opened his side door and threw the duffle bag into the seat and jumped in. He closed the door and put his seat belt on. He looked over. Of course Connie already had hers on.

Lars turned around and placed his arm on the back of his seat. A mocked smug smirk on his face. "Now who's ready for the most amazing camping experience ever?" 

"I am!" Sadie cheered first and that elicited laughter from Steven and small chuckles from Connie. "Yeah, I can't wait." he said. "I've never been camping. So this should be interesting." 

"What?! Never been camping?!" he looked at Connie and she shook her head with a small smile. "Yeah, me either."

There as a shocked expression on his face that soon turned to giddiness. "Then I am definitely going to have to give you two the most AMAZING camping experience. of all. time." he turned around in his seat, then turned his head back at Sadie who'd snuck in another Graham cracker. "Sadie, if you keep eating those you're going to end up not being hungry for dinner. And you know I'm cooking my famous Salmon dish tonight." 

"I knooooow." she whined. "And I want be hungry for it." she looked don at the box... "Okay, okay, this is the last one." she took out the Graham cracker and closed the box back up.

"Your Salmon dish?" Steven asked.

That was already sounding delicious to him.

"Yeah, I-"

_"Famous_ Salmon dish." Sadie interrupted to correct him.

"Ah, that's just something that we say." he casually said to Sadie. He shifted gears and began backing out of the parking lot. "Yeah, I'm planning on fishing down at the lake. We catch a few fish and I'm going to cook them. I'm also making Mediterranean Chickpea Salad, Grilled Asparagus and Honey Baked Carrots."

Now that sounds both healthy AND delicious.

But how is any of that even possible?

..How are you even going to bake carrots without an oven?

"You, Lars, are making me hungry, just talking about it." said Sadie. 

"Yeah, it does sound delicious, doesn't it Connie?" Steven asked. 

"Yeah. And most importantly, it sounds healthy."

"I keep reminding him he might as well be a chef." said Sadie. "But noOoOoOooo. He doesn't want to." 

He stopped at a stoplight. "Well.. it's not that I don't._want_ to. It's just.. I have the Big Donut to worry about right now." 

"Hey, I keep telling you that I can supervise." she joked. "All I need to do is sell a bit of donuts, mop up some floors once in awhile and do inventory.

"Now you know it's not that simple." he smirked.

"Heh, yeah I know. I'm just joshing." she nudged him playfully on the shoulder with her first.

"Hey Sadie."

"Yeah, Steve-O."

He chuckled at the nickname. "How is it at The Big Donut?"

"Aye, it's not too bad. Sure you may get teens that try to pull a fast one on ya or have business men with sticks up their butt or even Mayor Dewey himself. But like I said, it's not too bad. I can't complain."

"She's only been working for three days and she's already acting like she's been working there for years." said Lars. 

"Ah, look at this lug." she pointed at him. "Giving me compliments already."

"Heheh." he could feel his self starting to blush. "But it's true."

Sadie snorted at his flushed face. "Looking a bit hot Lars, maybe you should put your window back down and get some air." she teased. 

He cleared his throat. "Maybe just a little.." he grabbed the crank handle and rotated the knob. Once the window rolled down just a few inches down, he stopped. "Are you okay back there, Connie?" 

Wind blew her hair gently around her face. "Yeah, I'm okay, Lars." 

"You know, I'm going to roll mine down too." she rolled her window down halfway. "Yeah, I'm not even going to ask if you're okay Steven because I know you are." Sadie snickered. 

His curly hair bounced in the wind and air flew into his eyes. "Mmhmm." he nodded. He leaned away from the window. 

Lion looked at the air brushing pass towards them. He jumped up on the seat and started sniffing the area by Steven. 

"Oh, want some of the air boy?" he blinked as the air hit his eyes. He rotated the crank handle and rolled the window down and more air came in. 

Lion walked across his lap and sniffed the air. He stuck his head out the window. Steven chuckled and started scratching the canine's back

Lion leaned back and licked Steven's face. "Ahck, no kisses." he chuckled. He moved the dog's head out the way gently and Lion went back to sticking his head out the window.

Connie decided to join the crew. Also, having a bit more fresh air would be nice. 

She leaned down and grabbed the crank handle. She rolled her window down halfway and sat back in her seat. The warm summer air rushed into her face and blew her dark brown locks all over her face. She rolled the window up slightly more and leaned back in her seat. 

Lion looked back inside the car as Steven continued to scratch his back. Then he brought his head back inside. "That's enough air for you already?" Steven inquired with a chuckle. 

Lion started walking away from him and the chuckle slowly died off. "Aw hey. You're just going to ignore me like that?" he pouted. 

Connie saw movement out the corner if her eye and she and Steven watched as Lion started walking towards her.

"Oh, no, no, no. _You_ can stay over there with _him."_

Lion climbed on her leg and went for a "kiss" and she quickly held her hands up between them. "Uhg, nooo. Don't lick my face." 

Lion obliged and went to climbing more onto her lap and sticking his head out the window.

"Wow.. I thought you were my buddy, Lion."

Lion looked at Steven. Then, stuck his head back out the window. He laid his backside down on Connie's lap and leaned on the door. He stuck out his tongue, enjoying the breeze and half sitting, half leaning on both Connie and the door. 

She looked over at Steven and he shrugged. 

"I really don't know what's gotten into him lately." she said and he shrugged again. "Me either."

Lion stuck his head back into the car and leaned over. He headbutt Connie again. This time, on her head. She glanced over at Steven. "I think he's going to keep doing that unless you pet him." he said with an apologetic smile.

She let out an exasperated sigh though he saw just a slight hint of a smile. "Fiiiiine... Just this once." she brought her hand slowly up.. and placed it on top of his head.

_Eeeeee!!! She's actually petting him!!_

Connie slid her hand robotically over the dog's head once.. then twice.. then thrice..

And a forth time.. and a fifth.. 

And there was a small chuckle and her smile grew just slightly to a very small smirk.

She pat him gently on his head and dragged her hand to the back of his ear. Lion leaned into the scratches. 

And the smirk was a bit more present on her face.

Petting him wasn't _as_ bad as she'd thought.

"Uh oh.." they heard Lars say from the front and she looked up as she continued petting Lion. "Looks like we're running into a bit of traffic here. We might want to tack on an extra twenty, thirty minutes before we get to the campsite."

"That's fine with me." said Sadie. She kicked her legs up on the dashboard. "I'm in no rush." she joked.

"I'm fine too." said Steven. 

"I'm with them." Connie joined in. "I'm fine too."

"Of course you are, because _yooouu_ have your new pal Liiiooon to keep you company." he mocked pout.

Connie rolled her eyes good naturedly.

"Aw, you're feeling left out Steve-O? How about this. I can be your car ride buddy." said Sadie. 

"Uh, sure?" he had a confused smile on his face.

"Great! Now as your car ride buddy, let's play a nice little game to pass the time. This could even be apart of our little camping trip."

"Sure." he leaned up in his seat. "What game?"

"The liscense plate game."

"Huh?"

"Aw man, that takes me back." said Lars.

"How do you play that?"

"You never played the licence plate game either?!" 

"No."

"Well there's a few different ways to play it actually, but we can go real simple with it. Basically, the goal of the game is to score as many points as you can by seeing license plates from as many states or countries as possible. BUT the license plate with _our_ State on it doesn't count, so we don't count them."

"So just look for the other forty nine States."

"Or look for other countries' license plates, yes. Also, out of country plates are worth two points." 

"Sounds easy enough."

"And you have to specifically point it out. That prevents anyone from lying that they've seen a specific license plate."

Steven nodded. "Makes sense."

"And we usually play the game with paper" she picked up Lars' phone. "but we'll use cellphones instead. Just go to a blank memo and write down the State and write down how times you see those certain States."

Steven took out his phone and went to his memo.

"Hey, Connie. You want in?" Sadie asked.

"Yeah, sure." she smiled. She leaned her hand from Lion who had long since stuck his head back out the window and half sat half leaned in her and the car. She took out her cellphone and went to her memo.

"What about you, Lars?"

"I would love to. But I'm going to have to pass in it. I need to focus on the road." 

Sadie shrugged. "Okay, suit yourself." then she addressed the two in the back. "Okay, on the count of three. One... two...................." 

They looked at her.

"Two and a half........... two......and three quarters..............................."

Steven snickered. "Oh, come on Sadie-"

"Three!"

Sadie, Connie and Steven looked out their windows. 

"OH! Found one already!" Steven shouted. Pennsylvania tags." Connie and Sadie started looking around. "It's the black Volvo in the front next to the blue van." 

"I see it." said Sadie.

Steven wrote _PA: 1 _on his memo.

They continued looking around.

"Canada tags." said Connie. 

"What?!" Sadie looked back. "Canada really?!"

Connie pointed. "Ontario license plates on the blue car two cars up in front of the gray escort.

Sadie craned her neck around to see. "Ooooh, now I see it. That's cool. Wonder what they're doing all the way down here in the Delmarva area." a beat later. "Also Connie. Wow, you have some good eyes."

She snorted. "Thank the eye doctor." she tapped on her post-cataract glasses.

Sadie looked out her side of the window. "Oh hey! Delaware tags!" 

Connie and Steven looked. 

Sadie pointed to her left. "The owner of the white Sedan." then she squinted her eyes. "They left their lights on too." she chuckled. "The interior lights."

"Can't you get pulled over like that?" Connie asked.

"I think it's a law in certain States." said Lars.

"Eh, whatever. It's not me so." Sadie shrugged and typed on Lars' phone. 

"I spot Kentucky." said Steven.

"Fried chicken?" Sadie joked.

The whole car groaned, say for Lion who curiously looked back inside the car at the noise. Only to poke his head back out the car after relaxing everyone was okay.

"Green Mercedes in the fast lane." he said. Then he saw another licence plate. "Oh! And there's Alabama! The white Toyota truck! Oh! And New York! Another Mercedes-Benz! A gray one!"

"Whoa, whoaa, Steven. How are you finding all these cars?" Sadie asked in disbelief. 

He shrugged. "I guess I'm just good at this." then he could feel a rather smug smile coming to his face. "Looks like _I'll_ be the one to win this game."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Literally found out that nothing comes after "thrice" *surprised Pikachu face*
> 
> Also..  
"Whoever is the owner of the White Sedan, you left your lights own."  
Lol, had to play homage to that xD


	182. Island Adventure

He in fact, did _not_ win the game.

In _fact_, he came in third place and lost.

Connie ended up winning first place. Within the approximately twenty six minutes of Lars driving on the highway, she managed to find eleven State license plates. Five of them she'd seen at least four times and two of them she'd seen five times. And she'd somehow managed to find two more plates from Ontario, giving her extra points. 

Sadie found eight different State license plates at least two or three times.

And then.. it was Steven.. finding only five different license plates once or twice and seeing the same Kentucky plates at least six times (prompting the same KFC joke from Sadie) the joke which she'd beaten into the ground. 

_Maybe I should've kept my big mouth shut.._

The game was over once Lars exited out the freeway and Connie was crowned the Winner and Queen of the license plate game.

As Lars got closer to the campsite, less and less houses were seen and more of the luscious green forests appeared in their spots. And if he would look closely, he could make out a couple tents here and there.

It took Lars another ten minutes until they reached a well polished, wooded sign that said **Island Adventure. **

Then underneath of it.

**No this isn't an island... but you'll certainly have a grand adventure! **

"Did they really have to put an ellipses?" Connie asked.

"Of course." Lars smiled light-heartedly. "It's for dramatic effect. You know, like in suspence. You read it a bit slower and you can _feel_ that, drawn out effect." 

"Yeah... I don't buy it."

"Ah, it's not for everyone I guess.... BUT, that's just the sign. Now the _inside_ is what REALLY matters" he cheesed. He drove pass the sign, driving along the gravel that soon turned into wet grass and mud. 

Lion looked around the new, interesting area and he sniffed the fresh air and wet leaves and sweet flowers and plants of the forest.

"I know a perfect spot." Lars turned left and began driving up, riding over small rocks, grass clippings and shredded bark. "Or I just hope that it's not occupied. That was_ also_ one of the main reasons why I wanted to get here early. So I can park my truck at the spot." 

"Ah, we're still early. I don't think anyone will be there." Sadie tried reassuring him.

Steven looked out the window, catching the wet, damp smell of the leaves and the scent of buttercups and other plants and flowers as they passed by the meadow. Through the thick groups of trees he could see rivers behind them and he could make out a small, cliff where a small stream of a lone waterfall was coming down and hitting the small body of water.

"Whoa.." he looked to his other side and Connie looked just as awestruck as him as she looked at the green foliage and colorful flowers. And there she was, scratching Lion's head again. 

And how the sun was shining in the car and over them looked nice. It was like something off of a nature painting. Or a photo of someone looking at nature for what it truly was for the first time. 

And he wanted to capture that beautiful, serene moment. 

He took out his phone. "Hey, Connie."

"Hm?" she turned around.

He head an endearing smile on his face that reached the happiness of his dark brown eyes. "I want to take a picture of you and Lion on you two's first camping trip." he grinned.

For just a split second, a feeling of "stage fight" came over her and she wondered if she looked okay or if the dog should be in the picture with her. But that was just for a second. And as she looked into his eyes and at the child-like wonder on his face and as the rays of the sun hit him and seemed to cast this beautiful yellow flow on him, all of that seem to melt away. 

Out of habit, she pushed back a piece of her hair back and behind her ear and she gave him a shy smile. 

"Lion." he whistled. "Hey boy. I'm trying to take a picture."

Lion ignored him and kept his head out the window.

"Aww.." Steven frowned. He lowered his phone back down.

Connie looked at him. The boy looking like he'd just dropped his ice cream on the ground.

She looked at the canine. "Come on, Lion." she scratched his head. "Let's take a picture." 

The dog looked at her and she began scratching behind his ear. He leaned forward towards her-

Steven quickly held his phone up and snapped a photo of Connie smiling and scratching Lion's ear.

-and went in for a "kiss"- 

Steven snapped two more pictures right as Lion licked Connie's cheek and her face was right between a smile and her being disgusted at the dog sneaking a kiss in. And the second picture being of her right in the middle of saying "Bleck" and her face twisting in disgust.

He snapped a third picture of her wiping her face and Lion lolling out his tongue and a fourth picture of her pouting right at the camera.

Steven laughed as she took her shirt and wiped at her cheek. "Ueeeeeehhg." 

"Those were some really good pictures, Connie. You and Lion are naturals."

"I could've made do without Lion licking me in the face though.."

"He was just being nice." he smiled.

Connie still didn't look too thrilled.

Lars was driving down a small hill and the various trees started getting thicker and more numerous the farther down they went.

Steven was looking at the first picture. He couldn't stop looking at her beautiful smiling face. And the soft light of the sun made the picture looked more vibrant and the trees made this picturesque blur behind them, making her and Lion more dimensional. And she looked more comfortable with their amazing canine as she pat his head. It was beautiful.

He swiped to the next one, getting that perfect line between her starting to lose her smile as she realized what happened. 

He swiped to the next one-

"Looks like you're right Sadie." Lars sounded more cheerful. "Nobody's here."

She scoffed. Told you that." she said smugly. 

Steven looked up from his phone. "Whoa.." there was calm, clean lake just a few yards beside him. Just by the edge of the water were rocks of various sizes making a rocky path up and down the lake. The farther away from the lake, the rocks met dirt and pebbles, then mud, then grass and the grass kept up into the area and mixing in with the bushes and plants. Across from the lake on the other side was a grove of thick, plentiful trees.

"Connie.." he whispered in awe. "Look at this." 

She turned around as he went back to his camera. He snapped a picture. 

"Yeah, that's definitely a sight.." she leaned forward, looking up at the trees above them. She looked back down, taking in more of the scenery. 

Lars turned away from the lake and drove up. "This is the spot that I was telling you all about. We have the calm lake by us, we have a couple of very essential trees beside us" he gestured out the windows at the foliage and we're not too close or too far from the bathrooms aaaand. This area has THE best sunset and sunrise." he pulled up to a small clearing, away from the trees. He pulled the parking break up and parked the car. "Well, here we are folks." he turned the car off and started rolling the window up. "Windows up guys. Don't want to bring in any critters back to Empire with us." 

Everyone started doing the same as Lars grabbed a backpack between his and Sadie's seat. He slipped it on his arms and opened the heavy door with a low _crrriiiiiick_.

Sadie got out and Steven and Connie, with Lion right behind her, got out the truck. "No! Lion!" he heard Connie shout from the other side of the truck.

Steven ran to the side to see Lion running off into the trees with Lars and Sadie still running after him. "Lion! You get back here!" he shouted. 

Connie was just a few yards away from Steven. She turned back to him. "I'm telling you he really needs more discipline. He needs to go to obedience training or something." Connie grumbled.

Steven sighed. "I know.."

Lion saw the other two still running after him and he ran from one tree and back towards Steven and Connie. Lars and Sadie were running back towards them.

"Yeah, that's right. Coooome on back." Steven said sternly. 

Lion ran up to him and jumped up, putting his paws on him. He panted happily at him.

Steven gave him a stern look and grabbed the leash.

Lars and Sadie were running up.

"Phewf.." Sadie blew out a tired breath. "Glad that didn't take long."

Lion looked over at her. He jumped off Steven and jumped on her instead. His tail wagged excitedly from side to side. 

"Yeah, you're a fast one." she pat at the dog's head. 

Lars looked at his phone. "Good news. Despite of that little backup earlier, we're still making good timing." he put the phone back in his pocket. "We can come back and set up in a few hours." he dug his hand into his other pocket. "But until then. Now for some fun." he took out a single sheet of paper.

He was getting raised eyebrows and skeptic looks.

"Oh, this?" he smirked. "Yeah, I keep a camping list of the most fun things I like to do while camping." he turned the paper to face them. "I call this 'Lars' Ultimate Fun Guide to Camping'." he smiled brightly.

"Great!" Steven piped up. "Mind if I take a look?"

"No, go ahead." he handed him the paper and Steven started looking at the numerous list from top to bottom.

"The things that are _extra_ fun, I've written in red." Lars clarified.

Steven tilted his head. "But.." he looked up at Lars. _"everything's_ in red."

"Yeaaaaahh, I know!" he said giddily.

Steven stared at him.

Sadie laughed and snorted in front of the boy. "It takes Lars." she went ahead and snatched the paper out of Steven's hand and looked at the list. She nodded. "Mhmm. Mhmm.." she nodded. She looked up at Lars. "Yeah, not too bad. We might as well just start from the top and just go down the list." she handed the paper back to him. 

Lars folded the paper in two. "It's a pretty big list, so we might get done with maybe half of these. I wouldn't want to breeze pass these too quickly." 

"Yeah, yeah, that's understandable." said Sadie casually. "And that's fine with me." she looked at Connie and Steven.

Connie smiled. "Ditto." 

"Me too!" Steven threw his arms up and cheered.

Lars smiled widely at his friends. He put the paper back in his pocket. "Well, I guess we should hurry up and get started." 

"Lars' Ultimate Fun Guide to Camping starts now!" Steven cheesed. 

That elicited cheering and laughter from the group.

..............................

The first on the list was cycling around the nature trail. 

The four of them and Lion were walking up to a small bike shop. 

Steven jogged up and opened the door. There was a small chime and Lars let Sadie and Connie walk in first before walking in after them and Steven, with Lion close by him on a leash walked in last.

The first thing that hit him was the cool air conditioned air and the strong smell of rubber and spray paint.

"Hello and welcome Bikes 'N Bikes." the cashier greeted them. 

Steven and the others greeted her back before they started moseying farther into the shop.

"Half of these look like robots." Sadie chuckled. "I'm just looking for an old fashioned one."

"They're farther in the back." said Lars. 

The two broke away from Steven and Connie. "They look pretty cool." he said to her. 

Connie leaned down to look closer at the bikes. "Look at this." she read the description on the small paneling above the bikes. "Heated seats, heated handles.. heated _pedals_?? Are you kid- why would you need- there's an air conditioner_ within_ the handlebars too?!" 

Steven snickered. "They just want to make people comfortable Connie."

"But _this_ is just overboard! I mean really, look-" she pointed at the handlebars. "vibrating handlebars?! Really?!" 

Steven laughed harder. "People want their hands massaged I guess." 

Connie went back to looking at more bikes. "A lot of this stuff isn't even necessary." she grumbled as she read.

Steven walked away to let her grumble and glare at the expensive bikes and walked over to another set of bikes that were more of his taste. Lion walked with him, sniffing some of the bike tires and biting and licking a few bike pedals. 

He walked up to one bike that seemed to practically stand out amongst the rest.

It was blue and had a single bell on one of the handlebars. It wasn't an expensive looking one, but it was far from plain either. It was right in the middle and it was definitely the hike for him.

"Whoa, check _this_ one out, Lion." he jogged up to it. 

He ran his hand along the shiny, smooth handlebars. "Yeah, I think this is definitely the one." he turned around to see Connie now reading a little pamphlet. 

"Wow! This bike is sooooo cool!" he spoke up louder to get her attention.

Connie continued to read.

"Five speeds." he looked back at her. 

Her eyes were still glued to the book. 

He squeezed on the brakes. "Hand brakes." he looked back. 

She didn't look up. 

He ran his hand along the frame of the bike. "Electric blue finish with a tiger bell!" he rung the bell and looked back with a smile. 

She turned a page.

"Yeaah, I think this bike could only be fit for someone who's able to ride such a monster such as _this_ one right here." he threw his leg over the bike and kicked the kickstand back. He saw something moving out the corner of his eye and turned his head. 

It was a small garden snake. 

"WHOA-AAHH!!!" he jumped back on the bike and he fell backwards as the bike fell on its side. The bike bumped against one bike, which made that bike fall down and hit the next one and the sequence began as the bikes tumbled and fell over on the floor as Steven tried scrambling up to his feet to get away from the tiny snake. 

Connie looked up from the pamphlet. "Steven?!" 

He looked at her, embarrassed at what just happened and looking at the pile of bikes on the floor. "Uh.... Snake!" he shouted as if to throw the attention onto the reptile and away from him. 

"Wha-" she took a step and he ran away from the mess he made.

"Steven!" she put the pamphlet on the self and ran after him.

A few moments later and the cashier came to investigate. She looked at the tipped over bikes on the floor. She sighed. 

  
  


Steven ran towards the back and turned the corner of the last aisle, almost bumbing into Sadie. 

"Whoa, where are you in such a hurry to?" she joked. 

"Oh, sorry Sadie." he walked farther into the aisle. "So uh.." he tried saying anything to ease his own self into the conversation. "find any cool bikes yet?"

"You're standing in front of it." she gestured her hand towards a two seater bike. 

"A.. tandem bike?" he looked at her, then at Lars. He shrugged and Steven could see the blush on his face. "Why not?" he said shyly 

Connie was coming around the corner. "Steven."

"OhheyConnie,LarsandSadieandIwerejusttalking aboutthisTandembikerighthere,isn'titcool?" he said quickly with a nervous chuckle at the end. 

"Wh-" she looked at the bike. "Well, yeah but" she turned to him and pointed behind her. "Steven, what did you do back there?" 

Lars and Sadie looked at him. 

"Heheh, back where? I.. don't know what you're talking about." he turned to the other two. "So uh, Tandem bike? You two are actuually going to ride this?"

Sadie nodded proudly. "Yup. He and I are going to be like two peas in a pod." 

"Who'll ride in the front?" 

Lars opened his mouth as he jammed a finger towards him-

"Yeah that'll be _me_ of course." Sadie interrupted. 

Lars closed his mouth back. 

Steven turned to Connie, still feeling nervous from what happened. "So, what about you Connie? You wanna get a Tandem bike too? Or get your own?" he gave her a guilty smile. 

There was a small pout to her glare that slowly softened to unconcern. She sigh, dropping the situation. "It really doesn't matter to me. We can go with a Tandem or have our own bikes." 

"What about this?"

They turned to Sadie.

"We can always switch. Lars and I can ride the bike first while you two ride the _regular_ ones and then else can switch at one point.".

Steven looked at Connie for confirmation. 

"Sure."

Sadie glanced over at Lars behind her. 

"Yeah, sounds like a plan to me." 

"Nice." Sadie grabbed the bike. "You two hurry up and find your bikes. We'll meet you up at the front." she dragged the bike up the aisle and Lars followed after her.

Steven looked at Connie. There was that "you're in trouble" look again..

"Uh, wait up you guys!" he ran after them.

Lars and Sadie were just exiting the aisle when Steven caught up to them. "You found your bike that fast?" Sadie asked.

"Um, no. I uh, couldn't make up my mind." he lied.

"Oh, just pick a bike Steven." she said casually. "Come on, I want to try this baby out." she pat the first seat of the bike.

"Um.."

Connie was coming out of the aisle. She was pulling a sturdy, blue and yellow bike with white stripes. 

Sadie turned to her. "That's a cool looking bike."

"I just picked up any bike back there really."

Sadie and Lars stopped in front of the empty counter. "Wonder where the chick is." said Sadie. She leaned on the counter and peered down towards a back door only for employees. "Hello?" 

No one answered.

"Hm." she leaned back off.

There was the sound of footsteps coming up hurriedly up the aisle and they saw the cashier from earlier. "Sorry about that." she ran towards the opening of the counter. "But someone knocked over some bikes and I had to prop them all back up."

Connie cut her eye at Steven and he looked way, scratching his hair sheepishly. 

The young girl walked up to the counter. "That's a good choice." she grinned. "Tandem bikes are all the rage right now." she started pressing a few buttons on the touchscreen of the computer in front of her. "Are you two planning to rent it for a whole day or hourly?" 

Lars opened his mouth-

"Hourly." Sadie said with a smile. 

"How many hours?" 

She looked at the three of them. 

"We did say we wanted to try at least half of the things on the list." said Steven.

"And I don't want to tire anyone out either." said Lars.

"Then an hour?" Sadie asked the group.

It was unanimous as everyone nodded in agreement.

"Just an hour." she told the cashier. 

She put it into the system. "Okay, that'll be $15." 

"Oh, and I'm renting out two more bikes." 

"Lars, you don't have to do that." said Steven. "I was going to pay me and Connie's bikes." 

"No, that's okay. It's my treat. I'm treating the both of you to this camping experience."

"..You sure? I feel kinda bad-"

Lars held his hand up. "Yeah, it's okay. I already had this in my mind when I asked if you two wanted to come." 

Steven looked like he was about to decline the offer when Sadie said "Oh, just let him do this Stevie. What's an extra few bucks?" 

"..Okay.." 

"And you still haven't found your bike." she said.

Well he _did_ but had ended up being Mr. Scaredy Pants and ended up knocking the bikes over, making the nice cashier person do more work.. 

"I'll go and find one." the said and walked away to the first aisle.

Well.. since the last fixed everything back up and she doesn't expect it was me (or.. hopefully she doesn't and she's just acting like she didn't) I might as well get the bike.

And.. there was the electric blue beauty herself~

He grabbed the bike, then quickly thought about the snake and jumped back. He looked all around the floor.

It was gone.

Still looking around on the floor, he slowly went to grab the handlebars. He kicked the kickstand back and started pulling the bike from its spot.

His friends were still at the front of the counter. 

"Oooh, that's a good one." she gave him a thumbs up before using the other hand to type the information into the system. She looked at Lars. "Okay, that will be thirty five dollars."

He handed her a fifty collar bill and she put the money into the system and gave him his change.

"I'll be right back." she told them and walked down to the employee door.

Steven looked down and rung the bell twice on the handlebar and he let out a little chuckle.

"Here are your helmets." the lady was coming back from the room. She had three helmets hanging from their neck straps on one arm and the fourth one on the other. The same arm wheeling a meshed carrier.

She walked out the opening of the counter and towards them. "And here's the carrier." she told Steven. She set the handle down and gave him the lone one hanging from her arm. 

"Oh, I didn't know I was going to get a carrier too." he put the helmet on his thick, curly hair. 

"Yeah, that's just one of the free accessories that come with the bike for your pet." 

"Great." he turned to the dog who was sniffing the material of the carrier. "You hear that Lion?" the dog stopped to look at him before going back to sniffing the carrier. "You won't have to tire yourself out from trying to keep up with us." he smiled. He tightened the strap to the bottom of his chin. "You can tire yourself out by doing other camping stuff." he leaned down and grabbed the handle and rolled it towards the bike. He crouched down and looked at the strap at the end. "Now how do I.." 

"I got that for you." he heard the lady behind him. She gave Connie her helmet and went over to Steven. She crouched down and undid the strap on the handle and began hooking it up to the side of the bike. 

The other three started fastening the helmets to their heads as she hooked up the last piece to the bike. "There. And now" she unfastened the doggy door in the back and reached in and took out a helmet. 

"Awww, they even have a little doggy helmet." Steven cooed. 

She handed the helmet to Steven. "Of course. Safety first."

"Come here, boy." 

Lion walked over and started sniffing the helmet and Steven placed it on his head. Lion backed away. "Aw, come on. Just just a helmet." he took a crouched step towards him and Lion took a few steps back, eyeing the object. 

"I got 'em Steven." said Sadie. She strode over to him. "Heyyy~~ boy~~." her voice mocked gentleness and kindness. Lion, wagged his tail at her. Then, she reached down and held the dog. He squirmed in her arms. "Come on, Steven. Helmet him."

Steven quickly placed the helmet on the canine's head and strapped the Velcro under his chin and fastened the end piece to the side of the helmet. "Okay there." he leaned away and Sadie let go and backed away. 

Lion shook his head from side to side then bucked his head up to get the helmet off. He used his paw to try and push it off then shook his head again.

"Sorry, Lion. But safety first."

_Why did that sound so familiar?_

"Come on." he gently pushed the dog over towards the doggy hole of the carrier and the dog backed up. "Nooo. Come on Lion." he gently pushed him and they could hear Lion's claws scrapping across the floor as he tried to grip onto the tiles. He managed to push him inside and he kept his arm on the dog's back as he zipped up one side, then the top and he slid is arm out as he zipped the last side. 

Lion whined and let out a bark. Then a few more barks.

"Don't worry, buddy. This is so you can have a nice little ride with us." Steven stuck his fingers through the meshed holes and Lion sniffed them and licked it. "You'll be okay." he pulled his arms back through and got up.

"Thanks for the carrier and the helmet." he said to the cashier.

"You're very welcome."

"Alrighty, Lion. Let's go." he took the bike by the handlebars and started for the door.

The others thanked the lady as they too, started for the door with their bikes.

Steven was waiting for them until they got close enough to him. He swung his leg over. "And now, off for a cycling advent-" he felt something touching his finger and he looked down and saw the same garden snake from earlier. It flickered out his tongue-

Steven screamed and backpedaled. He tripped over his own feet in the process and fell on the hard asphalt of the small lot.

"Steven?!" they called out. 

He quickly got up. "Snake!" he pointed.

They looked over, seeing a tiny garden snake slithering across the handlebar.

"Oh, that little thing?" Sadie walked over and picked it up. "It's just a baby garden snake. This thing is no bigger than my finger." she chuckled. 

Steven kept his distance as she walked over. "HAA!" she threw her arms towards his face and he let out a startled scream and jumped back. 

Sadie guffawed. "Wow Steven. I didn't think you would be _that_ terrified of snakes." she walked a few steps away from him and released the snake into the grass.

Steven was looking all around his bike this time, making sure that there weren't any more garden snakes. 

He didn't see any.

He heard the sound of bike tires rolling across the asphlat behind him. He turned around to see Connie on her bike. "Are you okay?" 

"Oh y, yeah. Just uh." he swung his leg around. "Just a little snake.. that's all. Sadie took care of it."

"Okay." she tried giving him a smile. "Can't have you getting terrified and hurting yourself." she said gently.

"Oh, pfft." he tried acting casual. "You don't have to worry about me."

"But I can still check up on you." she said softly. She leaned over to his face and their helmets clonked into each other. Steven chuckled and Connie blushed as she raised her hand to her helmet. "Um.. I completely forgot about the helmet." 

Steven shrugged. "Happens to the best of us." 

She rolled her eyes with a scoff. And this time, tilted her head and leaned towards him and gave him a kiss.

And that made everything ten times better.

And he kissed her back-

"Okay, ooookay" they broke away from the kiss "love birds. Let's not make it steamy." Sadie slow clapped with her hands before putting them back on the handlebars. "We got some camping to do. Let's go." 

The two of them, with their cheeks hot in embarrassment, kicked off the asphalt and silently followed the two in front of them.

"Hey, I don't know the trail." Sadie said to Lars. "So just tell me where to go." 

Lars peddled in unision behind her. "You see that sign up ahead?"

She saw a wooden directory sign with arrows going every which way. "Yeah."

"Make a left. We're going to go through the buttercup Meadows. The area where we're going to don't have as many bumps and it has a really nice waterfall." 

"Ooooo, a waterfall." she peddled towards the sign. 

Connie and Steven tried to keep at the same pace to stay as close by to each other. 

Steven rung his bell, hoping it would get Connie's attention this time.

She looked over.

He waved to her, then placed his hand over his mouth and took his hand away, blowing her a kiss with his lips out in a pucker.

She chuckled and held her arm out and clenched her hand as if to grab the kiss. Then she put her hand to her chest. 

He gave her a wink. His lips still out in a pucker and that elicited more cute chuckles from her.

They saw some movement up in front of them as Sadie and Lars turned left into the mouth of the woods. They followed them in and the ground become bumpy as they started riding down rocks and broken twigs. 

Trees blocked most of the mid afternoon sunlight and thin strips of the sun's rays poked through a few openings in the trees.

Sadie and Lars rode pass a turned over log and up a bump and Steven and Connie followed the path and going up the dirt hill.

Various birds and squirrels flew and scurried respectively from tree to tree as they rode pass the critters' natural habitats.

Just five minutes later they were nearing the buttercup meadow Lars had been talking about.

The long stems and yellow flower buds flowed gently and delicately in the wind. And the air became more acidic smelling with their scent. 

Steven slowed his speed and leaned down. His bike banked left a bit as he leaned his arm down. He yanked on a stem and pulled a single flower out of the ground. He switched the flower to the other hand.

Connie was looking at him.

He had a "suave" grin on his face as he wiggled his eye brows at her. He rode close to her and raised his hand out with the flower. "A buttercup. for my Buttercup." 

"Tsh.." she shook her head and grabbed the flower from him. "Thaaanks." she grinned shyly.

"A token of my fondness for you, m'lady."

"Oh boy. Here we go again." she rolled her eyes. 

He chuckled. "Ookay. I won't go any further." he said casually.

She had a beautiful smile on her face.. and he felt his cheeks heating up again.

No.. it was more than fondness..

He really did love her..

She placed the flower behind her ear, just under the helmet.

"Beautiful." he said and she looked over to him. The shy smile lingered on longer.

  
  


Another ten minutes later and they had reached the waterfall. They decided to stop and take a small two minute break to snap some photos at the waterfall and the foliage around it.

Steven put his phone in his pocket and went to check on Lion a second time since they'd stopped in the area. He crouched down. "Still holding up?" Lion sniffed the area by his face through the meshed barrier. "Okay, I think you're calm enough." he said and stood back up. He unzipped a little opening at the top of the carrier and pulled the flap back.

Lion stuck his head out and surveyed the area and Steven scratched under the dog's chin. "See? This is just a little mode of transportation for you to sightsee in." 

"Man that water looks refreshing." said Sadie. She was walking back over towards the bike with Lars.

"Yeah." he agreed. "That just makes me even more exited to swim around and canoe." 

The two talked as Sadie, this time, went to the second seat, allowing for Lars to bike the rest of the fifteen minutes of the trail.

Connie snapped one more photo of the waterfall as it rushed towards the bottom of the rumbling lake. She put her phone back in her pocket and walked over to the bike. She looked over at Steven petting Lion under his chin. "He's looking a lot calmer now." she said.

"Yeah." he gave Lion a few more chin scratches before leaning away. "He was just nervous, that's all. He didn't know what was going on or what we were doing to him." 

Connie sat back on her bike and kicked the stand back. "Well at least he can enjoy the scenery a bit more now that he doesn't have that barrier."

He took a step towards his seat. "Right."

_That was kind of her to say that._

"Hey, come on you two!" Sadie called out to them. She and Lars were already on the bike. "Time to finish this course."

Steven got on his bike and raised out a hand in front and out to the side of him. "Well after _you_, Connie." he almost said 'my'lady' again, but decided to dial back on it since she cut his "Shakespeare" approach off short. 

There was another lovely smile from her as she pushed off of the leaves on the ground and started peddling slowly pass him. He pushed off with his foot and followed her.

  
  


The group of friends were riding their bikes to another bike shop. According to Lars, they place those shops every few miles about the forest to save the campers time in having to go back to just one single bike shop.

After fifteen minutes of riding from the reshreshing-looking, majestic waterfall, they had stopped to take a two minute break to rest their legs, take in the nature around them and to switch bikes. Steven had offered Connie to be in the front in which she'd said directly after, that he could ride the last fifteen minutes of the way. And they had. They stopped at a patch of grass that had grown as tall as three feet and they saw a few rabbits hopping along the trails. He and Connie switched sides and continued to ride through the forest as the followed Lars and Sadie. And, surprisingly to him, just like when he was riding in the back, the Tandem bike wasn't that hard to ride from the front either.

And now they were coming out of the woods, going up the dirt hill. The shop, which he could already see was much bigger than the one they'd came from, was just two blocks down.

He peddled along, feeling the wind hit his skin as he rode across the cement of the road. It was definitely much better coming from such uneven, rocky or slippery terrain and sometimes both to a nice, evenly paved, smooth road. He could finally relax his muscles a bit.

He looked back a fourth time ever since he started riding in the front. "Still doing good back there?" he asked.

"Yeah, I am." she smirked.

Just a minute later they were riding on the asphalt in front of the shop. One by one, the four of them started to hop off their bikes and walk over to the door.

And once again, Steven, _and in extension Connie_ had jogged up to the door. He held it open. "I got the bike Connie." she let go of the handlebars and walked inside and Lars let Sadie walk in before him with her bike, with Lion right behind her still in his carrier and then he followed her in and Steven went in last. 

"Here for a return?" a middle-aged woman asked.

"Yes ma'am." said Lars.

"Great! Just take those bikes and line them up right by that window." she gestured at two more bikes that'd just been returned to them.

They did as they were told. Connie waited by the counter as Sadie, Lars and then Steven lined up their bikes in a single file horizontal line. "Do I need to unhook the carrier from the bike?" Steven asked unhooking the strap of his helmet. 

"No, sir. You can just leave it as it is." 

He took his helmet off. "Okay." he reached down and unhooked the helmet from Lion's head and unzipped the doggy hole from the side of the carrier. "Come on, Lion. Time to get out." 

Lion ducked his head back inside and looked at him, but didn't move.

Steven rolled his eyes with a smirk. "Oh so _now_ you like this." he leaned back up. "Come on boy. Bike riding is over." he placed his helmet on the handlebar of the bike. 

Lion slowly walked out the carrier and Steven put the canine's helmet inside the carrier and zipped up both the side doggy door, then the top compartment of it.

"Those bikes." Sadie said to the woman. "An A plus."

She chuckled. "I'm glad you enjoyed it."

The woman waved to the crew while they thanked her and headed out for the door.

"You're welcome." she grinned. "Hope to see you four again." 

They slowed their pace and stopped just a few yards from the door. And as if they were all wondering the same thing, they each started to look at Lars.

"So." Sadie spoke up. "What's next on the list?"

"There's a pretty big fenced in field filled with all kinds of sports equipment. We could play a few games there."

"Cool."

Lars started walking in front of them to lead the way.

"You know if they have Badminton?"

Uh.." he scratched his chin in thought. "You know I'm not really sure. But I don't see why not."

The group walked down the road opposite of where they'd came and kept down the street. 

Steven interlaced his fingers with Connie's and she smiled. He gave her a kiss on the cheek.

They were coming across another wooden directory sign and Lars cut down into the woods. The three followed and Steven kept his other hand tight on the leash as Lion pulled on it, trying to run away to explore the new surroundings.

"It's about another ten minute walk." said Lars.

The group walked amongst the turned over logs and rocks and pulled up dirt. 

Steven slowed down slightly for Lion to get at least a little sniff on the flowers and tall grass. One time having to stop the group for a few moments so he could use the bathroom.

The four of them started walking towards a fenced area. There were other groups of people ranging in all sizes and ages inside, but the field was large enough for them to have their own personal space without having to bump into or come across anyone else as they played their sports.

"Wow, this _is_ a huge fenced in area." said Sadie. She walked in after Lars and then Steven, Connie and Lion followed directly behind.

The sports equipment were sitting along the inside at the front of the fence. 

"I like how they have everything for you right at the front." said Sadie. She looked at the various objects; basketballs, birdies, frisbees, lacrosse sticks, soccer ball, volleyballs, baseballs, bats, mitts, wiffle balls, wiffle ball bats, bowling balls and pins-

"Yeah, it makes for easier access." said Lars. He walked back down to her. "And it makes things quicker versus having to walk off and go somewhere else to get them."

"Hmm.. so what should we do next.." she scanned the area. "I see some birdies but I don't see any rack- There they go!" she rushed pass Lars towards the badminton rackets. She started picking them up and Lars picked up a soccer ball. He started kicking the ball up with his knee as he wakes over towards her.

Steven gasped. "They have frisbees!!" he pulled Connie with him as he ran towards the pile of objects. He let go of her hand and picked it up. "It's been soo long since I've seen one of these.." he whispered, feeling nostalgic. 

Connie snorted. "Think you still know the basics?"

"Hm." he wondered. He crouched down slightly, bending his knees. He turned his torso to one side and turned it the apposite way, throwing his arm out, imitating a throw. He did it once more, throwing his arm back out. He stood back up. "Yeah, I think I still do."

"Hey guys!" they looked to their side. "Lars and I are about to play some badminton. You two wanna play?"

"Yeah!" said Steven. He turned to Connie and she was already nodding with a smile. "Connie, you are _so_ gonna cream them in badminton." he whispered.

Connie snickered. "Guess they'll find that out the hard way.

"Come on slow pokes!" Sadie was already running towards the next empty net far down and at the opposite side of the field with Lars keeping up easily right beside her with the soccer ball under his arm.

Steven and Connie and Lion running happily between them, ran after them.

Once Sadie reached the net Lars had placed the soccer ball by the base of the pole for safe keeping. Steven and Connie caught up to them moments later.

"Ohh yeahhh." Sadie cracked her knuckles and started mock stretching as she bent to the left then her right, stretch her back and arms. She leaned back up and began shaking out her arms and legs. "Yup. Time to beat them Lars." 

He walked over and picked up a racket. He spun it around in his hand. "Yeah, this is a good one." he looked at Sadie. "Yeah, I think we can beat them."

She picked up hers. " 'Think'? Psshht. We _know_ we are." 

Steven wiggled his eyebrows at Connie and she snorted. He walked over to the two rackets and picked both of them up as she walked over. "Which one do you want?" he held them out. 

"I'll choose this one." she grabbed the yellow racket. 

"Oookay." said Sadie. "Now that we have our rackets. Who's going to serve?" 

"They can serve first." said Lars. "It's their first day of camping. They should do it first."

"Pfft, whatever." she said casually. " S'not like they're going to win anyway." she started for the other side of the court and Lars followed her.

Steven picked the birdie up and handed it to Connie. "You want to serve or do you want me?"

"I'll serve." she grabbed it from him.

"Okay, Lion. Are you going to be a good boy and not run off?" Connie heard Steven say to the dog. 

Sadie and Lars watched Connie as she walked towards the front.

"Oh? Can't do a long serve Connie?" Sadie teased.

The girl had a mischievous grin on her face. "I can do a long serve just fine." she threw the birdie up in the air and swung down, letting the birdie hit just above the sweet spot on the racket. 

The birdie flew pass Lars. "Whoa-" he turned around as the birdie hit the ground by Sadie. The girl with her racket out after a tried hit. She looked at the birdie, then at Lars' surprised face then at Connie's smug face.

She quickly composed herself. "Kkshhht.. looks like we have another badminton player." she said casually. "Whatever." she picked up the birdie annd threw it up in the air. And hit it.

The birdie soared through the air~

And Steven was getting ready to go in for a possible dive when Connie ran to the left and jumped up. She swung the racket down and hit the birdie back across. The shuttlecock sped pass barely over the top of the net and Lars went in for a dive. He popped the birdie back up and Connie ran back and to her right and swung hard. She hit the birdie back and it went pass Lars and Sadie went in for a dive. She popped the birdie up and it soared over the net and Connie ran back to the middle and threw her racket down, going for a low hit. The shuttlecock hit the top edge of her racket and rocketed pass the net and towards the ground.

Lars tried going in for a dive but the birdie had already hit the ground.

"Yeah!!" Steven cheered.

"Lars _let_ you do that." said Sadie.

"Uh huh riiiight." said Connie.

Lars threw her the birdie.

She caught it and turned to Steven. "Want to serve next?" 

"Sure." he held his hand up.

Connie dropped the birdie out of her hand and gave it a little tap with her racket. 

The birdie came towards him and he leaned forward and caught it. "Gotcha." he said to it. He walked back a few steps and stopped. He threw the shuttlecock up in the air and jumped up. 

Lars and Sadie braced themselves as he swung the racket down.

The shuttlecock came towards them and Lars jumped back and raised his arm back. He hit the birdie up in the air and it soared over Connie's head. Steven shifted foot to foot, following the path of the birdie.

It came back down towards the middle and he backhanded it back to the other side. 

Lars hit it back hard and the birdie flew pass the top of the net and Connie lunged for it and just as the birdie came towards the racket, she gave it a short, sudden backhanded movement with her wrist and instead of going straight, the shuttlecock made a hard right and beelined pass him and to the other side of the net he was on. 

"Whoa."

"How did she?!-" 

They looked at her.

She stood there with a smug smile on her face.

"Huh.." said Sadie. She nodded towards the girl. "Not bad. Not bad at all." 

Lars walked over to pick the birdie back up. "You're really good at this Connie. I take it you did this a lot?"

"Actually tennis." she corrected. "Though I _have_ played badminton before at school." she twirled the racket in her hand. "My parents paid all of this money for tennis classes as well as other extracurricular activities." she walked back to her spot. 

"Oh cool! I've been thinking about learning tennis." said Sadie. "How long have you been playing?" 

"Well my parents started putting me in tennis classes when I was just four. And I played for twelve years straight." then she added a touch sheepishly. "Then.. I kinda dwindled back on it during my junior year of High School.." Steven couldn't help but _knew_ what that reason was.. "Then I just started playing off and on with Steven for the pass couple of years, almost three years."

"Awwwwee, you and Stevie-Pooh." she cooed. "You taught him everything that you know?"

Connie shrugged. "Just the basics." she gave her a tiny smile.

Sadie grinned widely. "Hey, after a couple games, you think you can teach me a bit?" 

"Yeah, sure."

"Yeah!! Watch out world! A new Serena Williams is going to be in town!" she strut back to her spot.

Connie laughed. "Well.. we'll see about that."

"Alright, Lars." said Sadie. "Serve the birdie. We're gonna give them all that we got."

  
  


Despite of Lars and Sadie "giving them all that they got", they still lost. 

All four of the short games they played, they lost everyone of them. 

Connie was just too good. And doing all of these interesting, cool tricks like hitting the birdie behind her back and throwing the racket under and hitting the birdie under her legs.

But of course she was amazing at it. She _had_ been playing tennis for almost fif._teen_ years so playing badminton was a snap for her.

After the last game of them losing miserably, they decided to go ahead to the next game. Besides, there were still plenty of other stuff to do and things that _weren't_ sports related to do as well.

They ran back to the main entrance of the fence and dropped of the badminton equipment, grabbed a few tennis rackets and a few tennis balls and went to a tennis court. 

Connie had taught Lars and Sadie (and helped Steven brush up on) the fundamentals of tennis like proper leg and arm movement and basic serves and forehand and backhand swings and the overhead death strike swing (which she had made up). After just five minutes of teaching them they played a non competitive (though indirectly still competitive) game of hitting the tennis ball back and forth across the court. And when one of the tennis balls would go out of bounds or too far away from them, Lion would go and fetch the ball for them. So everyone was engaged in the game and was having fun. A win win for everyone.

After Connie continued to show off her tricks and stylish moves and swings and literally hitting every single tennis ball that came at her (even when multiple came towards her when Steven, Lars and Sadie hit them towards her) they had officially deemed her the Queen of tennis. Even calling her Cerena Mahilliams.

".. riously! It's scary how well you play tennis, Connie. You could _really_ be THE new up and coming Serena Williams!" said Sadie. She placed the tennis racket on the ground near the out of bounds line of the soccer field with the frisbee and the other tennis rackets.

"Thanks." she smiled. She placed her racket and a tennis ball beside the equipment on the ground. "But, that's not really me. My mom put me into those classes but it was never something I could ever see myself doing." then she added. "Professionally."

"Hmm. What _would_ you like to do?"

"I'm.. not sure actually. My mind is all over the place with stuff like that." she whispered. "But my mind keeps going back to something medical." then she said with a touch of nostalgia and awe in her voice. "Like my mom."

"Ah" Sadie slapped her on the back and it made Connie wince. "well you don't have to worry about that too much. You still have plenty of time to think of stuff like that." she said casually. "For now, you have" she placed a finger on Connie's cheek and moved her face to the left with her hand. "Mr. Lover boy over there to think about." 

She saw Steven looking at Lars bouncing the ball easily from his foot to his knee and keeping the ball there. Lars pointed at the soccer ball as he spoke and Steven nodded. Lars rolled the ball from his knee down to his foot and bent his foot downwards, letting the ball roll to the ground. He pushed the ball to Steven. He scooped the ball up to his foot and tried keeping the ball still there. Then a few moments later, he raised up his arms for balance and haphazardly began kicking the soccer ball up. Lars was talking him through it. Steven managed to kick the ball up to his knee and he bounced the ball from his knee and the ball socked him right in the face. He held his face and Lars had a pained expressions as he held Steven's shoulder in comfort.

Connie sighed and shook her head with a sad smile. 

_What am I going to do with this boy.._

"Awwwweeee, look at how you look at him." said Sadie nudging her shoulder with hers.

"What?" she raised an eyebrow at her.

"That ONLY be a look, of love, my dear."

Connie scoffed. "Whaat? Heh, noo.." she felt her stomach twist inside her and the butterflies start to flutter in her chest.

"Oh, don't give me that." she smirked. "A look like that doesn't lie."

"I.." she shook her head, ignoring the heat on her cheeks. 

"Looks like Cerena Mahilliams is suuuper in love with the Stevemeister." she wiggled her eyebrows.

"Heh.." she went for a single, nervous chuckle. "Uh.. I don't.. I mean.." 

Steven was jogging up to them. His face red from the soccer ball. "Hey Connie! So Lars and I-" he saw the "up to no good" look on Sadie's face, accompanied with Connie's flustered one. "Uh.. am I.. interrupting some kind of.. secret girl talk here?" he looked at Connie's embarrassed expression again. 

Sadie waved him off. "Nothing to worry about, Steven." she grinned. "So what's up? What were you about to say?"

"Oh uh.." he slowly looked away from Connie who was looking at him with a flustered look to her face. "He and I are about to have a bit of dribbling practice. He thinks I'm getting better at it."

Sadie looked at the round imprint of the ball on his face. She snorted. "He said that?"

Steven nodded. "Yup. So we were going to dribble the ball a bit and then go to the next step and start kicking it into the net." 

Sadie shrugged with a grin still on her face. "Sure, I'm down for it." she walked away from the two. 

Steven watched as Sadie walked towards Lars who was dribbling the ball back and forth from foot to foot. "Hey Lars! Kick it to me!" 

Steven looked back at Connie. "Everything okay?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah." she chuckled nervously. "Just. Sadie being Sadie." she rolled her eyes for show.

He smiled. "Okay. I guess _this_ time I won't pry into it." he held her hand and her heart kicked in her chest. "Come on. Time to play some soccer."

  
  


It turned out that Steven needed way more practice than he thought. Both Lars, Sadie and even Connie tried teaching the boy how to dribble the ball and kick it into the net. 

And.. 

.. simply put.. soccer just wasn't for him..

After having to undergo at least twenty minutes of soccer with his friends and girlfriend and them being sickeningly encouraging even though he was clearly bad at it, Lars was the one to eventually point out the frisbee he still had (that was laying by the tennis rackets and tennis balls at the out of bounds line.)

He perked up to that. Telling them how good he was at frisbee. 

And, he certainly was. 

Similar to Connie, he taught them the fundamentals of frisbee and explaining the rules of ultimate frisbee as well as multiple fun frisbee games to play.

After a bit of training, Steven decided to go a simpler approach in just having them pass the frisbee around and playing catch with it. Eventually he became cocky and started showing off (just like Connie with her badminton and tennis skills). He showed off his frisbee throwing and catching tricks. Throwing it under leg, behind his back, under arm and catching the frisbee they threw at him in the same manner. He even showed off his accuracy skills when they placed a few errant cones they found laying around in the yard on the ground and far away from him. They had placed the tennis balls on top of the cones. With each throw, even the ones under leg and behind him (which _really_ had impressed them), he hit each and every one of them.

He also showed them a boomerang trick where he would throw the frisbee high and far away from him and the frisbee would come flying right back to him. 

And that really _really_ knocked the socks off of them. 

And, just like Connie, they crowned him King of frisbee throwing and nicknamed him King Stevsbee.

Now they were playing just a couple more minutes of throwing the frisbee around. 

Lars threw the frisbee to Connie and she threw the frisbee to Sadie.

"Okay! Last throw!" she shouted. "Here it comes, King Stevsbee!" she threw the frisbee. 

"I got it! I got it!" Steven held his hand out as the flying disk spun closer and closer to him.

He opened his hand and lunged forward-

Lion jumped in front of him out of nowhere and caught it in his mouth. 

"What?! Lion!!" 

They started laughing as the dog ran away with the frisbee.

"Looks like Lion wanted to get the last catch." Sadie guffawed with everyone else.

Steven pouted.

Lion came over and dropped the frisbee in front of Steven's feet. He panted and wagged his tail happily.

Steven tried keeping his pout, but slowly broke character. He sighed and gave the dog a small smile. "Oookay Lion. That _was_ a pretty good catch." he picked up the frisbee and Lion jumped back in anticipation of the throw. He threw the frisbee and walked back to the out of bound lines to pick up the equipment that they'd burrowed. 

Lars, Sadie and Connie picked up the rest and started walking back with Steven as Lion came running back. He dropped the frisbee down again in front of Steven. 

He picked it up, turned his torso to the left and, like a spring, he twisted his body back out and threw his arm out. The frisbee soared far and above two separate groups of people.

Lion ran after it.

"That really is one cool dog Steven." said Sadie. She threw a tennis ball up in the air and caught. Then threw it up in the air again, continuing to catch the ball in her hand.

"Yeah, he is." Steven cheesed. "I'm glad I found him."

Lion grabbed the frisbee and started running back to the group walking towards him.

He dropped the frisbee back down.

"Ooookay, Lion. See if you can get" he turned his torso, then spun back around. "THIS one!" he threw the frisbee. 

Lion ran after it.

The frisbee went far, still up in the air as it soared overhead. Lion tried to keep up with it, running just behind it and underneath of it and passing onlookers in the middle of their own sports games.

The frisbee eventually came back down and landed just a quarter away from the main entrance. Lion picked it up and began running back to the group.

"Ready for another throw?" Steven cheesed.

Lion ran towards Connie. He dropped the frisbee down by her.

Steven pouted. "Discarded by Lion. again."

Connie picked the frisbee up. "This is just like that time at the park." 

_"Aaaand_ the car ride when my air apparently wasn't good enough for him and he went to sit on your lap to stick his head out the window." he pouted more.

Connie chuckled. "Awwee, someone is jeaalouuss." she cooed. She threw the frisbee and it didn't go far or at a straight angle, unlike Steven's professional throws. Nevertheless, the canine still ran happily after it. 

After a few throws from Connie, they were nearing the main entrance, which also was a good thing too, for Lion. The dog definitely needed a break from catching frisbees, despite of him constantly going back with every throw. 

He dropped the frisbee back down and panted hard.

Connie picked it up and Lion perked his ears up. 

She didn't throw it. "Yeah, that's enough of that." she said. "You need to rest." 

The four of them walked over to the fence and Lion followed close beside Connie. They put the equipment back anywhere on the ground with the other equipment.

Lars was already taking another piece of paper out of his pocket. It was laminated. "Next is the Scavenger hunt." he turned the paper to face them. "I printed this out this morning from their site. You get all of these on the list and you get a prize."

"No way." Sadie held out her hand and Lars handed the paper to her. "I wonder what kind of prize."

"Not sure. They change it every so often. One time it was a card for a free thirty minute canoe lesson. When I went there last time they gave me an Island Adventure T-shirt.

She skimmed the list and Connie and Steven leaned in to read the list silently with her; _A few Mulberry leaves (fallen), a few Maple leaves (fallen), a few Pawpaw leaves (fallen), a few birch tree leaves (fallen), a few willow tree leaves (fallen), a blue feather, a round, smooth rock, a bumpy rock, berries, four pieces of litter, acorns, seeds and a stick shaped like the letter y._

Sadie looked up from the paper. "Four pieces of litter?"

Lars was taking the backpack off of his back. "Heh, yeaaah, it's to help keep the forest clean." he unzipped a small third compartment in the front. "So they make it into this little game." he took out two pairs of gloves.

_Sounds like what I had to do with Gregory._

He handed one to Sadie and the other to Connie before taking two more pairs out of his backpack. He handed one to Steven and started putting his on.

Sadie switched the paper to the other hand as she put the gloves on. "Also, _fallen_ leaves?"

"Of course." Lars zipped the bag back up and threw it over his back and got up. "They don't want anyone to start ripping leaves off and destroying the trees." he started walking to the main entrance. "So they recommend getting the ones that have already fallen off."

"That's nice that they thought of that." said Steven.

"Mmyeah.." Sadie shrugged. "But if you can't find any on the ground, nothing is really stopping people from taking them off branches." 

"Yeah.. I thought about that too.." Lars frowned. "But hopefully it's not too many people doing that. And at least the folks here are trying to preserve the forest as best as they can. The fallen leaves we give them, they turn them into compost or mulch and the seeds that we get, they plant them. And they sell the fruit we pick for cheap too." then he added. "After washing and inspecting them of course." he nodded with a friendly smile. "So it's all one big cycle." 

"So we're actually helping the environment AND having fun!" Steven cheered. He trekked over a thick coating of mud with everyone else and he sunk in and the moist dirt caked the flip flops and his toes.

Lars laughed. "Yeah. We are."

Sadie skimmed the list again. "I'm also not sure what the difference between birch, mulberry and pawpaw leaves are.."

"Oh, I know how-" ,"That's easy-" Lars and Connie said over one another. They looked at each other.

Sadie snorted. "Looks like we have two tree neeeerds who would be able to help us." she smirked.

"Well I have you knooww Sadie. Knowing about trees is VERY important when you're out camping." Lars met her smirk with his.

"Uh huh."

"It is!" he whined. "You have to know which ones are poisonous and which ones are not and which ones are good for food and firewood amongst other important, survival items." 

"Suuure, I'll give you that."

"And looks like we already found our Pawpaw trees." said Connie. She pointed at a Grove of trees with tropical looking fruit. She walked over and grabbed a handful from off the ground. She held one up for Sadie to see. "This is a pawpaw leaf. As you can tell with the pawpaw fruit." she gestured up at the fruits resembling chubby-looking bananas. "The pawpaw or the Asimina triloba is a deciduous tree in the custard apple family or the Annonaceae." she was walking back to the group. "The pawpaw tree can be found in flood plains and forests. However, it's native area range in the southern, eastern and Midwestern U.S and southern Ontario."

Sadie nodded. "Hm, no kidding." she said jokingly.

Lars was taking his backpack off. "And the fibrous inner bark makes great tinder and cordage." he unzipped it, revealing a white empty bag inside of it. "But the wood is also very soft and doesn't make good firewood since it burns too quickly. Though it _does_ make the wood great for friction fire equipment." he looked up at Connie you can put them in the bag. He held it open and she placed the leaves inside. 

"And what about the fruit?" Steven asked. He picked one up and turned it around in his hand. He squeezed it slightly. Lion came over to investigate and sniff around.

"They have a lot of-", "Their medicinal uses include-" Lars and Connie talked over one another again. 

They looked at each other again.

Sadie snorted. "Wow.. this is definitely going to be very educational." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes.. Another Spongebob quote, lol.
> 
> Also yes, there was an homage to Bubble Buddies from SU
> 
> ALSO also, this is what Lion was riding inside:  
https://retrospec.com/products/rover-waggin-pet-foldable-bike-trailer?variant=31764326449249¤cy=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9fbW5u6s6wIVVODICh0NIg0mEAQYByABEgLTv_D_BwE


	183. More camping fun!

The group of friends were having a great time looking for the items on the list. They were climbing on the trees (except for Connie who was being cautious and staying on the ground with Lion) and boulders, pushing over fallen logs, stepping through mud and piles of leaves (with Lion jumping and rolling around in them), digging through mud (good thing Lars brought thick gloves) and Lion gladly participated with them, rummaging through sticks in which Lion loved as well, carefully looking inside bushes and stepping across rocks and mud and taking pictures here and there of various streams, meadows and lakes and another lone waterfall. 

And all while Connie and Lars took turns educating them about trees. Not just how they looked, but what they could be used for; Like willow trees providing fire materials and pain relieving medicine, Mulberry being used to make fair tinder and medium quality firewood and that the inner bark of the Mulberry tree's branches and shoots can make a very strong cordage material. The blackberry fruits (when ripe) can be eaten raw, cooked, or dried. But _unripe_ berries are toxic enough to cause nausea, vomiting, and the occasional hallucination, Maple trees providing firewood, drinkable sap, sweet syrup and wooden items such as bowls, tables and bows, birch trees being a great fire starter, (according to Lars, even when wet they can still catch fire well) and have been used for centuries to make various containers and even canoes and it's twigs being broken up and steeped as a delicious and that the sap can also be tapped in spring for drinking water and syrup (though higher-than-recommended doses of birch tea can cause upset stomach, nausea, or tinnitus.)

And plenty more information in regards to trees and also plants, grass and even certain forest critters in the area.

..In which at a few points of their talks, it almost felt like Steven and Sadie were back at school again..

Lars placed a crinkled up tasty cake wrapper in the bag. He leaned back up and looked at his three friends scattered about and trying to find the last item on the last. Sadie was up in a willow tree, Connie, with Lion right beside her again, was crouched down and looking inside a pile of leaves and Steven was walking slowly and looking up at the trees. "Anybody found a blue feather yet?" he asked them.

Sadie pushed back the willow leaves to see nothing but more leaves and branches. "Nope, nothing yet."

Connie looked up from the pile. "Same here."

"Hmm.. I'm surprised we haven't found at least _one_ feath-"

"I found one!" Steven shouted. He pointed at the top of a birch tree.

A few yards up, wedged within a nook of a branch, lay a lone, blue feather flowing enticingly in the wind. 

"I got it." he said and he grabbed hold of the tree. 

Connie shot up to her feet. "Be careful, Steven." she jogged over to him with Lion following close by her.

"Don't worry, Connie. You've seen me climb trees a few times now within the last half an hour. I'll be fine this time too." He found a hand hold in a divet of the wood. He pulled himself up and used the balls of his feet to push up.

Sadie was climbing back down and Lars was walking up to him with the bag opened in his hand.

Steven steadily and carefully climbed up the tree.

..The feather was still there.. flowing ever so daintily in the breeze..

He found a foot hold and pushed up..

And he grabbed at a branch and pulled up.

He was now a couple of yards away from the ground.

And.. the feather stayed in its spot..

Another hand hold and another foot hold and and another branch to pull his self up on..

The feather swayed above him..

He pulled himself up and was laying horizontally on a new branch. He scooted his self up to sitting on his legs and carefully, pushed up on his feet in a crouched position. He leaned up slightly and grabbed another branch and pulled his weight up once again.

Everyone watched intrigued except for Connie who as staring intently at him, hoping that he wouldn't fall.

There was the feather.. just.. on the next branch his hands were currently on..

He pulled his self up on the smaller branch and laid horizontally on the moving branch.

"Whoa. I think you should be careful with that branch, Steven." said Lars.

"It's fine Lars. I just have to move slower."

"He's right, Steven. That branch is shaking way too much for my comfort." said Connie.

"Guuuys, I'm fiiine." Steven kept his body horizontal as he scooted farther down the branch. And with each few inches, the branch was thinning more and more.

"I just.. need to get a little closer.."

He scooted farther down and the branch started to bend downwards.

"Steven!" Connie shouted. "You need to get down now! That branch is about to snap!!" 

"But.." he scooted some more and they could hear the branch starting to crack "we need this feather.. and then we'll have everything on the list."

"Forget the list, Steven." said Lars. "We can just go look for another feather somewhere else or start something else on the camping list.

"I got it.." he scooted one last time and stretched out his arm. "I.. got it..." he leaned farther up and stretched.

The feather was just by his fingertips..

He stretched.

And the branch bent farther and the loud cracking increased.

"Steven." Connie warned. "Just get d-"

He grabbed it. "Got it!" he leaned back up and waved the feather at them.

"Okay, you got the feather. Now just, get down from there."

He chuckled. "Oookay, ooookay." he scooted back. "I'm coming." he scooted back on the still bending branch. 

He noticed and tried scooting back faster as he heard loud snapping behind him-

Until he heard one loud, final snap and immediately felt his self free falling. "Steven!!" , "Steven!!" he heard Connie scream and Lars shout out after. "Whoa!" Sadie gasped out. 

Steven was screaming. All he could see was green and brown as the leaves and branches hit his arms that he held up to block his face and his stomach and legs. 

"I got you Steven!" Lars shouted. He was right under the tree branches with his arms out in anticipation to catch him. He could see Steven coming towards him fast-

Steven was trying to catch his own self, trying to grab hold of a tree branch when two thick branches knocked his torso up before he fell down hard on a branch.

..right between his legs..

"Ooooooo." Lars grimaced, practically feeling his pain.

Steven squealed as a shot of pain ran up from between his legs and up his stomach. He bent over, as the rush of pain pierced through every nerve of his body in waves of nauseating, intense pain. He groaned as he grabbed his self. He laid his body horizontally on the branch with the side of his scrunched up face on the bark of the branch. He took shaky breaths. 

The feather floated gently pass him and towards the ground.

Sadie walked over and picked it up. "Heheh, yeaaahh, thanks, Steven." she waved the feather up. "Looks like we'll get our sweet prize after all." 

"..But at what cost.." he strained out in a whisper.

She shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't know, your nads?" she scoffed. "Ah, come on man. Just walk it off. We got a prize to get." 

Steven groaned. He slid his body to the left of the branch and to the side of it. And slowly, steadily, he pushed his legs up to the side of the tree and dropped them. He dangled by his arms for a few seconds as Lars held his hands back out again. Connie on the other side and watching his every move. 

He let go and dropped to the ground, hurting his feet and legs that only joined in with the pain he was already feeling.

"Are you okay, Steven?" Lars asked and Connie grabbed him by the arm as he leaned his torso back up. "Yeah.. I'm okay." he whispered. The pain was slowly.. slooowly subsiding.

It was definitely hurting worse and hurting for a longer period of time.

.. Could be from the wounds of getting whipped there..

Lars and Connie didn't look convinced but he gave them a thumbs up and a pained smile. "I'm fine guys, really." he took a few painful steps. "We can go." 

Connie sighed. "I'm just glad you didn't end up getting any serious injuries.." she frowned.

The three slowly caught up to Sadie, with Steven limping between them.

  
  


Lars and Steven let Sadie and Connie walk in first before walking in themselves. They were hit with cool air conditioning and the loud shouts and screaming and laughter of kids as they each participated in some kind of activity with their parents, chaperones or both.

"The office is towards the back." said Lars. They followed him pass the crowds of children and adults, passing a few opened doors with even more kids having fun inside. 

Lars took his bag off as they approached the wide opened door. They could see several attendants inside talking. 

Lars knocked on the door as he entered the room. He greeted them with a "Hello" and they greeted him back with a friendly smile. 

"My friends and I went on today's scavenger hunt and we found everything on the list." he unzipped his bag.

Sadie nudged Steven on his arm with her elbow. "Good thing we had Steven to get us the feather." she smirked. 

"Yeah.. just wished I could've sticked the landing though."

"Ah, well at least you handled it like a champ." then she snorted. "I think if _Lars_ had gotten hit in the nads that hard, he would've been moaning and groaning and crawling all around camp for the rest of the day."

Lars looked over, having heard his name. 

Sadie waved at him with a smile on her face.

He raised an eyebrow at her skeptically and slowly turned back to the attendants. "Um.. here's a stick shaped like the letter y." he pulled the stick out of his bag and placed it on the counter. "Some acorns-" he dug into his bag again.

"Anywho" said Sadie. "I wonder what prize it is _this_ time? If it's another one of those free canoe lessons, then we should do it together." she suggested.

"Yeah! That sounds like fun." said Steven.

"Hey guys!" Lars was coming back over to them with several cards in his hand.

"Hey, Lars! What'd we get?" Sadie asked.

"Free thirty minute rock climbing lessons!" he held them up.

Steven gasped. 

"What?! No way!" Sadie cheered.

"We can rock climb together!" Steven cheered with her.

Connie had an uneasy expression on her face. She looked at Lars. "You mean, _actual_ rock climbing?"

"Huh? Oh, no I'm not talking about professional rock climbing like outside or anything." he reassured her as he walked out the door. "It's those indoor activity ones."

"Do they even have actual rock climbing instructors?" Steven asked.

"Yeah. Of course."

Steven's smile grew wide with excitement-

"You are _not_ doing the real stuff." Connie quickly put an end to it. 

His smile faltered.

"Uh oh, gotta listen to the missus." Sadie teased. She grabbed one of the cards from Lars' hand. She looked at it. "Can only be used this year. Cannot be used during peak seasons. Must sign waiver before using. Cannot be coupled with other free thirty minute lessons. Hm." she looked up at the crew. "I should've know there was going to be a catch to it."

"It's actually not so bad." said Lars. He handed Connie and Steven their cards and put his in his pocket. "The canoe one had even more restrictions."

She looked at her card before putting it in her pocket. "Well, whatever." she shrugged with a smirk. "It's free. So I really shouldn't be complaining."

The four of them passed by the crowds of people once more, with some of the kids pointing at Lion and shouting "Doggy!"

They walked out the building and into the warm air of the outside. 

"Alright, crew." said Sadie. "What to do next before the sun goes down?"

They were walking aimlessly down from the building and towards fallen logs and boulders the size of Lion if he were to stand on his hind legs.

"Quite lot more that we can choose from." said Lars. He stopped just at the edge of a hill. He took the laminated paper out of his pocket. "Well we can go on our nature hike. We haven't really been seeing too much of the scenic route." he folded the paper and put it back in his pocket. "So we can start going up north and continue our way up." 

"Alright, Lars!" Sadie cheesed. "Lead the way!" she gave him a friendly push on his shoulder and he lost his balance, taking a step back with the next step hitting only air. He fell off the edge and screamed as he felt his self free falling down backwards.

"Lars!" they shouted out. They looked down the cliff and saw him sliding down the mud filled side and sliding towards the lake of mud underneath them.

He sat up slowly, groaning. He looked up and saw the scared looks on their faces. He gave them a smile and a thumbs up. "I'm fine."

Steven and Connie sighed a breath of relief and Sadie smiled widely. She took a few steps back and ran up. She jumped off the cliff and slid down the side and into the mud with Lars. 

He looked at her, shocked. And she laughed, which, after a few puzzling moments, made him start to laugh. 

Steven was even chuckling with them. He turned to Connie. "I'm going in." he cheesed. 

"What?"

He let go of Lion's leash. "Cannonball!" he jumped off the cliff. "Steven!" he heard Connie say as he felt his back hit the cool, thick mud. "Wooooooo!!!" he slid down towards the other two. The three of them guffawed. 

"I'm a total mess." Lars laughed.

"No you're not." said Sadie. She picked up a handful of mud behind her back. She threw it at Lars' face. "AHCK!!" -_"Now_ you're a total mess."

"Bleeeeeeeh." he wiped his face off with his hands. "Sadieee." he whined.

Steven scooped up a handful of mud and Sadie saw him. He put his finger up to his lips in a shush gesture. She smiled.

Lars wiped more off his face. "Hey, what are you grinning at?" he pouted and turned around.

Steven waved to him with his other hand before bringing his finger up to his cheek. "Hey, you missed a little spot."

Lars followed his finger and touched at his cheek. "Where?"

"THERE!" he threw the handful of mud in his face.

Lars let out a startled yelp as the thick mud hit the middle of his face. He immediately began wiping the mud away from his eyes and mouth. He narrowed his eyes at the two. "Oh you two are DEFINITELY going to get it now!" he picked up a handful of mud with both hands as Sadie and Steven did the same. He threw one at Steven and the other at Sadie as they threw theirs at him. Both throws from Steven missed Lars. One flying back into the mud and the other hitting Sadie in the arm. One throw from Sadie hit Lars in the neck and the other hit Steven right in the face. He wiped his face as quick as he could as Sadie and Lars continued to throw mud at each other. Then he picked up his handfuls and rejoined the fun and they started throwing mud back at him. 

Sadie was laughing mischievously. She picked up a handful of mud and something hit her back and she nearly toppled over. "What the-" she turned around to see Lion running away to play in another part of the mud. 

"Look who joined in on the fun!" said Steven.

Lion dug at one part of the mud and jumped away and ran down the thick, slippery substance to another part of the mud.

Connie was just making it to the bottom of the hill. She looked at the four of them getting more and more filthy in the mud. 

Sadie spotted Connie standing just behind the mud and on the grass. "Hey, whatcha doing over there by yourself?" she smirked. "Don't you want to join in on all of this fuuuun?" her voice was giddy as she tried beckoning Connie to join them. 

"Uh.." Connie scrunched up her face. "I'm.. not really a.." she grimaced. " "rolling around in the mud" kind of person." 

Sadie snorted. "Whaaat?" she mocked astonishment. "It's only mud Connie. Going out camping is to get as filthy as possible." 

"No.. not really.." she watched Steven trying to climb back up the hill but slipping instead and falling back stomach first down to the mud. He laughed.

Lars tried running up, trying to go as far up as possible and only going a foot up farther than Steven before slipping. He quickly turned to his back and slid back into the mud as he laughed right along with Steven.

"See? What's so bad about this?"

"There's a numerous amount of things you can get from playing in the mud.."

And quite frankly, she didn't feel safe in Steven rolling in it either..

"Pffft. That goes for a _lot_ of things." she said casually. "And everyone is having fun." she smiled.

Steven leaned up from his stomach. "Yeah, Connie." he agreed. "Come on down. The mud is fine." 

She grimaced more.

"He's not lying." Sadie said casually. She laid down on her side and propped her head up on her fist as her arm laid into the mud. "Live a little. Besides, you can always take a shower later." 

Connie looked at her. Then she looked at Steven, Lars and Lion (who was off doing his own thing) playing in the mud.

Sadie got up. "Weeeell. Suit yourseeeeelf." she grinned. She ran out the mud and started for the top of the hill. Steven caught her and pointed. "Look at Sadie." he got up and ran after her and Lars got up and ran with him. 

Right as Sadie got to the top of the hill, she sat herself down. "See you two down the hill!" she shouted at them. She pushed off and they saw her sliding fast down the hill. 

Steven ran up to the top and sat down. He pushed his self off as Lars sat down to do the same.

Connie watched as Steven, then Lars slide happily down the hill.

All three of them were up in laughter.

She watched them do it again. Going up the hill, then down it and being in fits of giggles. 

..Maybe.. it wasn't.._too_..

And like Sadie said, she could take her shower..

And she didn't have to really _crawl_ and roll around in it like them. She could always just dip her feet in.

Maybe she could just imagine it as like a mud spa for her feet and not her whole body?

..That could probably work..

Connie took a couple steps towards the mud.

"Oh hey!" Sadie exclaimed. "I think we might just have another person to join us after aaaaall."

Connie resisted a sigh and an eye roll. She took off her shoes, then her socks and placed them on the ground and took a step in. The cool mud squished between her toes and that gave her chills and she let out a sound of disgust. 

"Yeah!! Go head, Connie!" Sadie cheered.

Steven cheesed and joined with her. "Yeah! You can do it!!" 

She stepped in with her other foot, then took another step with her other. The grimace still on her face.

"You're doing good, Connie!" Lars complimented.

The three of them cheered her on as she walked closer towards them.

And just moments later, she stopped beside them.

And looked at them.

"Weeeell?" Sadie asked. "Why don't you sit down with us?" she pat at the mud.

She let out another sound of disgust. She slowly bent down and laid her legs on the ground and sat on them.

Everyone cheered.

"You did it!!" Steven cheered. He reached over, giving her a muddy hug and pressing his muddy cheek on hers and there was _another_ sound of disgust. And he placed his muddy lips on her forehead and gave it a kiss. He leaned back up, leaving a muddy kiss print on her forehead. He chuckled at that. Also at her slight pout slight grimace on her face.

"I'm soo going to need a shower after this.."

"Aw, come on Connie." Steven hugged her closer to him. "It's not that bad."

The pout stayed for a few moments as she looked at his smiling face before slowly diminishing to a tiny smile. "I guuueeess.."

Lion came over to the group.

"Hey Lion." said Steven. "Didn't want to be left out of the group, huh boy?"

Lion shook his fur, sending mud everywhere and on them. They let out started yelps which soon turned into laughter.

"It was a trap!" Steven shouted. 

"I'm gonna get you, Lion!" Sadie got up and pretended to lunge for the dog and the canine ran away from them, going into play mode. 

She sat back down and joined in more on the laughter from everyone, even Connie who was chuckling just a little.

Steven stood up. "Well, Connie. You can either stay here or have a bit more fun." he pointed behind him. "I'm going to slide down the hill again." 

She looked at him, then at the must hill behind him.

Well.. she was already muddy and sitting inside a huge mud pile..

She shrugged an gave him the smallest of smiles. "I might as well." 

"Yeah!!!" he held out his hand. 

She grabbed his hand and he helped her up. "It's going to be fun. You'll see." he gave her a peck on the cheek, leaving another muddy kiss mark. He started jogging out of the mud with her right beside him.

"Come on, Lars." Sadie grinned. She jogged out the mud and he got up and followed her.

Steven and Connie were approaching the top of the hill. He took her to any spot on the edge. She looked down and the hill looked a bit steeper and farther down than she'd thought.. 

He raised her muddy hand up and kissed the back of it. "Don't worry. We can go together." he let go of her hand and took a few steps back and sat down. He widened his legs apart and pat at the ground in front of him.

And that cute, friendly smile on his face..

She felt herself smiling once again and she bent down and got between his legs. He scooted up to her and wrapped his arms around her stomach. "Okay, Connie. Time for Steven's Six Flags Mudlake slide." 

She chuckled, shaking her head. "You and your made up names.."

"Heyy. You know you like my made up names." he nuzzled his dirty hair into her shoulder.

"They're okay." 

"Heheh, so you say." he hugged her. "So, you ready?"

She looked down at the mud far below them. "Uh.." she nodded slowly. "Yeah."

"We'll go slow." he scooted closer to her and they slowly slide themselves closer to the edge until both of their legs were dangling off the edge. "Okay." he pressed his chest up against her back and pulled her close. "Here we go." he scooted them forward a bit more and they started sliding down fast and Connie held a scream as Steven held her close. His laughter being the only thing she was hearing.

Then they were sliding down the bottom half of the hill and into the mud below and she realized that, it was pretty fun like he said.

Sadie was cheering her own. "There you go, Connie!" she turned to Lars. "Come on, Lars. Let's do the same thing." she sat down at the edge.

"What?!" he was taken aback.

She pat behind herself. "Yeah, let's go." she beckoned. "Sit behind me."

His face started feeling hot. "Uh.. okay." he sat down behind her.

"HAHA! Oh, come on Lars. You gotta get closer to me than that."

He could feel his whole face blushing. 

He scooted closer behind her.

"Aaaand, then we do this." she grabbed his arms and wrapped it around her waist. "There we go." she leaned back on his chest. She could feel his heart thumping in his chest. She snorted. "You scared Lars?"

He swallowed and shook his head. "No."

.._That_ wasn't the reason why his heart was pounding in his chest like that..

He heard her chuckling in from of him. "Come on then. Let's go. Time to push off."

The two of them slid themselves farther towards the edge and began sliding down. "Woooooooo!!!" Sadie had her arms up in the air.

They made it down towards Steven and Connie, almost bumping into them. 

"Hey guys. Fancy meeting you two here." Sadie joked.

Lion was coming back towards them.

"Lion! Back again I see." Steven cheesed.

The dog shook his fur, getting the mud on them once again, eliciting laughter out of everyone.

"He got us again!" Steven shouted.

Sadie got up from between Lars' legs. "Come on, Lars." she grabbed his hand and his heart jolted in his chest. "Let's do it again." 

He got up on his feet and the two ran out the mud.

Steven tilted his head to Connie. "You wanna go again? I mean.. unless you don't want to..umm.." he trailed off.

She turned around to face him and he saw a smile on her face. "Yeah. We can go again."

  
  


The two duos had fun sliding down the hill and playing in the mud. Eventually they stayed down at the bottom of the mud.

At one point during their time in it, Steven thought it would be funny to tackle Lars into the mud while his back was turned which initiated a wrestling match between the two. Sadie was cheering them on while Connie was trying to call it off, saying that they should stop before anyone of them became serious.

And Lars stopped. Which was a good thing too, because there was no way Steven was going to get out of that grappling hold Lars had him in.

Amethyst wouldn't be proud..

Though he_ QUICKLY _dismissed his thoughts of the Gems.

He was here to have fun. NOT to think about _them._

Lars was slowing pulling his arms away from Steven's arms and he got up from his back.

"Alright." Sadie spoke up. "I think we had enough mud for today." they could still hear the chuckles in her voice.

"Yeah, I agree." said Lars. "We should start heading back to camp. We can clean ourselves up and canoe for a bit before I start making dinner for tonight."

"Yeah! You don't have to tell _me_ twice." she got up.

Steven got up from the mud and helped Connie up to her feet. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah. I am." he leaned over, planting yet, another muddy kiss on her forehead.

"Okay you two lovebirds~" said Sadie. "Time to go."

"Guess we get to finally go on our little hike." said Lars. The two of them started walking out of the mud and completely caked in it head to toe.

"Come on, Lion." Steven called out to him.

The dog lifted his head up. His fur and his face completely covered in mud as well. He started running towards them.

Connie ran the opposite way to get her socks and shoes. She slipped the socks over her dirty, muddy feet, then put her shoes on and ran back to the group. 

They followed Lars (since he knew the way back to camp) and they took that time to look around the area more intently and looking at the various colors of the forest and smelling more of the scents in the air.

And all was going great as they hiked up and down the nature trail, until they were coming across a river until Lion spotted a squirrel. 

Ever since Steven had let Lion run around in the mud, he never grabbed the leash back. Then when they started on their hike, he still didn't bother grabbing the leash back.

And now.. the dog was off running again and far away from them.

"Lion! Get back here!" Steven and the others ran after him. 

The canine ran after the small critter until it jumped into it's burrow. The dog bayed and barked inside the hole. 

"Lion! Leave the rabbit alone!" 

The dog saw them running towards him and, still in play mode, he ran away. 

Steven sighed dramatically.

Lion ran down the mud and jumped into the river. He began doggy paddling away. 

Steven and the crew stopped right at the edge. "Lion! Get back here!"

Sadie was chuckling under her breath. "You know, Lion had his self a bright idea." 

"What do you mean?-"

Sadie ran up and jumped in and the water splashed up. "We can swim around for a bit." she explained. "This can cool us off _and_ clean us off." she swam away from them. 

Steven and Connie looked at Lars. He shrugged. "Well, I was planning on going for a swim anyway. There's no other perfect time than to do it now." he gestured at his muddy clothes. He turned around and ran in, splashing through the the water.

Steven was running up to join them. He walked into the cool, refreshing river. 

Connie stood there.

Just running into the water with your clothes on?

"Aw, what is it noooow, Connie?" Sadie had a wry smile on her face. "This is like, the complete opposite of mud. Also, you don't have to worry about any parasites. This water's clean." 

.. but..

..Just wearing her clothes in the water?

She watched as Lars was half swimming, half getting cleaned from the water and Steven was bringing his wet hands from the water and cleaning his face.

Ah, what the heck. She might as well. Besides, at least she would be cleaner. She shouldn't care about having all of her clothes on while swimming. 

She let a smile come to her face.

"Oooohh, I see a smile!" Sadie cheered.

Connie took off her shoes and her socks and came jogging up to them. The calm water of the river flowed pass her legs as she walked into the water.

It was a weird feeling, to have her clothes on in the river, but overall, it wasn't _too_ too bad.

And she could see the mud and guck floating in the water from her skin and clothes, so she was getting cleaner which was a plus.

Steven came up to her. His hair wet and laying flat against his face. "Glad you decided to enjoy the water with us." he grinned.

She rolled her eyes good naturedly. "Well I'm a mess so.."

"I can help you with that." he brought his hands up from the water and began wiping her face gently. On and around her black glasses, her cheeks, the edges of her hair, her nose, her lips.. 

He brought the water up to her face two more times and began wiping the last bit off her chin. Then he softly brushed her upper lip that didn't have anything else on it.

She looked at him, seeing the blush on his cheeks. And she felt his finger caress towards her bottom lip. "There.." he whispered. His finger left her lip and he leaned down, giving her a kiss. 

It could've been that she was in a great mood or the water.. or both, but the longer the kiss stayed on her skin, the more she felt her chest starting to heat up.

And she leaned into it, kissing him back and feeling her skin start to buzz and warm up with excitement.

And the feeling was only made worse when he grabbed her hips under water and pulled her towards his own.

"Hey. You two wanna keep sucking at each other's faces" they broke away and looked at her and Lars a few yards away from them. "or you two want a relay race between Lars and I?"

Steven slid his hands forward, just slightly above her hips and towards her stomach before dropping his hands and Connie knew he did that on purpose. He could've let go of her hips instead of trailing his hands so enticingly along her wet shirt.

And all while he kept a straight face as he looked towards the two. As if he _didn't_ just do that.

"I don't know how to swim."

Lars and Said exchanged shocked looks. "What?!" Sadie exclaimed. 

Steven shrugged. "I was never taught."

Sadie looked at Connie accusingly. "You never taught him?!" 

"We never got around to it." 

"Okay, okay. No big dealio." she turned to the boy. "Steven. YOU just came to the right place! Lars and I are like, amazing swimmers. We can teach you how to swim in like, five minutes tops."

"Really?!"

"Tsh, yeaah. We can teach you how to float and tread and all that good stuff." she swam over to them. "You're gonna be swimming like a professional in no time."

  
  


"NO!! I'm gonna sink!!! I'm gonna sink!!!" Steven flailed in the water, splashing water everywhere on them.

"Steven, you have to relax, man." Sadie held on to his torso. "Just try to float-"

"I can't!! I'm sinking!!"

"Steven, Lars and I got you!" the boy flailed harder in their hands as Lars stated near his legs.

"Don't let me go!!" he panicked. He kicked his legs harder in the water.

"Steven, just breath."

He breathed out short, panting breaths.

"That's not calming breaths!" Sadie grunted as she tried to hold onto the panicking boy.

"I'm sinking!!" he grabbed for the water in a futile water to try to "swim".

Sadie turned to Lars. "Don't worry, Lars. I got him. Let him go." 

Lars was hesitant at first, but she gave him an assured head nod with a determined look on her face. 

Still hesitant he reluctantly let go of Steven's thighs slowly.

"Alright Steven. On three, I'm going to let you go."

"What?!" all three of them shouted.

Connie swam closer towards his flailing arms and she ignored the water splashing into her face and eyes. "Maybe that's not such a good idea." she looked at her poor boyfriend panicking and panting heavily. 

"Yeah, maybe we should let a professional do this in a pool setting." said Lars.

"Nonsense you two. Once he gets rid of his fears of drowning, he'll be able to swim as graceful as a sea turtle. Now, watch out." she looked down at the boy. "On three Steven. Just kick out your legs and swing your arms!" 

"Sadie!" he panted. "Wait!" he flapped his limbs out harder. 

"One, two, three!!" she pushed him forward and he screamed. He thrashed around in the water and felt his body dip under. He panicked even more. 

"Steven!" Connie swam towards him-

"CONNIE!!" he reached out his arms and grabbed hold of her shoulders. "Stev!!-" in the mix of his panic and trying to stay afloat, he'd pushed her down, trying to get leverage to keep his self above the water and making her lose her tread and pushing the both of them underwater. 

Sadie and Lars dove under and moments later, Sadie retrieved Connie out from under the water and Lars had pulled a still flailing Steven out from underwater. He grabbed hold onto Lars as he and Connie coughed and gasped for air. 

"I'm" he coughed out. "so sorry Connie." he said in a rasped voice.

She coughed out more. "No, that's.." she coughed. "okay." 

"I knew this was going to be a bad idea." said Lars.

"So he panicked just a bit more than I'd expected." Sadie shrugged. "If we just get him to calm down more, I think he would be able to do it next time." 

The three of them exchanged worried glances to one another. 

Connie eased away from Sadie's arms. "Yeah.. I think Steven has had enough swimming practice for one day." she saw the fear in his dilated pupils. "I think we should give him a break." she said gently.

"Yeah, let's head back over to the ground." Lars started swimming away with Steven wrapped rightly to him, in fear of sinking. 

Connie and Sadie swam behind him.

Lars was approaching the mud and broken twigs on the edge of the river. "Here you go, Steven." the boy quickly pushed off of him and scrambled in the half mud half centimeter of water and to the dirt of the forest floor. He turned around and sat down, panting heavily and watching the river.

The three of them walked out the water with their clothes drenched and sticking to them. 

"Are you okay, Steven?" Connie asked. She sat down beside him, ignoring the disgusting feeling of sitting down in wet clothes and sitting down in the wet, squishy mud. 

"Yeah, I'm okay." he was slowly calming down.

He saw Lars, then Sadie sitting down in front of him.

"Hey, if you guys want to swim, then go ahead. Don't let me stop you." and before they could ask he quickly said, "Yees, I'm sure. I just, freaked out a bit, that's all. Don't let me ruin your swim." he looked at Lars. "And we're still canoeing right?" 

"Ah, y, yeah. Of course."

"Then I can always participate in that. You guys can go ahead and swim. I'll just dip my feet in or just stay in the shallow end." then he added. "Really." then of course, he had to give them a smile.

That seemed to make them feel just a bit better in leaving him for awhile.

Sadie was the first one to get up. "Alright, well we shouldn't be long. Come on, Lars." 

He looked at Steven and Steven have him a thumbs up. "I'll be fine, Lars." 

"And I'll be here with him too." said Connie.

"You can swim with them too, Connie."

"I rather stay here with you."

"Well that's settled." said Sadie. She turned around and began running back to the river. "Come on Lars!" she dashed through the water. 

"Uh, we'll probably swim for a few minutes and head back." 

"Take as long as you need." 

"Well, we have to squeeze in a canoe lesson and I still have to make dinner and start setting up camp. So it's not like we'll be out for too much longer anyway." 

Another thumbs u from Steven. "Sounds fine to me. Now you go have fun with Sadie." he cheesed. 

Maybe he imagined blush coming to Lars' shocked face, but he couldn't tell as he'd turned back around and started heading for the river.

He sighed, half as a breath of relief and half as a "woe is me" for not being able to swim along with them.

He felt Connie push back his wet hair and he turned around to see a worried frown on her face. 

He tried for a joke to quickly lighten the mood. "Why yes. This _is_ my natural hair." he wiggled his eyebrows. That _did_ manage a tiny smile from her but he could tell she was going to say something about what happened. "And I really am okay. I kinda freaked out a little, but, I'm still okay." he turned around and wrapped his arm around her in a hug. "I guess I have to go to a professional like Lars said." he smiled.

Connie scoffed. "Or just someone better than Sadie. I think you'll do just find."

He snorted. "Maybe." 

He held her close, trying to see her beautiful eyes through the dark shades. He couldn't.. but she still looked beautiful no less. He sighed. "Sorry I pushed you underwater." 

He watched her lips twist slightly in an apologetic smile. "It's okay." she said. "I _was_ in your way." 

"But you were just trying to save me." he lowered his hands to rest at the hem of her pants and just at her lower back. "But all I did was make it worse."

"It's ooookaaayy, Steven. Stop beating yourself up all the time." she brushed another part of his wet hair to the other side as more tiny droplets of water slid down into his eyes and pass his cheeks.

"Heh.. mm.." he mumbled. He knew he couldn't say any more about that.

But he wanted to focus on the happier more positive things in life anyway. And right now, he was with his girlfriend and out camping with his friends.

He looked at her and his eyes went from her black glasses to her lips. He leaned in and kissed her. "Thanks for staying here with me."

"I just didn't want you sitting here by yourself."

"Thanks." he gave her a kiss on the cheek and dragged his hands away from her back as he got up. "Come on. Let's go back into the river." 

He helped her up. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I mean, I was just going to stay in the shallow end." 

"Yeah, that'll be better." 

He walked her back into the water and stopped once the water got to his waist. He let go of her hand and bent his knees. He dipped his body up to his chest in the water and stood back up. Connie swam in front of him and turned to her back and started swimming around him. 

"Pfft, show off."

She cut her eye at him. A rather smug smile on her face.

"Don't worry. One of these days, I'm going to learn how to swim. And I'm going to show off and do all these fancy tricks." 

She swam back around and floated back in front of him. "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. Like.... This one!" he grabbed her and she let out a startled yelp and he spun her around over top of the water. "Aaaand THIS one!" he blew raspberries on her cheek, then her cheers and back at her cheek again, eliciting more ticklish giggles from her.

  
  


Steven and Connie had spent their time running in the water in the shallow end and splashing each other.

Just minutes later Lars and Sadie were swimming back to them. "Alright guys, we're going to start heading back to the campsite." said Lars. "We should have a bit of time to canoe before the sun starts setting." 

Since the campsite was up the same river they were in, Lars and Sadie decided to swim up while Connie and Steven decided to walk alongside the river rather than walking in the shallow end all the way up to the site.

Connie put on her shoes and held the muddy socks in her hands and Steven called out for Lion. The canine started swimming back over to them and they started their hike up to Lars' truck.

It'd took them just lightly under a half an hour before they had reached their campsite. Steven had helped Lars take out the two canoes from the bed of the truck and the four of them kept their wet clothes on and grabbed a paddle. 

With Lars and Sadie in one canoe and Connie and Steven in the other and Lion doing his own thing and swimming or running in the dirt near their campsite, Lars began teaching them the fundamentals of canoeing, the three Golden rules and proper hand and stroke techniques. 

Just forty minutes later and after a few times of tipping their canoes over, Connie and Steven were finally getting the handle of it.

After their lessons they decided to coast for a few minutes and soak up their nature surroundings. The calm lake, the trees and the clouds above them as the sun began to set.

Lars sighed out happily, taking in more of the fresh air. He turned to side to look at Sadie behind him and Connie and Steven in their canoe. "We should start heading back." he said. "I want to start catching fish and start cooking before the sun sets." then he added. "It should be nightfall in about an hour."

The four of them turned and started paddling back. 

Steven helped Lars put the canoes and the paddles back on one side of the truck and Lars opened a small box and took out a net. He jumped back out of the truck and set the net on the bed of the truck. "We'll be using that to catch the fish." he said.

"With just a net?" Steven asked. "I thought we would be using fishing rods."

"Neh." Lars opened a separate small compartment behind the back door of the truck. "I don't do fishing rods."

"Yeaaah." Sadie snorted. "Lars here thinks that they feel pain." 

"They most likely do! I have a feeling that they do!" Lars was taking out a big, sterling silver container and Steven jogged over to help him. "And I just wouldn't want anyone sticking a hook in _my_ mouth." 

"I knoooow, I knoooow." said Sadie. "That's the reason why you also don't eat crabs or lobster and stuff like that." 

Lars sat the box down, with Steven's help. "Well, of course I don't." he opened the container to a bunch of cooking ware and utensils. "They get boiled. Alive!! That's just. Torture!" he took out a few pans. 

"Don't worry Lars. I'm just teaaasing. Calm down."

"The food is in the other box." Lars told Steven. The two of them got up and went back to the truck.

"Hey Lars. Where's the bathroom?" Connie asked. "Since we're done with the water, I want to get out of these wet clothes." she opened the back door and pulled the duffle bag towards her. 

"Oh, it's not too far from here." he and Steven sat the second _and noticeably cold_ container down. He stood back up. "I can show you." 

"Hey! I might as well do the same thing too!" Sadie jogged over to the passenger's side of the truck and opened the door. She unzipped her bag and took her clothes out. "Alright, let's go." 

"Hold on." said Connie. She took out her folded clothes and zipped the bag back up and closed the door.

"We'll be right back Steven." said Lars.

"Okay." 

Lion was running back from.. who knows where. 

"Lion!" the dog ran towards him. "Hey boy." he scratched at the dog's ears.

While Lars was showing Sadie and Connie to the bathrooms, Steven used that time to put on the dry clothes as well.

He opened the back door and unzipped the bag. He took a pair of boxers out and his clothes. He took his wet clothes off and quickly looked around before taking his boxers off and slipping a new pair back on. He put on his dry clothes and left the wet clothes on the mat. 

Just five minutes later Lars was coming back. "Oookay." he said. "Time to get some fish." he picked up the net from the truck.

"I want to see how you do this." 

"Come on." he smirked.

Steven followed Lars at the edge of the river. Right as they got to the smooth rocks, Lars unraveled the net. "It's pretty simple and easy really." he said. "And right here works because there's a lot of salmon at this very part of the river, which is just one of the many reasons why I like this very spot."

As Lars began teaching Steven how to net fish, Connie and Sadie were walking back down to the site. Lars told them to put the wet clothes in the bed of the truck to have them air out for a bit and the two of them joined in on Lars' fishing lessons to Steven. 

After a brief five minute lesson, they let Lars throw out the net. On just one throw he'd caught five fish. He let one back into the river and gave them a warning that they might not want to see the process of him killing the fish. He laid the first one down on the rocks, took out a sharp pocket knife from his back pocket and quickly cut it's heads clean off. Connie and Steven looked away, feeling uncomfortable but Sadie looked on, intrigued. 

He'd explained that this process may make it a bit harder to properly clean out the blood from the fish, but he rather not have the fish sufffer. After he did the same treatment for next three fish Sadie watched as he carefully and thoroughly gut and cleaned the fish in the water. 

fter the process, he picked the fish up and started walking back over to the campsite and Steven carried the net back over to the truck.

The first thing Lars did was place the fish inside of a small container of ice he'd gotten from the small compartment. Then he wanted to start making the fire and Seven had offered to help him. And once again, Lars had went over the fundamentals of properly starting a fire (he had lighter fuel) and how to start a fire without any fire starters. He and Steven took out some logs from the bed and threw them down in a pile before Lars went to start the fire.

While the coals were burning Lars had showed them all of the ingredients for their salmon, Mediterranean Chickpea salad, grilled asparagus and honey baked carrot dinner that night inside of the iced container. 

Everyone had chosen two or three things to do like cleaning, cutting, dicing and or cooking or grilling the food, with Lars being there to show them (more so Sadie and Steven since Connie already knew how to cook) how to do it properly.

Just a little over an hour later and their food was ready to be eaten. 

Steven used that time to take out Lion's food and water bowls from the duffle bag. Lars had some ice cold water bottles inside of a cooler and he poured the fresh, cold water into the dish and poured the dog food and his medicine in the other. 

With Lion happily eating now (and not sniffing around and being anywhere near the fire like he was earlier) Steven joined everyone else as they started filling up their plate. Connie handed him a plate that she'd already made for him. "Thanks." he gave her a peck on the cheek and sat down beside her.

"Awwwwweee, cuuuute." Sadie cooed.

The couple chuckled shyly.

  
  


The group of friends were enjoying each other's company as they ate the last bit of their food. 

"And what did I tell him, Lars?" Sadie nudged her friend on the shoulder.

"You said no and that you don't do that anymore." 

"Ex.ACTLY!"

He smiled at her being so excited at what she'd accomplished.

"I told him no and that I, Sadie Miller, am a NEW woman!" she cheered.

"That's amazing, Sadie." said Connie. She picked up a honey baked carrot and took a bite.

"I know! It feels like it was just yesterday!"

"That's because it was." said Lars.

She clicked her teeth with an eye roll. "Nooo, not that. I'm talking about me. actually being clean!" she cheered more. "But I've been like that since.. since Friday!" 

"..Three days?" Steven asked.

Connie cut her eye at him for sounding so unamused.

"Yes!!" she still sounded incredibly giddy. "Three.whole.days.... Of being.DRUG free!" she cheesed. "I just can't believe it!"

"Keep up the good work Sadie." said Connie.

She nodded. "Oh definitely. Especially since I have this lug." she gave Lars a side huge and he smiled sheepishly. 

The conversation went on as they went from topic to topic until they finished their food. Then Sadie asked if it was anything else they could do on the list that they could do just at their campsite in which Lars said charades.

Everyone agreed and Lars offered Steven and Connie to go first. Then, they each went back and forth playing the game. Some they could guess and some they couldn't, depending on the category.

They were so engrossed in the game that they hadn't realized that they'd been playing for almost two hours until Lars' "Start cleaning up the walk-in freezer" alarm rung in his pocket at 10:40p.m. 

Hee turned it off and put the phone back in his pocket.

Sadie scratched at her chin. "Yeah.. I.. just don't know this show." she turned to Lars. He shrugged. "Yeah, I don't know either.

Steven and Connie looked at them wide eyed. They couldn't believe that they couldn't figure out the show. They'd even reenacted popular moments from certain episodes. Yet, they still couldn't figure it out. 

"You mean you guys give up?" Steven asked, astonished. 

They nodded their heads.

"It's Nevey and the Jeweled Ladies!" he whined.

Sadie raised her eyebrow at him. "Uh.. Nevey and the.. what now?" 

He gasped. "You mean you never heard of the boy who's half human half magical boy and who lives with other magical people?!?!"

"Uh.." she shook her head. "Is it on the WC network?"

"What? No it's.. on Nitphlicts. I can't believe you never heard of it." 

Connie gasped. "You should pull it up on your phone Steven!"

"Oh yeah!" he dug into his pocket and took out his phone. He went to his search bar, typed in the name and hit search. Pictures of the boy and the three magical ladies came up on his phone. "It's this show." he walked over to them and turned the phone around. 

They leaned in to look at the screen, then their facial expressions went to something of understanding as they modded their heads. "Ah, that makes sense." said Sadie. "Yeah, we don't watch cartoons."

"What?!" Steven shouted.

"Well yeah. It's.. kinda for little kids."

Lars nodded.

"Whaaaat?!" Connie and Steven shouted.

"But what about the show 'Stephen in space' ?!" Connie asked and Steven nodded in agreement. "Yeah! And 'Being told by Foutleys' ?!" he asked. 

"Right! And 'Arnold, what's up?' ?!" 

Steven nodded fervently. "You guys are REALLY missing out!! They're like, groundbreaking shows!! It's your daily dose of real life AND slice of life but in cartoon form!!" he whined.

"Yeaaah, sorry guys. Just, not our cup of tea." Sadie shrugged. 

They frowned.

"Hey, to each their own." said Lars. "That's okay." 

"Yeah.." said Steven and the two were still pouting.

"Hey." he snapped his fingers. "You know what. I think this'll be the perfect time to start roasting our s'mores." he got up. "That'll cheer everyone up and it's good to end a night on something sweet."

He walked over to a container and opened it up. He took out two big bags of marshmallows. "And don't worry guys. I specifically checked the ingredients aaaaand these marshmallows has no pork or gelatin or any of that other stuff. So you two can eat it." then he took out the chocolate bars.

"Well that's good." Connie told Steven.

Lars went over to the truck and took out three boxes of Graham crackers and came back over to the campfire. He placed the food on a little tray. "Be right back." they watched him walk over to a nearby Mulberry tree (that they were surrounded by) and watched him pick a few handfuls of ripped berries and put them in his shirt. He walked over and placed them on another tray. "Whoever wants to try the berries with the s'mores, you can." he said and picked up a water bottle. He began cleaning the berries off. 

"Hm, I'll try it." said Sadie. "I won't know if I don't like it or not unless I try it." 

"Count me in." said Steven.

"Me too." Connie smiled.

They each ate a Mulberry berry and they liked it but when they each made their own s'more and put a single berry in it and tried it, only Connie liked it. Sadie and Steven didn't care too much for it.

"Guess it's just you and I, Connie." Lars put more berries onto the marshmallow and closed it up with a Graham cracker.

  
  


Sadie roasted a marshmallow over the fire. Right as it started to melt she pulled the utensil back and picked up a piece of chocolate and Graham cracker. She sandwiched the marshmallow in between the two and picked up the other Graham cracker and put it on the other end. 

Lars took a bite out of his s'more and placed it back on the tray and picked up a few berries from the tray and threw them in his mouth.

Steven was petting Lion who was laying down right beside him with his eyes closed.

Connie picked up a couple marshmallows. "Steven."

He leaned away from Lion. "Hm?"

She was holding a marshmallow in his face again. He smiled and opened his mouth. She plopped the marshmallow in his mouth and kissed him on the cheek and he took the other marshmallow from her hand and fed it to her. He tried to hold in his chuckle as he chewed the marshmallow. And he leaned in and rubbed his nose on hers and that made her giggle.

The whole day had been fun (aside from falling out of the tree and getting his boys hit on the branch and them trying to teach him how to swim). He enjoyed his self today with his lovely girlfriend and his friends.

And now, they were about to end the night soon and they were _still_ having fun. The fire was crackling in front of them and illuminating them and the area around them in yellows and oranges, the firewood was giving off that nice, campfire smell and the night was at a perfect temperature and every so often a nice breeze would come through the trees and cool their skin.

It was amazing.

And that sparked a bit of inspiration in him. 

He swallowed the marshmallow and gave Connie a kiss on the cheek. He sighed happily as a huge smile came to his face. "Could this night get any better?" he started patting his hands on his thighs. "Isn't this suuuuch.. a beautiful niiiight? Whoa~" he sung. "We're underneath a thousand shining staaars." he looked up at the sky before looking back at Connie and his friends. "Iiisn't it nice to find yourself somewhere different? Whoa~" he smiled "Why don't you let yourself just beee wherever you aaare~" 

Everyone looked at him in smiles at his random, yet beautiful song. 

Sadie snapped her fingers. "Look at this plaaaace, look at your faaaaceees." she looked at Steven and Connie. "I've never seen you look liiike this befoooore. Iiisn't it nice to find yourself somewhere different? Whoa~ Why don't you let yourself just beee wherever you aaaare~" 

Lars looked at her in shock that she was singing. She had a smirk on her face and gestured her chin up at him. 

He hesitated.. before slowly singing. "Look at this plaaaace" he sung offkey and he stopped and the three beckoned him to continue. The nervous look was still on his face. "Look at your faaaaceees.They're.. shining like a thousand shining staaars. Iiiisn't it nice to find yourself somewhere different? Whoa~ Why don't you let yourself just beee wherever you aaaare~"

Connie clapped and ended the song. "Why don't you let yourself just beee somewhere different? Whoa~ Why don't you let yourself just beeee wherever you ..aaaare~"

There was a couple solid seconds of seconds before the group laughed and cheered on one another.

"Okay, that was pretty good." said Sadie as she clapped. "We could probably get signed one day." she joked and they laughed.

"Yeah, I doubt it." said Steven. "But thanks for the compliment." then he turned to Connie. "But, _Connie_ on the other hand." he nudged her shoulder with his.

"Yeah, you're just being nice." she gently pushed him away.

"You.. really have a great voice too." said Lars. 

"Ah, no I don't." she smirked.

"Yeah, you do." he nodded. "You're.. really good." he felt his cheeks starting to heat up. 

"Aww.." she smiled and shrugged slightly. "Well.. thanks." 

"Y, yeah.." he said. "No problem."

She smiled.

"So uh.." he scratched at his red cheek as he looked away. "Now that we're.. pretty much done eating s'mores, I guess we can start setting up our tents." 

"I can help you with that Lars." said Steven. He stood up.

"And I think I should learn how to set up tents too." said Connie. 

Sadie got up. "Welp, looks like Lars here is going to show us how to set up tents." 

"Yeah. Sure." he stood up with them. The stuff is in the back of the truck." he walked over to the vehicle.

The four of them, with Lars' help, had set up their tarps and tents side by side one another. Then they used a portable machine to fill up the air mattresses and placed them inside. Then Lars handed Steven and Connie two sleeping bags and two camping pillows which Steven still couldn't believe was actually a thing.

After setting up and after putting everything away back into the truck; the leftover food, the cooking and eating utensils, etcetera, Lars stretched out his back and grunted. He blew out some air. "Well. Everything's set up" he said. "But I'm not going to bed yet. I have this thing where I don't lay down immediately after eating."

Sadie crawled out of the tent. "Then what are you going to do?"

He shrugged. "..Ya'know.. Stargaze or something.." he said sheepishly. 

Sadie gasped and hopped to her feet. "Stargazing?! That's a GREAT way to end this night!" she jogged over to him. "So, where are going to go look at the stars?" 

"Hey, you can't leave us out." said Steven. He and Connie jogged over to them. 

He chuckled. "Okay. But first, let's put out this fire."

  
  


"Over here." 

They followed him up (with Lion running up to catch up to them) the river not too far from their campsite. There were no trees blocking that particular part of the area and the grass was much softer there.

"Welp. This is it." Lars found a boulder and sat down in front of it and leaned back on it.

"Wow.." said Sadie. She sat down beside him and he scooted over to share the boulder with her. 

Steven found anywhere to sit and helped Connie down to the grass. 

Lion came by moments later and laid down in from of them.

The four of them looked up at the midnight sky, watching the stars twinkle and shine above them in the black of the sky.

Crickets and cicadas screeched and frogs croaked all around them and at one point they'd even heard one hoot of an owl a distance away from them. 

The calming sound of the river commended the sound of the forest critters and the low rustling of the trees when a breeze would blow.

It was beautiful.

Again.. the whole day had been amazing and tonight was just the icing on the cake. Sweet and leaves you wanting more.

He didn't want the day to end.

It was everything he'd hoped it would be and more.

Hanging out with his girlfriend and his best friends and having fun and relaxing. This was what he wanted.

He looked over at Connie. She was leaning on him and looking up at the sky. Or, maybe she was asleep? Now that it was the dead of night, he couldn't see her eyes at all through her glasses. He could barely even see them in daylight. 

"Connie?" he whispered.

"Hm?" she turned her head to him. 

"Oh, uh, nothing. Just wanted to make sure if you were still awake."

"Yeah." she whispered.

This night..

Him hanging out and having an amazing time with her..

Was it possible to fall in love with her all over again?

It was.. almost scary how much he loved her.

He leaned his head down on hers and wrapped his arm around her side. "Glad we had a nice day today."

He heard a chuckle. "Yeah, me too." she wrapped her arm around his stomach. She took a breath. "I'm glad we went." she murmured. "We really needed this."

"Heh, yeah. We really did."

The games, the food, the singing..

They needed all of that. 

And doing those three things had somehow made him love her even more. It felt like they'd gotten closer too.

..Maybe she should _also_ know how he felt about her? Maybe she really needed to know that too..

With the beauty and the still and calmness of the night and with them having such an amazing day together, it really felt like tonight would be the right night to tell her. 

His heart started beating faster in his chest.

He should just... tell her.

"Connie?"

"Hm?" she looked up at him.

And his heart kicked in his chest.

_Just tell her Universe.._

He swallowed. "Connie.." he pulled her closer in the hug. "I.."

She leaned up more from his shoulder and turned more to him. Her mouth slightly open as her mind went to a thousand things he could say. 

_Just tell her.. _

_Just tell her those three words.._

"Steven? What's wrong?"

He just needs to tell her. Just out and say it.

"I.." he looked at her. 

He took a breath. 

And wrapped his other arm around her. "You're very special to me, Connie."

"Oh.." and he couldn't pinpoint her expression. She had this apologetic look to her face.. maybe sadness..? .. Disappointment? But he saw just a tiny, not quite a smile come to her face. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. You're.. extremely special to me." his heart thumped in his chest. "Because I..really.." he resisted biting his lip. "lllike you." 

_No!! Tell her the truth!!!_

He did see a small that time. Though the side smile seemed to have something to it that he still couldn't pinpoint.. But it had this, sort of sadness to it. Even the chuckle she made seemed.._different_. Much quieter and despondent. "I really like you too." 

He hugged her tighter. 

_Why can't I just tell her.._

"I really hope that we will have more days and nights like these." he pressed his head against hers. "I really enjoy being with you."

She massaged his side with her hand. 

If only he knew how much she really loved him..

"I'm glad that I have you in my life." he said.

She looked up at him. 

Her heart was doing flips in her chest.

But at the same time it was aching..

What if he'll never love her.. or feel even close to how she felt towards him..

It was thoughts that she never liked thinking deeply about but still did from time to time despite herself..

She loved him. And only he would feel the same way..

"I'm happy that you're in my life too." and she hoped her voice was leveled enough for him to not expect anything.

He smiled at her.

But there was something to his smile. It seemed both genuine yet.. like he was holding something back. She could see it in his eyes and the way his smile didn't quite reach them..

He leaned down towards her face and her heart skipped a beat. She pursed her lips as he pulled her in.

And the very first kiss sent a shock down her spine and warmth throughout her body.

And the second and third one sent a pleasant feeling in waves in her chest and down her skin. 

And the gentle kisses from him kept going as he held her close and her body melted with every contact along her lips and every caress of his fingers along her back. 

  
  


"Heheh, awweee. Look at theeem." Sadie whispered. "How cuuute." she cooed. 

"Uh." Lars glanced over at Steven and Connie cuddling and kissing each other. "Uh huh." he quickly looked away.

Sadie sighed as she looked back up at the stars. "You know, this really has been a pretty awesome day." she said with a smile. 

"It has." he looked up at the numerous amount of stars. "I'm glad you were able to come."

"Oh what? Of course I was gonna come." she pushed him gently. "You're like, my best friend. Why _wouldn't_ I come and hang out with the best guy ever?"

_.. Best friend.._

"R, right.. I guess that was kinda silly for me to think that.."

"Yeah man." she smirked. "You're like, cool peoples. And we have each other." 

"Yeah." his smile slowly started to form on his lips.

"Come on, let me get one." she raised her arm up and held her hand in a fist.

"Heh." he folded his hand into a fist and met her hand, going for a fist bump. Then she leaned back on the rock and he did the same. 

"We definitely gotta do this again one day." said Sadie. "And not just this. I mean, to hang out in general." 

"Yeah, of course. We definitely can."

She smiled brightly. "Good."

Then she slid over and rested her head on his shoulder. "Hopefully it'll be much sooner than later."

"Y, yeah." he felt his cheeks as he smiled shyly. "I agree.." he whispered.

  
  


The two pairs stayed outside for another twenty minutes before they each started to doze off and fall asleep. 

Connie had been first and the moment she'd rested her head on Steven's lap, she'd fallen fast asleep. Then it was Steven who'd fallen asleep on his back. Then it was Lars who'd fallen asleep leaning on Sadie. She let them have her rest, not bothering to wake them up until she started doing off herself.

"Hey. Lars." she whispered as she nudged him.

"Mm..hmm.....mm?" he looked up.

"Come on, you're falling asleep. Let's head back to the tent."

"Mm.." he grumbled.

Sadie nudged him up and stood up. "Come on." she whispered.

He stifled a yawn as he got steadily on his feet.

Sadie walked over to Steven and Lion lifted up his head and started wagging his tail as she approached. 

She crouched down and moved his shoulder. "Steven. Wake up."

He slowly, slooowly started waking up.

"Connie. Hey Connie." she moved her shoulder.

Steven pushed his self up to a sitting position as Connie was groggily waking up. She leaned up slowly from his lap and winced and grabbed her neck.

"Come on you two. Let's head back to the tents and get some sleep." said Sadie. She stood up and started walking away.

Connie leaned away from Steven, still rubbing her neck.

"Yeah." then a beat later. "But maybe using your lap as a pillow wasn't the best idea."

"Heh, I guess the movies where the couple fall's asleep in the other's lap is all just some romantic gimmick huh?"

"A romantic trope that just leaves them with a crook in their neck."

Steven laughed.

"Hey, come on you two." they looked up.

Lars and Sadie were already down the river from them. "You wanna stay outside and be bitten by mosquitoes or go back into your tent and not be bitten by as many mosquitoes?"

Connie snorted. "She has a point." she got up. "Okay, let's go."

They walked down the river and towards the campsite with the light on Lars' phone. 

Sadie crouched down and unzipped their tent. "Alright, I'm zonked. Night guys."

"Night." , "Goodnight." Connie and Steven said over one another.

She crawled inside the tent.

Steven crouched down and started unzipping the tent.

"What time are we leaving out tomorrow?" Connie asked. "I need to put an alarm on my phone."

"There's no specific time." he answered. "It's already midnight. Get as much sleep as you need. And once everyone's up, we'll have breakfast and leave out then." 

"Sounds good to me!" they heard Sadie inside the tent.

They laughed.

"Okay." said Connie. "Night Lars." 

"Goodnight Connie."

"Goodnight Lars." said Steven. He stepped away for Connie to crawl inside the tent.

"Goodnight, Steven."

Lars crawled inside the tent and Steven poked his head in the tent. Connie was taking out her night clothes. "I'm going to take Lion out for a bathroom break. I'll be right back."

"Don't go too far." she quickly said.

"I won't. I'm just going to take him over by the rocks." he pointed behind his self.

".. Okay."

"Be back." he said with a smile and he pulled his head back out from the tent. "Come on, Lion." 

The dog wagged his tail in excitement.

Steven grabbed a few napkins from one of the containers at the bed of the truck and walked Lion towards the rocks.

He stopped just a few feet from the river as Lion started sniffing around.

The night was peaceful. 

It was slightly ominous and mysterious too, but.. he still felt this calm and peacefulness in it. Like he was by his self in a lone, empty, unfamiliar, peculiar world at night. 

He stood there. Watching the river and listening to the calm waters and the chirps and croaks in the night.

A nightly breeze blew by and he listened to the leaves rustling in the wind.

A couple calming minutes later of soaking up the night, Lion came running back to him.

He turned around. "Oh wait. Did you go number two?" he asked the canine. 

Lion looked at him. His tail wagging behind him. 

Darn.. wasn't even paying attention.." he walked over to where Lion was and eventually found the pile. He cleaned the area up with the napkins and put the stuff in a trash bag that was inside of another container in the bed of the truck. 

He rinsed his hands off in the river and Lion came jogging over to him. "Siiiit." 

Lion stopped. 

"Don't think about going back in the water." 

Lion looked at him, still wagging his tail happily. 

He got up and the two went back to the tent. 

Connie was sitting inside of her sleeping bag on top of the air mattress.

And there was a look of relief on her face.

"Hooneyyy. I'm hooooome." Steven joked.

That earned him a smile and a chuckle.

He leaned away for Lion to walk in before crawling in his self. He turned around zipped the door back up.

He took Connie's flip flops off and set them by her shoes by the front of the tent and crawled over to the duffle bag. He took his clothes out and immediately thought about the still healing wounds and cuts on his legs that she doesn't know about..

He sat down, with his back facing her and tried to casually act like he wasn't trying to hide anything as he slipped his shirt off, then his pants. He reached over and slipped his pants on and placed his clothes by Connie's _folded_ clothes by the bag. He folded the clothes up then set them back down and crawled over to the air mattress. His sleeping bag was laying right next to her. He unzipped it and crawled in, hearing the plastic of the air mattress underneath of him.

"Comfortable?" Connie asked.

"Yeah. Not bad." 

Lion walked over and seeing barely any room for him on the air mattress, decided to lay right beside it instead.

Connie zipped up her sleeping bag and leaned back and zipped the bag just a few inches from the top. She turned around and laid her head on the pillow.

Steven did the same and turned around. He grunted, scooting closer in his sleeping bag towards her. She snorted. "You okay?" 

"Yeah.. just hard to move around in these."

Not to mention he felt like a sardine..

But most importantly.. there was no physical contact between the two..

He unzipped the bag down farther to free his arm out of the bag. He wrapped his arm around Connie's sleeping back and tried getting closer to her.

It didn't work.

He was practically hugging cushion, _not_ her. And his legs were only feeling padding and the cool material of his sleeping bag.

He sighed.

He tried hugging the sleeping bag tighter and his legs involuntarily kept wanting to try and press up against her sleeping bag.

He sighed more dramatically.

Connie scoffed. "What now, Steven? You obviously want to say something."

He sighed even more dramatically. "It's these sleeping bags.." he grumbled. "They're not the best for people who like to cuddle.."

There was a snort in front of him. "You mean _spooning."_

He cleared his throat. "Well..."

He wasn't trying to be _too_ blunt about it.

Connie turned around to face him. "So are you going to keep being indirect?"

"What do you mean?"

She rolled her eyes and sighed with a wry smile. "Unzip your sleeping bag." 

He started to unzip the rest of his sleeping bag as she unzipped hers. She crawled out of the bag and he scooted over in his own as she crawled inside his.

She laid down in front of him and he scooted up and placed his arm around her waist, feeling that nice, feel of her warm body on his legs and his chest. He scooted up closer getting a nice pressure on his front. 

"Better?" 

"Heh.." he nuzzled his face in her hair. He sighed. "A thousand times better." 

She pulled her sleeping bag over them as a blanket and he helped her drag the bag across them. "Night, Steven." 

He kissed her on her shoulder. "Goodnight, Connie."

The two laid there in their sleeping bag, listening to the calming sounds of the forest until they drifted off to sleep.

  
  


Steven awoken hours later to Lion growling and staring intently at the side of the tent.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just some tree facts I looked up for the fic, but in full detail. Like, I just TOTALLY ripped the info STRAIGHT from here.
> 
> https://www.outdoorlife.com/15-trees-every-outdoor-lover-should-learn-to-identify/
> 
> For aaaaanyone who is wondering:  
-Fake titles:  
Stephen in space= Steven Universe  
Being told by Foutleys= As told by Ginger  
Arnold, what's up? = Hey Arnold


	184. Lurking in the night..

Steven leaned up in the sleeping bag. "Lion?"

The canine looked at him, then turned back around and started growling louder-

He heard a sound of something metal falling into the ground and looked up.

Lion growled louder.

"Someone's out there.." 

He turned to Connie. 

She was still asleep.

He slowly slid out from the sleeping bag and crawled towards the front of the tent. He grabbed the zipper and slowly, began dragging it up.

He stuck his head out and looked in the direction of the sound. He saw Sadie with her head slightly out of the tent.

"Sadie." he whispered and she jumped. She turned around. "You hear that too?" she whispered.

"Sounds like someone is over by the truck." 

She nodded. "Exactly. That's what I was thinking. Hold on." she went back into the tent. "Lars. Hey, Lars. Wake up. I think someone's outside." 

Steven didn't know what she was doing. He couldn't hear what was going on inside of the tent, but a few moments later, Lars stuck his tired face out of the tent. His sleeping mask laying eskewed on his forehead.

He looked over at Steven and Steven gestured with his chin towards the vehicle. "Sadie and I heard something by your truck."

As if on cue, there was a sound of someone opening the car door and Lars snapped his head around to the vehicle. "Sadie, stay here. I'm going to go check it out." he whispered and quietly unzipped more of the sleeping bag. 

"What?! But what if you need help?!" she whisper shouted.

"Lars, wait. I'm coming with you." said Steven. "We don't know who or what that could be." he unzipped the bag and Lion jogged over to him, ready to run out and he held onto the dog's collar.

"Steven?" 

He heard rustling behind him and he looked back. Connie was slowly sitting up. "Uh, I'll be back Connie. I'm just going with Lars somewhere real quick." 

"What?" she didn't look comfortable after hearing that. "Where are you two going?"

He crawled a step out. "We're just going to check something out." he crawled out the tent, still holding onto Lion who was lunging and growling in his hand. 

"Steven?"

He turned around. "Don't worry." he grunted, nearly getting yanked to the side by Lion. He held on tighter. "I'll be right back." he zipped up the tent. 

He stood back up, hoping that Connie wouldn't be too worried.

Her face definitely didn't seem too thrilled that he was leaving out.. especially with how Lion was acting. 

Lars looked back at him and he gave him a head nod and a thumbs up.

He began walking over towards the vehicle, passing Sadie as she watched them walk pass her. 

"Wait." she crawled quickly out of the tent. She zipped it back up and got up. "I'm coming with you two."

Connie unzipped the bag and poked her head out of the tent. 

The three of them were cautiously walking over to the vehicle. They could barely see the source of the sound from earlier. A pan laying turned over near the wheel. 

They heard another door open and could hear the sound of someone digging into the containers inside of the back compartment behind the back doors. 

Lion started growling louder, baring his teeth. 

The noise stopped. 

Lars placed his arms out in front of Steven and Sadie and they stopped.

Moments passed in silence with them not hearing anything else and with Connie still inside the tent and watching them. Debating if she should go and see what was going on exactly.

Lars still had his arms out in front of them. He took a step just as a foot was seen stepping back into the ground. Then the next foot. From the looks of the bulky pants in the black of night, they could barely make out the person's camouflage hunting overalls and boots. 

They stopped again.

The person stood behind the truck. Hesitant.

They saw the person take a step back. 

Lion lunged forward and started barking.

They saw the person's feet running away from the truck.

"Oh no they don't!" Sadie moved pass Lars' arm and ran after them.

"Sadie!" Lars ran after her.

Steven took a step into his run-

"Steven!" 

He turned around and saw Connie coming out of the tent. "What's going on?!"

"Uh" he looked back at the woods, then back to her. "I think someone was trying to steal our stuff." he took a step back. "Uh, but don't worry! I'm just going to help them." he took a few more steps. "I'll be back!' he turned around and started running into the woods. "Steven!" 

As much as he didn't want to.. he had to ignore her.. And he knew he was going to hear it when he got back.. but he had to help Sadie and Lars.

  
  


"Aw man." said Sadie. She looked around the woods. "Where the crap are they?"

Lars looked around. "I don't know." he flashed the light from his phone around them. "It's hard to see in this darkness. Not to mention the person wearing camo gear, making it even more difficult." 

They heard running behind them and quickly turned around. Steven threw his hand up. "Whoa, it's just me." he squinted in front of Lars' phone light. 

He caught up to them.

"You lost them?" he asked, looking around.

"I'm afraid we did." said Lars. He fanned his phone to the left, then to the right of them.

Lion started growling. His ears perked up and his head looking off to his left. "Wait, I think Lion knows." said Steven. The dog lunged forward and barked. Steven took a step and Lion jumped up, trying to run off. "Yeah, he knows!" Steven held on tightly to the dog's collar as he pulled Steven down towards the creek. Lars and Sadie followed on either side of him. 

Connie caught up just a few yards behind them. She watched as they began running down farther into the woods. 

  
  


The three of them had been letting Lion navigate through the woods and towards the thief. 

And just minutes later, Sadie saw someone ducking behind a boulder. 

"Wait." Sadie slowed down to a stop and Steven held onto Lion as he lunged and bayed at the area the thief was in. "Okay, don't look over there." Sadie said in a hushed tone. "But the person is over there behind that big boulder." 

Steven looked over-

"I said 'don't look."

He snapped his eyes back to her.

"We need to find a way to get them without them running away." she said. She looked at Lion. "Maybe we can sic the dig on them."

Steven opened his mouth to agree when Lars said, "But we don't know if that person has a knife on them. I don't want them hurting the dog." 

_Oh right. He.. does have a point.._

Too bad he couldn't press the pin on Lion's collar to activate that pink fur forcefield thing..

Sadie picked up a few rocks and sticks. "Whatever. We'll just use these." 

"Careful, Sadie. We don't want to really hurt that person either." 

"Shoot. _I_ do. They shouldn't had been snooping around our stuff." she ran off from them, going a straight line to the left and going far behind the boulder before diving behind a bush. 

"Maybe we can trap them." Lars said to Steven. "Let's go the other way."

Lars ran deeper into the trees and Steven followed close by him.

Connie ran up and stopped. She looked around, trying to find any of the three. But she couldn't. 

Sadie was steadily crawling on her stomach towards the boulder. She could see the figure looking away from her and keeping a close eye on Steven and Lars who were directly across from them and on the other side of the clearing.

She stopped and pushed herself up slowly to a crouching position. She put the rocks and sticks in one arm and picked up a few rocks from the pile on her arm. She got up slowly as she threw her arm back-

The thief turned around and saw her. They turned around and started booking down the trees. 

"You're NOT going to get away from me THAT easily!!" she started throwing the rocks at the person. The first two hit the person's back and the third one hit their shoulder and the fourth one hit their back again. 

Sadie began throwing sticks at them, then rocks again.

The thief ducked and dodged through the trees as they felt more rocks and sticks hit them in the back, arms and once in the head. 

They saw a tiny path between two trees and ran towards it.

Connie had heard Sadie's voice and was running to where Sadie just was.

Steven and Lars saw the thief running towards the tiny path between the trees.

Right as they ran through the trees, they noticed the absent of land.

They began free falling until they hit the side of the hill and began sliding down in the mud.

Lars saw Sadie coming up. "Sadie! It's a hill there! Be careful!" 

"Yeah! I see it!" she dove face forward and began sliding down on her stomach with just one more, lone stick in her hand.

The thief started getting up in the mud and Sadie tackled them back down into it.

Lars and moments later Steven, still holding onto Lion, started sliding down towards the mud pit.

The thief pushed her off and was pushing themselves back to their feet as they tried pulling up their pant leg to get to their boot when Sadie hit them with the stick right in their head. They stumbled and Sadie jumped on their back. 

The thief tried shaking her off and eventually had pushed her off their back again and got up and ran as they went back into their boot.

Lars ran towards the thief's direction.

They took a knife out of their boot and held it up-

Sadie jumped on the person's back and tried putting them in a chokehold. They raised their arm up, and slashed the knife upwards. The blade cut across her skin and she yelled out, but still held on. 

"Sadie!" Lars ran towards the person.

Steven landed in the mud pit. "Lars! Be careful!" he turned to Lion. "Lion. Sit." 

Lion hesitated before sitting down and glaring at the thief and Steven ran towards the person.

The thief took her arms and flipped her down to the ground and held her down. They turned the point of the knife to face her and threw their arm down towards her face. She screamed as she tried pushing the thief off-

Lars grabbed the person's wrist and stopped them. He pulled their arm back and the thief raised their other arm to grab Lars and he took their arm and pulled it back behind their back. The thief hollered out in pain. 

"Sadie, you go. I got her." Lars pressed a pressure point on the woman's wrist and she dropped the knife. He pulled her back off of Sadie and she quickly got up to her feet.

"Lars!" Steven shouted.

Lars picked her up and tried to as gently as he could, throw her on the ground. "I got her." he said. 

"What do you want us to do now, Lars?" Sadie asked.

He pinned the woman to the ground. "Get my phone from my pocket. We can call the campsite's police."

"No!!" the woman screamed out.

"Ah, shaddaaap." said Sadie. "You shouldn't had been trying to steal from us." she grabbed Lars' phone from his pocket. "What's the number?" 

"1-800-Island Adventure Police station." 

She started putting the numbers into the phone.

"There you guys are!!" they looked up to see Connie.

Lion got up and started wagging his tail.

"Connie!"

She started half sliding half running down the hill towards him.

"I'm okay." he quickly told her.

She looked at him, worried as she grabbed his arms. She looked over at Lars who still had the woman pinned down and Sadie. "Yeah, hello? Yeah, this is Sadie. Yeahhh we found this no good thief trying to steal out stuff."

  
  


"Again, we would like to thank you three for finding her." said the supervisor. "She really has been starting quite a stir for the past couple of weeks vandalising and stealing from other campsites." he said.

"Oh it was no problem at all, Sir." said Lars.

Steven looked over at Connie who was sitting down in the waiting area and patting Lion on the head. He was happy to see her having at least a tiny smile on her face as she did. 

Surprisingly, she didn't seem _too_ upset, but he still had a feeling that they would have a talk about it back in the tent.

".. id you four need a ride back? One of the rangers can take you in their truck."

"Oh, I mean.." Lars looked at Sadie and Steven. "I.. guess? I mean, if it's okay?" 

"Of course." he stated. He fixed his tall hat on his head. "I'll be right back." 

It didn't take long for the supervisor to get one of the ranger's to take them in his Jeep. 

Sadie was ecstatic to be riding in an actual park ranger Jeep for the first time ever and Steven agreed, saying it almost resembled being in a safari. 

The park ranger was a nice guy. He'd cracked a few jokes with them and told them two bizarre stories about what had happened at camp before dropping them off at their campsite.

They each began to slide out of the vehicle.

"Thanks again." said Lars.

"No. Thank _you_." he said. He turned to the others. "Now everybody here have a good night, alright?"

They nodded and waved to him as they said their goodnight's.

He drove off and they started walking over to their tents.

"Man guys. I can't beLIEVE that just happened! What a way to officially end a night huh? I mean unless we have to fight off a bear or.. some invisible rock alien or something but I doubt that." she laughed. "Man I just can't believe it. We ended up taking down a thief AND" she held up six tickets in one hand and a shirt in the other. "Three free thirty minute canoe lessons and three free thirty minute _rock climbing_ lessons AND we can combine them despite of what it says on the tickets aaaaaaand we have a super cool Island Adventure shirt!!" 

"Heheh, yeah." said Lars. "That was nice of them to do that."

She turned to Lars. "And Lars you were amazing!" she had a huge smile on her face. "That was really great how you saved me." 

He scratched at the back of his neck. "Ah, well.. I couldn't just.. have her attack you like that." he looked at the now bandaged cut on Sadie's face that'd been taken care of at the police station. 

"Yyyeah. Still. That was pretty cool." then she added with an eyebrow wiggle. "And pretty hot too. You weren't even AFRAID of getting hurt."

"That was the least thing on my mind." 

Sadie smiled. "And I like that." she smirked. She stood on her toes and kissed him on his cheek and he froze, blushing. He raised his hand up fast to his face, slapping his cheek with his hand. 

Sadie snorted. "Whoops. Didn't think you were going to slap your own self in the face there."

"Uh, n, no. I was just." he sputtered.

She snorted louder. "Alright, someone needs their rest."

Lars, still with a shocked expression on his face and his hand on his cheek, unzipped the tent and crawled in.

"Well, we'll see you two in the a.m." 

"Goodnight, Sadie." said Steven.

"Night." Connie waved.

"Night guys." she crouched down and crawled into the tent.

Steven let Connie crawl into the tent first, then Lion before he crawled inside and zipped the tent back up.

The first few minutes were quiet as they changed from their muddy night attire and having to change back into the second pair of clothes they wore.

He sat down inside the sleeping bag and he was happy that Connie still slid inside his own sleeping bag.

But he knew he would have to talk to her about what happened..

He cleared his throat. "..Are you okay?" 

She blew out a breath through nose. "Yeah.." then she added. "I don't know.. I just thought that.. just once that everything could go by without anything happening. Then the thief shows up and you end up putting your life in danger again."

"Well yeah, but they did too." said Steven. He practically threw them under the bus in a futile way to somewhat justify his actions or to push some of the blame away from him.

It was grimy.. and he knew that..

"But I'm talking about _you_. Not them. I am worrying. about. _you_."

He resisted a sigh. "I knoww.. But it was just some thief with a knife."

"Well look at what that said "Just some thief with a knife" do to Sadie. That could've been you, Steven." 

"I.. I know that. But it wasn't. And we ended up getting her."

She let out an exasperated sigh as she rubbed at her forehead. "Why can't you just realized that, just because these things haven't happened to you, that it could've or that it _can?_ It's just like that burglar a few weeks ago. You could've gotten really hurt." 

"Y, yeah but-" 

"But you didn't? Heh.." she shook her head before looking back at him. "You _really_ have to be careful with these people, Steven."

"I know.."

"And you're still going to do it."

He looked at her.

It was so hard to read her expressions through her glasses and now he could only rely on and look at the frown on her face.

She sighed. "I know you Steven. And I know you're going to keep doing stuff like this and always try to.. be some sort of hero." 

.. yeah.. she was.. actually right..

"And you've done it plenty of times before but.. it still just drives me up the wall when you do it." 

He didn't say anything and she turned to him to see his sad, guilty face that made her feel like _she_ was the bad guy.

She sighed again. "I know it's coming from a good place in your heart.. but you can't keep acting like you're, some kind of invincible person that can stop everything."

"Yeah.." he said quietly.

She didn't reply back to him and the tent lay silent for a few seconds before she said, "But, I _have_ to say that I _am_ glad that it wasn't an extremely dangerous person. I had it in my mind that something was going to happen with this camping trip and for the most part, nothing happened. And when something _did_ happen, it was a vandalizing thief that we came across." she shrugged. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that, it could've been worse. And it wasn't. And despite of that lady, I still had a great time today. And, I wouldn't want to let her cloudy up my thoughts because.. I really _really_ did have a great time today. And I can still see myself coming back one day with Lars and Sadie." 

That made him feel a bit better.. that the thief didn't entirely mess up her day.

"I'm still sorry that happened.. and I'm sorry I had you worrying about me again." he saw the corner of her mouth tug up for a split second. "But I'm happy to hear that." a beat later. "I really enjoyed myself too and today seemed, you know, just great overall. We finally got to hang out with Lars and Sadie and we had a full day where we actually had fun and just relaxed. It's just like that day when we went to the eye doctors. We had fun nearly the whole day before I had to go to work and I hadn't seen you laugh and smile like that in awhile. Just like today. You just seemed more happy and yourself."

He saw a wan smile on her face.

"I want more of that." he leaned over and wrapped his arms around her. "I value our time together, in general. But I especially like these days when we just.. don't have a care in the world and be happy and dorky and, just have a good time being with each other or with our friends." 

"Yeah." and he saw more of a genuine smile come to her face. "I really like those days too."

He leaned in and kissed her temple.

She turned her head to face him and he leaned in and kissed her. "Thanks for coming to the camping trip."

She smiled. "Glad I could make it."

He wasn't entirely sure what to make of that, but he didn't want to ask her and dive too far into it.

Besides, she was smiling and he was happy to see that beautiful smile.

He gave her a longer kiss on the temple then thought..

_Hmm~_

"Pbbbtt!!!" he blew a raspberry. 

"Steven!"

"Pbbbbbbbbbbttttt." 

She tried pushing his face away as she laughed. "Stop!" 

He went to her cheek and blew another raspberry and she laughed. "Come on, stop!" she giggled.

"Alright, alright........." he looked at her. "One more-"

"Steven!"

"Pbbt." he blew a shirt raspberry on her nose. "Okay, that's it." he smiled. 

She mocked an annoyed sigh. "It takes you."

"Whaaat? I keep telling you. Raspberries are good for you."

She rolled her eyes good naturedly. "Yeaaahh, and for the umpteenth time, I'm pretty sure they're talking about the fruit."

He shrugged. "Or maybe both. We don't know that."

She looked at him, trying hard not to smile at him. "You know what? I'm going off. to bed." she laid down. And she laid down facing him instead of away from him.

"Awwwww.." he smiled.

"I'm tired anyway." she closed her eyes.

"Awww, you're no fuuuuun." he nudged her shoulder with his.

"Mmmhmm.." she barely answered him.

"Heheh, ookay. I'll let you get your sleep." he laid down in front of her and pulled the sleeping bag over top of them. He leaned over again and kissed her forehead before laying back down. "Goodnight, Connie."

"Night Steven." 

He scooted up closer and wrapped his arm around her waist. And the two laid there comfortably. With this time, the both of them hoping that they could get a good night's sleep without anything else happening during the already early morning of the day..


	185. Starting the Tuesday morning off differently

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure if this counts as a trigger warning, but Steven starts thinking about what had happened to him in the past and maybe for some people, this could cause triggers or memories.
> 
> Also this is how their campsite more or less looks:  
https://images.app.goo.gl/Y68AuBH2vgDaRCBW8
> 
> And this is how it looks during the sunrise:
> 
> https://images.app.goo.gl/8REipAdDLJHpjarX6

Steven woke up to his bladder alerting him to use the bathroom.. pronto. 

But he was so comfortable..

He had his head on Connie with one arm propping his head up and his other arm laying wrapped tightly around her waist. She had one leg over top of him and he had his own leg right between hers and he was laying at the perfect angle where her pelvis was pressed right up against him.

And the sleeping bags were keeping all of their body heat in, making her skin even more warm to the touch. And the closed in feeling from being in a sleeping bag made things more intimate and comfortable.

He wanted to stay there.

But.. his bladder..

He sighed.

_Stupid past Steven..drinking all of that water before going to bed.._

Very, _veeeery_ slowly and reluctantly, he slid away from her. The plastic of the air mattress creased under him as he pushed up from it.

Lion woke up from his sleep and looked over at Steven sitting down and putting on his flip flops. Then he crawled over and started to unzip the door of the tent, seeing that it was still dark out.

Lion got up and walked over. 

"I'll be back, boy." he pat him on the head and crawled out. Lion tried to walk out right behind him. He turned around. "Nooo. You stay here. I'll be back." 

Lion took a step and Steven pushed him back. "Nooo." he said. "Heeere.

Lion started to whine.

"Shhh, shhh." he looked over at Connie. She was still fast asleep and snoring softly.

Lion whined louder. 

"Fiiine. Okay, okay!" he whisper shouted. He opened the tent and Lion leaped out.

He zipped the tent back up and stood up.

_Now.._

_Oh right.. Lars never showed me where the bathrooms were.._

He looked back at the camp, then out at the forest around him.

_Weeell~~_

It didn't take long for him to just find a random spot to relieve himself and just as quick, he was already heading back to the tent with Lion (who was dripping with water because he thought it would be the oh so perfect time to go out for an early morning dip in the lake..). Though at least the water had washed off majority of the mud that was on him. 

The canine laid back down in his spot right beside the air mattress as Steven took the flip flops off.

He crawled as quietly as he could back in the sleeping bag, trying to not make too much noise on the air mattress.

He slid down and scooted close to Connie, being nowhere near in the same position as he once was..

He sighed.

He put his arm around her and tried to get as close to comfortable as he was before.

He closed his eyes..

An unknown amount of minutes had passed and he still wasn't sleep.

He went for a different position, putting his head on her and bringing his arm up by her shoulders and bringing her towards him in a hug. 

Minutes passed by and he still couldn't fall asleep.

He went for another position.. and after moments passed he went for another..

He laid there.. fully awake.

He resisted letting out an exasperated sigh since he was so close to Connie's face.

He couldn't sleep.

For some reason, when he'd walked out earlier and saw the calm river in the black of the early morning, he didn't see the serenity and calmness to it. Instead he'd seen Miss Lee fleeing from it. And since then, from the time he'd went to the bathroom and to the time he went back into the tent and back in the sleeping bag, he was thinking about her and wondering if she was okay. 

Then his mind only started to wonder more from there..

He started thinking about the Crystal Gems..

He started wondering if he would ever be able to find Lonny... to find the cure for their sick friends.. to dismantle the Crystal Gem empire with Mr. Wascoite.. to dismantle the Diamond Authority.. 

Or if none of that would ever happen and he would be stuck living his life as a Crystal Gem until he dies..

Then he started thinking more about his life as a Crystal Gem..

Lying to Connie about what he has been up to lately.. having to prepare his self and train incredibly hard for, not only THE biggest heist yet but.. for the Diamonds' soon arrival as well.. 

Then his mind only wondered more..

Him actually.. becoming a father.. and somehow juggling his life as a Crystal Gem _and_ being there for his kid.. And being _two_ things he didn't want to be..

A Crystal Gem..

And a father..

His mind wondered more..

Meeting her parents after two years and dreading Wednesday.. Dreading _tomorrow_..

His mind wondered more..

On just his life in general..

His Uncle Andy and how verbally and physically abusive he was..

His weird life of juggling High School and dealing with the wrong people and ending up in being a drug dealer and finding the highs of life in selling drugs and being nothing but sexual with every female he would come across..

Then finally running away from his uncle and living in his so-called "friends" houses.. and living with his _actual_ friend Pee Dee and his many girlfriends.. and living with Jeff and other people's houses until he saved up enough of his drug money and started living with some random person who would do every drug under the sun with his house getting raided nearly every week. 

And his mind wondered before that when he was in middle school.. and his mind wondered back to High School and getting into fights due to his anger.. then going all the way back to elementary school when Uncle Andy got him drunk because he was wasted himself.. then back to middle school.. then to High School.. then barely graduating High School and never looking back.. and then back to elementary again when he started getting his night terrors in fourth grade.. and going all the way to when Connie told him she was pregnant.. then going back to when he made a mistake and hit Pee Dee when he was in a fit of rage when he threw a punch towards the wall but Pee Dee was right behind him... then him him getting caught in the crossfire with the Gems in the alleyway and meeting them for the first time there, then back to him being in Mrs. Miller's office for the first time and punching her glass table in another fit of anger... then back to middle school when his anger really started to become a problem... then to the the day he became a Crystal Gem.. then to the first guy he killed at the Acid Plant, and back to elementary school when he'd gotten into serious trouble when he'd grabbed a girl's chest because he saw his Uncle Andy do it .. then to the Fry shack when he killed a second guy and when he was the cause of other innocent bystanders there.. and still his mind wondered back and forth.. and everything seemed to be crashing in on him out of nowhere.

And the memories just kept coming in waves..

Why were these memories coming back all of a sudden..

He'd had an amazing day yesterday and now everything seemed to be closing in on him and crushing him. 

It's weird how the mind would only wonder and think about these hard to swallow and depressing things in darkened areas and at midnight or in the early mornings..

He looked at Connie.

She was doing so well in life and now he'd even brought her into his mess of a life.. 

Her parents were right.. 

He wasn't any good for her..

The robot at that random armory place.. and the thief last night and so many other times with things happening to them both before and after he'd became a Crystal Gem..

All of that happened.. and all because of him. Him liking her and her liking him.. and him being a reason why she left her parents who only loved her and wanted the best for her..

And all for what? Just for some pretty boy who got her pregnant and who was in a top dangerous gang in the world..

She could've went to college, she could've still had a great relationship with her parents.. she probably could've even been happy with Kevin and happily married to him as well.. 

But all that was torn away when she chose to be with him instead..

Maybe that's why his own dad didn't want him and left him..

Maybe he took a look at his newborn son and somehow knew of how much of an asshole and a delinquent and a poor excuse of a person he was going to be..

And his mom..

His dear mom..

At least she didn't have to watch him grow up to be the no good person he was..

The warm tears stung his eyes and streamed down his face. 

He wiped at his cheek as more tears fell.

He buried his face into Connie's shirt and hugged her. 

He always found her so comforting..

He blinked his bleary, red eyes as more tears fell. 

He just wanted to be a better person..

But that was easier said than done..

More tears fell as he lay there crying silently. 

He felt the air mattress dip behind him and soon felt Lion sniffing his face. 

He looked up and within the bleary sight he saw Lion's nose pointing right at his face. 

The dog whined and licked Steven's cheek. 

And tears continued to fall. 

Lion actually came to his side to see how he was doing.. and just that kind gesture from his best friend made him that much more emotional. 

He turned over on his back as the fresh tears started falling down the side of his face. "Hey buddy." his voice as shaky.. and he sounded as tired as he was mentally feeling just then.

Lion licked him in the face again. 

Steven let out a dry chuckle and brought his hand up to scratch at the dog's head. 

And what would he do without Lion too..

The canine stepped up on the air mattress and laid down on his chest and licked his face again. This earned the dog another chuckle, more cheerier. "You're a good boy, Lion." he scratched at the dog's ears. "You're a really good boy." and his eyes started welling up again as more emotions boiled over in his mind.

Lion whined and laid his head on Steven's face. 

"It's okay, boy." his voice cracked.

Lion laid there, licking Steven's forehead or cheek from time to time as the boy slowly got everything out of his system.

And minutes later, he was starting to feel just a bit better. 

He had Lion there with him and if need be, even though he always felt bad doing this, he could always wake up Connie as he'd done plenty of times before when he'd get like this and just talk to her. 

Seriously.. what would he do without those two..

He sighed, trying to calm his self more.. trying to calm his thoughts more.. 

He had to try and pick his self back up.. he had to try and bypass this sort of anxiety.. this sort of stress he obviously still had in him..

He thought about Mrs. Miller, whose own daughter, coincidentally, was in a tent right beside him.. 

He thought of what she would be thinking about if she'd saw him like this..

And she wouldn't be proud of him right now.. and she would be disappointed..

He shouldn't be thinking about these negative thoughts.. 

He should be taking calming breaths and counting his blessings.. 

That's what Mrs. Miller would prefer him to do.

And that's what his mind deserved. 

A break. 

A break with calming, gentle breaths and realizing how grateful he should be within his complicated life. 

Because.. it could always.. be..worse..

He breathed in deeply through his nose.. or tried to.. 

His nose was stopped up now..

He breathed in through his mouth.. and out slowly. 

Blessing number one. He was still alive and therefore, he still had a chance to change.

He breathed in slowly through his mouth and out..

Blessing number two. He was still with Connie. 

In through his mouth.. and out..

Blessing number three. He had an amazing time with Connie and his friends yesterday and we're able to help take down a vandalizing thief.

In through his mouth.. and out..

Blessing number four. He and Connie had somewhere to live.

In through his mouth.. and out..

Blessing number five. He was able to save his buddy Lion who was able to get him out of his funk in the first place.

He scratched at the dog's ears as he continued to lay on his chest. 

In through his mouth.. and out..

Blessing number six. He, Connie and Lion both had food in the house to eat. 

In through his mouth.. and out..~

  
  


The twenty minutes of calm breathing and counting the blessings technique seemed to work a bit better this time. 

His mind wasn't all the way cleared yet, but at least he wasn't crying anymore. 

And now he was just laying there, trying to get back to the present. 

Moments later and his mind was still lingering to one particular thing now..

..Gems..

And how he was one whether he liked it or not.

He sighed.. and started pushing his self up slowly and Lion got off of him as he sat up. 

Steven turned to him and pat his head. He tried for a smile. "Come on, boy. Let's go for a little walk." 

  
  


Steven had stopped at a nearby tree to take a quick breather. 

Lion stopped beside him and shuffled his paws in place, excited to run some more through the trees. 

Steven had decided to go for a nice nightly walk. Of course some people would think it dangerous and in a way it was. Especially in the middle of the woods in the early mornings when it was still dark out like how it still was now. But he still went out. He wanted to clear his mind and to walk with his best friend. Then, he only felt more energy.. or stress? and just wanted to jog. 

Maybe his mind thought that jogging physically could somehow allow him to run away from his thoughts too.

Then he ended up running, trying to clear his mind more and getting that runner's high. 

Then he'd eventually stopped to catch his breath.

And here he is now. 

Feeling just a bit better.

Then a thought.. that lingering thought of the Gems and being one crossed his mind once more and he started feeling goosebumps on his skin.

He was still having that gut feeling that something.. _sooomething_ Gem related was going to happen.. something dangerous and terrifying.. 

He took a breath and stood up straight.

Okay...

He would have to do something about this..

  
  


_27, 28, 29, 39._

Steven dropped his hands to his side and stopped his jogging into place.

He panted and placed his hands at the back of his head as he walked slowly during his forty five second break.

He'd decided to work out.

He still had this pent up energy and stress and he'd read before that exercise could be really good stress relievers for some people.

Not only that.. but in the back of his mind he wanted to get stronger just in case anything _were_ to happen very soon..

He'd stretched for ten minutes and started his circuit training that Amethyst had showed him on Sunday.

He went in order. Going with the bicycle kicks, to push ups, to mountain climbers, to burpees and ending with a shoeshine.

His forty five seconds were up and he lunged down to the ground and started going into his bicycle kicks.

  
  


Steven threw his leg up in a snap kick. 

That was his twentieth consecutive one, following his twenty front kicks he'd done. And before that it was twenty side kicks and before that, twenty high kicks (that weren't high but high to _him_. 

And he was exhausted. 

After his intense circuit training of five reps, he went for a few punching exercises, throwing his arms out in various punches and hitting air. Then he went for some old fashion jumping jacks to get the heart rate up before practicing his kicks.

And since he couldn't spar with anyone for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu he'd ended his practice kicks and started his muscle training. He picked up two heavy rocks and started doing bicep curls (or as best as he could since the rocks were hard to keep his grip on).

Then he went back and did more push-ups before jumping into another rep of circuit training and going for another ten minute round of practice punches before going back to his kicks. Then he mixed both punches and kicks together before going back to his kicks. 

And here he was now. Exhausted 

And happy that he'd taken off his shirt (that already had a little bit of sweat on it from his run with Lion). 

He didn't want to use his new Island Adventure shirt and he didn't want to ruin the shirt he had on with even more of his sweat.

SO! He'd thought ahead and placed the shirt on a nearby boulder before he started working out. 

And now the sweet was simply dripping and drying on his stomach and lower back. Sooo.. just the hem of his pants would smell like sweat..

Well.. at least it won't be_ both_ the shirt and the pants.. 

He took a few calming breaths.

Okay..

His training was almost over..

  
  


Steven was limping over towards the river.

He'd just forced his self to kick a tree that looked pretty easy to practice on. It was thin and brittle and already cracking.

That did NOT mean that it wouldn't hurt as much.. because it did. Extremely. 

Not to mention the wounds and cuts still healing on his legs (with some of them he'd just reopened again.)

Good thing he rolled up his pants to prevent the blood from getting on them, though that meant he didn't have any material to soften a bit of the blow..

He stopped within three minutes of each leg. He couldn't go any longer than that and he was thankful that Amethyst wasn't there. Otherwise, she most likely would've had him try and kick the tree for a full ten or fifteen minutes each..

He walked over to the river that Lion had off and on been playing in since his workout (the dog now digging at a patch of grass) and he scooped up the water and gently splashed his legs. 

And it felt like daggers were digging through his legs just then.

He resisted a squeal or a scream and splashed his legs a couple more times. Once the blood was off he looked back to see if anyone was looking before taking his pants, then his boxers off. He quickly picked up the two rocks he'd been practicing with and limped into the river, his legs screaming in pain as the water hit it and he walked his naked body into the river.

Now he would have dry clothes to put on after his workout and at the same time, the water was cleaning and wiping away all of that disgusting sweat.

He would just have to really hope that nothing nips on his gonads..

After just twenty minutes of exercising underwater (holding his breath for forty seconds for each exercise; throwing out different punches and jabs with his rock dumbbells, then working on five different style kicks) he was just about done with his exercising. 

Now, it was time for the cool down.

He looked up at their campsite.

He didn't see anyone and he quickly put on his boxers, then his pants.

Not the _most_ ideal feeling since he didn't dry off (he didn't want to take the chance at someone opening their tent and seeing him or have any other onlookers watching him for that matter) but it was better than his clothes completely drenched in water.

He went for a light jog (that Lion had joined) just a few meters up the woods and back down towards camp. He and Lion jogged lightly up and down the river four times and then he dipped his upper body into the water, doing a quick rinse of his under arms, chest and sides before lifting his self back up. He saw Lion swimming in front of him. 

He chuckled. "You really like the water, don't you boy?" he stood back up and winced. Feeling the wounds and cuts start to agitate him, especially the ones on his shins from him kicking that tree..

Then his aching muscles added _more_ to the pain..

But at least the pain DEFINITELY wasn't like how it was the first few days when his wounds were much more deeper and blistering and painful. 

He picked up his shirt and threw it over his damp shoulder. "Come on Lion. Time to head back."

The canine looked at him and continued swimming.

He rolled his eyes. "Pfft.. fine.." he mumbled. 

He'll just let him play and tire himself out then.

He walked all the way back over to the tent and unzipped it.

Connie was still fast asleep.

And just her sleeping peacefully warmed his heart.

He crawled in (on his butt because his legs were way too sore for that) and he zipped up the door halfway and scooted up to the duffel bag. 

He heard the sound of the tent unzipping outside as he opened a side compartment of the bag up. He took out the sandwich bags of cream and oil.

He turned back around.

Connie was still snoring back.

He quickly took his pants off then his boxers and as quick as he could, put both the cream and oil over his skin (and going gently over his shins). Then he slipped the boxers and pants back on and this time, without rushing, he put the cream and oil over the top half of his body. 

And he was already starting to feel much better.

He put the near empty sandwich bags of cream and oil back in the bag and zipped the compartment up. 

_Okay.. See if Lion wants to come back now. _

He unzipped more of the door of the tent to the still black area of the early morning.

Lion was now laying down on the smooth rock path just by the river and watching a figure kicking high up into the air.

Lars.

He scooted out of the tent on his butt and zipped it back up and started heading towards him.

Lars kicked his leg high up over his head in a full split and put his leg back down before throwing another kick out.

"Hey Lars."

He jumped and turned around. "Oh, hey Steven."

"Heh, sorry. Didn't mean to scare you."

"Ah, that's okay." he threw the same leg out again.

"So.. exercising, huh?"

"Yeahhh." he threw the opposite leg out. "I do a bit of yoga first and stretch before my light cardio workout and then I cool down with yoga again. That's how I usually start my mornings." 

"Ah.. gotcha."

He watched Lars kick his leg up again.

"Um.. mind if.. I join you?"

Lars put his leg back down and snapped around with a giddy smile to his face. "I thought you'd never ask!"

  
  


Steven and Lars were cooling down with their second to last yoga pose.

The light cardio had lasted for around twenty, twenty five minutes of them jogging in place, doing jumping jacks, and doing a bit of karate and performing kicks and punches. 

And now they'd been relaxing during their yoga.

"Breath in...... Breath out...." the lady on Lars' phone was saying.

They breathed in deeply and slowly through their nose and exhaled slowly out their mouth. Their eyes were closed and their muscles were well relaxed from the previous yoga poses.

"And now, for the Shavasana pose. Time to lay on your back.. and breathe.... relax...

Steven cracked open an eye to see exactly what Lars was doing. He was lowering his self to the ground. He turned to his back and laid his arms out on either side of him and kept his whole body flat to the ground.

And Steven did the same. He laid down and placed his arms by his sides as he and Lars breathed in and out deeply and relaxed.

The video had ended a few seconds ago, but Lars was still laying on the ground and so, Steven did the same.

"Just a few more seconds." said Lars. He continued his deep breathing. 

And so did Steven.

Moments later and Lars said, "Okay. A few seconds up." he pushed his self to a sitting position as Steven did the same. 

"So, how do ya feel?" he asked. 

"Pretty good." said Steven. "I can't explain it but.. my body just, feels more relaxed and, I don't know, more calm and relaxed." 

Lars nodded knowingly. "Yeahh, yoga can make you feel that way. Especially after a light workout and you get that blood flowing. Then yoga just helps regulate everything else in your body." 

"Oh. Yeah?" 

"Sure." he said. "Especially with the last pose we did. It gradually relaxes one body part at a time" he raised his index finger up before putting up his middle finger. "One muscle at a time" then he put up his ring finger. "And one thought at a time." he put his hand down on his lap. "Basically, when one does this pose day after day, it conditions one's body to release stress which can improve one's sense of both physical and emotional well-being." 

_Wow.. so is that why he seems to always be so well rounded and stress free?_

"That definitely sounds like something I should look into." 

"Yogo in general? Or just that pose?"

"Yoga in general. I could really use a good exercise to help relax my body." _and definitely my mind as well.._

_Actually_ more _ so my mind.._

"Yeah, you can do that. It's not like you really need any fancy equipment. Though.. a mat is pretty ideal." he shrugged. "Still. All you need is yourself and time." 

"Right." he nodded.

Yeah.. he should _really_ look into that. Especially since he actually_ enjoyed_ yoga.

__

__

"Um, by the way. Are you still planning on going to our workouts on Sundays? I mean, the Vecinos had told me you were busy, but I just wanted to know if you were still up for that or not." 

Their Sunday workouts!!!

He'd _completely_ forgotten about it.

"Aw man!! Ah, sorry Lars. I completely forgot. I had this.. thing I had to do.." Like workout with the Gems.. then fix the motorcycle with Pearl.. then help Garnet and Pearl put the corrupted Gems back in their cells..

"Yeah, it's okay. Like I said, the Vecinos told me that something came up and that you couldn't join us today. I was just wondering if you were still thinking about going on with it."

Steven nodded his head fervently. "Yeah, definitely!!" then he quickly had to go over his schedule from his Together Breakfast with the Gems. "Um.. well I'm busy next Sunday. But, but _next_ Sunday I can go." 

"Great!" he smiled. "Then I'll see you and the Vecinos then!"

Steven nodded. "Definitely." 

_Hope_fully..

_Also.. glad to see that Mr. Vecino and Gregory are still keeping my identity as a Crystal Gem a secret._

"Well." said Lars. He got up. "I'm going to start brewing some tea. You want some?" 

"Oh, sure." 

He looked to his side. "We got about another ten minutes for the sun to rise." he said. 

Steven looked in the same direction at the mysterious dark blue sky. "So you like to look at the sunrise too?"

"Yeah, definitely. You do that too?"

He shook his head. "No. But Mr. Vecino told me that he and his son do that over the weekends." 

"Well it's certainly something different and fun and relaxing to do." said Lars. "Especially with your family or those who you're really close with." 

_Family.._

"Yeah.." 

"Just sit tight. I'll be right back."

"Hey, Lars?"

He turned back around. "Yeah?" 

"I might go and see if Connie would like to join us." then he added. "If that's okay with you." 

Lars smiled. "Heh, of course it's okay with me. You didn't have to ask. I actually asked Sadie last night if she wanted to join me."

"Oh..." he started feeling a little sheepish. "If I'm coming in between something.."

"No, no. It's okay. It was just to see the sunrise and that's it."

"Uh.. okay then."

"Alright." said Lars. "Off to make some tea." he started walking away.

Steven got up to his feet.

(And even his posture felt more straight and corrected.)

He walked pass Lion still relaxing on the rocks and laying down. He walked back to the tent and unzipped the bag.

Connie still looked ever so peaceful in the sleeping bag..

Should he even ask her?

What if she doesn't want to?

He heard Lars starting the fire just a few yards behind him. 

He crawled inside on his legs this time. The cream and oil working wonders on his shins.

He crawled over towards Connie.

"Hey. Connie." he whispered.

She was still fast asleep.

He leaned down and gave her a long kiss on the forehead. "Connie~~." he reached over and moved her shoulder gently. 

"Mm..mm.." she mumbled under the sleeping bag.

"Connieeee~~."

She opened her tired eyes at him. Though he still couldn't tell through her back shaded glasses. "..Steven?.."

He smiled at her. "Sorry for waking you up. I just wanted to see if you wanted to see the sunrise with me."

She let out a breath under the sleeping bag. "Huh?" she slid her head up on the pillow.

"The sunrise. I wanted to know if you wanted to see it with me."

It slowly seemed to register and her eyes became more lively as the sleep fluff slowly dissipated. She leaned up on her elbow. "The sunrise?" 

"Yeah." he cheesed. "It was Lars' idea. He's even making some tea."

He saw her face soften and a shy smile came to her face. "Yeah.. Of course." she sat up.

"I think we have about another six, seven minutes minutes." 

"What? Then we should started heading out there." she pulled the sleeping bag off of her. 

"Just meet us by the rocks." he crawled away from her and out of the sleeping bag.

He stood back up and he heard an alarm sounding from inside of the tent. It was turned off moments later and he heard rustling from inside.

"Sounds like Sadie's alarm." said Lars. "That's good. And the tea is almost ready too." 

Connie was crawling out of the tent. 

"Good morning, Connie."

"Good morning, Lars." 

He set down four cups on the tray and went back to the boiling tea in front of him.

Moments later and the tent unzipped and Sadie crawled out rubbing her eye. "I've neeeeeeeva gotten up this early in like, yeaaaars." she whined. "Why did I even agree to this.."

Lars chuckled as he took the pot away from the fire. "Ah, it'll all be worth it." he started pouring the contents into the cups. 

The four of them had each grabbed a cup with a saucer cup and walked towards the rocks. 

Lion was still being a good boy and laying down quietly on the rocks.

They sat down, facing the direction of the sun rise. They could already see just a slight light blew strip along the horizon. 

Sadie sipped on her tea. "This tea's really delicious Lars."

"Heheh, thanks.. But all I did was use some of the berries from the Mulberry tree and added a bit of brown sugar, fresh mint leaves and freshly squeezed lemons into it to make it."

Sadie snorted. "Wow Lars. Is that it?"

"Well, yeah." he didn't catch her joke.

"Guys. The sun." said Connie.

The two of them looked up.

Steven and Connie were already looking. They could see the light blue spreading more above the horizon and just a very tiny line in an orange, hot pink, yellow hue. 

He wrapped his arm around her side and placed his head on hers.

Connie turned her head and gave him a peck on the cheek before looking back across the river and towards the horizon.

The four of them sat their in silence. In awe and amazement at the beauty of the sunrise as the sun slowly, steadily started to peak out at them from the horizon. The colors around it was a beautiful orange, yellow and pink that slowly dissipated and made way for a beautiful light blue that slowly made way for the dark blue of the rest of the sky. 

"Wow.." Steven whispered. "This is really stunning."

He'd never seen an actual sunrise before..

It was beautiful.

Connie drunk a bit more of her tea. "It really is."

He looked at her. "Glad we could start the day off like this." 

She turned to him. "Yeah." she smiled. "Seeing the sunrise _and_ drinking healthy and delicious tea?" she nodded. "This is amazing." 

He leaned in and kissed her gently. "And _you're_ amazing." he touched her nose with his and she giggled. She leaned in and gave him a kiss.

Sadie downed the rest of her tea. "Okayyy." she said. "I can definitely see the appeal in watching sunrises." 

"Hm. Told ya." said Lars. He took a few sips of his tea.

"It's too bad we couldn't see the sunset yesterday though." said Steven.

"Yeah." Lars agreed. "But who knows. Maybe next time?"

"But right now. Let's just watch the sunset." said Connie.

They all agreed and Steven looked back at her, planting another kiss, this time, on her forehead.

  
  


After watching the beautiful sunrise, they went back to the campsite, with Lion following right alongside Connie. Lars told them that they could go back to sleep and that he was already fully awake and that he would stay up.

With that, Sadie went back into the tent and Connie, Lion and Steven went into theirs. 

Lars used that time to pull the canoe back out of the truck and paddle up and down the river as he took in the early morning sounds of the forest. Hearing the birds tweet, the cicadas buzz and the salmon splashing back into the water.

And everyone else, was fast asleep.

After an hour and a half of paddling from the start of the river and all the way down to the end and back up going half halfway up to the campsite, Lars went back to shore. He put the canoe up in the truck and sat down and pulled out his phone. He used up another hour of his time searching for new bakery items for The Big Donut and had saved some of the items to call about at a later time.

He slid off of his truck and placed the phone back in his pocket. 

Everyone was still fast asleep in their tents and it could very well be a few hours more until they wake up. 

Lars walked to the driver's side and hopped in. He kept the creaky door open as not to disturb them and leaned over in the passenger's side and opened the glove compartment. He took out two crossword puzzle books and closed the compartment.

He'd already been working on one of the books and had finished the last two crossword puzzles in the book just twenty minutes later. He wedged the book between his seat and opened the new book to the first puzzle.

He spent the next hour filling out the first four puzzles before tucking the pen back inside of the book and putting it back into the glove compartment.

He got out the truck and pushed it close, still not trying to wake them up and he walked over to the building they'd hiked to yesterday to give the folks their scavenger hunt items. 

The hike was a near forty minute walk. The building was already swarming with kids, their friends and families and chaperones and camp attendees and volunteers. He grabbed a free newspaper from the vending box and headed back. 

Another near forty minute walk back and Lars was back at the truck. He hopped into the truck again and left the door a crack and snapped the newspaper straight in front of him.

Thirty five minutes into reading the newspaper, he saw movement out the corner of his eye. He turned his head and saw Sadie standing back up on her feet with toiletries in her hands. She walked away from the tent and turned her head at the river, as if looking for Lars, before continuing her walk up into the woods.

He went back to read the newspaper and twenty minutes later he saw movement out the side of his eye again as she crawled back into the tent.

Forty minutes pass and there was movement again. Connie, Lion, then Steven came crawling out of the tent, the two with their toiletries in their hand and with their free hand, holding each other hands as they walked away from the tent. Just like Sadie, they looked around for Lars as they continued to head up towards the woods. 

Lars finished reading the last couple of paragraphs of an editorial. He folded the newspaper up and wedged it between the seat with the finished crossword book and got out the car.

He started taking out a few cooking ware from the truck and placing it over by their fireplace, trying to make a less noise as possible, just in case Sadie had decided to go back to sleep. Moments later he heard the tent unzipping and Sadie poking her head out. "Oh, there you are." she crawled out of the tent. "I was just about to call you." she stood up and walked over to him.

"Yeah, I was just in the truck reading."

She snorted. "Reading.. yeah, that sounds fun." she knelt down in front of him. "So, whatcha about to cook?"

"Some Mulberry buttermilk pancakes using homemade batter I made at home and some fresh berries from the trees."

She snorted again. "Wow. You really like those berries, huh? You just can't get enough of them."

He shrugged. "Well, they're good. And, they're good _for_ you." then he added. "Why, just an 8-ounce cup of ripe, raw mulberries contains 60 calories, some potassium, and nearly a full day's worth of vitamin C." 

"Heheheheh, yeahhh, I knooow, Lars. You told us."

"I'm going to start picking some righ now." he got up.

"Hey, let me pick some with you." she got up.

"Sure. But you have to be careful and pick out the _ripe_ ones." a beat later. "You don't want to end up sick or even hallucinating."

Ten minutes of picking berries they saw Steven, Connie and Lion walking back to them. They'd offered to pick some with them but at that time, they were already done, but Lars said that they were still free to pick some berries and take it home with them. (Just to make sure that they were ripe if they were planning on eating them that same day) 

Connie said she would save them for later and Lars helped them pick out a bunch of ripe berries just in case they_ did_ want to eat some that day and helped them pick out the unripe ones and putting them in a separate bag (and labeling it).

Lars took out his homemade baking mix and started cooking breakfast while the other three went to pack up a little of their stuff in the tent.

The breakfast was done just fifteen minutes later and Steven fed and gave Lion his medicine and water before joining the group.

They ate, savoring each and every delicious bite. And Lars' homemade sap was something their taste buds had never tasted before. And the freshly squeezed orange juice of course tasted entirely different from the store brought orange juices they'd bought before. The whole meal was delicious. 

After breakfast they helped Lars break down everything and put everything all back into the bed of the truck or in the small back compartment behind the back seats.

"Well.. I can't believe it." said Sadie. This is it." 

The four of them were looking back at the river and the trees behind it.

"Yeah." said Lars. "But it was sure something while it lasted." 

They all agreed.

"Hopefully we can come back here at least one more time before it starts getting cold." said Sadie.

"Yeah, I don't see why not." said Lars. "We still have about two and a half months until then. At least until mid September." then he added. "But camping outside in the cold is still just as fun. ESPECIALLY when there's snow! And everyone knows that hot food, especially s'mores tastes muuuch better when it's cold out. We can make hot chocolate by the campfire! Aahh? Ahhhh?" 

Sadie and Connie disagreed and to further their disagreement, had opened their doors and hopped into the truck.

"Oh, come on." he smiled. "Don't knock it till you try it you guys."

"Well _I_ think it'll be something cool to do." said Steven. Then he added jokingly. "Literally." 

Lars laughed. "Exactly." he opened the door. "Ah, maybe they'll change their minds." 

"Yeaaahh, I won't they heard Sadie say.

The two chuckled and Lars and Steven (after Lion jump in first) got into the truck.

Lars turned the truck on. "Hey, maybe we can take the scenic route out of here." he backed up the truck. 

Lars drove them down a wide path covered in luscious green foliage and golden brown maple leaves. Flowers in their meadows flowed in the breeze and they'd pass by a few water falls, each of them entirely different and mesmerizing. 

"Stunning." said Sadie. 

They were now passing another waterfall surrounded by low drooping oak trees. Three deer were grazing in a bush.

Connie and Steven took a few pictures and the four of them stared in awe at the scenery.

And with that, Steven had an idea on how to properly end the camping trip.

"Iiiiisn't this suuuuch.... a beautiful daaaay? Yeahh~" he sung. "We're underneath a cleaaar, big blue skyyyy~."

They looked at him, say for Lars who only glanced at him and put his eyes back on the grassy path. 

"Waaasn't it nice to had found ourseeeelves somewhere different? Yeaaah~" he smiled as he pat his legs. "It was fun to let ourselves beeee wherever we weeere~" 

"Hey, a new rendition." said Sadie. "I like that." then she wondered. "Hmm.. let me see.." she pat her legs with Steven. "Look at this fooreesst, look at our expresssioooons. We're smiling more than ever than we did befoooore. Waaasn't it nice to had found ourseeeelves somewhere different? Yeahh~ It was fun to let ourselves beee wherever we weeeere~"

They looked at Lars. 

He smiled shyly. "Look at these treees" he sung offkey but he continued to sing. "Look at our smiiiillles. They're.. shining as bright as the suuun in the skyyyy~ Waaaasn't it nice to had found ourseeeelves somewhere different? Yeaahh~ It was fun to let ourselves beeee wherever we weeeere~"

And Connie came in to end the song again as eh clapped. "Waaaasn't nice to had found ourseeelves somewhere different? Yeah~ It was fun to let ourselves beeee wherever we weeeeeere~" 

Steven, then Sadie started clapping and Sadie whistled. "Braavooo." she cheered. She looked back at Steven. "Man, it takes Steven to do just one more extra thing to make this day even better." she looked over at Connie and wiggled her eyebrows as she gestured with her head up at the boy. "Yeah, keep this one right here."

Connie blushed. "Heh.." she smiled shyly and scratched the back of her neck.

Fifteen minutes later driving the scenic route and Lars was driving down the asphalt and away from the Island Adventure sign. 

Connie looked back at the sign.

**No this isn't an island... but you'll certainly have a grand adventure!**

"Yeah. I _still_ don't understand why someone would actually put ellipses on their sign."

"Heheh, you'll find the appeal of it one day." said Lars. 

"Hey, speaking of appeal." Sadie cut in "You know what game would be _appealing_ to play the rest off the way to Empire now that we're out of the woods?" 

"A game with bananas in it?" Lars quipped.

Everyone in the car groaned.

"NoOoOoOoo." Sadie rolled her eyes good naturedly. "I was talking about the license plate game."

"Eheheh, I know." 

"Count me in." said Steven.

"Me too." said Connie. She scratched behind Lion's ears as he stuck his head comfortably out the window and sat on her lap.

"Great!" Sadie cheered. She picked up Lars' phone. 

"Hey, you know what? Maybe you three should switch it up a bit." Lars then suggested. "Play a cooperative game where everyone works together to find as many different license plates as possible." 

"Whaaaaat? But that's just.. sooo much more boring." 

"I don't mind playing something different." said Connie and Steven nodded. "I like cooperative games." he smiled. 

"Oh greaaaat. See now you have the little kiddies wanting to play that instead."

Lars shrugged and kept his smile.

"Fiiiiine. Guess we'll play this lame, non exciting, non competitive license plate game." 

Steven cheered in the back.

That earned him laughter from the group. 


	186. Keep Beach City Weird

"I can't wait until we do this again." said Steven. He pulled the duffle bag towards him and slung it over his back.

"Yeah, you know I'm looking forward to it already." said Sadie.

"Me too." said Lars. "I'll keep you two updated."

A figure was walking up the alleyway unnoticed by any of them..

"See you Lars. See you Sadie." 

"See ya Connie." , "Later Cerena Mahilliams." Lars and Sadie said over one another.

Connie laughed at the nickname. She closed the door and heard Steven close his on the other side. He walked around the car moments later towards her and Lion.

"See you two later." said Lars.

"See you two lovebirds!!" Sadie shouted from the passenger's seat.

They waved at them sheepishly as Lars began backing the truck up-

-Revealing a person walking slowly out of the alleyway and looking down at the ground.

Lars turned the truck around to the exit of the lot.

"Glad you had fun Connie." 

"Yeah. Not only that, but yesterday definitely put camping in a whole new perspective for me. I can't believe I wouldn't mind doing it again." 

The waved and watched Lars pull out of the lot and onto the street.

"Well, that's what camping does to you." he cheesed. 

The truck had journeyed down the road and they turned around in direction of their apartment. "Oh no.." Connie groaned. "Is that Ronaldo?" 

They saw the man bent at the waist and looking down in the alleyway. They saw him taking another step, then quickly lifting his foot back up and looking down at the spot. He picked something up and put it over his eyes.

"Looks like him." said Steven.

"Uuhg.. I'm out of here. Come on. Let's go inside before he sees us." right as she took a step towards the complex he looked up at them. 

"Oh no.." she grimaced.

He huge smile spread across his face and he started waving enthusiastically at them. 

"Oh great, he sees us." she took Steven's arm. "Come on, let's just ignore him-" she turned to see Steven waving back and smiling just as big. "Ah, and you're waving _back_ to him." she put his hand down. "Let's not entertain him, Steven. Come on." she power walked towards the apartment.

"Heeeeyyyy!!!" Ronaldo yelled.

She saw Steven look over at him. "Just ignore him." she continued walking to the main door. 

" Steeeeven!!! Connieeee!!!" he jumped up and down as he waved his arms. "I know ye hear me my fellow man and woman!!" 

"Uuuuhhhhhhhggg." she grimaced. 

"Heeeeeyeyeyeyeyeyeyeeheyyyyyyy~~~!!" 

"I don't know, Connie. It sounds like it could be something serious.' 

She looked over and scrunched up her face at him. "Steven, seriously? The man is probably just drunk like he always is. He never has anything serious to say." then she added for emphasis. "Eeever." 

"But.." he looked over at Ronaldo gasping as he finally got Steven's attention once more. He failed his arms in the air. 

"Fine. _You_ talk to the drunkard. _I'm_ heading inside. Hand me the duffle bag. I'm heading up to take my shower." 

"I can take it into the apartment for you." 

"No, it's okay." she grabbed the strap from him and started pulling the bag off his shoulder. "It's not heavy." she put the bag on her back. 

"Uh, okay. See you inside." he looked down at the canine. "Come on, Lion." he took a step away as Connie opened the main door. 

The dog walked away from him and put his head on Connie's leg and nudged her knee with his paw before leaning back up and looking up at her. "Hm. Guess he doesn't want to be bothered by Ronaldo either." 

Steven rolled his eyes. "Okay. He goes with you then." 

"Come on, Lion." she opened the door wider and the dog ran in, lolling out his tongue happily and she walked inside and closed the door behind her. 

Steven started walking over to the man who was beginning to look more and more happy to see him. "Hey Ronaldo.

"Ah, Steven." he grinned widely. "A fellow young man of many cultures. How art thou?" 

"Uh.. I'm fine?" he saw a pair of binoculars dangling on his belt behind him. He looked back up at the ecstatic man. "What are you doing with binoculars?" a beat. "And.. by our apartment complex?" 

"Well, that there, is a secret, Steven." 

"Um.. oookay?"

_Maybe Connie was right. Maybe he is just drunk. I should just leave._

He took a step away from him and Ronaldo jumped in front of him and widened his arms out to his side to stop Steven in his tracks. "Okay, I'll tell you!" he stood back up and cleared his throat, trying to go for a more professional demeanor. "I think I can trust you." he stated. "You see Steven, do you know anything about.. my K.E.C.W blog?" 

”K.E.C.W blog?" 

"Yes." he gave him a minute nod. "Keep Empire City Weird. Why, I have made it JUST lastnight." he held his head up high, proud of himself.

"Oh.. guess that explains why I.. haven't heard of it?" 

"Nonsense, Steven. I have already a huge following of just five like-minded Earthly inhabitants already." 

He raised an eyebrow at him. 

"Here. Let me show you what I mean." he said rather smugly. He took out his cracked phone that matched with the cracked lens of his glasses. He unlocked the screen, putting in a long series of numbers before his phone unlocked. He went to the page and turned the phone around. "Yes, take a gander at this, fellow being." 

Steven looked at the title in big, bold, red letters. Then Ronaldo scrolled the screen further down to see more of the site. 

He looked at the various photos of either crime scenes taken from afar or of random areas where people were; restaurants, work buildings and bars to name a few. And there was one lone picture of Ronaldo's hand where he used a flash and he wasn't sure if that was supposed to be put on the page. Then he read a bit of the words on the site. One particular part he was reading was underneath of a picture of a very tall guy wearing a light yellow visor. His hair was blonde and combed up into on odd shaped.. triangular kind of hairstyle. He was wearing all green and hiding what looked to be a bowling ball sized.. sphere of some sort under his green trenchcoat. The picture looked to be taken from afar as well and in some underground subway station. The man in the picture looked to be heading into a public restroom. 

**This photo as taken by me, Ronaldo, at Parkington Station just one day, five hours, twenty minutes and thirty-six seconds ago. I had came across a fellow man, such as myself, acting a bit.. odd at the station. I was coming off of a subway cart, as many of us individuals do on a daily bases and then.. I saw something rather.. peculiar. It was a man waiting on the other side of the platform holding something in his trenchcoat. It looked to be moving. And as it squirmed more his eyes began to shift left to right as if trying to see if anyone else was watching. Though little did he know, I, indeed, was. He tapped on the side of his visors and from left to right, his head moved slowly in one turn, as if you scan.. Like he was.. some sort of robot. Then I saw him bring his arm up to his wrist and I saw his mouth move. Exactly two minutes, twenty five seconds later, the train pulled up. The train's passengers came off as others walked on yet he stayed there. When the train pulled off with a squeal of its tires across the tracks the mysterious man turned to the direction it was going into and opened his trenchcoat slightly. There was a green flash that vanished within a second and he kept his trenchcoat opened until the train was far into the tunnel. Then.. with a stride that was as wide as a stallion and as gracefully as a penguin sliding on ice, he strode rapidly into a nearby restroom, only to come out two minutes later and flee up the subway stairs in a smooth, rapid motion.**

_.. Ooo..kay..?_

_Also, does this guy know how to indent? Or what about starting another paragraph?_

Steven looked up at him and Ronaldo was nodding his head fervently. "Ah, yes. I expect you as well have heard about the mysterious Green Cadet?"

"Uh.. noo." Steven shook his head. "I've never even seen this guy." then he quickly added. "Also, didn't you say this was a 'Keep Empire City Weird' blog? Then why does it say Beach City?" 

"Huh?! What?!" he turned his phone to face him and quickly scrolled up to the top. He gasped dramatically as if in severe disbelief. "THAT you see right THERE is a typo!!" he pointed at the screen. Then he groaned, annoyed. "Oh no WOOOONDER nobody has commented on any weird sightings!!! That place is boring and nearly uninhabited!!!" 

What even is 'Beach City' exactly? Was that in the States? He never even heard of it.. But it sounded sunny and friendly and pretty vacation-y and touristy.

".. ouldn't had gotten drunk while making that website.." he grumbled. "Now looks like I'll have to change that title some time today." he scoffed. He stood up straight and fixed his glasses up on his face and a piece of one of the lenses popped out. "Anyway. _Steven. _I take it you have read what I've typed, yes?" 

"Yeah. Some guy in a trenchcoat with.. some kind of robot and who's like.. really tall?"

The man looked at him. Completely shocked at what he'd just heard. "Did you NOT read this properly?" he said astounded. "This is a person who is, without a doubt, up to no good. Just look at the villainy trenchcoat, the wearing of the visors in the late spring, the stallion-like stride across the platform and the shifty eye movements and NOT to mention, the flash from the inside, of that said, villainy trenchcoat. All of this adds up to someone who is no good."

Steven nodded slowly. "Yeah.. I guess I can definitely see that?" he shrugged. "I mean, Ronaldo, we see characters like this all the time, right? They're hiding stuff in their jackets and coats so they can sell them hot on the subway, you have people that wears sunglasses indoors, you have people who take up modelling and who just walks like that and we have a lot of those people that take drugs and have those shifty eye and body movements in general." 

"But the flash from the trenchcoat!"

Steven shrugged again. "Some kind of new electronic trenchcoat? Or that electronic sphere thing he was probably planning on selling?"

"But his trenchcoat was moving!"

"Then maybe it was one of those robot toys for kids?" 

Ronaldo groaned. "Coome oooon, Steven! How can thou beest so dense!" 

"I'm not being dense. Ronaldo, we see characters like them every DAY in Empire. And I think that's just another one of them."

Ronaldo rubbed in between his eyes right at the bridge of his nose. He blew out a breath and opened his eyes. "Steven." he said. "Let me ask thee this." 

Steven looked at him.

"Art thou or art thou _not_ aware of what has been going on as of late?"

"Like..?"

Ronaldo sighed out dramatically. "The killings out of nowhere from this mysterious person or group AND that ill person in North Carolina they came across just days ago with a rather cryptic note that nobody could crack." he explained. "And NOT. to mention. the Crystal Gems taking them!" 

Steven tried to not show any signs of him being nervous.

Ronaldo just brought up one of their sick friends that they'd taken in the jet that day.. and now he was talking about the Crystal Gems DIRECTLY!

"Now this, Steven, definitely means something." he nodded. "Something very important."

He swallowed hard. "Uh..like?" he tried playing dumb.. innocent.. ignorant.

Ronaldo locked his phone back and put it in his pocket. "I think this is something much, _much_ bigger than we as common folk and what the news stations around the globe are realizing. The ill person obviously has some kind of affiliation with the Crystal Gems. That, is quite obvious. But what _isn't_ obvious is what _kind_ of affiliation. Yes?" 

"Uh.." he nodded. "R, right." 

"WRONG!" he pointed a dirty finger in his face and Steven jerked his head back. 

"I have quite a feeling that this person was once a Crystal Gem as well." he scratched at his chin.

"Uh.. w, why do you think that?" he _tried_ for a levelled voice. 

"Crystal Gems don't come back for family or friends. EVERYONE knows that. They would've simply left them to the newscast. However, they came to _get_ them. They also don't care about each other but they have most likely came back due to the circumstances of the person being ill AND because of the note. Targeting someone's family? They wouldn't care. But targeting the Crystal Gems as a whole? Why, yes of course. And thus, that note that nobody could crack is most likely from the Diamonds." 

Steven's heart skipped a beat. "The.. Diamonds?" 

Ronaldo nodded. "The only gang just as big as them that have been at their throats for decades. It could only be.them." he scratched at his cheek. "They're trying to scare them. Or warn them perhaps with that note. That person was also most likely used as an example." 

Why was he so right..

Steven didn't know what the letter said either, but with all that Mr. Wascoite and Peridot had told him and what Miss Lee had told him and his unnerved the Gems looked when getting Azurite.. he could safety assume that Ronaldo was right about the Diamonds using her as a warning. 

Like.. a warning of their arrival and that they may possibly do that exact same thing to_ them.._

".. nd the Diamonds are a complete different force to be reckoned with. Why, I wouldn't even put it pass them that they're planning on turning MORE people sick like that!! Gem or not! Or heck, build something within the Earth's crust to..to.. RIP apart the whole planet!!!" 

_Oookay and nooow he's losing me.._

"But.. where would _they_ even go?" 

He shrugged. "I don't know." he got in his face. "But THEY do!" he leaned away. "They. are Diamonds!!" he shouted out.

Steven looked around, hoping that nobody else was hearing this. Especially with how loud Ronaldo was being. "But.. Ronaldo.. With what's going on with the Gems and the Diamonds.. I still don't understand why you're even here."

"To investigate!!!!" then he said rather casually. "Also, I've awoken here after my drunken state." 

_Oooof course that happened. _

"But yes. To investigate no less. Also, Steven, we're not JUST talking about the Crystal Gems and the Diamonds. There's the men in the tuxedos and the white shades as well" Steven's stomach twisted. "As well as the killings in Empire City." he nodded and pressed his glasses up in the middle with a single finger only for them to slide back down his nose. "Let me _elaborate_ for you. You see, the government has been trying their best to uncover anything about what's been going on for these last few weeks, but they haven't came up with anything." he stopped and Steven wondered if that was his cue to say anything back. He nodded and said, "Right." 

"But _maybe_" Ronaldo continued. "the reason is that they're not looking in the right._places._ Or, not _thinking_" he tapped at his temple. "in the right. places." 

"...Riiiight....?" 

"For examples. I have two by the way. Number ONE. The killings and _how_ the people are dying. Aaaand number TWO. The men in the white shades and tuxedos. The government and the police think that it could be someone new that's doing these killings. Someone like. _them._ BUT I think that it could be someone _old_. As in, someone who has already done something similar. Someone who's already been out."

Steven was trying to follow. "Riiiight.." 

"Now let us go back to the Crystal Gems" his heart jolted in his chest "You're aware of them, yes? Yeees, yeees. Of course you do. EVERYONE does. They're huge. But my thing is.. what has happened to their boss Lonsdaleite? He left and was never heard of again. And then there was the death of his son AND wife? Hm.. I don't buy it.. what if he killed them? Or, what if _she_ killed the son and _he_ killed_ her_ because of it? What if he's going out killing everyone in this, sick way of trying to purge people!? And what about their rivals the Diamonds that have been here for nearly eighty years!? What if he joined them? What if he's trying to sabotage them from the inside?! What if the men in the tuxedos and white shades are apart of his team?! Or maybe they're with the Diamonds?! What do the tuxedos and shades represent?! Do the shades represent White Diamond?! Is she even still alive?! Is LONSDALEITE still alive?!?! And what about the two Diamond sisters?!? Will there be another huge war between the Crystal Gems and the Diamonds?!? Is there a third party?!? A.. a fourth?!?! Steven!!" he grabbed his shirt. "I'm just trying to crack the codes and win a medal of some sort, instead of being the town drunk!!" he panted. 

"But.." Steven grabbed his hands gently and pulled them off his shirt. "you _are_ the town drunk." 

Ronaldo stood back up. "That's not the point I'm getting at here!!" he whined out loudly. "I want something else!! I want, something more!!"

"Like .. cracking the codes."

"YES! That's what I just said." 

"Ah.. I mean I really don't know what to say about all of this Ronaldo."

"Whaaat?" he let out a very loud, drawn out, exasperated sigh. "It's simple. All we need to do is do a bit of scoping out and thinking outside the box." 

"Huh?! Wait. 'We'?!" 

"Of course! You seem just as interested in it as I am!"

"Ah, well-"

"Come on, Steven. Aren't thou not just a _tiiiiny _bit curious as to what ALL is going on in this city?! In this, entire WORLD even?!" 

He looked at Ronaldo's overly excited smile and his mood practically boilng over with enthusiasm.

_Actually.. he_ did_ seem uncover the mystery with Azurite being a Crystal Gem and the Diamonds being behind her sickness and the note with just so little evidence.. Maybe with someone like him, I could probably gather some kind of information about the Diamonds or something else that could benefit us. _

_  
_

"You know what, Ronaldo. I'm in." 

"AH YESS!!!" he grabbed Steven in a half headlock half hug as he brought Steven close to his under arm. Steven could smell the sweat from his under pit and the booze on him. He held his nose. "I KNEW thou would beest the one to come with me on our journey to unlock the secrets and uncover the TRUTH of this all!!!" he shouted in triumph. 

He grimaced. "Ronaldo." he said under his hand.

"Ah yes. Thou wilt liketh to set forth on this journey of ours at onceth!! And indeed, we shall!! Now, fellow being. Let we, depart." he stomped up the rest of the alleyway proudly with Steven gasping for clean air and trying to pull his face away from his sweaty underarm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I took the lame, lazy approach and simply said that it was a 'typo' on Ronaldo's end. They're not in Beach City and Steven and everyone else know nothing about it or haven't even heard of it (except for Ronaldo)  
Buuuut... I had to use the episode title as one of the chapter names like I had done with the others.. sooo... 🤦🤷
> 
> ALSOO we finally got to see more of Ronaldo! Last time we saw him was way back in Chapter 73: Doggo's first outting in Empire City, when he was trying to sell Lion 😯  

> 
> Aaaanywho, sorry for the long-winded chapters, I hope that y'all still enjoyed them. 
> 
> Welp, as y'all know, Keep Beach City Weird kinda bled into this episode/ chapter so uh.. stay tuned for the rest of it :D


	187. Correction: Keep *Empire City Weird

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BRUH! I think this has been the most chapters I've posted all at once (9) .. 😗😯
> 
> Also, a little reminder. The teenagers that Ronaldo and Steven are referring to are the ones in 「Chapter 62: Some unfinished business」who were reported dead. Right before Steven left to go to the Dog fighting rink, Connie had saw the news on her phone. The guy (who was a drug dealer) and his girlfriend were found dead by a garbage dump with a note just having the words L&Co.
> 
> Connie's quote:  
"Not only was the guy known as a drug dealer but.. there was a note saying that he was breaking the rules and the laws.. And that his girlfriend committed a lot of things as well.." her expression uneasy. "And written above the words was the letter L, the '&' symbol and the letters c o."

"Here we are, Steven." Ronaldo grinned.

The duo had walked down from the apartment complex to the metro station (where Steven bought both himself and Ronaldo an All-Day pass) and went just two stops up before they had to get back off and walk another few more blocks up from the station.

Steven looked at the dirty windows of the brown, rustic building. 

He looked to his left at Ronaldo. "A bar?"

"Yup!" he nodded.

He didn't understand, until a sudden realization came over him as he remembered those two particular deaths just weeks ago. "Ah, gotcha." he nodded knowingly. "Where the teenagers were last seen."

"Nope!" his grin widened in triumph. "I just wanted to get some beer."

"..What?" he looked back at the smudged reflection of themselves through the filthy windows. "Are you kidding me?"

"No!" he held a fist up. "For THIS is the ONLY building that is open at this hour with such a drink!"

Steven sighed. "Ronaldo, I thought we were supposed to be, you know, uncovering stuff and trying to crack codes." 

"Ooooooh, but we are! We are but replenishing our bodies with energized substance!!"

"Energized.. what? And hold on, hold on. What do you mean, 'we'? I'm not going to drink."

"What?!" he looked at him with a look of contempt. "What dost thou mean that thou wilt NOT drinketh the yeast fermented drink!?"

"Ronaldo, I am _not _ getting a drink." he deadpanned.

He looked at him. His twisted face looking down on him, judging him. "Fine. Let thou beest a weteth blanketeth."

"Okay, I think you just made those last two up."

"AH, what do YOU know?! Thou don't even STUDIETH olde English." a beat. "And that is _old_ with an _e_ by the way. I know thou couldn't had knowneth until I specified that." 

Steven groaned. "Whatever. Just, get your drink so we can get out of here."

His grin came back immediately. "Be right back." he ran towards the door. 

Only to come right back..

"Uh.." 

Steven groaned. He pulled out his wallet and handed him a ten dollar bill. 

He cheesed widely. "I thankeest thee." he snatched the money from his hand and ran back to the building.

  
  


Steven and Ronaldo were walking alongside another building from up an alleyway. The strong stench of urine, body odor and liquor filled the air despite them being out in the open with the wind blowing generously.

Steven put his shirt over his nose.. only to get a slight smell of his own under arms..

But it still out beat the musty, dirty public restroom smell of the alley. 

They walked pass a trail of beer cans and wine bottles and stopped in front of an old black door on the side. "Here we are, Steven." said Ronaldo.

"Where are we?" he looked up then down the alleyway and back up at the door.

"This is Barney's Bartender Bar." Ronaldo twisted the knob and tried opening the door. He clicked his teeth. "Of course.. stupid boss locking his door to his establishment. How dare he." 

Steven looked at him disgusted. "Really Ronaldo? Another drink?" 

"Tsh, of course not. This place's drinks are absolutely trasheth. I shan't waste an ounce of my taste buds on such imitations." he took a bobby pin out of his pocket and started jamming the tool into the lock. _"This_ is where those two teenagers were last seen before they were found dead at that dump."

Steven watched as Ronaldo twisted and jerked the tool inside the lock. "Ronaldo, I don't think it's that easy to do. That's only in the mo-" there was a sound of a click and Ronaldo twisted the knob and opened the door. "vies.." Steven looked up at Ronaldo's smug look. "You were saying?" 

Steven didn't answer him, still amazed at that actually working. His eyes panned down into the inside of the bar. 

"Come, Steven. Time for our cracking of the codes to unfold." he stepped in. 

Steven looked up and down the alleyway to insure that no one was looking before he walked up the three stairs and walked in after him. He pulled the shirt down from his nose and pushed the door behind him, leaving it opened just a small crack. 

The area was a dull dark brown and gray. Dark brown floorboards, walls and tables. Gray coloring of the counters and tops of the wooden stools and a dull gray ceiling. The room was dimly lit from the sun's rays piercing slightly through the dirty white curtains drapped haphazardly across the windows. Chairs were turned up and placed over the circular tables and the ones sitting empty at the bar were all pushed in, says for one that'd just been pulled up from Ronaldo.

The man sat down and scratched at his chin. "Young Steven. Come." he gestured at a barstool beside with his other hand. "Sitteth down so we can discuss the important matter at hand." 

Steven looked back at the cracked open door. Just a slither of sunlight was leaking through and to the wooden floor. He turned back around and silently walked towards him. He pulled out the stool and sat down, immediately getting the smell of liquor and beer from the stored beverages behind the counter.

"So." Ronaldo dropped his hand from his chin and leaned back, placing his elbows on the counter behind him. "This is where it all started before the killings started becoming more frequent." he stopped and again, Steven assumed he as to say something. He nodded slowly. "Riiiight.." he said slowly. "That drug dealer guy and his girlfriend that was also doing something too? The note didn't say what she did." 

"It was later found that she was a gambler and a pole dancer." 

"O.. oh.." 

Ronaldo hummed. "The two were caught at this. very spot. that you and I are now in." he narrowed his eyes in thought. "Such a surreal thing really."

Steven followed his eyes to the front of the empty, dreary interior of the building. The dirty, now yellow tinted "white" cutlrtains were brightened from the sun outside. Very faintly, they could hear people talking and could see them walking pass through the cracks of the curtains. 

In a way, it was surreal. But also a bit unnerving. Sure this wasn't the place where they were found dead, but they were still last seen here, which was already quite unnerving enough for him.. 

"The two were here, enjoying their time together." Ronaldo began again. Steven looked at him. "They were in a crowd full of their bar friends. Just another night as usual." he tilted his head. "Except. it wasn't." he turned to Steven. "The guy was known as a drug dealer and his girlfriend was known as a gambler and a pole dancer. One of the best pole dancers there were actually." Steven looked at him, intrigued. "But that's besides the point." he quickly stated. "The point is, both of them were targeted and not anyone else." then he added. "Well, not_ that_ night." he paused before he began again. "Two of their other bar friends were found dead just a few days ago."

Steven watched him slide off the bar stool and with his hands thrown casually behind his back, started walking around to the front of the bar. 

Steven got up and pushed the stools back in to cover their tracks and followed behind him. 

Ronaldo was looking closely at the tables. "Nothing seems to be out of the ordinary." he whispered. He moved some of the chairs around the tables and started back towards the bar counter. 

And Steven started having second thoughts.

"Uh, Ronaldo?" the man was walking behind the counter. "We really shouldn't be here. This is trespassing." 

"Uhg, come on, Steven. Don't be such a craven." he rolled his eyes. He walked by the counter as he slid his finger across the surface of it. He lifted his finger up. "Hmmm..." 

Steven jogged over. "What?" 

"Practically spotless." he put his arm down.

Steven's expression dropped.

Ronaldo, with Steven eventually then rather reluctantly, started snooping around. Looking at the counter, the barstools, the floorboards and walls, with Ronaldo looking carefully near the drinks.

He stood back up on his feet from snooping around at the back counter. "I can clearly see that this place is quite well kept and without any further clues or evidence." he looked up in thought. "Too bad we didn't find anything. Most likely due to the L&Co being extremely careful in not leaving any evidence." he rubbed his chin.

Steven turned away from a table he was lookin at. "Or maybe because the authorities long since cleaned it up?" he stated dryly. "This place has been thoroughly cleaned by them, reopened and cleaned over and over again by the bar crew since then. It's been weeks, Ronaldo." 

"Ah, yes." he nodded. "That could be true as well."

He started his walk towards him. "So what are we going to do?" 

"Why, there is a very simple and easy answer." he responded with a look of arrogance. "It's quite obvious that you and I are going to go off to a different place to further investigate."

"Right.. Where are we going next?"

"Another bar."

"What? Rona- are.. are we just, bar hopping?"

"Of course not! _These_ are the places where they're targeting these people!" 

Steven resisted a sigh. "Right.." he stuffed his hands in his pockets. "So.. off to another bar then?"

He didn't think he would ever say that in his life again..

"Why yes of course!"

Steven turned for the cracked open side door-

"But first." 

Steven turned back around. 

Ronaldo was taking out a liquor bottle from a glas door cabinet. 

"Ronaldo!" 

He took a glass cup from beneath the counter. "What? That beer didn't hold me! I need more than just a small cup!" he whined. 

"You already had two!" 

"And THAT didn't hold me!" he poured the drink. "I need something stronger." he poured the liquid all the way up.. to the brim. 

  
  


"Aaaalright, Steven."

They were now standing behind another bar. This one more so as a liquor store than a sit down bar.

After Ronaldo had downed the first cup of liquor from the last bar they were in, he'd went for another one. Then the two of them (after Steven put everything back including the door) they walked outside where Ronaldo looked up and down the building's side as if looking for something. They walked to the front of the bar and stood there. Ronaldo then took out his phone, took four to five pictures all around them and put the phone back in his pocket. When Steven had questioned his picture taking, he simply replied with a "For potential evidence purposes." 

..Whatever that had meant..

And now they found themselves at yet another bar. This one being even more putrid smelling than the one before.. 

Ronaldo was already picking the lock.

Steven looked around, still feeling uneasy that they were breaking in to yet _another_ building.. 

He heard the door creaking opening front of him and he turned back around to see Ronaldo smiling mischievously, beckoning him with a hand as he stepped through the rusty black door.

He checked around him again before stepping into the door. He pulled the shirt down from his nose again.

The interior of this particular bar had a bit more color to it. Burgundy. The color sat on the surface of the tables and the barstools and filled the counter on the side of them.

Ronaldo started walking up. "Now here, Steven, is where three men, close friends, were last seen. They were having fun at this liquor store and getting a few drinks before they left out. According to the guy that works here, they were going to the club." he pivoted around to Steven and he stopped on the balls of his feet. "But." he got in his face. "They never.. made it there.." he leaned back up slowly. "They were found on a corner of a row house just a few blocks down from here."

"They didn't think the guy that worked here did it since he knew where they were going?" 

"Oh they investigated him." Ronaldo nodded. "And he turned out to be innocent." he began searching the area and Steven started doing the same. "I didn't think it was him either. Definitely not."

"Did they see anyone else?"

Ronaldo was looking at a crack in the wall on the other side of the room. He turned back to Steven. "As a matter of fact, they did. When they reran the cameras from a nearby bank just a block down from here, they were shown getting inside this yellow taxi cab. Tinted windows and no license plate. Though the guys weren't paying attention to the car not having plates. They just saw that little taxi cab sign on the top and the name Checker Cab on the side. They got in and the car was seen driving right towards where they were found." 

"And.. that's it? There was nobody there to see anyone throw them out the car or anything like that?"

"Apparently not." 

"That's odd." 

"That's not the whole story." 

Steven looked at him though he was busy walking towards a faded painting of a huge ship.

"Each intersection two blocks down just so happened to be blocked off, whether it was a car in the way or a truck trying to make a wide turn. It seemed like.. each way towards where they were dropped off had been prevented for the cars to get to."

"..So they could throw the bodies out and leave." 

"Right." Ronaldo was looking at the old painting on the wall. He turned slightly to face Steven. "Yet people, including I, are still saying "that person" or "the group" when referring to L&Co." he took another step to face him fully. "But I think it's a group of people. I don't think that the four blocked intersections was a coincidence. However; I think that it's one main _person_, then there are the people working for them." he started walking back to him. "

"Why do you think that?"

"I have a hunch that the person in the cab is the boss. He goes for the kill while everyone prevents anyone else from getting to them. I wouldn't even put it pass the boss that he or she has their "minions" to scope out people as well. Or have them be their second, third, fourth, how ever many pairs of eyes they need as they scope out more people to kill." he walked pass Steven and towards the bar. He grabbed a liquor bottle and turned to the counter. 

"Ronaldo-" 

"Hey. Steven." he looked at him smugly. "I know what I'm doing." he took a cup from the bottom of the cabinet and poured himself a drink. He drunk the liquid down in a few swallows and placed it hard back on the counter. He grunted and cleared his throat. 

Steven looked at him. Disappointed. 

"Ah, don't give me that look." he started walking away from the cup and Steven sighed as he walked back to the counter to put the stuff away.

"Come. It appears that we couldn't find anything _here_ either. Let's go to another spot where the next victims were last seen." he started for the door.

  
  


Ronaldo and Steven were walking towards a well known drug corner. 

After leaving the bar, once again, Ronaldo had eyed the side of the building as they walked to the front of it. He'd stood outside of the closed bar for a few minutes and had taken a few more pictures as people walked pass them.

Steven decided not to even ask about the picture taking again and left with Ronaldo without saying a word. 

"This is where a young woman was last seen before she was found dead inside of an alleyway just beside this building." he pointed to the corner store behind them. 

"Wow, that's.. that's way too close."

Ronaldo nodded. "And right you are." 

Two women walked pass them and walked inside of the store. 

"When asked if anyone knew what happened or if they had seen anything, nobody had seen what happened in the alley. And why was that?"

"Uh.." Steven shrugged. 

"No, no, no. You were supposed to ask _me_ that." 

"Umm.. why.. Ronal-?" 

"I'll tell you why!! It is BECAUSE they heard. guuunshotssss." he gestured for Steven to follow him towards the mouth of the alley. It was filled with empty bottles and cans of various sodas, liquor and beers and littered with trash and just a few errant pieces of police tape. "Once they heard gun shots, everyone that was in this vicinity had ran off." 

Steven looked down into the alleyway. "And.. they didn't see anyone looking suspicious or holding anything.."

"My point exactly."

There was a scoff and Steven glanced over at Ronaldo who was leaning on the wall. Hands in his pockets. "They found one single bullet." 

_"Just_ one." 

Ronaldo nodded once. "Now.. how could they hear _multiple_ gunshots when they only found but _one_ bullet?"

"..And I doubt they didn't just go back and clean up the rest of the gunshots and forgot just one, huh?"

Ronaldo shook his head once. "Highly unlikely. I don't think they came back to clean up. In fact, I don't even think they were in the alley when that happened. In fact, I _know_ they weren't."

"What?" 

_But how could someone not even be in the same area when-_

"The bullet was from a sniper rifle." he leaned up from the wall and began looking up and down the building's side as he'd done for the first two.

_Oh right.. That makes sense.._

"But.. those guns can't make multiple gunshot sounds with just one bullet.. can they?" 

Ronaldo was looking at a small hole in the wall near the roof. "No." he stated. "Which is why I strongly believe that this area had been rigged." he took his phone out. "Though definitely not hastily." Steven saw him using his thumb and index finger as he zoomed in. He took a picture of the hole that was no bigger than a dime.

"You think something may be in there?" 

"There's only one way to find out." he turned to Steven. "Get on my shoulders. You're going to pull that piece of paneling down." 

"What-?!" 

He groaned. "Steven. Thou cameth on this journey for a reasoneth." he crouched down. "Now. Thou need to getteth on my shouldereth and looketh upeth into the paneleth near the roofeth."

Steven sighed with an eye roll. "You know.. you putting "eth" at the end of words doesn't automatically make them old English or Latin or.. whatever you're trying to go for here.." he grumbled. He put one leg on Ronaldo's shoulder.

"Oh, shuteth upeth. What do thou knoweth?" 

Steven stepped his other leg onto his shoulder and held one hand on Ronaldo's shoulder and the other on his head.

Ronaldo steadily stood back up on his feet and Steven tried keeping a steady balance.

"Just pull down that one single paneling."

Steven slowly let go of Ronaldo and rose shakily on his legs as he stood up on the man's shoulder. He leaned his hands on the wood for balance and slowly began lifting up on his toes to get to the top paneling. He reached up, grunting. With two fingers barely making it to the piece of board, he pressed his two fingertips at the top of the piece and tried plucking it down from it's spot. 

"Come oneth, Steven. What is taking thou so long?"

"I can barely reach it." he grunted. 

Ronaldo stood up on his toes, giving Steven just enough reach to properly get a full hand hold on the paneling. He used his four fingers to pluck the piece open. "Got it." he pulled it down- 

They gasped. "No way.."

Ronaldo was laughing mischievously under him. "I knew it!!!!!" he held the phone up towards Steven. "Hurry Steven! Take a picture of such evidence!!" 

Steven bent down slightly to grab his phone. Slowly, he lifted his self back up and held the phone up in front of him. 

"Take multiple pictures! And take it from different angles!! I want a close up! An extreme close-up shot!! A wide shot! A vertical long shot!! And a Dutch angle shot for thematic purposes!"

"Uh.. okay?"

He didn't know what he meant exactly for half of those angles, especially not a Dutch angle.. but he just took pictures close to the evidence and behind it and he leaned up without losing his balance to take a wider picture.

He couldn't believe it..

They actually found a clue.. 

In front of Steven and above Ronaldo was a small black box no bigger than a ring box. In front of it was a small, one inched microphone that was pointed towards the hole in the paneling. 

Steven took a few more pictures. "Okay. I think I got enough." he reached down and Ronaldo grabbed the phone from him. "Good." he put the phone in his pocket. "Now push the board back up. You and I have PLENTY more places to go."

  
  


After Steven had gotten of of Ronaldo's shoulders, Ronaldo walked to the storefront and stood there for a few minutes as he'd down before. And again, he snapped pictures as passerby walked pass. He then put his phone back in his pocket, begged for Steven to give him money for another drink at the store behind them and eventually and reluctantly he did. He downed the drink, threw it behind them into the trash pile of other bottles in the alley and the two went on their way.

And now, they were at another bar. 

This one was still taped off with yellow police tape. 

"Just a couple weeks ago a hooker and a cheater was found naked and strangled in a bathroom of this bar." said Ronaldo. 

Steven grimaced.

Ronaldo ducked down and under the police tape and Steven followed him, despite his anxiety of tampering with anything when the place was still obviously still being looked at. 

Or at the very least, things were still pretty fresh.. 

After looking at the side of the building, Ronaldo walked to the solid gray door and picked it unlocked. He stepped in. 

Furniture was still scattered about with police tape draped strategically across the area.

Steven stepped in and closed the door behind them. 

"A smoke bomb." Ronaldo stated matter of factly, as if Steven had asked him a question. 

Steven looked at the one part of the area near the bathrooms. Black dust and soot were on the walls and the floors. 

"Someone had used one, according to the people here." he pivoted over to Steven. "They said the couple were going to head to the bathroom to.. _you_ know and just seconds after entering the bathroom, the area erupted in black smoke. When nothing happened and they heard people laughing, they simply thought it was a prank and didn't think much of it. Approximately a minute later, the area was engulfed in smoke once more, filling up the area towards the door." 

"Once to get into the bathroom and again to leave." said Steven. "But nobody didn't notice the people who were there before and how they weren't there after the smoke bomb?" 

"We can strongly assume that they weren't in the bar. See, this only fuels my hypothesis that there are multiple people working as eyes for one main person. The couple goes in, someone from the inside tells the boss, someone throws in the smokescreen, the boss comes in and goes straight for the bathroom, kills them, someone throws another smokescreen and he or she makes their escape." 

Steven nodded slowly. "That sounds.. like that could happen.."

"Also, Steven." Ronaldo gave him a leveled stare. "Are you seeing the pattern yet? I would hope that us going to these four places would allow you to realize one, particular thing." 

Steven stared at him. Silent. All he knew was that these people were very strategic in their killings.. 

"I'll give you a clue. So far, we've been going to bars, a liquor store and a drug corner. We've talked about these people being drug dealers, gamblers, cheaters and prostitutes." 

"People.. who are doing bad things.."

"To put it in Lehman's terms, yes." he looked about the bar. "Looks like this group is going out and killing people going to indecent, obscene, vulgar places. And these people are partaking in risqué, lewd and rather scandalous acts." he looked at Steven. "Almost as if.." he narrowed his eyes. "they're purging people.." 

Steven's face dropped as he took in what Ronaldo was telling him. "So they're just.. killing the people they feel as though needs to die because of they're lifestyle.." 

"Not just _any_ lifestyle." 

"R, right.."

"Don't you see this, Steven? They're only killing those with _these_ kind of lifestyles. Do you see what I mean by what I said earlier amongst my speech when I was by your place of residence? About how it could be a third party?" 

"Yeah. Amongst a lot of other things." 

"Yes. And _this._ is exactly why I think so. No. I _know_ so. You see Steven. The Gems wouldn't do this. Sure they're brutal and evil but they won't just randomly kill anyone. Same for the Diamonds. The Crystal Gems are far too busy with stealing jewels and unless someone tried to prevent them from doing so THEN will they kill. The Diamonds were the same way when they would steal oil and diamonds. They wouldn't go out of their way just to kill people. And fast forward to now, with the Diamonds apparent comeback, the two will only be focused more so on fighting each other. Hence the ill person and the note and the Gems coming in to retrieve the two. These two main parties are far too busy fighting each other to go about killing people for no apparent reason then just killing them because of how they live their life. _This_ is why I know that it's someone else. But NOT the men in the tuxedos and white shades as it appears that they are trying to steal jewels themselves. These guys could be trying to become the next jewel gang OR they are working for the Diamonds. Due to the news weeks ago up to now, they have been fighting off the Crystal Gems and stealing some of the jewels from them. So far, no sightings of them fighting off any the Diamonds' henchmens either because they are working for the Diamonds or the Diamonds are still preparing their own henchmen to make a surprise attack towards these men." there was a small break in his talk as he let Steven reel in everything he was saying. "But back to this third party.. I still believe it's someone who has been out for awhile. With how precise these killing are.. these guys have most likely killed people before. Maybe they were in a gang themselves or, maybe they had simply killed people before in their life but it wasn't gang related. Either way, I think these killings could be linked up with purge or guilt of some sort.." 

"Why do you think that?" 

"Well. For ONE, Steven. Who they're targeting. Now, that isn't to say that _everyone_ does this, for that is not. always. the case. BUT. for some people, for example.. say, a guy who has been cheated on with a woman of blonde hair. Sure, to some men, dating other women of blonde hair may be fine, but for some, it could also be psychological. Not wanting to date anyone else with blonde hair as it triggers these memories." 

Steven started thinking about Pearl and how she's been treating him..

".. ndeed, we could have someone who is only targeting these people, perhaps due to their own upbringing of being around those who have also had these similar lifestyles. Thus wanting to be rid of any and all of them one by one. OR.. they _themselves_ have had a similar life but have long since changed. That is why I brought up guilt. Such a strong feeling guilty is really. It could lead to quite a lot of detrimental actions. And though not as common, wanting to purge or "rid the impurities" and remove all of the bad people in some futile way of cleansing your own self could be a possibility." 

"So you think that.. this L&Co group could either be killing people because they remind them of people they hate and they want to get rid of them.. or.. they've gotten out of their old lifestyle but now has this view that now everyone else with a similar lifestyle should be punished and they will take it upon themselves to cleanse the world of them? And.. also more or less thinking that getting rid of these "bad people" will somehow rid them of their own wrong?" 

"You've HIT the nail on the head there!" 

"That.. that actually sounds like that could be right.."

"I know. And having this in mind. That this L&Co company is trying to purge the "bad people". What do you think about all of this?"

_That I'M a bad person and that I need to be careful!! I'm a Crystal Gem and I used to be a drug dealer and people know my face as being one!!!_

_And that maybe.. the Crystal Gems and the Diamonds need to be careful too.. If this group is targeting these people, then we may be next.._

"It's terrifying.." he eventually said. "And I'm wondering why they haven't targeted the Crystal Gems yet or maybe even the men in the tuxedos."

There was a smug grin on Ronaldo's face. _"Now_ you're _really_ starting to think." he grinned. "I believe they're going for the much easier targets. Not only that but we know how powerful the Gems and the Diamonds are. No known bullet or ANY kind off device or weapon can pierce through ANY of their clothing. And I believe the L&Co group knows that very well." he tilted his head to the side. "Though.. it may very well be a matter of time before they start targeting them. As well as the men in the tuxedo and shades."

That was even _more_ terrifying.. 

To be a possible target because he was a drug dealer.. AND to be targeted as a Crystal Gem.. 

He could very well be the next victim without even knowing it..

And that made his skin crawl.. 

"Let's go." said Ronaldo.

Steven snapped out of his thoughts and realized that Ronaldo wasn't in front of him anymore. He heard the sound of a cup hitting the counter and Ronaldo grunting and clearing his throat. He turned around. Ronaldo was wiping his mouth off with the back of his dirty hand. "Our little investigation is but halfway complete. We still have our main focus on the L&Co group. Then, we'll shift our focus onto the Crystal Gems" his stomach doubled over. "and the Diamonds." he walked away from the counter, leaving the drink and the empty cup for Steven to quickly put up (and put up anywhere since he didn't see where Ronaldo had picked them up from).

"We'll be checking out another six more places." said Ronaldo. "And _this_ one, could indeed play a very huge, crucial part in this whole investigation.."


	188. All in the plan..

Ronaldo and Steven had gotten off the bus. 

After leaving out the door, Ronaldo had stood in front of the police tapped building and yet again, had snapped a few photos before leaving. 

And now they were in a familiar neighborhood that Steven immediately remembered it as them being close by the Fry Shack.

The one that got torn down just weeks ago because of him and the Gems and the men in the tuxedos.. 

And where he was the cause of multiple deaths and the cause of his best friend Pee Dee getting injured.. 

A group of very young kids running pass them tore him from his guilt ridden trance. He looked over and saw three of them running around. Two of them were running after one puggy, curly haired boy. "Mom!" he mock whined. "Help me! Save me! Help me!" he jumped into his mom's arms. "Steve,-"

"Save meee!" he buried his head into her neck.

The two girls were running around his mother's legs laughing and giggling loudly around her.

"What on earth-"

"Tag." the boy cheesed as he poked his mom on the forehead. "You're it!" he and the two little girls laughed with him- 

"I'm telling you. We live in a strange world, Steven." Ronaldo began as he flipped through the pictures on his phone. Steven turned away from the mother and son and his two friends. 

"Stranger than most know. Stranger than they CARE to know." he put the phone back in his pocket. "Take my brother for instance. He’s always getting on my case, telling me to work more. He'll never understand, but Steven, I can tell you're like me." 

"Yeah?" 

He nodded. "I know you're someone I can trust."

The two walked down silently after that. Ronaldo not saying anything further and Steven not bothering to speak back up, not sure of what to say in general to him.

As they made their way down the block, Steven realized there was a building wedged between two eateries. 

_Wait a minute.. _

He could already feel himself getting defensive. 

_Did they already make a new one!?!-_

_  
_

He calmed down almost immediately when he saw a new Fry Shack sign.

"Wait.. you guys already have a new store up and running?" 

"Pfft. Well my dad and my brother is currently remodeling it..but I? Ha! Well I have MUCH more important matters to tend to." he started for the storefront.

Through the glass windows Steven could see Pee Dee setting a table down in the dining area and he genuinely felt extremely happy to see his best bud up and about. He smiled and couldn't wait to talk to him. 

Ronaldo opened the door and walked in.

Pee Dee stopped in his tracks. "Ronaldo?! THERE you are! Dad has been looking for you since yesterday! Where-" Steven opened the door and walked into the shiny floor of the building. "Steven?!" he looked shocked, but then a friendly smile soon came to his face. "Ah, man! How's it been going?!" he jogged over. "Haven't seen you in weeks!"

"I've been pretty good." he cheesed. 

The two best friends gave each other a dap before giving each other a hug and a pat on the back.

Pee Dee leaned back up from the hug. "Man, I've been waiting for you to call! I told the guy at the phone shop to give you my number!"

"He did." he quickly clarifed. "Sorry.. I've been uh.. pretty busy lately.." 

He saw Pee Dee looking at his face and knew he was _really_ looking at the near half faded scars on his face. 

"Ah.. no kidding?" he raised an eyebrow at Steven. 

"Uh, y, yeah." 

Who was he kidding.. This was Pee Dee he was talking too.. In general Pee Dee could read him like a book.. and now that book had an obvious torn cover.. 

"But.. you've been good for the most part.. right?" 

Steven nodded. "Yeah." 

Pee Dee was staring right at him. He just knew that _Pee Dee_ knew that he was hiding something..

"Okay." he said eventually. "I still would like you to call me once in awhile. We haven't talked and I think we have a much needed talk." he was still giving him a leveled stare.

He knew where he was going with this.. 

A private conversation.. he understood that completely..

"Yyyeah.. I'll give you a call sometime this week." 

The leveled stare was kept there for a few moments as if Pee Dee was trying to make it obvious that he knew something was wrong with Steven. He then slowly, gave him a small, relaxed smile. "Cool."

There was a solid two seconds of silence before Steven thought of something to say to push away from the past topic. "So uh.." he looked around the half decorated building. "I see you and your dad have the place up already. And I see your leg is doing pretty good." he pointed at Pee Dee's pant leg. "I guess it's healed all the way? I remember you telling me that it would be weeks before you could even put any weight on it." 

"Yeah, Mayor Dewey was actually kind enough to fund the restaurant for my dad. He put money in both this one _and_ the one in Ocean Town." 

"No way. That was nice of him." 

"It was." then he answered Steven's second question. "And I got this cream from my- uh, my friend. Heheh." he cleared his throat then said casually. "Man I put it on my leg and it was practically fully healed in like, two weeks." he lifted his pant leg up. "See? Can't even tell I even had surgery there." 

Steven looked at the completely blemish and scar free skin on his leg. "Wow, you're right. Nothing's even there anymore." 

"Right?" he put his pant leg down. "That cream is some pretty strong healing stuff. My leg feels even better than before now." he bounced his leg on his toes a few times. "I even put it on some of my old scars to see what it was going to do and it healed them too." 

"Cool. Wonder what kind of cream that is."

"Oh uh.. ya'know.. Just uh.." he shrugged. "Just some cream from the hospital or whatever that my friend got for me." 

Ronaldo groaned loud. "Are you two _done_ yet?!" 

They looked at him. 

"Ronaldo, what are you whining about _now?_ What you SHOULD be doing is helping dad and I out with this restaurant." 

"Actually. my. fellow. male sibling." he stated promptly. "I, have come, for thou." 

"..What?" 

"Yes. Thou hast heardeth me correcteth." 

"Oh boy.." he rolled his eyes. "Not with _this_ nonsense.." 

"Pee Dee-" he stated plainly.

"Ronaldo, you're drunk." 

Ronaldo fixed him a rather plain stare before clearing his throat. "Buzzed." a beat later. "Anyway. Young._Pee Dee_. As thou knoweth, I have been rather busy with such huge matters." he straighten his back up. "And do thou knoweth what I speaketh of?"

Pee Dee rolled his eyes and mumbled, "Trying to find the truth." 

He said it a beat later. "Trying to find the tru-" he chuckled. "Why yes. That is correct. And so, male sibling. I have came aaall the way here, to ask thee if thou wouldst accompany me and-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'mma have to stop you right there, Ronaldo. I don't have time for that."

"Wh.... What?! But.. but the truth!-"

"Ronaldooo. You have been like, talking about this kind of stuff for WEEKS now. And all you have are some, crummy pictures. That's it. Nothing else! I'm telling you man, you're not getting ANY more close than the cops are with this stuff." 

"But-" 

"Ronaldo. I'm not "accompanying you" on some stupid journey just so you can give me the run around." a beat later. "I already have enough of that with these females." 

"Pfffft, are you.. are you _comparing_ me to the sex that can typically bear offspring or produce eggs! How dare thou!" 

"Guys, guys!" Steven jumped in between them. "Let's just knock it off." he turned to Ronaldo. "Look. Pee Dee doesn't want to come and you can't force him."

"Exactly." said Pee Dee. "Thanks man." 

Steven turned to him. "And Pee Dee. You can't just throw the word 'female' around like it's some kind of insult. Not cool. It's the 21st century man. Times are changing." 

Pee Dee pouted. 

Steven turned back to Ronaldo. "Let's just go. We have like what, five, six more places to go right? Let's start heading out."

"Wait, wait, wait." Pee Dee cut in. _"You_.. and _Ronaldo_... are investigating...... together?" he looked at them both.

"Well, yeah."

Ronaldo scoffed as he looked down at the bewildered expression on his brother's face. "Steven and I are on a very interesting journey on trying to find who's behind the killings. As _well_ as picking up more clues about the men in the tuxedo and white shades AND putting more pieces together towards the Crystal Gems and the Diamonds." 

Pee Dee looked from his brother and down to Steven. "Really? With _him?"_

Steven shrugged. "I don't know, he just.. seemed like he could be onto something here." then he added. "Also, we kinda also found a huge clue down by one of the areas where one of the victims were killed." 

"What?! You two are going to those spots?! Isn't that like, dangerous or trespassing?!" 

He had a point.. and he thought the same thing- 

"Dangerous, smangerous." Ronaldo mocked. "Steven and I are getting to the bottom of this all. And if _you_ think that that is dangerous then, I feel badeth for thee." 

Pee Dee looked back at Steven.

"Heh.." he scratched the back of his neck. "Maybe he really _does_ have something here.. I just thought I could help him out."

_And possibly learn more about the Gems, Diamonds, the men in the tuxedos, who's killing these people, anything!_

"Riiight...." he stepped away from them. "Well, I guess I'll leave you two to it. Have fun doing that you guys." 

Steven frowned. 

It would've been nice for Pee Dee to had came with them..

"Iiiindeed we shall!" he turned to Steven. "Come, Steven. Time to go to the first stop of five locations of our journey." he grabbed him back in a headlock as he did earlier and Steven was right at his armpit, taking in a huge whiff of the musky smell once more. 

"Ueggghh.. Ronaldooo!" he groaned in the man's sweaty sleeve of his shirt. 

"Yeeees, I know Steven. We haven't a minute to lose! Onward!!" 

Pee Dee watched as Steven tried pulling from Ronaldo's bear hug as Ronaldo, oblivious to it all, continued walking out the door. 

Pee Dee continued to watch as they turned down at the sidewalk and began walking back up to the bus stop.

"Hmm.."

A middle-aged man with a dirt blonde beard that matched with his dirt blond hair came walking in from the back door. "Who was that?" he sat three medium sized boxes down on the counter with a huff. 

"Uh that was.. Ronaldo and-" 

"Ronaldo?! You're telling me he came here and didn't even bother staying?" 

Pee Dee shook his head as he gave his dad a helpless shrug. "He thought that finding new evidence with Steven would be better than helping out at the restaurant." he mocked. 

His dad looked at him, completely shocked. "He even managed to brainwash Steven somehow and brought him into his escapades?" he shook his head and his dreads swayed across his shoulders. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk.. poor kid.. Doesn't even know that Ronaldo is just waisting his time." 

"Yeah.." Pee Dee whispered. He kept his stare out the windows at the now empty sidewalk. 

_Steven shrugged. "I don't know, he just.. seemed like he could be onto something here." then he added. "Also, we kinda also found a huge clue down by one of the areas where one of the victims were killed." _

_Steven and I are on a very interesting journey on trying to find who's behind the killings. As _well_ as picking up more clues about the men in the tuxedo and white shades AND putting more pieces together towards the Crystal Gems and the Diamonds." _

Their words played in his mind as he stared out the windows..

His dad picked the top box up and placed it down on the counter. "You know, I'm telling you Pee Dee." he opened the box up. "I'm _really_ hoping that Ronaldo will come to his senses and.." he drowned his father out as he thought of what to do.

He took his phone out of his pocket.

_Maybe I should give her a call.._

".. on't want him wasting his life doing this-"

"Uh, dad? I'm just going to step out for a second. I have to make this call." 

"Sure, son. I'll be over here setting up more of the front end."

Pee Dee dialed the number, adding asterisks and pound signs to it before calling out. He opened the door and stepped outside as the phone rung out. He looked up the street. Neither Ronaldo or Steven was seen up the sidewalk. 

After the fourth ring someone picked up. "Hm. It's you again." said a young voice of a child.

"I'm so.. soooo sorry for calling you without asking if I had her permission to call first. I deeply hope that both you and her will forgive me-" 

"What do you want? We're very.busy." 

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." he cleared his throat. "I uh, just thought you should know that I may know of someone who has knowledge of the killings." the girl was quiet. "Also, he is trying to find more clues in regards to both the Crystal Gems and the Diamonds. I think he may-" 

"I'll have to redirect this call at once." 

  
  


.........................

"Okay, Steven. The very first place that we have to go to is-" 

"Hey!!" they heard a voice shout out behind them. "Hey, wait up!!!" 

The two turned around to see Pee Dee running fast behind them. 

"Yes, young male sibling of mine that doesn't see eye to globular organ in which to see?" 

Pee Dee closed the distance on them fast, stopping right on his heals instantly.

"Wow. That was some running." said Steven. 

"Yeah uh.. I've been training. Anyway." he changed the subject. "I decided that I wanted to go.. with you two.." they looked at him. "You know.. to go check out this tuxedo men business and this whole, C.G and Diamond business too."

The two looked at each other; Ronaldo with a rather bored look and Steven with a smile on his face. Steven shrugged. "Why not?" 

Ronaldo looked back at Pee Dee who had a hopeful look on his face.

"Fiiiiine.. looks like you _have_ come to your senses after all and, who am I to stop someone from learning about the REAL truth of this all."

"Great! So uh, where are we going?" 

"To the bar." he grinned.

Pee Dee's expression dropped as he looked from his brother to Steven. The boy shrugged again. "Just go with it." 

  
  


The three young men were walking down the sidewalk. The very first bar was just opening. The only one to open so early in Empire City at just five in the afternoon. 

"So.. someone died here too, huh? From what you two have been telling me.. this L&Co group seems to only go to these kind of places." said Pee Dee. 

"Nope!" Ronaldo grinned. 

"Wait, so nobody died here?" Steven asked. "Then why are we even going to this place?" 

"Heheheh, you two'll see.." he said smugly. 

The three walked up to the wooden door. They could already hear the boisterous early birds as they waited for their drinks.

Ronaldo stepped inside and the two followed him in. 

And the two friends felt out of place in the bar scene-

"Yo, yo, yo, my dizzawgs!!" Ronaldo tried fitting in. Two muscular, chiseled brown skin guys with braids turned around. 

"Whaddup! Whaddup!" he shouted.

Steven caught second hand embarrassment and Pee Dee face palmed, groaning into his own hand. "Embarrassing.. he's going to end up getting socked in the mouth." he grumbled into his hand.

"Ayeeee!!! Ronaldo!!" the first guy shouted out. 

"What's up, man!!" his friend joined in. 

"Wait, wait, wait! He knows them!" Pee Dee whisper shouted to Steven, relieved. 

"Yeaaah, gimme some, gimme some." Ronaldo continued the handshake, patting the second guy on the back of the hand with his before bringing his hand together with the guys. He clasped their hands together, bringing his fingers in for the second to final phase of the handshake before he half pulled half snapped his hand away as to properly end the handshake. "Hey, where's Eddy. I'm surprised he isn't here."

"He's in the bathroom." the first guy pointed behind his self. 

As if on cue, the slim blond man came out. His mischievous green eyes looking at the three. "Whoaaa, Ronaldo! Hey!" he jogged over. "Didn't think I would catch you over here on this side of town." 

"Ah, well it appears that you do not know me very well." Ronaldo said with a complacent grin on his face. _"I_ am over here to.. _investigate_." 

"Ahhh, man.", "Come ooon.", "This again?" the said over one another, grinning and poking fun at him.

"Hey!" Ronaldo had a determined grin on his face. "I have ye three know, that I," he rolled his tongue. "Rrrrronaldo, am quite close, to cracking the code." 

"Oh yeah?" 

"Why yes of course, my fellow Eric. I am. very. close." he leaned on the counter. "BUT. I still need just a bit more clues. So.. you three seen anything...... fishy?" 

They shook their heads in unison.

The bartender came over and slid them their drinks. "Hey, howzzit goin' Ronaldo?" the man's grizzly voice crackled through his rotten teeth.

"Oh hey Camarero." 

The man was pouring another two drinks for a lady and a man sitting behind Ronaldo. 

"Hey, have you seen anything .._weird_ lately?"

The man scoffed. "You talkin' about those killin's again?" 

The three man laughed with the old man's smoker's laugh. 

"Of course!" Ronaldo whined. "You know. Any shady figures, anyone acting weird. Anything!" 

The man stepped to the side amd slid the couple their drinks before stepping back over to Ronaldo. "Nah." he shook his head. "Ain't seen nothin' of the sort." he scratched at his gray beard and flakes of ash fell to the counter. He wiped the particles off casually with the back of his hand. "You might wanna try somewhere else." he cackled. 

"And THAT, is EXACTLY what I am going to do!" he exclaimed enthusiastically and everyone in the bar looked at him. 

Pee Dee face palmed again. 

"But first." he sat down at the barstool. "How about one" he raised his index finger up. "on the house, huh?"

"Sorry man. This'll be what. The fourth, fifth time this'll be on the house?"

"Ah, come on Camarero. I'll buy it for the guy." said Eric. 

"I KNEW I could always count on you!" Ronaldo slapped the man on the back. 

The bartener made Ronaldo's usual and set the drink down by him. 

"Now THIS. is what _I'm_ talking about." he downed the drink. He slammed the cup on the counter. "Ahhhhh~".

The guys laughed at him. 

"Hey! How about we give him another?" Eddy suggested. "I'll buy him one this time!" 

"Ohh no they don't." said Pee Dee. "That's it man. We're just here so he can get his drinks." he walked away from Steven. "I did NOT sign up for this." 

The men were cheering Ronaldo on as he drunk the second cup down.

Eric looked over as Pee Dee stomped over towards them with a glare in his eyes. He chuckled. "Uh oh. Looks like _someone_ is mad."

"Ronaldo." he stepped in between his bother and Eddy. "What are you doing, man! You said we were supposed to be, finding stuff out about these killings! And the Diamonds!.. And the Crystal Gems!" 

"Whoaa." Eric snorted. "Yo Ronaldo. You know lil yo right here?"

"Yeahh." he groaned with an eye roll. "He's my little brother." 

"I didn't know you had a brother." said Eddy.

"Huh.. I'm flattered.." Pee Dee deadpanned. He turned his attention back to Ronaldo. "Come on, man. Let's get out of here." 

"Heyyy, heyy. Calm down Pee Dee." he said casually and a bit slurred. "This is aaaall apart of the plaaaan." he giggled. 

"Oh, that's just nice." Pee Dee growled. "I guess all of those drinks are FINALLY hitting you." 

"What? Pffft, of coooouurse not." he turned to the bartender. "Hey! How about two more."

"What?!" Pee Dee shrieked. 

"One of you three got me, right?" Ronaldo asked. 

The nodded their heads and Eric have him a thumbs up.

The bartender started on his drinks.

Steven finally decided to walk up to them.. see what was going on. 

"Steven." said Pee Dee. "Work that, talk, sympathy, empathy, manipulation thing you do to get people to listen to you!" 

"Huh?" 

"Talk him into leaving out!!"

Ronaldo gave him a wave as he leaned back on the bar counter. " 'Suuuuup Ssstevoooo~~."

"Ronaldo, what is this?" 

"Another brother?" Eddy chuckled. 

"No, he's my best friend." Pee Dee snapped at him. 

The man kaughed at Pee Dee's feistiness.

"Ronaldo, we shouldn't be here." said Steven. "You told us that we were going to be searching for more clues but, all we're doing is sitting at this bar." 

The bartender handed him the two drinks. "Thanks bud." Ronaldo gave him a thumbs up before turning back to Steven. "But Steven. This is all apart of the plan."

"Getting some drinks and getting wasted is all apart of the plan?" 

"Indeed it is! Me getting drinks is aaaall. a. seeet uuuuuupppp." he popped his p's multiple times. 

"Yeaaaah, I don't buy it." he folded his arms, giving Ronaldo what he felt was a rather Connie-esque stare down. "We should leave. You told us that you wanted to get closer to cracking the codes and _that's_ what we should be doing."

Ronaldo looked at him and Steven narrowed his eyes at him, practically unleashing his inner Connie when she's po-ed at him for not doing a particular chore she told him multiple times to do.

"If you leave now, Ronaldo, I think we'll have a better chance at actually finding something." he tried to slither in an optimistic thought as his arms kept folded in front of him. "We could find more clues if we get out of here." 

Ronaldo looked at him even more and Steven's stare down never wavered.

The man sighed. "Fiiiiiine."

His friends cheered. "Whoa! You actually got him to leave early! Now THAT'S a superpower right there!" his friend laughed.

"Right?" Eric nudged him. "I ain't think I would EVER see THAT happen." 

The man laughed in unison. 

"Okay guys." Ronaldo said to Pee Dee and Steven. "If you guys pick up those two beer cups" he gestured at the two full glass cups in front of him. "Then we can leave." 

"Pick up the cups..?" Steven looked at Pee Dee.

"What the heck are you getting at Ronaldo?" 

"It's simple. I just want you two to pick up the cups. And. that's it." 

Pee Dee and Steven exchanged skeptic glances once more before Steven reluctantly walked over. 

His memories practically flashed in his mind as he neared the handle of the cup. He tried dismissing those past thoughts as he picked the cup up. He looked over at Pee Dee and his brother. 

Pee Dee picked the second cup up and looked over. 

Ronaldo nodded with a pleased smile on his face. He leaned his hand over and grabbed an empty cup and held it up. 

"So.." Pee Dee glanced over at Steven's half uneasy half skeptic look and back over to Ronaldo's mischievous grin. "We've picked up the cups, Ronaldo.."

"Hm." he nodded. "Indeed you two have." 

"Oookay?" he gave another glance over at Steven before looking back at his brother. "We're.. just going to.. be putting the drink down now...?" the two began setting the cups down towards the counter.

"How about a little sip?" Ronaldo suggested.

"Okay. That's it." Pee Dee placed the cup back on the counter with Steven following a half second after. "Yeah, we're going." Pee Dee marched away from him and towards the door. 

"Huh.. what's biting him?" Eddy asked.

"Eh." Ronaldo shrugged. "It is quite a wonder." he took a cup and drunk the liquid down and placed it on the counter. 

"Uh.." Steven looked at Pee Dee pushing the door open and stomping out. He looked back at Ronaldo. "I'll go see what's going on with him." he jogged away. 

"Welp. You heard the boys." Ronaldo got up and the barstool skid roughly across the floor behind him. "Duty calls." 

Steven pushed open the door and Pee Dee snapped around, dropping his hand away from his watch. 

"Hey.. are you okay?" Steven asked. 

"Y, yeah. Why man?" he rolled his sleeve down over his watch.

"I don't know. You just seem sort of.. tense maybe? I mean I know it's Ronaldo and he can get a bit annoying but.." he shrugged. "I don't know. You just seem.. like you have something on your mind." 

"Nno." he shook his head. "I don't." 

There was a single beep from his watch. 

Pee Dee ignored it. 

Steven looked down at the light flashing underneath the sleeve of his shirt from the watch. "Uh.. do you need to get that?" 

"Nno." he shook his head once. "I don't."

There was silence between them, say for the people in the bar and a single dog baying in the distance. 

Seconds later and the door swung open and out walked Ronaldo. They looked over at him.

He took a few pictures outside and put his phone back in his pocket. He then cleared his throat. "So." he stated plainly. "Shall we?" he gestured up the sidewalk with both hands.

The two nodded stiffly.

  
  


The three were passing the huge, brightly lit casino. Crowds of people were already inside drinking and gambling. 

"Here we are." said Ronaldo. "This is our second out of fifth spot."

Pee Dee was pressing buttons on his watch for the fifth time during the twenty five minutes of them getting to the area. 

"You hear that Pee Dee?" Steven asked. 

"Huh? What was that?" he looked up from his watch. 

"Ronaldo says we're here."

"Oh." he put his arm down and looked around. "So, downtown at the casino?" 

"YuuUUP." he grinned. 

A group of young women wearing bright red, feathery, leaving nothing to the imagination, lingerie outfits were walking up the sidewalk strutting and talking as they made it up the block towards them.

"Look at them." said Ronaldo. "All five of them are wearing the same alluring garments." he took out his phone and held it up in front of him. The women passed by still chatting it up, not noticing Ronaldo snapping photos of them. 

Steven and Pee Dee exchanged awkward glances. 

"Some might say it's coincidence." he put his phone back in his pocket. "I say there's..... _more."_

Pee Dee scoffed. "Like what? A _double_ coincidence?" he mocked.

_"You'd _ already be in the know if you followed my blog, "Keep Empire City Weird"." 

"..You mean that blog you kept jabbering to dad and I that you were planning on making?" 

"Yes. That is in fact, the one." he dug in his pocket and took out his phone again. He went to the website and flipped the phone over in his hand to show Pee Dee. "I document all the weird things that happen in Empire City! You can't always trust facts and books! I'M out here hunting the TRUTH!" 

His brother raised an eyebrow at him. _"That_ says Keep _Beach_ City weird." 

"Ah, that's just a TYPO!" he threw his hand back, away from Pee Dee's unamsued face. His brother grumbled under his breath as he pressed his fingers down hard on the screen. "I'll just hurry up and change it now." he grumbled more. 

"Anyway," Pee Dee looked around the brightly lit area around them from the lights of the building behind them. "we're by the casino because..... someone died here ... or...?" 

"Nobody has died." Ronaldo answered him. _Yet."_

"What the heck does _that_ mean?" asked Pee Dee. "You think someone is going to get killed here?!"

"Well I'm sure I do not _know_ Pee Dee. For that. is why. we're here."

He and Steven exchanged skeptic glances for the umpteenth time before he looked back at his brother. "Okay man. I'm trying to follow you here." 

_"Soon._ you will know.. what I mean." there was the complacent grin on his face again.

The three of them had stood in front of the casino as Ronaldo snapped a few photos. 

He placed the phone back in his pocket with a hum. "Looks like we are done here." he started walking away from them. 

"Whoa, hold up man." Pee Dee followed him, with Steven right beside him. "Soo.. that's it?" 

"MmmmHM." he nodded. 

"But.. but all we did was just, STAND at the casino while you took pictures!" 

"Exactly." he grinned. He kept his attention forward, not even as much as glancing down at Pee Dee. 

"Wha- but.. Ronaldo, I don't g-" 

"And NOW. Young Pee Dee and Young Steven. We are now embarking on a journey towards our third out of fifth important destination."

Pee Dee's expression dropped to a scowl. "This _better_ be something worth going to.."

"Indeed it is, Pee Dee. Indeed.. it.. iiisss~~."

Pee Dee's expression was anything but amused. The bored look on his face matched with a twisted frown as he glowered at him. "If that's what you say man.." his voice was tired and monotonous. "So, where are we going to now? Another bar so you can go get another drink?" he mocked.

"Tsh, nooo." Ronaldo rolled his eyes behind his cracked glasses. _"We_ are going to a very popular drug corner." 

"To get your drugs?" he deadpanned. 

Ronaldo threw his chin up in the air and scoffed. "That isn't the _only_. reason. Pee _Dee."_ he looked down at his brother. "Remember I told you that those two teenagers, you know, the first ones who got killed, were hanging out with their bar friends?"

"Yeah?"

"The teens were killed. However, their friends lived BUT. _only_ some of them did." 

"Right. You said that two of them ended up dead just a few days ago. 

"Exactly. And what better way to investigate than going to that exact. spot." 

Pee Dee nodded. "Hm.. Looks like we're actually _finally_ doing something here."

  
  


It took the three of them just fifteen minutes to walk down to the corner. Police tap was draped across from one pole of the corner and across the side street to the other pole. Either end of the police strips ended at the end of one building on either side of the alleyway. 

Across the street from them was a group of people, no doubt either selling, doing drugs or both. 

"Two friends. One boy, one girl, was found dead. They were friends with the former mentioned teenagers. These two were both drinkers and gamblers _and_ they did drugs." said Ronaldo. "And does anyone here know _how_ they died? Hm?" 

They shook their heads. 

"The last drugs they took were laced." he answered. "A camera on the side of an apartment complex just a block up from here showed the two waiting at the corner. A black car came up and they were seen giving the money to a person in the passenger's seat and the person handing them the drugs." he stopped and looked at the two. 

Conditioned now to speak up after Ronaldo ended his talk, Steven had spoken up. "So they took the drugs without even questioning. And they were also waiting for them, which means that they most likely knew the people in the car very well to had been their costumers." 

Ronaldo nodded with another pleased grin. "Exactly." then he rubbed his chin. "Or I _would've_ said that had I not finished watching the news." 

"Huh?"

"The video showed a bit of hesitation on their part. When the windows rolled down, the two of them froze, as if being caught of guard. Perhaps they weren't expecting seeing someone in that car?" 

"That seems like a stretch Ronaldo." said Pee Dee. 

He fixed his little brother a leveled stare before saying, "Minutes later after the illegal exchange and the two of them left with the car riding away, another car of the same color and model pulled up."

Pee Dee was quiet and wide eyed in shock. 

"..They impersonated someone?" then Steven quickly corrected himself. "I mean.. maybe the guys in the car claimed to be friends of the actual drug dealer. That would explain the hesitation on their part if they saw someone new." 

"Right." said Ronaldo. "So this L&Co group closely follows people.. They know about certain people and they strike at the right time with the right ammo. They knew those two teens were doing business with the guy driving a black Mercango. And so, they targeted them while driving in the same car. But it also haves you wondering.."

"Wondering what?" Steven asked. 

"How do they get these vehicles? The fake taxi cab, this car and all of the other vehicles they have. Do they just have a lot of money and rent out these cars and take the licence plates off or do they use the same car and continue to repaint it?" 

"Huh.. that's a good question." said Pee Dee.

"Yes. A good question that needs a good answer. Which is why we need to further investigate." he pointed to the rowdy crowd. 

"Yeah, maybe they would have something to add to this." said Steven. 

"Maybe. But I'm going over there for a little._exchange_. myself."

"What?" 

He pivoted around and leaned in towards him. "You got any more cash on you, Steven?!" he cheesed in his face. 

Steven backed up. "Uh, yeah but.." he pushed him gently away. "Ronaldo, I'm not going to give you money to buy drugs. It's bad enough I already gave you money for drinks." 

Ronaldo leaned away. "Pshht.. whatever." he dug his hand in his pocket. "I think I got some left over change from earlier that may be enough for a little."

Steven looked at him, mouth agape. 

"Hey, Pee Dee. You want a bit of this?" 

"Uh, no man. I don't do that anymore." 

"What?!" he shrieked.

"Yeah.. I can't do that anymore.. I need to get fit." 

"I can NOT believe such a thing." he gasped. 

Pee Dee shrugged. "It's for my new job Ronaldo. You know that." 

"But you would _always_ still do drugs regardless of the job's rules and regulations!" 

"Yeaah, well.. This job is much more stricter." 

Ronaldo scoffed. "Unbelievable." he started walking across the street to the rowdy group.

Pee Dee watched him as he started talking to one particular guy. The young man gave him a friendly high five and started talking to him.

Steven looked over at Pee Dee.

His best friend seemed tensed and also looked a bit tired. But from the sounds of it, with him not doing drugs anymore, maybe that was playing a role in it as he slowly adjusted his life without it.

_Maybe that's why he's acting a bit odd?_

_Maybe he's just not feeling like himself during this adjustment.._

He was going to speak up, offer some words of encouragement for his dear friend, when Ronaldo was running back across the street. "I have replenished my pocket with such illegal stimulants." he pat the front left pocket in question. "Now, let me take a few pictures of this area, then we can set off to the fourth out of fifth spot of our journey." he took out his phone out the other pocket.

  
  


Right after Ronaldo had taken a few pictures of the drug corner they were in, they began to make their way to the next spot.

They took one bus that was a twenty minute ride down towards a block that was also taped off with yellow police tape. 

"Their drug dealer." Ronaldo began. "The one those two teens thought they were getting the drugs from in that car. He was found dead just at this popular prostitute corner yesterday night." 

"So they're eventually targeting everyone one by one.." said Pee Dee.

Ronaldo nodded. "It is only a matter of time before anyone else in this City of Empire is next."

That sent ice down their spine..

"Come you two. This is just the corner where he died, BUT the REAL corner I wanted to show you guys, is the next block down." he started walking around the police tape. "Because this area has been blocked off, all of the pimps, prostitutes and hookers had to move. Thus, just simply moving a block down." 

They could already see five girls dressed in shiny bras and mini shorts or skirts. Two were leaning down into the driver's side and talking to their potential cleints for the night, one was leaning on the wall talking to one guy and the other two were talking and laughing amongst themselves. 

Ronaldo was walking down towards the two that didn't seem busy. "Laaaadiiiesss~" he wiggled his eyebrows with a complacent grin.

"Ew." they both grimaced. 

One girl shook her head, her earrings dangling across her shoulders as she did. "Look at that guy. Gross, he is _not_ for me." 

Ronaldo gasped in utter shock and he could hear Pee Dee snorting as he tried holding in his laugh. 

The two girls looked pass Ronaldo at him and Steven. "Oooh, but his friends are pretty cute." she said.

"Yeah, especially the one with the blond dreads." her friend giggled sensually. 

"You get him and I get the one with those handsome brown eyes." 

Pee Dee and Steven looked at each other, cheesing. 

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, laaadieees~." Ronaldo stopped them. 

They let out a disgusted, annoyed scoff as they turned their attention back to the sweaty, drunkard. "What do you want?" the one with the fancy, dangling earrings ask. 

Ronaldo cleared his throat. "I, Ronaldo, would like to know if you, ravishing ladies, have seen anything, peculiar, around here?" 

They looked at each other, confused. Fancy Earrings looked back at him. "What are you even talking about?" 

"You know?" the complacent smile was even more evident on his sweaty, dirty face. "Any, shady figures.. people acting... weird?" 

She scoffed. "Yeah, I've seen _one." _

"Really?!" he cheesed widely. "Where?!" 

_"You"_ she and her friend laughed in his face.

His smile dropped to a disappointed frown.

He could hear Pee Dee and Steven trying to hold in their laughs again.

The ladies walked pass Rinaldo and over to them. "Heyy ya little cuties~" Fancy Earrings and her friend sauntered over towards them. 

"Hey." Pee Dee tried going for a much "cooler" voice. "How are you ladies doing tonight?" he grinned. 

Steven was blushing as one placed a sensual hand on his shoulder. "Uh.. h, hi." his voice cracked under her dazzling hazel eyes. She giggled at the nervous look on his face. 

Ronaldo was jogging over. "Eheeem." Fancy Earrings leaned her lips off of Pee Dee's blushing cheeks, leaving a red lipstick kiss on his skin. His brother glared at him. "Ronaldo." he hissed under his breath.

"You're still here? Whatchu want?"

"I told you. Weeee are tryyyiiing to seeeee if you two ladieeees have seen anything going on around heeeere?!" 

The one massaging Steven's shoulders under his shirt tilted her head. "And she told you already. Only. _you."_

Ronaldo rolled his eyes. "So you two weren't there when that drug dealer got killed just a block up?" 

Fancy Earrings leaned up from Pee Dee's lips and looked at Ronaldo as the one massaging Steven's shoulders dropped her hands from him.

The two ladies glanced at each other before looking back at him. "We don't know what you're talking about." her friend said.

"Yeah." Fancy Earrings shook her head. "We weren't there." 

"Looook, no need to be afraid my fellow women. I am not a cop. I, Ronaldo, am just trying to get to the bottom of these killings. I, am trying, to find the TRUTH of this all." 

They looked at him.

"Look.. Sir.." her friend said nervously. "We just heard that some guy died a block up. We're not related to that incident in any way-"

"Hey! What's going on over there!" 

They heard a male voice shout out. 

"Daddy!" the girls shouted nervously. 

Ronaldo turned around to see a slim guy dressed in a shiny purple suit with a black homburg hat with a purple feather on top. The stylised man with shiny purple dress shoes was on the top step of the stoop. He slammed the door and walked down the three steps and began stilling over towards them. The cane clicked along the cement as he closed the distance between them. "You two better not have me ask that question again. You know I don't like repeating myself." he twisted his face in a snarl. His shiny gold tooth glinted in the lamplight. 

"Sorry daddy." Fancy Earrings said meekly. "We were trying to tell this guy that what happened up there with that drug dealing guy wasn't any of our faults." 

The man looked over at Ronaldo. "You over here bothering my women?" 

"Uh, uh, NO Sir." he shook his head fervently as he held his hands up in a placating manner. "Not at all! I was just.. curious if anyone here has seen anything around here and-" 

"You trynna be some kind of" he poked Ronaldo in the stomach with his cane. "po po or somethin'?" 

"Uh, n, no. I mean.. I'm just trying to find out who's killing all of these people."

"Look. Them dumbass people got what was coming for them. They should've been paying more attention. Now they ass is dead 'cause they wanted to be stupid." he shifted his foot to the other as he placed both hands on the head of his cane. "Like them hoes said, we don't got nothin' to do with that dead man. So either you get outta here, or you pay these sluts for a good time."

"I'm just trying to look for clues-" 

"Bitch, this ain't no Blues Clues. Out here trynna find clues and shit. Get outta here. You AND your friends. You wasting these hoes time and money." he turned to the two women. "Sweet Cakes, Strawberry, get yo asses back over there and make me some money." 

"Yes daddy." the two girls jogged pass them and to their corner.

The pimp looked over at Ronaldo. "You come over here in this piece bothering my hoes again, I'mma _get_ my_ piece"_ he open his jacket to reveal a gun tucked into his pants. "and yoou're gonna be the one in a body bag." he turned back around and started strolling back over to the group of ladies.

"Huh..... well that could've gone better." said Pee Dee. 

"Uhhhhg!!! Idiot!!" Ronaldo stomped. He turned to the two. "See what I mean?! NOBODY wants to learn about the truth!!" 

Pee Dee and Steven saw the man turn back around. "Uh, Ronaldo?" said Pee Dee and Steven pointed a nervous finger towards him. Ronaldo turned around to see the man stomping back towards him. His Jerry curls flowing behind him. "You still hea?" 

"Uh, let's just go! Let's just go!" Ronaldo pushed the two in front of him and the three of them started booking back up the block.

  
  


After running up the block, Ronaldo had realized that he didn't take any pictures prior to leaving. The three went back, this time, across the street. They hid behind a car and took a few pictures of the pimp and one of the women they were talking to, the other one being gone assumably with a client. He took a couple more pictures of the new girls standing around (Seven noticing one of the girls as Pearl and nearly freaking out over it, but trying to keep it together) and after the photos were taken, they got up and left. 

The last destination was much farther. It'd took them a little over an hour to get there. They'd left the metro station and started up the block, the two being on the other side of Ronaldo as they followed him to the last spot he wanted them to go. 

Just two blocks up they could see a line of people outside of a wide and two story tall building. They could hear the music muffled by the walls of the building.

"Whoaa, don't tell me we're going to that famous club." Pee Dee asked in awe. "Only the head honchos can get in there." 

"Tsh, yeah right. Us? Going in _there?_ Heh, yeah, like something _that_ absurd would ever happen." he cut down a block and into a dark alleyway. "But yes, such an absurd thing _could_ happen if and WHEN we get in there." 

"So I take it we're not going in the front then."

"Nope!" he grinned mischievously. _"We_ are taking a little chemin de moindre résistance. That's path of least resistance in French." he stopped at a gray door on a side of the building. 

"Yeaaahh..." Pee Dee drawled. 

Ronaldo popped open the lock and opened the door. "Well, my ah fellow, adventurers." he gestured his hand towards the inside of the building. "Let us go."

Again, Pee Dee and Steven exchanged skeptical looks before Pee Dee was the first one to walk u the stairs and into the room. Steven followed him inside and Ronaldo walked in behind them and closed the door. 

They were in vacant pizzeria. Only the checkerboard pattern on the tile wall was left.

"We're going to head downstairs." said Ronaldo. He jogged over to the backroom and opened the door. 

Steven and Pee Dee followed him back.

The three of them walked through the door and down the black, brittle steps. "These hallways connect to a few buildings." said Ronaldo. "And one of them leads to the kitchen area of the club." 

"Ronaldo, how do you even know all of these passageways?" Pee Dee asked. 

"Ah, the areas where a post drunken state will find you." 

"...ookay?"

The two followed Ronaldo down the spiralling steps anddown to the basement. They followed the man in their five minute journey pass doors (that he had to pick open) and down more hallways. 

They were now walking through a door. They could hear the loud music as it vibrated the hallway they were in. 

"It's just a bit further down." said in front of them. "It's the next door on our left." 

They followed Ronaldo to a black door and he began to pick at it. The knob clicked open and steadily, he pushed the door open. He looked around. "Ah, good. Nobody is here at the moment." he dashed right in and Pee Dee and Steven followed right behind him with Steven quickly closing the door back. 

Ronaldo exited through the black push door and took a step over to the wall and waited until Pee Dee and Steven ran out the door. 

"To the bar!" he shouted under the loud music the DJ was blaring on the speakers. They followed Ronaldo over by the bar. Crowds of propels were sitting and standing amongst each other and drunk laughing over by the counter.

Ronaldo slid in between a few people and saw the bartender tending to a drink. "Hey buud." 

He nodded. "Whatchu want?" 

"The best drink you can offer."

The man scoffed. He slid the girl her drink and began working on his.

Pee Dee and Steven finally managed to slide in through the crowd of people. "So, what's here?" Pee Dee asked. 

The bartender slid him his drink. 

Ronaldo grabbed the cup and lifted it up. "The good stuff." he grinned.

"Heh, no, I mean.. Like, what's _here_ here? Anything suspicious happening in this place that made you want to come here in particular?" 

"Yeah."

"What?" he looked on, intrigued.

"The drinks." 

Pee Dee's expression dropped. "Wait a minute, man.. Don't tell me.." he shook his head. "You didn't just come here.. just for drinks. Did you?" 

"Everything is all. part. of this important. plan." 

Pee Dee narrowed his eyes at him. "And.. you're plan was.. what? To get, even more drunk?!"

"Well tshhhh, one could say that OR, one could look at the bigger picture here."

"What big picture!" 

Ronaldo and Steven jumped.

"Ronaldo.." Pee Dee said through his teeth. "You've been.. you've been, giving us the run around!!" he shouted. 

"What? No I haven't-"

"Yes you have!" he pointed a finger at him. "The bar, the casino, the drug dealing corner, the prostitute corner! Nnnnn here!! EVERY. SINGLE. ONE OF THESE PLACES!! YOU JUST, TOLD US WHAT HAPPENED TO THOSE PEOPLE, TOLD US YOUR STUPID HYPOTHESIS AND TOOK PICTURES!!"

"Pee Dee. ALL of this is an elaborate plan!"

"Screw your elaborate plan!" he pushed his drink over and the bartender and a few onlookers looked over at them.

Ronaldo gasped. "How COULD you-"

"Whatever! I'm out of here man." he stormed off.

Ronaldo threw his hand in his face and more pieces of his lenses broke off and fell to the floor. "What has gotten INTO him!!" he looked at Steven. "He's NEVER acted like such a.. a cockalorum before!" 

"A.. what?"

"He's been acting weird lately, Steven. I don't know what's going on, but, he's not going to end up finding the truth with THAT kind of attitude!" 

"Okay, okay.." he tried calming him. "Let me just talk to him." 

Ronaldo sat down with a groan. "Fine. You do that." he placed his arm down on the wet counter and sighed. 

Steven looked around the dense area of people. People danced and walked all around him. He pushed pass, sliding and squeezing between them. 

He just so happened to look over to his left and saw a small glimpse of Pee Dee's dreads as he marched through a crowd of people.

"Pee Dee!" his voice was drowned out by the speakers. He half squeezed half ran through groups of people to get to the front of the building.

Pee Dee pushed open the door to the outside and saw the line of people. Two beefy security guards looked back at him as he walked pass them. One took a step forward and unclipped the red belt and let him pass. Moments later Steven ran out and they unclipped the rope for him. Then the second security guard beckoned for two people to come in.

"Pee Dee!" Steven shouted. "Pee Dee! Wait up!" 

He turned around and Steven could see a twisted scowl on his face. He slowed his p!ace down. "Uh.." 

Pee Dee glared at him.

"Just.. wanted to see how you were doing." he started taking a few cautious steps towards him. "You kinda.. let Ronaldo have it back there." he pointed behind himself. "I never seen you really explode like that." 

Pee Dee's glare only lasted for a few moments before it started to waver. He sighed and shook his head. He looked back up at Steven. "It's nothing man. I've just" he shrugged. "been a bit on edge lately." 

"So.." Steven stuffed his hands in his pant pockets and kicked an errant rock out the way. "I.. take it you don't want to talk about it?" 

He shrugged again. "Iiiiit's not important." 

"Hmph. That's not what you tell _me_ when I'm sulking in _my_ own problems." 

"Heh yeah.." 

"So.. what's up? I'm all ears." 

Pee Dee found a nearby tree and went to lean on it. "I don't know.. like I said. It's not important." 

"But it's important enough for you to think about it like this." 

Pee Dee looked from the leaves and down to Steven. 

"What's gotten you so high strung?" 

Pee Dee sighed. "It's this job that I have now. It's been stressing me out for the pass couple of weeks." 

"Like.. the workload or.. the management?" 

There was another shrug from Pee Dee. "I guess you can say both really. The things that I have to do and who I'm working for. It's all just, one, huge chaotic, stressful mess." 

"Why don't you just leave?" 

"Um.." Pee Dee paused as he looked away from him. "I'm.. under this contract.. It's not that easy to leave." 

"So you have no choice but to keep at it despite of how terrible you feel going to it. And no matter what, you just have to grin and bear it despite if it not getting any better." 

Pee Dee looks back over to him. 

Steven nodded knowingly. "Sounds like me and my job. They've been working me to the bone and my best is still not enough. Not to mention we don't see eye to eye on a lot of things." he tried for a humorless smile. "And I can't get out of my job either. So, I'm just working under people for the time being." 

"Sometimes I don't even feel like getting out of bed knowing that I have to work under them.. but it seems like they have eyes everywhere.." Pee Dee sighed deeply. "It's like I can't escape them." 

He saw Steven walking over to him. "Sounds to me like we're practically working under the same company. We can't leave, the management is evil and we're suffocating under our own duties of being their employees." 

"Heh.. we sound like some whiny Blue collar workers." 

"Hey now. Those people work extremely hard." Steven gave him an apologetic smile. 

Yeaah, I know.. And I respect each and every one of them." he leaned off the tree. "Well, I guess this is how it's going to be." 

"At least for right now." said Steven. "And maybe you and I will get out of our jobs in the near future. I know I can't wait. I don't know how many missi" he cleared his throat. "how may duties I can take under this company." he took his hands out of his pockets and showed the cuts on his skin. "I think I'm running out of skin to get bruised." he forced out a chuckle. 

"Is that what happened?" Pee Dee poked his own face with his finger.

"Yeah.. Something happened with uh.. these coils.." he said. 

"I was wondering what happened but I didn't want to ask in front of Ronaldo." 

"Yeahh.. but I'm okay for the most part. I have this cream and oil I'm putting on my skin. They're definitely working fast. The wounds were muuuch much worse and painful than this." 

"Well.. speedy recovery."

"Thanks." he smiled.

Pee Dee's watch dinged and was lighting up under the sleeve of his shirt.

He let out another sigh and pulled his sleeve back. He read the message on the screen and pressed a few buttons and rolled his sleeve back down. 

"Everything okay?" 

"Yeah. Just my job asking me something." then he added. "But everything's fine." 

"Okay.."

There was silence between them for a few moments before Pee Dee let out a dry chuckle.

"What?" Steven felt his own self starting to smile. 

"Everything. Both you and I and what has been going on with our lives. You getting hurt on the job, me dealing with my own struggles at my own job. And just, how we're both living out our lives in general." he let out another humorless chuckle as he shook his head. "Why do we both suck at life so much?"

"Heh, twenty-one years of my life and I'm _still_ trying to figure that out myself." 

The two burst out laughing, ignoring the true pain they were feeling as they tried to push it further down with their joyless laughter and twisted humor.

And it soon began to die down..

Steven sighed. "Hey." Pee Dee looked at him. "Are you going to be okay?" 

"Yeaahhh." he tried for a more casually reply. "I'll be good as I'll ever be." 

Steven took that with a grain of salt and nodded. "So.. you want to stay out here or go back and look for Ronaldo?" 

"Pfft." Pee Dee rolled his eyes, though there was a smile this time. "Yeah, let's go and get him." 

The two only took a few steps when they saw one of the bodyguards pulling someone out of the door. He pulled the round figure as it grabbed at the door frame. 

"Oh great.." Pee Dee frowned, annoyed and Steven laughed.

The bodyguard pulled on Ronaldo's hips and he let go if the frame, shouting out something about how he shouldn't have to pay for drinks and that he should be rewarded for trying to find the truth.

The bodyguard spun around a few times and let go. Ronaldo soared through the air screaming. Only for his screams to be cut short as he flew, face first into a tree. 

The people in line started laughing and filming him on their phones. 

The bodyguard dusted off his hands and walked back to his spot. He stopped and stood stoic and serious once more. Moments later the second bodyguard unclipped the red rope and let one person in before closing the rope back and going back to his own stoic pose, matching the other bodyguard's.

Ronaldo groaned as he got up on his hands and knees. 

Steven and Pee Dee were running towards him. "Hey man. You okay?" Pee Dee asked. 

"Uhg.. such.. idiots! ALL of them!" he stumbled as he pushed to his feet and got up shakily. "They are COMPLETELY oblivious to the truth!" 

"Eh, whatever Ronaldo." Pee Dee grinned with a casual look to his eyes. "If they don't want to find out the truth. Then, that's on them. Right?" 

Ronaldo looked at him shocked, through his now, no sense glasses, before he let out a gasp. "You are RIGHT male sibling of mine!" he took out his phone. "And since we are JUST about done with with this plan, let me take pictures and then.... I, Ronaldo, will tell the both of you, what I have been concocting ALL of this time." 

"Great!" Steven cheered. 

"It's about time!" Pee Dee cheered with him.

Ronaldo snapped a few photos around the area and put the phone back in his pocket. "Now then. Let us go." 

  
  


The three of them were approaching an empty bus away from the hustle and bustle of the downtown area. The harbor behind them had one lone boat shaped like a a kangaroo. Two people used the peddles to paddle on by behind them. 

"Please, gentlemen. Have a seat." he gestured to the bench.

Steven and Pee Dee sat down as Ronaldo cleared his throat in front of them. "Now. I know you two are wondering as to why I have taken us to all of these places despite of not finding any valuable clues. Well, aside from the black box and microphone that Steven and I found." he added before continuing his monologue. "But as I have said many times, this was all apart of the plan. Going to the bars, the drug dealing and prostitute corners, the club, etcetera. All of the hot spots of where victims were either last seen OR found dead." he stopped.

And there was silence.. say for the distant noise of the city numerous blocks away from them. 

"Aaaand?" Pee Dee leaned forward. "Yes. We went to those places. Aaaand?"

"But, remember. Not only have we went to those places, but I let us stand at those places for minutes, not to mention us intermingling with a few people _at_ those places. Me talking to my bar friends, me wanting you guys to hold the beer jugs, me getting drugs not only to use it but also because I wanted to intermingle with them and you two have used your charm to intermingle with the ladies." he stopped again. 

Pee Dee and Steven looked at each other. Pee Dee looked back. "Ronaldo, we're still not following you. Yeees that is what we did today. Aaand?" 

Ronaldo let out a smug little chuckle. "Allow me to be a bit more blunt with this."

"Good." Pee Dee leaned back on the bench. "That's what we've been asking for you to do the first time." 

"Okay." Ronaldo began. "We have went. to these places. The places that these victims were either last seen or dead. We went there, mingled with the people there and stayed there at each spot for a bit. We were at these places socializing, being _apart_ of what the victims had been apart of.. _before."_ he had a self satisfied smirk on his face.

Pee Dee and Steven were putting the pieces together and Pee Dee sat back up. His mouth opened wide in horrified shock. "Ronaldo.. I know you're not saying.. what I think you're saying.."

He pointed a finger at his little brother. "You," then at Steven. "Steven," then at himself. "And I, have directly been potential. walking. victims. We have put ourselves out there, as objects of attention and attack."

The two shot up from the bench. 

"I can't believe this!!" Steven shouted.

Pee Dee stepped up to him. "YOU'RE CRAZY MAN!!!"

"Guuuys. This was all in my elaborate plan to see if I could get the L&Co group to come and get us. 

" So you wanted them to target us?!?" Steven yelled.

"YOU'RE A SICK MAN, RONALDO!!" 

"Whaaat? Guys, come on. Everyone knows you're a drug dealer." he pointed at Steven then pointed at Pee Dee. "and everyone knows you're a druggy like me. They could've had a THREE FOR THREE SALE!!" 

"Ronaldo, that's not me anymore!!" Steven yelled. 

"AND I DON'T DO DRUGS ANYMORE LIKE YOU DO!!" Pee Dee screamed. "AND EVEN IF I DID, I WOULDN'T DARE VOLUNTEER TO PRACTICALLY, HAVE MYSELF GET KILLED BY SOME GROUP!!!" 

"I don't see how you guys can be so upset!! Now we know that this most likely means they weren't prepared which is hardly unlikely or it takes time for our doings to catch on and for them to hunt us down! The first two murders were weeks ago. Then they became a couple weeks apart, then days apart!! We're close to figuring out the pattern here!!" 

"Ronaldo, I !! .. I really can't believe you did this!!" Steven yelled.

"YOU REALLY ARE A MADMAN, RONALDO!!" 

"Mad?! Why of COURSE not!! I am JUST trying to get these clues!!" 

"By putting our lives in danger!!!" Steven shouted. 

"FOR ALL WE KNOW WE COULD BE NEXT ON THEIR LIST!!!!" 

Ronaldo cheesed widely. "Exactly!!! And then we can actually be within the circle instead of being out on the sidelines!! We'll actually be involved!! We can track them and get even MORE clues from them!!" 

"Ronaldo.. How. can we do that... WHEN WE'RE ALREADY DEAD!!! BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WHEN THEY GET A HOLD OF US!!" Pee Dee shouted. "WE'RE DEAD!!! DEE EE AYE DEE!! DEAD!!!!" 

Steven rubbed his hands through his curls, trying to calm his breathing down. "Okay.. maybe.. maybe they didn't come out today.." he tried calming his self. "Maybe we missed them. Yeah.." he looked over at Pee Dee for comfort. "Yeah.. heheh.." he forced his self to smile at his best friend. "They missed us. Otherwise, with everything that we've done, they definitely would've targeted us.. right?" he asked Pee Dee. The boy looked uneasy and frightened. "If we did all of these things then.. then we would been pushed up to the top of the list because we've done so many bad things in one day! But.. but nothing happened. Heheheheheh.. yeah... Yeah nothing happened." he forced his face to keep the grin. "Heheh.. everything.. will be okay..." he nodded slowly, still grinning. "We didn't get caught. and.. nobody is onto us.. Noooobody." 

Pee Dee looked away from Steven dragging his hands through his hair and talking to himself and looked back at Ronaldo. He shook his head, completely appealed and disgusted at him. "This is crazy, Ronaldo. This really, reaaaally is. I honestly can't believe you would be this, this STUPID to have put ALL of our lives on the line like this!!" 

"What? I didn't. I didn't see it that way. I just wanted to find the truth and I knew that you two could help me!" 

"By using what we used to do as.. variables to your sick equation!!" 

"But we didn't get them to target us! So.. there are still SO many hypotheses about this all!" 

"Ronaldo, do you hear yourself?! You. have potentially. put. ALL three of us. in mortal.. DANGER!! HOW ARE YOU NOT FREAKING OUT ABOUT THIS?!?! We could die like, RIGHT now man!! Just, three bullets from that sniper!!" Pee Dee panted. 

"Guys, guys. Pleaaase. Don't be such caitiffs." 

They looked at him with complete and utter fear in their eyes. 

"I have no worry in such a group as the L&Co. And why?" he started haphazardly unbuttoning his shirt. "Because.." he ripped it off, revealing a armored breastplate. He made a hero is stance with his fists on his hips. "THIS is why!"

Both boys scrunched up their face in confusion. 

"Ronaldo, are you kidding me?!?! A.. stupid, cosplay item?!" 

"This, my young fellow Pee Dee, is NOT a cosplay item." then he quickly clarified. "Well.. not any_more_. For I, Ronaldo, have added MUCH needed materials into this." he banged his fist on the breastplate before bringing his fist back down on his hip.

"Ronaldo, I'm serious man."

"I'm serious too! Pee Dee." he looked at him. "You, are my fellow, dear, younger male sibling. Why would I, as your older male sibling, put you and your best friend of many years" he gestured a hand at Steven's uneasy face. "any harm?" 

Pee Dee looked at Steven and the two looked over at Ronaldo. 

"Obviously I have thought about this thoroughly, before I even tried to implement this idea to the real world! Pee Dee, Steven. Please except my most humblest apologies. For I, Ronaldo, hadn't been honest with my plans with you two. BUT, I assure you guys, that with the weapons such as this breastplate and other items that I have stored, we will not have to worry about this L&Co group." 

The two looked at each other again, exchanging uneasy looks..

"If I may, you two. I only have but ONE more thing to show you. And this, is in a very safe spot in an undisclosed location that only I know about."

Pee Dee looked at him, saddened and shaking his head. "Please don't tell me it's that creepy, abandoned lighthouse that Dad told you to stop going to.." 

Ronaldo fixed him a leveled stare before pushing his lensless glasses back up his nose for them to fall back down. "An undisclosed location that only Dad, Pee Dee and _I_ know about." 

Pee Dee sighed. He looked over at Steven who still looked uneasy. "What do you say, man?" he asked tiredly. "We already made it this far in the game and.. well at least it'll apparently be in a much safer place." he frowned with a shrug. 

Steven frowned.. thoughts of now being targeted by the L&Co group _along_ with the men in the tuxedos AND the Diamonds plagued his mind..

He tried shaking the thoughts out of his head but couldn't. He looked up at Pee Dee. "Uh..y, yeah.. sure.." he swallowed the bile back down into his churning stomach. 

Ronaldo gave them a minute nod. "Then come, you two." there was another pleased smug smile on his face. "I can assure you, you would_ not_ want to miss. _this."_


	189. At the lighthouse

It took the three of them an hour an a half to get to the mysterious, old, paint-chipping lighthouse.

Steven was slowly coming back to the present, though the worry of being targeting by another group still lingered in his mind.. 

They were each climbing up the metal stairs to door with Ronaldo leading them up towards the room.

"Are you two ready for what I've been doing for the past few weeks?!" he grinned. 

The two of them didn't seem too enthralled. Still feeling unnerved from what had happened just earlier. "Sure." said Pee Dee and Steven shrugged with a small. "Mhm." 

"Now." said Ronaldo. He unlocked the door and turned the doorknob. "Welcome, to my office." he pushed open the door to the lantern room at the top of the lighthouse. "Welcome... to the truth!" he shouted. 

In the room was a large notice board with newspaper clippings, printed photos from off the internet, photos from his phone that he got blown up and red string draping across various pins on a world map, with a blown up side map picture of Empire City with small dark blue thumb tacks pinned close together. Beside the message board was a chalkboard where he'd written various information and his own hypothesis. Above the two boards were the words "Identical Groups w/ different motives?!" written in large red letters.

Underneath the two boards was a table filled with newspaper clippings and photos. Beside the table was a medium sized brown suitcase. 

"Whoa." said Pee Dee. He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out his phone.

"Now, as you see, you two," Ronaldo turned around. "I have been quit busy with-" he saw Pee Dee on his phone. "Pee Dee!" the boy fumbled with his phone. "Whoa!" he caught the device. "Huh?" 

"What are you going! There will be NO taking of pictures. OR. recording"

"No, no, no! I was just uh.. That was dad asking me where I was. I'm just uh.. replying back to him. Just telling him that I'm hanging out with you and Steven right now."

"Oh." he turned to his side to face both them and the two boards. "Well, carry on then."

Pee Dee went to his app and clicked on the **Record Audio** and placed the phone back in his pocket.

"As I was saying.. I have been quite busy with what all has been going on with the world, especially Empire City." Ronaldo walked over to a table underneath of the boards. 

Steven followed him and Pee Dee pulled his sleeve down. He pressed a side button on his watch and conspicuously placed his chin in his hand, acting as if pondering and in deep thought as the screen of his watch laid unmoved on his wrist. He kept his arm up as he went from left to right, scanning, but to them, simply _looking_ at the boards, then down at the tables. 

The watch steadily recording everything.. and without showing any telltale signs that it was..

"Take a look at these pictures." 

The two of them looked at the various photos. Some from the news and showing pictures of cops retrieving the bodies and taping the areas off. Others having been snapped from bystanders at various spots at the location. Then, they were pictures across from them. These pictures showing random people going about their day at both specified and unspecified locations.

"As you two see, I have pictures from the news off of the internet, from the newspapers and even some that I have taken pictures of myself, along with other bystanders. The ones on the left are victims and the ones here on the right of your average Joes and Joannes are potential victims. I. E, people that have been seen at bars and other unruly places and those who are known as drug dealers, prostitutes, drunks and drug addicts. I keep my data on these potential victims on this chalkboard." they looked at the chalkboard filled with Ronaldo's chicken scratched handwriting. Pee Dee kept his arm up as he "rubbed his chin in thought", the watch taking in everything for a second time. "And.. the ones in your phone.." he said to Ronaldo. "That means we're still walking targets too, right? We're potential victims now, just like the ones on the board." 

"Yes. Yes we are." 

Him and Steven looked terrified and uneasy. 

Ronaldo continued, completely unfazed. "I've written down things like, where I've seen them last in those pictures, what they were doing in those pictures, what they do I.e, if they're drug dealers, druggies, etcetera, who they're seen with a lot, amongst other important pieces of information. Then, I just wait and if by any chance one of these people become a victim, they will be moved to the left column of the board and I'll write further information down on the chalkboard." he turned to them and Pee Dee kept his stance as to not draw any attention. "So you see guys. I am trying my hardest, to crack this pattern down. This L&Co group, just like the men in the tuxedos and white shades, came out not too long ago, but at least they're a bit easier to track down. Or at least at the moment, they are."

Ronaldo looked back at the board. "The only thing I have of the men in the suits are of this map." he gestured at the red string draped across various cities across the countries. "So far, they seem to like the U.K a lot. Especially in the South." he tapped his index finger on the country. Then he dragged his finger to the left. "Ireland." then he dragged his finger farther down and to the left to the States. "And up" He pointed to the top of the country at the State of Maine. "and down." he dragged his finger down to the State of Florida. "the Eastern coast of the U.S." he pushed his finger off the map. "And of these pictures when they were at the Fry Shack." he gestured at the pictures of the deceased men getting put in body bags and the bystanders that were killed along with them.. 

Steven's stomach churned and his skin crawled as guilt gripped at his heart. He was starting at his own faults.. his own mistakes.. The one who he'd killed when he had to take the jewel from the man's chest.. and of those four innocent people that he let get killed.. 

All of them dead and gone because of him.. 

Pee Dee looked over at the photos, still with his chin in his hand as he squinted his eyes as if really taking everything in. He stood on his toes and just ever so slightly, lifted his wrist up to get at a better angle. He then lowered his feet back down slowly. 

There were more photos. Some showing Pee Dee on the stretcher and other bystanders crying and in mid talk as they talked to the news crew.

"I'm still waiting patiently to get more information about them.." Ronaldo narrowed his eyes at the pictures in thought. "Are they trying to be the new Crystal Gems and Diamonds? Or, are they _working_. for the Diamonds? Ah.. there's still SO much that we don't know about them.." he leaned up from the photos. 

Steven and Pee Dee looked up at Ronaldo as he took out his phone. "I've taken more pictures of the areas we've been. However, _this_ time, I have not only taken pictures of potential victims, but I have taken pictures of more of the area around us." he began swiping across the screen of his phone. "In other words, anyone that sticks out. Maybe in one of these pictures I'll see someone hiding behind a tree or maybe there'll be someone trying to film inconspicuously on their phone" Pee Dee's heart jumped in his chest and he looked over at Ronaldo who was busy still looking at his phone. "Or maybe I'll see someone more than once in any of these pictures." he stopped swiping across his screen and looked up at them. "The point is, I'm quite serious with solving this mystery. The mystery of this L&Co group, the mystery of these men in the tuxedo and white shades and the many, maaany mysteries between the Crystal Gems and the Diamonds alike." 

He put his phone back in his pocket. "While other people are busy not wanting to find the truth, too busy bickering over whether "dubs" or "subs" is better, whether one should put toilet tissue over or under, what goes first cereal or the milk or if Univion or Telemundo is better, that ALL of them miss the big picture!" 

Pee Dee looked over at Ronaldo, now dragging his hand down to his neck "to scratch it".. not wanting to keep his hand on his chin and cause any suspicion. "And what _is_ the big picture?" 

"That something huge is going to happen to this world. Whether it be from the Diamonds, the men in the suits, the L&Co group, the Crystal Gems or heck, even some OTHER unknown, hidden group laying silent within our caves! This world, is going to change. And it's going to change drastically." 

That gave them chills.. and definitely not in a good way.

"This is what I've been trying to tell people for weeks now! All of these little pieces of information that I'm slowly but surely getting, is all coming together and forming into one huge, gigantanormous picture! For example, the black box and the microphone we found. I think they used that to sound off the sound of multiple gunshots to scare the people standing all around the alley. Then there's the bartender! He got arrested for serving drinks to those teenagers. Not just the ones that got killed, but in general. And sure he claimed that they had fake I.D's BUT, my question is.. what will happen once he gets out of jail? Hmm? Will he be the next victim for, not only selling alcoholic drinks but selling them to people under age?! And what about those women I took pictures of at the casino with all of that fancy lingerie? Will they continue being dancers or.... the next victims?" he nodded his head slowly. "All in due time, things will only start to piece together more.... and.. _more.."_

Steven looked at the two boards again as Ronaldo continued with his speech.

It was surreal. And chilling..

Looking at the past photos and also seeing people that may very well end up on the news one day.. 

It was terrifying.. 

Especially when _he_ could be one of them..

His eyes trailed down to the table. Various newspaper clippings of photos and pieces of stores and printed out photos were scattered about and overlapping each other. 

"..ut I think one of the Diamond sisters never got a proper colony, so maybe that just left three competent Diamonds to uphold the Diamond Authority.." Ronaldo mumbled to his self as he looked at a lone picture of four color coded rhombuses on a plain white copy paper. A white rhombus on top, a pink one at the bottom, a yellow rhombus on the left and a blue one on the right. 

"Hey, Ronaldo?" 

He looked over from the laminated paper. "Yes, Steven?" 

"What are these photos?" 

"Hm?" he looked down at take table. "Oh those are either miscellaneous, meaning ones that I'm not quite sure where to put yet or recent photos that I have yet to put up on the board." 

"Mind if I take a look?" 

"Wait." Steven and Pee Dee watched, (with Pee Dee's hand now relaxing on his shoulder, the watch still in view) as Ronaldo opened the drawer of the table. A box of large gloves laid inside. He took a pair out. "Here. Put these on. I don't want any of your fingerprints on it." 

Steven grabbed it from him and started putting them on and Ronaldo pulled out another pair and held it up towards Pee Dee. He shook his head, declining the offer and Ronaldo shrugged and smushed the gloves back in the box and closed the drawer back. 

Steven was sifting through the photos. The ones of people (who were either dead or more trial victims) and.. 

.. he'd even found a few personal pictures..

One was of Phi Lo when she was fighting Sugilite. The person had taken a picture right after the mallet had hit the fusion. The robot in mid air and the mallet right in between them. 

The second one he'd found was of him and Phi Lo inside of his bubble, the third one was with Lapis redirecting water back at Phi Lo and the fourth one was a.. rather wholesome picture of him in his bubble out at sea and just a second after Phi Lo lifted off with her wings as she pushed herself off the water. 

It was a beautiful picture, having shown the first few seconds of her freedom. 

But it was also a bit unnerving that they had been photographed without them even knowing..

And he was also thankful that all four pictures were far away and blurry enough to not get a good capture of their faces. 

Though he hoped that Ronaldo didn't have any of those fancy equipment that could clear up any images..

He tried ignoring that thought and looked through more photos and his heart jolted in his chest as he came across another very personal picture.. 

It was of the robot head that the masked person had let loose to attack him and Connie.. 

The photo was taken outside and across the street and a good distance away from the woods. At the angle the person was, they thankfully hadn't taken a picture of him or Connie, but Lion' tail and leg were shown, the rest of his body hidden behind a tree. And the giant robot head was on the other side of the tree in full view amongst the rest of the trees in the forest. 

Steven swallowed. 

He looked over at Ronaldo who was looking back at the laminated paper of the four diamonds. "Ronaldo?" the man looked over. "Who.. took this picture?" he held up the photo.

Ronaldo walked over and ordered down at the photo. "Oh, I'm not sure. Just, some random person that had posted it on the internet under this "Strange things Robots do" blog. I just so happened to had found that picture when I was snooping around the net and I noticed that that picture was taken in Empire. So I printed it out." then he added. "But that picture's boring compared to those babies right there that yours truly took." he pointed at the photos of the fight out on the beach. 

_"You_ took them?" 

"Yup. With my trust camera, I sure did!" he grinned triumphantly. 

Steven looked back at the photos on the table, as did Pee Dee, before he went to look back at the startling photo in his hand.

He could hear Ronaldo's voice playing in his head.. How Ronaldo thinks that it is someone who have already been out due to how "precise" the killings are. Someone who have killed people before but had stopped.. only to comeback for a reason of either eliminating people who reminds them of the people of their past or wanting to now kill people who are taking the path they were once on themselves.. 

Then his mind started to wonder over to the masked person, remembering them telling him and Connie specifically that they were coming out of hiding..

_..No.._

_It_ can't_ be.._

_..To avenge their Rose Quartz.._

Steven stared at the photo in his hand as he thought back on what the masked person had said to him and Connie when they were in that weaponry room.. 

_The person tilted their head, mockingly. "Oh? You want to know who I am?" they did a single chuckle. "I am someone who is coming back after many years of hiding.. and mourning." they straightened up their shoulders. "And I am someone who is coming back to get rid of the Crystal Gems once and for all.. and to avenge my Rose Quartz." _

Steven's heart began to race in his chest. 

That was plausible..... maybe? 

The masked person could be killing people to avenge her...... right? Just go out and kill every person she thinks is bad?

.... right?...

..... maybe?

Steven looked up from the photo and to Ronaldo who was looking at the "potential victims" side of the notice board. "Ronaldo?" he looked over at him. "About the L&Co group.. What you were telling me about them already having been skilled in killing people and just now coming back out.." he swallowed and tried to keep his voice as leveled as he could. "What if someone that they loved dearly got.. murdered? You think that would play a role in them possibly going out killing people because of that?"

"Sure. But they could also just kill the person who killed the person that was close to them." 

"But.. what if they don't _know_ who killed her, uh, them." 

"Hm." he looked away from Steven to look back at the photos on the right side of the notice board. "Then they may very well go as far as killing every bad person in general. If the person that was dear to them got their life taken away, then nobody bad gets to live. Whether that beloved person was bad as well or not." 

Steven could feel his skin getting clammy. 

_Oh man, oh man.. oh man!! And the masked person knows my face!! AND THEY KNOW CONNIE'S FACE TOO!!!!_

_Okay... This is even MORE serious now.._

_I... I just want to go home to Connie.._

_I need to get out of here.._

"..o.. what are you going to do about all of this now?" Pee Dee asked Ronaldo with his hand still resting inconspicuously on his shoulder. 

"Well, we'll just have to keep investigating. Like with the men and tuxedos and shades. Again, they could be with Diamonds or they could be a separate group trying to be the next Crystal Gem or Diamond Authority. That's what the Crystal Gems did. They wanted to be the next Diamond Authority and they essentially were. So these guys could be trying to overtake the two." 

"Right." Pee Dee nodded. 

"But right now, our stories are all over the place until we get more information, more clues. The Diamonds, the Crystal Gems, the men in the tuxedos and shades, the L&Co group. Yeaaah, there's a lot to take in, but it'll all be worth it once we crack the codes and save our world as a whole!"

"Uh, guys?" they looked over at Steven's uneasy face as he placed the photo down. "I.. think I'm going to get going.."

"What?!" Ronaldo exclaimed. "Already?!"

"Yeah." he scratched at his hair. "I just want to go home.." he took the gloves off. "We had a pretty long day today and I'm.. getting pretty tired.."

Ronaldo frowned slightly. "Hm.. well I guess if one isn't used to such a hair raising adventure then, yes, perhaps one would be tired out after such an excursion." 

"Um.. yeah. Thanks for understanding." he placed the gloves on the table and tried to sound a bit more cheery. "So um." he smiled and he knew it didn't look genuine. He could practically feel it. And he had a feeling Pee Dee was seeing right through his fsçade. "Guess I'll catch you two around?" 

"Well.. I did have _one_ more thing to show you two." then Ronaldo cleared his throat. "If thou can, Young Steven, I would like to show thee, before thou leaveth.

"Um.." 

_Maybe it could be of some kind of importance?_

"Sure." 

"Great!"

"And uh.. and _then_ I have to go home to Connie. She's probably wondering where I am now." 

_And I just want to be home and hugging her.. and feeling safe in her arms.._

"Ah, Connie. Your fair maiden. Perhaps she would like to join this group as well? Surely a group such as this could benefit from a double X chromosome."

"Uh.. n, noo. She's not.. really into stuff like this." 

He shrugged. "Psshht. Her loss then. BUT the offer is still on the table." 

Pee Dee looked over at him. "How is Connie anyway? You know." he gave Steven a look. 

"Yeaah.. she's been feeling a bit.. _sick_ lately." 

And he wondered if Pee Dee would catch on to what he meant. 

"Euuhhg.. that sucks." he shook his head, grimacing. 

It was Pee Dee. Of course he did. 

"Anyway, since we are in a group, _as I can safely assume, yes?_ I, as I've said just moments ago, will show you two just one more thing." he walked pass them and they watched as he stopped and turned at the door. "I'll be quick. I just have to plug my phone up to upload these new pictures and I'll show you two the one last thing." and with that, he opened the door and exited out and closed the door behind him.

Things were tense and just a bit awkward as he left the two alone in his office. 

And there was complete silence between the two for a few moments before Pee Dee spoke up. "So.. what do you think about this stuff?"

Steven shrugged as Pee Dee brought his hand up to his chin once more. "At the very beginning, I was just letting him live his cop drama fantasy." his face twisted into a frowned. "But.. now it seems like he's really onto something important and.. it's pretty terrifying when you start really listening to what he says as he pieces stuff together." 

Pee Dee nodded his head in his hand. "Yeah.. yeah I see what you mean. I didn't think any of this stuff was even true. I mean, I knew about the Crystal Gems and the Diamonds and the killings but I mean, I didn't think Ronaldo of all people would even come _close_ to anything like this." he gestured at the boards and he and Steven looked at every piece of information and photo Ronaldo had plastered strategically about the two boards. Then Steven looked down at the table to the chilling, personal photos.. 

"Exactly.. I didn't think that either." he sighed and looked back at Pee Dee. "It's unsettling. And.. not to sound morbid but.. I keep wondering if we'll be the ones on the boards next. The ones.. on the left." he, then a second later Pee Dee looked up at the police bags and the caution tape in the photos.

Steven had a point..

Whether they wanted to think about it or not.. it was possible that they could be the next targets.. 

They heard the door swing open. "Ooookay, my fellow aaaadventurers!!" Ronaldo shouted out with a huge smile on his face. He closed the door back and started towards them. Two solid long objects laid neatly in either back pocket of his pants and one oval shaped, lumpy item sat in his front pants pocket. 

He closed the distance between them as he made it over towards the table. "Now you two. I'll show you my VERY last. plan."

"So another plan? I thought you were going to show us another clue or something." said Pee Dee.

"And in a way, it is, Young Pee Dee. I want to show you two both, a clue, that _also_ leads.. to another plan." he placed his hand one shoulder of the two and turned them around to face the table. He kept his hands on their shoulders. "Let's take a look back at the table." he said behind them. He took one hand off of Steven's shoulder and picked up the four photos at the beach. He paced them over top of the other pictures and lined them up in front of them. "Now, you see these photos?" he asked.

Steven swallowed.

Pee Dee nodded his head. "I heard a bit about this on the news." he titled his arm just slightly down towards the pictures.

Ronaldo nodded behind them with a grin. He pointed to Phi Lo in the first picture of her going up against Sugilite. "That lady, right there, can be a clue." he tapped his finger on the photo. "It's a mystery as to who she could be, but it's clear that the Crystal Gems have something against her. Though.. if you see in the next picture" he tapped on the second photo of Steven. "This person is a Crystal Gem as well." 

Steven stood there, frozen.

"Yet, he is going up against the Crystal Gems. Why?" there was a hum behind them. "Was she a former Crystal Gem held captive? A Diamond henchman held captive? You can't see from the picture, but she was badly off. Emaciated and with marks that was definitely done by weapons. But here, we see her for the first time. Did this new Crystal Gem find her? _Where_ did he find her? And again, _why_ was he going up against them when he, too, is one of them?" he went to place his hand back on Steven's shoulder. "It could be that she is apart of the Diamond Authority who'd been let out, either by finally escaping or the person freeing her. Maybe the new Crystal Gem wanted to let her go. Maybe he had a change of heart. The same could go if she was a Crystal Gem who'd probably done wrong which resulted in her to be treated this way. The Crystal Gem could've wanted to free her because he felt it was the right thing to do." he leaned in, looking at the last picture. "The fourth picture is of them when she's flying away. Now to where, I don't know. Home? Or, maybe to the Diamond Authority? Who knows.." he looked over at the third picture. "They even had a very powerful gem to come and help them. This one is Lapis. A force to be reckon with. One of the strongest water Gems there are, if not THE strongest. That definitely tells you that that lady is extremely important. They wanted to take her down for whatever reason that could be." there was another hum. "You know, I'm very curious as to the motives of that new Crystal Gem. When he was seen in the Fry Shack the few bystanders who were interviewed had told the news that he didn't want to kill one of the men in the tuxedo and white shades, despite of the one that goes by the name of Amethyst, telling him. They also noted that he was crying. Something that Crystal Gems don't do. That lead to their boss killing off four innocent bystanders to make him quiet." 

The guilt gripped at Steven more and he felt his self starting to tear up.

"I don't think he's a perfect fit to be a Crystal Gem. In fact, if I knew any better, I wouldn't even put it pass him that he could be trying to change them. We could see that just by him going up against the most deadliest gang members of all time. Now that takes guts.. and heart. Though it's a wonder that he stayed this long being a Crystal Gem. HOWEVER, I must add that, when he was coming back, I saw his boss grip him by the neck and throw him in the trunk. So, maybe he'd finally done it. Maybe they finally had it with him and killed him off." 

Cold sweat was pouring down his back..

"But that's him..... I'm more so curious as to the _woman's_ whereabouts. Just a day and a half later while snooping around the Internet to find some clues and evidence, I came across a foreign site that blogs about paranormal happenings and creatures lurking within the Earth. And there, the picture was of her. The same woman that had escaped the Crystal Gems. According to the information under the picture that had been posted just hours earlier, it said that the person had taken this picture in the Eastern part of Myanmar. That's in Southeast Asia. Why there? Was she going home or is the Diamond Authority somewhere over there across the seas?" he leaned up as took his hands off of their shoulders. "So many mysteries.. isn't it? But I feel that she, too, could be of help in digging up more secrets in regards to the Crystal Gems." he dug in his pocket and took out the oval, lumpy item out of his front pocket. "And maybe in regards to the Diamonds as well." he brought the item up to his mouth.

Steven and Pee Dee looked on at the photos in shock and unease..

"But we'll get to the bottom of it.." they heard Ronaldo say behind them. "I feel that we are getting so close to uncovering it all.. It's almost done.. I could practically stick a fork in it." 

Their skin crawled..

There was so much going on now with the Crystal Gems, the Diamonds, the men in the tuxedos and white shades, the L&Co group, Phi Lo being found in Myanmar just days ago.-

They heard a crunch behind them and the sound of chewing.

They turned around.

Ronaldo was eating what looked to be a baked potato.

He took another bite.

Pee Dee's expression dropped to a rather bleak expression. "Ronaldo.. what the heck are you doing?" he said in a monotonous tone. 

He swallowed. "I am but stuffing my mouth with nutrition that is this starchy plant tuber." he took another bite. 

"But.." he raised an eyebrow. "Why do you even have that in your hand?"

"Why not? This, is a steamed potato. I found one that was laying in the kitchen at the club that we went to and decided to heat it back up downstairs." he took another bite.

"Did you steal that?" Steven asked.

"But WHY are you even EATING a potato of all things _right_ at this very moment?!" 

"It's best when eaten rewarmed. Also, I am hungry." he took another bite. "So I thought that eating it right now was the best course of action, my fellow male sibling."

"That reasoning is beyond me.." Steven said. "We're talking about something serious right now." 

"And WHY just a random _POTATO?"_

Ronaldo swallowed and raised his eyebrow at his brother. "Are you asking why people eat potatoes in general, Pee Dee?" 

Pee Dee looked at him, taken aback. He looked over at Steven who had just as confused a look on his face as he did. 

Ronaldo placed his other hand on the other end of the potato and began to pull at the vegetable. It broke in half. "Here, Pee Dee. Take half of it if you'd like. Mi casa, su casa." he leaned the half over to his brother. 

"Uh.. no man.." he pushed his hand out the way.

Ronaldo shrugged and put the other half that he'd bitten into back in his pocket and took a huge out of the second half. 

"Um.. anyway." said Steven. "Is.. that it Ronaldo? I really do want to start heading back. How far we are from the city, it's probably going to take me two hours just to get back home by public transportation.." 

"Yeah and I need to get ready for work tonight anyway." said Pee Dee. 

"Oh right, right, right! Okay, REAL quick." he shoved the last piece of the potato in his mouth. He placed his handson their shoulders again and turned them around. He munched and smacked in their ears. "Okay." he said with his mouth full. He munched and swallowed a few times and they waited for him to finish his potato. 

He swallowed a couple more times. "Okay." he said again. "I just want us to study everything that we have learned today, quite carefully. And from now on, we have to keep our eyes peeled."

"Right, we know that Ronaldo." said Pee Dee. He had his hand "scratching his shoulder" again. He went to turn back around and Ronaldo turned his shoulder back towards the table.

"I would ALSO like to add one more thing." 

"Ronaldo, you keep saying, 'Oh, just one more thing, just one more thing, one last thing'." 

"I know, I know. But THIS is the VERY last. thing." he said. "It's about the Crystal Gems.. And by extent, maybe even the Diamonds." 

Steven's heart fluttered in his chest and Pee Dee stood frozen as he kept his hand still on his shoulder.

"I think there's a way to lure in the Crystal Gems. We have the woman" he let go of Pee Dee's shoulder and pointed at the woman in the picture before bringing his hand back onto his shoulder. "And we have the very sickly people."

"But.. we don't have either of them." said Pee Dee. He turned back to Ronaldo and Ronaldo turned him back around. "Heh.. I know that." he let go of their shoulders. "And _you two_ know that." he put his hands behind his back and went for the two long, metal objects in either back pocket. "But do _they_ know that." 

Steven and Pee Dee, even more confused, started to turn back around and Ronaldo threw his hands back to the front of him and turned them back towards the table. "I said.. 'but do _they_ know that'?" he started reaching his hands behind his back once more and stopped.. waiting for the right moment..

Steven scratched at his hair. "Well.. no? But I still don't know what you mean." he looked down at the various photos and his eyes went back to the main four they were looking at just moments ago.

"Right, me either." said Pee Dee. "And are you even sure you want to eventually lure these guys to us in the first place? They're brutal people man." 

_"Extremely.." _ Steven whispered.

"Oh, pish posh. Taking them down will be easy." 

Steven, in disbelief, went to look back as Pee Dee said, "But, how will we even do that?" and he again, went to look at him and Ronaldo turned the both of them back around and went straight for the objects again. "As I was saying. First, we have to lure them in. Get them to _think_ that we have that woman or any ill people." 

"But how will we even GET them to think that?" Pee Dee asked. He glanced over at the pictures under them.

"Easy." Ronaldo said with a low chuckle. He pulled out two lead pipes from his pockets, holding one in each hand. "You two are going to be my bait."

Steven nodded and Pee Dee let out an "Ah." and a head nod before the two quickly registered what Ronald had said. "What?!" they shouted. Right as they turned around they felt something hard hit them on the side of their heads.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thumbs up if you cought that Attack on Titan reference x)


	190. The final plan of the night

Steven awoke abruptly to the left side of his face in pain.

..It accompanied the other throbbing pain he had on the side of his head..

He groaned..

..when he felt something hard hitting the other side of his face and the nerves under his skin sent pain up and down his face.

He hollered out. He opened his eyes slowly to see Ronaldo's mischievous grin.

He blinked his blurry eyes a few times as Ronaldo dropped his hand from his face and Steven's face tilted under before he picked his head back up. "..Ronaldo..?"

..What happened to him..-

The man walked away and Steven moved, trying to get to him.

And he couldn't.

He looked down to see ropes strapped across his lap and tied tightly to the chair. Two more ropes held the top of his torso to the top of the chair and his ankles were tied tightly together. He tried squirming under the tight, thick ropes. "Ronaldo!!" he grunted, barely moving under the ropes.

He watched the man walk over to Pee Dee and he noticed Pee Dee's face was mottled yellow and green. His blonde hair was covered in dark green goo and small black thorns were protruding under his jaw and down his neck. 

He didn't even look like Pee Dee anymore.. but he had a feeling it was him.. 

"PEE DEE!!!" he shouted. "RONALDO, WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM!?!?! he struggled under the straps.

Pee Dee laid emotionless and tied up to the chair. 

Ronaldo didn't answer him. He turned back to Pee Dee and held the boy's head up. He raised his hand up in the air and brought it down hard on his face. Pee Dee jolted up awake and Ronaldo brought his hand down to the other side. 

Pee Dee shouted out in pain. He opened his eyes wide as Ronaldo dropped his hand from his chin and stepped away, giving Pee Dee a view of a figure. Half of the person's face was covered in pink, the other covered in red. Black and gray lines ran up and down their face and the figure's hair was covered in a white paste. Black horns lined the side of their face. "Pee Dee!!" the boy shouted.

"Steven!?!?!" it didn't look like him. "Your face!!" 

"What?!?!" he panicked. "But something's on YOUR face too!!" 

"WHAT!?!" he tried to move and had finally realized that he was tied up. He looked over at Steven, looking at the ropes tied up around him. 

"WHAT HAPPENED?!" he shrieked.

Ronaldo chuckled.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING MAN?!?!" 

"Why this, Young Pee Dee, Young Steven, is all, part, of the plan." 

"WHAT?!" Steven shouted.

"WHAT PLAN?!" Pee Dee screamed. 

"Why, the plan to lure the Crystal Gems and _OR_ the Diamonds, of course." 

"WHAT?!?!" they exclaimed. 

"Guys. Do you two NOT remember how the Crystal Gems came RIGHT to North Carolina to retrieve that ill person?!? Well, I figured we could get them back JUST like that!!" 

The boys looked at him, completely shocked and horrified. They squirmed harder the ropes, to no avail. 

"Sooo with plan one we couldn't lure the L&Co group to us." a beat. _"Yet."_ a smile swept across his sweaty face. "BUT we have a chance to lure the Crystal Gems AND quite possibly the Diamonds as well!! Heck!! Or maybe even the men in the tuxedos and white shades!!" he looked to the two's horrified faces. "I'll say I found another TWO ill persons." he explained. He walked between and pass them and over towards the table. The brown suitcase was now open and they could see paints, goo and other items he used for their hair and faces. "The Crystal Gems will come because they think that YOU two were sent by the Diamonds!! And the Diamonds may come because they know it wasn't _THEM_ that sent you and they may think it's from the Crystal Gems trying to replicate their work!!! And the men in the suits may come to check everything out!!! Why, I might have all THREE!!!!" he cheered. "It's brilliant, brilliant, BRILLIANT I tell you!!" he swung out his arm in triumph, hitting a can of soda he'd brought in moments prior. "GENIOUS I say!!" the cup tipped over, spilling it's contents out on a few photos. "AAAHHH!!!" he grabbed at his hair. "My evidence!!!" he picked the cup up and grabbed the photos and began shaking them. 

He sighed, looking at the soggy paper. 

"Whatever. I will simply print more out." he placed the photos on the table and pivoted around to them. He cleared his throat. "Anyway.. I plan to film you two and post it to the news, then across the web. That will surely cause a stir and we'll have the internet buzzing loud and having the police and everyone down here in NO time!!" he grinned triumphantly. 

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'RE REALLY DOING THIS!!" Pee Dee yelled. 

"WHY DID WE EVER TRUST YOU!!" Steven shouted out angrily.

"Ah, you two'll thank me later once we've captured.. NOT one, NOT two but THREE head honchos in ONE sitting!!!" 

"YOU'RE CRAZY!!" Pee Dee screamed. He tried squirming harder under the tight, brown ropes.

"WHAT IF THEY END UP KILLING US!!!" Steven shouted.

"Guys, guys! Quit your nagging! You're going to end up blowing my cover!!! The ill person didn't speak and you shouldn't be either!!!"

"RONALDO, LET US OUT!!" Pee Dee hollered.

The two screamed and shouted at him.

"Uuuuuhg, that is IT!!" he stepped towards the table and pulled open the drawer and moved around the items inside. He pulled out a roll of ducktape. "YOU two are NOT going to ruin my opportunity of capturing these guys AND finding the truth!!" he slipped his shoes off his feet and snatched both socks off and marched towards Steven first. "You two are going to be quit whether you like it or not! WE are going to FINALLY find out, the TRUTH!!" he jammed the sock in his mouth. 

Steven tasted the fowl, sweaty taste of his sock. He almost gagged from the taste and the sock being shoved in his mouth. "..Rohnalchoh.." his name was muffled under the material. He ignored him and stretched out a piece of tape. He bite down on the material and jerked his head to the side, ripping a piece off. He placed the tape over his mouth and marched over to Pee Dee who had fear in his eyes. 

"WHOA, MAN!! THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE DOING!!" Ronaldo bit off another piece of tape as he stomped over towards him. "YOU DON'T WANT TO DO THIS!!

"You're right. I _don't_." he looked into Pee Dee's teary eyes. "But I also don't want you two to mess this huge opportunity up for me." he pat Pee Dee on his cheek and smirked. "Don't worry, my fellow Pee Dee, for you and your best friend and EVERYONE ELSE in the world WILL.... find. out. the. truth." he balled up his sock.

"RONALDO!!-" 

He jammed the sock in his mouth and placed the tape over his lips.

  
  


Ronaldo was holding an HD Camcorder in front of his face and eyeing the viewfinder carefully as he walked back into the room after putting the suitcase away in another room of the lighthouse. 

"..is is my office." he closed the door behind him. Steven and Pee Dee were squirming and trying to scream out. "As you guys see, I am coming to you LIVE at the old abandoned lighthouse just at the outskirts of Empire City. I have finally decided to film this personal area of mine despite of my no photography and filming rules to show you two what I have found." he turned to Steven still trying to get out of the ropes. He tried shouting out the word help.

Ronaldo leaned the camera towards his face and Steven looked at the camera lens. Within the glass he could see his on distorted reflection within the lens.

"I've managed to find two ill persons in Empire City." Ronaldo said behind the camera. He turned the camera to the left, then to the right as he captured Steven at different angles. He then leaned back and turned around. "Both persons had been tied up to these chairs with one single note." he pointed the camcorder down to Pee Dee's lap as he approached him. A small, white sheet of paper lay there on Pee Dee's barely moving lap as he continued to struggle under the ropes.

He lifted the camcorder back up to film his brother's face.

Pee Dee tried to shout out and please for help.

Ronaldo filmed him for a few more seconds before leaning back up. He turned the camcorder towards him and flipped the viewfinder to face him. He moved the camcorder back and to the left to keep his face in frame. "Ah, such a wonder this is. It appears that we have came across TWO new findings. Did they come from the Diamonds? The Crystal Gems?" he leaned into the camcorder. "The men in the tuxedos?" he leaned back up. "Things are getting very weird around here and I have a feeling.." he looked at the camera for dramatic effect. "that this is all apart.. of someone's huge, elaborate plan.." he tilted the lens down to his chapped lips. "But who's?" he kept the camera there and tried to find the button to stop the video. He ran his finger along the buttons and pressed down on the fourth one. Then he lowered the camcorder down from his face and looked to Pee Dee, then to Steven. "Heh." he scoffed with a smug look on his face. "Now all I have to do is upload this baby to a few sites and then.." his mischevious grin widened. "we wait for the unawared, imprudent fish to start biting." 

He took the other half of the potato out of his pocket and walked away from them. He took a well pleased bite out of it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had to at that Yzma from The Emperor's New Groove quote in there, lol


	191. Hook, Line and sinker

Amethyst was busy doing chin ups in the gym down in another part of the basement. Sweat dampened her sports bra and poured down her abs and down to the hem of her sweat shorts.

A familiar buzz she specifically had put for the news chimed on a nearby bench. 

She let go of the bar and dropped to the floor.

There was another news chime as she picked up her phone. She unlocked it and clicked on the first **Breaking News** message that came to her phone.

She read the message and he mouth dropped slightly.

"No way.." she whispered. She shook her head in shock and disbelief. She ran out the gym and as she made her way up the stairs she pressed on Pearl's name and held the phone up to her ear.

One ring and there was a low, distant. ".. ou don't have to answer that." and a grunt from a man.

"Yes, A." Pearl said.

"Get as far as you can to the abandoned lighthouse! We have TWO new corrupted Gems!!"

"What?!" 

"Garnet, Talc and I will meet you there!" she hung up and clicked on Steven's name. It rung out as she made it up the second floor. She ran down towards the kitchen. 

Garnet was sitting down in the kitchen and eating a cheeseburger one of the Apatite's had made for her. The woman was enjoying a nice bite to eat as she watched one of her shows in Igbo on a GemTech iPad.

_"..ou owe me money." _ the man said on screen. _"You have to give me back my money."_

_"Which money?" _ the woman walked up to him. _"I owe you which money?!" _ she leaned up and said in defense. _"Oh! Because I'm running from you, ey?"_ she threw her finger out towards him as she closed the distance between them. _"Now let me tell you something Mr. Man. I'M only running because I don't want-"_

She took another bite of her cheeseburger as Amethyst ran into the kitchen and she jumped, almost dropping her burger. The phone was held tightly in Amethyst's hand as it called Steven for the second time. "Garnet! Get ready to leave!" she shouted. "You, Talc and I are going to meet Pearl down at the abandoned lighthouse! There are TWO corrupted Gems there!" 

She almost choked on her burger. "What?!" she dropped the half eaten burger on the plate and stood up.

"Hurry up! We gotta suit up!" she ran out the kitchen and Garnet ran out with her, leaving the video playing and the burger out in the kitchen.

The two quickly suited up just two minutes later and made their way down into the Garage Unit just seconds later. 

Amethyst growled as Steven's phone went to voicemail for the fifth time. "WHAT IS HE DOING?!" 

Garnet put on her headset and turned around to the front of the jet.

"Find out where he is.." she grumbled. She went to his name and clicked on the locating button on the device. Seconds later and the red dot was blinking at his location. She looked up at Garnet who was starting up the jet. "Says he's already there!" 

Garnet started to move the jet away from its parking spot. "Perhaps he got the message too and decided to go there."

"By his self without even calling us?!" 

"Ehm.. I'm not sure, but maybe there's a reason?"

"Tsh.. well at least he's there already." she sat down hard in the seat. "Hurry up, Garnet! We NEED to get there AS soon as possible!"

"Yes, Amethyst." she started up the second engine.


	192. Not apart of the plan..

After posting the video to the news station then to different media sites, it'd taken just five minutes for the news station to immediately start reporting and posting about the video. Minutes later social websites started doing the same. Another fifteen minutes afterwards people began flocking over towards the "abandoned" lighthouse to get a closer look.

Ronaldo giggled as he stared out the window at the crowd steadily getting bigger. He slid a small frame of the window open. "Yes! Yes, me fellow viewers! It is I, Ronaldo, who has TWO. Not ONE, but TWO ill persons in this exact location!! Now, if you can excuse me, now that I have everything hooked up! I can now live stream the video! So please! Everyone! Do your part! Watch the stream! Learn about the truth!" 

They saw the man head back inside and close the window and they all started to go on their social media websites, not one hundred percent sure which site he would be live streaming on.

The window slid open again and he poked his head out the window. "I will be live streaming from Tweeter!" he shouted and closed the window back.

Everyone started going to their Tweeter page.

One young teenager with olive tonned skin, long black flowing hair and a white shirt with yellow and blue stripes was standing amongst the people who were clicking and reposting away on their phones. She took her own phone out of her dark pink shorts and went to her Tweeter page. 

"Hey! Vinny!" 

She turned around to see a short, tanned girl with light orange hair jogging up to her. "Hey! I didn't think I would see you here!" 

"Heh." she smirked. "Just thought it would be cool to take a look at what's going on. You know. Up close and personal." her light raspy voice was quiet amongst the chatter around them.

Her friend nodded. "So, what did I miss?"

"Nothing much so far. Just that sweaty guy saying that he was going to start live streaming soon."

"Whoa, no way! What site?"

"Tweeter."

Her friend took out her phone and immediately went to her page.

Vinny looked back to her own phone, clicked on a name, sent out a message that she was currently at the lighthouse and went back to her Tweeter page. 

  
  


Ronaldo placed the camcorder on a tripod he'd gotten from the room the suitcase was in. "Ah yes! And we are now, OFFICIALLY, live streaming and!-"

There was the sound of police sirens and the whooping of ambulance sirens.

Ronaldo cheesed widely. "Sounds like the cops have now arrived!' he turned away from the camcorder and towards Pee Dee and Steven. "Looks like you two are causing_ QUITE_ a stir." he chuckled.

They mumbled under the tape and squirmed under the ropes.

He turned back to the camcorder. "I will be _right_ back, my fellow viewers." he kissed the camera lens, leaving a smear. He got up and strode over to the other side of the room. 

They saw him open the window again. "Hello! Cops! And Ambulance crew! How art ye doing!" 

"We are coming up." he heard a voice from a megaphone. 

A tall figure dressed in a dark green trenchcoat was walking up towards the commotion. He looked up at Ronaldo as he poked his head out the window. He pressed on the side of his light yellow visors. 

"..ow, as much as I wouldn't mind that! I am afraid that I cannot let anyone up here just yet!"

"There are two ill people in need to be looked at." the voice stated through the mic. "We're sending our crew up." 

The man raised his wrist to his mouth. "Audio for visor." he said coarsely with a thick accent. "Lighthouse on the outskirts of Empire has the one named Ronaldo keeping two ill persons. I stand here awaiting my Diamond's orders." he kept his stare up at Ronaldo and by extension, keeping his visor towards the sweaty, drunk young man. 

"Wha- But wait! I.. but" Ronaldo looked around the area and spotting only the cops, the paramedics and the crowds of onlookers.

No one of importance yet..

"Uh.. y, ye do NOT have uh... Authorized clearance!!" he quickly shut the windows before they could respond.

Though they responded anyway though through the windows muffling some and him ignoring them altogether, he didn't hear their response.

He rubbed at his chin. "Where _is_ everybody.." he mumbled under his breath. 

Per Dee and Steven contained to squirm and screamed out their muffled helps. 

Ronaldo looked a way from them and at the camcorder. He jogged to it and casually cleared his throat. "It appears that the police wants to come in BUT, I have quickly stated that they do not have such clearance on this premise!"

There was a loud bang from downstairs and the sound of boots running in.

Ronaldo gasped. "What?! No!! H, h, how DARE they take no notice of what I have JUST said!!" he got up. "I need to take this into my OWN hands!" he ran for the door just as it flew open. He was pushed back onto the floor as troops stormed in. 

Pee Dee and Steven tried screaming for help.

The men hurried over towards them.

"Wait! You guys are NOT supposed to BE here!!" Ronaldo shouted. 

One of the men turned around. "You are on the line of being charged with holding hostages."

"What?!" he shrieked. "I.. I ... But I was the one to GET them for you!"

One policeman was able to untie one of Pee Dee's ropes from his torso when they heard commotion outside. 

Ronaldo ran towards the window and he saw people pointing up and to the side of him.

A muffled out "There's a Gem!" through the megaphone.

Ronaldo cheesed as he turned his head to where they were pointing. "A Crystal Gem!" he shouted.

Pearl was latched on to the window adjacent from him. She was spinning the canister counterclockwise. The spear flung out and she tackled the window, her suit sending out a force of a small car. Glass shattered as she tumbled into the room. 

Four men got up and started shooting at her as one man continued to untie the second rope from Pee Dee while two other men tried to untie the ropes from Steven.

Pearl was unfazed and unaffected by the bullets. She threw her spear at one police, hitting him in the chest. She took out two canisters and spun them counterclockwise as she ran towards the men still shooting at her. 

One man beside Steven raised a walkie talkie to his lips. "We need backup!"

"We know!" the device crackled. "They're on their way!" 

Pearl dashed towards the policemen and they fired in a futile way to try and possibly land a hit somewhere. She threw one spear at one cop's neck and she tackled the second one. The third policemen jumped on her and she let go of the second one and grabbed the third one on her back. She leaned over, bringing her arms in and flipping him over her shoulder as the second one tackled her midsection.

The third man recovered quickly and lunged towards her. She'd already flipped and pinned the second cop to the ground and she held her spear out just as the third policeman ran towards her..

..and right to her spear..

The spear went through his body and he slid farther along the neck of the spear. She threw the spear outwards and he fell back.

"Come on! Let's just take them AND the chairs and go!!" said the one by Steven. He and his coworker picked Steven up in the chair.

Helicopters were heard overhead as they heard boots stomping up the steps.

The one lone cop picked Pee Dee up just a foot off the floor as more policemen ran in.

Ronaldo jumped to the side of the camcorder. "Are you guys SEEING THIS?!?!" 

Pearl picked up the second cop she'd pinned down and threw him into one of the policeman that was carrying Steven. He fell over and his partner fell with him, the two dropping Steven back down to the floor.

The helicopter landed on top of the lighthouse as the new group of policemen began firing at Pearl. She pulled one spear out of the man's torso and the second one from the man's chest and threw the two. Then she pulled the third one from the man's neck and threw it. 

Two spears hit one cop and one hit a second one. 

The cop and his coworker were steadily getting back up to their feet as the second cop was getting back up to his. "You two go!" he said. "We'll deal with her. You guys take the two down to the ambulance." 

Pearl was fighting off the remaining four cops as the two carrying Steven began running towards the door with the one lone cop carrying Pee Dee and following after them. 

Pearl kicked one of the policemen in the face and saw the three other polcemen trying to escape. She pulled out her two spears from the corpses and jumped up, clearing a few feet over the policemen's heads and landing right by the door. She held up one spear and brought her hand holding the other spear in it towards the button at the bottom of her mask. "Nobody's going. _anywhere."_ she raised her hand back out and held both spears in front of her.

Steven panicked as Pearl glared at the men. 

Glass shattered as four more policemen jumped into the room with what looked to be ropes tied behind their backs. They held their guns out in front of them.

"Heh, careful. Don't want to harm the innocent people, do you?" 

They kept their guns up but didn't fire.

"HA!" she threw two spears towards the cops and lunged at the two carrying Steven. One spear hit one policeman in the chest and the other hit him in the throat.

Pearl had tackled the two men onto the floor. She flipped one on his back and kicked the other in his head. 

The one carrying Pee Dee was trying to get pass as the second cop from before tried covering for him as he stayed in front of him. Pearl took out her canister, flipped it counterclockwise and the spear flung out. She stabbed one cop in the chest right by Steven and Steven closed his eyes, not wanting to see anymore.

The three remaining cops from before ran up towards them and the two remaining ones from the helicopter followed them.

Pearl jumped back to the front door and held her spear out. 

Six policemen on one side, one holding Pee Dee with the second cop still in front of him on the other and one cop now getting up to his feet behind Steven.

"You're out numbered!" the second cop yelled. "And more are coming. You might as well let us go."

She stared at them through her mask.

And slowly.. she raised her hand up to the voice decoder. "Then I take it you know nothing about Gems." the gravelly voice snarled. "Nobody's going anywhere. And I'm going to make sure that." she lowered her hand and backed up to the door. 

"Then you leave us no choice." he straightened his back up. "Men! Get her!" 

Bullets fired towards her as they ran towards her. She threw her spear towards one of the six men, then grabbed two more canisters and spun them counterclockwise. She threw the two spears as the second cop went in for a lunge. She grabbed him and slammed him into the door and threw her leg out, kicking the one holding Pee Dee in the face. One of the three cops threw his gun down and she quickly grabbed the grub, twisted it out of his hands and jammed it into his diaphragm. The second cop grabbed her torso and she turned the gun around and fired at his neck. 

One policeman that was holding Steven jumped up and she fired. No bullets. The man threw a jab and she blocked it, grabbed the same hand, twisted it round his neck and putting him in his own headlock and right into her own. She brought her other hand down and grabbed his head, she pulled up, snapping his neck.

She let go and he fell to the floor lifeless.

She looked up.

Four cops were left. 

One was slowly getting back up in front of an extremely frightened Pee Dee. He held his jaw.

Two policeman stood there ground as one got up steadily to his feet, holding his stomach.

She took out two more canisters and spun them counterclockwise. 

Silence..

She glared at the policemen in front of her.

Seconds passed and they heard a loud, ear piercing sound of engines roaring overhead as people started to shout and scream out. A loud _boom _ was heard above them and seconds later glass shattered on the side of them.

Amethyst and Garnet tumbled in and looks at the area around them and at Pearl's handiwork.

"TWO MORE CRYSTAL GEMS!!!" Ronaldo shouted. 

"Pearl! You handle the rest of those four!" Amethyst ordered. "Garnet and I have the Gems!" 

Pearl nodded and lunged towards any of the four men.

"The Gems!!! The Gems!!!" Ronaldo cheered. "I'm SO glad I waited to see if more would come!!" 

More policemen ran into the room with guns.

"WHOA!! MORE COPS!!" he turned to the camcorder. "Okay guys!! The moment you've ALL been waiting for!! Me, Ronaldo, capturing the Crystal Gems!!!!" he took out a huge mallet from inside of his breastplate torso armor. "Time to get them!!!"

Pearl was now fighting with two spears as she threw the weapons down, slicing and stabbing at the group of men.

Two cops were picking up Pee Dee-

Garnet kicked one cop out of the way and took her gauntlet and hit the other man in his jaw. She picked Pee Dee up in his chair and jumped towards two more policemen. They didn't fire, in fear of hitting Pee Dee and she turned her body, keeping the boy close to her and using her back and legs to tackle into them. They fell to the floor and she set Pee Dee down and picked one cop up. She threw her into the wall and picked the second cop up. She put him in a chokehold until he slowly started to lose conscious- 

Steven felt his self getting picked up. He panicked and finally opened his eyes to see Amethyst picking him up effortlessly. She took her whip and grabbed one cop. She threw him into the wall as two cops charged towards her. She ran towards them. She used both him/ the chair and herself to bulldoze the first policeman's down to the ground. Steven slid just a few inches across the floor in his chair.

He looked around his self.

The camcorder filming them..

Pearl fighting and killing the policemen..

Garnet holding Pee Dee and _still_ managing to attack the police _and noticeably not killing them.. (or at least some..) _

And Amethyst fighting off and killing the police..

Being on the opposite end and being an outsider, it was terrifying to have the Crystal Gems there..

In general, both as a Crystal Gem _AND_ as someone from the outside, the Gems were scary and intimidating..

Amethyst picked him up and used her whip to slam a cop down hard on the floor.

Pearl tackled a cop and the two slid across the floor. She took her spear and threw it down into his chest.

Garnet threw her leg up, going for a snap kick, kicking the policeman right under his chin, sending his head snapping back hard behind him.

"Eat light you no good Gems!!!" they heard Ronaldo shout.

Suddenly a blinding white light shot out from a round light in the middle of his chest.

"What?" Amethyst hissed out annoyed.

The light was too bright for the cops and they shielded their eyes. 

Amethyst and Pearl pressed a button on the side of their mask and shades slid down from the eye holes of their mask. 

"AAAAAAHHHH!!!" Ronaldo let out a war cry as he ran towards Amethyst. 

She rolled her eyes. 

Ronaldo continued to shout out as he brought his mallet down on his armor, making a loud, resounding sound that echoed throughout the room. 

Amethyst twisted up her face, even more annoyed at the loud noise. Ronaldo ran up to her, still banging the mallet down on the breastplated armor and she jumped up, kicking him in the face and sending him flying back towards the ground. 

The remaining five cops began charging at the Gems and they ran back towards them. 

Ronaldo steadily got back up to his feet. "Why didn't the light and sound work?!?! LIGHT and SOUND BOTH were supposed to incapacitate them!!"

He looked at the Gems attacking the policemen. 

He growled out. "FINE!!!" he started running up to Pearl. "THEN I GUESS I'LL HAVE TO USE MY FIST!!!" he raised his hand up. 

Pearl kicked a policeman in the stomach and he fell back. Ronaldo lunged towards her with his fist and, completely unfazed and with a bored look on her face behind her mask and shades, she held her hand up, blocking his hit as his fist hit her palm.

Punching her hand was like punching a boulder or a brick wall. Ronaldo leaned back, screaming out in pain as he held his hand. "AAAAAH! AAH!! AAH!!!" he glared at her. "YOU.. CRYSTAL GEMS!!!!" 

Pearl kicked him in the face and he flew a feet away. He slid across the floor, groaning and moaning. He panted, in pain and he got up slowly to his feet. "You.. Gems!!! You think you can just, TAKE the truth away from these people!!"

Garnet set Pee Dee back down and picked up his table and pictures and newspaper clippings fell into the floor.

"I will NOT have any of you -AAHHH!!" the table flew pass the camcorder, just missing it and smacking into Ronaldo. He slid across the floor and hit the back of his head into the wall. 

"Gems!" Amethyst shouted. 

Garnet picked Pee Dee back up and she and Pearl looked at their boss. 

She let go of the last cop she choked and he dropped to the floor. Steven had kept his eyes closed during the whole chokehold. "Come on! Time to go!" 

Steven then Pee Dee began to squirm and tried to scream out behind the tape. 

"Whatever, shut up." she turned for the window and a familiar tune began to echo throughout the room.

She stopped. A mixture of surprise and confusion was behind the mask and shades. 

She looked down at the source of the ringing.

Steven's pant packet was lighting up as his phone rung out. 

She set the chair back down silently and reached down. She pulled the phone out of his pocket and looked at the screen. 

_Connie._

Under the name was a picture of her and Steven.

Amethyst looked at Steven.. looking right into his eyes now..

There was a slight, nearly unnoticeable shake of her head. 

She dropped his phone that was still ringing out and grabbed hard at his chin. 

He panted, terrified as she lifted his head up towards her. 

She licked her thumb and placed it on his cheek. She dragged it across his skin and the red makeup smeared. 

He saw her lips curl down in a tight scowl. 

She leaned up and pressed the button on her mask. "Garnet. The boy." 

The woman licked her thumb and did the same. His makeup smeared across his face. 

Amethyst clenched her jaws tightly. "He tricked us.." she said through her teeth. 

Amethyst glared at Ronaldo on the other side of the room and Pearl and Garnet turned their heads towards him. 

"Uh.. uh..." he looked at the three women. He fell back on his butt and began scooting back. "Um.." he swallowed. "You see uh.. what I was trying to do was uh-"

"YOU BROUGHT US UP HERE FOR NOTHING!!!!" Amethyst yelled. She threw her whip and the rope wrapped around him. He hollered out, terrified and she pulled the whip back. She pulled him up into the air and threw her whip out. He soared overhead and crashed into the glass and out the window and she unraveled the whip from him.

They heard him scream as he pummeled down towards the ground outside.

"GEMS!" she yelled. She ran towards the other side of the room towards the other broken windows and they followed after her.

Steven and Pee Dee watched as they effortlessly and easily jumped up and disappeared as they jumped into the roof of the lighthouse.

Just a couple minutes later they heard the roaring, blaring engines of the jet as they took off. 

And moments later.. Steven heard a ding from his phone and his heart jolted in his chest.

It could be from either Connie.. or Amethyst..

And he had a feeling.. it was from Amethyst..

  
  


  
  


"But I was trying to lure them in!!! I was TRYING to capture them!!! Everyone needs to learn about the secrets!! We need the truth!!!" 

"YOU have deceived everyone here by fabricating a story through you forcing the boys to impersonate ill persons!! YOU have causes the lives of MANY policemen!!!" the chief of police yelled.

"But do thou not WANT to know what is going on within this world?!?! The men in the tuxedos?! The L&Co group?! The Crystal Gems??! The Diamonds!?!?!"

The chief looked at both paramedics on either side of the gurney. "Put him in." he gestured at the ambulance with his chin. "We'll be coming back for him later."

They nodded and opened the back doors of the ambulance.

"We need the truth!!!" Ronaldo yelled. His broken arm swung down his side and off the gurney and one woman brought his arm back to his side. His other arm handcuffed to the rail of the gurney. 

The two lifted him up into the truck-

"Wait!!! The Diamonds!!! They're coming back!!!" 

They slid him towards the back-

"They're everywhere!!!! Everywhere I tell you!!! In the sky!! Underground!! Within the trees and the comforts of our own homes!!! Within the oceans and mountains and in the most UNLIKELY of places!!! They!! Are!! Everywhere!!! THEY ARE LIVING AMONG US!!!" he began pulling his arm and the handcuffs rattled and pulled on the rail and he twisted and turned in the gurney. His one good leg he kicked about and threw towards the bottom rail.

"Strap the drunk down." said the chief and began walking away from the ambulance to his police car.

Ronaldo began to panic. "WAIT!!! I'M TELLING YOU PEOPLE!!! THIS IS ALL PART OF ONE, HUGE PLAN!!! THE DIAMONDS ARE COMING BACK!! AND THEY'RE COMING FOR ALL OF US THIS TIME!! NOT JUST THE GEMS!!"

The two paramedics strapped the gurney's wheels in place then grabbed hold of its straps.

"THINK ABOUT IT!! HAVE NONE OF YOU NOT NOTICED THE QUAKES WE'VE BEEN GETTING FOR THE PAST FEW MONTHS?!? YOU SAY THEY'RE EARTHQUAKES, I SAY A GEO WEAPON THAT HAS STEADILY BEEN STRUCTURED AND CONSTRUCTED WITHIN THE EARTH'S CORE!!!"

People watched on, some mocking him, some intrigued as they filmed the drunk on their cellphones.

"I KNOW THERE'S A WEAPON!! BUT NOBODY IS WILLING TO BELIEVE ME UNTIL IT HAS ALREADY BEEN TOO LATE!!" 

They strapped his legs down and continued up to his torso-

"THE WEAPON SHALL SAP THE EARTH OF ALL IT'S NATURAL RESOURCES AND THE EARTH WILL DIE AND WE WILL ALL BE TAKEN TO SOMEWHERE NEW!!"

They strapped his head in and he squirmed under the straps.

"EVERYONE OF US SHALL FALL UNDER THEIR TYRANNY!!" 

"Hand me the face mask." 

"AND WHAT OF THE CRYSTAL GEMS!!! THEY'RE PLOTTING SOMETHING AS WELL!!!" he shouted. 

The man hurried to the back of the truck-

"THEY STEAL JEWELS BUT THEY HAVE YET TO STEAL THE ONE, LAST PINK DIAMOND!!! DO NOT LET THEM GET IT!!!"

The medic opened the box and went to grab the mask-

"THE PINK DIAMOND SHOULD BE FOREVER CONCEALED!! YOU CONCEAL THE DIAMOND THEN YOU CONCEAL EVERY CAUCUS!! YOU _REVEAL_ THE DIAMOND!! YOU _REVEAL_ EVERY CAUCUS!!-"

The medic shoved the mask onto Ronaldo's head-

"YOUCANREADABOUTITONMYBLOG-"

Muffles and mumbles came out as Ronaldo tried to warn them of his findings.

The woman went for the two back doors and closed it. 

Some of the bystanders put away their phones as others kept their cellphones filming as the ambulance drove off along with two other cop cars. The few remaining ambulances and police cars stayed behind as they continued to bring out bodies and interview people in the area. 

The figure in the green trenchcoat watched as the ambulance made its way down the street. He brought his green, gloved metal hand up to the side of his visor and presed and held a button. "Send." he said and let go. 

"Whoa! Can you believe that actually happened!!" he heard a girl say. He turned to see her talking to her friend. "You think what he said is actually true?!"

Vinny shrugged. "Isn't he just some town drunk? I doubt he knows what he's talking about." she sneered.

The man looked around, making sure the close was clear before unbuttoning just two buttons at the top of his trenchcoat. He quickly looked to a sphere as big as a blowing ball. He pressed his hand on its surface and the sphere lit up for a a split second. "Robonoid 1A. Go to top of lighthouse and take multiple picture." 

There was a flash of light for a split second again before it dulled out. 

He glanced around again before buttoning his trenchcoat back with one hand.

The sphere began rolling down from under his coat and flopped to the ground by his green, metal boots. It began rolling away from him and through the grass. 

The man looked on as people slowly began to leave the area as they talked amongst themselves over what had just occurred.

He brought his wrist up to his mouth and pressed a button on its side. "People are now leaving area. No more signs of Crystal Gem." he waited for a few seconds then said. "And absolutely no sign of L&Co group." he brought his arm back down to his side. 

  
  


The Robonoid rolled farther away from the groups of people, now passing two human figures it'd quickly recognized as young males. The two were sitting down on a bench with a large piece of wool material for warmth over their shoulders. They were currently talking to another human figure. This one appearing as someone of authority. He was standing in front of the two and exchanging pieces of dialogue. 

The robot continued to roll until it was a good distance away from them.

The sphere stopped, turned around and slid forward slightly. Moments later and four 2 dimensional squares lined the bottom of it. Four blocks pushed out of it and the sphere floated inches from the squares. With its cubed feet it began scaling fast up the lighthouse. Each cubed foot tapped lightly against the surface as the sphere hovered silently above them. 

Just two point three five minutes later, the sphere jumped down from the windowsill. It turned left, then right, looking at the area around it. More human authorities as they began taking either injured or deceased humans out of the room. 

Two were coming up to it and the cubed feet sucked back inside of the sphere and it fell on the ground and laid silent on the ground. 

The policemen picked up an unconscious body and walked away from it.

Moments later and the sphere rolled to its bottom and the four cubed feet jutted out from beneath it once more. It began scurrying away and towards two notice boards and the items on the floor it deemed could be of some use. 

With it's 360 view, it looked for any authorities that may come it's way. So far, they were all busy with their task and so, it went on to do it's own. 

It stopped below the boards and there was one single red light that blinked for just a second on the top of its surface as it signaled for its commander.

  
  


**Incoming video**

The inside of his visor stated.

He pressed the button on his visor and the area of the lighthouse was displayed on his screen.

The area moved slightly as the Robonoid looked to its right, then to it's left at the boards before turning around to the policemen still picking up the bodies.

The man raised his hand up to his visor and pressed on a mic at the bottom of the frame. "No. Forget them. Just take multiple picture of every document."

He watched the screen of his visor as the area turned back around to the boards. The Robonoid began taking pictures-

"Zoom in more. She must have closer look at these."

The Robonoid adjusted it's lens and began taking more pictures from left to right and up and down. All while the rest of the 270 degree view around the rest of its body watched for any potential threats or for any policemen that dared to come close. 

Numerous pictures later and the Robonoid shifted it's lenses downwards to the pictures and newspaper clippings underneath it's boxed feet and scattered across the floor. It adjusted it's lenses slightly and zoomed out to better focus on the pictures nearest to it. 

It proceeded to snap pictures.

It's feet tapped across the metal surface as it went to more photos and newspaper clippings across the floor. One front cube moved away from it's body and stepped on a photo that was blocking another photo underneath of it. It slid it aside and took a picture of the photo.

It walked over to more photos and began taking pictures-

The man narrowed his eyes as he looked at two particular photos as the Robonoid continued at it's task.

"Hold there." 

The Robonoid stopped it's lens. Five pictures laid in front of the screen, though there were two photos in particular that caught his eye.

One was of the prisoner hitting Sugilite with an ice mallet.

And another one where she was with some.. new character inside of a pink bubble..

"Hmm.. but I thought she said she simply _escaped_ Crystal Gem without them knowing.." his mouth curled up in a wry humorless smile. "Both Yellow and Blue Diamond should be quite pleased about this." he said sarcastically. He let out a scoff. "Continue."

The Robonoid took four more pictures and walked to the last spot of scattered newspaper clippings and photos. Two of which were of the Crystal Gems going up against Phi Lo.

The Robonoid took a few more high definition photos before shifting it's "face" up to its neutral position and keeping still, indicating it was done.

"Very good. Now, send to Yellow Diamond and come back." 

The robot let out a short trill chirp in response to its order and its surface lit up yellow for one second before going back to it's original solid gray color. It turned and hurried towards the broken windows. 


	193. Under Surveillance

"We need the truth!!!" the man yelled on screen of her widescreen monitor. He was now being put into the ambulance and he shouted out a , "Wait!!! The Diamonds!!! They're coming back!!!" 

"They're everywhere!!!! Everywhere I tell you!!! In the sky!! Underground!! Within the trees and the comforts of our own homes!!! Within the oceans and mountains and in the most UNLIKELY of places!!! They!! Are!! Everywhere!!! THEY ARE LIVING AMONG US!!!" he began writhing and thrashing about in the gurney. 

"Fast forward." she commanded bluntly. 

The little girl beside her pressed a button that displayed two arrows pointing to the left. 

"Stop." 

The girl promptly did as she was told and pressed the play button. 

... "WAIT!!! I'M TELLING YOU PEOPLE!!! THIS IS ALL PART OF ONE, HUGE PLAN!!! THE DIAMONDS ARE COMING BACK!! AND THEY'RE COMING FOR ALL OF US THIS TIME!! NOT JUST THE GEMS!!" the paramedics began strapping him in. "THINK ABOUT IT!! HAVE NONE OF YOU NOT NOTICED THE QUAKES WE'VE BEEN GETTING FOR THE PAST FEW MONTHS?!? YOU SAY THEY'RE EARTHQUAKES, I SAY A GEO WEAPON THAT HAS STEADILY BEEN STRUCTURED AND CONSTRUCTED WITHIN THE EARTH'S CORE!!!" 

"I KNOW THERE'S A WEAPON!! BUT NOBODY IS WILLING TO BELIEVE ME UNTIL IT HAS ALREADY BEEN TOO LATE!!" 

The woman narrowed her eyes and her nose wrinkled as a grimace spread to her lips. 

"THE WEAPON SHALL SAP THE EARTH OF ALL IT'S NATURAL RESOURCES AND THE EARTH WILL DIE AND WE WILL ALL BE TAKEN TO SOMEWHERE NEW!!" 

"EVERYONE OF US SHALL FALL UNDER THEIR TYRANNY!!" 

"Hand me the face mask."

"AND WHAT OF THE CRYSTAL GEMS!!! THEY'RE PLOTTING SOMETHING AS WELL!!!" he shouted. 

"THEY STEAL JEWELS BUT THEY HAVE YET TO STEAL THE ONE, LAST PINK DIAMOND!!! DO NOT LET THEM GET IT!!!" 

"THE PINK DIAMOND SHOULD BE FOREVER CONCEALED!! YOU CONCEAL THE DIAMOND THEN YOU CONCEAL EVERY CAUCUS!! YOU _REVEAL_ THE DIAMOND!! YOU _REVEAL_ EVERY CAUCUS!!-" 

"YOUCANREADABOUTITONMYBLOG-"

"Stop."

The girl quickly pressed the button with a solid yellow square on it and looked up at her Diamond.

The older woman scowled at the monitor in front of them.

Silent.

The girl hesitated before letting out a meek, "M..My Diamo-"

"I did NOT _order_ you to speak." she hissed.

She closed her mouth tightly.

The woman leaned forward in her chair and placed her hands clasped on the desk. She glowered at the monitor.

Moments passed in silence, say for Topazes, Amethysts and Jaspers marching and running up and down the halls outside of her room as they tended to their important duties.

Then there was a deep-toned, plain spoken, "Do you know who this person is, Pearl?"

The petit, young girl looked up at the stoic, elderly lady. "N, no my Diamond.. I am afraid that I don't." 

The scowl only contorted further as she clencehd her teeth behind her tightly held mouth. "I am curious as to how he is so close to our plans." she said through her slightly opened lips.

The little girl stood there silently. 

"He is not too far off in regards to my plans for the Cluster." she said sharply. "And it appears that he also does not want anyone to get the last Pink Diamond either." she breathed out hard through her nose. "He is targeting everyone. The L&Co group, the Crystal Gems, but more so us." 

Her Pearl stood there like a dainty ballerina in her yellow dress and flats. Legs and feet close together and her arms in front of her and on her stomach as she kept her hands over one another. 

"I blame my incompetent, foolish Gems." she growled. "There is no other reason as to how he is so close to me." 

She kept quiet. 

Yellow Diamond raised her lips up in a sour grimace as she glared at the screen in thought. "And what 'blog' is he talking about?" 

The little girl wasn't sure if that was her invitation to speak. 

"Pearl?" 

She swallowed. "I.. I'm afraid I am not sure of that either, my Diamond." 

There was a low, short growl from her Diamond and that sent her hair on end. 

"Of course you do not know." she hissed. "You do not know _anything."_

The little girl frowned and set her eyes down to her feet. 

"Pearl." 

She looked up at her Diamond. 

"Page Peridot 3F2L cut 4XG." 

"Yes, my Diamond." the little girl raised her arms out in front of her and began typing the necessary buttons on the keyboard. She stood on her toes and pressed the call button on a second, small screen in front of the monitor. 

The monitor chimed and just a second later the monitor opened up to a brown skin lady with yellow contacts and dyed yellow hair in an afro. From the angle only a yellow short sleeved shirt was seen. In the middle was a diamond of a darker yellow at the very top middle of her shirt. She was doing her diamond salute, forming a diamond shape over their chest with her hands, with her right hand over her left. "Yes, my luminous Yellow Diamond!" she quickly greeted. 

"Pearl is sending you a video." 

The girl jumped slightly before reaching over to the keys once more to do what she was indirectly commanded. 

"At the end of the video, he states that he has a blog. Go. find it." she said sharply.

"Of course, my Diamond!" 

They saw the woman looking into her visor. From the outside looking in, they could only see her eyes looking at the lens on her visor.

The young woman nodded. "Yes, my Diamond! I will first track his location where he has recorded this on his visor!" she began typing on a tablet on her wrist. 

They watched her for a full minute before she said. "This video was live streamed at The Indy Harbs Pierre just off the outskirts of Empire City! I've typed in the name and already news have spread wildly about it! There appears to had been another live stream! This one being from Tweeter!" she clicked more on her tablet. "Oh! Why yes! It is from the inside of the lighthouse! I believe it's from the same guy in the video!" she clicked on the video and watched just a few seconds of it. She nodded. "Yes! Yes that is him! It appears that he was filming two ill persons in his lighthouse!" her eyes went down to the comments. "But people are saying that it was a hoax."

"Send me that video and continue looking for the blog he spoke of." 

"Yes my Diamond!" she scrolled down on her laptop. "I'm currently on his page now and.. yes! Yes he has indeed added his blog on there as well! It is called 'Keep Empire City Weird'."

"Go to the site and send me the documents." she said bluntly.

"Yes, my luminous Yellow Diamond!" 

Moments later and there was a small yellow diamond icon spinning at the top screen of the second small screen in front of the monitor. Her Pearl clicked on it and the main widescreen monitor went to a split screen with Peridot on the left and the website on the right. 

"Scroll." she demanded.

"Yes, my Diamond." she placed a dainty finger on the monitor and began scrolling slowly. 

Peridot was doing the diamond salute and standing completely still and quiet while Yellow Diamond scanned the right screen in front of her.

She speed read and looked at the various photos until she came to one-

"Stop."

The little girl lifted her finger off of the screen.

Her Diamond was looking at a photo of one of her gems with his back facing the camera and one of his Robonoids showing from within his trenchcoat. 

She grit her teeth and growled. "I have made my point exact." she snapped sharply. "Stupid, incompetent, foolish, idiotic Gems." she placed her fingers hard on the table in front of her. "You will give him a call Pearl. He is to come back to Homeworld so we can have a chat on his incompetence and lack of vigilance. Then, he shall go into the chamber for the Topazes to give him his punishment." 

"Yes my Diamond."

Yellow Diamond looked at the left screen. "Peridot 3F2L cut 4XG. Get rid of this evidence at once. Get rid of the whole website." 

"Yes, my Diamond!" 

"And make sure to get rid of every single one of this picture that may have surfaced on the internet from his blog." 

"Yes, my Diamond!" 

"That will be all from you."

"Yes my lumimous Yellow Diamond!" 

"Pearl. Disconnect the call at once." 

"Right away, my Diamond." she stood on her toes again and pressed her finger on the **End Call** on the touchscreen. 

Peridot 3F2L cut 4XG kept her diamond salute as the left video winked out. The right video slid across the monitor, filling up the whole screen.

Yellow Diamond only continued to scowl at the screen at the picture of none only than one of _her_ on Gems being the one to had been photographed.

"The one who has posted this is a nosy, little, annoying pest." she hissed through her teeth. "He must be one of those conspirators." she straightened her back up in her chair. "I shall have him killed at once." 

Her Pearl looked at her in silence.

"Pearl."

The girl raised her arm up to her face and placed her other hand on a watch. "Did you want me to page one of the Topazes or the Jaspers, my Diamond?"

The website winked out on screen as Peridot 3F2L cut 4XG successfully deleted the website from the internet. The screen went to a plain yellow background.

"Neither." her lips twisted in a sour mug. _"Danburite_ would be a better fit. It would be rather.. _ironic."_

"Of course my Diamond. I will page him right away." she went to her watch when a chime sounded on both the main and on the second monitor. 

"Robonoid 1A is sending another document." 

"I can see that Pearl." she retorted quickly. "And _you_ have once again spoken without _permission_. What you need to do is learn like Blue's Pearl finally has and to not speak out of line." 

The little girl nodded silently with a frown.

"Now. See what the Robonoid is trying to send to me."

"Yes, my Diamond." she pressed on the spinning yellow diamond on the top corner of the second small screen. A second later and the first picture popped up. A picture of a notice board with newspaper clippings, various photos of all shapes and sizes and red string draping across various pins on a world map, with a blown up side map picture of Empire City with small dark blue thumb tacks pinned close together and a piece of the left side of the chalkboard beside it.

"The next one." she commanded.

Her Pearl stood back on her toes and swiped across the screen to the next photo.

The next one was of the chalkboard.

Yellow Diamond looked at the board, scanning it thoroughly before saying, "Next." 

The little girl continued swiping to the next photos and after a few, the photos looked much closer and more zoomed in. They could see the items more clearly on the two notice boards.

Minutes of thoroughly reading each picture, they were now looking at pictures that had been scattered on the floor.

Her Pearl continued to swipe across the pictures until she came across a photo that had two particular photographs amongst other photos around it.

"Stop." 

Yellow Diamond leaned forward on her desk.

A picture of Kyanite fighting Sugilite.

Another showing her with someone else in a pink bubble.

"Hm.. so it appears she _is_ lying to us. She did not escape without them knowing. In fact, it looks like they were putting up a fight to get her back. And then we have this,.. new person in this bubble of some sort." she twisted her lips down to a frown. "Looks like she does not want us to know about this for whatever reason."

Pearl stood there silently.

"Next."

She swiped across the screen. 

Yellow Diamond had her swipe pass the few that were close ups of the other pictures that were surrounding the two. She swiped again and the next picture showed..

Kyanite fighting the Gems with Lapis Lazuli.

And..

.. the new person in his bubble as she is flying away.

"This person let her go.." she stated. "This could be a reason." 

The girl looked at her Diamond as the older woman leaned up from the table. "It is possible that she could be trying to keep _him_ safe. Whatever that reason may be." she didn't look at her Pearl as she said, "Split screen it. Show both four photos and enhance them. It doesn't look like either of the Gems but Lapis has on their masks." 

"Right away, my Diamond." she clicked across the keys with her tiny fingers and a file popped up on screen. She pressed on the fourth document on the second small monitor and began clicking away again.

Yellow Diamond watched the screen for a few moments. It split into two separate screens. The one she'd been looking at with her going against Lapis and the Crystal Gems and her flying away from Steven out in the ocean was now accompanied by the second photo the Robonoid had taken which was of her fighting Sugilite with her ice mallet and her in the bubble with Steven. Pearl had stopped clicking and a second later the four pictures went from blurry to clear. 

Her Diamond's eyes narrowed at the Gems in the picture. And.. just the corners of her mouth turned up slightly. She whispered, "So all of these years.. I finally know how these three look." she looked at Amethyst who's face was shown as she was running with a whip in her hand in the picture when Phi Lo was fighting Lapis. 

Then there was Pearl who was unknowingly looking right at the direction of the camera when she was fighting Steven in his bubble. The two being in the background while Sugilite and Phi Lo was in the foreground.

Then there was Garnet and her one eyed, sorrowful look in the picture where Phi Lo was in Steven's bubble right after her ice shield shattered. 

And then, there was Steven.. someone who she'd never seen before inside the pink bubble with her in one picture and in his bubble right as she is flying away in another picture.

Yellow Diamond sat there in silence as she contemplated..

Her Pearl stood still and silent with her.

Seconds passed.. then a minute..

Yellow Diamond clasped her hands together on the table. "Pearl. There will be a change of plans. I will _not_ have this, I believe his name was, _Ronaldo_, killed. In fact, I have something else planned for him."

Her Pearl looked up at her.

"He could be of some use to us." then she elaborated, "He seems to know his way around getting these various bits of information. We can use that." she paused for a couple of seconds then resumed. "We wil be apart of this little group of his. If he starts getting closer to us, then we will leave bread crumbs the other way and we will write down everything else he may find in regards to the Crystal Gems and the L&Co group. Be it photos or anything else he may get about them. He can be our extra pair of eyes. 

The girl watched as Yellow Diamond drummed her fingers on the table as she went over everything in her mind.

Her fingers stopped.

And she leaned back in her chair and threw her leg over her knee. Her dark brown boots barely missed the little girl's shoulder. "Pearl. I have five things for you to do before you go to the mess hall and eat." 

"Yes, my Diamond."

"This is all in order." she stated. "One. You are to contact Peridot 3F2L 4XG again. Tell her to hack into the system and have her change both the judge and both lawyers and use our own. They are to do their work to wipe his name clear of every felony preventing any imprisonment on his behalf. Once he comes from the hospital, we'll start stage two, which leads us to your second order. Two. Contact both Danburite and Chrome Diopside. Tell them both that they are to keep a close eye on this Ronaldo character. They will be apart of his group. Then tell Chrome Diopside to come back to Homeworld immediately. Regardless of his Robonoid sending us important documents, he is still to be punished for being caught. He is to come straight to Homeworld at once and to come directly to me so I can properly address the issue before having him be taken away by the Topazes. Three. Take the four of them" she gestured at the screen with her manicured nail. "and blow up the photos and enhance their faces. All four of them. And save it into my database. Having actual footage of their faces may come in handy one day. Four. Also print _out _ these four photos. You will give them to the Topaz twins and tell them that they are to go down to the cellar and interrogate Kyanite again. And this time, they'll have the evidence to prove that she was lying all along. And five. Upload the video that Peridot said people claimed was a haox. I must have a look for myself as to what happened inside of the lighthouse." __

_ __ _

_ __ _

"Yes, my Diamond. Right away, my luminous Yellow Diamond." she clicked on the necessary keys on the keyboard. She stood on her toes and pressed the call button on the second, small screen in front of the monitor, dialing Peridot 3F2L 4XG once more. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The VERY first appearance of THE luminous Yellow Diamond and her Pearl!!
> 
> (I don't count the audio clips of the Gems listening to Yellow Diamond and her Pearl or of those past memories of Yellow Diamond n Rose's room) 😝


	194. The night after being rescued from the lighthouse

Steven and Pee Dee were in a police car.

After the Gems had left more policemen had came in to rescue them as well as the other cops that had been left unconscious or badly injured. 

They'd cleaned up their faces of the makeup and were sent outside for fresh air while the policemen continued their reacue. One cop had handed them each a blanket and there, they were asked questions about what happened, then filed the necessary paperwork.

They were offered ride homes a while later after things started to die down and the policemen were given their information.

Pee Dee's watch lit up under his sleeve and he pulled his sleeve back to read what was on the screen.

Steven looked to his side and watched as Pee Dee's expression grew uneasy and fearful. His mouth loosened and hung slightly as his lips parted briefly before he closed them again. His pained stare lingered over the screen.

"..Pee Dee?" 

He didn't answer. His mind focused on what he'd just read and what he is now reading over-

"Pee Dee." Steven said a bit louder.

"Huh? What?" he glance over at Steven, his mind still on the watch.

"Are you okay?" and Pee Dee's mouth curved down as his expression dropped to looking more regretful and dejected. "Is it your job again?" 

The corner of his mouth twitched in vexation. Moments later and he mumbled out a, "Yeah.." 

"..Is it.. that bad?" 

Pee Dee looked away from him as he rubbed the back of his neck just underneath of his dreads. "It's just more and more with this job.. it keeps getting worse, man.." he whispered. 

"Believe me..I definitely know how that feels." 

The cop looked at the both of them through the review mirror, ready to intervene at any moment.

Steven had a small, deprecatory smile on his face. "It'll get better. I know it will." 

Pee Dee glanced back over to him.

"One day we're supposed to get out of our jobs. Remember?" he tried keeping his smile despite his own lack of sureness. "You and I are supposed to leave one day and actually live better lives."

"Y, yeah." there was a forced, desolate smile that quickly fell into a frown. "I really hope so.."

"It will." Steven assured him despite of the still growing unsurety in his gut. "You'll get out of it and you'll find something better."

Pee Dee looked back at his watch. Hoping deeply and praying that his best friend was right..

  
  


The policeman stopped in front of Pee Dee's place. A row house that he and his girlfriend was living in. 

"You have a good night." the cop told him..

"I will Sir. Same to you." he turned slightly in his seat and raised out a hand. "See you, man." 

Steven reached out and grabbed his hand. "See you, Pee Dee." they leaned in for a hug and they pat each other's backs. "Stay safe." 

Pee Dee leaned back up. "You do the same." he turned and opened the door. "And don't forget to give me a call sometime." 

"Uh, yeah. Will do." 

Pee Dee opened the door and got out.

They stayed there until Pee Dee walked into the house before the cop drove off.

Steven turned around in his seat and watched as the house become smaller and smaller as they drove farther away up the street.

He sighed.

_Hopefully he'll be okay.._

Too bad he didn't say anything else to Pee Dee to cheer him up..

He should've.

Guess he still wasn't quit himself either..-

"And you can give me your address now." he raised his hand up to his GPS system.

The cop broke him out of his thoughts and he turned around. "Huh?" he looked at the cop through the rearview mirror. "Oh, sorry.. It's uh.." 

He gave him the address.

The cop put it into the system and began following the directions from the robotic voice.

Steven leaned back and looked down at his phone.

He unlocked the screen and was met with Amethyst's last message to him and his reply back to her.

**We will be meeting you at the apartment. Get here ASAP after you deal with the cops.**

**Yes, Amethyst. I will. **

He resisted a sigh.

He really had some explaining to do..

  
  


They were getting closer to the apartment complex. Steven unlocked his phone and sent Amethyst a quick message.

**I'm about five minutes away. The cop is dropping me off. **

He didn't get a reply back from her. 

Four minutes later and they were arriving at the complex. His phone chimed and he unlocked it and read the screen. 

**Head inside and wait exactly ten minutes before you step back out of the apartment.**

".. ou have a nice one. Try to take it e.." 

"Huh?" Steven was half paying attention to the policeman talking to him. "Oh, sorry." he pressed the button on the back of his phone, locking it back. "I'll try." he said and opened the door. "And, same to you. Enjoy the rest of your night." he tried for a smile. 

The policeman nodded with a plain smile that didn't reach his eyes that were fixed on him. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," then he added. "officer." he slid out the car and closed it behind him. As he walked towards the main door, he wondered if he should turn back or if doing that would make him seem "too friendly", making the cop skeptic (or even more skeptic) about him. Or if _not_ looking back would make the cop skeptic because it seemed like he wasn't trying to draw attention to himself?

He decided he was going to wave before he walked in.

He walked up the steps and opened the door. Then he turned and went for a wave. He saw the cop wave to him back and he turned back and walked into the building. 

He looked at his phone to check the time. 

As per Amethyst's orders, he would have to wait exactly ten minutes.

He heard the cop drive off from the parking lot.

Nine minutes to go..

He decided to go to Connie's name.

He'd sent her a text much earlier when he and Pee Dee were with the cops and cleaning off their faces. The message didn't say much. Just a simple. 'I'm fine. Just out with Pee Dee'. 

He didn't want to go into too much detail. Besides, she didn't have to know. 

She sent him back a message saying how she was happy that he was okay, but with how she worded it, it seemed like something else was there.. like a "read between the lines" kind of thing. 

He didn't text her back and she didn't get a second message so he'd assumed she was okay. His mind was also too bus on the situation at hand to focus too much on her message.

With minutes to spare, he typed up a message and sent it to her:

**Will be home very soon.**

Then he thought of the message as being too plain and send two 😘😘 emojis.

She didn't reply and eight minutes later he'd taken a breath, trying to ignore the anxiety bubbles in his stomach that was already there due to not getting a reply back from Connie.

He stepped outside and everything that he was going to say to Amethyst to clear everything up had left his brain to give way for trepidation and a crushing feeling of "stage fright".

He walked slowly pass the front of the building towards the corner of it.

He took another breath that didn't calm him.

He turned around and for just one second he saw Amethyst directly in front of him with Garnet and Pearl on either side of her. Just one second he got a good look at them and right before he could even jump from being startled or even let out a peep or a startled yelp, he'd felt a rope wrap around his neck. Another second later he was face to face with Amethyst as she grabbed him by the shirt with her other hand. Her scowl was just an inch from his choking face. "Talc." she snarled. "What the fuck was that back there!!!!" 

He gagged, trying to breath. "Please.." he choked out hoarsely. ".. let me explain.." he gagged.

She tightened the rope around his neck. "You BETTER!!" she growled. ".. Because _you_ have ten seconds before you get seriously hurt."

He gagged and pawed at the rope around his neck. "I.. didn't know that was going to happen." he said hoarsely. "Honest." he swallowed and choked. "I.. was just hanging out with him. Both my friend and.. I.." he grabbed at the right rope around his neck as his lungs burned. "He was trying to find more evidence about the L&Co group, about the men in the tuxedos and white shades, the Diamonds" Amethyst's eyes grew wide. "and.. about us." 

"WHAT?!" she yelled in his face.

He gagged for air. "He thinks something huge and dangerous is going to happen to us.." he coughed and let out weak, shallow breaths. "All day we've been going sound the city.. All three of us..going to the places where those victims were last seen or died. He was trying to make us targets of the L&Co group." Amethyst narrowed her eyes back at him as she listened. She kept the door tight to his neck. "Then.. after showing us pictures of the victims and even pictures of us on the beach fighting Miss Lee" Amethyst's eyes were wide again "he knocked both of us out unconscious." his voice was low and hoarse. "When we woke up he said he was using us as bait. He wanted to see... if he could lure you three at the lighthouse, thinking we were sent by the Diamonds. And he wanted.. he wanted to see if he could lure the Diamonds, hoping that they would.. check out the lighthouse, thinking the_ Crystal Gems_ were the ones that did it. He even thought the men in the tuxedos and white shades could show up as well." he was losing conscious. "It was all apart of his plan. We.. didn't know anything about it.." he tried keeping his eyes open. 

Amethyst glared at him. Watching the boy's eyes flutter in front of her. 

"..So we _should_ be getting _him_.." she hissed.

She let go of his shirt and unraveled the whip from his throat.

He fell to the ground, barely conscious and breathing faintly.

She leaned up, keeping her back straight and shoulders squared. "We'll kill him." she said bluntly. "Go to the nearest hospital he's in and kill him."

Steven started regaining more of his conscious and started sucking in huge amounts of air as his lungs tried bringing in more oxygen into his body.

Amethyst looked down and placed her foot underneath of his chin. She pointed her foot up, lifting his head up to face her. Her looked up at her, still taking in deep breaths and coughing in between.

"It's a shame you let him do this to you." she scowled at him. "Letting him, just a regular human to subdue a Gem like that." 

He gagged as he tried breathing in more air. "I.. I didn't know. He just.. hit us with something and we fell out-"

"Excuses." she snapped.

He continued to take in more air.

"You're still a pathetic Gem.." she growled. She pulled her foot away from his chin and his face fell back to the ground. He coughed and panted heavily on the hard dirt.

She took out her phone. "We'll have Peridot to tell us where he is." she unlocked her phone and a video started playing automatically. "...ABOUT IT!! HAVE NONE OF YOU NOT NOTICED THE QUAKES WE'VE BEEN GETTING FOR THE PAST FEW MONTHS?!? YOU SAY THEY'RE EARTHQUAKES, I SAY A GEO WEAPON THAT HAS STEADILY BEEN STRU-"

Amethyst growled as she stopped the video and clicked off of the Tweeter app. "This fukwad.." she went to Peridot's name. "Like something like that could actually happen. Where would we even GO if this "Geo Weapon" "sapped" the Earth of it's resources?! Freakin, the moon?! Mars?!?! Saturn?! Some other, freakin alien planet?! This isn't a cartoon!" she clicked on Peridot's name. "Like we can live somewhere else.. The guy can suck my ass." she looked down at Steven now breathing better, but still keeping his self on the ground more so out of fear. 

"Yo." 

He looked up at her. 

"You need to do better then this." she pointed a finger at him. "You're a Crystal. Gem." she put her hand back down. "Now. Don't you dare forget about our next mission coming up this Sunday. _Be_ here at fifteen hundred hours." she looked to the Gems. "Come on. We gotta head back to the jet and I need to tell Peridot about these.." she looked back down at Steven's frowning face, still looking up at her. then she shouted out " 'pictures' that he has of us apparently!!" 

Steven jumped. "A.. Amethyst.. You couldn't see us." he swallowed. "They were blurry." 

She looked at him. The glare only left her eyes slightly. "But we still need to destroy them. Even if our faces _aren't_ clearly shown, we _still_ need to destroy them." she turned around. "Come on, Gems." she started walking up the alley and stopped just moments later. She turned just slightly, though didn't turn her face all away to look at him. "I still can't believe you were so dense." she hissed. 

Steven slowly pushed his self up to his knees and he sat on his legs. "I just thought.. that maybe he could be of some help to us.." he said meekly. "He seemed to know what he was saying and.. I just thought he could get us closer to the Diamonds."

Just the mere name of them made her stomach churn and her mouth twist into a snarl. "That drunk doesn't know what the fuck he's talking about. And you had a nerve to eat that up." she spat out. "Pathetic." she turned around and continued her walk up the alleyway with Garnet and Pearl walking silently up with her.

"And we _are_ going to get that pink diamond. Whether he likes it or not." she kept her walk up the alley. "Who cares what kind of "caucus" or whatever may come. Like I care. All _we_ Crystal Gems care about, is staying at the top of the gang and getting that last pink diamond and getting rid of the Diamonds." a beat, as she remembered. _"And_ these men with the tuxedos and white shades.." 

Steven watched them as they left out the alley and turned to their left and walked up, disappearing behind the apartment complex.

He sighed.

Amethyst had another thing to be mad at towards him..

But most importantly.. Ronaldo was under the Gem's radar to be killed now..

He would have to somehow, some_way_.. if it was even possible.. to prevent him from getting murdered either by giving them a reason to let him live like what he'd done for both Lion and Onion.. Or, try to somehow warn Ronaldo without the man growing suspicious of him and warning Ronaldo in such a way that would get though his thick skull..

He got up slowly to his feet.

Great.. just ONE more thing to add to this madness he was already in..

The Crystal Gems, the Diamonds, the men in the tuxedos and white shades, the L&Co group and now.. having to somehow save Ronaldo in the mix of this.. 

He suppressed a scoff.

Saving Ronaldo..

Despite of what he'd done to him and Pee Dee..

He started walking out the alley and to the front of the building.

That's the right thing to do.

Even _if_ he was still very upset with what the man and done, that still didn't give anyone the right to kill him..

He opened the main door and made his way up the stairs and down the hall. 

With everything still hot and fresh in his mind, the anxiety was building up in his gut again as he grabbed the keys out of his pocket. 

Maybe he was being too paranoid. 

Maybe it wasn't any "read between the lines" thing with her message.. 

And maybe she had a reason not to text him back after the last message he'd sent her. 

Nothing happened to her-

He quickly put the key in the lock. 

Because it was Connie and he loved her, so NOTHING could ever happen to her-

He quickly unlocked the door and opened it.

Connie was running up to the door and he jumped.

"Steven!!!" she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. "I'm SO happy you're back!!"

He hugged her back. "Connie?-" 

"Oh, Steven! I saw everything! It was all on the news! All on Tweeter!! And SO many other websites!"

"What!?"

Of course he wouldn't had!! 

Ronaldo was recording the WHOLE thing!

Connie began to cry and she squeezed him tighter. "I just thought you were doing some kind of dumb stuff with Ronaldo all day" she cried. "and I was okay with that. Then I took Lion out for a walk a couple hours ago and I came back and went on my laptop to pass the time and I see this, this breaking news and then" she couldn't formulate her words as she cried more. 

"Connie." he buried her head into her hair as he brought her close. "It's okay-" 

"But you COULD'VE gotten hurt!" she let out a whine as she cried. "You could've died because of me!" her voice cracked. 

"..What?"

She sobbed on his shoulder and rubbed his back.

"Connie?"

"The live stream!" she blurted out. "I saw Ronaldo and I saw these two people and, and at first I didn't know it was you! But I only saw Ronaldo and I knew you were with him and I just want to know where you were!" 

His mind thought back on his phone ringing right when Amethyst was about to take him with her..

"I called and then I HEARD my ringtone playing on your phone! And then.. I saw Amethyst take the phone out and look at you-" her voice cracked as she whined in his shirt, sobbing louder. "She.. how she.." she choked on her words. "Steven.. how she looked at you.. When she dropped the phone I thought" her voice went an octave higher as she whined out a sob. "Steven.. I thought she was going to kill you.. I thought she was going to kill you on screen and.. it would've been all my fault." 

"But she didn't."

"She could've!!" she cried. Her breathing was shallow and shaky as she clung to his shirt.

"But she didn't. And I'm still here."

She cried more, hearing that. It was beautiful to her ears and she was so thankful that he was still alive and in her arms.

Lion approached the two by the door, wagging his tail and wanting to join in on the hug and console them.

"And Connie?"

Her breath trembled and she sniffled.

"I think it's because of your call that she let me go." 

She continued to cry.

"You stopped her. You made her check to see if I was actually one of those ill persons." he said soothingly. "And you even helped Pee Dee too. You saved both of us." he rubbed her back. "Thank you."

She cried more as more relief washed over her.

He continued rubbing her back and tried for a humorless chuckle. "Hey, I'm here now and Pee Dee's safe too and you got the Crystal Gems to leave us alone. That's a super power I wish I had." 

Connie sniveled and let out a short chuckle as more tears slid down to the bottom of her glasses.

He hugged her closer and sighed out a breath. "I'm just glad I'm here.."

With everything that had happened.. all he did was want to be in her arms.

"I'm glad you're here too." she whispered. Through her shake breath she added, "Then I saw them rescue you and Pee Dee and then I got a message from you saying you were okay." she tried for a very small smile as she closed her eyes, relishing in the moment that he was actually there with her. "I didn't want to make things too obvious so I sent a short message back." fresh tears clung to her eyelashes. "Then you said that you were on your way soon and I didn't know how long 'soon' was and then I just started looking out the window from time to time and I didn't know what to text back since I had so many thoughts in my mind and.." she sighed. "Well.. that doesn't matter now. You're here." 

The two hugged it out silently and Lion decided that it was time to join his family. The dog jumped up and placed each paw on their sides and panted up at them. He wagged his tail as he lolled out his tongue. 

Steven lifted his head up and chuckled and Connie let out a sad chuckle of hers. "Hey boy. You feeling left out?" Steven lifted one hand from Connie's back and pat Lion. The dog's tail wagged faster as he jerked his head up, trying to lick Steven's hand. He laughed. 

Connie lifted her glasses up and wiped under her eye. "He really is.. something." she half complimented. 

Steven looked at her and a wry smile came to his face. "You mean.. the beeeeest." he wiggled his eyebrows. 

She snorted. "Well.. I didn't say _that."_

"Iii think you were _thinking_ that." he nudged her face with his. 

"Heh.." she moved her head out the way. "Noo."

"I'll still take that as a compliment." he smiled.

"Doesn't mean that it _is_ one." and he saw a sly smile on her face.

"Hm. Touché." he kissed her cheek. He brought both hands up and lifted her glasses up slightly, wiping his thumbs under them and across her skin. 

She looked at him. Though her mixed expression of both sadness and hope was hidden by her black shades. He leaned in and kissed the bridge of her nose. "Mmmmmwah!" he leaned back up. 

"Heh.." she chuckled softly. 

He gave her another tight hug before leaning back up and giving her another kiss on the cheek. "That's for walking Lion." 

"Oh.. yeah." she shrugged. "Well I couldn't just have him use the bathroom in the apartment. Also, I felt that he needed to exercise to get all of that energy out before going to bed."

"And I appreciate that." he kissed her forehead. "And I think Lion appreciated it too." he turned to the canine. "Didn't you boy?" 

Lion panted and wagged his tail.

Connie gave the dog a sad smile as she reached down to pat his noggin. 

Lion leaned his head down on her side and placed his other paw on her as she went to scratch at his ear.

The three of them enjoyed their moment together until Lion finally slid back to the floor after standing up on his hind legs for so long. He wagged his tail happily as he looked at the two.

Steven smiled at him. "You're a good boy." he slowly slid his hands from Connie and took his first step away from her. "So, did you feed him yet?" 

Lion heard the word 'feed' and immediately went towards the kitchen.

"Yeah, but that was muuuch much earlier." she followed Steven as he walked into the kitchen with Lion.

He opened Lion's own little cabinet and took out his medicine and food. 

Lion hopped over, sniffing the food bag in his hand.

"Wow, Lion." Connie folded her arms good naturedly. "You act as if I hadn't fed you just earlier."

"Well, maybe that's how he feels." Steven shrugged with a smile. He placed the pill inside of the bowl and Lion sniffed it then looked back up at Steven and the bag in his hand. He poured it in the bowl as Lion began chowing down on the first bits of kernels in the bowl. 

Steven laughed. He pushed the dog's face away gently with the bag as he tried pouring more of the kibbles n bits in there. "I can't properly pour your food into the bowl if you're in the way Lion."

The dog ignored him as he crunched on the food.

"Fiiiine." Steven poured around his head and folded the bag back up. He scratched behind Lion's ears. "You're still a good boy.. A greedy one, but still a good one." he smiled. He put the medicine and bag of food back in the cabinet and stood back up as Connie was rinsing his water bowl out. She poured fresh water in it and placed it back down on the food holder.

"Thanks." he gave her a peck on the cheek.

"You're welcome." she smiled back at him as she went to massage and run her hand through his curly hair as she would often times do for fun. She ran her fingers through his curls and hit a sore patch on his head and he winced. "Ah!" she pulled her hand back as he jerked his head back.

She had an uneasy look on her face.

"That's.. where Ronaldo hit me." he answered her unspoken question.

Her eyes narrowed slightly as her lips furled downwards in a slight grimace. "Let me take a look." 

He bent his head down towards her and she began parting bits of his hair until she saw a huge gash on his scalp. Blood had crusted inside and along the edges of it and dried along the base of his hair follicles.

He heard a sigh from her as he felt her pull more of his hair away.

"Is it that bad?" he asked.

Silence..

"Connie?" he tilted his head up slightly.

"Just _look_ at what he did to your head.." she grumbled. 

"I mean.. I'm not in _that_ much pain." 

Connie glared at the wound. "That.. Ronaldo." she said through her teeth. "Maybe someone should hit _him_ in his head. Then tie HIM up and put tape around his mouth." 

Good thing she didn't know about the sock.. 

Still..

"Owch, Connie.. That's pretty mean." 

" 'Mean'?! HE was the one who did that to YOU." a beat later. "AND Pee Dee!" she was still moving his hair around and looking at the wound. "That guy is just such a..." she scowled as she shook her head. "He's SUCH a.." she growled. "That guy..see THIS is just another reason to not like him!! Sneaky, conniving, drunkard! And putting you in danger!!" 

"Connie?-"

She grit her teeth. "He's just a.. fuck!"

"Connie!" he moved his head away and looked up at her.

That took him aback. And it took him another second to process if she'd actually even said it. That was his actual first time hearing her use such a strong fowl language as that..

She was blushing.

She still had a glare that was slowly turning to a look of embarrassment as she realized what she'd blurted out. 

She rolled her eyes and stomped away from him, now speaking angrily in Tamil and he could only imagine what she was saying.. 

He stood there, not exactly knowing what to do as she stormed off into the bathroom, continuing her grumbles in a language he still hadn't learned.. 

He looked down.

Lion was still eating his food.

"Steven." he heard the cabinet in the bathroom.

He walked out the kitchen and Lion looked up as he walked pass him, then went back to eating his food.

"Yes?" he turned the corner and saw her with the Gemtech cream and oil.

She placed them on the sink and turned the water on and placed her fingers under it, steadily adjusting the temperature. "Come in so I rinse your wound out." 

He walked in and his eyes went to the tub. 

She held her fingers under the water a few moments longer before pulling them back. "Okay, it's just right." 

"Actually." she looked up at him. "Maybe I should take a shower. After walking with Ronaldo and.. after all that stuff with him happened with the makeup." then he added. "Not to mention having went camping, heh, I think I should take a shower."

She twisted her face up, but gave him a smile. "Riiight. Yeah you should definitely do that." she turned the water off. 

"Let me get my stuff." he pointed his thumb behind him.

She left out the bathroom with him and he picked up his toiletries, his boxers and pants and went back into the bathroom.

He took his shower and put the cream and oil on his skin, though he left the wound on his head for Connie to get for him.

He laid in bed and relaxed on his side as she gently and delicately parted his hair and placed both the cream and the oil on it. During that time she'd also calmed down from being so irate with Ronaldo.

She fluffed up his hair and kissed at another part of his wet hair. "Done."

"Thanks." he leaned up in bed and gave her a kiss.

"Are you hungry? I have a feeling you haven't eaten all day."

_Well she's right.._

_And I _am_ hungry.._

He shrugged. "I mean.. it's getting pretty late." 

"Steven, it's around seven something. I can make you something quick."

Why did he feel so funny with her doing that..

Maybe because she deserved so much better than him?-

She slid off the bed and walked into the kitchen. 

He sat up in bed. "Um.. t, thanks.." he said meekly. 

  
  


Connie had made him a plate of spaghetti with two pieces of garlic bread. She made an even smaller portion for herself, having just beaten hours earlier and not as hungry.

The two had eaten at the counter then went back to bed and Connie grabbed the laptop from the table.

They were about to watch Nevey and the Jeweled Ladies when she got a reminder/ alert on her phone about Connie's other favorite show 'Under the knife' premiering at nine o'clock. 

They'd went to the website and waited for a few minutes before the opening theme started to play.

And there, they laid in bed watching the show.

  
  


"Doctor, it's my son." the woman said in distress. "There was.. an accident! I-" 

"I know what we have to do." she cut her off. "Nurse!"

"Yes, Doctor?"

"Prep the patient for emergency surgery. We're gonna go... _under the knife." _

"They said the name!" Steven cheered. 

Connie squealed happily with him. "Uuuuuuhg!!! This show is so good! Aaah!! I CAN'T believe we have to wait until FIRDAY to watch the midseason premier finale!!" 

"Sooo close yet, so far away!" Steven mocked whined with her. 

Lion looked at the two of them as he laid in between the two at the top of the bed. 

"I need to put another reminder on my phone." Connie sat up in bed and slid her hand under the pillow then down under the blankets and around Lion to find her phone. 

Steven watched the credits on screen as he went to scratch behind Lion's ear. The canine's tail wagged and hit their pillows.

Connie found her phone deep under the covers and she unlocked it-

Her phone started to ring in her hands.

Her mother..

She felt a little jolt in her chest as the device vibrated in her palm.

Steven looked over, easing his scratches off of Lion's ear.

He watched her clear her throat with a slight nervous expression on her face. She swiped across the screen and held the phone up to her ear. _"Hello, mom." _

_His_ heart jolted in his chest.

Her speaking in Tamil could _only_ mean that she was speaking to her mom, her dad.. or both.. 

He idly scratched at Lion's head and stared blankly at the last few minutes of the credits on the screen of their laptop..

The conversation only lasted for a couple of minutes, but to him, it felt like hours.

She lowered the phone down from her ear, put the reminder on her phone and locked her phone back. She placed it down face first beside her. 

"So.. uh.." she looked over at Steven. She could see the worry in his eyes as the screen casted a soft light on his face. ".. your parents?" he asked an obvious question.

"It was just my mom this time."

He nodded slowly. "..Oh.."

"Yeah.. she's just checking in on things and.. you know, making sure everything is in order."

"Rright.." he nodded. He continued to idly scratch at Lion's head. The dog now laying his head down on his paws as he kept his eyes closed.

"And she wanted to have us color coordinated."

That made him stop his hand right above the dog's head and Lion cracked open his eye at him. "What?" he raised an eyebrow at her. 

"She doesn't want us to look, well, you know.." she shrugged. "She doesn't want us looking tacky and she doesn't want us all to have different colors." she looked at him. "She want us to look presentable and like a professional unit." 

"Hm." that was genuinely funny to him. "I can see why though." he kept a small smile on his face. "So what's going to be the color of our formal attire?"

"Red."

"Red?"

"Yeah. So you can wear a black suit and a red shirt and tie."

He nodded. Then looked down at Lion under his hand and his eyes closed again. "What about Lion?" the dog cracked open his eye at Steven again upon hearing his name. 

"That's what I've been trying to figure out." she narrowed her eyes in thought. "I'm still not so sure if he's ready to be left alone yet. I was thinking about asking maybe Mr. Vecino if he could watch him for a few hours." then she added. "Or maybe he _would_ be okay alone in the apartment. You can take him out one last time before you leave and we can try to get back within three, four hours." she looked down at the dog. "Maybe that's not _too_ long for him without either one of us."

"Neh, I think he'll be fine. He'll probably just sleep the whole time anyway. Especially if we end up tiring him out before we go."

"Before _you_ go." she clarified. "I have work tomorrow, remember? And I won't be home so I'll need you to bring my clothes to work." 

Steven leaned up in bed as he slid his hand from Lion's head. The canine opened his eyes and lifted his head up to look at him. "Well I'm glad we're talking about it now." he said. "I didn't know anything about this."

"Yeah, I knoooww. We haven't had time to really talk about this." she turned slightly to him. "I get off at 6 and we're supposed to meet them at Foy Raidley's at 7. There's noo way I'll be able to come aaall the way back here, get ready and go aaaall the way to the restaurant."

"Okay. So I guess I'll start getting ready around a quarter to five and leave out of here around five thirty and take a Zuber."

"Then I think that should give you enough time."

Steven nodded, still wondering what they were going to do with Lion. "What if Mr. Vecino can't watch Lion? What are we going to do then? And I don't think he'll do too well with other dogs just yet so taking him to one of those Doggy Daycares wouldn't be the best right now either."

Connie blew out a breath. "I'm not sure. Unless we simply, leave him here. Tire him out, take him out for a bathroom break and leave him here."

Steven gave her a one shoulder shrug and said a bit sheepishly. ".. Mmaybe.. we could bring him with us?"

"What?!" she looked at him, shocked. "Him. with us." 

"Yeah, why not?" 

"Umm. because he's a dog. in a very expensive restaurant. And we're going to see my parents."

"Yeah? Lion here doesn't like fish." a beat later. "Or at least I don't think so, so he's not going to be running into the kitchen. And he's a good boy in general, so he shouldn't make too much of a mess." then he added. "And he's apart of our family now, so maybe your parents should get to meet him too." 

Connie sighed and rubbed at her face. She dragged her hand down to her chin and kept it there as she looked at the dog laying down peacefully beside them. "Still, Steven.. we don't even know if that place would even _allow_ dogs anyway."

He smiled. "We'll just _MAKE_ him fancy enough for the restaurant! Then they'll HAVE to let him in! We'll put four little cufflinks on his little ankles and we can put a red bowtie or a tie on him!"

_"Or_ we can just call the place and ask." she deadpanned.

"Or both!"

"That's" she let out a snort. "not how it works.."

"I think they'll let him in once they see how handsome he is in his formal attire and how well behaved he is."

"I'm still going to call." she said and started sliding off the bed. "But first I'll take our clothes out. That'll give me one less thing to do tomorrow morning."

  
  


Connie had taken their clothes out (and had Steven put on his pants and suit jacket to make sure he could still fit them), ironed them, used a lint roller on them and set them down on the dresser. 

Then she took out the rest of her things (her tights, heels, makeup, items for her hair and her perfume) and placed them in a small bag for Steven to bring to her at work. Then she slipped a bag over her dress to prevent it from getting messed up on his way there.

After getting everything together, she crawled back in bed, forgetting to call the restaurant if they could bring in pets and the two of them talked for a bit more before she started to doze off.

They decided to call it a night, especially since it was getting rather late and she needed to go to work.

They gave each other kisses and goodnight's and laid down (with Lion going back over to his own little bed to sleep in at the end of theirs).

There, in bed, Steven's mind started to wander as it did majority of the time at night..

Things like..

If what Ronaldo was saying was actually right. If something huge actually _was_ going to happen soon to the world.. If he would be able to even find Lonny or if he would even be able to take down both the Crystal Gem Empire and the Diamond Authority or if he would ever find out who's behind this L&Co group (and if that masked person is apart of it), if Ronaldo even _had_ so-called "items" for the L&Co group or if he was just trying to calm him and Pee Dee down.. if he, Ronaldo and Pee Dee were currently being targeted by the L&Co group.. and other questions.

He suppressed a sigh.

Everyday seemed to be something new that he had to add on to his already important duties to do..

Like right now and how he was thinking/ worrying about a very daunting task he would have to do tomorrow with Connie.

Maybe things will go good between the four of them?

He and Connie had an amazing camping experience yesterday, so maybe the dinner with her family tomorrow will be great as well?

He sure hoped so..

_So_ many stressful things were happening in his life and he just wanted _something_ good to happen..

  
  


He just wanted everything to go well..

He resisted another sigh as he laid behind Connie with his arm around her, hugging her tightly in front of him.

That would be _all_ he need for something _else_ to happen..


	195. To break would only be a matter of time..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: A prisoner is going to get beaten up. I wasn't too gory on the details this time, though I thought I should still put that out there.

A whip was thrown at her face and she fell hard to the floor as her hands have out under her fall. She laid on the floor as blood dripped from the fresh wounds on her face and back. 

The wip was withdrawn and a mace was brought down to her face and she winced, closing her eyes. She cracked them back open moments later to see the point of the mace directly in front of her. She looked up towards the man and the woman and watched them through her blurred vision. One eye black and the other swollen and bloodied. 

"We're going to ask you again. HOW did you get those gadgets and WHERE did you come from!" the woman shouted. Her yellow irises glared down behind the orange tinted visor that reached down the sides of her face. 

"I told you.." she whispered weakly. "I stole the gadgets and I left from some unknown place.. I just fled the area and didn't look back. I don't_ know_ where I was.."

"Liar." she hissed.

She shook in front of them.. the pain getting to be more and more unbearable. She blinked back her tears. "I'm not lying.." she whispered.

The woman looked to her left at her twin. A serious scowl to both of their faces.

"You think it's time to show her the pictures?" she asked her twin plainly. 

Their prisoner looked at them both, wondering what they were talking about. 

The woman withdrew her mace and pulled out the four photos. She took her steps towards the badly injured woman and crouched down. 

She kept her stare on the prisoner as she lifted the first photo in front of her. A picture of a woman going up against the Crystal Gems. 

The brittle woman tried keeping a neutral look to her bloodied face as she looked at the photo.

The woman kept her leveled stare at their prisoner as she dropped the first photo, revealing another picture. This one of a woman going up against the robot fusion Sugilite. 

"Now.." she stated. _"These_ look just. like. _you.."_

The woman felt blood slid down her face and she felt the drop hit her cut and bloodied hand.

She was quiet.

The Topaz twin dropped the second photo, revealing a third picture. This one of a woman and a young man inside of a pink bubble, being attacked by the Crystal Gems.

She swallowed.

.. and she hoped either of the Topaz twins didn't see that..

The guard dropped the photo onto the ground, revealing the last picture that made her heart begin to race in her chest. The image was enhanced and clear as day, just like the other three photos...

And this one was of a woman flying away from the same young man in the third picture. He was in a pink bubble like in the last picture and the woman had her ice wings and flying from the ocean beneath them.

The woman's mouth twitched and she slowly looked from the picture to the muscular woman in front of her.

"Looks like we have our evidence." she said sharply. 

Their prisoner looked at her. 

She shook her head. 

"I..." she sighed. Her brittle, wounded arms trembled under her as she tried to push herself up from the cellar floor. "That's not me.." 

"Are we really doing this?" the man asked behind them. 

His twin clenched her boxy jawline. "We can _clearly_ see. that THIS" she raised the last photo up to the woman's face. "is YOU!" she growled. 

The woman shook her head again. She couldn't bring herself to look at either of the guards. "I.. escaped. Those pictures must be fake." she said faintly. 

The Topaz twin looked back at her older brother. 

"Looks like we really _are_ doing this." he stated. 

The younger sister shook her head. She growled out a sigh and stood up. She flung the picture onto the floor with the others and held up her mace. "Then it looks like we have to do this again." she said coarsely. 

Their prisoner looked at them. 

Weak..

Defeated..

She stayed on the floor, accepting her fate.. 

The woman swung down, hitting the woman hard across the face and she screamed out as the weapon cut deep across the bottom of her cheek and striking her head down to the floor. 

Her brother walked up. 

Her sister took her boot and placed it on the woman's shoulder and pushed it down to the ground for her brother to get a better angle at her whipped back.

He threw the whip up.

The woman clenched her eyes tightly and conditioned now, she stayed on the floor and kept her back facing the abuser. 

The muscular guard brought the whip down multiple times, striking the already blistering skin on her back.

Her screams echoed from the room and down the hall. Yellow Diamond's guards proceeded to ignore the woman hollering out as she underwent her punishment. They jogged up and down the hallways as they minded their own business and continued with their own tasks for their luminous boss.

Topaz threw her mace down on the woman's shoulder as her brother continued to whip across her back.

The Topaz twins whipped and struck her back for minutes as she screamed out in pain and cried on the floor in her own blood. The two not stopping until they heard a familiar chime. 

They stopped immediately and turned to the front of the room. 

A wide screen monitor was held at the top corner of the room. The screen was yellow until the chime ended and the face of the luminous Yellow Diamond appeared on screen. The top of her chest on up was shown and she was seen sitting on the right side of the desk. Another chair was left vacant on her left.

The two guards went to their stance, going for the diamond salute. "My luminous Yellow Diamond." they said in unison.

She didn't acknowledge them. Instead, her eyes went straight to their frail and bloody prisoner crying and shaking on the floor. Her eyes went to the pictures, now spotted with blood, laying on the floor next to her. "Looks like you have finally seen the pictures." she stated. 

The Topaz twins stood there quiet and still holding their stance with whip and mace in hand. 

Yellow Diamond's eyes went to the man. "Has the prisoner finally succumbed to the corporal punishment and given her details to you two?"

"No, my Diamond. I am afraid she has yet to do so."

Yellow Diamond's eyes narrowed onto her guard. "No?" her mouth twisted in a snarl. 

"N, no, my Diamond. She has claimed that the photos we have shown her are fake." 

She gave the Topaz a leveled glare. "So she thinks that claiming the photos as unreal will get her out of this situation?" she bared her teeth. "What an absolute doltish woman we have here with us."

The Topaz twins stood there quiet.

Yellow Diamond turned to the prisoner laying on the floor. 

The woman looked pitifully up at the monitor. Yellow Diamond was looking at her. Glaring at her with yellow eyes as sharp and menacing as knives. She never blinked and the woman continued to stare at her diamond pupils in fear. "What an absolute travesty. You acting in such a dumfounded way." she spat out. "You disgust me." 

The woman laid there silently. 

Not daring to speak or so much as move even slightly. 

"Look at what a mess you have become." she snarled. "And even after so much pain and torture, you _still_ are acting disobedient-" she stopped and they saw her eyes glance up and over to her left. She looked back at them through the monitor. She leaned up. "You are here in our own territory and acting like an indisciplined, rebellious culprit." her expression could only be described as smug with just a subtle feigned coyness to her features. "Is this how you act in the presence of your former Diamond?"

The Topaz guards' eyes widened in utter shock in anticipated awe.

The woman's heart only began to race more..

Yellow Diamond looked off to the left once more and moments later a tall woman with light blue hair and a blue cloak draped across her blue dress stepped into screen. She sat down and her blue eyes with diamond pupils shot a terrifying glare to the woman on the floor.

"Why, Kyanite." her chilling, accented voice sent chills down the woman's spine and made deeply rooted memories come straight to the fore. "Looks like we meet again."

The woman's breath shuttered under her as she panted.. Fear and stress laced and latched onto every part of her body..

"Thought you could run away?" she leaned forward in her chair. "Thought you could.. be rid of us?"

The woman didn't answer her. Completely petrified.

"And just look at what the Crystal Gems have done to you." there was just a slight wry smile across her pale face. "That would not had happened if you had stayed. with _us."_ she leaned back up and placed the side of her face against the palm of her hand and closed her eyes softly. "Oh, what a shame it is really." she said dramatically. "Had you not been such a defiant, unruly woman and had left, none of this would have happened." she opened her blue, chilling eyes back up and the corners of her mouth turned up. "But now look at what has happened just two decades later. You. are back. with us." there was a single chortle. "Oh, how grand." she said sarcastically. She looked to Yellow Diamond's Topazes. "I have heard moments earlier that my former Kyanite has not distributed any information as of yet, despite of the photographic evidence." her eyes went pass the guards still holding their pose and quiet and towards the frail woman crying silently on the floor. "But if I know this Kyanite and I _do_. I would say that she would start talking. very. soon." then her expression dropped immediately to a menacing, evil look as she looked down at the woman from the monitor. "Least she wants to stay alive." she said sharply. She kept her glare down at the woman. "You Topazes continue with what you are doing to her. Eventually she _will_ get around to telling us." another tear slid down the woman's face and mixed with the blood on her skin. The light red liquid slid down from her cheek and to the floor. "I am sure of it."

The defeated woman kept her head on the cellar floor. She laid there in pain. Her breath shuttered as she tried holding in the fresh tears that stung her eyes.

  
  


_Steven.._

_Please forgive me.._

_.. for what I might do.._

  
  


_I'm so sorry.._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoaa!! We actually got to see just a smidge of THE lustrous Blue Diamond as well!!!!!! *0*
> 
> Also, I hope that I'm still keeping yall's attention and I hope y'all are still enjoying this fic =) There's sooooo much more to explore and I can't wait until we explore more of this story :)
> 
> Aaaanywho, stay tuned for Fusion Cuisine!


	196. The morning of the family dinner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! So uh.. this is only _half_ of  
Fusion Cuisine. I honestly didn't think that I was going to write so much, but I did and I felt that I shouldn't give y'all so much to read. ( I mean.. I know y'all could just like, simply read bit by bit lol, but ya know.. still)  
Anyway, I know I've done that before, where I wrote a lot, but I think this time I've reaaally overdone it.. SO here's seven chapters (with the seventh one being extreeeeemely long).
> 
> And who knows, I might just start splitting up extremely long "episodes". Who knows.  
  
Aaaaaaand cue Connie freaking out:

Steven woke up to the soft rays of the sun seeping through the curtains and into the room. He stifled a yawn as he rubbed at his face.

Connie wasn't there and he assumed that she'd went off to work.

.. until he heard her in the bathroom..

And it did _not_ sound good..

He looked over at the door. 

Lion was sitting in front of the door patiently and looking right at the doorknob. 

A few minutes later and he heard the water rushing as she gargled a few times.

He heard the faucet water turn off and the bathroom door open and Lion stood back up, wagging his tail. She stepped out of the bathroom holding her stomach.

And they looked at each other.

"Uh.." she looked away, embarrassed before glancing back at him. "I hope I didn't wake you.." then she added meekly. "with that.."

"No." he shook his head. "You didn't."

She sighed softly as she walked slowly back to her side of the bed. Lion followed her closely.

Steven pulled the blankets back and she slid down into the sheet. Lion hopped into the bed and crawled just by her feet.

She sat up in bed as he threw the blanket back over her legs, just missing Lion. The dog moved slightly away from the cover and it slid behind his back. "Did you want to lay back down?"

She shrugged with another sigh as she pushed a piece of her hair back behind her ear. "Maybe.." she mumbled under her breath.

"And if it's that bad.. you know you can always call out and get some rest." he suggested softly.

"Noo.." she frowned. "I can't do that." then she added. "I won't." 

"Just.. thought I would put that out there."

The room was quiet for a few moments before Connie breathed out through her mouth. Steven looked over as she rubbed at her stomach. She looked over at the regretful look in his eyes. "I'm okay.." she whispered. 

He didn't look convinced.

She brought her other hand up to rub at her face as she let out another sigh. "I think I'm just nervous." then she clarified. "Well.. morning sickness too, I guess but.. I think it's more so nerves.. Or, I don't know.. the nerves is bringing on the morning sickness or making it worse?" she shrugged with a grimace. 

Steven scooted over towards her and brought his arms around her. He pulled her in with her arms pinned between them. "It'll be okay." he tried to soothe her. "I don't want you feeling nervous."

She placed her head on his shoulder. "I know.." she whispered in his ear. "I'm not trying to think about it as much but.." she exhaled hard through her nose. "It's been _so_ long since I've seen them." then she added with sorrow in her voice. "And from our few talks, I can tell that they're still the same.." 

It felt like his heart flipped in his chest..

Though he still kept his calm façade. 

He held her closer. "Maybe it'll be different once we see them?" he asked. "It'll be better once we actually sit down and talk to them."

And the more he explained the more he was stressing his _own_ self out..

Of _course_ it wouldn't be that easy with the kind of parents she had..

..If _only_ it was that easy..

"That's what I've been trying to tell myself.."

"I don't think we have anything to worry about." he absolutely lied through his teeth. He ignored the tightness in his own chest. "Everything will be fine."

"I hope so." 

He turned his head slightly and kissed her on the temple. "It _will_ be."

The hug lingered on for a few moments before Steven leaned up slowly to see Connie's sour look. "How's your stomach?"

She hesitated and swallowed. "Queasy.."

He gave her a long kiss on the forehead. "I'll grab you something." 

She lifted her head from his shoulder and he eased his arms away from the embrace. He slid off the bed and walked into the kitchen.

He opened the fridge and took out a can of ginger ale. He popped it open, hearing the fizzle of the soda. He placed it on the counter and took out a single straw from the holder. He peeled the paper off and placed the straw in the cup and opened the cabinet to get the crackers-

He heard Connie burping behind him as he grabbed the box. He closed the cabinet and set the box on the counter and opened the flaps up and heard her get out of bed and head back into the bathroom.

She shut the door and he heard her in the bathroom moments later.

He sighed.. feeling even more horrible then before.

All of this could've been avoided..

They wouldn't be _as_ scared to see her parents if she _wasn't_ pregnant..

And this wouldn't be happening to her this morning.

If he simply._had_. pulled out..

He pulled the quarter sleeve of crackers out and left the half empty box on the counter and dragged his feet back over towards the bed, passing Lion who was back in front of the bathroom door once more.

He couldn't help but hear her in the bathroom and he was going to ask her if she needed any help, but he decided against it. He figured she would probably feel embarrassed or would want time to herself..

He slid back into bed, being careful to not spill the can of Ginger Ale on the bed.

He looked back at Lion sitting still and looking up at the door.

He heard Connie again and grimaced.

He let out an exasperated sigh.

_Why did I have to do something so stupid.._

_It's all my fault.. _

_Just like everything else is.._

Connie came out the bathroom ten minutes later and she walked over to the bed with Lion walking right beside her. 

She slid back under the covers and he jumped back on the bed and laid down by both of their legs.

She sat there in silence. 

And he did the same..

Lion laid his head down and looked at the both of them.

Steven sighed. "Connie.." he looked at her. "I'm so sorry this happened.."

She looked at him confused before realizing what he meant. "Steven.." she shook her head, _not_ wanting to think like that. 

He frowned and whispered, embarrassed. "If it wasn't for me.." he felt his cheeks starting to heat up. "I mean.. if I had just.." how could he word it.. 

"Steven-"

"Maybe if I hadn't been so eager at the very end-" he could feel the blush spreading to his whole face. 

Connie buried her face in her hand, just as embarrassed as him. "Steven.. _don't_ think like that." she mumbled into her palm. She raised her blushing face slightly away from her hand. "It.. takes two.." she looked away before looking back at his red and regretful face. She dropped her hand from her cheek. "Look.. what's done, is done." she said slowly.. shyly. "It's no use of thinking about the past and what you or I could've done differently.." she scratched at her warm neck. "What happened between us.. _happened_ and.. there's no coming back from that." she dropped her hand from her neck and to her lap.

His stomach twisted inside of him.

_There's no coming back from my mistake.._

_Why did I let that stupid, hormonal moment take over me like that.._

"Right.." he said it so low she barely heard him.

Silence once again covered the room..

..say for the faint sizzle of the can in his hand..

She was right..

It was literally nothing they could do since she wanted to keep the baby..

"Um.." he took a short breath, then saying meekly. "I.. got you a can of Ginger Ale." he raised the can up to her. "And some crackers." he squeezed the wrapper gently in his other hand.

She reached over and grabbed the can from him. "Thanks.." she held the cold container in her warm hands. 

She tapped her fingertips on its surface.

And looked down inside of the hole and to the fizzy, light brown drink. 

She sighed. ".. But I don't know if I can drink it just yet. My stomach is still a bit.." she trialed off.

Steven nodded. "Yeah.. yeah, take your time." he placed the crackers gingerly on his lap.

Silence between them..

Though they could hear the outside ambience as their neighbors started their cars or spoke loudly outside, accompanied by birds chirping and cars going up and down their block.

With another sigh out of her, she lowered her hands to her lap. "I really hope that everything goes well tonight. I just.. I _still_ think they're more or less the same, despite of everything. And I'm just.. really nervous how they're going to take all of this.."

Steven's mouth twisted to the side as worry continued to build up. "And.. you need to tell them." he said it as a statement, though it sounded more of a question if anything.

She looked at him, taken aback. "Of _COURSE_ I have to tell them. I have to tell them that I'm pregnant, I have to tell them that I'm pregnant, I.._have_ to tell them. that I'm_ preg.nant."_ dread began settling in her gut and she could feel her heart begin to race. "They.. they need to know this Steven!" she shook her head fervently. "We had sex! We're.. we're _having_ sex! We're-" she paused and immediately went back to her rant. "What we're doing.. they don't like it! And.. uhg, and then you got me pregnant." she grabbed at her hair. 

His frown only fell more and the guilt gripped more at his heart. 

She shook her head more and clenched her eyes. "Uhg! But we HAVE to tell them this! They. _need._ to know! I need to come clean and I need to get everything out of the way!" she let go of her hair and pinched the bridge of her nose, still keeping her eyes clenched tightly.

_See what you did Universe.._

_Just another addition to all of the many faults you've done..._

He looked over at Connie who was now staring down at her lap. Or at the can in her hand. He couldn't tell.

He hated seeing her like this but so many times it seemed like he would always do something so stupid to cause her to feel like this.. 

He sat there looking at his sad girlfriend..

_Look Universe. No reason in moping and crying about it now. _You_ did what _you_ did and you need to suffer the consequences of it._

_The consequences being a living, breathing thing.._

_So straighten up and shut up..And console her. _That's _ what she needs. Not someone too busy regretting and thinking about the past._

Steven reached over as he did before and brought her in. "We'll do it." he whispered. He rubbed at her back. "And I'll be there wiIth you every step of the way." 

He thought his heart was going to stop..

"Both you and I are going to have a great time with your parents. We'll eat some delicious fiiish, we'll have a good time talking about Bollywooood" he heard a short snort from her. She didn't correct him. "we'll enjoy the scenery of the restauraaant and we'll tell them about the baby and.." he resisted a breath as he blurted out, though tried for a leveled voice at the same time. "And they will take the news very well." he stopped his rub on her back and wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. "This night will be a night to remember. I really think everything will be okay." he lied.

"I hope so.."

He leaned up from her and looked at her shades.

He would've liked it if he could actually see her eyes..

"It will be, Connie." he forced out a smile. "You shouldn't stress yourself out about it. They're your parents. And I think the main thing they would want to do is talk to you and to be with you."

"Mm.. yeah."

"I think they'll focus more on just being there _with_ you more so than anything else."

He could only hope that his lies/words of encouragement would make her feel even just a _bit _ better..

Connie nodded. "I would like to think that.."

He let out a chuckle. "I keep telling you, Connie. You have to _know_ that. Not think it. You have.to think positive." _Boy am I being a hypocrite.._ "All of us will have a night like no other." 

She looked at his small smile and slowly, she forced out a smile of her own. "Yeah.. this could go really great."

"Ahh~." he waved a finger. "This _will_ go great." 

There was another short chuckle.

He gave her a long kiss on the forehead and decided against blowing a raspberry given the serious moment. He leaned up away from her face. "We'll all enjoy our time with each other." he reassure her despite how he truly felt.

He saw a more genuine smile on her face as she said a single, "Yeah."

He gave her a quick peck on the forehead. "Yes." he cheesed. 

"Yeah..." she nodded slowly. "Yeah it'll be okay." 

Steven gave her another kiss, this one, on her cheek. "It'll be more than okay." then he leaned in, giving her a comforting hug. 

She leaned her head on him, feeling comfortable within his warm arms and how soft the skin on his neck was on her forehead. 

The hug lasted for a few silent minutes before she leaned up and he kept his arms around her. 

There was a smile on her face.

She leaned in and gave him a peck on the cheek. 

Then he leaned in towards her forehead and kissed it and this time, blowing just a small, sad little raspberry on her skin and she chuckled. 

She let out a calming breath and looked down at the can in her hand. 

She brought it up to her lips and took a few small sips from it before lowering the can back to her lap. 

Steven grabbed the sleeve of crackers from off his lap and opened the crinkling wrapper. He pulled the wrapper back, showing the first few crackers inside. He raised it up to her as he kept his other arm wrapped around her in a hug.

She smiled sadly. "Thanks." she took one and started nibbling on it. 

"Really." he tried reassuring her once more. "You have nothing to worry about." he kissed her cheek as she swallowed the dry piece of cracker down. "Everything will go great." (he hoped) "And, I'll be with you during it all." 

Connie looked at the half bitten cracker in her fingertips. The holes of the crackers seemed to be forming a frowny face. "Yeah.." her smile faltered down to a frown. "Everything will be fine.."

  
  


The two stayed in bed and Connie had finished her Ginger Ale and a few crackers as Steven tried talking about the midseason premier finale of Under the knife to get her mind (as well as _his_ mind) off of tonight.

It seemed to work slightly (for the both of them) and a half an hour later she got up to get ready for work and Steven got up to feed Lion and to give him his medicine.

Connie had went to the bathroom, put on her uniform, then put three pieces of bread in the toaster oven. She ate the bread with a bit of cinnamon on them to help calm her stomach more and took her pregnancy pill. 

Steven was getting ready as she sat down at the counter. He slipped on anything, just needing a shirt to cover his marks while he walks her to the bus stop.

Twenty minutes later of her relaxing at the counter (with Lion laying down right beside her) and talking to Steven as he sat at the bed, she drunk the rest of her water and got up. She threw the paper plate in the trash and started for the door and Steven got up and took the leash off of the coat rack and clipped it onto Lion's collar.

The three of them walked to the bus stop and waited for only ten minutes before the bus was coming down the street.

"The bus is coming." said Connie. She leaned in and Steven met her halfway, giving her a kiss on the lips.

"Enjoy your day at work." he smiled.

"Heh." there was a small smile. "Yeaah.." she leaned down and pat Lion and the dog wagged his tail happily.

_She actually reached down to pet him!!_

"Okay, see you later on, Steven." 

"See you, Connie." 

The bus stopped briefly and she and a few other bystanders got on. 

He looked at her through the bus windows and waved. 

She waved back and he continued to wave to her as the bus drove off. 

He walked back, let Lion out on the side of the apartment to use the bathroom and went back inside. 

There he unclipped the leash from the collar and put it back on the coat rack, slid the flip flops off and went into the kitchen. He threw out a few doggy treats on the floor for Lion to snack on and laid down in bed. 

And now..

For the waiting game..

He looked up at the clock. 

_8:33a.m_

He had a _long_ ways until he would have to start getting ready.. 

And a _long_ time for his mind to start wondering..

He sighed and laid down on his side.

How was tonight going to be..


	197. The day of the big family dinner..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Gory-ish dreams from Steven.

Off and on throughout the day Steven kept thinking about the dinner with Connie's family. 

After laying on his side in bed for.. however many minutes had passed, he realized he hadn't eaten (and quite frankly he'd lost his appetite) but, he forced his self to get up and make just one egg and cheese sandwhich. 

Afterwards he tried to watch shows that he liked but that Connie didn't quite care for, so he could save the ones they both liked, to watch with her later. 

He couldn't get lost in them..

He'd picked out five different shows to watch and each of them (that would've _easily_ grabbed hold of his attention) didn't and he ended up stopping each and every one of them within five minutes.

There he'd clicked on some random National Geographic show and let it play on the laptop. Using the show more of background noise if anything. 

He sighed, wondering if Connie was having such a hard time focusing as well.. 

He looked over lazily at the laptop as he continued to idly swing his leg at the side of the bed. One hand under his arm and the other laying on top of his stomach with his other leg bent causally at a lazy angle.

He watched the screen as a lioness was crouching down by a tree. The video was filled with various shades of light brown as the camera filmed the dry area around her. 

"And here we have the lioness." the British guy narrated as the big cat started for a slow, crouched walk within the tall, brown stalks towards the river. Numerous antelopes grazed along the edges of the river or quenched their thirst in the watering hole. 

"She is hungry and on the prowl."

The camera zoomed in on the lioness' sharp look of intense focus as she eyed the antelopes.

"She must be very careful to not make any sudden noises."

The camera panned out to show a wider view of the area as the big cat slowly walked and blended in with the browns of the grass.

"She must be very careful, if she wants to have a successful hunt-"

The man's soothing voice was steadily pulling him under. His eyes lowered bit by bit as his head slowly began to tilt down. 

".. she is about to make her move.."

Steven's eyed lowered more and closed. His jaw relaxed and his leg stopped as he slowly began to drift off to sleep.

".. just one mistake on either side will determine who will win.."

Steven's breath became slow and steady as he slept.

  
  


_Steven found himself sitting alongside a river. White, pink, yellow and blue colored antelopes were grazing, drinking the water and splashing in the river all around him. He had a piece of a plant in his mouth. He didn't think much of it and continued to chew and eat on the plant as he sat calmly in the grass._

_He swallowed the plant and grabbed another and began to chew on it, eating the delicious buds on it as the wind blew the curls on his hair._

_A yellow and blue antelope walked out of the river after a swim and shook their fur. They galloped pass Steven and he turned around and watched them as they went towards two pink antelopes and one white one. _

_The white antelope stomped her two front hooves on the dirt in front of the yellow and blue one and turned to the two pink antelope. _

_The yellow one sniffed at the two pink antelopes before stomping her own hooves._

_The blue one looked to the white one and stomped. _

_The three of them looked at the two pink antelopes and waited. _

_One of the pink antelopes began to stop enthusiastically as one stomped but a couple times._

_The yellow antelope, seemingly angered at the second pink one, bucked her front legs up before stomping with both feet hard on the ground. _

_The pink one hung her head down._

_The white antelope jumped in between the two and bucked and stomped towards the yellow one. This caused the yellow antelope to know her place and backing up and standing completely still. _

_"Huh.. I wonder what that's about.." Steven asked obliviously. Without looking, he picked up another plant to eat, only to get pricked. "Owch!" he dropped the flower, a rose, onto the grass. He looked at his finger. A spot of blood was forming where he'd been pricked._

_He brought his finger up to his mouth._

_He heard the sound of stomping hooves beside him and turned to face the five antelope again. The white antelope turned her head to the second, small pink one, stomped in front of her and held her head up high in front of her. The antelope stomped one hoof a few times, meekly and that seemed to please the white one. She backed up, stomped her two front legs at the four and turned around._

_"And here we see the white antelope leading the future leaders of the Sahara Authority."_

_"Huh?" Steven looked left, then right. "Who was that?"_

_The yellow one galloped after the white one, followed by the blue one. The first, enthusiast pink one stomped all four hooves and spun in a circle in front of the second pink antelope before sprinting off with the others._

_The last one stood there, watching the four of them as they galloped off into the distance._

_She looked over towards Steven and the two locked eyes._

_"Uh..h.. hi?" he waved at her with his other hand. His finger still in his mouth. _

_The antelope turned to him and dragged one hoof across the ground, making a deep line underneath it. _

_"..Uh oh.." Steven took his hand out of his mouth and got up slowly to his feet._

_He took one step back and the antelope began charging at him._

_He hollered and turned to run when he fell. He saw a purple owl fly over him and disappear within the clouds. He turned to see a thick, purple rope tied around his ankles._

_"No!" he tried untying the rope from his feet._

_He heard a loud, deep, throaty snort in front of him and he looked up to see the antelope closing the distance towards him._

_He hollered out louder and tried pulling the rope harder away from his ankles. _

_The antelope leaped forward-_

_"AAAAHHHH" he covered his face with his arms and ducked his head._

_The antelope leaped over his head to the other side of the river._

_Steven panted and slowly looked up, then behind him. "What.."_

_He watched the pink antelope run inside of a cave that wasn't there earlier. A gray rock shot up from the ground, blocking the entrance. On it was a diamond insignia he saw Ronaldo looking at in his office at the lighthouse. Except this time, the pink colored diamond was at the top and the white one was on the bottom. With the yellow and blue one keeping their usual spot. _

_"And here we have the antelopes living amongst the Steven." _

_There was that voice again._

_Steven noticed the rope was gone from his ankles and stood up. He looked around as the antelopes (now all brown as their usual color) continued to graze, drink and splash in the river, not seeming to notice the voice._

_"Um.... hello?" he looked around the brown, sandy area. The wet leaves cooled the bottom of his feet._

_He took a step and there was a snap. Like that of a twig._

_The antelopes looked up and their ears flicked up and forward._

_He checked under both feet._

_No twig._

_"The Steven is apart of the species most known to be rather stupid and pathetic." _

_Steven looked behind him. "Hey." he turned back around._

_"The species is absolutely good for nothing. Only to mate, impregnate innocent partners, eat and sleep." _

_"Who are you!" he shouted._

_"Steven, what's the matter?" he heard a comforting, familiar voice._

_He turned to see Connie in her casual clothing. A pair of jeans and a red blouse. She had a worried expression on her face._

_"Connie!" his heart fluttered in his chest. He ran towards the love of his life. "Connie, you don't hear that?"_

_"Hear what?"_

_He caught up to her and gave her a hug. He leaned back up. "This.. this voice." he looked around. The antelope were continuing on with their business once more._

_They didn't hear anything._

_Everything was completely quiet._

_Tooo quiet.._

_"Steven, I don't hear anything. Are you feeling okay?" she reached up and placed her soft hand on his forehead. "You feel a little warm."_

_"Connie, I'm fine. I just.. thought I heard a voice-" _

_There was another sound of a twig snapping._

_This time, much closer._

_And he'd just noticed the grass browning and were at waist level with them._

_The antelope were looking at the direction of the noise once more._

_"What was that?" Steven asked, looking around the grass frantically._

_"I didn't hear anything."_

_"But.. that noise."_

_"Steven.. I don't think you're feeling too well. Let's just go back home." she leaned away from his hug and grabbed his hand gently. "Come on." she said softly. "Let's go." _

_He walked with her through the scratchy brown grass-_

_But noticed that all of the antelope were gone._

_"The antelopes are gone.." he whispered to his self._

_She turned back. "Huh?"_

_"The antelopes!" he began to freak out for some reason. "They were just here! Why are they gone?!"_

_"Steven, relax. They most likely just moved to another river to drink from. You probably just scared them away because you were so loud." she said casually._

_"O.. oh.." _

_"Now come on. Let's get you home so you can get some rest."_

_"Y.." he looked around them back at her. "Yeah.. maybe.. that's what I need.."_

_He continued to walk with her through the grass that was now at their shoulders. _

_"A Connie. A very vibrant, beautiful, docile creature. Can be quite smart at times but also quite gullible. This species unfortunately sometimes succumb to these Stevens' charismatic charm and fall under their manipulation wrapped underneath of the species' adorable features." _

_Steven looked around, then back at Connie. The girl was continuing down the path with a relaxed look on her face._

_He didn't bother bringing up the voice again._

_"This is the Connie species' number one cause of a short life expectancy. They fall for the Stevens, mate, have offspring and die." _

_His heart began to race. "Connie! You don't HEAR that?!" _

_She turned back to him. "Steven, it's only us two out here." she turned back around. "I seriously have no clue what you're talking about."_

_"But.." he trialed off as his skin started to crawl.._

_Why would the voice say that?-_

_"BUT, there is _one_ particular predator the Stevens have. And that, is another more ferocious species known as the Maheswarens. The parents of the Connies." Steven looked around him and thought he saw something run pass him through the brown grass._

_"The female Maheswaren lurks about in the grass to make her attack." _

_He looked back at Connie who was still walking through the grass that was now reaching over pass their heads. Connie was pushing the grass out of the way for them and the brown stalks scratched at Steven's bare arms and face and hands and feet._

_He heard another twig that sounded directly behind him._

_He stopped abruptly, causing Connie to stop with a sudden jerk of her arm. She grunted and turned around. She sucked in some air as she went to rub at her shoulder. "What's wrong? Why did you stop?"_

_"I.. think there's something behind me.." he whispered._

_"What?" she raised an eyebrow at him._

_"I said I-"_

_"The female Maheswaren, who always has a one to one successful hunt ratio, always go for the neck of the prey." _

_Steven heard a low growl behind him and felt hot breath on his neck. "You have fooled around with my daughter for the last time." the female voice hissed out. _

_He swallowed. "Connie.." he whispered._

_She leaned over to look behind him and her eyes went wide in shock._

_"I.." she said softly.. then she shouted, "Steven, run!!" she pulled his arm as she turned to run._

_He took his first two steps into the run and felt sharp claws hit him in the back of his neck. He grunted and fell hard to the ground._

_"It takes but seconds for the female Maheswaren to take the prey down. There, she goes in for the second to last attack where she pins the prey down." _

_Steven turned around to see a brown skin lady with dark brown hair that reached pass her shoulders. Her lab coat was buttoned and reached down to her dark brown clogs._

_Her eyes looked like that of a predators and she bared her lips to show sharp, bloody teeth. _

_Steven screamed and jumped up to his feet, quickly realizing that Connie was gone as he ran away and through the now extremely thick grass. "Connie!! Connie!!" _

_He heard a blood curdling scream._

_"CONNIE!!"_

_"The Steven runs but is no match for the Maheswarens. The female Maheswaren comes in to take him down, while the male Maheswaren comes in to strike and injure."_

_Steven heard a louder, more manlier growl and he scream as he pushed pass the grass._

_He heard another scream. Closer. Blood curdling._

_"CONNIE!!! CONNIE WHERE ARE YOU!!"_

_He pushed pass the thick grass and fell through and into the hard ground. He groaned and looked up. He gasped. "CONNIE!!" _

_The girl was holding her now pregnant stomach. Her breath staggering and shallow as she shook. Blood was down her legs and on the ground below her. _

_"CONNIE!!" he got up and felt something heavy hit him back down to the ground. He turned around to see the mother glaring at him as she bared her teeth. He screamed._

_He heard Connie screaming and crying behind him. "CONNIE!!" he turned his neck up. _

_She was laying on her back and holding her stomach that was moving and stretching under her arms. More blood began gushing out of her._

_"The Connie species gives birth to their offspring. A very painful, deadly delivery as a Connie and a Steven hybrid infant would be on the mother. It never ends well." _

_The voice sounds closer, but Steven kept his eyes on Connie writhing in pain as her stomach continued to stretch and move around. _

_The tall grass in front of him began to shake as a tall, slim man jumped out. He landed, crouched down. His eyes behind his glasses glaring at Steven. _

_"The male Maheswaren comes in for the final swipe. Making sure that the Steven will be of no use to anyone else's daughter anymore." _

_Steven looked to his side to see Ronaldo, wearing his breastplate from earlier. _

_"Ronaldo!!" he tried moving under the strong woman. "Ronaldo, help Connie!!!" _

_Ronaldo looked pass him and towards the Maheswarens. "With the successful hunt of the female Maheswaren," Steven looked at the man in shock. "the male Maheswaren follows suit."_

_The father jumped towards him and swiped below Steven's waist, tearing the privates off and down in the dirt beside him._

_She screamed out in pain and fear. He grabbed at nothing between his legs as blood poured onto his hands and down his jeans. _

_The father grabbed his throat and he felt sharp claws pinch his skin. The mother placed her cold hand over his mouth, muffling his screams. _

_The two of them now looking more animal- like_

_He could feel blood pooling out more onto his hands as the pain continued._

_He heard another scream. Louder, more hysterical and spine chilling._

_He looked over to see Connie screaming out as her stomach stretched up. The stomach pushed forward as she screamed and a burst of blood gushed out of her and a small blob-like, bloody figure slid across the ground._

_"CONNIE!!"_

_She wasn't moving._

_"CONNIE!!"_

_"Here the Connie dies in childbirth." the blob-like figure turned around and opened it's eyes at Steven and he gasped. "And the infant goes in for the kill. Eating her father alive as her only means of survival." the small, bloody creature showed her razor shark teeth and lunged towards his face. _

_He screamed as the creature began tearing off his skin-_

Steven screamed, feeling pain on his shoulders, neck and his upper back.

He opened his eyes to see something pink hit his face and he screamed out louder, pushing Lion's face out of the way.

He panted hard, realizing slowly.. that he was still in the apartment.

He looked around. He was looking at the kitchen upside down.

He was on the floor.

His legs up and over his head and his butt and lower back leaning on the edge of the bed with his shoulder on the floor. His neck craned to the side with the leg of the dresser directly by his neck. One arm bent up with his elbow sticking up and his shoulder pushed up and the other arm laying above his head and over by Lion.

The aches and pains from his waist on up..

He let out a low, pained "Ahhh." as he tried sliding his self across the floor. He moved his arm up slowly and brought his elbow back down and he could feel every muscle contracting and aching. "Aahck." he slid more to the side then placed his feet on the side of the bed and pushed his self more across the floor and placed his legs down on the carpet. He laid there on his back and sighed. 

"It was only a dream.." he mumbled.

Lion walked up to him and licked at his cheek.

Steven realized what he'd done and gasped. "And Lion. I hit you, didn't I?" he brought his arms up, ignoring the shot of pain from his shoulders, neck and upper back. He scratched at the dog's head as he scratched at both ears. "Sorry, buddy. I didn't mean to do that to you." 

Lion leaned down and licked at his forehead and Steven chuckled. "So I take it you accept my apology?"

Lion panted at his face. "Bleehh.. dog breath." he chuckled. He gently pushed the dog's face away. "Seriously. What are they putting in dog food nowadays?" he joked. He slid up to a sitting position as his muscles ached everywhere around his body.

"The hippo stands there. Unbeknownst to him, there are a pack of lionesses preparing to take him down."

"Uhg.."

He got up and heard his bones crack as pain shot up and down his back and his neck. He leaned over, feeling more pain as he stretched his back. He paused the video and leaned back up. "Stupid nature show.. giving me stupid nightmares.." he grumbled. 

He looked up at the clock.

_10:23a.m_

"Are you kidding me?" he sighed. 

Or maybe he should like the fact that it's not time to get ready and leave..

It wasn't like he couldn't wait to go anyway..

He sat down at the edge of the bed and Lion jumped up and sat down with him. He placed a paw on his lap and that made Steven smile. "You're a good boy." he pat between the dog's ears.

Moments later and his smile began to falter.

He sighed.

He still had hours before the big family dinner..

So hours to let his mind wonder again..

With another sigh he started looking around their studio apartment to get his mind off of seeing her parents.. when his eye caught the leash hanging from the coat rack.

Then he looked at Lion.

_Hmm.._

He got up and Lion stood up on the bed and wagged his tail.

"You know what, Lion? I think I know what we could do to pass some time."

  
  


Steven had decided to exercise. 

Similar to what he'd done before when everyone was asleep at camp, he thought he could exercise the thoughts away. 

After putting the GemTech cream and oil over his whole body, he put on his shirt, grabbed two water bottles, put the leash on Lion and left the apartment. 

He took Lion to a nearby park where he stretched before they went for a run around the perimeter of the park along with the other runners. Some running with their dogs, their baby in their strollers or both.

Afterwards he'd started his circuit training before practicing his punches and kicks.

He decided not to kick any trees with his shins.

There weren't any slim, brittle trees nearby and he also wanted to give his shins a break. They were still slowly healing after all..

He picked up two heavy sticks, one in each hand and began his bicep curls before performing more various punches and kicks with the sticks still in his hands.

Then he went for a cool down jog with Lion around the park with the last lap he did more of a slow jog/power walk.

They went back into the park and the intense workout seemed to help him a bit. He tried to do that.. yoga thing Lars was doing but he couldn't get his mind to sit still or to be calm enough to really relax his whole self like last time when he was with Lars. 

Maybe he was doing something wrong?

He should probably ask Lars about how to properly perform yoga..

He still didn't want to go home in worry that he would just worry even more about the dinner and he played a bit of fetch with Lion which the canine was extremely happy to play. And that in itself made Steven feel just a bit better on top of somewhat feeling slightly better from before.

After playing nonstop fetch for at least a little more than a half an hour, he stopped, not wanting to over exert Lion. The two had already ran and he figured playing any longer wouldn't do the canine so well.

They rehydrated themselves with the rest of the water they had in their water bottles and left the park. They went back to the apartment and even though Steven had checked his phone many times before he got there, that didn't stop his eyes from looking directly at the clock on the wall as soon as he stepped into the apartment.

_3:11p.m_

He still had too much time for his mind to wonder..

He decided to take his shower first.

If anything he could do that then mope around and do something else to pass the time..

After taking his shower, he gave Lion a small bowl of his favorite dried dog food and clean water before getting back into bed.

He looked back up at the clock.

_3:47p.m_

He grabbed the laptop and opened it and went to his Nitphlitcs account. He tried watching the same five shows from earlier and again, the shows didn't keep him interested and he stopped watching them after five minutes..

Another sigh.

And another minute passed..

The clock was now reading 4:23p.m.

Well.. at least he had less than two more hours before he would need to get ready.

Still..

..his mind could wonder..

He took out his phone. 

Maybe he should call Pee Dee? See what he's up to?

_No.._

_I shouldn't.._

_Especially since he might be at work and busy dreading it.._

_I also wouldn't want to distract him and get him in trouble.._

He went to his call logs and saw Connie's name, accompanied by Amethyst's name then eventually Garnet's. 

He sighed and put his phone back on the bed. 

_So desperate that I was even going to call the Gems.._

He leaned over towards the laptop and clicked on anything, not caring what he'd pressed. Simply smashing his finger on the smooth pad of the laptop and shutting his eyes as an announcer came on.

He kept his eyes closed as he listened to the man's loud voice on the speakers of the laptop. 

"..IGHLIGHTS OF RRRRRAMONÉSSS BLAAAAADES!!!!"

Steven kept his eyes closed, trying to get his mind off of tonight..

"NUMBER TEN!! 2009!! HIM VS SHAWNY MIKES!!! THE POWERSLAM THAT ENDED THE MATCH!!!"

The video began to play as the crowd from 2009 roared and hollered and whistled under the dome of the building.

_Steven found himself inside of a boxing ring and looking amongst the crowd of people with bright white lights above him. "Huh?" he shielded his eyes as he looked out into the audience cheering and holding up signs with the diamond insignia on it. Some with the white diamond at the top and pink one at the bottom. While others had the pink diamond at the top._

_"Why am I-"_

_"Okay, che."_

_He heard a familiar voice and turned around. He saw Amethyst dressed in her Purple Pumba outfit._

_"Amethyst?"_

_"The one and only." she winked at him. "Alright, el chico muy lindo, time to get ready for the first round." she began pushing him towards a seat at the corner of the ring. _

_"Wait, what round?"_

_"Duh, you're going to fight." she pushed him closer and he tried stopping her and the flip flops slid across the floor. _

_"Wait, what fight?!_

_"What do you mean 'what fight'? Stop acting" she pushed him into the chair. "stupid." _

_He turned around in his chair as she cackled. "Dude, you look like you've seen a ghost." she snickered. _

_"W..what?"_

_He felt hands grab his shoulders and he jumped and hollered out._

_"Che, cálmate." Amethyst gestured with her chin at the lady behind him. "It's just Pearl giving you a massage."_

_"Uh.." he turned around and saw the woman with sparkly blue eyes and clear, sparkling lipstick. "You got this." she had a very smile on her face. "All you have to do is survive this round." _

_"But.. I don't want to fight."_

_She shrugged. "You kinda have no choice, kid."_

_"Alright, alright." Amethyst clapped and Pearl stopped massaging his shoulders. "Talc is up next." _

_"Okay, Amethyst." she leaned away from the ropes and walked towards her seat. Steven turned back around and jumped. Garnet was directly in front of his face. She smiled up at him. Two hazel eyes staring right at him. She cheesed, showing her dimples and pearly white teeth._

_"You got this, Steven." she gave him a thumbs up. "I know you do." _

_"T,..thanks." he was terrified._

_She ruffled his hair and got up and walked through the ropes._

_Suddenly, he heard the wrestling bell chime six times._

_"Get up, Talc!!" _

_He looked through the ropes and saw Amethyst now in her signature purple jumpsuit she wears during her missions._

_"What?!"_

_"Dude, were you not paying attention?!? You gotta fight!!"_

_"But.. I don't want to fight!!"_

_"And here we have Steven Demayo Universe. A pathetic boy who's also a cheater and a liar. He'll be going up against two very successful, smart human beings." the man announced._

_He turned around to see the mother stepping into the ring. Her glare right on him. The father was stepping into the ring next with a glare just a menacing. _

_The mother was wearing a blue sports bra with blue shorts and a lap coat and the father was wearing yellow pants with yellow rimmed glasses. The two sporting huge biceps and rock hard abs. _

_In contrast to his big belly hanging over his sparkly red wrestling shorts.. _

_He screamed and turned around. The ropes began to tower and loom over him. He jumped on them and began climbing up. "I don't want to fight them!!" he shouted._

_Amethyst jumped on the ropes, scaring him. She was a holding a purple whip in her hands. "Che! Stop being pathetic! Go out there and fight them!" _

_"But-"_

_"It's me or them." she snarled._

_He stopped. Not bothering to move up or down from the ropes._

_Suddenly he felt an arm wrap around his neck and pull him back hard from the ropes._

_He was slammed down on the ground on his side._

_Then he was pulled towards his back, laying right on top of someone's torso, still in a headlock._

_"Oooooo, looks like the mother isn't letting go. I guess she's still pretty upset at the boy impregnating her daughter." _

_"I.. I'm sorry!!" he tried pulling her arm away from his neck._

_The crowd booed at him. Some shouting out the words "pathetic", "cheater", "deviant" while others shouted out curse words at him._

_The father was walking up. Hands balled up into fists._

_"Mr. Maheswaren!! Please!! I'm sorry!! I didn't mean for this to happen!! I didn't WANT this to happen!!"_

_"Well maybe you should've thought about that before having sex with my daughter." he swung down hard, hitting him in the face._

_He hollered out and thrashed around, trying to break out of the chokehold. _

_The mother began to stand up, taking him with her._

_"Uh oh!! Looks like we're about to see the Maheswaren Special Stylin' Duplex!" the announcer shouted._

_The woman picked Steven up and his feet swung up in the air above both of their heads and he screamed. _

_She brought him back down as she let go of his neck. She grabbed hold of his legs, pulling them in and holding them at each side of her body. She fell to her knees and Steven was slammed chest and face first into the mat. He groaned loudly, holding his nose as he popped back up into the air from the mat._

_He felt his self being picked up by the neck again and she started spinning him around. She threw him into the corner of the ring and his stomach hit the ropes. He groaned and slid down slightly as he barely hung onto the ropes._

_"Whoa! No way! Now they're doing the Poetic Motion!?!?" the announcer commentated. _

_Steven turned around. Afraid what he was going to see.._

_The mother was just a few feet away from him and on her hands and knees on the mat. The father was running up towards them. _

_He jumped up, stepped on her back and jumped off, lunging towards Steven. He turned his body, his back and the back of his legs tackling into Steven's face._

_The father bounced off as Steven barely stood, now in a daze from getting hit in his head. _

_The mother got up and ran towards him. She lunged and tackled him right in his stomach and he fell back, his back hitting the hard cushions that lined the pole in the corner._

_"THAT folks!! Was the Run Buckling Turn Thrust!! He is NOT going to recover from THAT!!" _

_Steven moaned, holding his stomach._

_The father bent down and picked him up by the torso and threw him up, grabbed at his legs and spun him around. He pushed him up as he let go and Steven flew between the ropes and on his back hard on the floor. _

_The audience looked on in absolute shock and excitement._

_Steven got up shakily on his legs._

_"WHA OH! Looks like he's getting back up already?!"_

_Steven saw the father running towards him._

_"I think he was better off staying on the ground!" the announcer laughed and the audiences roared in laughter with him. _

_He jumped through the ropes and tackled Steven to the ground. He picked him up in his arms, as if cradling him like a baby._

_"Looks like he's going for the Sixth Depth!!"_

_He began spinning Steven around and above his head, then he brought him back down hard on his back._

_Steven felt his self being picked back up._

_"No way!! Is he going for the Aurora Borealis the second?!?" _

_Steven was flipped over the man's back and brought down back hard on his back._

_"He is!!! _

_Steven was picked up again and the man performed the same move. Holding him by the torso and flipping him over his shoulder and behind his self, slamming Steven right on his back._

_The mother had jumped through the ropes and performed a summersault and sprung up to her feet._

_The father picked Steven up and pulled Steven's arms up and behind his own head. He kept Steven's arms pinned there as the mother ran up to the ropes._

_"The Springsault Moonboard!!" _

_She jumped up and her feet landed on the ropes. She pushed off and flipped her body, her legs flying towards Steven's face. _

_Steven struggled under his grip and just as her lfeet came towards him, the father let go and he was kicked in the face and brought down by the force and his smacked hard onto the floor._

_Then he felt a strong arm as the mother put him in a headlock again._

_Steven tried pulling the mother's arm away once more but couldn't. _

_He looked down to see hooves where his hands should be. _

_He looked up at the father. His dark brown hair now a dark brown mane. He bared his sharp teeth at Steven and glared at him with his predator's eyes._

_"The father, ready to deliver the final blow as the daughter waits on the sidelines." _

_Steven looked towards the voice and saw Ronaldo at the far corner of the ring._

_"Ronaldo!!"_

_He looked pass him. "No wait. Here comes the daughter now. Looks like she has officially had enough of him."_

_Steven, confused, looked over to the other side to see Connie dressed in a white-mint green dress. The blouse white with a light green bow in the front and the bottom a light green that stopped just a few inches of her peach-colored boots._

_The exact same attire, minus the sun hat, when they'd first met in Atlantic City that windy day._

_Her mother let him go and the parents backed up but kept their glare on him._

_"Connie!" he smiled. "You saved me!" he reached out his arms, wanting a hug from her._

_She grabbed hold of his throat._

_And he couldn't breath._

_"C, Connie.." he whispered._

_"You did this to me, Steven." she said coarsely through her sharp teeth. "You did this to me!!"_

_"W,.. what?"_

_He looked down and saw her pregnant belly underneath of her dress._

_"I.. Connie I.." he tried to breath. "I didn't want that to happen." _

_"But you LET it happen!!"_

_"I'm sorry.." he gagged. "I didn't want this."_

_"YOU did this!!" she shouted. "YOU DID THIS TO ME!!"_

_He heard something splashing onto the ground and he looked down to see blood falling to the ground from her skirt now damped in dark red blood._

_"C, Connie." he tried prying her hand away from his neck with his hooves. "The baby"_

_She looked down at all of the blood and looked back up at him, surprised and with fear in her eyes. "You.. did this.." she whispered weakly._

_"Connie. You.." he couldn't breath as he gagged more. "need to.. go to the hospital."_

_He saw something moving down under her skirt and moments later he saw two tiny hands grab at the bottom of her skirt. A head poked out from the fabric, covered in blood and guys. _

_"Get him." he heard Connie say and the baby lunged towards his chest and he fell back. _

_He screamed as the baby smiled, showing his sharp teeth. "You lose." he said with his deep voice. _

_The wrestling bell started to sound and the baby shower his sharp claws and began clawing at Steven's chest and face._

_The bell rung continuously as Steven screamed while the baby ripped apart his skin and pulled out his organs-_

Steven screamed as he thrashed around in bed, kicking the laptop in the process. 

He snapped his eyes open and panted hard as he felt all around his stomach.

He looked at his pale stomach moving up and down fast with his breathing.

"Only.." he swallowed. "Only another dream.." then he corrected with a shaky voice. "A _nightmare."_

The alarm on his phone continued to ring out loud by him. 

He tried for calming breaths as he reached over. _5:47p.m_. He turned his five forty-five alarm off and laid back down. He groaned and brought his hands up to his face and sighed in them. "Uhhhnnn..... that was rough.." he mumbled. "That one felt way too real.." 

_Well so did the other one earlier.._

_And all of my _other_ nightmares that I've had up to this point.._

He took a deep breath in and out through his mouth and slowly slid his hands away from his face. He sighed. "Okay, Universe. Time to get this over with." he sat up in bed and saw Lion sitting on the floor, whining up at him. "It's okay." he swung his legs over the bed and bent down to pet him. "I'm okay, boy." he got up and sighed out again. "Okay." anxiety was already building in his stomach. "Time to get ready."


	198. The evening of the HUGE family dinner...

Steven had finally gotten ready.

It wouldn't had taken him long had it not been for him doing things so slowly, like putting the Gemtech cream and oil on his body and putting his clothes on and giving Lion a bit of food before they left. Just those few things shouldn't had taken long, but it did. 

Neither should putting a red bowtie on Lion should've taken long. But, it did.

He looked at himself in the mirror. 

He looked so bad..

Or maybe he was just thinking that?

He was also hoping that the GemTech cream would've also worked a bit faster and had healed his wounds completely before the night had came, but it didn't.

But he should've known.. It'd only been a few days since he put the cream on his face and it was still working at least three times as fast than other normal, non GemTech creams. 

And the wounds were noticeable _enough_. But since they'll be meeting her parents right around the time the sun starts to set, maybe it'll be too dark for them to notice?

Or hopefully the restaurant won't have too many bright lights.. 

Though who was he kidding? Of COURSE it will have bright lights. It was a very famous, expensive restaurant in ALL of Empire City..

Steven tried shaking the negative thoughts from his head. 

He looked at his self once more as his stomach began to gurgle for the fifteen time during the half an hour.. 

A black suit and his red shirt tucked into his pants with a slender black belt. 

He adjusted the red cufflinks at the end of his sleeves and shook his sleeves out.

He took another breath.

And looked pass his self and at his best friend in the mirror. He tried for a smile. "Well boy. Looks like.. we're.." he strained out. "ready to go." his stomach grumbled. 

He picked up Connie's dress in the bag and another small one and started for the door, ignoring his intestines contracting and sending him bathroom messages to his brain.

He grunted. "No." he snapped sharply at his self. "There will be NONE of that!" he whisper shouted. 

He proceeded to the door, letting out a fart that was too close for comfort and he stop and clenched. 

He grabbed at his growling stomach as it continued to send urgent messages to his brain.

"Come on... not now!!" 

His stomach growled.. and grumbled as more stress and anxiety fought his gut. 

He grunted.

Maybe he could hold it?

He took his last steps towards the door, took Lion's leash off the coat rack, unlocked the door and opened it- 

His stomach grumbled loudly as the feeling of something passing through him started towards the canal of no return..And to the exit-

He clenched his cheeks.

"No! CAN'T hold it! Gotta go!" he told Lion. He dropped the stuff on the counter and ran to the bathroom.

  
  


After spending twenty minutes in the bathroom, he sprayed it down with febreze and tried to leave once more. He clipped the leash onto Lion's collar, picked up Connie's dress and bag and opened the door. 

The two left the apartment and made it down to the main door. Steven opened the door and saw Mr. Vecino coming towards him with a few grocery bags in his hands. "Wow! You're dressed up." 

Steven opened his mouth to answer-

"Heeey, Mister Steven!!" Gregory waved from the van.

"Heh, you can just call me Steven." he waved at the boy. "Hey."

Lion jogged over to Gregory who was sitting at the edge of the van. The boy beckoned for the dog to come and Lion jumped up and put his front paws on the van as Gregory reached over and scratched all around the dog's face. "I like your bowtie Mr. Lion." he cheesed. 

"And uh" Steven began. "Yeah. Connie and I are going out to eat with her parents."

"Oooohh." Mr. Vecino nodded with a smile. "Taking things to the next level, aye?" he nodded again as he thought back on his last of eating dinner with both his parents and his in-laws. "It's always nice seeing the parents." 

Steven's stomach started to churn. 

_Yeaahh.. my stomach begs to differ.._

Mr. Vecino looked around as if looking for someone. He looked back at Steven. "So how are you two getting there?" 

"With Zuber." 

"Whaaat? That pricy thing?" 

"I mean.." he shrugged. "At least it's not a taxi. And it's a bit cheaper when you put in two destinations." he explained. "I'll just go pick up Connie, then head there. It's like a few bucks cheaper." 

"How about I take you?" 

"Oh, uh.. I mean, I couldn't.. I woulnd't want to.." 

"Hey, I wouldn't mind at all." his neighbor have him a friendly smile. "Let me just bring the bags in." he held the bags up. "Some of these are perishables." 

"I.. I mean I really appreciate it." 

Mr. Vecino stepped inside as he held the door for him. "Yeah, it's no problem at all." 

Steven caught sight of a few bags still sitting in the van by Gregory. "I can get the rest of the bags." 

Mr. Vecino was walking up the steps. He looked back slightly. "You sure about that? I can just do it myself while you wait in the car with Gregory." 

"No, that's okay. I got it." he closed the door and jogged over by Gregory. He placed Connie's dress and the bag on the opposite side of the truck _away_ from the boy and he still saw how Gregory was eyeing the two items in huge childlike curiosity and wonder.

"You can't touch them." and he heard how rough he sounded and how the boy looked just a bit taken aback. "Um.. I mean." he tried for something else. "Remember our little talk." he said. "I wouldn't want you touching this stuff. It's very important to Connie and I." then he added to somewhat soften the blow. "But you're free to play with Lion." that made the boy start to smile again. "Okay!!" he cheesed and Steven thought he saw stars in the boy's eyes.

"Heh." he picked up the rest of the bags. "Well, I'll be back." 

"Okay!" he continued scratching at Lion's ears.

Steven jogged back into the apartment complex and up the stairs all the way to the fourth floor and caught Mr. Vecino just opening the door. He turned back around and saw Steven. He left the door open for him.

Right as Steven got to the door, he was immediately greeted with raspy meows from their very plump and furry cat, León. 

He chuckled. "Hey." 

The cat rubbed along his leg.

He steadily stepped bit by bit, not wanting to be _too_ rude to the cat and he walked towards the kitchen of the cluttered apartment.

He saw one of the toys he bought him, the Cookie Cat one, laying on it's side amongst other toys and clothes. The clutter was sitting in front of a wide screen t.v.

Mr. Vecino was putting a gallon of strawberry milk in the fridge. 

"Where do you want me to set these?" Steven asked.

"Oh just anywhere on the floor really." he took out a box of ice cream sandwiches and opened the freezer door, then thought about it and pulled it back. He ripped and popped open the box. "You want one?"

"Oh, I would but.. I kinda don't want to spoil my appetite." a beat. "And I don't want to spill anything on my suit, which usually happens when I eat those. I tend to make a mess."

"Heh, yeaaah they're messy." he took out two and placed them on the counter. "They're like the tacos of the ice cream world." he placed the box back in the freezer then grabbed five boxes of lasagna t.v dinners out of the bag and placed them underneath of the t.v dinners that were already there.

Steven placed the four bags on the floor. "Did you need any help?" he asked.

Mr. Vecino looked at the bags by him. "Oh they're no perishables in there." he clarified casually. "And I have the rest of this stuff." he grinned. He took out two boxes of frozen fish sticks.

"Oh uh.. okay."

_So.. do I just.. leave? Or.._

"So where are we going?"

"Huh? Oh, uh. We're going to Foy Raidley's." 

Mr. Vecino stopped with the box of strawberry shortcake ice cream in his hand. "You mean that fancy fish restaurant?! The one with the delicious breadsticks?!" 

"Umm.. I mean I never been there. I never had their breadsticks. But yeah, it's a pretty fancy fish restaurant."

"Wow. That's a pretty expensive place."

"Eh I have money." then he realized. "Money.. that I forgot BACK AT THE APARTMENT!" 

Mr. Vecino found his reaction quite funny and he let out a chuckle. 

"I'll be right back!" he ran towards the front door. 

"Meet you down at the van!" 

"Okay!" 

Mr. Vecino chuckled again as he took out a half gallon of Orange juice from another bag. 

Steven ran back inside, grabbed the whole envelope and ran back out and to the van. 

The back doors were open and he saw Mr. Vecino and Gregory sitting in the front seat with Lion sitting just behind Gregory's chair. 

Steven hopped in, brought the dress and the bag faether into the van and closed the two doors back. 

He sat down beside Lion and pat the dog on the head. 

"Aaalrighty." said Mr. Vecino. "Now that we're in," he started the van up. "let us go to our next designation." he turned to Steven with a very fatherly grin. "So, where does the missus work?" 

_Good question.._

"Let me check.." he sent another message to Connie, this time asking her for the address of her job.

He understood that she was at work, but he was hoping that _this_ time, she would text him back a bit quicker than last time when he sent her a message saying that he was getting ready earlier..

(He'd even forgotten the name of where she at this point since they never ever talk about it..)

Actually.. where was _he_ supposed to be working at again?-

His phone vibrated.

He read the message and told Mr. Vecino the address.

"Oh I'm familiar with that area." he gave Steven a thumbs up. "We'll be there in no tiiiime." he shifted gears and drove out the parking lot.

"Thanks again for the ride, Mr. Vecino." then he remembered what happened almost a week ago and felt a bit abashed. "And.. glad to see that you got your van up and running so quickly."

"Yeahhh." he grinned up at the rearview mirror. "Ya guy right here knows some pretty good mechanics. Heheh and it had noooo relation to me giving them more money to get my van done much quicker." he winked. 

"Heh. Yeah." 

_How much money does this guy have exactly?_

"Daaaad!" Gregory whined. "Your ice cream is going to turn into soup if you don't eat in noooow."

"Oh! Almost forgot about it. Hey, be my favorite son and feed it to me? Your 'ole man is too busy driving." 

Gregory giggled. " 'Favorite son'." he ate his last piece of his ice cream sandwich and picked up the one for his father. "I'm your _only_ son." he undid the wrapper.

His father turned his head as his eyes kept to the road in front of him.

"AaAaAaAhHhHh" Gregory waved the ice cream sandwich up and down like an airplane. Then he smushed the ice cream into his dad's cheek. He laughed. "Hey, son. I want some of that ice cream." 

His son waved the ice cream bar up and down and landed it right on his other cheek. 

His dad laughed. "Son!"

Gregory laughed. "Okay, dad." he lowered the ice cream sandwich towards him and his dad took a bite.

Steven looked at the two.. and for some reason he felt himself frowning slightly.

.. Seriously.. was it ever a bad moment with these two?

  
  


Mr. Vecino was pulling up to a huge parking lot full of various shops and one of them Steven saw was of that new Lebanese restaurant Connie had ordered out from a few days ago.

And right across from it, the biggest building there, was the store with its name in bold print **Kholeez**. 

It felt a bit weird actually going to where Connie worked.

"Well, this is it." said Mr. Vecino.

"Coooool." Gregory looked up at the plain white building with large windows where you could see the fancy bright lights and the mannequins and those fancy rolling racks where clothes were hung on. "Dad, can we go in there?!?"

"Ah.. maybe another time, kiddo?"

"Awwwww.." the boy frowned.

"We're not staying here for long." his dad explained softly. "But we can go tomorrow if you like?" he smiled.

"But what if I don't want to go tomorrow.." he whined with a pout.

"Um.. I'll just.." Steven gently squeezed into their conversation. "head out. Give Connie her stuff." 

"Uh, sure." said Mr. Vecino. He turned back to Gregory. "Well.. you never know." he said softly. "Maybe tomorrow will be a better time to go."

"Be back, Lion." Steven pat the dog on the head and picked up Connie's dress and bag.

"But what if _today_ is a better time? I want to go _todaaaaay."_ he pouted more.

Steven opened one of the back doors.

"Oh.. Gregory." his dad said gently. "Maybe-"

Steven closed the door and walked towards the sliding doors.

He was met with a burst of perfume and air-conditioning in the vestibule of the building.

He walked through the second pair of sliding doors and was met with a cheery, boisterous, "Good Evening, welcome to Kholeez!"

He turned to see a tanned girl with dark brown hair in a ponytail no older than in her late teens folding up a buttoned down shirt. On one side of her was a pile of other buttoned down shirts unfolded and the other side, the shirts folded and underneath of each other.

"Hey." he started his walk over to her and noticed the name plate at the top left corner of her shirt. **Anna**. "I'm just here for Connie." he raised the bag with her dress in it in one hand and raised the other small bag in the other. "I have her stuff."

The girl looked at him before a cheesey grin spread to her lips. "Ooooohh, _you_ must be Connie's boooyfrieeeend."

"Uh? Yeah." he lowered the bags down, just a smidge curious what she meant by that. "Why?-"

The girl was already turning around. "Hey! It's Connie's boooyfrieeeeend!" she shouted down a few feet.

A girl at the register was currently wiping down her conveyor belt. She turned around, knowing that her coworker was talking to her. She placed the disinfectant bottle near the register as her eyes went to Steven. "Wowww!" she said a bit too enthusiastically and a bit mockingly. "So you really are real!"

He looked from her to Anna. "Huh?"

The two girls looked at each other and giggled.

"What. What do you mean?" he was trying to calm himself but he could already feel his self starting to get a bit anxious. 

They looked at each other.

_"I'm_ not telling him. _You_ tell him." the one at the cash register said to Anna.

She rolled her eyes and grinned. _"Fiiiiine_. But if _I_ get in trouble with her or the other guys," _what 'other guys'?_ "I'm taking YOU down with me." she turned to him. "We thought you were fake." she saw the confusion on Steven's face and right before he went to ask her another question she said, "She's talked so much about you," _She has?_ "but we never got to _see_ you. So we thought she just _said_ she had a boyfriend so the boys would stop flirting with her."

_..what?_

The girls looked at him, looking at his reaction as he frowned, which only made their smiles grow wider. "She never told me about any guys flirting with her." 

They looked at one another. "Ooooooooooo!!!"

"Wait, what guys?" he kept looking at either of them. "What were they doing?"

He saw one male employee pushing a cart full of khaki pants down the hall. "Was he one of them?" 

"Oh, Kyle?" Anna shrugged. "A _looot_ of guys here like Connie. Like they reaaaally like her. Always complimenting her and stuff." she had a Chestire cat grin on her face. 

" 'And.. stuff'?"

"Yeah." she stared at him. Grinning. "You know, trying to offer her huuugs." then she added with a wink. "And _stuff."_

He tried to not get defensive.. 

.. but..

"And what did they say when she said she had a boyfriend?"

They looked at each other and the one at the register responded with a, "They didn't seem to care. Though I guess in their defense they probably thought she was lying and playing hard to get." 

Steven looked at them, though maybe he was looking at them a different way on the count of their "Oooooooo" , "he's looking reaaally maaad."

"Hey! Here she comes now." the one at the register waved. 

They turned around to see Connie jogging towards them, smiling as she saw Steven in his attire.

"Heeeyy, Connieee." they cooed in unison. 

Anna finally folded up the shirt she had in her hand and placed it on top of another shirt. "Well didn't you manage to find such a haaandsome young man." she winked.

Connie gave her a side smile. "I know." she came over to Steven. "Hey, Steven." she wrapped her arms around him.

He half hugged her. "Hey." he mumbled.

She caught his tone and leaned away slightly, looking at the sour expression on his face. "What's wrong?"

He frowned more and the two girls giggled.

"What?" Connie's voice was serious. "What did they tell you?"

"Connie who's these guys that keep flirting with you?"

She lowered her arms away from him and she looked a bit remorseful.

"WhoooOOOPS!" the one at the register instigated.

Connie looked her and glared at her from behind her shades. 

The girl put both hands over her smiling mouth.

She turned back to him. "Steven, it's not that serious. It's just some guys."

"Some guys that keep flirting with you even though you told them you had a _boyfriend."_

Connie sighed. "They're not important. I don't even pay _attention_ to them."

"Seems like they see it as some game."

"Steven, please. There're just.. some stupid coworkers." 

"Well maybe I need to go over there and talk to them." 

Connie looked at him shocked. 

"Ooooo he's seeerious." Anna murmured. 

"Steven. I _told_ them I was already with someone." 

"Exactly, but the girls told me they're _still_ trying to flirt with you." 

"Steeeven. You don't have to worry about those guys." 

He didn't look convinced and he kept the betrayed look on his face. 

Connie took a breath as she brought her arms up to his shoulder. "Come on, Steven. Don't give me that look." 

"Awww, give the lug a big kiss." Anna cooed as she puckered her lips and clasped her hands up to her face.

Connie groaned. She looped her arm around Steven's and pulled him away from them. "Let's just go somewhere quiet."

"Awwww come ooooon. It was only a little joooke!" Anna shouted. 

"And we were just talking casually! Didn't think he would take it personally!" the other one shouted back with a grin.

Connie sighed out again. "Don't listen to them.." she pulled him down the aisle, passing a small jewellery spot on one side and the Teen-girls section filled with colorful blouses on the other.

"Why?" he grumbled. "All they were doing was telling me the truth when _you_ didn't."

She looked behind herself. "Steven." she had that no nonsense tone to her voice again. "I didn't lie." 

"Well you didn't tell me."

"Uhg.." she resisted an eye roll. "I didn't feel like I needed to tell you." she grumbled back. "I _know_ how you can get, Steven." 

They were passing the Teenage-boys section.

"So guys flirting with you and trying to give you a hug or whatever else they were doing even _after_ you told them you had a boyfriend.. all of that you felt you didn't need to tell me?" 

"Noo." she said a bit too coarsely. "Why? So you can be over my shoulder or come up here and cause a scene like you were about to do?"

"I wasn't about to cause a scene.." he mumbled with a pout.

_"That's_ because I pulled you away in time."

"Tshh... I'm not even like that Connie.."

She didn't answer him as she walked towards the opposite side of the store. 

She knew him and she knew it would've just been a matter of time before he would've gotten more defensive.

After just seconds of him being silent, she had a feeling that he was going to say something else.. 

Steven thought of saying nothing.. he knew he shouldn't let those guys get to him. 

Still..

.. his brain couldn't help but egg it on. "And you didn't even give me that kiss when they brought it up.." 

She clicked her teeth with an eye roll. She stopped and turned to him. "Steven, they didn't need to see us k-" she looked at his pouty face. She put her hand on the side of her head and sighed and mumbled, "Why did they have to tell you this.." 

"It's a_ good_ thing they did. And I'm glad they did. Now I can keep an eye on those guys."

"Seeee, _this_ was what I was talking about. You're going to go overboard with this. And it's not necessary. That's why I didn't tell you." 

"But _why_ aren't you thinking about it like this? Like it's not serious?" then he challenge her. _"You_ wouldn't want any girls to be around _me_ and talking to _me_ like that."

She sighed and shook her head. "Girls and guys are different." 

Steven scrunched up his face even more. "How so?"

"They're just." she sighed again and pinched the bridge of nose. "Girls they.. they tend to be way more emotionally attached and sometimes they don't know when to draw the line." 

"What? Connie, guys are the some way!" 

She sighed and closed her eyes for a few moments as she rubbed her face. She opened them back up slowly moments later. "Look.. the point is here and that all I'm saying now, is that at least you can trust me around these stupid guys-"

"Hey, Connie!" 

They turned to see another employee coming their way.

An employee who just so happened to be a male..

He had a pile of clothes over his arm.

"Uh, hey Flynn.." Connie mumbled. She looked up at Steven who was glaring at the young man and his stupid chiseled jaw..

He gave a head nod to Steven that Steven didn't return back and he didn't think much of it and turned his attention back to Connie. "Didn't know you worked this late." he smiled.

"I don't usually.. but they've been changing my schedule to later times lately.." she glanced over at Steven who looked like he was about to say something. "Well, I gotta get going. I have a family dinner."

He proceeded to walk over. "Oh yeah?" he wiggled his eye brows. 

Steven cut in. "Yeah." he snapped and the guy stopped and Steven saw him staring right at his scowl. "We're going to see her parents." 

"Oh.." the boy started putting the pieces together as he looked at Steven's fancy attire. "You must be uh-" 

"Steven." he took a step towards the guy. "Connie's _boyfriend."_

Connie looked at Steven's angered expression.

"Right, right, right." he looked a bit nervous as he rocked to one leg. " Uh, yeah. She's.. told us a lot about you."

"Oh? I wouldn't had thought since apparently you guys keep trying to talk to her." 

_"Steven."_ Connie warned him. 

"Ah, no, no." Flynn forced out a chuckle. "We were just playing around. We weren't." he scoffed. "We weren't seerious or anything." he swallowed. His eyes never left Steven's glare.

"You don't play like that." he could feel the already stress twisting and moving out the way for his anger to join it. The two twisting and forming together as one huge block in his throat. "You" he pointed at the guy as he took another step. "wouldn't want me to come back up here." he saw the guy stepping back and bumping into one of the display tables. "She has a boyfriend." he emphasized. "And I promise you and everyone in here.. that if" he said through his teeth. "_any_ one of you. ever. try talking to her again-"

"Steven. Okay, that's enough." Connie commanded. "You made your point. Let's go." she pulled on his arm and he didn't move.

"I don't think he gets my point." he balled his hand up. "Unless I show him."

"And _that_ is where I'm going to stop you there. You're threatening him." she grabbed his fist and pulled harder. "I said we're going. Come on." 

Steven complied this time, walking away with her, but still looking back and glaring at the guy's nervous reaction. 

"Watch where you're going, Steven." she said sharply. "Turn back around."

His glare lingered on the guy before slowly turning back around.

They were now going towards a fishing area. Right beside it was a separate cubicle. In front of it a door that read **Employees Only.**

He heard Connie sigh deeply and he looked at her. She turned her head to him. _"That_ is what I mean by almost causing a scene. That could've went much worse." 

Steven's lips twisted up at her. "All I did was tell him and everyone else to stop messing with you."

"Your were threatening him, Steven."

"I.." he clicked his teeth. "Whatever Connie.. they just need to know to stop messing with you."

"Which is _why_ I specifically told them I have a boyfriend." 

"And look how good that's doing? They were stilling flirting with you."

_"Because_ they thought I was lying. But now they know. So, that should be the end of it."

Silence..

Then, without knowing, without even thinking twice, in his stress, anger block that finally erupted from his throat, he let out a very snobbish, arrogant, "Maybe if they knew you got pregnant by me they would stop trying to talk to you." 

_That_ made her stop.

And he felt ashamed and dirty the moment he said that..

She turned around and let go of his hand. 

Just that look. Her mouth slowly agape and twisted into a frown of disgust. A look of contempt. A look of anger. A look of.. hurt. 

"I.. I mean I didn't mean it like-"

She shook her head as the look of repulsion stayed on her face. "Nooo. _You_ knew exactly what you meant." she looked disgusted. More so revolted.

"No, really.. I.. that just came out." 

"This is" she pointed with both hands back and forth between them. "_our_ thing here that we're dealing with Steven. And if you just want to see this as this gross," she made air quotes ""ownership claim" on me that's disgusting." 

"Please, Connie. That's honestly not how I see that. I see you as my girlfriend. That's just how it come out." 

"And there's a truth to it."

"It isn't really..Honest." 

"Just something you repress-"

No, it really really isn't!"

_It's not like I'm even proud of getting you pregnant. I don't even _want_ a baby!_

"Whatever, Steven." she took a step away from him. "I'm not your property. You seem to think that whenever a guy comes around." 

"What?!" he shook his head. "That's not true. I just don't want any guy to flirt with you when you're _my_ girlfriend. Not theirs. Not anyone else's." then he realized what he was saying. "I mean.. tsh." he calmed his voice down as he rubbed at his face. "No, that's not. I mean, we're together.. so.. I just don't want.." he tried to think of what to say. "I mean.. guys. They're just.." he started again. "I.." he felt the embarrassment joining in with the stress and anger he was feeling and his mind began to stall. He rubbed at his hair as he tried to rack his mind over what he meant to say. Something that would get her to know that he truly _did_ see her as his girlfriend and not some kind of object..

Connie looked back over and watched the stressed out looking boy rubbing frantically at his hair.

She knew that look all too well from past times..

And she started feeling bad. 

Definitely an indication that he was having or about to have his _moment._

She tried to calm her own self down. Talking to him like how she was before would only make matters worse for him. 

For the _both_ of them..

"Come on, Steven." she reached up and grabbed his hands. She gently pulled them away from his hair. 

He cracked open his bleary eyes. 

"Okay.. so maybe you worded it wrong," she started off with a gentle voice. "but whether they know whether I'm pregnant or not they should leave me alone. You don't have to worry about them. You really" _need to stop this_ "have to calm yourself down." she rubbed her thumbs over his knuckles. "What they do have nothing to do with me. I don't care about _them._" she looked at his sad, guilt-ridden face. "I care about _you."_

Steven kept his frown.. still embarrassed though he could feel his self starting to calm down slightly. 

She leaned in and kissed just below his eye. "You always get yourself so worked up so easily." she said softly.

She let go of his hand and took her phone out to check the time. "It's six oh two.. I'm already late clocking out." she placed the phone back in her pants pocket. "I'll be back." she squeezed his other hand before letting go slowly. She leaned in giving him a long kiss on the cheek before turning away and heading for the door.

He stood there. 

And sighed. 

_Why did I say something so disgusting as that.._

He swallowed back his tears. 

_I need to stop treating her like this.. _

_Seriously..what is wrong with me.. What is wrong with my mind-_

Connie came back out. "Steven-" she walked up to him. 

"It's fine Connie." he quickly said. "I'm fine. I'm okay.." she looked to be right on the verge of saying something- "We may.. want to leave out soon." he held the bags up in his arms. "We.." he whispered. "We don't want to be late."

She kept her worried look but said instead, "Right.." she took her steps towards him and grabbed at his hand and interlaced their fingers together. "The bathroom is just a bit farther down." 

The two walked towards the fishing area filled with canoes and kayaks laying on top of each other like bunk beds, with fishing rods along the walls adjacent to them. In the middle of the two was a hallway. Connie walked them down to a dead end. A sign for the male restroom on one side and a female restroom on the other. In between them was a bench.

She let go of his hand and turned to him. "Okay, I'll be right back." she said and she took the two bags from his arms.

She walked towards the bathroom and he sat down.

He let out another sigh.

Of course.. give it up for Steven who caused a scene.. 

Just another thing to put on the list of his "things he stupidly done" and "another one of his stupid faults"..

Why hasn't he learned yet..

Why hasn't he learned from his mistakes..

And despite of _wanting_ to change for the better.. why _hasn't_ he..

He could feel himself going down again.. just like at camp and he wasn't going to let his self go down that road. He had to stop it in it's tracks. Nip it right in the bud before it got out of hand.

He thought about Mrs. Miller again and thought about his breathing and counting his blessings technique.

He started with a deep breath. 

  
  


Connie came out twenty five minutes later, having used the bathroom, put her dress, her heels and jewelry on and her lipstick.

She stepped out to see Steven with his eyes clothes, hands in his lap and deep breathing. Something she was happy to see he was doing.

Looks like he was trying out one of Mrs Miller's calming techniques.

That's a good sign.

She walked over to him and just ever so slightly, cleared her throat, not trying to startle him. 

He didn't hear her. Deep into his own thoughts as he breathed in and back out.

She cleared her throat a bit louder and said, "Steven." he kept his eyes closed. "Steeeeveeeen." she said louder though a bit more melodic. She lifted her hand up but hesitated.

He cracked open eye this time and still jumped.

"Sorry." she lowered her hand back down. "I didn't want to scare you." 

"Ah.. that's okay." he leaned up on the bench.

"How are you feeling?"

"Um.. eheh." he scratched at the back of his neck. "I feel better.." _and still a bit embarrassed.._

He looked better. Not one hundred percent, but better no less. "Glad to hear that." she gave him a small smile.

He got up and the bench creaked under him. He looked at the sleek, red dress that she had on and her red high heels with gold colored straps that matched with her gold colored earrings. Her dark brown hair was much shinier and her lips were a spicy red. 

And the perfume she had on was from his favorite perfume bottles.

And.. just the way her hair fell down in curls and pass her shoulders and at the front of her dress. 

"Wow.. you look stunning." 

She resisted pushing a piece of her hair back. "Thanks." her smile turned more sheepish. "You look handsome too." 

He felt a sheepish smile coming to his own face. "Thanks." 

Silence..

"So.." Connie spoke back up as she turned for the opening of the hallway. "I guess we can start walking?" 

"Uh, yeah. Of course." hesitant at first, he grabbed her hand and the two started up the hallway.

In silence..

And Steven could practically feel the tension between them still being there. 

He looked over at Connie who had her shades focused towards what was in front of her. A small frown on her face. Could be a resting face, but he strongly doubted it. 

He sighed. "Connie" she looked at him. "I'm really sorry about what I said." her mouth opened slightly. "I'm sorry for how I reacted in _general."_

"Come on, Steven." she turned away and shook her head. "Let's not.." 

"Seriously." he stepped in front of her and stopped her. "I've just been stressed about the dinner and..- I mean that does NOT mean that what I did was excusable or anything." he quickly said before continuing. "But I wasn't in my right mind and.." he shrugged. "I'm sorry for how I acted and.. _re_acted to them." he looked up at her shades and couldn't help but feel a bit annoyed that he still couldn't see her eyes.. "I really like you Connie." _Loove you actually._ "I'm just worried about how the dinner is going to go, um, even though I _know_ it's going to go great." he quickly said. "But.. I'm still a bit anxious about it.. Then hearing about the guys practically trying to take you away from me.." he rubbed at his neck and shrugged. "Which they can.. it's not like.. you know.. they can't or anything." 

"Steven." she cut him off before he went on his self loathing rant. "I _dooo not _. care. about them." she smiled. "Who cares about them. Again. I care about _you_. Not them." then her expression went to a more apologetic look as her smile tugged to the side in a wry smile. "And I have to admit.. _I've_ been pretty.." _anxious.. worried.._ "in thought too about the dinner. All day actually. And, I think that kinda came out tonight as well." 

"Heh.. um.. then I guess we're both kinda stressed about this.." he said shyly.

She scoffed softly. "Yeah, a bit."

He kept his sad, guilty smile up for a few moments before it dropped to a frown. "I'm still sorry I said that." he saw Connie's smile falter. "I know, I know. I keep bringing it up but.. Connie that's really not how I feel. I just want you to know that." he looked at her. "I.." _love you._

She looked at him.

"I.. Connie I.." 

_Just say it._

He sighed. "That's the opposite of how I think about you. You're my best friend, my voice of reason, my girlfriend.. my Jam Bud." he squeezed her hand. "You're really special to me." 

There was that sad smile. That same look she gave him that night when they were at camp.. that look he still couldn't pin point.

"You're special to me too, Steven." 

He let go of her hand and wrapped his arms around her in a hug.

What would he ever do without her?

He pulled her in close. 

One day he really did need to tell her how he truly felt..

He leaned up to see her beautiful face.

And he realized how tall she was. 

Or tall_er_ with her heels on. 

..Maybe he should've worn dress shoes with a higher heel on them..

He quickly dismissed that thought and focused on her and he truly felt about _her._

He gave her a smile and he saw a genuine smile come to her lips.

He leaned up, _indiscreetly_ raising a bit up on his toes as she leaned down and he kissed her and felt a spark from the skin of their lips pressed against each other. That feeling spreading down to his chest and igniting a warm feel throughout his upper torso. That feeling only getting stronger as his skin grabbed at the material of her dress as he pulled her in closer in the hug. His heart beat faster in his chest as her lips rubbed along his.

Her kisses always had that effect on him..

Connie stood there kissing Steven. Also feeling that spark and that warmth in her chest and wondered if he felt the same thing. 

But alas.. despite of her wanting the kiss to continue, they _did_ have to leave and go to that dinner she'd been worried about..

She _would_ need to stop kissing him soon..

"Steven." she said against his lips. "You're" he kissed her. "messing up my lipstick." she mocked annoyance as she pulled away and saw her lipstick smeared across his lips. 

That earned a chuckle and a head shake from her. "You're going to have to wipe the lipstick off your lips." 

He shrugged. "There's a better solution." he stuck out his tongue and licked his lips, giving her a little wink as he did.

He only got half of it off and smeared the other half.

"You didn't get all of it." she smirked.

"Oh?" he licked his lips again. "How's that?"

He got just a bit more off, though the residue of the lipstick was still smeared across his lips.

"You missed here" she pointed at the left top of her lip. "and all right here." she pointed across her bottom lip.

He stuck his tongue out more and licked all around his lips.

"Uuehg." she scrunched up her face though the chuckle said otherwise. 

"I got it all now?"

He'd gotten more but smeared the residue along his top lip.

She sighed with a smile. "No, it's still there."

"You know, at this point Connie, I think you just want to see me lick my lips." 

"Uh, nooo." she scoffed. She turned him around. "Whatever. You got most of it off." she pulled him along up the hallway and he couldn't help but laugh at what'd happened. 

The two of them made it towards the front of the building and saw Gregory climbing on a mannequin. Lion was right beside him and wagging his tail as he watched the boy climb. "Look at me, dad!" he climbed towards the plastic woman's shoulders. "I'm a chimpanzee!" 

His dad was at the register and ringing up a few items. He turned back around and saw his son. "Gregory!" he tried for a gentle voice. "Son, you uh.. you can't do that." 

The same girl at the register put the last shirt in the bag.

"Is that the Vecinos? I didn't think I would see them this far up here." said Connie.

"Mr. Vecino is taking us to the restaurant."

"What? Really?"

"Yeah. We bumped into each other when I was leaving out. He said he can take us there." 

"That's nice of him."

Gregory had climbed up to the mannequin's shoulder and was climbing towards her head while the plastic woman began to tip over. He screamed as the mannequin fell to the floor. "Oof!" he fell flat on his back. Lion went up towards him and started sniffing him.

"Gregory!" the dad handed the girl his debit card and ran towards his son. 

"Lion! Lion help me!" he whined. 

The dog licked his cheek. 

"No! That's not helping!" 

"Uh oh.. maybe I should go help them." said Steven. He let go of her hand and ran towards the two.

"You go, Super Steven." she teased.

Gregory was on the floor groaning as his dad tried lifting the heavy mannequin off of him. Lion stood there wagging his tail and looking a the two. 

"Mmmmmnnrrr!! Why is this mannequin so heavy?!" Mr. Vecino grunted then panted. He tried pulling the mannequin up again. "Usually they're pretty lightweight."

"That's because the manager was tired of little kids climbing on them." the girl at the register said. "She thought of making the mannequins sturdier to withstand the kids climbing on them."

Mr. Vecino grunted harder as he tried putting more strength into lifting the heavy mannequin up.

"Buuut..Looks like that didn't work out well." she said snorted.

"Here, let me help you." Mr. Vecino saw two arms reaching down to the mannequin and looked to his side to see Steven pulling the mannequin up.

"Oooh, thank you." he sighed a breath of relief.

The two of them steadily lifted the heavy mannequin up and back to its two feet.

Steven and Mr. Vecino both blew a breath out.

"Are you okay son?" Mr. Vecino asked.

His son was pushing his self up to a sitting position. "Yeahh." he sighed a breath of relief. He grabbed his stomach. "I thought I was going to become a pancake." 

His father and Steven helped the boy up to his feet.

"Sir? Your card." they turned to the girl at the register who was now ringing someone else up. "and you're stuff." she gestured at the bag at the end of the counter.

"I'm coming!" the man jogged over adjacent to Connie. "Good evening, Connie. You look nice." he jogged pass her and towards the register.

"Thank you Mr. Vecino."

The man grabbed his card back from the girl and was putting it back in his wallet when Gregory jogged over, grabbing the bag from the counter. "Ooooo dad!!! Can I wear my kangaroo shirt!!" he bounced on his feet. 

He placed the wallet back in his pants pocket. "Sure, kiddo." 

"Yeah!!" he took a white shirt out and threw it on over his head. There was a picture of a joey smiling with his arms out for a hug. Underneath of the cartoonish baby kangaroo were the words **Roo'tin for ya!**.

Gregory pulled the bottom of his shirt away from him and looked down to see it. "Maan. This is such a cool shirt." he cheesed.

"Awwww, you look really pretty, Connie." the girl said to her.

"Uh, thanks." Connie resisted an eye roll at her.

She would need a little talk with her and Anna when she came back to work...

Steven was coming over with Lion.

The girl was putting the last two items in the bag. "Awwwee, you even got the dog a little red bowtie." she cooed. She turned to the man. "That'll be fourteen ninety two." 

Steven came over and grabbed Connie's hand. "See, I knew we would make a pretty nice ensemble." he leaned up and kissed her cheek. 

"Eeeeeee, kissyyyy." Gregory teased.

Steven groaned with an eye roll and Connie chuckled.

"Uh, heh." Mr. Vecino grabbed gently at his son's shoulder. "We should start heading out, Shtu-ball." he gave his son a gentle push towards the sliding doors of the building.

Steven and Connie starting walking to the front with them. 

"I hope you two enjoy the family dinner." she said to the two. 

That gave their heart a bit of a jolt.

"Uh, yeah." said Steven. He squeezed Connie's hand. "We're.. uh, planning on it." he tried for a smile.

He felt Connie pulling him away as she took her step away and towards the door. "Yeah.. and we don't want to be late." she said, wanting to stop conversation in its tracks. 

She didn't want to become anxious again and quite frankly _also_ didn't want to talk to her..

The girl laughed. "Okay." and she waved to them. 

The two turned around and started for the sliding doors. They walked through the vestibule and through the second pair of sliding doors to the hot air of the outside. 

Gregory was playing on a small tree right behind the van. He was swinging from a tree branch. 

Mr. Vecino saw the two and Lion coming towards them. He opened the door. "Come on son. It's time to go." 

"Weeeee!!" he swung off the branch and landed hard on both feet.

Steven opened the back door of the van as Gregory ran towards the passenger's door. 

"Wow. Looks like his leg is doing much better." said Steven. 

Lion jumped in before them and he and Connie laughed. 

Mr. Vecino turned around to face them as Gregory opened the door. "Yeah, ever since you gave us some of that cream and oil stuff his leg has healed tremendously." 

Gregory jumped in the seat, landing on his shins. "Yeah! My leg is doing great now! They took out my staples weeks earlier because it was healing so super duper fast!" 

Lion jumped up in between the two front seats amd looked to the both of them and Mr. Vecino pat him on the head and Gregory pat the dog on the shoulder. 

"Glad to see that it's working." he helped Connie up into the truck and got in after and closed the door. 

"I am too." said Mr. Vecino. "That has to be some high quality stuff right there."

_You have no idea.._

Steven sat down next to Connie and wrapped his arm around her waist. She leaned her shoulder on his, being mindful of her hair. 

Gregory lowered his hand from Lion and turned around and sat in his sest. "Ready for takeoff, dad!" he grinned. "Oh wait." he pulled the seatbelt over him and buckled himself in. "NOW I'm ready for takeoff!" he threw a triumphant fist into the air. 

"Eheheh, ah, ya little rascal you." he ruffled the boy's curls. "Okay, everyone. Next stop, Foy Raidley's."

"Oh, what?!" Gregory exclaimed. "You mean that restaurant with those delicious cheesy breadsticks?!" 

Mr. Vecino started the car up. "Indeed I am, kiddo." 

"I want cheesy breadsticks!!!" 

"Aw, but I thought you wanted fish sticks for tonight." 

"But now I want both!" 

Lion, now without anyone petting him, leaned off the middle of the two seats and made his way towards Steven and Connie. He squeezed in between the two and laid down.

Steven chuckled. "Hey, Lion." he reached over with his other arm and scratched the dog between the ears.

Connie leaned over and did the same, scratching an ear.

"Aww, come on dad. Can I pleeeeaaaaaase have both. Pretty please with a cherry on top." he pleaded with a pout. 

"I.. well.."

"Pleeeeeaaaaase." 

Mr. Vecino looked at his pouting face. "Ah, I can't say no to that face."

"Yay!"

The man shifted gears. "Okay. Now off to the restaurant with the delicious breadsticks." he pressed his foot on the gas pedal and drove the car out of its parking spot.

The boy cheered. 

Steven and Connie didn't.

Their minds were now on the dinner they would be having soon with her parents.

This was it.

The night the two of them had been extremely nervous for.

And there was no turning back now.

In just twenty minutes they would be seeing her parents.

And it could either go really well..

Or really bad..

They were hoping for the former.. despite of having that gut feeling that, for whatever reason, it wasn't..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I never really showed Steven's jealousy before. Just thought I would show it now.
> 
> I did show a little bit of that in chapter 9 Job Fair:
> 
> Steven went in for a kiss and she kissed him back. And he purposely let the kiss linger a bit too long for her comfort. She broke away. "Steven. People are watching." she blushed, putting a hand on his chest.
> 
> Exactly. Those guys that keep staring at you need to know that you already have someone. "Just wanted to give my girl a goodbye kiss."
> 
> "Anywayy. I'll see you later." she ignored the butt squeeze and she walked away. Steven made side glances at the other guys as he sat back down. That's right, fellas. She's mine.


	199. The night of the INCREDIBLY huge family dinner....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't hate her parents, guys :(
> 
> Also, the words in italics is them talking to each other in Tamil.

Mr. Vecino was pulling up at the bright, flashy restaurant. 

Everything seemed so eloquent and so sparkly and expensive. 

The scintillating lights, the well trimmed lawn and bushes, the smooth texture of the material of the building. 

The bright white lights of the sign..

They were here.

No..turning.. back..

And Steven could feel his stomach bubbling again and he resisted to grab at it.

"Aaaalrighty everyone!" Mr. Vecino grinned from ear to ear. "We have arrived at our cheesy bread destination."

"Woohoo!!" Gregory cheered. He unbuckled his seatbelt as his father turned the car off.

"Thanks again for taking us, Mr. Vecino." said Connie. And Steven thought he heard a bit of shakiness in her voice.

"Ehh, it was no problem at all." 

"Cheesy breadsticks for the win!!" Gregory opened his door and ran out.

"Wait! Gregory!" Mr. Vecino quickly unfastened his seat belt. "Be careful doing that!" he opened the door and got out.

The man closed the door and Steven and Connie looked at each other. "Eheh.." "Heheh.." the two let out awkward, tense chuckles.

Steven rubbed at the back of his neck. "So uh.." he swallowed, feeling his stomach push up into his throat. "I.." he cleared his throat. "I guess this is.. it, huh?" 

Connie gave a meek shrug of her shoulders. "Y, yeah.. I guess so."

Steven looked at the nervous look on her face. He raised a hand up to her cheek and lifted her head up. "Hey." he forced a small smile. "It'll be okay." he assured her, despite of still feeling otherwise. "You can do this. _We_ can do this. Together." 

Connie tried for a smile but it ended up looking more pained than anything.

"We have nothing to worry about. The four of us will have a good time together." he rubbed his thumb across her cheek. "This will be a night like no other. And everyone will have a great time." 

She knew he was just saying those things to make her feel better.. and still she wanted to believe him.

She took a deep breath. "Yeah.." she whispered.

"Time to enjoy our time with your parents." his stomach was bubbling something fierce..

He smiled despite of the anxiety gas _amongst other things.._ building up in his gut.

He leaned in and kissed her. 

And the two broke apart moments later and Steven laid his forehead down on hers as he kept his hand on her cheek. "Everything will be fine." he whispered. "Don't worry."

Connie nodded silently.

He leaned up from her forehead and kisses it gentle. He looked at her. "Come on." he said softly. "Let's go." and his stomach twisted down into his gut.

He got up and let out a small toot from the back. He snapped up straight. "Uh.." he looked down nervously at Connie. 

She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Uh.." he looked away from her. "Uh.. that was.. that was Lion. Eheh.." he cleared his throat. 

She looked at Lion.

The dog tilted his head at her.

"Riiiight.." she got up and he helped her up.

The two, with Lion getting up and following them, walked to the back of the van. Steven opened the door for her and she sat down in the van and slid off, being mindful of her heels. Then Lion jumped out and he got out after them and closed the door.

Connie gasped and he bumped into her. "What?" he looked around. "What's wrong?" 

"That's their car.." 

He looked at the direction she was looking towards.

There in front of them was a cream colored 2015 Suburu Outback right in front of them. 

He felt Connie grab his hand and squeeze it.

He rubbed her hand. "Okay.." he took a breath. "Then.. that's good." he nodded. "Then they want to see you." he tried sounding optimistic. "That's.. a good thing. Since.. they got here early." 

"Y.. yeah.." she didn't sound happy.

He looked over at her and forced a reassuring smile as he hugged her from the side. "Hey." she looked at him. "We got this. You and I." he leaned up and kissed her cheek. "Time to make this an amazing dinner. Remember. We're supposed to make this a night to remember." 

"Right.." she looked back at the car. "We are here and.. it's.. time to see them." she said aloud for her own self to hear. 

This was it. 

She needed to stop thinking so negative like this. 

Just.. go in and let the moment take them..

"Let's go.." she told him. 

He gave her another kiss on the cheek. "Okay." 

The two started for the dark mahogany doors when Connie said, "Oh wait!" 

He turned to her. 

"Your hair!!" she looked at his lips. "And your lips!" she took out a small packet of wipes from the bag and took out a wipe and started wiping the rest of the smeared lipstick from his lips.

He snorted. "That tickles." 

She folded the wipe up and started wiping the parts of his face that looked a bit sweaty and greasy. 

She balled the wipe up in her hand and began pulling his curls out and fluffing his hair up. His hair being a mess from him clawing and raking his hands through his curls just earlier.

"Okay, much better. Your curls are back to being floofy." she was digging in her bag for something. 

"Floofy?" he laughed. He raised his hand up to touch his hair when she smacked his hand out the way. "No touch. You're going to mess your hair up." 

She pulled out a small bottle of hairspray. "Now time to give you a bit of shine." she shook the can up. "And this'll hold your curls in longer." 

"But my hair naturally holds." a beat. "It's just not as naturally shiny as yours." 

She ignored him and held the can up. "Give me a three sixty." 

He mocked a sigh as she began spraying his hair. He turned around slowly as the aerosol was sprayed all around his head. 

He turned back around and she was still spraying his hair and the fumes began collecting in the air around his face. "Connie." he whined and held his nose. She continued to spray and he backed up. "He coughed. "Connie, you're going to irritate my sinuses." 

She sprayed at the top of his head and stopped. "Okay, I think that's enough." she lowered her hand away, then looked up at a spot on his hair that to her, looked like it needed tending to. "Oookay, just a liiiittle bit more." she began spraying the curl. 

He coughed more as he backed away. "Connie." he whined. "My sinuses!"

"Oookay, oookay. I'm done." she put the can back in the bag and reached for his red tie. She pulled it up towards his neck, smoothed out the tongue of it and folded the collar of his dress shirt over the neck of the tie. She smoothed her hands down to his shoulders and kept them there. "Okay." she looked at him.

Her coworker was right. She really did managed to get a very handsome guy. 

She smiled at him. "Alright." she lowered a hand and pat at his chest gently and leaned away. "Let's go."

The two turned around and began heading for the doors once more before she stopped again. She took out her lipstick and reapplied it and put it back in her bag. She took a breath as she fixed her hair across her shoulders. "Okay. Now let's go." 

They started for the door and again, he felt her hand starting to squeeze his.

"Don't worry." he leaned up and kissed her cheek. "Let's make this night special." 

She nodded silently with a worried expression on her face and he stopped just inches away from the door.

"Did you.. need a few seconds? Or.."

"It's okay. I'm okay." she quickly said. Then she took a breath. "Let's just.. you can open the door now." 

He rubbed his thumb across her hand. "Okay." he said softly and raised his arm up. He placed his hand on the doorknob and opened the door for her and his stomach began to churn once more. 

She stepped in and him and Lion walked in after her. 

How the building was made, they could only see one part of it and that was the expensive looking waiting area with everything being a sparkly red and white and expensive. Two hallways were on either side of them. One leading to the bathrooms and the other to the dining area. 

Steven's stomach bubbled more and he let out another air of gas from behind. 

Connie looked at him. 

He acted as if he didn't hear anything. "What?"

She narrowed her eyes at him behind her shades. Skeptic of him, but otherwise didn't say anything.

She threw the wipe in a nearby trashcan and they began walking down the hallway towards the dining area where Mr. Vecino and his son were waiting along the red, thick cushioned chairs by the windows. 

Gregory was jumping up and down on his butt in the chair while his dad sat there with a smile on his face, looking around the room. "Ah, there you two." Lion came jogging up to him. _"three._ are." he scratched at Lion's ear. 

"Yeah.. I guess we just.. needed a bit of time.." Steven looked away.

"Ah, you two have nothing to be afraid about. Go up there and have a good time." he gave the two a thumbs up. 

Connie looked at Steven and a forced small smile formed on his lips. "I think we should."

"Heh.. me too." she tried for a tiny smile that faltered immediately after. 

"You guuuuys got this!!" Gregory continued to bounce in the seat as he gave them a thumbs up.

That got the two to smile just a bit. 

"Well.. I guess we better go." said Connie.

"Oh wait. Did you two want me to come pick you back up? I can do that." said Mr. Vecino.

"Oh.. we couldn't.." Connie began. 

"It's okay, really. It beats using a Zuber and Shtu-ball and I here like driving around. You can call us on the Warp Whistle and we'll be there."

"I mean.. maybe?"

"Why not? Save some money and you get a comfortable ride home." then he thought. "Or.. as comfortable a ride in a Winnebago van can get." then he smiled widely.

Steven looked at her. "Sure. Why not?"

She nodded meekly. "Thanks Mr. Vecino."

"Just call and we'll be there as quick as we can." 

"You wouldn't have to rush." said Connie.

"Either way, we'll be there."

"Or be squared!" Gregory shouted.

Mr. Vecino laughed and the other two chuckled. "Okay." Connie was nodding to Steven. "We should really start heading to them." 

"Uh, yeah." he smiled. And he felt the whole bottom of his gut start to get hot as it bubbled towards the back-

He cleared his throat and swallowed. "Um.. shall we?" he kept the smile on his face. _Forced_ it to stay on his face.

"See you later Mr. Vecino. See you Gregory." Connie waved to them.

Their neighbors waved back. "See you two later! Enjoy!" said Mr. Vecino. 

"Eat lot's of bread sticks!!" Gregory suggested.

Steven waved to them.

The two turned around and headed for the end of the hallway.

They could hear indistinct chatter just behind the hallway and the sound of feet walking across the floor and glass clinking. 

It practically _sounded_ like a rich people restaurant..

They turned the corner to see two sections. On their right and a few yards away was a desk. Behind it the hostess and beyond her to her left were tables filled with people either ordering or already eating their food. 

And on their left was a small art gallery with just a handful of lounging chairs and-

He heard a choked sound from Connie as he felt her hand squeeze his tightly. "They're they are." she whispered. 

One second of Steven looking at them:

The married couple with their backs to them but it was definitely them, without a doubt. 

The father and his well trimmed dark brown hair and dark brown suit and dark brown dress shoes and beside him, wearing a red dress as bright as Connie's with dark red flats and her hair flowing long and down her back and red jewelry along her wrist was her mother.

One second of looking at them. Just_ one_ second. And as if some kind of power they had over him.. everything that was left in his gut had rushed to the sphinter-

He clenched his cheeks and grabbed at his stomach, grunting.

"Steven. Are you okay?" 

He swallowed down the bile. "I need the bathroom.." he mumbled hoarsely. "Now."

"Uh!" she looked around frantically. "It's back down the hallway!" she pulled him with her and he kept up as he kept everything clenched. 

"See! I KNEW something was wrong." 

He ignored her that time. Keeping his mouth shut to keep everything down and keeping everything shut at the bottom and focused on getting to the bathroom. 

They ran pass Mr. Vecino and his son. 

"Whoa, what happened!" Mr. Vecino asked.

"Steven needs to use the bathroom." 

"Uuhh boy.." Mr. Vecino grumbled with a frown. 

The two rushed down the hallway and to the restrooms with Lion running behind them. 

Steven let go of her hand and right before he pushed open the door, had let another one rip as he stepped into the bathroom. 

"Take your time in there, Steven!" then the silent but deadly stench hit her nostrils and she twisted her face up in disgust. "Phew Steven." she fanned the front of her face and held her nose.

  
  


Connie had looked at her phone. It read 7:23p.m.

She was starting to get more antsy. 

She knew she told Steven to take his time.. and it wasn't his fault that this happened. He couldn't help it. 

Still, they were twenty three minutes and counting late and her parents absolutely _despised_ being late. 

This definitely wasn't a good look for them..

Especially not for Steven since they'll most likely blame it on _him_ instead of _her_ for being late.. 

Which.. technically.. maybe it sort of was.. STILL.. it wasn't a good look for them.

The clocked turned to 7:24p.m and she was getting even more anxious-

The door opened and Steven stepped out. His face red and sweaty with a nauseous frown to his face. 

"..You don't look so good.." 

"Um.. I'm fine, Connie." 

"You don't_ look_ it." 

He looked at her and a sheepish grin came to his face. He nodded. "Eheh, I'm.. yeah I'm okay. Just had a little.. upset stomach." 

A small wry small came to her face as her expression softened. "Seems like you're pretty nervous yourself." 

"Y..Yeah.. I am." he kept the shy smile on his face. 

She sighed with a smile and she raised her arms up. "Come here." 

He walked over and she wrapped her arms around him and he put his arms around her and leaned into the hug. His head just at her shoulders. "Don't worry." she rubbed his back. "Like you've been telling me. We have this. We have each other." she leaned away from him. "We have this." she said again.

"Y, yeah.." Now it was_ him_ to feel a bit uneasy and speechless.

And she was still just as nervous as him. "Now.. before we go see them." both of their chests tightened at those words. "You need a good spray of my perfume." she leaned away from the hug. "You smell like the bathroom."

Steven chuckled and scratched at his neck, embarrassed. 

She took out the can from the bag. "Okay. Time for another 360." 

"Hopefully you don't get carried away with it like the hairspray can.." he mumbled with a pout. 

She shook the spray in response. 

He let out an exasperated sigh and held his arms out. She pressed the top of the can and began spraying him down. He turned around and she sprayed up and down. He came back around to face her and she continued to spray. He coughed and threw his arm over his nose. "Connie! Sinuses!!" his eyes watered.

She began spraying a bit of perfume on herself as the boy coughed and gagged. He said in a horse voice behind the sleeve of his suit. "I need to get out of here." he started a small jog down the hall. 

He heard Connie chuckling behind him. "Steven! I still have to wipe your face!" she placed the can back in her bag and jogged up slowly after him, being mindful of her heels. 

Steven was slowly getting his breath back as he breathed in fresh air that hadn't been completely drenched in the thick smell of perfume. 

He was just coming up the hallway when he saw Mr. Vecino at the door. "Hey, are you okay? I didn't want to leave until I made sure."

_Wow.. well that was nice of him.._

"Yeah, I'm okay. I was just.." he shrugged. "a little uneasy." 

He nodded as a knowing look spread across his features. "Don't worry. Eeeeverything will be just fine." he said casually with a grin. "It will. Meeting the parents is a good way to come together and get closer. You get to know them and they get to know you and a beautiful relationship will blossom out of it, even more so when you sit down and listen to one another and be open minded and just be yourselves." 

_But what if _myself_ is not good enough for her parents.._

"..nd they love you." Mr. Vecino told Connie. "And they'll listen. And every piece will come together as one and the connection and the memories will start there."

_Who's more mushy him or Lars?_

_And SERIOUSLY how are they more Steven than me?!_

"..eah.." Connie replied shyly. "Thanks for the kind words and motivation." 

"It's no problem." he looked at the both of them. "Let this be a night that you two can look back on and cherish." 

They both nodded in agreement and Steven said, "We'll definitely try." 

Mr. Vecino's face drop to a more serious expression as he said in a deep and profound-like voice. "Do or do not. There is no try." before breaking out of character and laughing. "Got that from a movie once. Anyway kiddos, you two really have nothing to worry about. Now go up there and have a good time." he took a step to the door and placed his hand on it. "Just use the Warp Whistle and I'll be back to pick you two up." 

They nodded again as they mumbled out their "Right." and "Thank you." and "Will do." responses.

Mr. Vecino turned to his left. "Come on, Gregory. It's time to go."

Gregory got up munching on a breadstick. His face was covered in garlic, cheese and his lips covered in grease. He threw the breadtsick in his mouth and took out another one to munch on as he walked towards the door to his father. "Shee yhu guyhz laycher." he said with his mouth full and bit the other breadstick. 

They waved to the two as they left out the door.

"Okay. Now let's wipe your face off again." she opened her bag and took out the wipes once more took one out. She wiped his face off. "Much better." and she threw the wipe away in the trashcan in front of her. She grabbed his hand and turned around. "Now we can leave-" she saw the dog laying down on the carpet beside them. "Wait. Lion is still with us?!"

The dog wagged his tail at his name being said. 

"Oh! I forgot to ask Mr. Vecino if he could watch him!" 

Connie brought her hand up to her face. "Oh noo.." she groaned. 

Steven looked back and looked through the windows to the parking lot. The van was already gone. "I can try calling them on the Warp Whistle." he took his phone out of his pocket. 

"Just forget it." she grumbled. "We don't have time to wait for them to come back. We're already reaally late." 

Steven put his phone back in his pocket and walked up to Lion and the canine got up and started wagging his tail faster. "Come on boy." he grabbed the leash off of the floor. "Looks like you're coming with us after all." he smiled. 

The three of them began walking down the hall and towards the dining area once again. Once they got to the end of the hall they saw her parents now sitting down with their backs facing them. Her mother looked up at her watch then turned her head and Connie's heart jolted in her chest as she saw the side of her face. She looked worried and said something to her father. He turned his head to her and with an expression more so skeptic. He said something back to her. A frown came to her mother's face and she said something back to him.

"Come on, Steven." she said aloud for her self. 

Just as they started their steps towards them a voice called out with a, "Sir. Madam." 

Steven and Connie stopped and turned around. 

The hostess was walking away from her desk. She beckoned her hand towards them. "Excuse me." 

Connie groaned. "Now what.." 

The two walked over towards her.

Her eyes went right to Lion. "I'm sorry but.. this restaurant doesn't allow dogs." 

Steven's mouth opened slightly. "But.." 

"Restaurant's policy. No dogs in this establishment." 

"But.. we can't just leave him anywhere." 

"Sorry, Sir. But we don't allow pets-"

"Uh, he's my dog!" Connie blurted out. 

The hostess looked at her. "I.. _know_ that but-" 

"No, I mean I _need_ him with me." then she explained. "I just had surgery on my eyes." then she went for a lie. "He helps me." then she added. "He and my boyfriend assists me." 

She looked at Connie's glasses.

Definitely a pair of glasses one would get post eye surgery.

She looked down at the dog with his red bowtie, seemingly a good natured, well behaved dog. He stepped towards her, wagging his tail in a friendly hello. 

She looked back up at the couple. 

She twisted her lips up in thought. "Um.. I'll be right back." she turned and went for a solid brown door behind her desk.

Connie groaned. "Come. _oooon." _

A couple minutes later and another lady who they assumed was the supervisor or the manager came out of the door then the hostess stepped out after.

Her eyes went to the Pitbull-

"He's really well behaved." Connie quickly said before the woman could say anything first.

She looked back up at her.

"He's well trained and he'll be staying close to me to help assist me with things." 

The woman gave her a leveled stare before eventually saying. "We don't usually do this and otherwise I would say no; however, we can't deny the dog since he would be classified under a service animal." 

"So.. that means he can accompany us."

The woman nodded. "So long as he stays close to you like you've said and he doesn't cause any type of confusion in the dining area."

Connie held a hand up. "Oh, he won't. Trust me." she gave the lady a smile. 

The manager dismissed them and ended it with an "Enjoy your dinner" before turning back to the employee and explaining to her the exceptions of the company's policy.

Steven and Connie started for the lounging area once more with Connie feeling guilty for playing the "visually impaired" card. Especially since there are people who _are_ actually blind or legally blind.. 

The three of them walked over where the hallway met both the lounging area and the front part of the dining area. 

Steven leaned over towards her and lifted his head up. "I think it was the bowtie that really did it." he whispered to her. "They just couldn't resist." 

That eased her nerves slightly. She scoffed. "Yeah, I don't think it was that." 

He leaned back, smiling. "Nope. It was definitely that." 

They walked up closer to the lounging area and her smile faltered and she squeezed his hand for the umpteenth time.

Just before they entered the lounging area, they saw her parents getting up with the frown on her mother's face prominent over her saddened features. The dad looking disgusted. 

They turned around and the four of them locked eyes and to each of them it was as if time had stopped. 

The mother and her surprised expression with her mouth slightly ajar.

The dad looking shocked with just a bit of incredulity to his features. 

Connie looking at both parents and holding in her tears as a mixture of happiness, fear, shame and joy washed over her. 

And Steven was looking uneasy and scared as he looked from both parents back and forth. 

Then.. time began to move once more to them. 

Connie blinked back her tears. She swallowed back her emotion. "Mom?"

Her mom threw her hand over her mouth. Her eyes squinting, tearing up and she sighed in deeply behind the palm of her hand. She made her way over to her daughter and threw her arms around her as her dad was close on her mother's heels. 

Until then Steven had forgotten how tall her parents were. 

..That's where she got her height from after all..

_"It's so nice to see you, Connie."_ her mother whispered. She let a tear slid down as she squeezed her daughter gently in the hug.

The feeling only grew as she felt her mother's arms around her. Something she hadn't felt in years. The smell of her mother's hair was the same, her mother's voice without it being over the phone and how strong her mother was as she held her in the embrace. She blinked back more tears. She swallowed again. _"It's nice to see you and dad too."_

_"I can't believe you're here."_ her father said.

Connie leaned her head up slightly and her mom looked at her dad.

_"I'm glad I'm here." _ she told him.

He leaned in towards them and wrapped his arms around the both of them and joined in on the hug. 

The three of them hugged each other and smiled. Tears rolled down her mother's face and tears hit the bottom of Connie's glasses. Her dad held the two close to him, extremely happy and relieved to have his daughter in his arms. 

Steven looked at them, standing just a few feet away from them as the family was reunited with each other once more. 

It was nice.

I was.. _really_ nice..

To actually have her mom and dad with her..

..It was.. really nice..

Like how Lars had his parents.

Sadie had her mom. 

The Pizzas was all one lovely family.

And Mr. Vecino and his son had such a good relationship together.

Must be really nice..

Steven frowned slightly as something he couldn't pinpoint gripped at his heart.

Connie leaned up slightly from the hug to look at her parents again and saw the tears down her mother's face. _"I'm happy to see you. I missed you two so much." _ her voice wavered.

Her mother matched her shaky voice with her own. _"We missed you too, sweetheart." _

_"More than you would ever know."_ her father added. 

She smiled, teary eyed behind her glasses and her lips trembled. She was about to say something when Steven caught her eye. The boy by his self and looking like a lost puppy as he frowned. His hands clasped in front of him as he stood there by the wall. 

Her smile wavered. She looked back at them. "Um.. mom.. dad.." she looked over back at Steven who'd just glanced back up at them. Her parents looked over at the boy as they leaned away from the hug, immediately noticing the scratches and lines on his face.

"Uh.." he paused. "H.. hi Mr. and Mrs. Maheswaren." 

Mr. Maheswaren narrowed his eyes at him. "That's Mr. and _Dr._ Maheswaren."

_How did I make THAT mistake?!_

"Uh. S, sorry.." he blushed. 

Connie kept her eyes on Steven. The pale boy looked like he was about to be sick or faint or both.

She turned back to him. "Um, mom, dad." her parents looked at her. "We both really couldn't wait to see you." Steven looked at her. She tried for a smile. "It would be.. really nice if we could sit down and eat and.. talk."

Both of their chests tightened and both of their stomachs churned and twisted inside them. 

He mother nodded slowly. "Sure-What th!-" she pulled her hand away from Lion who'd sniffed it. She saw the canine right beside her and shrieked, backing into her husband. "Where did that dog come from?!" 

"Sorry! Sorry." Connie grabbed hold of his collar. "He's with us." 

Her mother twisted up her face in disbelief and disgust. "Are you serious, Connie? You have a filthy, unclean animal? And a _Pitbull_ of all breeds?" 

"I.." she looked away from her mother's glare and looked at the dog lolling out his tongue. She placed a gentle hand on his head. "But he's a really good boy." she whispered timidly.

That warmed up Steven's heart from her saying that.

Looks like Connie was warming up more to Lion. 

The look of disgust stayed on her mother's face. She groaned and muttered out, "Just keep that unclean thing away from me."

Steven and Connie glanced over at each other. The both of them sporting uneasy looks. Connie turned her attention back to her mother and nodded. "Sure. Of course."

Her mother took a breath and raised both her hands to her face and used her thumbs as she dragged them down and across her cheeks to wipe the tears from her face. She sniffled lightly. "So," she cleared her throat. "we_ are_ here for a nice dinner with Connie and her" she looked over at Steven and he tried for a nervous smile. _"you."_ he frowned. "Perhaps we should take this time to get a table." she looked at her watch. "We are al_ready_ very late." 

Steven and Connie exchanged uneasy, guilty glances again. 

"Yeah.." Connie pat Lion a few times to keep the dog by her and leaned back up. "We're really sorry about being so late."

He mother kept her stare on her daughter. ".. Yess.." she grumbled. "Perhaps your time management skills have declined over the years."

Connie frowned. 

"It was me!" Steven quickly cut in. 

The three of them, including Lion, looked at him. 

"Um.. it was my stomach. Uh, nothing bad! I'm not sick or anything!" he quickly clarified. "It was just uh.. my indigestion." he touched his stomach. "It kinda started acting up before we had to leave."

"Hmm.." her mother gave him a leveled stare. "I _see.."_

It was Steven's turn to frown. 

"So! Heheh.." Connie interrupted this time. "Let us get someone to seat us." she knew her smile looked forced. "I've been thinking about the fish here and.. I can't wait to order." 

"I _am_ very curious how this place compares to the fish restaurants in Atlantic City." said Dr. Maheswaren.

"Then" Connie shrugged. "how about we try some out? Heh.. we can get seated immediately and order." she, with Lion beside her as she now held on to the middle part of the leash, started to walk towards the dining area.

Steven's mind clicked over as the Maheswarens neared him. "Uh!" he cleared his throat. "Oh, please! Um, allow me!" he handed Connie the leash and jogged away from them. 

Connie pressed a button at the top of the handle and shortened the leash as she and her parents followed after him. 

Steven stopped right in front of the desk. "Hello!" his voice cracked as he cheesed nervously. 

_Get yourself together, Universe!_

_Gotta play it coooool like._

He gave his throat two hard grunts as he cleared it and with a twist to the side he placed his arm on the table and lifted his head back, being sure to let his curls shake as he did. 

He stuck his chin out and gave the hostess a half lidded stare as he said in a deep, professional voice. "The finest place in this establishment ma'am."

"Sure, I believe we still have one more spot outside." she started typing on a small flatscreen computer beside her. "Let me simply double check aaaaaand" she read the screen. "Yes, there's one more spot left." 

He scoffed with another head tilt, again, being sure his curls made their bouncy appearance once more. "We'll take that and" he clicked his teeth. "be on our way." 

_Clicking your teeth?! What the heck was that Universe?! You're trying to act like a sleazeball or a rich guy here?!_

"..at will be six hundred dollars for our two hour special."

He snapped out of his thoughts. "Six hundred dollars?!" he squeaked. _And THAT'S a 'SPECIAL'?!_

He looked at Connie who had a shocked look on her face and her parents.... with those.. judgy.. parent-look expressions on their faces.. 

He turned back to the hostess and cleared his throat again and using his deep, professional voice again he said, "I mean, psssht, what? Six hundred dollars? That's it? HA!" he glanced over at her parents then at Connie's even _more_ shocked expression on her face before bringing his attention back to the hostess. "I. will take. that beautiful spot. outside." he took his envelope out. "And yes. I'll be paying. in _cash."_ he said smugly. 

Both her parents and Connie's eyes went wide in both shock and disbelief. The later feeling guilty that he's paying so much already and fearing if he would have any money left over _or_ if he would even _have_ enough for the rest of the night.. 

Steven was opening the envelope. He looked inside and started peeling the bills from each other.

.. and he realized that he only had slightly under a thousand bucks to his name..

_Oh no.._

He looked back at the family.

The parents looked at him and his mom raised and eyebrow at him. 

Connie looked uneasy. "Steven?" 

He looked at the parents who were looking at him skeptically. 

"Heh, just kiddiiing." he pulled the money out and tried for another mocked smug look as he wiggled his eyebrows. He gave the money to the hostess and took a quick glance back into his envelope and only seeing a one hundred dollar bill, a fifty and a few twenties, tens, fives and ones.. 

How was he going to pay for the rest of the dinner he did _not_ know.. but right now-

He closed the envelope up and put it back in his pocket and placed his arm back on the table as he kept the smug look on his face. 

The hostess closed the register back up and began typing on the keyboard. "Thank you, Sir. And now if you can give me a second, I'll just put in your reservation." she typed in the necessary information before asking, "And your name for this reservation?" 

"Steven Universe." 

The young lady typed on the keyboard and he quickly clarified. "And that's Steven with a v, by the way. Not a ph." 

He saw her hit the backspace button before correcting the mistake. 

_That was close.._

"Aaaand party oooof" she looked at the parents and Connie, then at the dog. "I'll go ahead and put five." she typed away then looked at the sleek, expensive looking analog clock on the desk. _7:39p.m_. She turned back to the computer. "And the two hours will start at 7:45p.m, leaving you guys until 9:45p.m to vacate the spot, unless you decide to stay longer, then that would be an upcharge of seven hundred dollars."

Steven nodded his head despite of practically screaming on the inside. "Sure, we can definitely talk about that." he tried going for a casual voice. "But right now we'll like to wet our feet a bit. See if we like the area enough to stay longer." 

And now on top of being a sleazeball, he felt like a snobbish rich douchebag..

Her content expression didn't leave or even falter in the slightest. 

Perhaps she's heard these snide comments before? 

"Of course. I completely understand." she typed the last bit of information into the computer before stepping away. "Alright, Mr. Universe, party of five. You are officially in the system." she stepped around and out from her desk. "If you four" she looked at the dog. _"five,_please. Come follow me." 

Steven waited for Connie to walk over to him and he held out a hand for her parents, letting them go in front of them first. The two of them glared at him and he slowly, put his hand down as they made their way pass him..

He and Connie exchanged uneasy glances to one another. 

This could go either really well..

Or really bad..

And again.. something told them it would be the latter..


	200. THE family dinner!!

The five of them followed her down into the dining area where everything was even more dazzling and expensive looking in its bright red, gold and white. 

They were passing tables of rich looking people. Some of them with disgusted or odd looks on their faces as they saw the dog walking alongside the group. 

Moments later they were nearing two clear doors with large see through windows to the outside area on either side of them. "Right this way." she held the door open for them. 

Her parents walked through and Steven let Connie and Lion walked through before him. Then he grabbed the door. "You can go through. I have the door." 

"Oh. Thank you." she seemed genuinely shocked at that and walked around him and out the door. 

Steven stopped onto the back lawn of the restaurant and closed the door behind him. 

Well trimmed grass and bushes like they had for the front of the building, though the greenery was along the edges of the fence. Within the greenery was a large marbled patio with no more than four tables scattered far away from each other. In the middle of them was a marbled water fountain. 

"And this is your table." she guided them over to the one out of two particular tables that were still vacant. The other two filled up with one yet to be filled up by the party who reserved it. 

"Why thank you." Steven continued with the act. 

"You're very welcome Sir. And your waitress will be with you shortly." 

"I can't wait." he said smugly. 

The hostess gave him a slight head nod and began to walk away. 

"Ah, excuse me. Ma'am." she turned around. "Just wait right there." he told her then jogged over towards Connie. "Allow me." he pulled out her chair with a charming smile that made her smile and right as she turned to sit down he grabbed one of her hands like a gentleman as she sat down in the chair. Then he pushed the chair in before jogging back over to the hostess. 

He took out the envelope out of his pocket. "I have a little something for you." he looked at the family out the corner of his eye as he grabbed a ten dollar bill but kept it inside his hand for them to not see the number on the bill. He walked over to the young girl. "Thanks. For hosting us." he gave her the tip.

She placed the money in her pocket without looking at it. "Thank you." and there was her professional smile.

"Heyy, it's no problem at all. AT. all."

Okay maybe he needs to stop acting like this..

The hostess was back on her way and Steven was turning around to go back. 

_Great.. JUST great, Universe!! You spend SIX hundred dollars just to sit outside AND you give a tip!!_

_NOW you literally only have about two or three hundred and something dollars to your name! TWO Crystal Gem paychecks already gone!_

Then he wondered.. _When will I get paid again?_

He came over to the table when Lion hopped into the seat.

"Heyyy. Are you trying to take my seat?" Steven joked to the dog. 

Lion sat down and his wagging tail thumped across the back of the chair.

He laughed and Connie put her hand over her mouth as she chuckled quietly to herself.

Steven pat him on the head and turned around, already in mind to simply ask for another chair from the hostess. 

"I know you're not letting that mutt sit there." he heard her mother say. 

He turned around and his eyes quickly glanced over to Connie who looked a bit uneasy. "Uh.." he looked back at the mother. "Eheh.. I was uh.. just.. kidding.. eheh." she wasn't smiling and he cleared his throat. He looked at the canine. "Um.. sorry Lion. But you have to get off the chair now. I have to sit there." he gently gave Lion's side a little push and the dog rocked, but didn't move. "Come on, Lion." he scratched at the dog's shoulder. "I have to sit there." he stopped his scratches and gently pushed his side again. Lion got up on all fours and looked at him. 

Steven pointed at the ground. "On the ground." Lion was about to sit back down, "Heey, hey, hey, hey, nooo." he pushed at his flank and stopped the dog. He gave his side a slightly more stern push and Lion turned around, looked at him- Steven nodded "Down." he pointed- and jumped off the chair. 

"Theeere we go." Steven sat down. "That wasn't so b-" Lion jumped up on his lap, the dog's head hitting his chin in the process. "Ow. Lion-" he looked down at the dog and the dog began licking his face. He couldn't help but laugh at the canine's antics and he scratched at his ears as Lion continued to give him "kisses". 

Connie chuckled and they heard the sound of someone's throat being cleared across the table from them. 

The two turned to see her parents with their disgusted expressions. 

"You have the dog lick you in the face.. Are you not aware of how filthy a dog's saliva is?" 

"Uh.." he looked at Connie before looking back at her mother. He gently moved Lion's face away from his cheek. "I.. mean.." he started scratching the dog's ears with both hands, keeping the canine's head just a few inches from his face. "I've heard that a dog's mouth is actually cleaner than a humans.." 

There was an annoyed growl from the mother as she shook her head, pinching the bridge of her nose. "One of the biggest lies told to man." she snarled. "A dog's mouth is one of the filthiest." 

"O..oh.." he kept scratching his buddy's ears. 

_Maybe I should just put Lion on the floor to make her happy.._

He looked down at the dog and the canine lifted his head up and licked his chin. "Eheh." he quickly cut his laugh short as he looked at her mother's face. "Uh, sorry, buddy. You have to get off my lap." he gently pushed the dog and he reluctantly jumped off his lap.

He turned around and placed his paw on his lap, whining.

That broke his heart..

He frowned and pat his head. "Sorry, boy." 

They heard the door open behind them.

The hostess was coming up towards them with one basket in each hand. "It's me again, guys. Just here to give you our 'Ail au fromage sur pain' ." she raised the baskets of bread in her hand. Each basket contained at least six to seven evenly sliced oval shaped breadsticks that were sprinkled with garlic seasoning and glazed over with butter.

Lion stood up and licked his lips, his nose twitching in the air as he watched the young girl lean over and place the first basket on the table. "Usually it's the waitress' job to do this." she nearly rolled her eyes. "But, she's too busy flapping her gums again at the other table she's servicing." she went to place the second basket on the table. "Since I wasn't busy I figured I could at least get the bread sticks out for you." 

"And we appreciate you taking that upon yourself to do so." said Dr. Maheswaren. 

"Thank you." she replied then gave them each a professional smile and a head nod. "I hope everyone enjoys their dinner."

All four of them hoped the same thing..

They still had a little under an hour and fifty minutes left after all..

And anything could happen..

The waitress walked away and they were back to focusing on the dinner once again.

Steven looked at the delicious looking bread sticks in the basket. _Must be the garlic and cheese bread sticks the Vecinos were talking about._

_Don't mind if I do~_

He got up from his seat and reached over to grab a couple when he realized what he was doing. He looked at the Maheswaren family. The parents with their judging eyes and Connie with her mouth clenched tightly. He could only imagine the look of her eyes behind the shades.

He brought his hand back. "Um.." then an idea quickly struck him and he picked up the basket. "Mrs.-Dr." he quickly corrected himself. "Maheswaren and Mr. Maheswaren, would you two care for some.." he couldn't remember the official name.. "cheesy garlic bread sticks?" he gave her parents an apologetic smile. 

Dr. Maheswaren frowned, almost to a grimace. "I rather not." 

Steven looked over nervously from her to Mr. Maheswaren. "And cheese upsets my stomach." he said bluntly. Coldly..

He slowly looked away from the two and turn his body slowly towards their daughter. "Uh.. um.. Connie?"

She glanced over at her parents before looking back at him. "Umm.. sure.." then she raised an index finger up. "Just one." 

Instead of reaching farther over across the table, he pushed the chair back with the back of his legs and took a few steps towards her and he saw a small smile on her face. 

He lowered the basket down for her and she reached in and picked up just one. "Thanks." 

He loved looking at that smile..

"No problem Connie." and he leaned down and placed his lips on her forehead, giving her a gentle kiss on the head and she giggled- 

As if at the same time, they remembered where they were and who was with them. 

Steven quickly leaned up from her head and she stopped her laugh. The two looking right at her parents' glare. 

They could feel the heat rushing up to their faces as the slight embarrassment clung to them. 

Silently, Connie started to nibble at her bread stick and Steven walked over to his spot and sat back down. He took two out and threw one out on the ground for Lion, then immediately wondered if garlic and cheese were okay for dogs to eat.. 

But Lion was already snacking on the piece of bread..

Steven took a bite-

His taste buds were singing~

_WOW it really is delicious like they said!!!_

Lion was looking up at him, licking his lips and wanting another bread stick. He huffed as he wagged his tail, trying to get Steven's attention. 

"Hm? You want another one?" he picked up another bread stick and threw it on the ground and Lion quickly bit into it. 

Steven picked up another one for himself and took a bite. 

Lion chomped on the last bit of the bread and looked up at him. He huffed again, wanting another bread stick. 

"Um.." he took a quick glance over at her parents. "Just _one_ more." he picked up another piece of bread from the basket and threw it on the ground.

_.. I really hope I didn't start anything.._

Lion went for it and he finished his own breadstick. 

He definitely could've went for more.. but he didn't want to spoil his appetite. 

Also, because her parents were there and staring at him.. most likely watching to see if he would practically fill up on bread sticks..

Which he would've due to how delicious the bread sticks were. 

He cleared his throat and picked up a napkin from underneath his plate. He dabbed at his mouth. 

Dr. Maheswaren turned her glare from him and her expression softened only slightly as she looked at her daughter. "So, Connie-" they heard Lion huffing louder up at Steven. 

The boy looked at them before glancing down at the dog. "Lion.. I can't keep given you these bread sticks. I'm not even sure if I was okay to give you the first three." 

"Talking to the dog like it's some human." Dr. Maheswaren grumbled towards her husband. 

"That's the matter with most people today. Treating their pets better than they would treat people." he said back to her. 

Connie looked over from them to Steven. 

"Lion-"

_Oh boy.. I think I _did_ just start something.._

Lion let out a couple barks that echoed throughout the yard. 

Connie and her parents looked over at him and the bystanders at their own tables started looking around for the dog they just heard. 

"Lion, shhhh." he put his finger in front of his lips. 

The canine barked louder. 

Everyone was staring at him. 

"You need to do something with that thing." Dr. Maheswaren growled. 

"S, sorry everyone!" he announced. 

Only a few bystanders went back to their food while some glared at him. 

The dog barked at him. 

He glanced over at Connie's uneasy face.

He looked back at the dog. "Come on buddy.. _please._ You have to keep quiet." he pat the dog on his head, hoping it would calm him down. He looked at the door, hoping that the hostess or the manager or both wouldn't come out. 

Lion stepped towards him, growling for another bread stick. 

"Sorry, Lion. No more bread sticks."

The dog growled more, though much lighter.

Steven continued to pat at his head.

Just moments later Lion calmed down and sat back down. 

Steven continued to pet him.

Now quiet, say for the distant chatter in the area, Dr. Maheswaren looked away from Steven and his "mutt"..

"So, Connie" she started again and her daughter looked at her. "Apart from you two.." she glared back at Steven and the dog before looking back at her "letting a stray into your.. _home,_ what else is new? I see you got your eyes done. You didn't tell me _that_ over our few phone calls." 

"Yeah, um.." she touched the side of her glasses before bringing her hand back down. "I got it done nearly a week ago. I have my post eye checkup tomorrow morning." 

"That's good." her mother smiled. "All the best." 

"Thanks.." Connie said softly. Then she looked over at Steven who was still patting Lion.

A thought came to her mind. "Yeah, thanks to Steven and his job" the boy stopped and looked up at her, then at her parents. "I was able to get the cataracts surgery." she went for a compliment to give him a few brownie points. _Hopefully._

"Mm.." her mother gave him a leveled stare that made him swallow. "You don't say?" 

He leaned up from the dog. "Um.." he looked to Connie then back to her mother. "Yeah. We uh, went to that eye.. place.." _ 'Eye place' really?!_ "and she got her eyes done."

"Interesting.." her eyes narrowed at him, skeptic. "That must've cost a lot." she told him. "Some insurance companies don't cover eye surgeries at full cost." then she asked him. "What kind of job do you have? It must be quite a position to have been able to afford it as well as an apartment and bills and.." her eyes narrowed on him more. "be able to afford to treat us all to this restaurant." 

Connie looked at him, thinking about him still being a drug dealer on top of his stocker job.. 

How else was he able to afford all of this?

Steven was thinking about his time as a Crystal Gem and his terrifying, inhumane missions with them to get his two paychecks..

"Oh I uh..umm.. I.. work at a.. distribution retailer.. where I.. deposit goods and commodities on brackets to.. uh.. aide in acquiring clientele." 

Connie raised her eyebrow at him.

Dr. Maheswaren kept her leveled stare at the boy. "So basically you're either a Warehouse Associate or a stocker at a grocery store." 

She saw right through him..

He hung his head low in defeat. "Um.. a stocker.."

She didn't look too happy. "Oh.. then the money has surely came from a lot of overtime since jobs such as those in particular doesn't pay much." then she asked. "Do you think that could sustain you two both if you were to _not_ rely on overtime? Connie has started her job at a.. _clothing store_" she didn't sound too happy with that either and her daughter looked abashed. "But, as a man of the house.. do _you_ think you would be able to keep up with your finances? Bills? The upkeep of your apartment as well as yourselves? If any emergencies were to spring up where you would need a decent amount of money? And the like?" 

He looked at Connie then back at her mother. "Um" _stop saying 'um' or 'uh'!_ "Yeah. Y, yes ma'am." 

She nodded slowly and her eyes never moved away from him. "What about if you two were to start a family?" 

Good thing he wasn't eating or drinking anything. Otherwise, he would've definitely choked at the question. 

He and Connie looked at each other, the both of them exchanging uneasy, guilty glances before Steven looked back at her mother, then at her father who was still completely quiet as he glared at him. 

Hopefully they didn't catch them glancing at each other like that and expect anything..

"Y, yeah.. I.." he swallowed and nodded numbly. "Uh huh..I.. I believe I can, yes ma'am."

"Mm.. yes." her eyes never wavered and now that Steven thought about it, he wasn't sure if he'd ever seen her blink even once. 

She leaned up in her chair. "Though I know I shouldn't be thinking about something as preposterous and illogical as _that_ just yet."

Steven took a quick glance at Connie's uneasy expression. 

She turned away from him. "So! Uh.. the menu." Connie picked up the folded, laminated book "I.. wonder what we have here?"

Her parents exchanged stern glances before her mother picked up her menu. Then Mr. Maheswaren did the same. 

Steven followed along with the three and picked up his own. 

The first thing he looked at were the prices. 

_Wow.._

_Everything is one hundred bucks or more._

_Okay.. seriously.. how am I going to pay for all of this? _

He looked up from his menu and surveyed the area, looking at her parents, then at her, then her parents again. 

Her parents just _looking_ like they're going to get something extremely expensive just for the heck of it..

He looked back down at his menu to find the cheapest meal on there. 

"This looks promising.." he heard her mother mumble. 

"Yes." Steven tried for a smile. "very." 

She snapped a glare at him and he shut his mouth. 

"So.." Connie cut in. "Does anyone know what they're going to get?" 

There was a few seconds of no one talking before her mother spoke up. "I'll be getting the Grilled tuna steak with roasted Brussels Sprouts and a side order of tomato and cucumber salad." 

Steven quickly looked at the two separate prices. The tuna steak with the Brussels Sprouts and the tomato and cucumber salad.

"That sounds delicious." said Connie. 

_The tuna steak with Brussels Sprouts two hundred and fifty dollars..The tomato and cucumber salad one hundred and fifty dollars.._

"Yes." she agreed. "And it's also a much healthier alternative to the garlic fries or the mildly salted chips." she turned to her husband. "What are you getting, honey?" 

He hummed as he went over what he'd decided to get before slowly putting the menu down on the table. "I've decided on the Takai Sushi platter with a side order of grilled eggplant and another side order of Edamame."

Steven looked at the three separate prices. 

"I was also looking at the Takai Sushi platter." said Dr. Maheswaren. "But I was leaning more to something grilled." 

_The Takai Sushi platter.. SIX HUNDRED AND SIXTY DOLLARS?!?!-_

Steven looked up, narrowing his eyes at Mr. Maheswaren as he talked to his wife. 

_I know he did that on purpose.._

He looked back down at the menu. 

_Grilled eggplant.. three hundred and fifty dollars. Edamame.. three hundred and twenty dollars.._

He glared back up at the man..

".. nd what are you getting, Connie?" her mother asked.

She'd decided on a fish platter that wasn't raw or had a high mercury count. Now being pregnant, according to experts on the baby website SurpriseSurprise, eating sushi wouldn't be best since uncooked fish could contain parasites or bacteria, like the Listeria monocytogenes bacteria that could lead to foodborne illnesses that could be harmful for both the mother and the growing baby. Then there was mercury in fish that could also be harmful to the fetus..

"I'll get the grilled salmon dish that comes with grilled asparagus and" she tilted her head towards her mother as she said, "honey roasted Brussels Sprouts." 

"They're delicious." she smiled. "And that's an excellent choice. You're such a bright, young lady." 

She didn't know one hundred percent on how to feel about her saying that.. but she did feel guilt creeping in- 

She cleared her throat lightly. "Thanks.." she looked from her mom to her boyfriend. "We.. didn't hear what you're getting.." 

_..lmon dish is four hundred and ninety dollars.._

_Ouch, Connie.._

"Steven?"

"Huh?" he looked up from the prices.

"See anything good?" 

He looked at her, so beautiful at the dinner table. A sly smile came to his face as a quick, witty thought came to mind. "Yeah." he said. "Y-" then he immediately realized what he was about to say and went in for a cough. 

_Did they catch that?!_

He looked from Connie's uneasy and slight blushed face and over to her parents who were glaring angrily at him. The father leaned in, most likely about to say something-

"Uh, yeah! This um.." he looked back at the menu and read aloud, "The Fusion Cuisine." 

Sure it was the cheapest thing on the menu..

How_ever_..

"It's pretty healthy." he quickly said, keeping the conversation going. "It's an Asian salmon burger with stir fried asparagus and yellow rice." 

"Not the healthiest." her mother said. 

"But I guess what do expect, honey?" Mr. Maheswaren cut in with a judging sigh. "It _is_ the cheapest dish on the menu." 

"Um.." he took a very quick glance at Connie before looking back at them. "Asian salmon burgers is the next big thing." he tried to explain. "It's uh.. it has a good amount of omega 3's and.. zinc and.. iron with protein." he was just spitting out anything. "And asparagus and rice , especially yellow rice is known to be a very good food combination to combat.. uh.. blood pressure and.. it helps with.. skin." 

Connie resisted a sigh. 

"I've been in the medical practice for decades and I haven't heard about his." 

"Oh it's.. yeah it's reaaally really new." 

"Oh yes?" 

"Yeah it.. it probably came out just weeks ago." 

Why was he digging himself into a deeper hole with her parents..

"Hm. Then perhaps I should go give this a read since I'll surely be able to find something about this." she looked right in his eyes. 

He nodded stiffly. "Y.. yeah.." he knew his smiled didn't look genuine.

"Steven" Connie cut in. "Uh.. does like.." she looked at her parents "eating healthy." 

"Um.. yeah.. Yeah, I do." 

Dr. Maheswaren raised up an eyebrow. "Really?" she didn't sound convinced. 

"Yeah. I sure do." which.. wasn't an entire lie. He does partake in eating healthy foods that Connie makes for dinner and he's eaten healthy food with Garnet before. 

"You're quite on the big side to be 'eating healthy'." his father said. 

"I.. eat a lot of healthy fruits and vegetables that are higher in calories..?" he shrugged. "I eat a lot of them.. that's.. probably where the pounds come from?" 

_Wait a minute.. does that even make any sense?_

They glared at him. 

_Come on, just what do they want to hear?!? _

"Perhaps it's his metabolism." D.r Maheswaren said to her husband.

"Or he doesn't eat healthy." 

"I do! I do eat healthy. And uh, I play sports too. Um.. I like staying active." 

Mr. Maheswaren leaned back in his seat. "Heh. Sports?" he mocked. 

"Yeah." Steven nodded. "I uh.." he saw Connie out the corner of his eye. "I like tennis." 

"Hm." Mr. Maheswaren scoffed. 

"Oh you do?" she still didn't sound convinced. Though there was something else to her voice. Almost as if she was considering believing him. 

"Y, yeah.. Connie and I play it a lot." then he added, "She taught me." which wasn't a lie. She really did.

He was just okay at it..

"It really gets the heart rate going." he said. 

"It does." she agreed. And he was so happy she did. 

"Just like aerobic exercises." she added. 

A door opened behind them.

"Right." he nodded again. "And speaking of that, I like exercising too."

The parents looked at him unconvinced.

"Um, I just started." he let out a nervous chuckle as he looked down at his slowly trimming down torso. "I started not too long ago. And what I just started doing, it's this exercise called-" 

"Hello everyone." the waitress was coming up to them. 

They looked back and both Connie and Steven's heart jumped in their chests. 

And _not_ in a good way..

"I'll be your waittr-" she gasped. "Connie! Steven! I didn't think I would see you two here!" 

Steven resisted both a grimace and a groan. _How the HECK did she get into fine dining?!?_

They both resisted another groan.

"Hey Opal.." Connie mumbled. 

"That is so cool!" she cheesed. "I always wondered if I would bump into any school friends and here I am! Well, school _friend_" she clarified as she pointed a slender hand at Connie. Then she glanced over at Steven. "Since _we_ never went to school together." then she clapped her hands together. Her waitress booklet sandwiched in between. "Oh it's JUST like that time I bumped into Mr. Reys!" she bounced on her toes. 

_Oh boy.. she's starting already.. _

_She needs to be stopped before she _really_ starts going.._

"Don't you remember Mr. Reys, Connie? I mean, I know _you_ don't Steven because you didn't go to our school." then she thought and added. "You're like, three, four years older than us." a beat. "Also, you went to a High School in another state." she turned her attention back to Connie. "But _you_ should remember, Connie! He's STILL teaching calculous!! Can you believe that?!" 

"Opal.. it's only been a couple years since we've graduated." 

"Wow, really?"

Connie nodded with a plain expression on her face. 

"Whaaat? It seems soOoOoOooo much longer than that." 

Connie looked at Steven with an agitated face then over at her parents with an expression similar to his with a mix of boredom to their features. "Uh.. Opal.. Maybe you would like to take our order now? We all know what we want." 

"Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah! Of course!" she cheesed. She opened her booklet. "But how have you been Connie?! Steven?!" then she chuckled as she thought. "Conven! No wait, wait, wait.... Stevonnie!" she laughed. "That should be your couples name. It has a ring to it. So instead of just singling you two out, we can just mash it up together." she looked down at Lion laying beside the table in between the two. "And I see you have a new addition to the family!" she cooed. 

Connie and Steven exchanged glances. One uneasy, one still aggravated and annoyed. 

"Excuse me, Miss Opal." Dr. Maheswaren interrupted. "While I could understand your excitement over meeting the two that you haven't seen in awhile-"

"Oh I've seen Connie just a couple months ago at rite aid-" 

"Opal!"

He parents and Steven looked at her.

Connie quickly went for leveled voice. "Uh.. like my mom was saying before you cut her off.. It's kind of you to want to talk to Steven and I.. but we're kinda busy with dinner." then she emphasized. "with my family." 

The young girl looked at her parents' annoyed expressions. "Oh yes! The Maheswarens! How are you two!" she giggled. "Here we have an amazing, super intelligent, one of a kind doctor and an amazing cop, detective, over powered security guard!"

Mr. Maheswaren nodded with a pleased look to his face. 

"That's SO cool."

"Opal." Dr. Maheswaren interrupted again. "Thank you for the compliments, but if we may, we would like to order." 

"Oh sure! Sure! I-" 

_"Now."_ she said with a mixture of both gentleness and sternness to her voice. 

"Oh! Of course! So-" 

"I'll have the grilled tuna steak with roasted Brussels Sprouts and a side order of tomato and cucumber salad. And a cup of filtered water no ice please."

Opal nodded with a friendly smile and began writing in her little book. 

Right as she looked up, Dr. Maheswaren cut in before she could speak again. "And my husband will have the Takai Sushi platter with a side order of grilled eggplant and a side order of Edamame. I'll also have a cup of water without ice."

She nodded and looked back down at her book as she scribbled the information down. 

She mouthed out the words with the last bit saying to herself ".. side order.. edemame.." she looked up and looked to Steven then Connie.

Steven spoke up first, gesturing an opened hand towards Connie. "The lovely Connie." she smiled. "will have the grilled salmon dish. The one that comes with grilled asparagus and honey roasted Brussels Sprouts." he waited for Opal to finish before saying, "And I'll get the Fusion Cuisine."

"Oooo," she pointed a pen at him. "I like that one myself." she put the pen back on the pad and finished writing out his order. "And your drinks?" 

Steven looked at Connie. 

She turned to Opal. "I'll also get a cup of water without ice." 

Steven _was_ going to get iced tea.. but he didn't want to seem like the odd one out..

"And I'll do the same." 

"Without ice." 

"Yes." he smiled. 

Though he wasn't sure _why_ they didn't want ice in their water.. 

Do they _not_ want cold water?

Why?

"Okay." she grinned. "I'll put this order in and get the food to you four, er, _five."_ then she asked. "Is the dog getting anything?" 

"I fed him before we got here." said Steven. "But I was still planning on sharing my food with him. That was all apart of the plan." he smiled at the dog and the canine wagged his tail, now being the center of attention. "But I did want a small bowl and another cup of water" should he give the dog ice or keep the trend going? "without ice." he said. 

"Okay." she wrote the information down in her book. "Great!" she cheered. "So I'll take the order to the back and then you all can enjoy the delicious food and have a relaxing time out here on the patio and talk amongst yourselves and laugh and have an amazing time and-" 

"Yes, Opal. That's what we intend to do once you have placed our order in." Dr. Maheswaren said. "You may want to do that first and perhaps see how your other tables are doing IF you are also servicing other people." 

"Right, right, right! And I am! And I agree! Like one time, I didn't put an order in a timely matter and-" 

"Opal," Connie cut in. "Uh.. I think I hear someone calling you." 

"Really?" she looked around. "I didn't. And I have good ears." a beat. "And good eyesight." then she thought and nodded to herself. "And a good sense of smell.." she looked down at Connie. "But I should check it out. I don't want to end up like last time when-" 

"Opal." Connie pointed towards the door. "I think you should go check it out." 

"Right! Of course!" she smiled. "Well, see you guys later." she began walking away from them and towards the door. 

"Finally got rid of her.." Connie whispered. 

"Through _lying."_ said her mother. "You should've been straightforward."

"Right.." said Connie and Steven looked at Connie's frowning face.

_Yeesh.. that's uncalled for.. Especially since she was being pretty indirect to Opal herself.._

_And it wasn't like she spoke up and corrected her when Connie had said it..-_

"Anyway.. let's continue." Steven snapped out if his thoughts and looked to her mother. "You were just telling us the kind of exercises you do."

"Huh? Oh, yeah. It's uh" he looked to make sure Connie was doing okay. The girl's expression was unreadable, especially with her black shades. "I do this vigorous workout called 'Circuit Training'. It's pretty intense." then he asked, half wondering but at the same time half challenging her, "Have you ever heard of that?" 

"Actually I have. I have a few apprentices who do that."

Steven nodded with a small, plain smile. 

_Of course she's heard of that.._

_What HASN'T she heard?!_

"So they've told you how intense it can be." 

She gave him a small nod. "It's quite the exercise." 

"Yeah." 

There was silence after that as her parents stared at him. The father, still glaring at him. Steven tried to quickly pick the conversation back up. "Yeah so.. that's.. what I do." he smoothed out the table cloth with his finger. "I.. play tennis with Connie and.. I'm exercising now and trying to get fit. And I'm watching the food that I eat." 

There was a hum from her mother. More soothing and content than the others and he thought he could see a tiny curve of her lips in a content smile.

_Maybe she likes what she hears?_

_Maybe she's finally warming up to me?_

The dad, on the other hand, still had his scary, conservative, nobody is good for my daughter type of stare.. _glare_..

"So, what else? Tell us more about yourself." said Dr. Maheswaren.

A simple question for most people, but in his mind now, he felt like he was at a job interview or getting interrogated.. or a mixture of both. 

He scratched at his hair, feeling how harder his curls were from that hold on, sheen spray that Connie used. He put his arm back down and to his lap. "I.. like to watch movies." 

"Oh?" she sounded unamused.

"Um.. yeah? Like Dogco-.. uh.. um.. nature stuff and.. history and.. other.. stuff that's important." 

"Mhmm.." 

_No! You're losing her! Quick Universe! Think! What could she like?! ..Home improvement stuff?!.. Maybe? ..Cooking?! ..Maybe?_

Then he remembered she was a doctor.

A smile came to his face. 

_That's PERFECT!!_

"And I really like to watch 'Under the knife'."

Connie's eyes grew wide.. and worried. 

" 'Under.. the knife' ?" 

She looked at her mom. 

"Yeah! It's a reeally great show!" 

She looked back at Steven.

"You're talking about that fake medical drama.." 

"Yeah, that's the one!!" 

"The one where they completely make medical practices as a laughing stock just to bring in impressionable viewers to get money out of the network.." 

"Yeahhh!! That one! It's SUCH an amazing show!! I love it!!" 

Connie placed her elbows on the table as she rested her face in her hands. 

Her mother looked at her. "What did we at about placing elbows on the table?" her daughter lifted her elbows off the table and placed her hands in her lap. "As _well_ as burying your face in your hands." she reminded her, despite of Connie _not_ having her face in her hands anymore.

Her mother turned back to Steven's smiling face. "That show is vile." she grimaced. "Can't believe you would watch that kind of show." she turned to Connie. "Do you watch that kind of show with him?" 

"Uh.. hmph." she shrugged meekly. 

Uh, Connie and I .. we uh.. we don't watch the show for fun." Dr. Maheswaren had a skeptic look on her face. "See, what we like to do is nitpick it. You know, like write what's wrong about the show and post it to certain.. medical and.. learning forums so people can get a side by side view of it." 

Her face seemed to relax at that. "I know of some people" _of course you do_ "who also do that. Some of them even go out and actively hunt for these incorrect shows just to point out all of the mistakes." 

_So.. I take it that was a nice save?_

He resisted a sigh of relief. 

He nodded instead. "And we like to do that. Or, sometimes we relax and sit down -uh, on the couch. Or uh,.. two chairs.." he glanced at Connie's tensed face before looking back at her mother. "and watch Bollywood movies together." 

"Bollywood?"

"Yeah." he cheesed. 

_Come on, she HAS to watch Bollywood! She has to unwind SOME times._

"You know, with their bright and upbeat aesthetic and their unique use of song and dance." he kept his huge smile. "I really like it."

"Hmm.. so nothing else interest you like Kollywood perchance?" 

"Huh?"

"You know Steveen." Connie slowly cut in with a nervous chuckle. "Kollywood. As in the Tamil-language film industry? It's based at Kodambakkam in South India." she pointed with her eyes and a little head nod towards her parents. "Where my _parents_ are from and what we _speak."_

Then he realized what she meant. 

_That's a thing?!?! But.. but I though EVERY Indian movie was called Bollywood!!! Ahhh!! How can you be such an ignoramus, Universe!!_

_And darn it, Connie!! You're my girlfriend! Why haven't you taught me more about your culture?!_

The three looked at the boy looking ashamed as he foight inside his mind. 

Connie was getting nervous for him. "Steven-"

He snapped out of his hurricane thoughts of trying to find something to say that would please her parents. "Huh?" he looked at them. "Uh.. eheh.. well of course. We watch them as well." he tried.. _tried_ going for a casual voice. "I'm actually more for Kollywood than Bollywood." then he started saying anything that came to mind. "They have a unique narrative plot that I like. And the South of India have better traditional dances." maybe he was imagining a smile coming to her mother's face. "The Tamil movie industry really knows how to tell a story through their use of lyrics, dance sequences and uh.. their.. clothing styles."

"Of course." and there was a sly smile. And it was better than nothing that he got a smile in general and that made him feel slightly better. "Kollywood has so much more to offer than overrated _Bollywood."_

He nodded. "Right. Definitely. I agree." 

"So since you watch a lot of Kollywood movies, who's your favorite actors or actresses?" 

_Uh oh.._

_But I don't know any!!_

He looked at Connie. Her teeth were bared as her lips pulled back tensely in a grimace. 

He looked back at her mother. 

_Come on Universe! Just.. just think of ANYTHING! What EVER Indian-esque sounding name you can think of!_

_... ueehg.. that that doesn't sound a bit racist.._

"Hmmmm~" he rubbed at his chin feigning mocked thought. "Iiii.. would have to saaay.." he lowered his hand and smiled. "Madhav Patel." 

Connie looked at him. Her mouth now slightly ajar in shock. She looked at her mother. 

Her mother's eyebrows went up. "Really? That old director?" 

Steven nearly gasped. _I actually managed to get a name that was in the Kollywood industry?!_

"Yeah! Him!" 

"Mm.. I have to say, I'm shocked. I would figure that most people your age or younger wouldn't know him. He was incredibly popular in the seventies and eighties." 

"I.. like watching the older Kollywood movies. They.. have more depths and his movies really shows the uniqueness of Southern India as well as the importance of family and.. oneness with the world and.. being true to yourself." he hoped he was right because right now, he was just taking whatever he could from his mind.. "And he shows that through a bit of everything. Action, drama, comedy.. and all in one melodrama that sometimes have a bit of realness to it. It's really nice." 

Connie was completely shocked. She stared at him wide eyed and mouth still agape.

"You're absolutely right. It seems like you really know what he's going for with his directing and what his movies are truly about." and this time, he was actually seeing a smile! Which was great!

But at the same time, he felt bad.. _real_ bad..

.. he was lying to her.. 

He was lying to _both_ of her parents..

They need to know the _real_ him..

He looked over at Connie. Her expression was back to being unreadable. 

"So, sports, exercise, and knowing your Kollywood movies. As well as putting in overtime at your grocery stocker job."_ she had to say the last part like that.. _ "You have a lot of work on your hands." 

"Uh yeah.." then he added. "but I get enough rest." he lied.

"Yes.." she nodded. "That's always good." she leaned forward. "Perhaps you would be good for a better job. You're active, you seem to be quite a liable worker and since you nitpick errors and inaccuracies in that horrid medical drama, then you must know a good bit about the medical field as well." 

He glanced over at Connie's tensed face before looking back at her mom. He shrugged. "Heh.."

She nodded slowly. "Yeah.. you could definitely benefit of having a much better job in the medical field. You could even start out as a doctor's assistant or take an apprenticeship." 

"Uh...y," another glance over at Connie then back to her mother. "Yeah.. uh.. I wouldn't mind that I.. would love it actually." 

_No I wouldn't! I don't even _want anything that has to do with being in a hospital or any kind of medical stuff! 

"That's great." she smiled genuinely. He could hear the proudness in her voice. "Two doctors." she looked at Connie.

Steven turned to her. _Huh?! What does she mean by that?!_

Then again.. he _has_ heard Connie tell him a few times throughout their relationship that she was thinking about taking something up pertaining to the medical field like her mother.

Connie saw Steven's surprised face. "Yeah, I told her that I was thinking about becoming one." 

Her mother was nodding proudly. So content and happy for them. "That's amazing." she said with such awe in her voice. "I'm quite interested in how all of this will pan out." she smiled.

That was it.. he couldn't take it..

He was making them happy (or at least the mother. Mr. Maheswaren on the other hand was still being very quiet with his glares and stares towards Steven).. 

Still.. this was _not_ him. 

And he felt really bad..

He could hear Mr. Vecino's words now..

_"..Meeting the parents is a good way to come together and get closer. You get to know them and they get to know you and a beautiful relationship will blossom out of it, even more so when you sit down and listen to one another and be open minded and just be yourselves."_

And he wanted to believe that. 

To just be his self and have them like him so they could _build_ that "beautiful relationship"."

He could only hope..

He looked up to Connie talking to her mother and father. 

He frowned. 

They _had_ to see him..

For who he _really_ was..

He had to be his self. And if they didn't like it?

Well.. he had to hope they would..

He had to come clean..

A door opened behind them.

"Um.. excuse me.." Steven cut in.

The three stopped their conversation and looked at him, then looked up pass him.

"Um.. sorry. I don't mean to interrupt but-" 

"Fooooood is sweeeeerved." 

Steven turned around. 

Opal was coming in with a rolling cart. On top of it, their delicious looking food. 

"The service here is quick. I can't believe the food has been prepared in such a timely manner." said Dr. Maheswaren. 

"That's why we're the NUMBER one restaurant in Empire!" Opal cheered. She pulled the cart closer. "Excuse me doggy." she went around Lion who was getting up. 

She went for the cups of water first, placing one in front of Dr. Maheswaren first, then her husband, then in front of Connie and then one in front of Steven before going back to her cart. "The grilled tuna steak with roasted Brussels Sprouts" Opal picked up the dish. "and a side order" she picked up a smaller plate. "of tomato and cucumber salad." she leaned over and started setting the first plate down in front of her. "Thank you very much."

"You're very, very welcome." she grinned. 

Lion began sniffing the air. He looked up at the table and Steven was two steps ahead of the canine. He turned around in his seat and held Lion. "Nooo, don't even think about it." he started patting the dog on the head with his other hand. 

"The Takai Sushi platter." Opal picked up a large round dish filled with various types of sushi rolls glazed over with teriyaki flakes and soy sauce with a small serving of seaweed salad on one side and a small serving of pickled Ginger. She sat the plate down with two hands and went back to the cart. "with a side order of grilled eggplant and a side order of Edamame." she picked up one flat plate and a small bowl and set them down on either side of the round dish. "Thank you." 

"You're welcome Mr. Maheswaren." 

She turned back around. "Grilled tuna steak with roasted Brussels Sprouts and a side order of tomato and cucumber salad." she picked up one plate and a slightly smaller one and placed them in front of Connie. "Thank you." 

"You're very welcome." 

She went back to the cart. "Aaaand last but certainly not least, we have your Fusion Cuisine." she cheesed. She picked up one plate and one bowl and sat the big, juicy burger down, then the bowl of stir friend asparagus and yellow rice. She then reached into her apron and pulled out an eight inch, pencil thin paper. "And your chopsticks." she reached over and Mr. Maheswaren grabbed it from her. "Thank you again."

"And your very welcome again." she smiled. She turned to the cart again and picked up the empty bowl and the extra cup of water. "And for the doggy." 

Steven let go of Lion and took them from her. "Thanks." he poured the water into the bowl and set it down and Lion rushed to it, before he noticed it was just water. Lion looked up at him and made what looked to be a doggy face equivalent of a look of betrayal.

Steven placed the quarter filled cup of water on the other side of his plate. 

"Great." said Opal. "So it looks like everyone here has everything." she looked at the group-

"Thank you, Opal." Dr. Maheswaren went to nip any potential conversation from the teen. "Yes, we have everything and now we can eat and enjoy the rest of our dinner." 

"Oh yeah, totes." she giggled. "Yeah, I'm still enjoying my night. These guests have been so nice and-"

"Mhm, yes." she cut her off. "Opal, if you could be so kind, we would like to eat our food."

"Oh yeah, sure." she stood there, smiling at her.

"As in, for you to be on your lovely way and to focus on other things that you need to do."

She gasped and snapped her fingers. "You're SO right! I have to clean those tables off in the West wing!" she grabbed her cart. "I definitely have to do this quickly, because let me tell you, if I don't, my manager is going to be soooooooooo mad at me and-" 

"Then it would behoove you to go to those tables and do it now before your manager comes to check up on you." 

"Right, right, right! I totally agree!" she started pushing the cart away as she jogged away from them. She opened the door. "Oh! And enjoy the food!" she waved. 

"We will." 

"And if you need anything, aaaanything at all. Straws, napkins, refills, more napkins, more straws, another order, mooore straws-" 

"Opal!" they heard the manager yell from the inside and she turned to the door, looking inside of the building. "Yes ma'am!"

"Did you clean off those tables in the West wing like I told you?" 

"OOP! Uh.." she turned to the group. "Gotta go! Sorry guys!" she ran inside with the cart.. only to open the door again. "And again, enjoy the meal and if you need aaaanything-"

"Opal!"

"Uh, coming!" she gave them a wave and they waved back to her and she closed the door.

Steven resisted shaking his head.

Seriously.. how _was_ this girl a Crystal Gem too?

"Now that our lovely waitress has left." said Dr. Maheswaren a bit sarcastically. "Now we can pray over our food and eat." 

Steven scooted up to his seat.

Okay..

Pray over the food.

And as they start eating, _then_ come clean.


	201. Fusion Cuisine

The family had just started eating. 

Her dad going for another one of his sushi rolls, her mother cutting her tuna steak elegantly and taking another bit off her fork as she left the knife pressed onto the fish and Connie eating her honey roasted Brussels Sprouts and Steven eating his Asian salmon burger (after giving some to Lion of course). 

His burger, though extremely tasty, was beginning to be _less_ tasteful with each bite as guilt tainted more of his taste buds. 

He would have to come clean very soon..

He lowered his burger down slowly and swallowed what he had left in his mouth. He resisted a sigh as he looked up at the family eating in silence as they enjoyed their delicious and expensive food. 

"Um.." all three turned their heads to them and his heart jumped in his chest. "what I was saying earlier.." he started. "About being in a medical.. _setting."_ he saw the mother's eyebrows start to knit together. "M, maybe I've spoken too soon.." 

There was a sound of a small huff underneath of him and he looked down to see Lion looking right at him as he wagged his tail. He let out another huff as he shifted on his paws.

"Here you go, boy." he slid his fingers between the lettuce, tomatoes and onions and broke another piece of the salmon burger. He threw it on the ground. 

Then he looked back up at the family. "Heh.." nobody was laughing and he cleared his throat. "What I meant by that is.. doctors are great and they're so important to uh, the world. And Connie is a genius." _Yes, compliment first before you say.._ "But I was thinking perhaps I could.. be something else?" he didn't like how Dr. Maheswaren had raised her eyebrow at him. "I'm.. honestly not sure _what_ I want to do in my life.. but I do like helping people and building stuff. I learned that not too long ago when I was helping my neighbors build a Go-Kart and when I was-" he cut his self off. 

Yeah.. telling them about working with Pearl, a Crystal Gem, on a moped definitely wasn't a way to go..

"watching these guys build these mopeds." he heard another huff beside him and he broke off a much smaller piece of the burger and threw it on the ground without looking. "I don't know what that means for me exactly." he shrugged. "Maybe I could be.. some kind of builder or.. I don't know. A.." he looked over at the father. "security guard?" he glared at the boy. "Uh.." he looked away from the man's glare. "You know, because I want to protect people.. or maybe I could build.. or maybe even fix stuff? Like a mechanic?" he never really thought of that until now. "I don't know. I still have a lot to think about." 

Dr. Maheswaren dabbed at the corner of her mouth and folded the napkin neatly and placed it on the table. "As you know, doctors, as well, help people. We help them tremendously and we fix them. There are even jobs in the medical field where you could fix hospital equipment." then she added. "Though it doesn't pay nearly as much. It's decent pay, but it doesn't come close to other medical occupations' salaries." 

"R, right.. But I could always do other stuff.. right?" he asked a touch timidly. From the look on her face, she didn't agree. "I can always help people in other ways. Being a cop," ..Despite of Connie _not_ wanting him to become one since it's dangerous.. (If only she knew what he was doing now..) and the irony of running from the cops now.. "a security guard.. um.. a firefighter? Uh.. or something involving building like being a construction worker or.. a mechanic." he gave another meek shrug of his shoulders. 

She didn't look amused. 

_Come on, Universe.. Just make it sound fancy!_

_ BUT still be yourself!_

"For example.. being a security guard would be pretty cool." he resisted a glance over at the dad and tried to keep his eyes on the mother and his girlfriend. The girl now eating her grilled asparagus and eating them slowly and nervously as she watched him. 

"I get to look out for people and prevent serious harm from coming to them. I'll have my walkie talkie to call for backup and a flashlight and one of those bat things." he clenched his hand and mimicked hitting something. "Though that would be my last resort." he smiled. "I don't want to hurt anyone." 

"Well, according to my husband, sometimes you have to." 

He finally looked over at the glaring man. 

_And if he had that.. bat, club thing.. he most likely would use it on me..._

"Um.." his smile faltered. "Y, yeah.." 

Another huff, more impatient from the dog who'd been waiting long enough for another piece of food. 

This time he grabbed a few pieces of asparagus and threw it on the ground. Sure, it wasn't salmon, but maybe the dog will still be thankful and eat it. 

"But.. what about being.. a mechanic? It's like being a doctor for cars and you're ensuring peoples safety. And I'm all about safety." 

A nod from the woman. "As am I." 

_Come on, Universe! Work your charm! You two need to warm up to each other!_

"And if I become a mechanic, I can fix your car for free. Or if we" he looked at Connie. "get a car I would be able to fix it and save us money." 

There was a scoff from the mother, though it didn't sound angry or annoyed by any means. She looked over at her husband who was eating a piece of pickled ginger. "Maybe he would be able to fix that raggedy company car of yours." 

The man looked like he nearly choked on his food. He cleared his throat, chewed what was in his mouth and swallowed a couple of times. He looked at her, his mouth a thin line as he looked at the complacent expression on her face. "The company car is fine." he stated plainly. "There is absolutely nothing wrong with it." 

"That jalopy has definitely seen better days and you know it, Doug." she retorted. 

His heart actually skipped a beat at hearing his actual first name. 

For whatever reason, it felt off to him. Like being in a twilight zone. 

What was _her_ name?

".. eaking about cars. Connie" the girl stopped the salmon halfway from her mouth. She lowered the fork back down. "Have you found a car you would like to buy yet?"

_Wait, they actually talked about cars too?_

Another huff from the dog and Steven cut his eye at him. The dog let out a small growling bark. 

"No, not yet. But I'm still saving up." 

"Come on, Lion. I can't keep giving you this food." he took a few pieces of asparagus and threw them on the ground. Lion went right for them. 

"Cheese and garlic bread sticks.. a salmon burger _and_ stir fried asparagus with a bit of rice on them.." he sighed, hopeless. "I really hope you don't end up having gas tonight.." he whispered to the dog. 

He turned in his seat and picked the burger back up and took a bite out of it. 

".. ondas are good cars for first time drivers. As you know your father and I still drive one. They're excellent cars in general, but definitely great for a first car. And cars made by Toyota as well are also a good match." 

Connie nodded. "I'll be checking those two out once the funds get close to my goal." 

Steven took another bite out of his burger. Another huff from below and he grabbed a handful of rice and asparagus off the plate and threw it on the ground and went back to his burger. 

The family continued eating their food.

Well, he shouldn't just stop at occupation. He needs to continue telling them.. continue being his self and coming clean. 

He swallowed the food in his mouth as he placed the burger back on the plate. 

He cleared his throat and they glanced up from their food to look at him. "Uh.." _okay maybe that was a little rude to get their attention by clearing my throat.._

_Especially towards her parents.._

"Sorry uh.." he started. "but I just wanted to tell you two more about the movies I like. I didn't get to finish what else I like to watch." 

Hopefully he didn't seem full of himself for bringing it up. Especially like that.

Dr. Maheswaren looked intrigued. She took a few sips of her water before placing it back down. "And what else do you like to watch?

_Remember.. try to slide in a compliment first.. _

"Kollywood is really nice. The singing and dancing and the bright clothes and acting." _over acting.._ "it's nice to watch. And Under the knife is also very good even if you're not nitpicking it. I like to watch shows and movies for fun too. Under the knife has this underrated, very tongue in cheek satire that I like and I find myself really into it. The series is pretty good. It definitely grew on me." _Okay Universe. Go big or go home._ "But what I really love is animation. Especially movies like Dogcopter." 

_That Connie and I never got to see, now that I think about it.._

"Dogcopter?" she frowned. "That action thriller with that.. cyborg dog?" 

"He's part dog and part helicopter!" he cheesed. 

That adorable smile.. Connie couldn't help but smile with him. 

"I can't believe the studios were allowed to make that movie. It promotes violence and it's ruining people's minds." 

"Maybe? Or maybe not? There are tons of other things that are much worse. And besides, there's a movie rating, so you know what you're getting yourself into." then he added. "And Dogcopter is more than just explosions and Dogcopter shooting missiles out of his butt" the mother grimaced. "It has an interesting and deep storyline filled with all kinds of twists." 

Dr. Maheswaren wasn't convinced one bit. She turned from him to her daughter. "And you don't watch this kind of stuff with him. I _know_ you don't." 

"I.." she glanced over at Steven's face. She saw an encouraging smile come to his lips. 

She knew what he was doing from the first time he talked about being something other than a doctor.

And then he brought up the movies again.

She could clearly see what he was doing.

"Well..

And she should be doing it too. She shouldn't be telling them what they want to hear. She should be herself.

"Yes.." she admitted. "Apart form Kollywood movies." a beat. _"and_ Bollywood and Tollywood movies," _Wait, there's a third?_ "I like to watch those movies with Steven. They're really etertaining and you get lost in it. I really enjoy them." she turned to her boyfriend and smiled. "Especially Nevey and the Jeweled Ladies." 

"I can't WAIT to see the rest of season one!" he smiled. 

She ignored the fear in her stomach. "Me either. That show's amazing." 

"Looks like you have lowered your expectations as to what real stories are." her mother grumbled. 

Connie tried to not care as much. She tried slowly coming out of that shell that her parents were still clearly seeing her as. 

She wanted to act more like herself and she felt better being herself. Scared, but it was better that they were now telling the truth. 

But sometimes you just want to sit down and laugh and enjoy oddly written stories." she admitted more. "That's why I was the one who introduced Steven to Under the knife. Not to nitpick and look at the inaccuracies but to laugh at the satire in the show."

Her mother fixed her a glare. 

And Connie stopped mid talk.

"Um, that reminds me." Steven cut in. 

It didn't remind him. But he didn't know how to properly segway the topic into the conversation. 

"It's about exercising and sports."

"Let me guess. You don't do those two things?" she retorted. 

Looks like she knew what they were doing now as well..

"Oh, no I do. Although I don't play tennis as much. I'm not that good at it like your daughter is, but I'm really good at ultimate frisbee." he cheesed. 

There was a belittling snort from the father. 

Steven looked at him. 

"A bit juvenile isn't it?" 

_Pshtt.. tell that to Beau Kittredge or Brodie Smith.._

He shook his head, trying to keep the smile on his face despite of feeling a bit defensive. He swallowed any witty remakes down. "No, I don't think so." though his voice was still a bit laced with ice. He tried to soften his voice. "It takes a lot of skill. You need to be fit and have good hand and eye coordination." 

He saw a smug grin on the man's face as he lowered the sushi away from his lips. "You can say that for any sport." 

He.. somewhat had a point..

_S.. so!_

Another little huff from the table. He grabbed a handful of rice and asparagus and threw it on the ground without looking. "That doesn't mean it's any less important or "juvenile" than any of the other sports." 

He heard Connie clear her voice. 

They looked at her. 

"Oh, sorry." she picked up her glass of water. "I was just clearing my throat." she started taking a few swallows of her water. 

Steven couldn't see her eyes, but he had this.. _feeling_ she was looking at him. 

He also had a feeling that her clearing her throat was her giving him a warning. 

.. Maybe he should relax a bit.. 

He did feel himself getting a bit annoyed at her father's stupid comment over his favorite sport..

He took a breath. 

He had to be the bigger man. 

He said in a professional, still, plain voice as he gave the dad a rather plain, relaxed look. "But to each their own." he said. "Some people like ultimate frisbee, while some people don't. And, I'm okay with that. It's not for everyone." 

Mr. Maheswaren narrowed his eyes at him, though didn't say anything. 

And what could he had said? Steven went the civil way, thanks to Connie and exhausted what could've been an argument. 

The young man continued. "And I'm still getting used to exercising." then he added. "as well as eating right. But Connie is a reaally amazing cook" he smiled at her and she smiled back, blushing. "So it's definitely much easier to eat healthy when she's the one cooking it."

"I learned from the best." she looked at her mother. 

Her mother took the compliment and smiled proudly. "So you haven't forgotten what I taught you."

Connie shook her head, smiling. "Forget the recipes of an amazing cook?" and a beat. "from an amazing mom? Of course not." 

Her dad cleared his throat. 

_"Aaaand_ an amazing dad." 

He nodded with a grin. "That's more like it." he used his pair of chopsticks to pick up a piece of eggplant and bit a piece off. 

Steven ate a few spoonfuls of his stir fried asparagus and yellow rice. 

Okay. Now _this_ was more like it. Sure they didn't care for what he was telling them. Or with what _they_ were telling them. But at least they were being their selves and her parents were getting to know them as..well.. _them._

But there was still something else.

The conversation was still a bit lopsided.

He put his fork down. "So what about you two?" he tried for the friendliest smile he could make. "I would like to get to know you two more as well." 

There was a grunt from the father. 

His wife looked at him before turning her attention to Steven. With another complacent expression on her face she asked, "And what would you like to know about us?" how she worded it sounded as if she was back to interrogating him. 

Maybe it was just her voice or this.. confident aura that she was giving off? 

"Whatever you would like to tell us really." he said. "I'm all ears." he grabbed his burger. "I think whatever you'll tell us will be very interesting." he took a bite of his salmon burger. 

A small shot of air left her nose as she scoffed. "There's a lot I could say. Work, college, my daily routine." she listed but a few.

Steven nodded and swallowed. "I can already tell this will be interesting." he flattered. He took another bite of his burger. 

He saw a smile come to her face. A small one. But it was still a smile. The second one he got from her.

"I'll start from the beginning. I went to Barvard Haylor university of medicine. It's the number one school in the States with an acceptance rate of just four percent. That institution demanded high standards and I was able to get into it, with ease." she sounded incredibly proud of herself. 

"In High School, I took up only extra curricular activities that would boost me up on the list. Not for fun, but activities that would interest the universities. And once I started undergoing my undergraduate studies I started focusing _only_ on my studies. Everyone else was in clubs and sports and what have you, but me?" she pointed to herself then shook her head. She leaned in and whispered with such awe and narcissism in her voice. _"I_, on the other hand, was too focused on getting my own life together and being the best." she leaned back up. "I graduated from undergrad with a five point two grade point average. Then there were a few programs I was in onelce I went to grad school where I taught classes. Me, a student, teaching _other_. students." she found it humorous. "That made my skills sharper as well as allowed me to get a full tuition reimbursement and a living stipend." 

Steven put his small piece of burger down, saving the best for last and going for his stir fried asparagus and yellow rice again. He looked down at Lion. The canine was now laying on the ground content and full.

"Ah, those years were the best. Graduating as a top student at your medical university? And the hardest university there was?" she grinned. "It was amazing. To walk across that stage and get my diploma." she nodded. "No more 'Miss' Laghari. I was. _Dr._ Laghari." 

Her husband looked at her. "Ah, glad to see you overly ecstatic about walking across the stage Dr. Laghari."

Her smiled twisted to a wry smile. She pat her husband's hand. "And I can't forget meeting a young suave man such as yourself."

Steven ate another spoonful of his food, looking at the interaction. 

Everyone seemed a bit more relaxed. Even the father didn't seem as tensed anymore. 

"... en after we got married and the two of us found jobs, we felt that starting a family was what we wanted to do next." she looked at Connie. "And then we had our precious daughter." the girl smiled at her mother's smiling face. "And everything was complete. We started working and raising Connie." 

"That sounds like a huge success story."

"That was more than that." she grinned. "And it was everything I ever wanted and more." her smiled faltered as she thought of something. As she was reminded of a part of that being taken away when her precious daughter met someone who would take her daughter away from her..

Who would.. ruin her daughter's could be successful life..

"My plan is to keep up that success. To see my whole family be successful." she kept her sad stare at Connie.

"And.." Steven cut in. "and you will. Everyone is just.. going down their own paths towards success." 

Her stare never left Connie. "Some people would want to take detours or do trivial stuff like watch cartoons and stay in their little groove they're in in life." 

Connie began to feel guilty under her mother's stare and her mother's words..

So much for everyone being relaxed..

"But that's not all bad." said Steven. "Taking a little breather here and there is okay. Everyone needs a break." 

She looked over at him with her eyes slightly narrowed. "Not _everyone_. I didn't."

"And.. I can respect that." he glanced over at Connie's face, almost as if warning him-

He snapped his focus back to her mother. He tried saying as gently as he could, "But that doesn't mean that everyone _else_ has to do that." then he added to soften the question more. "..right?"

"No." she answered sharply. "Playing around will slow you down and even hinder you or stop you altogether."

"..Mmmaybe for some?" then he said with a bit more confidence in his voice. "But people need to take a break. To relax their mind and body so you know.. you won't burnout or anything."

She scoffed. " 'Burnout'. You know that's just something that people made up." 

_Tell that to the unfortunate people with very taxing jobs.. The same people that faint or collapse from working nonstop.._

".. at has never happened to me." 

_Doesn't mean that it won't ever happen._

_Or maybe that'll never happened. Still, doesn't mean that you're right and it's "just a made-up word"._

Steven, instead, said, "Then you have a gift. But I still think you can relax. I'm pretty sure those other famous, extremely successful people in the world does it from time to time. Like go on vacation or just have at least one day to relax."

"Then that means they could've been even _more_ successful. Or successful quicker."

"Maybe? But what's so great about being so successful?" then he added. "And famous? Why do a lot of people want power and money and fame? What's so amazing about that? You'll just want more and more." he tried keeping his serious look on her. "I read somewhere that, no matter how fast a person goes to chase after these things, the world will always be faster. It's impossible to run with it. All of this stuff. Money, having power, being famous." he listed again. "You'll always want more and when you do, that won't make you any happier. You'll continue to try and run and run and run with the world. But then you'll miss what's really important in life." he looked at Connie. Her mouth was a thin line. Her face looked.. tensed? It was borderline unreadable with her shades. 

Dr. Maheswaren gave him a leveled stare before looking at her daughter. 

"There's more things to life than just being successful and being rich and famous for what you do. You have to know when to stop and smell the flowers. You have to actually sit back and live in the present and watch the world as it revolves fast without you chasing after it." she kept a sad look on her daughter. "It's okay to unwind. To laugh, to watch a movie or to just, sit on the grass and watch the stars at night." he looked at Connie, hoping she would catch that camping insider joke, but she was busy looking at her mother. He smiled and added, "To relax and to have fun is to be human. And, there's nothing wrong with that. That's who we are. Embrace it."

Everyone was quiet.

Dr. Maheswaren leaned up from the table slowly. "I remember my parents instilling it in my head that I would always need to study and work." she began. "And they only kept drilling it in my head all the way up to adult hood and even after I had you." she sigh. "That was what I needed to do. Needed to _be._ Successful and famous so they could always be proud of me. To me, being successful and famous _was_ living. But I suppose that may have been the wrong angle to look at life."

Connie's lips were wavering and everyone could see that.

"Connie," her mother said warmly. "I'm-"

There phones went off with different chimes all at once and they could hear other alarms and chimes from other tables.

Dr. Maheswaren leaned up in her seat. "Normally I don't answer phones at the table, but this is a news alert."

_'News alert'?!_

Why did he have a bad feeling about this.. That this has something to do with the Gems or _will_ have something to do with the Gems. 

".. nd this could be very important." she turned around and unzipped her purse. She pulled her phone from it and turned back around. "Excuse me." she said and unlocked her phone. 

Steven wanted to desperately look at his phone.. but he didn't. 

But what if it was important?-

Dr. Maheswaren's mouth dropped. "Doug, it's the men in the tuxedos again." 

_The men in the tuxedos and white shades?!_

They began to hear chatter both outside and inside of the restaurant.

She looked at the group. "It says they're just off the skirts of Empire."

Mr. Maheswaren groaned as he rubbed at his head. "This city is just really bad." he turned and narrowed his eyes at Steven. "I'm surprised that a man would want someone who he calls his significant other, to live in such a place." 

That caught Steven off guard. "It's.. I mean I-"

"Dad, we live in a better part of Empire City."

"You mean the what, point five percent that's "decent"?" Connie was quiet. 

Her father got up from his chair. "I'll see what the restaurant says about this. The outskirts of Empire is too close for comfort for me." he walked away, glaring at Steven as he walked pass him.

Silence..

_Great.. this is just great.. Now we have the men in the tuxedos and white shades just an hour or so away from us.._

_Oh I hope the Crystal Gems don't call me.._

_I have a feeling they got the news on their phones as well.._

_That would be all I need for them to call me while I'm at dinner.._

"So.. how are you enjoying the dinner?" Connie asked and she sounded nervous.

"It's definitely going much better than what I'd expected."

"That's.. that's good." she meekly took a piece of salmon and ate it. 

She looked at her daughter. "And I am very happy that your father and I got to see you." she smiled sadly.

That got Connie to smile and just as sadly as her mother. 

They heard a door open behind them and her father was coming out the restaurant. He waited until he got to the table. "They said that everything is okay and that we have nothing to worry about." he sat down. "But quit frankly speaking, I believe they're just saying that so they don't lose out on money. But to be safe I think we should start ending this dinner and leave." 

Dr. Maheswaren nodded. "I agree. And perhaps we can have another dinner night when things are are a bit more safe." 

He gave a bob of his head, not exactly agreeing with her, though Connie and Steven nodded stiffly as they gave her a small. "Yeah." , "Another time, yeah." 

Then Connie added. "So.. this is it? We're planning on ending the dinner?" 

Her mother let out an aggravated sigh. "We might as well. Your father has a point. We don't want anyone getting hurt. If those guys are out here we should start getting ready to leave." 

"Right." Connie looked over at Steven. A sort of look.. or a mixture of unsaid words as she tried to somehow get him to realize what she was planning to do.

She gave just a slight nod of her head and he made just a slight shake of his.

Connie looked back at her parents who saw that little interaction.

"Um.." she licked her lips and sighed. "Well..heh.." she cleared her throat. 

Steven's stomach began to bubble again. 

"Mom.. Dad.. before we leave-"

Steven stood straight up and the chair fell back on the polished patio, waking Lion up.

They looked at him.

"Uh, I uh.... I need to take Lion out. I uh.. I don't want any accidents. Eheheheheh.." they weren't laughing and he swallowed nervously.

Connie looked both relieved and hurt at same time. 

He picked the chair back up and pushed it under the table. "Don't worry, I'll be back in no time." he looked down at the canine and picked up the leash. "Come on, boy." 

Lion got up, stretched and followed him, wagging his tail happily as he followed his friend towards the door.

Steven walked a few more steps then stopped and went back to the table. He picked up his used napkin. "Just in case he goes number two." he cheesed nervously and walked away from the skeptic looks. 

He went back and opened the door to the restaurant. He walked pass the bright lights and shiny interior of the restaurant and saw the hostess at her desk, "I'm just taking him out for a few minutes. I'll be back."

"Okay." she said and went back to her computer. 

He walked down the hall and out the door.

And sighed as he held his grumbling stomach. "That was close boy.." he told Lion. "She was just about to tell them.." he mumbled sadly.

Lion was sniffing a small patch of the well trimmed lawn. 

Steven sighed again. "And what did I do Lion? I just.. I just bailed. Just like that." he frowned. 

Lion sniffed around and walked up to a bush and continued sniffing.

"What kind of boyfriend am I.."

Lion began going in the bush.

"That's it.. I put this on myself. And it's not just me. _I_ put this on Connie too.. And.. she needs me." he looked at Lion going to another bush and hiking his leg up. "I have to face this like a man. I have to face her parents. We need to face them together. Like I told her we would."

Lion came back, wagging his tail.

"That's it? You're done?" 

Lion wagged his tail.

Steven leaned down and pat the dog on the head. He let out another sigh. "Alright boy." he said nervously. "It's time to go in there and face my fear.."


	202. '...a night to remember.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is that long chapter I was telling y'all about :0

The two walked back inside the restaurant and down the hall to the front of the dining area. "I'm back." he said.

She nodded, her eyes still on the computer. 

He started walking pass her.

"And do be mindful of your time." she told him.

He stopped and turned around. "Don't worry. We're about to leave." he said and turned back around. 

He and Lion walked to the back of the restaurant and he opened the door. The two walked in and made their way to the table.

_"There are some good universities up and down the East coast."_ her mother said. _"You may want to check those out very soon as well."_

_"Yeah, I'm thinking about.."_ she trailer off as she saw Steven and Lion walking up to them.

Her chest started to tighten.

A part of her actually wanted them to stay out a bit longer..

"Um.. sorry about that." he told the family and pulled out the chair and sat back down. He placed the napkin back on the table.

Lion walked over to Connie and sat down next to her. The dog looked up at her silently.

"I'll try to check some universities out." said Connie. Her eyes now on Steven's uneasy face. 

Her parents caught the look.

"Um.." she looked back at her parents. "Well.. I'm glad that you two got to see Steven and I. We..really appreciate it." 

Steven nearly nodded fervently but had to dial it back. "Yeah." he swallowed. "We're glad that we had this dinner." he forced a nervous smile to his face.

The two began to feel hot and both of their stomachs started churning. 

Her parents were picking up their nervous ticks before.. and now they were picking up on them even more. 

Her mother nodded as she narrowed her eyes at the two. "Right.." she said. "we didn't want to miss this." 

"Right.. because.. because we need this.. and..-"

A familiar tune began to play and Steven's heart went up to his throat. 

He knew exactly who was calling him.. 

The three of them looked at him. 

"Um.. sorry.." he looked at Connie. He gave her a small head nod to proceed. 

She nodded back. Her parents also seeing the interaction. 

She turned back to them. "Yeah.. we.. had really hope that you two would come." the phone call ended. "We just wanted to see how you were doing. It'd.. been such a long time and-" 

The cellphone started ringing again. 

They looked at him. 

"Um..sorry.. again.." he looked back at Connie and she turned back to her parents. "..It'd been such a long time" she repeated. "and so many things change over the years. So he and I were pretty curious what you two had been up to. Not only _that_.." the phone call ended. "but.. we uh...we wanted you two to get to know Steven more." 

The boy gave him a meek wave of his hand and a nervous smile. 

"So we were glad when we saw you at the restaurant.. because.. we wanted to- 

The phone rung out again.

Her parents looked at him, skeptical now and Connie narrowed her eyes at him, now growing impatient. 

"Sounds like you need to get that." said her mother. 

_You're right!! I REALLY need to!!_

"Oh uh, no.. No it's fine. Eheh.." 

They didn't find it funny.

Connie looked back at her parents. "Um.. any.. way.." she scratched at her hot neck. "We were glad when we saw you at the restaurant" The ringtone stopped. "because we wanted to tell you somet-"

The cellphone rung out.

Now he was getting a glare from all three of them-

"I'llputthecellphoneonvibrate!" he quickly said and took the phone out of his pocket.

_.. Amethyst.._

He pressed the side button on his phone to silence the call, but couldn't. He pressed it again and the call continued to ring out. 

He looked up at the family's impatient and skeptical looks. "Uh.. eheh.. mmm.. looks like my phone is acting up. 

The phone call ended and he quickly unlocked the screen and pressed the down volume button on his phone. The bar showed on his phone, but stayed on loud. The little teal circle not even going down to turn down the volume. 

_.. What?.._

He pressed his finger on the actual blowhorn icon to put his phone straight to vibrate.

The keypad wasn't registering..

_What the.. _

_Did Peridot... Did Peridot do this to my phone!?_

He resisted can angry sigh as he put looked up at their faces. "Uh.." the nervous look was back on his face. "Sorry but.. something is going on with my phone. I can't put it on silent or vibrate." 

"Then perhaps you want to get that phone fixed." said Dr. Maheswaren. 

"Y, yeah.. I should-" 

"So, Connie." his dad cut him off. "What were you saying?" his eyes were narrowed on her. 

"Oh um.. just that-" 

Steven's phone rung out once more and they snapped towards him. Glaring. 

He shot up from his seat again. "I'll just uh.. go answer this call....." he started for the door before they could say anything. Though right as he opened the door he heard a, "I was just saying that I'm .. glad that we got to spend some time with each other." 

He jogged inside and towards the front of the building. 

As much as he didn't want to be there when she told them.. he _did_ have to hurry up with the call so he could go back and be with her when she told them the news. 

He _had_ to be there with her. 

The call ended. 

"Opal!" the hostess called for her. She looked around. 

The girl was nowhere to be seen. 

She placed her hands on her hips. "Just where _is_ that girl?" she grumbled. 

Steven jogged pass her and towards the lobby. 

"She better not be flapping her lips off to anyone." she looked around again. 

Steven ran down the hall towards the front door-

The phone was ringing once more-

He answered it. "H-" 

"WHAT TOOK" he jumped. "YOU SO LONG!!! WE TOLD YOU ALREADY!! YOU MUST ALWAYS ANSWER YOUR PHONE!!!" 

"I.. I'm sorry Amethyst. I was-"

"I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU WERE DOING!! YOU MAKE ME WAIT LIKE THAT AGAIN, I'LL WHIP YOU LIKE LAST TIME, YOU UNDERSTAND!" 

"Y," he nodded and swallowed. "Yes, Amethyst." 

"Good.." she hissed. "Now meet us outside that restaurant you're in."

_Seriously, how do they know this?! Peridot MUST'VE put a tracker in my phone!_

"Wha- but.. I don't have my stuff."

"WHAT?!?" she shouted. "WHERE'S YOUR STUFF!!"

"It's.. in the apartment."

"NO! WHERE DID YOU PUT IT!!"

_.. what?_

"Under the bed and my jeans are in the closet.. the one by the dresser."

"WHAT FLOOR ARE YOU ON AND WHICH DOOR!!"

"Uh.. second floor.. door two oh three. It's farther down the hall-"

"Garnet, drop Pearl and I off here!" she sounded far away and he heard the phone banging up against something."Go back to Talc's place and get his stuff. They're under his bed and his jeans are in the closest by the dresser. Second floor, third door! Go!" he heard the door opening and closing, then the sound of the car speeding off and just a second later the sound of running feet. "YOU JUST CAUSED GARNET TIME, TALC!!! WE TOLD YOU!! YOU NEED TO AAAALWAYS HAVE ON YOUR STUFF, JUST IN CASE STUFF LIKE THIS HAPPENS!! 

"S.. sorry Amethyst. It won't happen again."

"Oh I know it won't." she snarled. "Or else that'll be another punishment you'll take." she snapped.

He was quiet. Not daring to say anything else to that.

"Now. The men in the tuxedos and white shades are close by. Once Garnet comes in and gives you your stuff, you and her are going to meet Pearl and I wherever we are at that time."

"Right. Will d-"

She hung up the phone.

He sighed.

Looks like she's still mad..

and even _more_ angry than usual..

He put his phone back in his pocket and stood there by the door.. 

_NOW what am I going to do.._

_How am I going to get out of_ this_ one?_

_Just.. leave out?_

_And what about being there for Connie if this.. talk.. gets out of control?_

Another sigh..

He didn't have time to stand there and ponder. Right now, he had to go back and.. face his fears.. before going to another nightmare involving the Gems..

He walked up the hallway, feeling his stomach crumble up and dip down to his gut. 

He felt sick to his stomach the closer he got to the dining area and as he made his way pass the desk he felt his stomach push up. He stopped and swallowed, trying to hold everything down as he gripped at his stomach. His mouth watered more.. 

He shook his head.

_Don't worry.. it's okay.._

_Everything will be okay.._

_Everything.. will be okay.._

"Whoa, man.." the waitress stopped as soon as she saw him. "Are you okay?"

Steven burped and she backed up. "Uh.. you want a trashcan or something?"

His stomach churned..

He couldn't stop thinking about what would happen once Connie tells them..

.. if she didn't already..

He grabbed at his stomach and swallowed and she backed away some more. "N, no I'm.. I'm fine.. I just.." he swallowed. "It's nothing." he leaned back up. "I.. I'm fine.." he walked pass her. 

She didn't look convinced. "Are you.."

"Yeah, I'm sure.." he dragged his feet. "I just.." he trailed off, not caring to finish his sentence. His mind focused on getting to their table..

"Uh.. oo.. kay?"

Steven ignored her. He made his way towards the back of the restaurant and opened the door.

_I've heard that avocado is getting beaten out by blueberries now."_ said Connie. _"They think it's healthier." _

Her mother sighed and shook her head. _"They make up a new health trend every few months."_

_"I think these people get bored with their mundane lives."_ said her father.

Connie was about to say something, when she saw Steven walking up to them and looking sick to his face. "Steven, are you okay?"

He didn't answer her, trying to keep the food down. He nodded his head as he sat down in his chair. He swallowed again.

"You _are_ looking very pale." her mother spoke up. "Are you sure it wasn't that Asian salmon burger? I knew that burger seemed a bit questionable."

He was happy that she was asking questions about his well being.

Though maybe she'll have a change of heart and hope for the worse for his well being once Connie gives them the big news..

He swallowed hard. "D.. don't worry. It wasn't the burger." then he added. "Or.. not entirely. It's just.. my indigestion again.." 

"Perhaps it will be best to leave out now then.' she suggested. "We've already stayed here long enough and who knows where those men are. We should really be going. We can try to make plans for another day."

"Yeah.." she glanced over at Steven before looking back at her parents. "Yeah, we can leave.."

Her parents began getting up from the table and Connie started doing the same.

_Wait did she.. decided not to tell them?_ Steven slowly got up from his seat. He pushed his chair in.

"We also shouldn't forget to tip our waitress." said her mother.

"I have that." he said. "I'll pay for it all at the front."

Wait a minute.. how was he going to do that with only two hundred, three hundred dollars in his pocket with a whole check costing thousands?!

Her parents started walking towards the door and Steven waited for Connie as she walked up. A guilty frown on her face. 

That was it.. the whole day she'd been dreading to tell them and she didn't. 

The whole day she'd been worrying.. and she didn't.. even.. tell them.

She didn't pay attention to Steven smiling at her and holding out his hand for her. She didn't see the frown come to his face as he turned his head towards the direction she was looking in. The girl's attention solely on her parents as they walked to the door. 

No..

This was it..

She had to do it now.

She had to get it over with. 

No more beating around the bush. She should just come out with it.

"Mom, dad. Wait." they turned around. "There's.. something I have to tell you." then she whispered out, "It's important.." 

"We knew it.." her dad grumbled. The glare was back on his face. 

Her mother had her arms folded as she gave a terrifying look of her own. "It seemed like you were trying to tell us something earlier." she said coarsely. 

Steven was back to feeling sick. 

Connie stood there, silent. The words not coming out of her mouth as she stared at her parents. The skeptic, grimacing looks on their faces.

"Connie." her voice was stern and serious. "What did you want to tell us?" 

She looked at Steven's pale face then back to her parents. She heard him burp and she looked back to him. "Steven, are you okay?" 

This time he didn't lie. 

He shook his head as saliva reached his lips. "I think I'm going to be sick.."

"St-"

"Connie." she sounded impatient. But there was also a bit of unease and concern in her voice. "What. is it. that you want to _tell_ us?" 

_..Just say it.._

"Well.." she looked at her sick boyfriend hunched over slightly and holding his stomach. "I.. think you know about Steven.. and I.. being together for almost three years." she began. 

Her mother raised an eyebrow at her, with an amused look on her face. Intrigued even. "Yes. So you two have." 

She was wondering what her daughter could be getting at.

Were they planning on getting married?.. Moving again perhaps? Surely it couldn't be anything else. Her daughter wasn't stupid.

"And.. the relationship is good. We're.. happy together." with another breath, she said slowly, "And.. we've been taking.. different stages in our relationship." she paused. 

The grimace on her mother's face hardened to disgust. "Stages?" 

More denial clung to her. Her daughter wouldn't be that stupid..

Connie froze. 

Lion stood by her side, looking up at her. He let out a whine.

Connie ignored him. "Yes.." she said. "Milestones.. in our relationship.. like getting an apartment.. and.. living under one roof.." she had to say it.. "and getting closer." she nearly bit her lip. "Much closer." she stopped herself, looking at the narrowed eyed looks her parents were giving her.

" 'Much closer' ?" her mother asked bluntly. She could hear the strain in her voice. "What do you mean, Connie?" she said, almost in a low growl.

Her daughter.. she definitely didn't do anything stupid. She taught her well. 

"What I..mean by that.. is.." she looked at Steven swallowing his saliva down. 

"Connie, I'm talking to you." she looked back at her mother. "Don't look over at him. Look at _me_ when I'm talking to you." 

Her daughter nodded stiffly. "Yes ma'am." she almost looked at Steven again, hearing a burp from him.

This was torture.. Both for him and for her. 

_Just tell them Connie.._

"We've.. gotten closer in our relationship." was all she could get out as she saw the grimacing looks on her parents' faces.

Okay.. this was it.. 

She opened her mouth and the words stuck to her pallet. 

She went a different approach.

"We've been getting closer like.. getting an apartment" she said again. "adopting a dog.. getting to know each other more.." then she added, something that would hint at what she was trying to say, as if they weren't following the hints already. "and buying furniture like chairs.. mats...... a bed." she stopped.

The look on her mother's face sent her heart racing more in her chest. 

Terrified wasn't the word she was feeling. 

" _'A'_ bed." she turned her head, as if to hear her better as she raised a tensed eyebrow at her. "So you mean.. you didn't have enough money for two?"

Her mother was smart.. Connie knew she was just giving her the benefit of the doubt. 

"Well.. we have a couch as well.." she was now going away from the subject.

"Ah.." her mother nodded. "So one sleeps on the bed while the other sleeps on the couch." 

She had to come back to the subject. No more steering away from it. 

"We..share one bed." 

The looks on their faces were irate, disgusted.. exasperated. 

The look made Steven bend over, dry heaving once. 

"Steven." Connie took a step towards him- 

"What do you mean by that Connie?" her mother blurted out, sounding frantic. Just a step away from hysterical. 

The father had an evil look to his face as he glared at Steven. "I know he didn't.." he grumbled something incoherent.

Her mother took a step towards her and she resisted a step back. "Connie."

"Uh.." _You have to tell them, Connie._

_Now._

She looked at her parents. 

"Mom.. dad.." she glanced over at Steven with his hands on his knees, breathing out his mouth. 

"Steven and I....have been.." their faces twisted more. She stopped. And took a breath. "We have been.. ph..phsically.." hesitated. _"intimate_ with each ot-" 

"WHAT!!!" her scream echoed through the yard and onlookers began to look their way.

"Mom-"

She heard the sound of Steven as he gagged, everything coming back up and on the patio. 

Her father clenched his hands, eyeing the boy getting sick in front of them. 

"He deflowed you!!" she screamed it out for everyone to hear. 

The word hit her like shard of ice. "M, mom, please-"

"This is EXACTLY what I was trying to prevent, Connie!!!" she yelled. "I KNEW from the MOMENT I met him that he would be a terrible, filthy influence on you!!" 

Steven felt guilt-ridden, ashamed.. angry at himself.. terrified of what was going to happen next as her mother continued to scream at her with her father glaring silently at him. His stomach pushed up as more came up.

"I knew I should've taken you away from him!! I should've done more to stop you BEING with that no good-" she clenched her jaws. Fuming. 

Lion looked from Steven to Connie. The two of them being in distress. 

"Mom, he's not like that." then reluctantly, she admitted. "It was.. it was _my_ idea.. Not his." embarrassment and shame came to the fore. "I.." she hesitated. "I wanted.. to do it."

She took another step and this time Connie took a step back. "He tricked you!! Putting it all in your head!!" 

They had an audience now. More onlookers watching the argument unfold as they ate their food. 

"He didn't mom. Honest.. It was all me." she took a breath. _"I_ told him that I wanted to do it." 

Her mother didn't want to believe her. 

Her daughter doing this.. and being the one to initiate it-

She shook her head. That wasn't her daughter. She was only covering for him. 

But that put everything in an entirely different perspective. She couldn't stand the boy. Hated him. If it wasn't for him meeting her NONE of this would be happening. 

"NO college! NO good paying job! And living in this DUMP of a city as you just lay around with HIM and do nothing proactive with your life!" she yelled. 

Connie's mouth quivered, but she stayed quiet. 

"And now THIS!! We're here hoping for a good time, only for you two to laugh in our face and act like nothing was wrong ALL the way up until we leave!! Is THIS why you wanted to meet us here?! So you can embarrass US like this!"

Connie stood there, a loss for words. 

"Answer me!!" 

Her breath was shaky. She swallowed and blinked back her tears. "No." her voice was shaky. "I really wanted to see you. But I just.. felt that you needed to hear this face to face."

"Absolutely.. it's.. Connie.." she breathed through her nose. "I can't believe this.. I really can't." 

"You needed to hear this." Connie blurted back out. This was it. Get the last news out. "I told you this.. because there was.." she saw her mother's face and fear took her words once more. "something else I wanted to tell you.." 

"What else!! You.. dance on the corner?! You do drugs and sell them too?! 

She shouldn't had.. but she looked over at Steven. He looked at her. Fear in his eyes. 

"He does?!!" 

"No!.. No.." she shook her head. "And he doesn't do drugs. I don't either.. but.. I just wanted to say.." she looked over at Steven once more. The boy's eyes pleading. He shook his head. 

She looked back up at her parents. "But.. mom.. dad.." 

And right then, Steven anticipated his heart stopping.. seriously.. he knew it was going to be it for him. 

If the missions hadn't killed him.. then her parents definitely will..

_After_ castrating him..

"What, Connie!! What more!!"

She took a breath. "Mom.. dad.." she said slowly. "Steven and I.." a tear slid down to her glasses.

"Are going to college? Getting married? Are moving?" 

Another breath, calming her already queasy, pregnancy stomach.

"Steven and I" she said again. "are.. ex..pecting" the absolute fear and anger in her mother's eyes as she shook her head. "No.." she whispered." 

"our.. first child together."

Her parents stood there, frozen as her words pierced their heart. The anger and disgust filling them up as they wondered if they heard her correctly. 

In a hushed tone she said steadily, "I'm pregnant."

The words crashed into them, gripping at their heart. 

Until the present quickly came over them, gravity pulling them back down as anger filled their blood. 

Her mother let out a scream as her father wasted no time coming up to them. "WHAT!!" he hollered out and she jumped. 

"Dad.. we.. I.." 

"How can you be this stupid?!" her mother yelled. She stomped up to her, raising a finger. "You've ruined your life, Connie! And ALL because of that lowlife!!" 

"Mom-" her voice cracked. She broke down, crying, not able to piece together any words. 

Her mother got up close to her and Lion let out a loud, warning bark. She stopped just a few feet in front of her as the dog stood in front of Connie, growling at her mother. 

Eyes narrowed, she looked from the dog to her daughter. She raised her finger at her again, her face tensed. "I thought I taught you better than this, Connie!! How could you let this happen to yourself!! You're supposed to be smarter than this!!" 

Steven saw Mr. Maheswaren coming up to him and he stood up, trying to ignore his queasy stomach. 

"How could you do this to her!!"

"I, I'm sorry!! I didn't mean to.. I.. that's not what I wanted!!" he admitted.

"But you can lay down with my daughter!!" he pushed his chest and Steven stumbled back. 

They heard gasps in the yard and the chatter grew louder.

"Mr. Maheswaren. I'm sorry.. I didn't want this to happen-" 

"Shut up!!" her father stepped up to him. "Don't think you can get away with ruining my daughter's life." he snarled. 

_"Seriously, Connie!! He's changing you!! He's a pathetic, pitiful lowlife!! And he's pulling you down the same path with him!!"_

Connie was overwhelmed, emotional. She only cried more. 

"Do you hear this?!" Mr. Maheswaren yelled. 

"Y, yes Sir-" despite of him not knowing _exactly_ what her mother was saying.. 

He grabbed Steven by the shirt and pulled him forward. "Do you SEE this!!" 

Steven watched as her mother berated her daughter, yelling at her in Tamil as she cried more. 

And just watching Connie as she cried..

Tears welled up in his eyes.

"I said 'do you see this'!!" 

Steven choked up. "Yes." tears streamed down his face. 

"This is all your fault!!" 

He cried more. "Connie! I'm so sorry!" 

Her mother snapped her eyes away from her. "You have a LOT of nerve!!" she shouted. She took a step away from Connie and Lion let out another bark. She stopped, annoyed. Her lips curled up in a disgusted snarl. "You're going to pay for everything that you've done." she hissed.

The door opened and four policemen ran up to them. 

Lion began barking at them. 

"Hello, what seems to be the problem here." one officer asked. 

"That... disgusting lowlife.." Dr. Maheswaren grumbled. 

He and his co-workers looked over at Mr. Maheswaren holding onto Steven's shirt. 

"Okay, we're going to sort this all out." he stated. "I'll need for you to let go of that boy." 

Reluctantly, Mr. Maheswaren let go of him. The boy sniffling and wiping his face.

"Now, we-"

There was a sound of a loud explosion from down the street.

The people in the yard started to get up, looking towards the sound of the explosion.

"Everybody, inside! Inside!" another cop yelled out.

They didn't waste any time following his orders. They ran away from their tables and towards the door of the restaurant. The cops began to usher people towards the door, including Connie and her mother and Mr. Maheswaren followed after them. Steven was right behind him when his phone began to ring. 

_Oh no.._

Lion stopped and turned around. 

Steven pulled his phone out from his pocket. 

_Garnet._

He swiped across his screen, answering the phone. "Hello."

"Hey, Talc." he could hear the engine roaring in the background as she sped towards her destination. "Hop the gate behind you and run down. I'll meet you. I have your stuff."

He looked up at the people passing him. "Uh.. okay.." 

"Be quick." she said, before saying a bit more gently. "See you then." she hung up and he put the phone back in his pocket.

He looked at the last bit of people as they ran passed him. He jogged to the side of the crowd, squeazing pass everyone and running out of the crowd of people. Then slowly, began to walk backwards. Nobody was looking at him. Only two cops outside as they ushered in the last crowd of people.

He ran back, going for the water fountain. He ran behind it and crouched down as he heard the cops giving them institutions on what to do once they get inside.

He waited, wanting to make his move once the close was clear-

Just as he noticed a shadow coming up, he gasped and stumbled back, only to realize a familiar face of a canine. 

He sighed a breath of relief. "It's only you." Lion walked over to him, wagging his tail. 

Steven turned around and tilted his body slightly to the side to look from the side of the fountain. 

Everyone was inside but one lone cop who was scoping out the area. With another glance over the area, he opened the door and went back inside. 

Steven waited for a few moments.. 

"Okay, boy." he sighed, still thinking about the situation with Connie and her parents. "Let's go." he pushed off the side of the fountain and ran for the fence.

The sturdy fence was just a couple feet over his head. "Now let's see how I can do this.." he picked Lion up and slid his fingers between the crack of the fence and placed his first foot on the plank and pulled himself up.

  
  


There was frantic chattering in the dining area as people grew more and more fearful of the situation.

The cops were calling in backup as they tried to calm everyone down, to no avail.

Connie was looking around again.

She hadn't seen Steven ever since they ran into the restaurant and he wasn't answering any of his phone calls. So many paranoid thoughts were going through her mind.

Anything could've happened to him..

And she noticed that Lion was _also_ missing..

Something definitely wasn't right..

"Steven!" she called out his name again amongst the chatter and police radios.

She squeezed pass a few people and towards the front of the dining area. "Steven!" 

"Connie!"

Her parents finally found her. After four long minutes of panicking fearing that she'd gotten hurt or worse from the men in the tuxedos or ran off with her no good boyfriend or both, they sighed a breath of relief. Even _more_ relieved that he wasn't anywhere in sight

She watched them jog over to her._ "There you are, Connie."_ her mother said. 

_"I can't find Steven!" _she cut in. 

Her mother twisted up her face._ "Who cares about him?! Good riddance!"_

Connie stood there, mouth agape. 

Her father let out a humorless chuckle. _"Maybe the men got him." _

Connie's eyes went wide. 

_"It would serve him right." _

Connie looked at her parents. _"Mom.. dad." _

They looked at the sad look on her face. _"Connie, don't look at us like that. That boy would deserve it. _He_ got you pregnant!"_

A few people in the area began to look over at the commotion, though not knowing what the argument was about.. 

_"..get me started on what YOU'RE doing with your life because of him! Just LOOK. at what you're doing. with your life!"_

_"But.. it's not because of him-"_

_"Then it's because of WHO then Connie? Answer me THAT because you had so much going for yourself but THEN you met _him_ and EVERYTHING else started falling apart! Your grades, your lifestyle! Connie.. you. could've MADE something of yourself but you haven't!"_

A tear slid down to the bottom of her glasses. _"But.. mom, I.. I can always make something of myself. I told you.. he and I are-" _

_"HIM... I keep hearing about _him._ That boy is a bad influence! He's ALWAYS up to trouble!"_

_"Trouble just always seems to find him, that's all-_

_"You keep being with him and trouble is going to find _you_ Connie."_ she pointed a finger at her. _"Mark my words. That boy is no good and now he got you pregnant and your just digging yourself further into an unsuccessful path JUST. like. him."_

Connie cried. She was dreading this very thing all day. And it was worse than she'd expected.

They wouldn't listen to her.. too busy judging him..

Steven had his faults.. but so did she and so did them. Nobody is perfect.. and them constantly bashing Steven only made her worry about him and miss him more and.. 

.. had her more annoyed with _them._

She took a calming breath that didn't calm her nerves. She snapped her eyes back open, looking at them through her tinted glasses._ "I can't go back in time!" _ she yelled and quickly dialed it back. She has _never_ yelled at them.. 

More tears fell from her eyes. _"I know I messed up." _ she said through her teeth, trying to keep the anger and hurt down, though it still seeped into her voice._ "I know that. And.. you keep yelling at me and.. uhg, I know I messed up! Okay?!" she found herself yelling again and she tried lowering her voice back._

_  
_

Her parents looked at her, stunned-

_ "I get it. I'm.. sorry I wasn't some, successful daughter that you always wanted." she cried. "I'm.. sorry I didn't wait until marriage, I'm sorry I got pregnant, I'm sorry I didn't go to college after I graduated, I'm sorry I work at some clothing store.. I get it!" _she sobbed. _"I.. messed up.. despite of how you raised me.. I.." _ she cried. _"I messed up.. I _know_ that.."_

Her parents looked at each other, exchanging sorrowful glances.

_"I'm sorry.. but now I just want to move forward from this. I told you all of this because I wanted to come clean. I felt that you two deserved to know the truth so we can just.. move on and.. go on from here. I wanted us to.. be a family again.. I wanted to rekindle and I wanted you guys back in my life so bad." _ her lips quivered as more tears fell.

Her parents looked guilty and hurt.

All their daughter wanted to do was to move on..

And she had the courage to tell them the news. She also could've ignored that first call from them and had ignored them for the rest of her life, but she didn't.

She wanted to tell them and she wanted them in her life.

Her mother sighed as she wiped her face of fresh tears. She took a step and raised her arms up to Connie, grabbing her daughter gently by the shoulders and bringing her in for a hug. 

Her daughter wrapped her arms around her back, returning the hug. She felt her father put his arm around her.

_"We just wanted the best for you, Connie.." _her mother whispered.

_"I know.."_ she frowned. _"And I can appreciate that you and dad wanted that for me.. but sometimes things don't go as planned.. but it doesn't necessarily mean that that's a bad thing or that everything else is now going to fail. Maybe a different plan would be better than the original."_ she sighed and changed the subject. _"But right now, I'm just worried about Steven and Lion.. and you two." _she hugged her mother tighter. _"I hope nothing bad happens to us in general. I don't know_ what's_ going on with these guys in the tuxedos.."_

  
  


Steven was running down an unfamiliar street, feeling even _more_ worse and guilty than before having heard Connie's ringtone ringing out multiple times and ignoring every one of them. 

He could hear gunshots going off and explosions near him.

A lone truck was speeding up towards him.

The Inkas armored limo.

"Here comes Garnet, boy." 

He ran down the street, meeting the truck halfway.

It stopped abruptly and he quickly pulled the door open. Lion hopped in and he hopped in after him. Garnet sped off before he could close the door. She cut the wheel sharply and the momentum, pushed Steven to the side and the door slammed shut by itself.

"You look nice in your little dinner getup." Garnet complimented. "Red looks good on you."

He pushed his self off the floor. "Thanks."

She cut down a side street and he stumbled over once more on the floor, almost falling over top of Lion. 

"The clothes and you and Lion's gadgets are in the seat. Be quick and put them on. We're about to meet up with Amethyst and Pearl."

He put his hand on the edge of the seat and got up shakily and hunched over to his feet. "Okay." the car hit a speed bump and he flew head first into the back of the seat. He turned around and sat down. He unbuttoned his suit jacket and threw it off then began buttoning down his well pressed red dress shirt.

_Come on.. why are there so many buttons!?_

He undid the last button and threw the shirt off and put on his Crystal Gem shirt. 

He heard the tablet on the car ringing out.

"Yo! Garnet!" the voice was disguised by the voice changer on her mask. "What's your twenty!"

"Talc and I are coming down Berkingshire street." 

A few seconds of silence, then a, "I see you two. Come down Chesterfey avenue. Pearl and I will meet you two at the corner." 

"Copy that." 

That tablet went to a solid black screen. 

Steven was zipping his jeans up. He buttoned it and slid his flip flops on.

_Good thing she saw the flip flops too._

He ignored the thought of Garnet breaking into their apartment and he slid his ring and his bracelet on the other wrist, feeling the warmth and the spark from the two gadgets. Them he slid the pink and hibiscus flowered mask over his face.

"Alright, now it's time for you." he said to Lion.

Garnet turned down Chesterfey avenue and sped down the block.

Steven sat down on the floor, his body bouncing and rocking with every movement from the car.

He unclipped the leash from Lion's collar and threw it over his clothes. Then he pressed the pin on the collar and the canine's fur turned a bright pink. Then he started putting the doggy flats on him.

The car stopped abruptly and Amethyst and Pearl hopped into the car with their weapons, huffing and puffing.

"Go down that street and make a left!" 

Garnet pressed down hard on the gas pedal.

"There's a lot of them." she shook her head. Then stopped, and as if realizing, a disgusted look came to her face. She looked back at Steven on the last flats on the dog's front paw.

"And YOU" he jumped and turned around. "You caused us a LOT of time because you didn't have your stuff!" 

"I.. I know.. but it won't happen again-"

She turned around in her seat. "I don't have.. TIME FOR THIS RIGHT NOW!" she shook her head again. She brought her hand up, whip in hand and rubbed at her forehead.

Frowning, Steven strapped the flat around Lion's paw and grabbed the pink mane. He put it around Lion's collar and snapped it on. 

Garnet turned the corner sharply and the car popped up and Steven tumbled over as the vehicle drove on two wheels. 

Garnet kept her foot on the pedal as she turned the wheel, finishing the turn down the street. 

The car fell back down as it raced down the block. 

Steven resisted a groan as he pushed his self up to his hands and knees. 

_How did the car not tip over just now? _

_.. Most likely something that has to do with GemTech..-_

Another explosion was heard and seen in front of them. Large red, orange flames engulfed a nearby vacant building.

"There!" Amethyst pointed. Four men in tuxedos and white shades were running away from the building. They jumped into a white truck and sped off. "After them!!" 

Garnet charged after them in the car.

Steven, trying to keep his balance as he sat on his legs, placed the mask over the canine's head. He tucked it underneath of the pink mane around his neck.

Garnet was gaining on the truck.

"CGVU. Zero, seven, one, seven, one, nine, eight, nine." said Amethyst. "Front end bullets." 

"Activating." said the male voice. 

A small horizontal line at the bottom of the front of the truck pulled back into the car and three rifles popped out of their holes. The weapons began firing. 

Bullets pelted off the car. 

Amethyst growled. "I can't believe it.." she said through her teeth. Then she said louder, "CGVU. Zero, seven, one, seven, one, nine, eight, nine. Disregard front end bullets." 

"Disregarding."

The rifles went back into their holes and slid back into the car. The small horizontal block slid back up to the front and locked into place.

"They think they can get away from us.." Amethyst growled.

Garnet was gaining on them.

"We'll get them." Amethyst nodded to herself.

The gap was getting shorter between them.

Just a few yards away now..

"..Almost.. got them.." said Amethyst. She grabbed the handle on the door. The whip held tight and secured in her other hand.

The truck made a sharp turn down an alley way and Garnet was quick to cut the wheel. The vehicle tipped over again, this time, leaning farther towards the ground, though it never tipped over. 

It fell back back on all fours as Garnet punched on the gas.

_Yeah.. definitely GemTech.._

Steven was pushing his self up again to his hands and knees. 

"We're right on them" said Amethyst. "I want you to hit them." 

They were nearing the mouth of the alley.

Garnet drove the car to the left of the truck. 

The enemy was just a few yards in front of them.

They were steadily gaining on them. 

Garnet floored it right as the car turned the corner. She crashed into it, nearly T-boning it as she kept the car pushing against the side back of the truck. Wheels screeched as the driver tried cutting the heel towards their vehicle. 

She pressed down on the gas, pushing the vehicle and the driver turned the wheel towards them and pressed down on the gas. The truck sped off, away from them.

"GET THEM, GARNET!!"

She drove down the street, crashing into the back of the car.

Steven fell forwards and backwards as Garnet continued to ram the vehicle.

"We gotta get them!!!" 

Garnet kept her foot on the pedal, keeping the vehicle up against the back of the truck.

Four more trucks, two on each side drove from the side streets and to the street in front of them. 

"SEE WHAT I MEAN, PEARL!! THEY JUST KEEP COMING!" she yelled. She turned to Garnet. "Garnet, speed up!! We can block them from the front and get out!!" 

Garnet floored it, ramming back into the truck before turning away from it and driving pass it. Amethyst looked out her passenger's side window, unable to see the driver through the truck's tinted windows.

Garnet drove pass the four cars.

"And riiiight..... here! Stop the car!" Garnet turned the car to the side and pressed down hard on the breaks and the vehicle stopped abruptly. "Everyone get out!"

Steven pushed his self up from the floor once more as everyone jumped out the car. The doors slammed hard behind them.

Steven got up and opened his door. "Come on, Lion." the dog jumped out and he jumped out after him and pushed the door behind him. He ran towards the Gems as he turned the ring towards the inside of his hand, then he pressed the bracelet down on his other wrist. Five long, pencil point thin braces came out of the bracelet, taking each tiny, pink, flat disc with them. The braces stopped at his nails and each jewel stopped at the knuckles of his fingers and thumb. 

"It'll be four on five." he heard Amethyst say. "We'll just have to get the fifth one afterwards.." she growled.

The trucks looked to be slowing down their speed-

"Looks like they're slowing down." said Amethyst. "They'll either stop and get out.. or speed off again. Stay close to the car. If they speed up, then we'll have to jump back in and follow them." 

Garnet and Pearl nodded.

The trucks were slowing down more-

Steven stood at the end of the line, watching the trucks come towards them.

"Wait a minute.." Amethyst looked down towards Steven and Lion. Garnet and Pearl followed her eyes. "Talc!" Steven looked at her. "Get that dog to use that bark! That should destroy their vehicles!" 

"Uh.."

_Hopefully this doesn't kill them or injure them badly.._

"Okay.." he turned his hand over and pressed the gray button on the end of his bracelet. "Lion.. bark!" he pointed.

The dog looked at his hand, then at him, wagging his tail.

"Uh.." he looked at the Gems.

"What's the hold up?!"

All five vehicles stopped in front of them. 

"I uh.." he scratched his hair behind the mask. "well I never taught him how to speak." 

Amethyst growled. "Of COURSE you didn't!!"

Lion stuck out his tongue, staring at Steven and happily wagging his tail.

The trucks stayed in front of them.

"Stand by.." Amethyst held her whip up.

Garnet held her gauntlets up and Pearl kept her spear close to her.

Steven, reluctantly, double tapped on his index finger. A bright pink shield activated in front of him.

_Hopefully he wouldn't have to hurt anyone.._

The four stood there.. waiting..

.. and waiting..

.. and wai-

The five trucks started backing up fast away from them.

"They're getting away!!" 

The Gems ran back into the car and Steven double tapped on his index finger, deactivating the shield as he and Lion followed after them. 

He opened the door "Floor it, Garnet!!" and Lion hopped in. Garnet was already speeding off before Steven could jump in. He hollered as he held onto the opened door and the side of the car. His legs kicking in mid air.

Amethyst jumped to the back of the car, ignoring the boy hollering out the side of the car. 

"Let's see if this'll work." she took the fronts out of Lion's mouth. "Garnet! The windshield!" 

She pressed a button on the steering wheel and the glass began to slide down into the car bringing in air into the vehicle. 

Steven managed to put a foot on the side of the car. He tried pulling the door in with one foot still hanging out and behind him.

Amethyst was climbing up the dashboard. She held a hand on the edge of where the windshield was. She pulled herself up to the hood, crouched. She fanned the gadget in a futile way to get rid of Lion's saliva and she put the fronts in her mouth. She let out a growling bark.

Nothing happened.

She did it once more.

Nothing.

She took the fronts out of her mouth. "I guess it doesn't work like that!" she jumped back inside and jumped to the back of the car.

Steven was just pulling his self into the vehicle. Letting out a sigh of relief as he yanked the door closed.

Amethyst put the fronts back in Lion's mouth and picked him up under her arm. "Come on, dog." she climbed to the front and back up the dashboard and on the hood. "Come on! Woof, woof, dog!!"

Lion looked around the area as wind rushed into his face. 

Amethyst let out a more "realistic" bark.

Lion looked at her.

Amethyst let out an exasperated sigh. She tried making a "realistic" howl.

Lion looked at her, tilting his head.

Amethyst howled again.

Lion lifted his head up, howling. Nothing was seen coming out, but the front top of the car disintegrated into pieces.

Amethyst grinned. She howled again.

Lion howled along with her.

"Gotta look down.." she mumbled.

Lion continued to howl and she pushed his head downwards, the last bit of the howl leaving his mouth.

An invisible force pushed all five trucks forward as the materials of the trucks cracked into pieces or crumbled inwards. Tires burst open as glass shattered every window and parts of the streets cracked open. "There we go!! Stop in the middle of them!"

Garnet sped the truck up a few yards and stomped on the breaks. "Everyone! Choose a truck!" she let go of Lion and jumped off the hood.

Steven pushed his self off the floor and pressed the gray button on his bracelet, turning of Lion's gadget. He opened the door and got out. 

He watched all three Gems jump into any shattered part or gaping hole in the trucks and heard gunshots within the vehicles.

He groaned.. not wanting to go in any of the two trucks..

Five men began to squeeze through the cracks of one truck and start running down the street.

He followed after them and heard Lion's flats as he jogged down and jumped off the truck and followed after him.

Steven double tapped on his index finger and the shield activated in front of him. He slid the shield off his arm.

_Five shields.. five guys.. _

_Just throw each shield at each one and stun them-_

Three arrows flew pass him. Two arrows hitting one man in his back and one hitting a second guy in his head.

The two fell to the ground and he turned around to see a slim figure in a light purple jumpsuit. She was free falling. Bow and arrow in hand. She pulled back on the bow, launching another arrow towards the men and in one swift movement, clipped a one inch metal piece from her belt, squeezed it, the piece turning into a full sized arrow and she pulled it back on the bow and launched it. She landed on the ground just a few yards from Steven. One hand on the ground and the other spinning the bow in front of her. She stopped and stood up, taking another one inched arrow from her belt.

_Who the heck is that?!_

One arrow had hit the third guy in his neck and the other hitting the fourth man.

One man was still getting away. Two of the henchmen dead with the other two slowly dying.

_Uh..... uh.._

He ran back, going for the other truck, _if_ the guys hadn't left yet.

Whoever she was, it looked like she had it all under control and that she was on their side.

Or.. at least an enemy of the men in the tuxedos..

He saw one man fleeing from the turned over truck. 

He was about to throw his shield when he saw a rope wrap around him right as an arrow had struck the side of his head. He looked back to see the person running up fast towards him.

He held in a scream and picked up his place, going pace the truck to see Amethyst holding on to the whip. She pulled it towards her, bringing the man in. 

Steven heard noise coming from the truck and jumped to the back of it, holding onto the edge.

Amethyst was pulling the arrow out of the man's head. She looked at it as Garnet hopped out of her truck. Moments later, Pearl. 

He looked inside and bullets started flying towards him. He screamed and turned around, pinning his back to the truck.

A few bullets fired out before ceasing.

He panted.

"Get in there, Talc!! Get them!!" Amethyst ordered. 

He panted some more.

_Come on, Steven.. you can do this.._

The person was jogging up to them and the Gems looked up at her-

He held the shield in front of him and turned back around. Bullets began firing out and pelting off of his shield. He stepped in-

And immediately saw..

Four innocent bystanders ropped up with duck tape over their mouths. They sat there quiet with absolute fear in their eyes.

Three men in the tuxedos stopped their fire, seeing that bullets was of no use, to their surprise.

Steven kept the shield in front of them. A glare to his face as he stood in front of the men.

He cleared his throat and softened his expression with a, "Hey.. I uh.. well it appears that we.. are after you guys?" the men began to whisper to each other. "But.. I figured, you know, maybe we could ta-"

One of the men lunged after him, tackling him down while the other two ran pass them and out the truck.

"There's two more!!" Amethyst said from outside. 

Steven kept the shield in front of him as the man pinned him down. He took a weapon out of his hand and Steven quickly realized it was a destabilizer.

He brought it down on Steven's shield and he yelped. He held the shield close as he shut his eyes.

He heard the sound of electricity crackling, but nothing else happening.

He opened his eyes slowly to see the destabilizer pressing down on the surface of his shield. 

Steven looked on in shock.

_It's.. not effective.._

The man lifted the gadget up, confused. He moved slightly out the way and brought it down towards Steven's side. 

He screamed and tried moving out the way.

The destabilizer hit his shirt.

Nothing.

Other than the weird tickling sensation on his ribcage.

He brought it down on Steven's jeans.

Nothing.

He looked at Steven through his white shades.

Steven looked up at him. 

_Wait, but how isn't.. but Amethyst's jumpsuit couldn't withstand it.. so why-_

He nearly gasped. _The pink diamond essence.._

The mysterious man got off of him and without saying a word, ran towards the gaping hole and jumped out. 

Steven leaned up. "Whoa.. so that just happened.." 

He turned around and the bystanders jumped.

"Hey, don't worry, don't worry." he double tapped on his index finger, deactivating the shield. "I'm not going to hurt you." he whispered. 

He walked up to the first one. A young teenager with blonde hair into a ponytail. He crouched down beside her and began untying the ropes from her hands. Then across her thighs, then her ankles. He raised his hand up. "Sorry." he grabbed the edge of the duck tape. "One.. two.. three." he ripped the tape off her mouth and she yelped, grabbing her pained face.

"There we go." he said with a smile through his mask.

"Thank you.. thank you so much."

He went to the second person. A middle aged man with braids going down to his back. He began untying the ropes from his wrists. "Um.. if you don't mind me asking.. how did this happen to you?"

"I wish I could tell you.." she said. "But I don't know. One second I'm walking down the street to work and then suddenly I felt extremely tired before passing out. When I woke up, I was in some empty room with them." she pointed at the three others. "The guy in the suits told me that we were going to be apart of an organization of some big plan. He didn't tell us what it was but he said we would be working for someone and that we would be meeting her tomorrow."

Steven went to the ropes across the man's thighs. "And.. did they say who she was?"

The woman shook her head. "They just said she was a very important lady and that she would be looking forward to meeting with us."

Steven untied the men's ankles. "..And apart of an organization.." he said aloud. "They mean _them?_ Or.." he wondered. 

"I don't know. They didn't tell us a lot."

"One, two.. three." pulled the tape off the man's face and he grunted. "I don't know what these guys want with us." he started. "I don't know what happened either. Just like her, I'm minding my own business sitting on my porch and then I felt this little pinch on my neck. I felt groggy. I didn't know what was happening. Thought I was having some kind of heart attack or something. I tried getting up from the chair and that's all I can remember. Then I woke up in a room."

Steven was untying the ropes from the young woman's hands. "..Weird.." he looked to the woman, then down at the two. "I wonder what this is all about.." 

"I'm wondering the same thing!" said the man and the teen nodded. 

Steven untied the ropes from the woman's thighs.

Something heavy fell into the truck and he turned around to see Amethyst. 

The girl screamed and Amethyst pivoted around to her. "SHUT up!" she held her whip in her hands. "Or I'll _make_ you shut up. for _good."_

She held her hands up to her mouth, panting into her palms.

Amethyst turned her attention back to Steven. "What's going on here!"

He got up quickly, leaving the rope on the woman's ankles still tied and he held his hands up in a placating manner. "Amethyst!" then he pressed the voice changer on his mask. "I was just.."

"Helping.. these people!!" 

"No! I was just getting information from them!"

"What!!" then she realized what he'd said. "Information?" she kept her voice hard. "What kind of information?"

"They got kidnapped." he explained. "They don't know what happened to them. They just remember passing out and waking up in some room."

She turned to the two hostages. "What room!"

"I don't know." said the man and the teen shrugged as she shook her head. Still speechless and frightened to see a murderous Crystal Gem in front of her.

Amethyst growled and looked back at Steven. "What else!" 

"They were told by the men that they were going to be apart of an organization. They have something big planned-BUT" he quickly answered. "they didn't say what. The only other thing they told them was that they were going to see some lady tomorrow- and they don't know who."

Amethyst narrowed her eyes at him, then glared at the group in front of her. "That's. it?" she said sharply.

He nodded his head. "Yeah."

"That's not enough information.." she shook her head, snarling. "Some ORGANIZATION?! WHAT DO THEY MEAN SOME ORGA-" she stopped. Remembering back when they were at the arcade.

That one particular young man that she was interrogating..

_"I'll ask you. ONE more time." Amethyst whispered. "What. do you know?"_

_"I.. I just know.. that when they kidnapped me.. they told me that I was apart of an organization. And that they have something big planned for the whole world!"_

_"What plan?!"_

_"I don't know! They said that once I pass my probation period, that they would tell me everything! But, the only thing I know.. is that I was assigned to the group to get that guy over there." he pointed his trembling finger at Onion who was running over towards Steven. Amethyst looked back at the teen, glaring at him. "They kidnapped him too about a month after me. It was my job to keep watch and I failed! He took my popcorn and ran off and, and it was all my fault!"_

Amethyst could feel herself tense up, the more she this guy back on what happened just weeks ago.

Steven and the hostages looked at her, wondering what was going on with her as she stood there with a tensed, grimacing look on her face. 

_"I KNOW you're hiding something else!" Amethyst tightened the rope. _

_He gagged. "I.. okay! Okay! Please.. the last thing I know.. Is.. is that I was recruited by a very tall woman with blue eyes with diamond contacts and light blue hair! When I woke up, it was her and some little girl with her. I couldn't really see her face.. Her hair was over her eyes and she was nearly hidden from the woman's robe."_

_It can't be.._

_Amethyst's heart began to race. "The woman! What else was she wearing!! Did she have any jewelry on!?"_

_He looked up, shocked. "Y, yes! She had some kind of emblem on her chest.. But I couldn't see the whole thing." he shuttered under Amethyst's glare. "The top part was a point.. And.." he tried to think of what else was on the piece of jewelry._

Then it was those audio clips that Peridot had found..

_ "Pearl. When you killed the main one, you managed to take out that tiny, black object shaped like a tooth." Pearl nodded. "It wasn't a tracker." Peridot clarified to the group. "But a recorder."_

Then Peridot had them listen to the clips..

_ **"Pearl. How are the experiments coming along?"** _

** _"I talked to Benitoite." _ ** _the light, child voice replied back. **"She says that while a small group has had little to no side effects-"**_

_b>"What are the side effects?" her voice cut in abruptly. Serious. Harsh._

_ **"Blotchy skin and or ear disfiguration, my Diamond."** _

_There was a slight sound of fabric as if Yellow Diamond had leaned up in her chair. **"Continue."**_

_ **"While a small group suffered little to no side effects, two people have perished. The first one-"** _

_**"Like I care about who perished. Good riddance." **a beat later. **"I will simply send a few of my Topazes to get more people."**_

_ **"Yes, my Diamond. I will contact them for you."** _

Then the second clip..

_ ** "Now, tell me Pearl. What is the current status of CL001?"** _

_ **"It is still inactive, though growing more by the day."** _

_ **"Did Onyx tell you how long it will take for it to reach at one hundred percent?"** _

_ **"She says approximately two and a half months, my Diamond."** _

_ **** _

_ **** _

_**"Hm.." **there was a full four second pause. Whether her attention was on something else, they didn't know.** "Then, is there any way to speed the process up? I would like to get rid of those Gems once. and for all."**_

_Amethyst snarled down at the watch._

_ **"No, my Diamond. Onyx told me that doing so may ruin the process. The incubation period is very delicate. Messing with it now will do more damage than good and could prolong the process even more."** _

_**"Mm.. very well." ** there were three claps from her hands. ** "You are dismissed. Away with you."**_

_ **"Yes, my Diamond."** _

Then.. Peridot had them listen to Yellow Diamond listening to the fight _at_ that arcade..

_**"Hm.. They were fighting Blue's incompetent group." **said Yellow Diamond._

_**"Yes, my Diamond."** said her Peridot. **"And it seems like they may now try looking for Blue Diamond, now that one of her servants had broken the seal and told two of the Crystal Gems about her recruiting him and planning something."**_

_**"I am not worrying about that." **there was a couple seconds of silence.** "You see, it is very, **_ **very _difficult to find Diamonds."_** _ they could practically hear that grim smile creeping into her voice. **"It is near impossible, if not**_ ** impossible._ to find us. No matter how, so-called "smart" their Peridots are."_**

_It was Peridot's turn to glare at her watch._

_ **"They are still clueless and they will ** _ **remain _clueless. They only know about her recruiting them and now, they are dead. They do not know what she is planning. What _I _am planning." _** _ the woman continued. **"And they are not strong enough. With Rose." ** there was a pause and a strain in her voice. **"gone. And with that Lonny nowhere to be found, they are useless. All of them."** the light sound of fabric moving as she moved in her chair. **"The Diamonds have already won. The Crystal Gems, without them even knowing, are already, no more."**_

Amethyst was snarling at this point.

They watched her clenching her teeth hard against each other.

She looked up and they jumped.

"We've known it already about the men in the tuxedos being in cohutz with the D-" she stopped and looked at Steven. 

He didn't need to know.. 

It was _only_ between her and the Gems.

"Too bad we didn't know this before." she hissed out instead. "We could've followed them somehow.. see where they would've taken them.." she looked back at Steven. "Talc. Out of here. Now. We're leaving them here."

"Y, yes Amethyst." he jogged pass her and out the gaping hole in the truck.

The woman fixed them a terrifying, chilling glare. "Now. I'm going to let everyone here live. ONLY because I want to see if the men in the tuxedos will target any of you again. BUT if _any_ of you say anything. _Anything_ about me keeping you alive, if word gets out that I let you live.." she pulled her lips back in a snarl. "I'm personally coming for you and capping you between the eyes.." she hissed. "You got that?" they nodded their heads silently. "Good.."

Steven was outside with the Gems and the.. mysterious person talking to them. The woman using her voice changer as she talked about her mission just a few days ago, which he could now assume she was a Crystal Gem like them.

And the woman kept talking..

And talking..

And.. _talking_..

".. nd so we had to use the basement door to get in while _also_ trying to not set the alarm off." 

Amethyst jumped out the truck behind them.

"So we had Bruneau Jasper lead us in first because she's really good at finding alarms and-"

"Opal, shut up. And give us some space. I have something that my group needs to know." Amethyst walked up to them.

_What?!?! That's Opal?!?!_

The girl smiled, even giggled through her voice changer. "Yes, Amethyst." she took a few steps away from them.

Amethyst waved her hand forward, signaling her to move back some more. The woman complied and moved back more. 

Amethyst waved her hand forward again. 

Opal took more steps back and smiled from a few yards away. 

Amethyst wasn't smiling. She nodded at Opal and turned to Steven. "You too, Talc. It's only between us. Back up." 

_This is JUST like when they go to the meetings with Peridot.. Why can't I listen when I'M a Crystal Gem too?!_

Even if he _did_ hate being one..

He backed up as far away as Opal and Amethyst fixed him a stare before going back to the group in front of her. "Talc found some hostages in there." she pointed to the truck behind her. "Apparently they had been kidnapped and were being taken to either Yellow or Blue Diamond. That means that the two of them are still getting things done for their "plan"." 

Pearl raised her hand.

"What, Pearl?"

She lowered her hand back down. "But.. we don't know their plan yet. Or at least not Blue Diamond's. If I can remember correctly, we only know that those men at the arcade was under her authority but they're all dead now. And we barely know anything about Yellow Diamond's plan. Just that she has an experiment that requires more people and the CL001 experiment." 

Amethyst nodded. "We need to get closer to these guys. We need to find out more about them somehow. But we're getting closer. I can feel it. The more they show up and the more we fight these guys, somebody else will break just like that guy did. And we'll get our information then. But for now, we'll continue doing what we're doing-" the teenaged girl had stuck her head out the gaping hole to see if the close was clear and she saw the Gems. Garnet and Pearl had looked right at her and she quickly pulled her head back inside as Amethyst turned around to look. Their boss turned back around. "We'll continue doing what we're doing, like trying to get information out of these guys." she gestured to a dead body just a few feet away from them. 

They nodded.

"I should also give Peridot a call to see if _she_ has anything new for us." 

They nodded once more. 

She took a step away from the group. "Alright." she said aloud. "Opal. Talc." 

The two started walking towards them when they heard the sound of a loud motor. They turned to see another white truck coming towards them. 

FAST.

"There's more!!" Amethyst yelled.

The truck closed the distance between them and sped pass them. 

"IN THE CAR!!" Amethyst started for the Inkas armored limo. "OPAL YOU TOO!!"

Everyone else followed after her. 

Garnet and Amethyst hopped in the front seat and Opal jumped in before Pearl as Lion and Steven jumped in on the other side. 

Garnet pressed down on the gas.

Opal took out the one inched arrow from her belt and pressed on it. She climbed to the front. "Maybe I can take out their tires." 

"Go for it." Amethyst growled.

Wind blew widely into the truck as Opal climbed out the hole of the windshield and on to the hood. She placed one knee down, the other leg with her foot planted firmly on the hood in front of her. She appointed the bow down and pulled the arrow back. 

She let go.

The head of the arrow hit the tire and the arrowhead cracked under the impact. "Oh shoot.." she frowned as she lowered her bow. "I knew it wouldn't work on the actual car, but I didn't think the tires would be just as sturdy. Maybe if I try to hit the tire at a different angle and maybe stretch the bow farther and-"

"Aaaah, I should've KNOWN it wasn't going to work!" Amethyst yelled. She climbed to the hood and pushed Opal. "Outta my way." the girl slid on her side across the hood, quickly catching on to the edge of the inner hood.

"Whatever. I'll just JUMP on the car then!"

"But.. how would you even get in?" Opal asked. She half pulled half pushed herself up to a sitting position. "Once you jump on the car, there's no way you'll be able to get in unless they roll the windows down which I doubt they'll do or if you somehow have a weapon of gadget that'll break a hole into the vehicle which we don't have." Opal.

Amethyst growled but didn't say anything.

Garnet kept the speed up, directly behind the truck as it neared a main street. Cars were seen driving by in front of them on a street perpendicular to them.

"Opal's arrows don't work!! BULLETS don't work!!" she shouted. 

"It's weird, right?" Opal asked. "It's a wonder how they got their trucks and uniform so strong." the Gems were quiet. Knowing the answer to that. "Sometimes my arrows work on their uniform and sometimes they don't. As if some of them have cheaply made uniforms. Hm, I wonder why. I can't imagine us doing that. The Peridots would never cut corners. That's why they're the best. That's why it's unbelievable that we can't get pass their trucks or even their weapons-" 

While Opal was jabbering, Steven was wondering if his shield would be able to do any damage. 

Opal's arrow was of no use.

But then again, it didn't have pink diamond essence in it.

Even Gemtech Bullets didn't work.

But again, the bullets didn't have any pink diamond essence in it.

And his shield kept surprising him over and over again..

Maybe this would be another ability his shield would be able to do?

_Hmm.._

He looked up at the front. 

Opal still yapping away and Amethyst extremely annoyed behind her mask.

The two holding steady as Garnet swerved pass multiple cars and trucks as she continued to keep up with the vehicle in front of her.

Honks, tires screeching and the sound of cars were around them.

"..nd this is a pretty dangerous and strong authority. So why can't we get into their vehicles or-" 

Amethyst let out a growing, exasperated sigh. "We GET it, Opal!!"

Steven got up and shakily made it towards the front.

Pearl glared at him but didn't say anything. If he gets in trouble because Amethyst didn't order him to move, then that's on him.

Garnet cut the wheel and Steven flew towards the side of the car and to the floor as Garnet sped into another lane. She crashed into the side of a car as she followed the vehicle down another street.

"Heh.. that's what you get."

He got up slowly to a sitting position, looking at Pearl as she narrowed her eyes down at him.

He _really_ didn't have time for her attitude right now.

He ignored her and pushed his self over and on his knees. He crawled, bobbing left and right towards the middle of the two front seats.

He placed a hand down and pulled himself up.

". onder if Mr. Wascoite would know why? Maybe we should ask-"

Amethyst turned her head. "Yo, Talc!" she'd cut Opal off. "What are you doing?" 

"I-whoa!" he slid into the side of Garnet's seat. "I.. wanted to see" he pulled his self up and began climbing over. "if my shield could work." 

"Are you kidding me, Talc?! If Opal's arrows or even BULLETS don't work, how do you think some SHIELD of yours would?!" 

"Uh.." he wobbled on his hands and knees. "well maybe-" Garnet hit a speed bump and his body bounced up. He came back down as she made another sharp turn to the left and he flew over, hollering as he slammed into the passenger's door and falling flat on his face. His legs above him and leaning on the dashboard. He turned his head slightly to the side, groaning.

Amethyst shook her head growling into her mask as she rubbed at her forehead through the material. "You _still_ have a long way to go.." she grumbled. 

Steven groaned more, pulling his legs back and dropping them to the mat of the floor. He grabbed at the edge of the seat and sat down in it, trying to regain his balance-

Garnet and Pearl looked at him in shock and Amethyst's mouth dropped before a snarl came to her lips. "Get up!"

He jumped up and Garnet swerved into another lane and he fell into the door.

"You do _not_. sit. in _MY_ seat!!"

"S, sorry Amethyst. He wobbled on his feet.

She glared at him.

"I didn't know, Amethyst.. I'm sorry."

She kept her glare on him for a few moments later before she said, "See if that stupid shield of yours can work." she snapped. "Humor me."

He nodded stiffly and double tapped on the nail of his index finger. The pink shield activated in front of them.

He jumoed up and slid on his stomach onto the dashboard and through the whole of the windshield. Air rushed into his nostrils and burned his eyes. 

He slid the shield to his hand and turned over to a sitting position. He jerked and bounced as Garner continued to swerve into lanes, barely missing or hitting the side of cars.

He pushed his self up more, keeping one hand against the hood, trying to keep balance as best as he could. 

He turned his body and angled his wrist.

He turned back, snapping back around as he let go of the shield.

They watched the shield slice through the air and towards the truck.

The edge of the shield made impact, crashing through the tinted windows and through the front windshield.

"No.. WAY!!!" Amethyst turned back around. "Throw another one, Talc!! Shatter the whole windshield!!!"

The car was bobbing left and right, zigzagging to prevent another hit. 

He quickly double tapped on his middle finger and threw the shield and doubled tapped on his ring finger. 

The shield crashed into the corner of the windshield.

Just as he was about to throw a third shield, the car turned down a street. Garnet was quick to follow it and she turned the wheel sharply. 

"Whoa!" Steven's hand slipped from the hood and he screamed as he slid down the car. The scream cutting of incredibly short as he hit something. He looked up to see Opal's face. He leaned up. "Uh.. thanks?"

"No problem, Talc." she smiled. "Man, you would've been far behind us if I wasn't there-"

He ignored her.

Maybe he shouldn't had been nice and said thank you..

Now he started something..

He pushed his self up and threw the shield at an angle. 

It flipped up and the surface of the shield smashed into the windshield between the other two holes, making a hole big enough for someone to jump thro-

Amethyst held the whip tightly in her hands. "I'm going in." she took a step and they saw two guns point out from the hole. The men began firing out. 

Steven screamed and turned over, his butt up in the air as he kept his bare arms in front of him. He could feel the bullets bouncing off his back and butt and the back of his legs.

"SHUT it, Talc." Amethyst snapped. "Crystal Gems don't scream in fear!" she and the rest of the Gems, say for Garnet who already had on her glasses, pressed the side of their mask. Two lenses slid down from their eyes.

"And I'm STILL going in." she growled. "Garnet! Get me closer!"

The woman pressed down on the gas.

"Heeeeere we gooooo.." Amethyst whispered.

The front of their bumper crashed into the vehicle and Amethyst ran down the hood and jumped off, ignoring the bullets coming at her. She held into the edge of the windshield and pulled herself up just as the bullets ceased. She climbed in as one guy grabbed her and pulled her in. The second guy going for her legs. She twisted her body to the side, bringing her legs up, kneeing him in the face as she pulled her upper body up and turning around, slamming the man into the other- 

"I'm going in too." said Opal. Steven was slowly pushing his self back up. He saw her run down the hood and jump and unlike Amethyst, the woman went straight through the hole and with ease.

_Wow.. she's as agile as Pearl..-WHOA!!_ Garnet swerved into another lane and he slid to the side of the car and barely grabbed into the inner edge of the shield. He screamed as Garnet raced the car down the street. 

They saw four men. Two jumping out on each side back door and rolling into the ground, one getting hit by an incoming car. The other one barley being missed by it. 

"This is our chance!" said Garnet. She stopped the car abruptly and Steven flew forward and landed hard into the street. 

There was a sound of a loud horn and he looked up to see a tractor trailer coming his way. He screamed and pushed up and backwards, back crawling away as the huge truck zoomed by.

He panted, watching the truck zoom up the street before turning his attention to his left. Pearl had their two spears. The first hitting the man in his neck and the other in his head.

She tackled the second guy down as cars swerved pass them. One car steering pass and hiring a lamppost.

Steven got up steadily to his feet and looked to his right. He saw Garnet, gauntlets in hand, going after the third man. 

He turned around, seeing the fourth one still on the ground. The driver was slowly getting out of his car, still hesitant to get near the man in the tuxedo and white shades..

Lion was climbing out of the whole of the windshield. His flats clicked across the hood. He jumped off and jogged to Steven. 

The driver door opened and a man was thrown out from the car. Amethyst lunged out of the vehicle and threw her arm out. She slammed into him, bringing her elbow hard into his throat.

Opal jumped out the car and into a forward roll as she somersaulted across the concrete, bow still in hand. She flipped over to her feet as the man lunged out for her. She dodged with ease and pushed off with her feet, tackling him to the ground before pushing up with her hands into a rising handspring and back to her feet. She twisted back around as he got back to his feet. She took a step and he threw a punch. She dodged it as he threw another. She dodged it. Every punch she dodged with little to no effort. The man lunged for her and she bent her torso backwards and kicked her leg up, kicking him in the chin. She landed on her hands and pushed up and landed crouched to her feet. She held the bow in front of her. He went in for another lunge and Opal, still crouched, pushed off the ground into a short tumble roll, dodging another attack and right as he was coming back towards her with another punch, she raised her bow up stopping his hand. She pushed up with her arm, pushing his hand away as she twisted her body to the left, swinging her leg up into a split and hitting the side of his face hard with her boot. 

He fell to the ground and she stood there, waiting for him to get up.

_Whoa she's.. she's pretty flexible and fast.._

_AND strong.. _

_Maybe I should stay on her good side.._

_Lest I end up like him.._

_Good thing she's always in a good, cheery mood-_

He heard the driver who'd hit the man in the suite yelling out for the guy. He looked over and saw the tuxedoed person running away, the daze now gone from him.

_Oh no! I can't let him get away!_

He ran after him, double tapping on his index then middle, then ring finger. The small pink discs snapped back into the knuckles of the braces.

Lion was right by his side running with him. 

He double tapped on his index finger and the shield activated in front of him.

He slid it down to his hand.

_Okay shield.. hopefully you don't hurt him too much. _

_Maybe just a little stun to knock him off his feet.._

The man was running farther and farther away from him.

_How is he so fast.._

_I'm so.. SLOW!_

_I won't be able to get any closer.._

_Might as well throw it now._

He turned his body to the left and threw his arm out and let go of the shield. 

The edge of the shield hit the man in his back and he stumbled forward. 

_Got him!_ he gasped. _Oh no!_

The guy was already getting back up. 

Steven kept after him. 

Amethyst saw Steven running after him, the an far ahead of him. "He better NOT let him get away!!" she dropped the driver, now dead, onto the street. "See if we can get some information out of him!!" She ran after him, passing Opal as she yanked her bow from her guy's throat. 

Opal ran after her. 

Pearl ran across the street to the other side and after them. 

Garnet saw the tuxedoed man running pass and Steven running after him. Amethyst, Opal and Pearl following after him. 

She joined, running after the man, leaving the one she fought, unconscious on the grass. 

The guy cut down into the woods and moments later, Steven cut through the woods after him. He double tapped on his middle finger, activating another shield. _Let's see if I can get you down again.._

He threw the shield, and it hit the guy in his shoulder. He stumbled slightly, slowing down his speed.

He turned around to a pink shield forming in front of Steven as he kept towards him.

He picked up speed as he looked around. Looking for his opening.

He felt something hard hit him in his back and he fell forward from the impact. He slid across the mud. He got back up and turned around. Steven and the Gems were gaining on him.

Steven, with Garnet just a few feet behind him. Opal having passed Amethyst and running closer towards the two as she took out another miniature arrow. Amethyst running yards behind her with Pearl just a few feet behind.

He got up to his feet, immediately noticing two oak trees to his left. He slid on the mud, quickly getting back to his feet.

"We got him now!!" Amethyst yelled.

The guy ran to the side, cutting through the bushes and running pass the two oak trees.

"Now where in the world is he going?" Opal asked. She pulled the arrow back and measured the distance, pointing the arrow head a few yards in the direction he was heading towards and let go.

The arrow hit him in his neck and he hollered out, grabbing his neck as he fell to the ground.

"Now THAT'S what I'm talking about, Opal!!" Amethyst cheered.

_Okay.... this girl is _too_ good.._

_I_ definitely_ need to stay on her good side.._

Steven ran into the bushes, looking for the man as he heard bushes rustle behind him and twigs snapping as Garnet caught up to him. More rustling and leaves and twigs crinkling and snapping underfoot from the rest of the Gems.

They each looked around as they walked through cautiously. 

Amethyst held her whip in her hands. She whispered, "Now where is he.." 

"Over there!" Garnet and Opal said over one another. They ran pass the three.

"Heh.. boy ya gotta love being tall." Amethyst retorted.

Garnet and Opal ran up to him, Opal already with a new arrow pulled back on her bow, ready for any sudden movements from him.

Garnet steadily and cautiously crouched down to the man. She pushed his torso and held her gauntlets up in front of her to block a potential strike. 

It never came.

Lion came over, sniffing the body. 

Cautiously.. Garnet clipped a gauntlet to her belt and grabbed his arm.

Nothing.

She checked his pulse.

Then let go of his wrist. 

His arm fell back to the ground.

"He's dead." said Garnet.

"Crap, Opal!! We wanted to take him down! Not.. KILL him!" 

Opal eased the arrow from the bow and lowered it. "Tch.. oh man.." she twisted her lips up in a pout. "I knew I should've pointed the arrow farther up.."

"Great! Just.. GREAT! Now we'll NEVER know if we could've gotten an information from him!"

"..Maybe it'll make you feel better thinking that he wouldn't?" Opal shrugged her slim shoulders.

"OPAL!!" Amethyst yelled. Right as she was about to yell out a wave of choice words at her, they heard a low rumbling motor just yards in front of them. 

They looked up to see a vehicle. 

It slowed down to a stop.

"That's probably where he was trying to run to." Amethyst whispered, glaring at the vehicle between the trees. "Let's go check it out." she walked through the thick foliage and towards the black vehicle nearly camaflouged in the darkness of the night within the forest.

The Gems followed and Opal raised her arrow back and raised the bow up in front of her, keeping a keen eye out for any sudden movements. 

They walked closer.

"I think I hear something." Opal whispered.

They listened in, but only heard the low rumbling of the engine and the police sirens and the sound of ambulances behind them.

"Here what?" Amethyst asked. She took out another whip, getting herself more prepared as they approached the vehicle.

"Like talking.." she whispered. "Or maybe the radio? Or.. someone's phone?" then she wondered. "Or maybe even a t.v or an ipad or-" 

"TCH TCH!" she hushed her sharply. She tried listening in. 

"I don't hear anything." she whisper shouted.

Opal smiled and said giddily with a chuckle. "I have good ears." she looked at the tinted windows on what they could now see was a limo. "It sounds like they're listening to the sports station."

They looked up at her.

"What? It does." she nodded. "Sounds like Cricket."

Amethyst stepped out the bushes into the clearing and on the side of the limo just yards in front of her. 

The Gems stepped out after her.

And they waited..

Just waiting to see what would happen..

Would they fight?

Or try to get away like the others in _flight?_

Opal gasped. "They just turned the radio off." she looked at the black windows just as the car suddenly turned off. "But I don't hear anyone saying anythi-"

Six men dressed in black suits and white shades stepped out of the limo at the same time. In unison, they each closed their doors and pulled out a destabilizer from their belt with their left hand. They pressed the button on the weapons and electricity began to crackle at the top.

Garnet grabbed her other gauntlet and held both hands out in front of her, Pearl held her spear up, Opal held her bow up, arrow pulled back and Amethyst held her two whips in her hands.

Steven double tapped on his pinky finger, activating his fourth shield, joining the four of them at the end of the line with Lion right beside him.

Silence.

.. Silence..

_Silence.._

Amethyst stood at the front. 

Just waiting for them to strike already.. or say something.. _anything_..

But they never did.

Why..

The men simple stood there.. looking at them through their shades with complacent grins on their faces.

She couldn't take it anymore. 

She let out a deep growl. "Why don't you guys just... SAY SOMETHING ALREADY!!!" 

Silence..

.. and complacent grins on faces..

"YOU HEAR ME!!"

It'd happen so quick to them. The man bringing his hand up in a quick motion, pressing on the side of the weapon. The head of the weapon jutted out with a thin wire attached to it. 

It hit Amethyst.

Electricity zapped through her jumpsuit and she hollered out, feeling the shockwaves through her nerves.

"Amethyst!" they shouted.

She fell to her knees, shouting out, her hands clenched to the whips as her muscles spasmed throughout her body.

The piece was pulled off of her jumpsuit and she heard a smug laugh above her. "How's _that_ for saying something, luv?"

She felt the spasms in her neck. She steadily pulled through it, lifting her head up despite the pain. She pulled her lips back, feeling the twitches in her face as she snarled up at him. 

Garnet, Pearl and Opal took a step towards them and the men held up their destabilizers towards them. 

They stopped.

"Heh. Don't be coming any closer." the man spoke up again. "Don't want to end up like _this_ example here." 

Amethyst glared at him, grunting as her muscles continued to spasm. 

They stayed in their spot with their weapons still raised. Opal still with her arrow raised and her bow held behind her head as she slowly scanned the crowd for an opening..

"Any more sudden movements and you'll end up like her. You got it?" he looked at the Crystal Gems in front of him. The head of the destabilizer clipped back into the weapon and held closely in front of him. 

Opal's eyes stopped at one particular man. Farther to her left and towards the front of her. He was standing in front of one other tuxedoed man. 

She could see one tiny spot of unconcealed skin between his glove and his sleeve. The glove not being tucked in all the way-

Eyes shielded from her shades.. she kept her eyes on the spot-

"Looks like you managed to kill our men." he smirked. "How about that." he looked at Amethyst, slowly pushing herself up. Her body shaking as she tried to keep her balance. He looked to the rest of the group. "Then I guess we'll have to kill all of you too-"

Opal let go of her arrow and it pierced through the man's wrist. He screamed out, holding his hand and dropping the weapon as the five men pushed the buttons on their destabilizers. The heads of them shooting off and towards the area she was standing. The girl already twenty feet up in the air and launching two more arrows.

The Crystal Gems dispersed, say for Amethyst still getting her bearings together.

"Get them!!" he yelled out. He and the men began retracting their pieces back to the destabilizers.

Garnet and Pearl jumped overhead and behind them. Garnet going to the right of the group and Pearl to the left. 

Steven stayed on the ground, _not only because he couldn't super jump like the Gems.._ but also because there was one particular guy coming right towards him-

He held in a yelp as he held the shield up. 

Lion started growling. 

"Lion, sit. Whoa-!" The destabilizer came down on the surface of the shield. Electricity crackled.

The tuxedoed man looked at the destabilizer on the shield, confused. 

He took a step back just as Steven threw his shield at him. The surface of the shield hit his shoulder.

He barely budged.

_Uh oh.._

He quickly double tapped on his thumb, activating his fifth and last shield as the man threw the destabilizer back down. 

  
  


Pearl dove away from the man's destabilizer. She rolled on her side and popped back up to her feet as she threw her spear. 

The spearhead hit him in the chest.

And cracked under his uniform.

She looked, wide eyed, at the pieces falling from his chest. 

He went in for a punch with the destabilizer in hand, ignoring his bloody wrist on the other. 

  
  


Opal was hiding within the trees and on the tallest branch up fifty feet in the air.

The man was steadily climbing up towards her.

She saw Amethyst barely jumping out the way and landing down hard on the ground. Her knees buckled, still feeling the effects of the destabilizer.

The tuxedoed guy was walking up to her with the weapon crackling with electricity.

"Don't worry, Amethyst.." Opal whispered. She took out a miniature arrow and pressed on it. It snapped out into a full sized arrow and she placed it on the bow and pulled back. "I got him for you.."

Her guy was steadily climbing up. The destabilizer held securely in his hand.

She blew a breath out and slowly began breathing in. She angled the bow downwards and slightly to the left. ".... almooost..." she waited for Amethyst's guy to step into the line of target.

Her guy stood up on a branch and leaned his back to the tree. He almost slipped and had to grip both sides of the tree.

The head of the destabilizer was coming towards her and she jumped out the way and landed, buckling slightly. She raised her whip up.

He took a step, unknowingly stepping into Opal's mark.

She let go of the bow and it hit the man's jumpsuit, right where his jugular was. 

The arrowhead cracked upon impact. 

He looked up at her.

She gasped.

Amethyst tried going in for a lunge whioe he was distracted and he looked back at her, raising the destabilizer towards her and she jumped out the way.

"See!! That's what I mean!!" Opal yelled from the tree. "SOMETIMES my arrows work like how they worked earlier on those_ OTHER_ guys!! And SOMETIMES they don't!! Like right now!!" she heard crackling underneath of her and looked down to see her guy just two branches down from her. He pressed the button on the destabilizer and the head pieces shot towards her. 

She back flipped across the branch, dodging the piece. The branch wobbled under her pointed toes. She jumped back, falling downwards and she grabbed the branch and turned herself towards him. 

The man was pressing the button on the destabilizer, bringing the piece back in as she flipped her body upwards, going up and back over, doing one full swing around the branch before letting go. Throwing her leg out.

The piece clipped back into the destabilizer right as she kicked him in the face. The momentum pushing him off the branch and sending him to free fall back to the ground. 

Opal kept the bow in front of her as she reached for another miniature arrow. The man landed hard on his feet as she landed daintily on her feet. 

He went in for a lunge and she pointed her toes up and leapt away, dodging him.

  
  


Garnet threw a jab, punching second guy in the face. He brought the destabilizer up as he stumbled. The weapon missing her completely. She saw an opening, throwing her leg up in a high kick, hitting him in his neck. He dove shoulder first into the mud. 

The first guy she'd punched into a tree got up, growling. He shot towards her and jumped up. She took a step away and went in for another jab when he ducked down and dodged it. He thrusted the weapon up, going for her midsection and she brought a gauntlet down on the arm as she took a fast step to the left.

The second guy was pushing his self up from the ground. 

  
  


Steven was still fighting the tuxedoed man. 

Or more so _dodging_ him since he wasn't throwing any punches or kicks like the rest of the Gems were. 

He'd only kept close to his shield as he blocked the man's attacks. 

Lion sat there, still half sitting and obeying Steven's order and half growling at the man fighting him. 

"Hey..uh.." he took a step, still getting hit with the man's leg. 

He was pushed back and stepped back down on his main foot as another leg was coming after him. He threw the shield out to his side, blocking the kick, but being pushed by the force of it. He fell back into the grass.

The guy was already coming up to him.

Steven got up to his feet and held the shield up in front of him. "We don't have to do this." 

He ignored him, throwing the destabilizer down, this time much harder, using it more so as a weighted object than using its electricity. 

There was a sound of a crack and two lines formed along the sides of it. He lifted the destabilizer, looking from it to glaring at Steven. 

He lowered the object and went for a full tackle, running into Steven full force. 

Steven's arm buckled in and the shield was pushed back, smacking into him as he flew back towards the ground, sliding a few feet across the dirt.

The man was already coming for a jab towards his head and by reflex, he lifted the shield up to block the hit. The man curved his other hand down, jamming the destabilizer into his gut, sending only but a massaging sensation on his midriff.

He looked down at the destabilizer, then at Steven's face.

He went for a punch to Steven's stomach and he pushed the shield down, blocking his hit. 

He went for another punch towards Steven's chest and he lifted his shield up and pulled his legs back as the man used his other arm to throw in another punch, hitting Steven's leg. 

Steven straightened his legs up, kicking him in the face. The man only moved slightly as Steven tried pushing his self up to his feet when he was tackled again to the ground. 

"Sorry I'm fighting you." Steven began. He blocked another hit that slid him farther across the mud. He grunted, trying to block more of his hits. "But I don't want to." he was too slow to block a hit, having blocked a left hook to the ribs and putting his whole right side open. The man swinging his fist and hitting him on the side of his face. He flew to the side and landed hard on the ground. He panted, turning back around to barely block another potential blow to the stomach and his fist slammed hard into the surface of the shield. 

He barely made a grunt of pain..

"Maybe we could talk about this?" he barely blocked another hit. "Come on.." he panted. "You don't want to do this.."

He blocked another hit that made his arm buckle and the shield pushed into his face, springing his head back and hitting the ground. He winced, wanting to grab the back of his head.

"You're trying to antagonize me? Is _that_ what you're trying to do punk? Think you're all that?"

"What?! No! I'm not antagonizing-" another block. "I just think this will all go better if we just talk." 

He went in for another hit that Steven barely blocked. "I have _nothing _to say to you." he threw a kick to his side and Steven threw his shield down as he brought his fist down to his chest. He pulled his shield up, the man's fist clipping just the edge of the shield and hitting his chest with half the force. Steven grunted out.

"But.." he took in a shallow breath. "Maybe we could settle this-"

He leaned into Steven's face. The pink shield in between them. "You _can't_ make me talk."

His breath was hot against the shield as he took shallow breaths. "I just don't want to keep fighting you guys.."

A grin spread across the man's lips. "Heh.. _you_ have _no_ choice.."

Steven looked over at the Gems fighting..

Garnet.. Opal...Pearl.. Amethyst..

The four of them still fighting while not trying to get shocked.

_Why do we have to fight so much.._

Amethyst side flipped away and she landed back on her feet, her limbs nearly back to normal. She threw a whip up on a nearby branch and hoisted herself up and landed on the branch as he was bringing the piece back into the weapon.

Steven tried getting back up when the tuxedoed man swung hard with his arm. He knocked Steven towards the canine. The boy groaned and Lion stood up, growling.

"Lion.." 

The man was directly behind him. 

The dog lunged up. 

"Lion, no!" the man hollered out in pain as the fronts tore threw his suit jacket. He grabbed the destabilizer with his other arm. 

"Lion!" Steven got up-

The weapon touched the dog's pink fur. 

Lion seemed immune to it, still thrashing his head and tearing the man's skin. 

"It.. doesn't effect him either.." he whispered to his self. He threw the shield as hard as he could. 

He lifted the destabilized from the dog's fur, still perplexed with it not working when the shield slammed into his face. He stumbled only a step back. 

"Lion, sit!" he quickly double tapped on his thumb and fingers. 

Lion let go and sat down as the man went in for a grab with one of his arms. The other bleeding profusely with two large flabs of skin hanging of the meat. 

That gave Steven goosebumps and he started feeling pain in his own arm. He tackled the man and he barely budged. The guy pushed him and he fell over lion. The canine moved out of the way and taking that as another sign to attack. He snarled at the man and jumped up, tacking both paws onto his shoulders and biting his neck.

The man hollered out and raised his arm above his head and flung the destabilizer onto the dog's side. There was a sound of a snap and the lines grew deeper into the device as three new lines formed across it. 

A pink shield activated around Steven's arm. "Lion, stop! Uh, sit!"

The dog let go, revealing a torn jumpsuit and a bloody neck. Bits of meat were in his teeth. 

The man took a few steps and stopped. Trembling as pain shot throughout his arm and neck and as blood soaked his jumpsuit. 

"Lion.." he whispered.. "No.." he frowned at the man trembling and weaving in front of him.

The dog ran up to him and stood by his side. 

Now a good few feet distant from the man he ran his hand across his arm, activating a bubble around them. 

They watched as the guy took something out of his pocket. He pulled out a gray piece of material resembling an ace bandage. On one side, they could see a clear gel substance on it. He began wrapping it around his arm, wincing and holding in his screams as he clenched his jaws tightly. He smoothed the fabric across itself, sealing it close before taking out another ace bandage the same size. He placed it on his neck and flinched. He smoothed the fabric down.

He shook slightly, feeling the hot burning on his opened wounds. 

"I'm.. soo sorry about my dog. I-" 

He snapped his eyes open at Steven. Rage filling his features. 

Steven took a step back, despite being in the bubble. 

He ran towards him, holding up his destabilizer. He started to throw the weapon down when he thought twice about it. 

He stopped and lowered the near broken device down, not wanting to take any changes. 

He glared at Steven through the pink bubble as Lion growled and barked at him. 

  
  


Amethyst jumped from a log, dodging the destabilizer. She threw her two whips at him and managed to wrap the the ropes around his arms. 

He pointed the device towards her whips and pressed the button. The head of the device bit onto the ropes and the electricity fried through the ropes, the material in tethers as it fell to the ground. 

_"WhaAT?"_ Amethyst hissed out. She looked at him, snarling, despite of what she was truly feeling.

The complacent grin came to his face again. "Heh.. you know what?" he took a step and she pulled out two more whips. "Let's us just end this already." he jumped up and landed in the middle of the fights. 

"Men!" 

Garnet had just kicked the first guy into the side of the limo. He got up quickly from the hit.

Everyone looked at their boss.

The smug look only spread more across his face. "Let's fuse." 

The Gems looked at him in shock as the five jumped away from them.

"Don't let them fuse!" Amethyst yelled. She and the others ran with Steven running up in his bubble from afar.

The six of them raised their destabilizers up and the Gems stopped. 

"Not so fast." the main one warned them. 

They glared at him and he chuckled. He began to back up and they did the same. The weapons still held straight out and in front of them. They continued backing up until their shoulders were touching the other- 

A huge, bright flash of light engulfed them and shot up into the air as the light spread out to a massive size. 

Steven gasped, looking at the light as it began to form into-

There in front of them was a gigantic version of them. A forty story tall man with a black tuxedo and white shades. A gigantic crackling destabilizer in its hand. The weapon having a few small cracks in it. One arm wrapped with the gray ace bandage with the other ace bandage sealed across the neck. One of the wrists still bleeding slightly from Opal's arrow from earlier.

He cracked it and smiled, ignoring the shot of pain as he feigned smugness and keeping the ferocity about him. "Now then." the voice was deep and gravelly. "Time to get rid of all of you."

Opal jumped into the air, clearing the height of its shoulders. She fired off two arrows towards the patch on his his neck. 

"NOT _this_ time!" he swung the destabilizer up and the arrows disintegrated in seconds within the electricity, the weapon still being swung towards her and slamming into her. She hollered, getting shocked as she was batted away. Her body knocked through the trees and disappearing within the forest. Only the faint sounds of her hitting the trees as she flew far away from them.

"Opal!" Steven shouted. He looked at the darkness of the trees.

"Next!" 

Steven turned around to see the giant swing the destabilizer down, smacking the Gems hard. He heard there screams as electricity shocked through their bodies as they flew far through the trees and disappearing into the forest. 

"Oh no!!! Guys!!" 

He heard laughing behind him.

He turned around and saw the destabilizer coming towards him. 

"NO!!" he double tapped on his index finger and held onto Lion. The shield directly in front of them as he felt the weapon collide hard with the bubble. 

More cracks formed across the weapon as the bubble shot through the forest. Steven was airborne inside of the bubble as he felt every tree smash and crack upon impact.

He hit the side of the bubble, only seeing black and the dark leaves of the trees. 

The bubble smashed into a few more sturdy trees as it lost momentum, reaching the ground.

He pulled Lion in front of him, holding the dog close to his stomach as he braced for impact.

The bubble smashed into a boulder, cracking it before making impact with the ground, crashing into the dirt and sliding across the ground, making a huge, deep divet. The bubble absorbing the impact, causing Steven's back to absorb as much as a huge slap to the back. 

He wasn't hurt. 

He laid there. Panting with eyes dilated and sweat sliding down his skin. 

He looked at the pink bubble above him. Pristine. 

_..It.. wasn't effected.._

He felt a tongue across his chin and noticed he had Lion still in his arms. He gasped. "Lion!" he eased his tight hug off the canine. "Sorry for crushing you like that. Are you okay?" 

The dog crawled up and started licking his cheek. He laughed. "Okay, okay. No kisses." he giggled. He pat him on the head. "Glad to see you're okay, boy." he felt Lion's tail hit his thigh as he wagged his tail.

Steven leaned up slowly, leaning back on his elbows. He looked to his left, then to his right. "I really hope the Gems are okay.. They could be anywhere. They got hit pretty hard.."

Lion licked his cheek again and he giggled and pat a the dog's head again. "Come on. Let's try to find them." he pushed his self up and Lion leaned up to a sitting position on his waist. "Come on, Lion. Let's go." he gently nudged the dog off of him. He stood up to his feet and double tapped on his index finger, deactivating the shield. 

He began to jog back towards the clearing. 

He cupped his hands to his mouth. "Amethyst!!" he shouted. "Garnet!! Pearl!!" he looked around, trying to see anything through the darkness. Bushes obscured his vision and trees loomed over him. 

He jogged farther down.

"Aaaaamethyyyyst!!!!" 

"Gaaarneeet!!!" 

"Peeeeaaaarl-!!!"

He saw a flash of bright white light just off in the distance. 

"Oh no!! The tuxedo men!!!" he picked up his pace and Lion kept up with him. 

"AAAAMETHYYYST!!!" 

"GAAAARNEEET!!" 

"PEEEEAAARL!!!-" 

He heard a loud, thunderous roar above him and he jumped and looked around.

He didn't see anything. The looming trees obscuring the view above him-

The ground shook underneath his feet.

He looked around himself. 

It didn't sound animal like.. but in the woods, it could be _anything._

And he didn't want to be caught by whatever made that sound..

Being inside a bubble or not.

He ran through the bushes, seeing the clearing and the back of the limo just up ahead-

A large teal boot came down in front of him and he stopped and Lion slid, running into the bubble, unseen by Steven. The boy standing still and watching another foot come down in front of him. 

He heard another roar. Angry.

"Is that another Giant Tuxedoed Man?!" 

The uniform was different than the black suit pants and dress shoes-

The humongous figure was walking away, making the ground shake with every footstep.

With a shaky, nervous breath, he finally found the nerves in his legs to make him move and he started for the clearing once more. 

"YOU THINK YOU CAN DEFEAT ME!!!" he heard a loud and deep, rough female voice.

He made it out the clearing to see an extremely tall and muscular woman above him. The woman even taller than the Gaint Tuxedoed Man.

"Wait.. that can't be.." 

He watched the giant walk away from him.

"Amethyst!! Garnet!! Pearl!!" he said quickly as he ran towards the fusion.

The robot looked back. 

His breath was lost, completely snatched away as he saw the terrifying face of the fusion.

"It's... it's you guys.. I, I mean.." he swallowed, trying to keep eye contact. "You three.. fused.." he whispered.

"We're taking them down.." and Steven almost recoiled. He'd been looking at the small mouth on the fusion's face but didn't realize a much bigger, _scarier_ mouth with sharp teeth was just beneath it until it talked. The small mouth kept closed.

He nodded stiffly. 

"R.. right."

The fusion kept the ferocious look. The large mouth curled up in a feral snarl. 

It turned back around, trying to ignore the muscles still spasming from the electricity and began walking steadily through the forest, bulldozing over the trees and crushing them underfoot.

Steven stood there. 

Shocked.

_Is.... is that..._

He tried remembering what Miss Lee told him that night.

_Aletenmyte..Alextrite...Almanite..Al.._

Then he remembered..

"That's.... that's Alexandrite.." he whispered in both fear and awe of the enormous fusion and chills ran down his spine. 

He'd finally saw the menacing, colossal fusion between the three.. 

And he quickly noticed the fusion heading back towards the city..

And right.. towards.. the fish restaurant where Connie and her parents were..

Fear gripped at his heart and his heart began to race faster in his chest. 

"Connie.." 

His flight response kicked in and in just a split second he felt himself dashing across the field, passing the limo and up the clearing towards the city. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just as a refresher, the memory Amethyst had with her talking to that new recruit/ man in the black suit was in 「Chapter 82: Trying to take action」. She interrogated him before she had Pearl kill him.
> 
> Another refresher, 「Chapter 145: Another visit to the GemTech building」 was when Peridot had them listen to the audio clips.
> 
> ~~~~~  
Oooookay. Stay tuned for the rest of Fusion Cuisine! :)


	203. The Fighting Fusions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The rest of the eight chapters of Fusion Cuison!  
Another extreeeeeeeemely long, huge dinner of a chapter 😛

Steven was just about to enter the other side of the forest when he stopped, panting as he thought of a plan. 

"There's no way.." he panted. I'll get.. there in time." 

Then he thought..

He turned around to face the limo.

_Maybe I can.._

He ran towards the vehicle and swiped across his bubble, deactivating it. 

_Oh I hope they left the key in here.._

_Wishful thinking.._

He checked the door. 

Locked. 

He sighed. "Sorry.." he whispered and double tapped the nail on his index finger. The shield formed around his arm. He brought his arm back and threw it down, smashing the shield into the window. 

Glass shattered into the car with bits of it falling into the grass in front of him. He felt around for the lock, running his hand along a few pieces of glass and plucked the lock open before pulling the door handle.

Lion was about to jump in when Steven stopped him. "Wait, Lion. I need to get rid of this glass first." he said, completely forgetting about the doggy flats. 

He used the shield to scrape the glass off the seat and into the ground. Some of it falling into the mat. 

A few scrapes across the seats from the shield and he deactivated it and picked Lion up anyway, afraid that he might've missed a few small pieces in the seat. He climbed in, ducking his head in as he did. 

He placed Lion onto the passenger's seat and closed the door. 

He looked at the steering wheel and the dashboard in front of him. 

_Uh.. Now how do I.._

He looked down, looking for an ignition piece _and_ a key.. and came across a round silver button just beside the steering wheel. The word **ENGINE**, directly underneath it a white line and the word **START** and underneath _that_, the word **STOP**. 

"Hmm.. well that's self explanatory. Start engine." he pressed it. 

The car didn't start up 

"Awww, no! It's NOT self explanatory!" he whined. 

He took out his phone, practically _feeling_ each second tick away and slip away from him. 

"How to.. start up.." he spoke as he typed out quickly, some words being spelled incorrectly from his fat thumbs hitting a different letter. "a car um.. with an engine start button." 

Multiple videos popped up and he clicked on the first one. 

The video started for a split second before an ad about Outback Steakhouse came on. He clicked his teeth. "Come ooon!!" then he looked closer. "Uhg!! And I can't even SKIP it!" 

".. ere at our Outback Steakhouse, you can have our fresh steak specials." The Aussie said in a very compelling, enticing voice. The food looking even more delicious in the video as the steak was shown being thrown over a grill. Someone's hand came into the video as the steak was sprinkled with seasoning. "Try our juicy steak over roasted salted green beans-" Steven looked around, trying to find a key or perhaps something _else_ that would start the car up. He looked down from the steering wheel and down to his side to see another round knob with the letters, from left to right, **P, R, N, D ** and in the middle of the letters was the letter **M**. Beside it, a small black and silver device. 

He picked it up and looked at it. 

The small black device had five silver buttons placed vertically on it. The second button being circular with the rest of the buttons having a rectangular shape.

"Maybe I have to use this?"

The video began to play and he looked at the screen of the phone. A very upbeat, colorful intro came on. He sighed dramatically and pressed a finger a bit further down the line. ".. allowing the car to start up." said the voice. 

He groaned. "Went too far." he pressed a finger towards the start of the line.

".. called Intelligence Access with Pushbutton Start. With the key fob in your possession" the video showed the small device he was now holding in his hand. "you can both unlock your car and start the ignition. To start the vehicle, simply press and hold the brake pedal and press the Engine Start Stop button, allowing the car to start up. To turn it off-" Steven ignored the last part, quickly pressing on the first pedal to the left. He pressed the button and the car started up. "Yes! Okay.. now how do you move it?" he slowly and reluctantly eased his foot off the pedal, not sure if he needed to keep his foot on lever. 

He raised his foot up all the way and the car continued to run. 

He looked down at the silver knob beside him again.

He'd seen gear shifts with actual sticks that Andy would shift up or down. But here.. it was a silver and black dial..

He placed the key fob inside of a cupholder and grabbed the dial. He tried turning it towards the letter **D**.. because surely that meant 'Drive'..

The knob didn't budge.

"What?" he tried turning the other way. "How do I.." he picked up the key fob again. _Do I need this?_

The first silver button had a picture of an opened lock. 

_Maybe that's to unlock the rotary knob?_

He pressed the button and heard every door unlock.

He sighed. _Oor to unlock the doors.._

He looked at the second, circular button with a picture of a sealed lock, then the third rectangular button with a **2x** with a circular arrow going around it (which he had no clue what that meant), a fourth button with a **2X** inside of what looked to be a car with the trunk popped open and the last button having a picture of a red siren with sound wave lines in front of it.

He clicked his teeth and put the key fob back into the cup holder.

He pressed on the pedal to the right and the engine roared but the vehicle stayed in place.

Then he remembered..

_Oh yeah.. I had to press the brake pedal in order for the Engine Start button to work.._

_So maybe if I.._

He stepped on the left pedal and grabbed the knob. He turned it-_YES!_\- towards the letter **D**. 

The car didn't move and he slowly eased his foot off the brake and the limousine began to drift forward. 

He tried the pedal beside it, easing his foot on it and the vehicle picked up speed. "Finally!" he pressed down a bit harder on the pedal. "We got it!!" he drove the limo across the clearing and towards the paved area, right towards the area they walked through.

He drove through the already crushed bushes and trees.

Though he was mainly focused on getting to Connie, a part of his mind was on him driving for the very first time and driving in an _actual_ limo at that!

He had to ignore those two thoughts and focus on driving towards the city. He turned the steering wheel, wanting to avoid the bigger pieces of snapped and trampled trees and bushes. 

He pressed down harder on the gas and the limo shook and rumbled underneath of him. 

He heard another loud roar and saw the trees shake with the ground.

He was getting closer..

"Wow, Lion.. I can't believe they actually fused!" he turned the wheel to the left, avoiding a stump that hadn't been stomped on and crushed from the fusion. He turned right to avoid another bush that was also spared.

"I wonder how powerful they are."

He continued to drive down their path of shattered and trampled foliage.

He could see just a small bit of the street in the far distance.

He pressed on the gas, the young man not seeing the meter reach eighty miles on the dashboard.

He let out another sigh and grimaced. "Lion, I don't even know what I'm going to do when I get to them. I can't even fight ONE tuxedoed guy and now I'll have to go up against.. a fusion?!" he frowned. "How the heck am I going to do _that?"_

He was quickly reaching the end of the forest.

"And what about Connie? Is she and everyone else still at the restaurant? Are the cops even keeping track of all of this?" he asked Lion. 

The dog looked at him.

The street was just in front of him.

He slowed down, being wary of any oncoming traffic, which he'd honestly doubt the area would have at that time with what was going on.

He slowed down his speed as he drove out the forest and into a main street.

It was near dark. Just a lone light pole flickering across the street. 

The grimace and fear came back as he saw huge slabs of the streets pushed up in various spots. Deep cracks and holes filled the rest of the streets ahead and sidewalks. Trees, light poles and streetlights were crushed and shattered on the ground and wires hung low from tilted utility poles. Buildings and small shops were knocked down, while some had half of their foundation knocked down and crushed into rubble. The other side cracked and barely standing. 

"Connie!" he turned the wheel, driving pass cars that were crushed towards the ground. He didn't dare to look inside any of the crushed vehicles, too afraid of seeing any corpses and just hoping he wasn't possibly passing any one alive and in severe pain..

But the way the cars were crushed, he had a feeling nobody survived..

He tried to shake those thoughts from his mind as he swerved and weaved through the mangle vehicles and turned up cement and fallen poles.

He turned right and went up the street. He stepped on the gas as he drove pass more destroyed buildings and deep holes in the cement. 

He heard a loud voice roar out in the darkness. And he drove faster-

A huge figure crashed into the ground in front of him, sending vibrations along the street as the cement jutted up from the fusion's body. Light fixtures and trees were forced out of the ground and crushed underneath its head. 

Steven pressed on the gas and sped up. He gasped, throwing his foot on the brake pedal and slamming down on the metal piece. The limo screeched loudly as the vehicle propelled them forward. Lion was pushed up from the force and Steven let go of the steering wheel and held out his arm, barely catching the canine.

The limousine ran up on a pile of slabs and the vehicle bounced and rocked towards the colossal figure with a sudden, short stop just yards in front of it.

Steven sat there. His breathing raspy and his foot glued to the brake pedal. His arm frozen in place as Lion sat behind it.

Alexandrite was pushing herself off the ground with her two middle hands. The top hands out in front of her face to block any incoming debris. The bottom hands with two weapons held clenched in the fusion's fists. One hand holding a gigantic whip that was practically six times bigger than Amethyst's whip. The other one with a bow that was nearly three times the size of Fusion Opal's. 

The Giant Tuxedoed Man was in the air, coming in for a sudden landing with the destabilizer crackling in its hand.

Alexandrite pushed off the ground, revealing two crushed cars underneath.

_No.._

The fusion panted. She pushed up on her feet and summoned two gauntlets on her upper hands as the Giant slammed down where she once was. He turned around as she threw the giant whip around him, tying his arms to his side. Holding the whip with the bottom hand and her middle hand, she quickly held her bow up in front of her torso as her other middle hand pressed on the middle of her wrist. A large arrow jutted out from the small hole of the robot's wrist- 

The Giant flipped the destabilizer towards the whip and the material began to fry under the electricity.

Alexandrite put the arrow on the bow and pulled back just as the whip ripped apart in tethers. Steven gasped. The Giant pressed the button on the device and the head of the destabilizer shot out towards her.

She let go of the arrow and jumped out the way, pulling out another whip with her bottom hand. The arrow hit his chest and cracked into pieces. 

The head of the device snapped back into it and the Giant charged after her. 

Alexandrite jumped up and Steven got up from his seat and leaned over the dashboard and looked up through the windshield, catching the sight of the colossal fusion clearing a height much higher than he'd ever seen any of the Gems clear. The fusion clearing at least forty stories up in the air.

He realized movement in the car and looked towards him, realizing the car was coasting towards the huge crater in the street. He sat back down and stomped his foot on the brake pedal.

Alexandrite was reaching her peak, feeling the momentum start to slow.

One hand with a new whip and the other with the bow. Two top hands still sporting gauntlets. 

She took out a canister from her belt and spun it counterclockwise and a spear six times the size of Pearl's jutted out of the canister.

She was coming back down, looking at the Giant as he took his steps across the destroyed street and directly under her. He bent his legs and shot up from the ground, holding the destabilizer out.

Alexandrite held the spear up vertically and her top hands came down on either side of it. In a quick flash of white light, the weapon formed into a hammer. The head of the hammer was a light red-orange with both sides shaped like a fist pointing outwards. The two fists were joined by a grayish-purple rectangle with a black handle going through it. The base of the black handle had a red pommel with a yellow point coming from the bottom of it and the top of the handle just inches above the fists was a pink rose. 

Steven was looking up in awe, being mindful of keeping his foot on the brake.

_I've never seen that kind of Gem weapon.._

Alexandrite threw the hammer down and it rocketed towards the fusion. 

He raised the destabilizer up slightly. Completely unfazed by the gigantic weapon hurtling towards him as he flew up towards them.

The hammer collided with the device and electricity crackled through it, shattering it in seconds as he steadily made his way up towards the tired fusion- 

Alexandrite looked for an opening, quickly looking at a grove of trees to the side. The fusion threw the whip, wrapping it around the trees and pulling itself back down towards the ground, the trees snapping with the sudden, strong force and crashing into the ground-

Still soaring up, the Giant turned the device downwards and pressed the button on the destabilizer and the head of the device shot down towards them. 

It grazed just the ankle of the fusion, sending shockwaves throughout the the body of the robot.

The fusion screamed out, both mouths; the small one opened in a pained gasp. The one underneath of it wide open in a feral, monstrous scream. 

The bottom and middle hand clenched hard on the rope. The other bottom hand clenching hard on the bow as the limbs tightened around her.

The fusion smashed through a few trees and crashed head first into the cement, forming a deep crater along the street.

Steven saw the fusion.. not getting up..

"Oh no, Lion! They're hurt!" he shouted. He stared at the fusion. "I.. I don't know what I can do.. but I HAVE to try and save them!" he let go of the brake, not thinking about the car and the vehicle began to coast. He groaned and quickly stepped back on the lever. He looked to his side and looked at the rotary knob. "I guess I just.." he said hastily. He turned the knob back to the letter **P** and raised his foot off the pedal.

The car didn't move.

"Good." he opened the door as he saw the Giant land back down to the ground. "Lion, you stay here. This one is way too dangerous for you." 

The dog hopped on the middle compartment-

Steven held a hand up. "Noooo. Sit."the dog sat and he got out the car and closed the door. "Stay." he took a few steps back. "Staaaay." he started running for Alexandrite. The fusion getting shocked by the head of the destabilizer.

****

The fusion had laid there as the body spasmed. 

The head of the device was being snapped back into the weapon as the Giant began falling back down towards the ground. 

"Come on Gems.." Alexandrite grunted out in a growl. "We.. have to _get_. them." she lifted her head up weakly and placed her two top hands on a nearly crushed tractor trailer. She put her middle hands on the cracked street and used the four hands to steadily push herself up in a crouch on her quivery legs. The bottom hands still clenching hard onto the two weapons.

The Giant Tuxedoed Man landed behind her and she turned around slowly. 

He pressed the button on the destabilizer and the head of it jutted out of the device. 

Too weak to move fast enough, Alexandrite tried to jump away. The piece hit and pierced into her side. She screamed and fell hard to her knees. Her top and middle arms shook as the two pairs tried to hold her up.

"Alexandrite!! Alexandrite!!" they barely heard Steven calling the fusion's name within the crackles of electricity and the roaring screams. 

Steven saw the large mouth of the fusion extend as it continued to let out wails of pain.

_WhatcanIdo?! WhatcanIdo?!WhatcanIdo?!_

"Uh.." he double tapped on his index finger and the shield formed in front of him. He ran closer to the fusion as her arms slowly began to give out. The fusion steadily and shakily lowering towards the ground. 

_Will this even work?!_

_All of the other weapons didn't work against the fusion.._

He ran up a few more yards and slid the shield to his hand-

_But then again, their weapons don't have the pink diamond essence.. so... maybe this will work?-_

He stopped and twisted his torso to the side and bent his knees slightly. He eyed the wire of the destabilizer as he heard Alexandrite scream out in pain.

He angled his elbow upwards and took a step. He twisted his body outwards and stretched out his hand as he let go of the shield.

The pink shield flew towards the wire as Steven activated a second one. He threw it and activated a third shield.

The edge of the first shield struck the wiring and cut a foot deep into the cord. "What?" the fusion snapped coarsely. He turned just as a second shield hit and cut another part of the wiring. A third and fourth shield was coming towards the cord as Steven activated his fifth shield.

He pressed the button on the side of the device and the head of the cord snapped away from Alexandrite's side and she wheezed. Her large mouth stayed open as she gasped for breath.

The third shield had hit the corner of the head of the weapon, chipping a piece of it off as it clipped back into the device.

The fourth shield flew in between the two fusions and pass them.

The Giant glared at him.

_Uh oh-_

The fusion charged towards him.

Steven screamed and fell back.

The Giant Tuxedoed Man turned the device towards him. 

Steven ran the ring across the cement as the head of the device came towards him. 

He threw his arms in front of his face and peaked out from the edge of his shield to see the piece slam into the bubble. Electricity crackled all around the surface and he looked to his sides before looking down, to see the yellow energy surge underneath him. 

He slowly put his arms back down.

The piece snapped back into the device and the weapon was raised up by the glaring fusion. He brought it down and Steven threw his hands up, keeping his shield over his head and he crouched down.

The fusion had a quick thought as he remembered the already cracked destabilizer cracking from hitting the pink bubble earlier..

He stopped and slowly brought his arms back down as he growled out his frustration.

Seconds passed without so much as a sound or a vibration of an impact and Steven looked up, still holding his arms over his head.

The fusion glowered at him. "I don't have time for your stupid bubble." he hissed. 

Steven lowered his arms down from his head and slowly stood back up.

The fusion took two huge steps before a thick, purple whip wrapped around him. He turned his head and snarled at the culprit.

Steven took a step over and looked behind the fusion.

Alexandrite was holding onto the rope with her top hands. The fusion still extremely weak and slightly propped up on the elbows of her middle arms. The rope having been transfered from her bottom hand. The free hand now helping hold the bow. 

She leaned her face up and blinked slowly. Her jaws still opened as her mouth gasped out shallow breaths.

"Alexandrite!" 

"Looks like I'll get rid of this one too." he shimmied his arm up and pointed the destabilizer towards the whip-

"No you don't.." Steven swiped across his bubble and deactivated it as the electricity crackled through the whip.

He threw the shield and quickly double tapped on his fingers and thumb to snap the pink flat discs back to the braces of his knuckles.

The shield had hit the head of the device, chipping another piece off and he pulled the device from the near tethered whip and looked as Steven was throwing another shield. It cut threw one of the coils of the rope and cut a foot deep into the fusion's suit jacket.

_Uh oh.. didn't mean to cut the rope.._

Another whip was wrapped around him and he glanced back at the exhausted, panting fusion.

He brought his hand towards the rope and thought twice about it and turned his attention back on Steven. The boy was holding the shield behind him in a potential throwing stance. 

The Giant snarled at him. 

He immediately placed the destabilizer on the side of him and began running up the street. 

"Hey!" Steven shouted at the fusion. 

Alexandrite tried for just a split second of pulling her arms back to hold him back before she was pulled behind him. She used the rest of her energy to keep hold onto the whip.

Steven saw Alexandrite sliding towards him. The fusion's colossal body bumped and pushed her way between crushed cars, power lines and debris.

"Alexandrite!" he ran towards her as she turned up the corner. He jumped forward and barely grabbed hold of the fusion's belt as the two of them passed the limo and up the street. He'd bumped his chin on the shield in the process, causing his teeth to rattle against each other. A shot of pain went up his jaw and spread to his neck and face.

He tried to ignore the pain and deactivated the shield and began crawling up the colossal fusion's shirt. "Alexandrite!" 

She looked down at him. "Talc."

Steven stopped in mid climb. The fusion's mouth with her extremely large teeth and extending jaw was looking even more menacing up close.

"Uh.." he looked away, looking at the scenery fly pass them as the fusion dragged them along the busted street "W, what are we going to do?! They're heading for more of the city!" 

Alexandrite tilted her head up towards the fusion. "We have to get them." she growled.

"I know!" he whined. She looked back down at him. "But.. how?!" he ask, frightened.

They slowed to a stop and saw the ropes on the ground. The Giant brought the destabilizer back down. 

She growled under her breath as she tried getting up to her hands and knees.

"Whoa." Steven clung to her shirt as his legs dangled beneath him.

"That stupid.. DESTABILIZER!!" she pushed herself up to a crouched stand. She took a few shaky steps and watched as the Giant ran farther away.

Steven gasped. A weird thought immediately coming to his mind that just might work. "Wait, Alexandrite! You can use your arrow!" she looked down and tilted her head to the side to look at him. "You can tie a whip to the arrow! I'll sit on top of it and you can shoot the arrow towards him! Maybe I can tie the rope in him some kind of way."

She growled at him.

"Uh.. or.. or not-"

"A stupid plan that just might work." the loud, raspy voice bellowed. She quickly grabbed him up from her shirt with her top hand as her bottom hand handed the other top hand the bow. 

The second bottom hand already taking out a whip as a left middle hand pressed on the wrist. An arrow slid out from the compartment. She placed Steven just behind the head of the arrow as her two bottom hands began tying the whip to the end.

Steven felt himself being raised to the top hand and he began regretting his plan.

.. he was so far up..

The fusion trembled as she tried to pull herself up to a full stance, the ground becoming even farther away from him..

She took a deep, gravelly breath and raised her back up as she placed the arrow on the bow.

"Uh.. Alexandrite?" he felt the arrow being pulled back. "M, Maybethiswasn'tsuchagoodidea-" she shot the arrow. "AAAAAAHHHHHH!!" Steven clung his body to the shaft of the arrow as the area passed by in a blur of deep greens, gray and smeared lights.

His teeth clenched. The air blew into his eyes and rushed into his nostrils. 

The Giant was just up ahead as the arrow shot towards him.

_Oh.. why didn't I think this through?!_

The distance was closing in.

He screamed out again, sliding his self away from the head of the arrow.

The Giant was just in front of him-

He braced for impact as he continued to scream.

The arrowhead smashed into the Giant Tuxedoed Man's shoulder and shattered and Steven crashed hard into the man's jacket and there was an immense, dizzying pain and a feeling of his brain being pushed to the back of his skull and his bones popping up towards his skin.

The world around him spun and he was in a daze. 

The spinning continued and just a small glimpse of the present came back to him and he realized he was falling towards the ground. He screamed and stopped right as he got a sharp headache at the left side and back of his head. He grabbed for a piece of fabric beside him and halted his fall abruptly.

He was at the man's pant leg and just a few yards from his ankle.

More of the present _and the throbbing headache_ came to the fore.

He looked up to see the broken shaft of the arrow and the whip being left on the street behind them.

_So much for trying to tie it up to him somehow.._

He saw something moving up in front of him. He looked up and saw Alexandrite half power walking and half stumbling towards them. 

He turned around and started scrambling up the Giant's pants leg. 

Powering through the pain, Alexandrite continued her staggering pace. 

Steven was panting from his quick climbing, exerting his self to try and reach the gigantic fusion's shoulder. His headache even more prominent.

He looked up from the edge of the fusion's belt to see the rest of the back of the suit jacket. He sighed deeply and continued to climb up.

  
  


The climb had taken what felt like minutes.

Steven climbed to the fusion's shoulder and stopped and looked at the fusion. The Giant had his head straightforward, not noticing the boy. 

Steven climbed towards the front of the shoulder and peered down. The destabilizer was held right in front of the fusion's stomach.

Steven looked up.

The fusion still hadn't noticed him.

_Ookay.._

_Here goes nothing._

Steven clenched one hand onto the material of the suit jacket and double tapped on his middle finger. The shield activated and he tilted his arm downward and shimmied his arm. The shield slid towards his hand.

Carefully, he grabbed the edge of the shield as he tried to keep his balance. He raised his hand up and threw it.

The shield hit the body of the destabilizer, slicing a foot deep line into it. 

He looked up at the fusion. 

The Giant still hadn't noticed. 

He activated his third shield, looked to the front of the device and threw it.

The shield cut through the head of the destabilizer, cutting off a piece of the head. 

Another look at the fusion who wasn't paying attention.

Then another activation of another shield.

He tried going for the head of the weapon again and threw the shield. 

The fusion had moved his arm upwards and the shield slicedjust the bottom of the weapon.

Just one more shield left..

He double tapped on his four fingers to replenish the braces.

The destabilizer was covered in cracks in varying sizes.

_If only I can hit the same spot a few times.._

He activated another shield and right as he threw it, the fusion took a sharp turn, messing up his throw. He'd lost his balance along with the throw and slid towards the fusion's neck. 

The shield hit the Giant's wrist and flew in front of him. 

He looked down at the shield and stopped. With a snarl to his face he looked around and Steven tucked his head down. He quickly climbed behind the fusion's shoulder.

The Giant turned around to see Alexandrite far way in the distance. He narrowed his eyes on her.

He took his leg and stomped on the shield. He dug his heel down towards the ground and lifted his foot up.

A surprised look came to his face.

The shield laid there without any dents or even a tiny scratch.

He snarled again. 

Two tiny arrows were fired in front of him and he turned to his right. 

He saw nothing within the trees or on the buildings beside the grove.

Steven saw Opal up in the air, above them. The girl was coming down towards him. 

His mouth opened slightly.

She was alive.

He kept his mouth opened and was on the verge of saying something as she landed on the other shoulder, but he quickly figured doing so, would only result in her to talk..

Which definitely wasn't the time now.

She was signing something to him, but he couldn't understand.

He shrugged and kept his hands clenched to the jacket.

He saw her tilt her head to the side and he was imagining her raising an eyebrow at him.

She turned around and climbed towards the front of the shoulder. She took out two miniature arrows and shot the of then up and towards the front of his face.

She climbed and dove back over his shoulder as he looked down.

Opal was coming towards Steven. "You don't understand sign language?!" she didn't sound mad (as if the girl could ever be). She sounded more so surprised and shocked. "But you're a Crystal Gem! EVERY Crystal Gem knows various verbal and nonverbal cues! Morse code, sign language-!" 

"Opal." he cut her off. "What did you say just now?"

"I said we need to distract the fusion to buy them" she pointed at Alexandrite. "some time."

"Okay." he told her. "Right." 

.. even though he didn't know _how_ he was going to distract the fusion..

Opal grabbed a handful of miniature arrows from her pouch and climbed to the right of his side. She fired off two arrows to the left in front of the fusion and jumped off his shoulder. 

Steven watched as she landed on the street on the opposite side of the Giant and fired off two more arrows going to the right. She jumped away as the fusion looked to his left. 

She fired off two arrows towards the sky and jumped up to his belt.

The fusion snapped to his side and looked down, then looked behind him to see Alexandrite still far away from him but noticeably jogging now. 

Steven watched as Opal fired off two arrows to his left, jumped in front of him and shot two arrows, one on each side of his head, causing him to snap back around as she jumped back behind him and shot two more arrows to his side. 

_Wow she's fast..._

She jumped towards him and grabbed at the collar of the jacket. "Talc, what are you doing? We have to distract them. If we don't distract them then they won't be able to catch up and if they don't catch up then we might not have a chance in taking the fusion down and if we don't have a chance in taking the fusion down then-"

"Opal, I get it, I get it." he started climbing for the top of the shoulder. "I'll try destroying the destabilizer." 

_That's what I was trying to do in the first place anyway._

She smiled through her mask. "Great! Then we'll have a chance to let them catch up to us!" she looked up. "Uh oh." she jumped away and Steven looked up to see a hand coming down towards the shoulder blade. 

He gasped and climbed his way towards the collar of the jacket. He slid underneath of the flap and hid underneath of the collar. He poked his head out just a bit to see the hand sweeping left and right and up and down on the back and shoulders. 

The hand was lifting back off the back and Steven ducked back under the collar. He crawled towards the front of the jacket and poked his head out again. 

The destabilizer was in the other hand now, the weak one that Opal had managed to piece her arrow through..

He activated a shield. He took in a deep breath and threw it.

The surface of the shield smashed into the destabilizer, forming a round indent into the frame.

Arrows were flying around them.

Steven threw another shield. The edge of it had slid through another crack and sliced another foot deep within the weapon, making a longer crack along the frame.

_Yes!_

_Now if I can do at least two or three more of those.._

"That's it!!" The fusion yelled and Steven jumped and held his ears.

The voice was booming into his ear canals.

"You think I do not know what you are doing?!" he continued to look around for the culprit. Four more arrows shit towards him in different directions. "I know you are trying to stall." he looked to his sides. "If you want a fight. Then I'll _give_ you one." he pivoted around and saw Alexandrite now running towards him. "Let us end this." he smiled mischievously. "Now." 

Alexandrite ran towards him. Her boots trampling over crushed cars and shattered light poles

The Giant raised the destabilizer towards her and Steven activated another shield and threw it and activated his fifth one. 

The shield cut through the destabilizer as another shield cut just below it. 

The fusion lowered the weapon and snarled. "I see what you're doing!" he looked down at his shirt and began patting at his chest and shoulders as he looked around.

Steven panted, scared now. He climbed towards the edge of the collar by his neck and double tapped on his fingers and thumb.

He heard a roar from Alexandrite and felt the fusion turn back around. He could hear the destabilizer crackling in front of him. 

Steven activated his shield and stuck his head out to see the fusion swipe the destabilizer down towards Alexandrite. 

The fusion barely dodged the head of it. 

Steven threw the shield and it sliced a small edge of the device off. 

The fusion growled and Steven saw his hand come down towards his neck. 

He gasped and slid back inside.

He saw gloved fingers slid underneath of the collar beside him and he screamed and tried climbing up and out of the way when the hand grabbed him. He screamed louder as he was slid out from under the collar and raised into the air by one leg. 

He was face to face with the fusion's shades.

He screamed and failed his arms and leg around. His shirt slid down, showing his doughy stomach. 

"Now I got you." the fusion hissed. He threw him up in the air and Steven screamed. He caught him and held the boy in a tight grip. "Now you can't use that stupid shield or bubble of yours."

Steven tried moving his shoulders but to no avail. His head being the only thing not being crushed by the fusion's hand. 

_WhatcanIdo?! WhatcanIdo?!_

_My bubble.. I can't.._ he tried moving his wrists within the man's grip but couldn't. His fingers being the only thing brushing across the jewel on the ring.

The Giant raised the destabilizer towards him.

He ignored the small arrows hitting his glasses.

Opal landed by Alexandrite and the fusion took out a whip from her belt and threw it. 

The whip wrapped around the Giant's neck and he turned the destabilizer towards the whip. The electricity fried the material and the fusion pressed the side of the device. The head of the weapon came towards the two and they jumped out the way in opposite directions.

Steven grabbed the small jewel.

_Maybe I can activate it like.._ he pinched the jewel. _this..?_

He saw the destabilizer coming back towards him.

He twisted the jewel swiftly and at an angle, hoping to mimic the motion and he felt the ring pop off-

The fusion's hand snapped open with brute force and Steven was looking the destabilizer and the fusion's shocked then angered face through the pink tint of the bubble.

The Giant let out a frustrated, growling snarl as he bared his teeth. He turned around and threw the bubble like a baseball.

Steven was pushed back with the force. His back pinned to the bubble as he screamed. 

He saw a purple whip wrap around the bubble and he was pulled back. The sudden force pushed him forward and he head-butted the front of the bubble as he flew back. 

The Giant threw the destabilizer towards Alexandrite again and she jumped away.

The bubble came towards her and she unraveled the whip with her top hand and caught the bubble with the other.

The Giant Tuxedoed Man charged towards her with the destabilizer and Steven ran the band across the bubble, deactivating it and he quickly summoned a shield and threw it.

This time, the fusion moved the device away in time and the shield flew pass him.

Steven activated a third shield. 

The Giant glared at the two. Steven in Alexandrite's hand, then at the colossal fusion herself.

Opal landed on top of Alexandrite's shoulder and stood up, back straight and shoulders squared. One bow in her hand and two arrows in the other.

The fusion stood there, quiet.

"Just face it." Alexandrite's voice came out in a low, coarse growl. "It's over." 

The fusion's glare deepened.

Then a look of realization came to his face.

He started chuckling and they saw him dig into his pocket. "Heh. That's what all of_ you_ think."

Steven quickly noticed he took out an ace banaged. A similar gray material, except much bigger. The same one that guy took out and wrapped around his arm and neck.

Steven was already twisting his body in a potential throw as the fusion placed the material onto the destabilizer.

"He's trying to fix it!" Alexandrite shouted out.

Steven had thrown the shield and it sliced through the material easily and cut through the device.

Another snarl from the man and he turned and ran from them.

"We're NOT letting them get away!!" Alexandrite shouted. She threw Steven towards the fusion and he screamed as he neared the Giant's shoulder.

He smacked into the fusion's back, with not enough force like the time with the arrow, but enough force to rattle his brain again and to put more pressure into the headache he still had.

Having no choice but to ignore the migraine, Steven started up to the front of the fusion's shoulders.

_Okay, just.. go. _

_Just go to the weapon and go all out and break it._

He took a breath and tried pushing those "scaredy cat" thoughts of falling to his death or getting caught again out of his mind and he began climbing down the fusion's shirt.

The destabilizer was just a few feet from the fusion's chest.

Steven climbed towards his left and jumped to the fusion's arm. He climbed up and ran down the arm as he activated another shield. 

Alexandrite, with Opal holding onto the fusion's teal hair as she stood on her shoulder, was keeping just behind the fusion. One single bow still in hand.

Steven dashed down the wrist and jumped into the destabilizer. He immediately began to slam the edge of the shield into the material of the ace bandage. The material cut easily and he scooted up and slammed the shield into the same crack, making it larger. 

"You again!!!" the fusion's voice roared.

Steven turned around to see the fusion's angered snarl.

The Giant raised the destabilizer up in his hand and swung his arm out hard. Steven let go of the shield to grab a better hold onto the device. He groaned as he tried to hold onto the cracking frame of the weapon.

Alexandrite was just yards behind the fusion and looking at the Giant trying to fling Steven off of the destabilizer. Her bottom hand passed the bow to the second bottom one. The two hands pulled the device in opposite ways and there was a flash of white light before a spear and a whip was in either hand. She threw the whip as her left middle hand took out another whip.

Steven saw the whip wrap around the wrist and the arm was pulled back.

The Giant went to grab at his wrist with his free hand and Steven braced for his hand to get him, when a whip wrapped around his wrist and pulled the arm up over his head and back. 

Alexandrite yanked the two whips back, pulling both arms behind his back. 

The Giant grunted and his teeth scrapped together in pain. He tried pulling his arms back and Alexandrite took two of her right hands and grabbed hold of one whip and grabbed the other with her top left hand. She spun the spear clockwise and it snapped back in its canister. She clipped it on her belt and grabbed the whip with her bottom hand. She took a step back, pulling with all six arms.

Steven watched in astoundment for a few moments at Alexandrite's look of determination as she kept the fusion at bay before snapping back to the present.

He got back up to his knees and activated his last shield. He brought it down on the destabilize and cracked it more and more.

The Giant turned his head to him. "NOOOO!!!"

Steven ignored the yelling and his head throbbing in pain.

He slammed the shield down on the device.

The fusion tried pulling his arms and Alexandrite took another step and pulled him back. He took a step behind him.

Steven slammed the shield down hard once more and the destabilizer cracked in two and the electricity fizzed out. 

"It's destroyed!!" he cheered and threw his arms up in the air. He double tapped tapped on the nail of his thumb and he felt the shield disappear from his fingertips as it minimized back into a tiny flat disc on the knuckle of the brace. 

"You'll pay!!!!" the fusion shouted.

Alexandrite laughed smugly. She began unraveling her whips and Steven gasped and ran for the rope. 

He saw the whip unravel from the man's wrist and he jumped up, barely grabbing the end of the rope. 

He couldn't help but have a little smile on his face as he was pulled back towards the colossal fusion.

He'd managed to destroy the destabilizer.

_And_ this time, being flung through the air was pretty fun to him.

Alexandrite grabbed him with her top hand and placed him on her shoulder as she wrapped the whips back up with her bottom hands and placed the two whips on her belt.

Steven looked over and saw Opal still on her opposite shoulder and keeping a determined, sharp eye towards the Giant.

He turned his head forward and saw the fusion turning around slowly to face them. A disgusted, angered expression was on his face.

_"Now_ let's see you get pass me." Alexandrite challenged. She brought all six hands to her belt and took out three pairs of gauntlets and held all six hands out in front of her. "Strength on strength. Show me a _real_ fight." 

The Giant Tuxedoed Man glared at her from behind the shades.

The giant mouth underneath gave him an opened mouth smirk. A growling, near chuckling breath came out of it. 

He took a step back and Alexandrite advanced a step towards him.

He turned and ran up the street.

Alexandrite shot away from her spot and ran after him and Steven fell backwards and screamed as he grabbed out with his hands. He free fell pass her shirt and managed to grab at something soft. 

He looked at the teal colored hair in his hands as he panted. He looked up to see Opal looking down at him.

"Uh.. heheh.. I'm okay!" 

She shrugged and turned back around.

He sighed a breath of relief. "That was close.." he began climbing the hair as it shook and bounced with every head movement and running stomp from the muscular, colossal fusion.

"I thought you said if it's a fight I want, that's it's a fight I was going to get!!" she antagonized with a growling laugh. 

The two fusions ran down the street, turning down corners and crushing cars and trucks and planting heavy footprints in the cement of the streets.

Steven eventually made it towards her shoulder. He climbed from her hair and to her shirt. He climbed to the top of her shoulder and gasped. 

He immediately noticed the area he was in. 

"Connie.." he panted.

The expensive looking restaurant was just two blocks away from them.

Alexandrite quickly lowered her middle left hand down and put the gauntlet away and took out a canister. She flipped it counterclockwise and the spear flung out. She raised it up vertically as the Giant looked back. 

He turned the corner sharply, going directly behind the restaurant and she did the same, staying close to him. She brought her top hands to either side of the spear and in a bright white light, the weapons turned into a hammer. 

She raised the weapon behind her and Steven ducked down as the hammer came towards his head.

She threw her body downwards and let go of the hammer.

The weapon flipped towards the Giant and collided with the fusion's back.

He grunted out as he flew forward and landed hard into the grass. The ground shook under Alexandrite's feet.

She ran towards him as her left middle hand reached for a gauntlet. 

The fusion was already getting up to his knees. He coughed, trying to catch his breath. 

She stopped just a couple yards behind him and picked up her hammer with her top hands.

She stood there sporting two pairs of gauntlets and a hammer and waited for what he was going to do-

The Giant spun around and threw his leg up in the air, kicking Alexandrite in the stomach. Steven flew forward and fell off her shoulder. He screamed as he saw the ground rush towards him. 

Alexandrite had flown back a few feet and quickly popped back up to her feet. 

Steven screamed louder and shut his eyes as the ground came closer-

He felt a pair of arms grab his torso and he opened his eyes to see Opal. 

"Don't tell me you can't land either." she asked, confused. She landed back on the ground and set him down.

"Uh.. eheh.. well.."

She saw the fusion coming towards her and she gasped. "Look out!" she grabbed Steven with one arm and tucked him under her arm and flipped away as Alexandrite charged pass them.

The teen back flipped away and slid across the ground, sliding across the grass to a stop and dragging her hand across the dirt to help keep her balance. 

She stood up and set him down.

_Wow she's really strong-_

"You really have to be careful." her voice was light and endearing. "You could've fell to your death, or trampled by one of the fusions or BOTH of them. Or maybe something else could've happ-"

"Opal, I'm going over there." he pointed towards the fence. He started running for it before she could say anything else.

Then he turned his head around and gave her a, "And thanks for saving me!" and turned back around. 

She was right after all. He_ could've_ fallen to his death or had gotten trampled on. 

And she saved him. 

He couldn't forget that.

Steven stopped just by the fence.

His mind getting more and more anxious about Connie.

He looked back at Alexandrite throwing her hammer to the side of the fusion's face. The hammer cracked under the impact as the Giant flew to the side. 

_Hopefully they'll be okay.._

He began climbing the fence.

_They should be able to handle it now, especially without the destabilizer and with Opal helping them out._

_Hoopefully.._

He climbed to the top of the fence and stopped. 

He looked to his side. 

The Giant Tuxedoed Man tackled Alexandrite down. She used her two pairs of gauntlet hands to push the fusion away from her. 

He tried pushing his self forward as he reached for her.

Steven looked at the restaurant to the other side of him. 

He could only wonder what could be happening in there.. 

He looked to the fight to his other side. 

Alexandrite, still pushing the Giant away with her four hands, was bringing the hammer down on the fusion's head with her top hands. 

The cracks on the weapon split through the frame more from the impact and cracked into pieces. 

Alexandrite's snarl tightened. She dropped the debris and threw her top arms towards him and grabbed the fusion's shoulders. She twisted her body to the side and brought the Giant down hard to the side with her. 

Steven looked back at the restaurant. 

_But.. Connie needs me more._

_I need her more.._ he corrected.

He _needed_ to see if Connie was okay..

He swung his legs over the fence and climbed down. He jumped down to the grass and ran towards the bushes just on the side of the building.

Slowly and cautiously, he poked his head through the leaves and looked through the sliding doors and the glass windows.

He looked amongst the crowds and watched the policemen as they looked to be telling the guests instructions. 

Then his eyes panned over to a familiar face. A fearful and worried expression on her face as she stood between her parents.

"Connie." he said in a hushed tone.

He was relieved to see her still there and alive and unharmed. Though now he wasn't so sure what he could do exactly.

Not dressed as a_ Crystal Gem_..

He could hear ambulances and police cars in the distance.

He couldn't move.. practically glued to the spot as he looked at his Connie.. and wanting to be with her and to comfort her.

  
  


Alexandrite was rushing towards the Giant. All three of her left hands up in a jab as one right hand was up to block her face, the two bottom right hands out in front of her to block her midsection and any potential attacks from the fusion.

She threw the first punch --The fusion dodged to the left-- as the second punch from the middle hand came forward-- and he caught it--- the third one rammed him in his chest-- he stood his ground and threw a high kick out. She caught it with the top and middle right hand and pulled and turned him around. She kicked him in his back and he flew forward into the ground. 

Alexandrite was running up to him--he pushed up with his arms from the ground as he kicked his leg out--she grabbed the foot with her bottom hands. She pulled him and dragged him across the ground to the other side and let go-- he slammed his hands down into the ground and pushed his self to his feet and was met with a right hook to the face. 

He was knocked off his feet and down to the ground.

Alexandrite shot towards him-- the fusion snarled at her. He pushed back up to his feet and rushed towards the colossal fusios. She threw two left fists towards him and he blocked them with his arm-- as she threw two rght hooks-- he banked left and dodged them as two more hands from the bottom and her top hands were thrown towards him at once. He jumped a step back and blocked the bottom hands with his forearm as he ducked. He pushed up on the top hands with his other arm, forcing them over his head as he shot back up to a stand and bringing his leg up with him. Two arms were coming down to block her abdomen when his foot slammed into her stomach. The fusion was sent hurtling back. 

Alexandrite saw the fusion coming after her as her back slammed into a tree. It snapped in two from the impact and she got up and held all six hands up in the air. 

The Giant Tuxedoed Man stopped in his tracks and glared.

The two of them breathing heavily.

Each individual person from each fusion getting their energy practically sucked out of them. The fusion itself draining them of everything..

The six of the men each feeling the fusion start to weaken..

Amethyst, Garnet.. Pearl.. the three of them feeling the same as the colossal fusion stood its ground. Just a hint of becoming unfused came to the fore-

Alexandrite shot towards him as Amethyst kept them together. The fusion roared out her anger as she raised all six hands in the air-- the Giant charged towards her. He threw out hard, fast punches towards her face. Each one she barely dodged as she threw out her own jabs-- he blocked and lunged away from each fists and jabs. He pushed his hands outward and blocked four punches and stepped into the strike zone and threw one arm up. He uppercut the fusion and she stumbled back as he threw a jab to the jaw. She brought her hands up, going for a block when he took a step and threw out a side kick to the head. 

Alexandrite fell hard onto the ground. 

The fusion was running up. He dove down towards her-- she pushed off and barrel rolled to the side and popped back up to her feet as the fusion pushed off the ground and threw out more punches. 

Alexandrite snarled. Blood boiled and muscles tightened.

Each punch and jab she had to dodge made her more irate and anxious. Every punch _she_ threw out made her more eager more determined to take them down. 

To _kill_ them.

She let out another blood curdling roar that carried with the sounds of sirens and blaring horns in the distance.

Sharp teeth scrapped across each other and lungs grew heavy as she dodged and threw punches.

More dread.. excitement.. anxiety filled the fusion's energy as her mind became a whirlwind of fury and agitation. 

She's going to kill them..

Muscles throbbed and ached as she swung out in a fury, throwing punches towards the fusion.

All she could see was the past..

The present leaving her as she glared into the eyes of the fusion.

_..This beast working for the Diamonds.. _

_Fowl.. revolting... disgusting Diamonds.. _

Her thoughts clung to the fore. Everything coming back and fueling the fusion more..

_..Becoming Crystal Gems and outbeating the Diamonds as the top feared gangs in the world... The Authority working with a Diamond... her making a plan to lure her own family in to kill them... and faking her murder.._

_..All for the Diamonds to come back again and to corrupt their gang.._

_..And.. to come back **again..**_

_Bringing some pathetic, disgusting new group into the authority.._

She threw a punch towards the fusion's chest, his shoulder, his chest again, his stomach, his face, the fusion dodging two more punches, with another fist slamming into his cheek. She threw her arms out at him as everything become a blur of motion as she bobbed weaved and swung out hard and fast. 

Her chest tightened as her breathing grew more noisy and shaky.. 

_We should've killed them all that day.. we wouldn't be in this mess.. _

_Instead of luring them in.. we should've went to Homeworld and attacked head ON despite of what Lonny said.._

_And faking Pink's murder didn't end anything.. it only made things worse!!!! _

She threw out two punches and the fusion dodged it. The fists smashed into the tree, breaking it in two. Bits of bark, vines and leaves fell to the ground as the Giant charged towards her. He threw a hard jab to the side of her face and she ignored the hit as she swung out anywhere at his body. 

_The war.... _

_We could've won.._

_The Diamonds left after the corruption.._

_We could've followed them then instead of running back!! _

_But he changed.. Lonny changed... _

_He was afraid of the Diamonds when he had them in the mansion... And he was afraid of them when we could've chased them down after they tried to corrupt ALL of us!! _

Every punch hit any part of his body. She felt her fists slamming and colliding into the suit and his mask. 

Her breathy heavy and panting in vexation.

Getting fueled even more from her anger..

_We were on top.._

_We could've beaten them for good.._

_We had the rest of them at the mansion!! Why couldn't we had followed THEM instead of Kyanite!!! _

She charged towards the fusion at high speed. 

The Giant dart to the side and she crashed into the tree. She kept the momentum going and crushed the shattered tree underfoot. She turned on her heels, grinding everything under her boots and pushed off and ran towards him.

_Now they're back.. **again**.. _

_..and with more power.._

She snarled..growling.. feral...with only the thought to kill them..

Only to kill...

The powerhouse of the fusion let them in. 

Pearl and Garnet continued to feel the fusion seething with anger and her thoughts..

Alexandrite looked to her left. 

_Pearl.. _

The fusion was going to rile everyone up..

The three of them were going to be a fighting, killing machine.. show the fusion who was a force to be reckon with..

_Lonny left us..._

_After our Rose Quartz died he left us.. he left **you.. **_

_Leaving US to clean up after his mess.._

_Leaving us and all of the corrupted gems behind to fend off the Diamonds.._

_Leaving the empire.. leaving all of us.. leaving you.. _

_..And after everything that we've did for him.._

_That YOU did for him.._

The Giant was rushing towards them-- a bottom left hand shot up and slammed into his jaw-- the fusion stumbled back. 

The small mouth at the mask-esque part of her face began to move. The mouth pulling back into a scowl.

More punches from the bottom left hand as it struck and collided into every part she could get at. Other fists came in, throwing punches towards the fusion's face and chest. 

_Garnet.._

_If we had killed the Diamonds the first time.. all three of them at the mansion.. we wouldn't had fought war in your country.._

_Everyone who you loved wouldn't had died that day.._

_And you wouldn't be here with us.._

The small mouth pulled back more, showing small sharp teeth as a growling snarl came out of it. 

Seething.. vindictive.. rage..

_Except everyone that you loved is dead.. and our team got corrupted and you're apart of the authority now.. forced into it.._

_All because of the Diamonds.._

The fusion was right in front of them as a middle right hand came down hard-- the fusion barely dodged the hit-- the killing blow crashed into a boulder and shattered it into pieces. The fist kept going, slamming into the ground and making a deep hole into the rough, solid earth. She pulled her arm out and leaned up. Heat was radiating off her skin as heat collected more within the fusion..

She lunged towards him. Both mouths snarling.. growling.. as two middle hands shot towards the fusion's face, slamming into both sides of his jaws. Four more fists came in, punching and throwing hard jabs into his chest and stomach.

_The corruption.. every battle.. the war.. Lonny.. our Crystal Gem name.._

_Everything effected by the Diamonds.._

Blood boiled.. muscles clenched.. thoughts swirled and boxed inside her mind.. Skin getting hotter.. 

Alexandrite swung out in a blur. Every throw meant to kill. To murder this fusion..

_We should've beaten the Diamonds after they corrupted our crew THEN!!!_

_No.. we should've killed them ALL at the mansion!!! Even when they were running we should've chased after THEM!!_

_And with Rose Quartz actually **being** there.. we could've killed them all!!!!_

_We could've murdered ALL three of those monsters!!!_

A loud feral roar came out from both mouths as six hands came towards the Giant. Each fist slamming and plowing into the fusion, the trees, air, the ground, everywhere as it lashed out in fury. 

She could hear the late Rose Quartz' words as if she was saying it right in her ear.. as if she was still with them..

_The woman standing before Amethyst and Pearl with Lonny right beside her.. before the war and the corruption.. before faking her murder.._

_The pink haired woman gave them a leveled stare. "The Diamonds are brutal and cunning. But we're better than them both in brains and bronze. We take these three down, kill them.. then we will forever be on top. We will forever rule this world and everyone else will be at our feet." _

Alexandrite roared louder. She lunged herself towards the fusion, putting every bit of her strength into the lounge as she collided with the fusion's stomach. 

She slammed him towards the ground and shot down all six fists at once into the fusion's face. 

_"Face them and never turn back from them. The Diamonds will not hold back." she warned them. "And so shouldn't we. Face them.. attack them. Do as you must. And don't hold back. What your mind is telling you at that moment. The adrenaline. Everything. There is no flight. Only fight." her eyes never left the two women. "Use strength and combat." she advised. "Conquer.. Kill.. defeat.." _

The words resonated through the fusion's mind as she pummeled the Giant beneath her, never stopping any of her fists. 

The fusion laid there, exhausted.. and in pain as he tried to block any of the hits.. 

_And worse..._

The fusion seethed with rage as it fueled itself with everyone's anger. 

Amethyst kept everything going..

_It was LONNY'S choice to dismiss her words.. Only to run away.. to fall back TWICE when we had the chance to defeat them.. _

_Only for him to leave us for GOOD.._

_And because of his choice they came back again and corrupted the gems.._

_Because of his choice they're coming back again with.._ she glared at the fusion._ THEM!!_

She let out a piercing scream into the fusion's face. Her eyes glowing orange from behind her shades as she snarled. 

_Why.._

_Do they think they can't beat us without having more people?! _

Heat waves rippled against the current as her skin grew hotter. 

_What we had.. what we have.. has changed.. _

_The corruption has changed everything.. and now.. we have to deal with** this**.._

She threw more fists down towards the fusion. 

_Lonny.. is to blame for all of this.._

Fuming..

_No.. more than anything.. this all the DIAMONDS' fault!!!_

Irate.. vindictive.. The fusion let out another, piercing, blood curdling, feral scream as they began losing themselves.

Orange within her eyes turned to red from behind her shades. Her breath shaky and shallow.. both mouths in a snarl as the bottom one opened up wider.

_We're going to tear your guts out. _

_We'll torment you.. into an agonizing death.. _

_We'll rip every piece of you apart.. organ by organ.._

Seething..

Deep.. shaky breaths..

_Then.. we'll do the same to the Diamonds.. once we get our hands on them.._

Alexandrite grabbed the fusion's arms and pinned them down. She took in a deep breath as she felt the heat and the hot liquid rush up towards her face. 

The fusion tried pulling his arms out from her grip. He watched as her jaw opened more. A bright orange, red color shone at the back of her mouth. 

She leaned forward as fire shot out of her mouth. 

The fusion moved his head to the side as he shut his eyes tightly.

His shades and mask stayed on his face pristine and without a single blemish-

As his lips were burning off from the flames. 

He resisted any screams as the flames engulfed the skin of his lips and around it. 

  
  


Opal was not too far away. The teen having stayed close to the two fusions fighting.

All while trying to think of a plan to take the Giant down. 

She stayed far up in the trees as she watched the fire diminish and vanish from the fusion's mouth. 

How her shoulders moved up and down as she took her shallow breaths.. 

Alexandrite raised her arms up towards the Giant and he went for a grab at one of her hands. She grabbed the hand with her middle right hand and grabbed his other hand with her top left. She threw a punch with her bottom left fist and grabbed his back with her top right hand. She pushed off to the side and got off of him, bringing the fusion with her in a tumble into the ground. She slammed him down before picking him up with her top hands and throwing him into a tree. Her middle and bottom hands shot towards him. Four gauntlets slammed and collided into the fusion left and right as she threw punches and uppercuts at him. One middle fist punching his shades into his face. 

She let him go with her top hands and threw more punches his way. 

The Giant tried to block any hits, only to get hit in areas that he didn't block. 

Alexandrite continued to throw out hard, heavy hits as she swung out everywhere. 

The fusion jumped out the way and was hit with more punches with the last two missing him; one hitting and shattering the tree and the other hitting air. 

He turned around as the fusion growled at him. 

She shot towards him and threw her arms out. Every punch being powerful and deadly. 

The fusion.. the air.. the fusion again.. the trees.. the air.. the fusion again.. 

She didn't stop her punches. 

The Giant bobbed and weaved as he advanced and stepped back in and out of the strike zone. Landing a few hits of his own as he was met with strong, bone crushing punches. 

Alexandrite lunged towards him. And threw her middle right hand out hard as she put every bit of strength into the arm to finish him off-- the fusion barely dodged out the way-- the hand crashed hard and deep into the earth. The momentum of the deadly punch going deep into the solid ground and slowing the punch until the fist was met with a solid boulder wedged deep within the crust. The hand slowing and hitting the rock and bending back at an angle. 

A shot of intense pain flared up from the wrist and up the arm and throughout her body. 

She held in her screams as she yanked her arm out, ignoring another shot of pain. In a fury she continued to throw out punches towards the fusion as one hand laid limp and adjacent to her arm.

Opal continued to watch at a safe distance. Hopping from tree to tree, especially from those that were met with a punch or a kick from any of the two fusions. 

She watched as they rampaged and destroyed the area. Alexandrite in more of a rage as she lashed out at the fusion. 

Which was a bit unnerving.. almost terrifying to see a fusion acting berserk.. 

She turned her attention onto the Giant.. still trying to figure out how to take him down. They won't be able to take him down until they get tired or badly injured.. and who knows when that'll be-

She saw the ace bandage on his wrist as he threw a punch into Alexandrite's chest. 

She gasped. 

She looked up at the fusion's shoulder. 

"That's it!" she jumped to another branch of a tree. 

Steadily.. cautiously.. she followed the two fighting fusions until the Giant punched Alexandrite into a tree. 

Opal jumped down and grabbed hold of the fusion's suit. She climbed up towards the side of the bandage and began trying to pry and peel it off. 

Slightly.. bit by bit, the bandage peeled. 

The Giant jumped and lunged and moved around in a fast pace and in sporadic movements as he dodged and threw out punches.. making it harder for Opal to hold onto him and rip the bandage off. 

The Giant lunged forward, jabbing Alexandrite in her face and was met with a kick to the chest. He fell back and Opal looked back and saw the ground coming towards her. 

She jumped up high into a tree branch yards up from the fight and saw the fusion fall down hard to the ground. He got up quickly, dodging another blow, with two of Alexandrite's fists hitting the ground. She lunged for him.

Opal followed the fight and jumped from two more trees. She jumped down and landed on the fusion's hair. "Alexandrite! Go for the ace bandage on his shoulder! It'll be quicker if you try to pull it off!" 

The fusion shot towards the Giant, swinging at him with heavy blows and jabs. The fusion roaring and snarling at him as she advanced towards him and slammed into him. More feral roars and snarls left the fusion's mouth as her hands snapped forward towards the Giant. 

Opal laid across the fusion's hair.. her mouth slightly agape in shock. "Alexandrite.." 

Another ear piercing screech left her mouth that made Opal scrape her teeth together and screw her eyes shut before she quickly snapped them back open to see what was going on around her.

Alexandrite was charging towards the fusion again. 

Opal jumped up into the trees and followed the fight and jumped down to a tree branch and down to the Giant's back again. 

She climbed to the ace bandage. Just a corner of it peeled off from before. 

The fight continued between the two fusions and Opal barley hung on as her body jerked left and right with every movement from the Giant. One hand trying to peel off the material as she scaled the fusion's back the more of the ace bandage she pulled off. 

More jabs, punches and kicks were thrown between them as Opal continued to rip and peel the material away from his skin. All while trying to cling on tightly onto his suit.

With the fight continuing and not so much as slowing down, Opal had managed to peel the ace bandage just slightly over the shoulder when two fists were coming at her. She gasped and jumped up and grabbed hold of a tree branch far up from the two. One fist hit the front of the bad shoulder and the second one punched into the side of his neck.

Rage.. was all she felt..

Literally seeing red..

Another uppercut.. more punches.. more throws..

Alexandrite advanced a step and swung out heavily as she went for another killing blow-- the Giant dodged it and rolled out the way and kept his arms up as he fell towards the ground-- the momentum and force of Alexandrite's punch sending her own self to the ground as well. 

The Giant popped back up to his feet as she jumped back onto hers. 

The two charged towards each other. 

Opal wasn't too far and kept up with the fight. The teen now holding her bow in one hand and one arrow in the other with three arrows held securely between her teeth. 

She tried to find her opening amongst the fusion's quick and sporadic movements..

The fusions roared back at each other as they threw punches. 

The Giant jumped into the line of strike again and threw out his fist, smashing Alexandrite's shades and breaking one lens and leaving her shades eskew on her face. One bottom eye showing a bright, fiery red glaring back at him. 

More punches and throws were being thrown towards him and he ignored them as he threw out more of his own hits. 

Another punch was thrown and collided into her shades, cracking the rest of the frame and shattering it. Pieces of the shades fell to the ground and a six eyed glare was looking down at him. 

More punches.. more throws..

Alexandrite threw out a few more punches before throwing out a snap kick with her boot slamming into his chest. 

He fell to the ground and pushed off immediately back to his feet. He charged in and lunged forward. Hits and jabs came straight for him and punched and collided into him.

He threw his arm forward and his fist struck the bottom of Alexandrite's eye. 

Stinging pain spread across the eyelid and the socket and spread across the face. 

Keeping the one eye shut, Alexandrite swung out at him. 

The two fusions still keeping their energy up as they fought.

Opal jumped across to another tree branch as she found her opening. She quickly put the arrow into the bow and pulled back. She took one arrow out of her mouth and placed it into the bow and aunched it towards the fusion's shoulder.

She jumped to another tree branch as she took out another arrow from her mouth. 

The two arrows hit the wound on his shoulders and the fusion winced slightly, giving Alexandrite the time to throw in a few extra punches before he ignored the pain and swung with the bad shoulder.

Opal landed on the branch and pulled back on the bow. She let go and took the last arrow out of her mouth and launched it towards the fusion. 

The arrowheads pierced into his shoulders and he winced again as the arrows dug deep into the meat of his shoulder. 

The Giant was thrown into the tree Opal was in and she jumped away, over their heads and to another tree. 

She clicked her teeth. "Not enough to bring him down.." she watched as the two fusions fought out and her eyes wandered up and pass them and to the restaurant just behind them.

Then an idea came to her. "Talc.." the Giant was falling back towards her tree and she jumped away right before he smashed into it and the teen jumped from tree to tree towards the restaurant. 

The fusion got up from the tree as Alexandrite came towards him. 

The Giant ignored the pain and broken bones and he stood his ground. He glared at her with his arms up as she ran towards him. 

Alexandrite came right to him, swinging and throwing out punches at his face. Every limb oming in contact with his shades, his chin, his cheeks.

He took a step forward into the hits and stood his ground. He brought an arm up. He shot the arm straight out as he put everything into the solid punch and used his brute strength into the swing as he rammed his fist into her bottom jaw. 

Ignoring the shot of intense pain and the lose feeling of her jaw and the continuing punches to her face, she shot her arm out in a blow of her own. Delivering a powerful gut punch into the fusion's stomach and sending him hurtling up into the air and crashing back into a tree and snapping it in two.

She charged towards him, stepping on the fallen teeth as she did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos to those who knew what fight I was paying homage to between Alexandrite and the Giant Tuxedoed Man =D
> 
> Aaalso thanks for Fandom wiki for the description of Sardonyx's hammer (though I had to change it up slightly) =)
> 
> Alsooo also.. bruh.... writing for all of Alexandrite's six hands is a project all on its own, lol. 
> 
> ...Including keeping track of Steven's freaking shields 😝 lol


	204. Finishing up the fight

Steven was still standing behind the trees and watching everyone panic as they heard the ferocious fusions just behind them.

The sound of ambulance and police sirens were getting closer.

He stood there.. as he tried to figure out what he could possibly do..

He saw a figure land beside him and he let out a scared breath as he backpedaled.

.. and realized it was only Opal..

"Oh.." he sighed a breath of relief. "It's you-"

"Talc, let's fuse." her voice was plain as she cut to the point.

"What!?!?!?"

"Alexandrite is going berserk out there and I can't even get through to her." she looked worried. Almost terrified. "I've never seen a fusion act like this before." then she remembered. "Well.. at least one in their _right_ mind I haven't.." then she added as she nearly rambled. "And granted I've only seen Alexandrite just once or two prior to this.... but I've never seen her like this. It's like it's.. not even them!" she shook her head fervently. "Still, that fusion guy is almost down." she placed a strong hand on his shoulder. "We fuse, we can be bigger and stronger and we can attack him and make him unfuse." she leaned up from him. "Then hopefully Alexandrite will be calmed by then." she looked at him.

"I.., uh.. well." he sputtered. 

_I've never fused before!! I don't even know HOW to fuse!! I don't even know what to do TO fuse?! Do I.. do a little dance like the Gems do?! Am I supposed to think about merging into one robotic, fusion, person, machine thingy?!_

Opal held out her hand.

_AAAHH!! An invitation to fuse!!!_

"Uh.. so..I.." he said meekly. He raised his hand out and hesitated.

A look of realization came over the tall, slim teen. "...And.. you've never fused either.." her voice sounded disappointed and she forced out a pained, nervous smile on her face which seemed out of character for the cheery, optimistic teen.

"No...hmph.." he let out a nervous scoff.

Her expressions changed to something of indifference. "Okay.. well.. that's okay." her voice sounded overly encouraging. A more genuine smile came to her face. "So it'll be your first time." she winked. "I'll be sure to take it easy on you."

His face started to heat up.. The comparison of what she was going for.. and with the cheeky expression she had on her face.

.. guess the tables have turned between them-

She offered her hand again. 

He looked at it. 

"It's okay. I'll take the lead."

He nodded stiffly. 

.. and raised his hand up to hers-

There was a loud sound of something huge crashing through the trees and roaring right behind them accompanied by the ground shaking underneath of them. 

They turned around to see the Giant getting up to his feet as Alexandrite stood right in front of him. 

Steven gasped and Opal looked on in shock. 

Steven stared in fear of the six eyed fusion. All five eyes engulfed in red light. The bottom left one bloodied and closed with the bottom of the eye discolored in red and black blotches. 

Five arms up in front of the colossal fusion with the middle right hand snapped back and hanging from the wrist. 

.. And the fusion's jaw.. hanging straight down and towards the neck and swinging slightly. 

"Alexandrite!!" Steven yelled. 

The Giant got up and ran towards them. 

Alexandrite lunged forward as fire shot out of the loose hanging jaw. 

"Alexandrite can breath out fire?!?!?" he felt Opal pick him up and he was up in the air as the fire diminished and Alexandrite ran for the fusion. 

Opal landed on the other side of the restaurant. "That jaw's definitely not looking good.." she said. Steven looked up at her from under her arm. "Im.. actually surprised they haven't unfused yet." her nose wrinkled as her mouth twisted up in wonder. "Even the second mouth over her mask is snarling.. I had no idea that mouth could even move." 

Steven looked at the worry on Opal's face and to Akexandrite's feral and crazed look. 

The fusions were fighting closer to the restaurant.

He looked back up at the teen. "Opal, we have to warn the people in the building!" 

"They should be fine, Talc. But right now, we really have to take the man down-" the Giant was flying back towards them with Alexandrite running towards him. Opal jumped away, clearing a height over their heads and landed just a few feet where they just were. 

"But what if they think they're okay in the building?! We have to save them!" 

Opal set him down and gave him a leveled stare through her shades with just a mix of shock in her expression. "We have to save _ourselves_ first." she stated. "Crystal Gems come first." 

He looked at her in disbelief as he shook his head. "Opal.." he whispered. "No.. that's not right.."

She looked at him. 

Silent..

".. Aren't you a Crystal Gem?" that question caught him of guard. Her voice was light and cheerful and a bit on the giddy side and one would think she was mocking. "Maybe you're still new.. but that's how we do things as Gems." she smiled through her mask. "Maybe you need to read the Crystal Gem handbook again-" her smile fell open to shock as she gasped. 

Steven looked back to see a bright red two fisted hammer coming towards them. 

Opal jumped away and Steven backpedaled and fell hard to the ground. 

The hammer flew pass him and crashed into the ground and slid along the earth. The weapon making a deep line within the earth behind it.

Steven sat up and looked off to his side to see the fusions fighting and moving towards the restaurant. The Giant stomping back towards the building as Alexandrite swung out towards him. 

He gasped. "Connie!" he got up to his feet and ran towards the building.

He rushed through the bushes and across the patio to the door. He opened it and ran in and quickly pressed the voice changer on his mask. "Everyone run!!!" he shouted. 

He saw Connie and everyone else, including the cops look at him in fear. The police quickly took out their guns but kept the guns pointed just slightly from the ground and away from the guests. 

"Don't make any sudden movements!" one cop yelled.

Steven froze in place. "The fusions are coming this way!!" 

"DON'T.. say a word."

Screams were heard as a few onlookers pointed towards the windows.

They could we the feet of the fusions stomping their way towards the buildings-

"Everyone!!! Move, move, move!!" the officer yelled. He and the other two cops helped ushered the people towards the front. 

Crowds of people began jogging and pushing pass each other in front of Steven and he jogged up towards them, trying to find Connie in the midst of the groups.

He couldn't find her.

He looked around as he scared more people. The guests afraid of being a next victim of a Crystal Gem. 

He was so close to calling out her name..

.. but in his disguise.. he knew that he couldn't..

Still.. he may just have to break another rule and call out for her..

A black shoe stepped into the building and more people screamed and ran from the area. Another shoe stepped inside accompanied by two teal colored boots. The ceiling and lights crashed down in heaps and ash as chairs, tables and carts were crushed underfoot.

Steven ran the ring across his arm and the bubble formed around him as pieces of the ceiling, sawdust and glass pelted across the bubble. 

His girlfriend's name was stuck in his throat.. 

He couldn't say it..

He couldn't risk his self getting in trouble.. or raking her name through the mud due to some 'Crystal Gem calling out her name' and for people to make something of it..

She was probably out of the building at this time anyway..

Large feet trampled around him as the rest of the guests ran out of the now destroyed building.

Dust, debris, the ceiling, bits of the paneling, glass and shattered lights came down or was kicked up towards the bubble as the fusions fought inside of the rumble. 

Steven screamed as he ran every which way in the bubble to steer free of the looming, fighting fusions. 

At that point he felt like a soccer ball and in the back of his mind, he was preparing to get kicked and stepped on at any moment. 

Without majority of the walls around them, Steven saw a bus pull up, accompanied by four police cars and five ambulances. The cops and paramedics rushed out of their vehicles and towards the crowd of people, with another group of policeman running towards them.

_Oh no.. What are they doing!? They're going to get themselves killed!!_

A teal boot barely avoided him and he gasped and ran the other way in his bubble. 

Bullets began to fire out at the two colossal, robotic fusions. 

Steven started towards them. "Wait!! You're going to get hurt!!" he shouted. "Bullets can't hurt them!" 

_Shouldn't they already KNOW this?!_

Without saying a word they began to fire out at him. He only flinched slightly before realizing that bullets wouldn't harm the bubble either. 

Shells pelted off of its surface. 

Onlookers watched on in fear as a few more people boarded the bus. The crowded bus closed it's doors and pulled off and the rest of the group was left to wait for the next one. The paramedics and cops ushered them farther away from the fight and went to each individual, asking about their well being and what had happened.

The policemen ceased their fire and was calling for backup on their radios.

"Everyone should leave!" Steven warned. "This is dangerous!" 

He started for them again and despite of knowing that bullets didn't work, they still held their guns by impulse. 

He stopped. 

"I'm just trying to warn you-!" a black shoe came down on the bubble and the Giant slipped and lost his balance. Steven was pushed off from the shoe and hollered as he rolled through the debris. 

Alexandrite caught the fusion in mid fall and picked him up and him.

The Giant flew yards away from the restaurant and smashed into a tree. 

Alexandrite jumped towards him and landed by her hammer. She picked it up and charged towards him as her two bottom hands put the gauntlets away. One hand pulled out a whip and the other a canister. The hand flipped the canister counterclockwise and the spear flung out of it. 

The fusion roared as she lunged towards him.

The Giant got up to his feet as she threw hammer, left gauntlet, whip and spear at the fusion's body. 

Steven looked away, not wanting to watch the abuse and his breath got stuck in his throat. 

He saw Connie with her parents as they talked to a cop and two paramedics. 

_Oh no, Connie?! Is she hurt?!_

From what he could tell, she didn't look it.

Though that would be all he need to not forgive his self if it turned out that she _did_ get hurt..

The cop was talking to Connie now and from the expression on her face, she looked worried. She looked around and looked back at the cop and Steven tried to make out what she was saying but he was extremely bad at lip reading..

Alexandrite kept throwing every weapon she had towards the fusion with him being able to dodge only a few of them. Some of the weapons hitting, whipping and stabbing across the wound on his shoulder. 

Blood dampened his suit and splattered on her face and jumpsuit and dripped from her weapons. 

She continued to fight him.. using up every last bit of strength she had..

The Giant dove towards her, grabbing her by the waist and holding onto her. He tried lifting her up to slam her to the ground. 

She started attacking his shoulders and back.

More police cars drove over to the cops and got out. The men and women joined the officers and the group of them discussed what to do next-

Helicopters were heard in the distance as more ambulance sirens blared from down the street. 

Steven heard a startling sound of someone hollering and growling out. 

He hesitated as the shrieking holler grew louder..

He turned around slowly to see Alexandrite with.. what Steven assumed was the hammer.. but when he looked closely the bottom of the handle looked more like a semi closed umbrella. The handle was still as the "umbrella" part of the weapon spun rapidly. The point of the weapon was digging into the meat of the fusion's skin. He screamed out in pain as he held on to her.

Steven heard a bus pulling up and he turned to see the bus stopping in front of the crowd just halfway up the street. 

There was a muffled pop behind him and he turned back to see a cloud of black smoke and Alexandrite looking down and around her. 

The smoke began to slowly dissipate and six of the men, three of them with an injured shoulder and two of them with fire burnt, bloody lips, with the six of them sporting various other broken bones and sprains, began to half limp half jog away. Three of them running towards the trees and one of them going the opposite way from the fusion. Two of them without any leg injuries began to run pass Steven and up the street. Alexandrite snarled, looking at the men going three separate ways. She started for the three men in the trees. 

For just a split second, Steven didn't know who to chase, until he saw Opal jumping from one of the trees, and taking a miniature arrow out as she dove towards the lone guy running the opposite way. She landed on the ground and placed an arrow on her bow. 

Steven ran towards the two men who was making their way fast up the street. 

Cops began shooting at them as the guests boarded the bus. 

The man that Steven was fighting early before the men had fused noticed the ace bandage flapping on the side. He smoothed the bandage over his shoulder as the bullets came their way.

Alexandrite found one of the three tuxedoed men and grabbed his body in her hand. She raised her fist up to her face and squeezed. The main tried to scream, but couldn't. His lungs and every organ being squeezed within his body and he could feel his organs and bones pushing up into his skin.

He began to choke as his organs began to squeeze up towards his mouth and below him. 

The two men watched in horror as they saw their own being squeezed alive. The look of his body and what was happening.. and they couldn't look away-

Alexandrite let go and the body dropped to the ground. His mouth, ears and nose filled with blood and his eyes bulging out of their sockets.

She looked around and the two began to back away until one of them stepped on a twig.

They saw the face of the six eyed fusion snap towards them and they gasped. 

The fusion charged through the trees towards them, stepping on the dead body as she did. 

The men half limped half jogged away and dove behind any tree they came across.

The fusion rushed towards the area, weapons still in hand as she looked amongst the trees.

  
  


Steven activated his last shield and double tapped on his fingers and thumb to minimize the rest of the shields back into the braces.

The cops stopped firing, realizing that the bullets were ineffective.

The paramedics guided the rest of the group into the bus as the police began to cover the perimeter around the bystanders and the medics.

The tuxedoed men jumped over them, clearing just twenty feet in the air-

_What?! They can do that too?!--Wait, why am I so surprised? I saw them jump as a gigantic fusion earlier.._

The cops, the paramedics and the onlookers right as they entered the bus, looked on in shock as the men came back down and landed on the other side of them.

Then it was Steven's turn.. 

He couldn't super jump like them, but at least he was safe in his bubble.

Cops began firing at him and Steven picked up his pace.

He came close to the group and the cops stopped their fire. 

They didn't move out of his way and just as he stepped in front of the line of cops, he placed his hands across the bubble and spread them out. The bubble doubled in size and pushed the cops out of the way. They fell back into the ground and a few paramedics rushed towards them.

He heard hushed and anxious chatter amongst the group as he heard radios from the cops. 

The last few older people were boarding the bus as Steven ran pass them and the medics and cops guarding the bus door. The people already on the bus watched as he ran through the group and to the other side. 

The two men were just a few yards away from him. They stood there and glared at him from behind their shades. 

Steven stood his ground. Back straight and shoulders squared, feigning .."toughness"..

He heard the bus pull off behind him.

"Alright.. I don't want any trouble." he tried for a deeper voice and with a more serious tone to it. "I just want to ta-"

They jumped up. 

"What?!" he shrieked, breaking out of character. He looked up and his eyes followed the two men as they landed on top of the bus. 

They sat there, crouching and staring at him with grins on their faces as the bus pulled away from him. 

Then he realized what was happening. 

"Wha-? Wait! No!" his legs pushed off in a run. 

He continued to ignore the splitting migraine and ran towards the bus as the side end of the vehicle was moving away from him. He swiped across the bubble and deactivated and he jumped up and barely caught the corner end of the bus.

He heard frantic commotion behind him from both the cops and the medics. 

The policemen paged more of their guys as they ran into their police cars while the others back at the destroyed restaurant focused on getting the fusion, one lone Crystal Gem and the men in the tuxedoes.

Steven held on as tight as he could as he tried being careful not to hit his face on his shield.

He heard glass being shattered and screaming. Just seconds later the bus began to swerve left and right. 

Steven took a few breaths and grunted as he swung his leg to the side of the swerving bus.

He placed his hand on the bottom ledge of the first window and pulled the rest of his body to the side of the vehicle. He began scaling the side of it and heard frantic chatter and shouts as they watched a Crystal Gem climb on the side of the bus. Everyone began running to the other side or to the back.

The bus stopped swerving and sped up as it went towards the next corner. 

Steven stopped just at the middle of the bus and wondered what he could possibly do.. 

But.. all he could think about was shattering the window with his shield to get in..

That would only scare them more.. but he had no choice. 

He brought his arm up and the bus turned left sharply. "Whoaaa!!" his body was pushed back and he quickly grabbed for the ledge of the window. 

His heart raced in his chest and he panted as the bus sped down the street to the next corner. 

Car horns blared as the bus changed lanes and nearly crashed into them. 

The bus made another left turn, making a full U-turn. 

Steven went for it this time. Not wanting to waste another second. 

He brought his hand up and threw the shield down. The edge of the shield shattered the glass easily. 

Being careful and being aware of the jagged glass on the pane _he would really need to invest in gloves.._ he pulled his self through the window and heard screams as he stepped down to the bus seat.

He saw the bus driver and a cop on the floor..

_No.._

He jumped to the floor and on the side of the police who was laying on his back. Steven looked at the man's stomach moving up and down in shallow breaths. 

He sighed a breath of relief and stepped over the cop to the bus driver. He turned her over and looked at her stomach. 

Slowly moving up and down.

He sighed out another breath of relief. 

They were weak and unconscious and needed medical attention, but at least they weren't dead. 

Then he realized where he was and what he was there to do. 

He looked up and saw the terrified looks on people's faces. Everyone huddled close to each other, tensed-

As he looked to the back, his eyes went to Connie and it felt like his heart was stuck in his throat. 

_Connie.._

He was so happy to see her. 

All he wanted to do was be there with her..

His heart fluttered in his throat as he got up. He took a few steps towards her and he saw her gasp and scoot back as her parents threw her arms around her. 

He saw the absolute terror on her face and he quickly realized that he was now playing a part of a Crystal Gem.. 

So quickly he'd forgotten about that right as he saw her.. 

The look on her face made his stomach twist. 

She was afraid of him...

Terrified..

_Connie.._

He looked at her parents' faces. Their worried looks nearly pleading that he wouldn't attack their daughter. How they held her close to them. How they had their own bodies in front of her to shield her. 

He looked to everyone else and they had the same reaction..

_Not_ wanting to be the next victim..

He looked back at Connie and her parents and took a step back. 

He heard a click of a gun behind him. 

He turned around and threw the shield in front of him as bullets fired at him.

A few people screamed, some now fearing to scream, in fear of getting shot.

The tuxedoed man snarled as he stopped his fire. He brought the gun down and Steven noticed it was the same guy who he was fighting with earlier. The man now sporting the policeman's belt. He clipped the gun back in the holster.

Steven lowered his shield down. He rocked side to side as the driver sped up the street and changed lanes._"Now_ can we just talk?"

The man looked at him.

"Maybe we can get to the bottom of this."

Silence..

The man charged at him. 

Steven held in a yelp as he threw his shield at the man's chest. 

He caught the shield as it slammed into his diaphragm and knocked the wind out of him. 

"Uh.. sorry.." Steven watched the man get up to his feet as he slowly caught his breath.

"..Reflexes." Steven said meekly and the tuxedoed man turned his arm to the side in a potential throw-- Steven slid the ring across his arm-- the man threw the shield-- the bubble formed around Steven and the shield bounced off the surface of the bubble and smacked into the man's face. 

He stumbled back before quickly regaining his balance. With a growl, he picked the shield back up and took a few steps towards Steven. "Face me like a man." he spat out. "Instead of being in that bubble." 

"Please I just want to talk. I don't want to face you, I just want to talk and get to the bottom of this."

The man glared at him. "What is wrong with you.." he growled. "You think I'll actually talk about anything that's going on." 

"But why can't we talk? It'll make everything easier."

He didn't answer him as he took a few more steps towards him. 

Steven looked at the shield in the man's and then back at him. He double tapped on his pinky finger and the shield vanished from his hand. 

The man looked down, confounded as onlookers looked on, just as shocked. 

The man looked back at him snarling and clenching his hands into fists. 

Steven swiped across his bubble and deactivated it. "I just want to know.. who _are_ you? And why are you attacking the Crystal Gems?" 

He narrowed his eyes at the boy. 

The bus continued to bounce and rock side to side.

"I just want to talk about this.." Steven said once more. "Please.." he said softly. He stepped over the bus driver. 

The tuxedoed man looked to be contemplating.

Steven felt just a small smile come to his face. "Once we get to the bottom of all this, things will go be-" he saw the man charging towards and in just a split second he was already lunging at him. Steven tried to place his hand over the other arm to activate his bubble when he was tackled to the floor. 

He tried pushing the man off and immediately realized just how solid and strong he was. 

He couldn't budge. 

He couldn't push him off in any way or try to go for a hold. 

He wasn't like any of the other thieves he had encountered during his missions.. 

And in just seconds the man had Steven's stomach on the ground and his legs pinned behind his. One of Steven's arm back and pinned behind his own back with Steven's other arm wrapped around his own neck. 

Everyone looked on in shock. 

Steven heard the man chuckling behind him. 

"A Crystal Gem that wants to talk and a Crystal Gem that can't fight." he sneered and snickered. "How pathetic.. and pitiful.."

_Pathetic.. and pitiful.._

Steven laid there, defeat. 

"I.."

"You _what?"_

"I.. just wanted to take a different approach.. Not everything has to be about fighting."

The man chuckled louder and he heard another cackling laughter from the driver. 

He leaned in more towards Steven. _Love_ to break it to ya kid." he said through his grin. "For the Crystal Gems AND for us. _Everything_. is all. about fighting." he pulled Steven's arm up towards his throat in his own chokehold. "and. _killing."_

Steven gagged for air. 

"Heh, _this_ is what happens when you try to take the pacifist approach." he cackled and yanked Steven's arm up more. He watched as the boy gasped and heaved-

A loud crash was heard as a figure smashed through the window just beside them. 

In one quick, swift movement, he watched Opal lunge towards them and with a spin she snapped her leg out and roundhouse the man in his face. The force knocked him off Steven. Opal lunged for him and caught him just as he fell to the floor. He went to grab at her throat and she grabbed his hand and pried it off her neck and pulled him towards her as his fist was coming from his other hand. She blocked it with her arm and used the same arm to elbow him in his throat-

Steven panted as he scrambled up to his feet. He rubbed his throat and looked back to see Opal slamming the man twice as big and twice as heavier than her onto the floor.

She picked him up by the throat and Steven saw the man's hands go from trying to pull Opal's hands off and down to the holster where the gun was. 

Steven gasped. 

_If this man was going to shoot.. and with Opal and her acrobatics.. he could only assume bullets would be flying anywhere_-

His legs were already running towards Connie. 

Everyone was steering clear of him and he saw the shock and fear on Connie's face. She backed up and her parents went to cover her once more.

He heard bullets being fired as he ignored the screams of her and her parents and ignored their hands coming in contact with his face as he grabbed their daughter's arm and pulled her in. He ran the ring over his hand and the jewel popped off and formed into the bubble, pushing her parents away from her. 

More screams were heard from her parents as the two banged desperately on the bubble. 

He realized he was holding Connie in a hug with his other arm wrapped around her back--

..and _realized_ that he should stop what he was doing despite of how happy he felt just having her in his arm-

He quickly leaned back from her as she continued to scream and plead. 

He looked over at his hand and saw that he still had a tight grip on her arm. 

He let go and she pulled her arm back to her and rubbed at her wrist. "Don't kill me." she blurted out in sobs. 

He sat back on his legs and held his hands up in a placating matter. "I won't kill you." he said gently. 

She panted in front of him. Mouth sightly agape in shock as she had her back pinned against the bubble. 

He kept his hands up. "I just want to protect you."

That only calmed her just slightly. 

A Crystal Gem not wanting to kill her.. 

.. And she'd never been so close to a Crystal Gem before..

She was just inches away from him..

It was so surreal and terrifying..

But she wouldn't had ever believed a Crystal Gem would act like this.. 

She looked at the jeans.. the red shirt with a rose on it..

She looked at the pink mask with hibiscus flowers on it.. 

She looked at the dark brown eyes of the person and down to their friendly, smiling lips.. 

She looked back up at their gentle eyes.. with such hurt in them..

There was something about this person..

There was something about those eyes..-

She saw him get up and she realized her parents were still throwing their fists on the bubble and screaming at him. 

He stepped beside her and she thought she smelled just a faint smell of vanilla..

"Let her go!!" her mother yelled. Tears fell from her eyes as his dad yelled out with her. "If you hurt her.." he choked out. 

The scene reminded him of what'd happen weeks ago.. with that mother and her daughter at their mansion..

_"There's no use!" he snapped. "This bubble is indestructible!!" _

_"No!!!" she screamed. Hysterical. "Just. let. her. go!!!" she cried more, still trying to hammer at the bubble. _

It felt weird..

Both daughters being named Connie who were frightened of him.. 

Their parents trying to hammer and bang through an indestructible forcefield..

Oh how he's gotten better as a horrid Crystal Gem since that time..

Activating his bubble.. he finally had his shield.. and he had on stronger GemTech clothes and now he was practicing with Garnet as he went on more missions with the Gems..

He was becoming more Gem-like..

More like them.. 

..and he hated it..

He shook his head of the thoughts as he pressed his hands on the bubble. "I won't hurt her." he whispered. "I was trying to protect her."

He looked at their teary eyes as more tears fell down their face. 

Steven had finally noticed that the gun fire had stopped and he turned around. Opal had blocked a punch and in a split second, had jammed an arrow underneath of his mask and pushed the mask up his chin and kept the arrow pointing up towards the bottom of his chin. She pulled back on the bow as she pressed the arrowhead to his skin and pushed his head up-

"Opal!" 

She glanced over at him before the guy moved slightly and she looked back at him. 

He swiped across the bubble and deactivated it and ran over to them as Connie's parents bent down and grabbed hold of their daughter and hugged her. 

"Opal, wait! You don't have to do this!" 

"You again.." he grumbled. 

"Talc, what are you doing?" she sounded completely confused. "I have him now and so I'm going to kill him." she said casually. 

He put a hand on her shoulder. "Wait, maybe we can talk now." he looked at the guy. 

He saw a smug smile through his mask. "Heh.. still wanting me to talk huh? I told you. I'm not saying anything. You want to kill me?" he looked from him to Opal. "Go ahead."

"Wish granted." she smiled. 

"Opal!" he squeezed her shoulder. 

She clicked her teeth. "Talc. Our mission is to get rid of these guys. If he doesn't want to talk.. then that doesn't stop me from killing him." 

He turned to the tuxedoed man. Both the ace bandage on his shoulder and his wrist ripped off and the meat and blood from his shoulders slid from his suit instead of soaking into it. The blood on his wrist dripping on the bus floor. "Why are you targeting us!" he blurred out. 

He didn't answer him. 

"Why!"

He glared at Steven from behind his shades. 

"Talc. He's not going to answer us." she dug the point of the arrowhead into the skin of his chin. "Might as well end it now." 

"Opal.. please.. we don't have to resort to this." 

Silence..

She kept her pose paused in front of the man, just ready to let go of the arrow at any moment. 

Her mouth twisted up. And moments later she said, "You really haven't read the handbook, have you?" Again, she didn't sound angry. Just another genuine question from the confounded teen. 

"Ah.. " his mouth dropped. "What?.. Opal, that's..." he shook his head as he kept his hand on her shoulder. 

They heard screams from the back of the bus and the three of them turned their heads, the man's chin being cut from the arrow as he did. 

Alexandrite was running up the street and towards them. The weapons away now and the fusion raising up her five bare hands with the middle right one held towards her torso. 

"You're not getting away!!" the small mouth yelled out. The bottom jaw swung with every stride. Drool and blood dripped from the broken jaw. 

"Alexandrite!" Steven yelled. The fusion looked even more terrifying. 

He could only imagine how everyone else felt at that moment.

The driver stepped down harder on the gas pedal. 

More screams and frantic chatter erupted from the bus as the fusion ran faster and closed the distance between them. 

"I.. can't believe the second mouth actually talked.." said Opal. 

Steven couldn't look away as the fusion came up to them-

Distracted at the fusion coming towards them and at the people rushing to the middle of the bus and stopping just a few feet away from the three, the man raised his arm and threw his elbow on Opal's wrist and hit a pressure point. Her hand was pushed down and as she tried to bring the arrow back up, he stepped away and to the side and brought his fist forward. She jumped back into the seat and launched the arrow as he raised his arm up to his neck.

The arrowhead hit the arm of his suit and cracked upon impact. 

Opal tsked and she went to grab at another miniature arrow when the bus was picked up. She held onto the chair as the bus was tilted back. 

The man held onto one of the top bars of the bus while Steven and a few others fell forwards/ backwards and began sliding back. 

"I got you now." she snarled.

"They _still_ aren't themselves! What. is going on!?" Opal was back to looking worried and a bit terrified of the fusion. 

Everyone who was sliding down steadily half scrambled and half climbed on the side of the seats to get to the middle. 

The man let go of the bar and went for the shattered window when he saw one of the fusion's hands grab the side of the bus. He growled under his breath and held onto the seat. He looked back to see Opal swaying in her seat as she held a full sized arrow in her hand. A determined stare in her eyes behind her shades.

Through the bus window, Steven saw a small bright yellow light at the back of the fusion's throat. 

_No!_

"Everyone, quick! Stay close to me! Get to one side!" he ran towards the side with the most people. 

"Talc! What are you doing?" Opal asked, astounded. 

The people on the other side stared at him skeptically and with fear in their eyes. 

"I have to save them!" he answered. He looked to the rest of the group, then to the others on his side who were sliding away from him. "I just want to save all of you." he said gently. 

He looked down and saw the light now a mixture of dark orange and a fiery red. The light quadrupled in size. 

"Everyone! Quick!" 

They saw the fire erupting from the exhausted, badly beaten fusion's throat.

"I'm giving it all that I have." the second mouth growled.

Everyone began running towards him. 

As the last few people half climbed, half jogged towards him, he saw the cop and the bus driver still laying on the floor unconscious. He ran towards the lady and grabbed her by the arms, turned her around and began dragging her to the other side. 

They heard a crash from the front of the window. They looked over to see the driver jumping out of the shattered windshield and jump off the hood.

Both Opal and the second guy looked at each other. They both jumped from their seats and Opal held her arrow out at him.

"Opal! We need to save the cop!" he dragged the dead weight towards the group. 

"Talc. That's not our job." she said as she glanced at him only to look back at the man.

He grunted, pulling the solid lady. "They need our help!" he let go of the voice changer and began dragging the lady once again.

The man went for Opal's arrow and she stepped to the side and threw her foot out in a kick while holding her pose for a potential strike with her arrow. The bow already pulled back and her arms bent and ready to let go of the fletching.

He fell back into the side wall of the bus and ignored the pain in his jaw. He threw his own kick out and she jumped up to the seat. He ran towards the fact my of the bus and she let go of the arrow.

The arrowhead pierced the meat of his shoulders and he screamed and grunted as he continued to climb out the window. Opal ran for him-

"Opal!" 

She was climbing up to the hole of the windshield. She turned back. 

He looked at her. "We.. need to save them.." 

Silence..

Then a casual, matter of fact with a bit of an indifference tone as she shrugged apologetically. "Talc." and he thought he heard a giggle. "Crystal Gems and our missions come first." and with that, she ran out the window and jumped down from the hood.

He looked at the empty opening of the windshield as cool air blew into the bus. "Opal.."

He saw someone jog up beside him as two more people jogged pass him. A middle aged man grabbed the lady by the legs as two other men grabbed the cop. 

The middle aged man nodded at Steven and he gave him an appreciative smile as he and the man went towards the group. 

The two men held the cop in their arms and Steven and the man kept hold of the bus driver. 

"Thank you." he said in a hushed tone-

They heard screeching from the back of the bus and looked down to see the cracks forming on the fusion's face. The fire still at the back of her mouth. 

"Alexandrite! Just stop! You're injured!!" Steven shouted.

The top mask of the face reformed whole again, only to crack moments later.. then seal up once more.. 

A loud, shrieking, feral snarl came out of her bottom mouth. The fire began to move forward to the front-

Steven ran the ring across his arm and the bubble activated around them, encasing them in a forcefield that'd grown just large enough to fit all of them together without him having to expand it himself.

Fire shot out of the fusion's mouth and engulfed the back of the bus.

More frantic chatter began inside of the bubble.

He turned to the group. "Don't worry! It's okay! It's okay! This bubble is indestructible." he tried easing their minds.

In seconds the GemTech fire had melted away the back of the bus and shot towards them. The bubble began absorbing the heat as the interior kept at a nice room temperature. 

Steven looked around, but his mind kept coming up with the same idea.

They would have to jump..

They would have to go through the fire..

And.. jump..

They had no other choice..

"Okay," he eventually said aloud. "everyone follow me." he squeezed pass the crowd to the front and began jogging in his bubble towards the fire.

People began to scream out and began to panic around him.

"This is the only way out." he explained. "But don't worry. We're going to be okay." 

_Hopefully.._

They ran into the fire and all they could see was red and orange surrounding them-

Until they began to free fall and everyone, say for Steven, began screaming again. 

The red and orange gave way to the blur of the fusion's body and her legs and of the outside area-

.. and of the street coming towards them..

More frantic screaming.

"Brace yourselves." said Steven. He positioned his self around the woman as he held onto her.

The bubble slammed into the street and absorbed the impact of the crash. Everyone in the bubble at the most shaken up as they felt a hard smack to their limbs.

Steven, barely holding onto the woman, (with the man dropping just one of her legs and quickly picking it back up into his arms), quickly jumped back up to his feet and began running, despite of a quarter of the people still not up on their feet. He and the rest of the group ran in the bubble as the handful either staggered up to their feet or rolled alongside them.

He cut down towards a grove of trees and saw Opal fighting off only one of the two guys. 

They ran into the trees and Steven ran a few extra yards for good measure. He stopped and turned to the group panting in front of him. 

"Sorry I had to make you guys run.. but I wanted to make sure everyone would be safe."

Half of the group began to stare at him. The rest of the group pulling themselves up to their feet with some help from the others.

"Uh.." he trailed off.

"You actually saved us." an older man said.

"Ah.. of course." he told him. "I.. just wanted to get you guys to safety."

"And.. you're really a Crystal Gem.." a lady asked in front of him.

That again..

He sighed and shrugged meekly. 

"By name.. not by heart.."

More chatter as everyone began to speak up amongst themselves about the Crystal Gem that saved them.

He raised his hands up in a non verbal way to hand off the bus driver's arms to someone else. A teenager held out his hands and Steven placed her arms in the teen's arms. "But.. everyone is safe. And that's the main part." he swiped his hand across the bubble and it deactivated. "I can't stay and help everyone get back." he said sadly. "I'm sorry. But they're probably looking for me and I don't want anyone of them to find you." he searched within the crowd to find his Connie..

"I think we should be okay from here." another woman said.

"We have our phones." another woman said. 

A few more people spoke up and reassured him that they would be fine while others thanked him for saving them. 

While the crowd began to disperse, he saw Connie walking away with her family. The girl looking around as her father took out his phone. She took out hers and his heart skipped a beat. 

He ran away from his spot and towards the trees.

Moments later and he heard his ringtone playing in his pocket in the silent woods and he hoped that she couldn't hear it. 

He hoped he was far away from her..

  
  


From afar and on the street, Alexandrite was holding nothing but ash in her top hands. She looked at the area, seeing everything in red. She saw Opal fighting off a man she'd been meaning to kill..

She rushed forward and felt a surge of pain engulf her whole body. She stopped and fell down to her knees. Her hands barely holding her up. She felt her muscles tense and her veins burn.. her vision getting blurry and her mind getting foggy.. she felt dizzy..

She let out a weak snarl as she began to crawl shakily towards them. The mask and her arms began to crack and push away..

She grunted out, trying to keep herself together..

Another surge of pain and she flinched and stopped in her tracks. 

She panted deeply and stared at Opal fighting him off with her bow and arrow.. 

"Must.." she trialed off as all her muscles contracted and spasm and her veins burned. She was slowly losing conscious-

Until she saw a bright red light coming from the cracks of her body-

In a puff of red smoke Amethyst, Garnet and Pearl fell to the ground. Garnet and Pearl unconscious and Amethyst disoriented and in a daze..

She panted and used her arms to drag her body slowly towards the two.

Opal was busy fighting. She kicked the man across the side of his face and he fell to his back. She pointed the arrow to his now shades-less and mask-less face. The brunette young man with hazel eyes was looking up at her. He held his hands up. 

"Please don't kill me!" he pleaded. 

"Heh.. _now_ you want to act right." she giggled. 

"P, please.. I'm sorry... I had no choice but to do this." 

Silence..

Then a, "Eh, sorry doesn't really cut it here." she pulled back her arrow. 

She heard a loud grunt that.. somewhat sounded like her name but.. at the same time didn't? 

She glanced over and looked back at the man-

Only to look back to see Amethyst with her whip. The woman sitting on her knees with the whip held weakly in her hands.

She made a quick, one fan motion with the back of her hand and Opal backed away as she lowered her bow. 

Amethyst threw her whip and it wrapped around the man's neck. He grunted and grabbed at the rope.

She walked wobbly on her knees as she tried to snap out of her dizzy spell. She pulled on the rope as she pulled herself towards him. 

Opal spotted movement from down the street and saw Steven running up towards them. 

"Iiii believe you got this under control." she said casually to Amethyst and she jumped away from her. Amethyst ignored her. Her eyes glued to the man she was going to kill.. 

The main one of the group.. 

The _same_ one who shocked her with the destabilizer..

Now she was going to get her revenge..

Steven saw two figures laying on the ground and gasped. His eyes caught Amethyst walking on her knees steadily as she swayed towards a tuxedoed man on the ground. 

A figure landed in front of him and he backpedaled and quickly realized it was Opal. 

"Opal-!"

"Did you find that other guy?" 

"Huh?-No. I didn't-" 

She gasped. "He's still out there!? We have to find him!" she looked out into the trees. "Aw man.. he could be _anywhere_ by now.." she sighed and pointed to her left. "He could be over there," then she pointed to her right. "he could be over there," then she started pointing at various places in front of her, behind her and on each side of her. "Or there, or there.. or over there, or there or aaaall the way over there and maybe even over there or th-"

"Opal just.." he resisted a heavy sigh. "..go try to find him." 

"Right! Right-right-right." she turned away from him and jumped away, clearing seventy feet up in the air. She came back down and vanished within the trees. 

Steven ran towards Garnet and Pearl still laying completely still on the ground. 

He crouched down towards Garnet. "Garnet.. Garnet.." 

No response.

He leaned up and saw her stomach moving. 

He got up and ran to Pearl.

She was breathing. 

He tried to sigh out his relief but he still panicked.

He crouched down to the woman and pat at her cheek. "Pearl.. Pearl wake up.." he moved her face gently and pat at her cheek again. "Pearl.. Pearl.." 

No response. 

He got up and ran back to Garnet and crouched down. "Garnet.." he tapped at her face. "Garnet... Come on, Garnet. Wake up." he moved her chin and pat at her cheek. "Come on, Garnet.. wake up.. please.." 

No response.

Steven pat at her face again when he saw movement in the trees. 

He waited.. before quickly looking over at the spot and he saw someone's face pulling back behind a tree. 

_...now what is..._

He looked down at Garnet, then turned around to look at Pearl.

Both women were still unconscious. 

He sighed and got up. "I'll be right back you guys." he ran from the middle of the street and toward the grove of trees

Right as he got close to the grass, he saw a head poke out from the same tree and he stopped on the balls of his feet as he noticed the white shades. The man quickly ran away from the tree. 

_No way that can't be him!_

He ran after him. 


	205. What a way to end the family dinner..

Amethyst got close to the man and glared down at him.

"Please don't kill me!!" he quickly shouted.

"TELL-!" she felt a surge of intense pain down and up her jaw and the pain spread throughout her face and neck. She fought through it. She took a deep breath. "Tell us what you know." she growled.

"Uh.. uh.." he licked his lips. "We work for the Diamonds."

"What else!" pain shot through her jaw. She screwed her eyes shut before snapping them back open. "We already know that." she hissed as drool and blood slid out her open mouth. She tightened the whip on his throat and he grunted. " 'ut who?" she hissed.

He panted. Frightened. "H, huh?" he asked meekly. 

" 'UT-!" a shot of pain and she quickly learned to stop moving her jaw wider. " 'ut who?" You work hor the Dia'onds. Which one? Who? Yellow Dia.. Dia-" she tried to close her mouth. She growled. "Yellow! or.." she growled louder, quickly realizing she was coming across the same problem. "Yellow or Azul (Blue)?" 

"I don't.. know what 'azul' means.." 

She growled. She grabbed at his neck and squeezed the rope to his throat "Yellow!!" she took his neck and brought it up and slammed his head back to the street and he flinched. She leaned right above him and drool and fresh blood dropped from her mouth and on his face. "Do you work hor Yellow Dia'ond or 'lue Dia'ond?" 

He finally roughly understood. 

He swallowed and panted. "Yellow Diamond.. we work.. for Yellow Diamond." 

"What is her-" she stopped, growling at herself. Fustrated. "What is her.." another try of her closing her mouth.. to no avail. " 'lan." 

" 'Lan'?"

She snarled. 

She banged him in the face. Her fist fracturing his nose and he hollered out. His eyes began to water.

"Her.." she tried forcing her jaw close and there was a crack and a surge of intense pain that slammed into her face and sent the nerves of her face to burst throughout the rest of her body in intense pain. She grunted out her pain and hung her head as the pain never subsided. She panted deeply and snapped her eyes wide open again. "What is she doing? What is her goal? Her 'lan?" 

Then it finally clicked. 

"Her plan." 

She squeezed his throat. "What.. is it?" she snarled. "What do you know? Tell 'e.." then she quickly asked an important question that'd plagued her and the Gems' minds. "Is she co'ing?"

"..Cunning?"

She growled out loudly, hurting her jaw and another shot of pain flared at her broken bones and dislocated joints. She panted as she tried fighting through the pain. "Just tell 'e what you know! What is she doing?!"

"SORRY, sorry.. " he swallowed. "Yellow Diamond is coming." then he quickly clarified. "Well not her in particular.. but her crew- I don't know where!" he blurted out. "They haven't found out yet. They're waiting on some prisoner to give them the information on which city to find these four Gems are located-" 

"What 'risoner?" What 'our Gens?!"

"I don't know the prisoner. I've never met her.. never even seen her. That's just what some of the Amethysts and Jaspers were saying." he clarified. "They said that once she gives Yellow Diamond the information of where those Gems are- And I don't know which Gems they're talking about. But when she gives her that piece of information, Yellow Diamond will send two people from her court to that particular area." she ignored her heart as it began to beat just slightly faster. She kept her calm composure. "..you Crystal Gems have no other choice. Seriously. We have technology that _NOBODY_ will be able to take down." he said with such awe in his voice as he began to ramble. "The Diamonds are going to destroy every Crystal Gem there is. Yellow Diamond is but the first step in this big plan-"

"What kind o' technology?! What 'lan!?" 

"I.. I don't know what kind of technology per se.. Just that it's some heavy duty stuff. L, l, like our suits. And, and I dont know the official plan. Just that she's the first step." 

" 'ut what adout her 'lan?! Do you know adout HER 'lan?"

"Uh.." he wondered if he heard her correctly. "She didn't tell us much.. Just that she has a machine being built and-"

"What nachine? Where?!"

"I don't know what kind of machine it is or where it is exactly.. But she said that it's underground where nobody would ever find or detect it." 

"What?.. Like an underground 'duilding?! Or actually in. the ground?!" 

"I.. don't know!!" 

Amethyst let out another frustrated growl and punched him in his eye, "What ELSE! Tell ne E'RYTHING you know adout her 'lan!" 

He groaned as he kept his eyes closed. "I just know.. that she has some underground machine and that she's been experimenting on people-And again, I don't know. I don't know why she's doing that, but she is. That's why some of us are assigned to kidnap people. We take a group of them and send them to Yellow Diamond. There she either experiments on them or she forces them under her court or forces them to be apart of our organization." 

So many questions in her mind were fighting to be asked next.

"Where is Yellow Dianond?"

"I don't know." he shook his head. "Whenever we have to go back to the mansion, we get picked up from any location and get taken straight there." 

"What kind o' ex'erinents is she doing?" the audio clip of Yellow Diamond and her Pearl discussing any "side effects" from the experiments replayed in her head.

He shook his head slowly.. meekly.. "She didn't tell us.. I don't even know where those people go. We just drop them off at some part of her basement and then we're always told to leave immediately and to start our new task."

"Where's your gen dase!" 

"Gen.. dase?"

"Your. Gen. 'ase!" 

"Uh, I.... I'm sorry! I'm trying to understand!"

"Your Gen 'ase!! The dase!! The-!" she tried to close her mouth. Another gutteral growl came out. She threw a punch down at his throat and jammed her fingers in his eyes causing him to scream. She yanked her fingers out of his eyes and got in his face. "You said you had hostages!! You 'ring then in!! They told ne they were in sone duilding!! That has to de your gase!!"

"The hostages were in some-" then it clicked as to what she was asking him. "Our base." 

"Yes!!!!! Where.. is.. your. gen. dase?"

"They set it on fire." Amethyst immediately remembered seeing the building engulfed in flames as the men were running back to their vehicle.. "That's what we usually do to bury our tracks." 

"Where were they taking those 'eo'le. The hostages!" she clarified. "Where were they taking the hostages!"

"I don't know where! We never get the information until the very last minute on your watches." he raised his arm and showed her the white watch with yellow lines going across the sides. 

"Heh." she began undoing the watch on his wrist. "Then we'll sint'ly _send_ her a nessage telling her that we-"

"The watch only works if it's on my arm." she narrowed her eyes at him and began fastening the watch back on his arm. "And we can't call or text out. Only calls and texts come in." she glared at him. "At least for us. Only people on her actual court can personally do that and even then it's certain top ones at that." 

"What else can you tell ne adout her 'lans!!"

"Uh.." he thought back. "That she's not just experimenting with those people we kidnap.. Only some of them will be held for experimenting purposes while others would be under her court or be one of us." 

Amethyst was seething with anger. 

Everything was the Diamonds' fault.. 

Everywhere she go it seemed like everything was relating to them in one way or another..

And now they coming back with more people and better technology..

"Why can't she just use her court?!' she yelled in his face. "Why YOU! Why make another group?!" 

"I don't know! The Diamonds only tell us what they want to tell us.. I don't know why Yellow Diamond has another organization. I don't even know if we're _her_ organization. I remember where a few times she told us that she would have to call her 'empress' to see what our new tasks would be- And I don't know who this empress is! Maybe it was Blue who she was referring to? Maybe she was the one who made this organization? I don't know!" 

"And you _don't_ know what 'lue is doing?"

"N, no.. I don't know what she's doing." 

Amethyst thought back on that one particular guy that had apparently been kidnapped and was training at some site under Blue Diamond..

_"I'll ask you. ONE more time." Amethyst whispered. "What. do you know?"_

_"I.. I just know.. that when they kidnapped me.. they told me that I was apart of an organization. And that they have something big planned for the whole world!"_

" 'lue is doing sonething.." Amethyst growled. "I need to know. _WHAT."_

"M, maybe she's planning things with her sister?! I don't know!! I really don't. My group has only been working for Yellow Diamond. That's it. I only met Blue Diamond once.. And she's terrifying." then he said in a hushed whisper. "But not as terrifying as Yellow..-" 

"Do you know anything adout the training site!" the man looked at her with bleary eyes. "I sdoke to one of these guys.. dehore I let hin die." the guy panted under her. "He said he was in this organization under 'lue Dianond and that he was training at this site." 

The man was shaking his head and she started snarling. "I'm sorry.. I don't know anything about Blue Diamond or her training site. She and Yellow Diamond have their own sites- And I don't know where Yellow's training site is! Just like her mansion, I don't know where her training site is either.." he heard an angry growl coming from her. "BUT but where I was training was extremely cold! Freezing! Nothing but snow and ice! And we ate a lot of frozen fish!" 

"That.. could be anywhere.."

Though.. with it now being summer in the States as well as other parts of the world.. or with countries being hot or at least not entirely with ice and snow..

.. perhaps they could narrow that location down to a handful of countries..

"How long hath you been working in this organization?"

'About six months.."

"And e'eryday the weather's 'een like that?"

"Yes.."

"Hah.." she tightened the whip on his throat. "What.. else.." 

He gagged and clenched his eyes tight. "Please.." he said in a low, hoarse voice. "that's all I know. That two people from Yellow Diamond's court is going to come to whatever location that prisoner tells her... That Yellow Diamond is making some unknown machine underground.. and that she's been experimenting on people or forcing them to her own court to build her army or forcing them to be one of us."

He watched her.. her shades blocking her eyes and her mouth opened and her jaw at a slant as blood and saliva continued to drip down her mask and on him. 

"Please.. if I knew more I would tell you.."

Amethyst glared at him for a few moments..

.. before silently bringing her hands up and tightening the whip around his neck..

She watched as the young man gagged and pleaded..

.. and as he grabbed at the rope around his throat..

..And she watched as the words stopped coming as he lost more of his breath..

.. and she watched as his hands slid from the rope..

She unravelled the whip and curled it back up and clipped it onto her belt. 

She crawled towards Pearl on her knees. The process taking so much longer than she'd wanted on her weak legs.

She made it to the woman eventually and unclipped a canister from her belt. 

She crawled back to the corpse..

She flipped the canister counterclockwise and the spear flung out. 

..and she brought the weapon down and sliced off his arm from the elbow..

She spun the canister clockwise and the spear snapped back inside of the canister. Then she picked up the arm and looked at the watch. The screen was still black with no incoming calls or texts..

She grunted as she slowly pushed herself up. Her legs buckled under her and she nearly collapsed back to the ground before barely catching herself with her hand. 

She took a few breaths and pushed herself up slightly. Not being able to stand up straight, she turned away slowly from the corpse and slowly, sloowly limped away step by step by step in a slow, weak fashion. 

Half limping half sliding one of her feet across the ground felt even longer than crawling as she finally made it back over to Pearl. 

She threw the canister on the ground next to the unconscious woman. Not bothering to look down at her. 

And.. 

.. she simply limped away..

Not so much as checking if the two were still breathing..

  
  


Steven was still searching for the tuxedoed man. He seemed to had vanished somewhere within the trees.

And the black of the night with one lone lamp light off in the distance wasn't making his search any easier..

He continued his walk down a small path with trees on either side of him, _now with shield already in hand and in front of him_.

_Sigh.. Now I feel like Opal.. This guy could be anywhere by now-_

Steven felt a heavy figure slam into his back and he fell hard to the ground. 

He immediately started berating himself for not having situational awareness as a hand was wrapped around his neck. He was pulled up. He picked up his legs and brought his weight down and the man bent only slightly as he quickly regained his core balance.

He felt another hand grab at his arm and he shifted the shield to the side and tried pinning the man's arm between the edge of the shield and his ribs. 

The hand slid through the barrier slightly and Steven pushed the shield down farther. 

The arm around his neck pushed in and squeezed his throat as the hand slid farther under the edge of the shield. 

Steven gasped for air as he struggled under the man's strength. He gave up trying to keep the man's arm pinned down any longer and kept the shield on his wrist long enough to slide his own arm underneath of the shield. He grabbed on the jewel of the ring as the man grabbed his elbow. He quickly twisted and pulled at an angle just before his arm was pulled back.. The jewel being brought back along with his arm- 

He felt the jewel leave his fingertips-

He felt the arm forced off his neck and he fell to the ground, gasping for air. He cracked open his eyes half way to see the pink ground underneath of him. 

Still gasping for air on his hands and knees, he turned back around slowly. 

The tuxedoed man was staring down at him with a disgusted look on his face. 

"You and that bubble!" he snapped. "You don't want to fight like a man!" 

"No.." he whispered. He got up to his feet and deactivated his shield and swiped across the bubble and deactivated it. "But I want to talk like one."

The man glared at him.

"We _don't_ have to do this."

"You _must_ be the new kid.." he said coarsely. "I keep telling you, I'm NOT.saying. _anything."_ he took a step towards him and Steven took a step back as he placed his thumb on his index finger. "You sound like a broken record player. You just want to talk, you just want to talk.. Is THAT what you say to EVERYONE you have to fight?!" he scoffed. 

".. There's nothing wrong with doing that.."

Another scoff from the man. "You're wasting your time." he spat out. 

".. I've helped people before with just talking to them." he countered. 

"News flash kid, it doesn't work on everyone." 

Steven kept his distance from the man as silence took over their conversation. 

The wind blew ominously around them and blew the leaves of the trees along the path. 

One lone fox barked in the distance.

"Do you like what you do?"

_"Love_ it."

_Okay.. maybe that wasn't the best approach.._

"Why can't you talk to me?"

"Why can't you fight me?"

_. touché.._

"There has to be a reason why you're fighting us. Maybe someone ordered you to? Or maybe you want to be the next authority? Anything!"

"There's a reason for everything, kid. And just like other things in this world, you don't have to know every single reason. It doest concern you." 

Steven froze.

_Seriously.. there's just no getting through to this guy._

The man gave him a leveled glare through his shades. When the boy didn't say anything else, he grew even more bored and annoyed. Henley out another belittling scoff towards him. "Pitiful.." 

_I'm _not_ pitiful.._

He watched the boy narrow his eyes at him, but otherwise did or said nothing else. 

He turned away from him. "I don't have time for this.." he growled. 

Steven watched as the man walked up the path. 

_Wait!-! No! He's getting away!!_

_I have to do something!_

He proceeded to walk up the path. He strode a steady pace away from the pathetic Crystal Gem and went on his way. 

He would spend his time focusing on other things.

Like following the orders of his Diamond and waiting for her call on his watch-

"I'll fight you." 

He stopped.

Did he hear that correctly?

He turned around. 

The boy, rather reluctantly it seemed, put his fists up in front of his face. An unsure expression on it as he took a short step back in a stance. "You and me." he said with a bit of shakiness in his voice. "We'll fight it out." 

Steven watched a mischievous grin come across his face behind the mask. 

"Finally." he said. 

He charged after Steven, snickering to his self.. until he came closer to the boy and his dry chuckle became a craze bout of laughter as he raised a muscular fist out. 

Steven began to panic, but kept his wobbling legs in his spot. 

_Okay.. don't use the bubble, don't use the bubble, don't use the bubble!!_

_Just stand your ground and fight him._

_You got this, Universe-_

The tuxedoed man was pulling his arm farther back. His teeth bared as he cackled loud in front of him.

_No! You DON'T 'got this', Universe! That dude is DEFINITELY going to break something on your face if he.. no, not 'if he', WHEN he punches you!_

The man lunged right in front of him as he threw his fist out.

_AAAHHH, the shield!_

He double tapped on his index finger and the shield activated between them right as the first collided with the pink, pristine surface. The momentum of the strong punch both pushing the shield into his face and sending him flying back. He lost his balance as he came back down and tumbled to the ground -and used his arm to haphazardly push his self back up as the guy was coming in with both fists up.

He scrambled up to a stand as he pushed off the ground and backpedaled into running backwards. 

Fists were coming towards him at both sides and he kept his shield up as he brought it side to side to block each hit. 

The punches kept coming; towards his head, to the side of his torso, his stomach, his neck.. 

Every punch he barely blocked and every punch causing him to stumble back. 

The man growled. Every punch was harder than the last and quicker as adrenaline kicked in. Every jab meant to severely injure him.. or worse..

The heavy throws from his fists came at all angles with Steven barely blocking them.

The man lunged to his side--and Steven turned towards him as another jab came his way. He blocked the punch with the surface of his shield and continued to run backwards down a different way. 

More punches--

More blocking--

And another lunge to his side, causing Steven to change his path as he turned to block another hit. He ran backwards with his shield up and blocking more hits-

-and felt the bottom of his legs hit something hard. He fell backwards and was up in the air for a solid second before falling hard on his shoulders and back. 

He saw a log in front of him and the man lunging towards him. 

He let out a startled scream and half scrambled half rolled out the way. 

He pushed up to his seat as he watched the strong, muscular tuxedoed guy turn to him. 

"I thought you said you wanted to fight!!"

"I-No! I just thought that if I would fight you that maybe I could gey you to talk!!" he whined. "But I DON'T want to fight! I just want to talk!"

"Talk with your fists." he charged towards Steven once more. 

More punches and more jabs slammed against the shield. 

_HOW is his hands not breaking?!_

Steven barely kept up as he continued to barely dodge the throws. 

.. until there was a small flinch the man did when he brought his arm up again. His injured shoulder _continuing_ to send out more pain up and down his arm. 

That gave Steven an idea.

He didn't want to do it.. but he wouldn't have much choice..

Maybe.. be as gentle as he could and..

As the punches kept coming, he slid the shield off his arm and pushed it forward. As the guy pushed the shield down and threw his fist down towards his face, Steven had already twisted the jewel from the band-

In mid jab, the bubble pushed him back a few feet. 

Steven deactivated the bubble and ran towards him as he activated another shield. 

The tuxedoed man was already charging towards him. 

He threw the shield and activated another one and threw it towards the man's face and quickly activated another one. 

The first shield was blocked by the man's arm as the second shield slammed into his face. The third shield hitting his bad shoulder and slicing more of the meat of his skin from the sharp edges. He grunted out as another shield was thrown in the same spot and cut deeper into his shoulder. 

A shot of pain blasted his shoulder and stretched throughout his body-

.. then he noticed he couldn't lift his arm up..

He looked from his arm and to the boy as two more shields were thrown just a couple feet away.

He barely blocked the first shield and the next shield hit his face. He felt another shield hit his injured, bloody arm before he saw the next shield slam into his torso-

Steven was in front of him. He slammed the fifth shield into the side of his face as he was hit in the chest hard. 

The hit from Steven caused the man to tilt slightly to the left and the heavy blow from the man knocked the wind out of Steven. 

Holding his stomach and catching his breath, the man elbowed him hard in the back. 

He grunted and fell hard on his stomach. He turned to his back and kept his shield in front of him as a foot came down. 

"Heh.. thought you could actually _beat_ me?"

"That's.. not what I was trying to do." he panted. 

He leaned forward and his arm swung limp to the front of him. "Looked like it to me." he grumbled. 

"I wasn't-" the man pressed his foot farther down into the face of the shield. 

The weight of the man's body pushed his arms back and the shield on his chest.

He picked his foot back up and threw his foot down.

And again. 

And again..

Steven watched as the foot came back down once more and stomped against the shield. His breath quivered as the crushing weight made it hard for him to breath. 

The man cackled above him. 

Steven panted. His mind raced as he thought about what he could do. Every thought of his training was mixed in his head and he was at a standstill, somehow not remembering a lot of his training right at that moment. 

The weight seemed to had grown heavier as the shield was pushed into his chest. 

He could barely breath. 

Rapid thoughts and fight or flight collided into each other and became a whirlwind in his mind. 

Looking at the man's masked face and his grin.. to the starry sky above and side to side at the trees.. and up at the man's face and to his feet and to the trees at his side-and down to the man's feet again. 

More ideas came in clumps as fear intertwined and caked over them, making it harder for him to think. 

.. but vaguely.. he remembered faintly of a move Garnet showed him during one of their sparring days. 

Practically holding his breath now, he thought of going for the man's feet, just at the ankles. With as much strength and energy as he could muster up and at the angle his legs were in, he used one leg to hold his self in place and pushed out his other leg. His shin smacked into the guy's ankle and the man stumbled just slightly. 

He broke his fall in just a half second with his hand as Steven was beginning to push up to his feet.

The tuxedoed man went for Steven and the boy threw his shield out and smacked him on the side of his face.

He was pushed to the side as he fell, faking the boy out with a fall, only to place his hand on the ground as he pushed his body up and threw his leg out. He kicked Steven in his face and pushed off his hand in a side flip and landed on his feet and looked at the boy getting up from the ground. His eyes squinting with the pain. 

He charged after him-

Thinking fast, Steven threw the shield and doubled tapped on his index, middle and ring finger. 

He blocked the shield with his one arm and barely blocked the second one, with the third one hitting him in his throat. He gagged and held his throat as he gasped for air. 

Another shield was coming towards him. 

The edge of it hit him in the head and jostled his mind just slightly. 

Steven double tapped on his index finger and double tapped on the nail again and just faintly remembering another move from Garnet, he brought his leg behind the man's foot and used as much force as he could muster up in a tackle as he collided with the guy's _right_ side.

The tuxedoed man tripped over and without the use of his left arm to push him back up, he fell to the ground. He looked up to see the shield coming straight for his face. He felt the edge of the shield press down on his throat as Steven held the sharp weapon while crouched next to him. 

He looked at the boy.

Steven had a determined look on his face as he kept the shield at the man's throat. 

"Heh." he smirked. "Go ahead. _Do_ it." 

Steven kept the shield on the man's throat.

Staring at him. 

Moments went on as he and the man exchanged glare and look respectively.

And then..

.. Steven lifted the shield from the man's throat and got up slowly to his feet. 

He narrowed his eyes behind his shades at Steven. "Seriously?" he said through his teeth.

"Despite of what I just did.. I said I don't want to fight. That's not what I'm here for." he double tapped on his index finger and the shield deactivate and minimized back into the brace and he double pressed on the nails of his thumb and the rest of his fingers and the shields minimized back into the braces. 

"Pathetic, pitiful" _I'm not pitiful.._ "Crystal Gem." he started to get back up to his feet. "And you think that just because you let me live that I will just.. talk to you? Be your _friend?"_ he mocked. "All you did was just prolonged my life and in extension my DUTY under the Diamond Authority. I'm going to CONTINUE doing what I do."

"And I, will do the same."

The man looked at him confused before the snarl came back to his face. 

"I'm done here." he said in defeat. "I can't force you to talk and I won't fight you. So, I'm officially done with this." he ran the ring along his arm and the bubble activated around him. Now with a forcefield to protect him from any sneak attacks, he turned just slightly to his side. "Maybe we'll meet paths again and maybe then we'll talk." 

"No." he grumbled. "If I ever get the chance to cross paths with you, I'll _kill_ you."

That made his skin crawl..

He turned only his head to the tuxedoed man. "Or maybe you will have changed by then and maybe.. you will have realized how messed up being in a gang really is. Especially under the Diamond Authority." then he added. "Or maybe you'll at least be ready to talk to me." just a second later he added, "Enjoy the rest of your night." he turned his head from him and began walking away. 

The tuxedoed man only stood there and glared as he walked away, knowing that there was nothing he could do now that he was in that bubble of his..

Despite of being in his bubble, Steven had been anticipating a sneak attack or a hit with a tree branch og some sort from the man, but the attacks never came. 

He didn't even look back to make sure if he was still standing behind him. 

And quite frankly, he was a bit afraid to do so. 

He continued up the path and back towards the street. 

_You win some, you lose some._

_Don't worry.. maybe you _can_ change him.._

_..someday.._

Steven proceeded to walk through the Grove of trees for the next few minutes before a familiar chime sounded through the sirens and the low rumbling of helicopters. 

His heart began to race in his chest.

_Amethyst.._

The anxiety was building in his gut again as questions began to whirl through his mind. 

Was he in trouble? Did she somehow know that he let that one man go? Was he not supposed to leave the group? Was Garnet and Pearl okay? Did he somehow mess something up? Did- 

He quickly took the phone out of his pocket as he looked around himself this time. 

The tuxedoed man was nowhere in sight.

Which made the area feel even more eerie.. 

Good thing he was in his bubble..

He swiped across the screen and put the phone up to his ear.. getting ready for screaming and yelling in his ear. 

"Hey Amethyst."

Just two.. three.. four seconds in silence and Steven thought she was so irate that the words were actually stuck.. and he was preparing for a _bigger_ outburst- 

"Gra the li'o." 

That.. sounded like Amethyst but then.. it didn't? 

Maybe his phone was finally going... or maybe she was still using her voice changer?

".. Huh? What was that?"

A few seconds passed in silence again and he heard a growl on the other end. "Grad the lino. Grad. the. _LINO."_

"I..." he tried to figure out what she was saying. ".. Sorry, Amethyst, I can't understand you-" 

She growled louder and she hung up. 

He started freaking out as more questions started to come to his mind. 

Did he REALLY do something this time?! Did he mess something up?! Did.. something happen to her just now?! Did-

There was a beep as his phone vibrated. 

More of his worry and stress began to accumulate-

He reluctantly looked down and saw the message at the top of his phone. 

**Meet me at the limo**

The message didn't_ seem _angry.. and that calmed him down just slightly.

Still.. it could be anything with that woman and he didn't know why he needed to do that..

_..Ok?_

_I.. wonder why.._

Before the message vanished from the screen, he sent her a, **Will do**, before putting his phone back in his pocket. 

He looked around once more. 

Still no tuxedoed man in sight..

He ignored the chills down his skin as he turned back around and headed for the street. 

Another ten minutes later and he was walking out of the grove.

He saw Garnet and Pearl still laying in the street. 

He gasped and started running for them. 

He quickly deactivated his bubble and checked to see if they were still breathing. 

They were.

He tried to wake them up once more; patting their faces and calling their names.. but to no avail..

He sighed and slipped his hands under Garnet's arms and tried to pick her up, in a feeble way to try and drag her _all_ the way back to the limo and he _instantly_ realized how more solid and heavy Garnet was compared to the bus driver he was trying to drag earlier. 

Garnet barely budged. 

..If she even did..

He let out an exasperated, tired sigh as he slipped his hands from under her shoulders and had an idea.

_Maybe..._

He jogged over to Pearl and slipped his arms under hers and grunted as he slowly dragged the body towards Garnet. 

_How can such a slim, dainty woman be so heavy?!_

He laid her down beside Garnet and let out another tired sigh. "Okay." he stepped in between them and raised his arm up. "Here goes nothing." he ran the ring across his arm and the bubble formed around them. 

He took a few steps back and the bubble rolled easily as their bodies rolled away from him. 

"Okay.." he said to his self. "That could work." 

He walked towards the back and went to grab Garnet's arm when he saw her wrist bent the other way. 

He grimaced and pulled his arm back. 

He had another thought and decided to pick Pearl up. He stepped over Garnet's legs and dragged Pearl's body over her and to the other side. 

He took Garnet's good arm and leaned over and grabbed Pearl's and took a few steps forward as he looked side to side at the two. 

Their necks were tilted towards their shoulder but otherwise, they weren't being jostled around too much.

If he would keep his power walk, perhaps he wouldn't be doing too much damage to them?

.. Hopefully..

He kept up his pace, not too slow, not too fast as the bubble defied his strength and physics as it easily moved the Gems alongside him. 

He looked up the long street and to the horizon.

He sighed. 

_Well.._

_This.. might take a while.._

Though he_ was_ happy the tuxedoed man had actually went back _halfway_ in the bus at least..

He continued up the street, trying to ignore the intense, splitting migraine he still had as he kept his grip on the Gems. 

  
  


It felt like a half an hour to him..

Maybe more, maybe less, but he was panting heavily and he was feeling a bit dizzy and the migraine was unbearable at that point. 

Then.. he turned down a street and saw the limo. 

And he felt a huge weight lift off of him as relief came over him.

He walked towards the vehicle and heard a sound of a car starting up as he saw the Inkas car pulling out between two crushed cars as it came out of its hiding.

And Connie's ringtone began to play for the eighth, ninth time since his walk to the limo.

And the weight came back..

He stopped just a foot away from the hood of the limo as the Inkas pulled up beside him with its headlights off. 

He heard the driver's door open on the other side and moments later, Amethyst walked to the front of the vehicle and his eyes went right to her mouth and mask covered in blood. 

She looked down at Garnet and Pearl laying down beside him. "No wonder you took so long." she snarled. "You had to take _then_ with you. You shoulda leht then there. Let then hind their own way 'ack." then she added. "Ith they e'er got u'.."

He only understood part of what she said, but he had a feeling it was something very rude and unsympathetic..

"E'ry Gens hor thenseles." 

He had a feeling he heard _that_ correctly.

_Try saying that Opal when she saved me.._

_MORE. than once._

"The guy." she said coarsely as she changed the subject. "Did you get hin?"

She looked angry.

But.. something else was there in her eyes that he couldn't pinpoint..

Ignoring her bloody mouth and odd pronunciation _and the fact that her mouth stayed open and at an angle.._

"I.. took care of him." he said. 

The ringtone ended. 

She gave a single nod of her head. "Then I need to call O'al 'ack." 

He didn't quite understand..

_What's going on with her-_

The thought of Alexandrite running up towards him and Opal came to his mind. The fusion's jaw hanging loose before she blew out fire towards the Giant. 

His eyes grew wide as he looked at Amethyst's bloody, dislocated mouth again.

And he had a feeling it was much_ much_ worse under her mask..

"Amethyst.." he whispered. "Are you o-"

"Did you get hin to talk?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. 

"The guy! Did. you. talk. to hin? Did he tell you anything?!" 

"N, no.. I didn't get anything from him." he hoped that's what she was asking him..

She narrowed her eyes at him.

_..What is she going to-_

"Talc, you're coning with 'e." she pointed at herself. 

"Uh..mm.." 

He heard a low growl. "YOU" she pointed at him. "are co.ning. with" she pointed to herself. _"ME_

Did he.. hear that correctly?

"Uh.. where?" 

"You're taking the lino." she pointed at the vehicle behind him. "and dri'ing to the GenTech 'uilding. Let 'eridot hix this and see if she can get inhornation out of this." then she added. "I also hath to talk to her." 

_No mention of her needing serious medical treatment as well?!_

"I also hath to talk to YOU too." 

_Me?!? About what?!_

" 'ut we'll discuss that later." she said. "Now cone on." 

She began walking away and right as Steven was about to let go of both Garnet and Pearl's hands, he felt Pearl's hand twitch in his. 

He looked down, "Pearl?" he squeezed her hand. 

Amethyst turned around. 

The woman was slowly coming to and Amethyst watched as Pearl opened one eye halfway. She lifted her head up and placed her arm underneath of her and leaned on it.

And locked eyes with her boss. 

"Amethyst." she said in a hushed, surprised tone. 

She kept her eyes on Pearl and said, "Looks like I don't need you to dri to the GenTech 'uilding ahter all, Talc." 

She saw the realization come to Pearl's face as she noticed that _someone_ was holding her other hand. 

She looked up and saw Steven looking at her.

..with the pink hibiscus mask on his face..

Him.. holding _her_ hand..

..while wearing that mask that Ro-... that _she_ used to wear..

She ripped her hand from his and glared at him. The face she made making both her eyes throb in pain.. one more so than the other.

" 'earl." 

She looked at Amethyst. 

_"You."_ she clarified. "You dri the lino and I dri the Inkas. We're going to the GenTech duilding."

Pearl was trying to understand. She was also trying to not look at the serious injury in a form of a dislocated and broken jaw and bloody mouth with missing teeth..

Amethyst growled as she clenched her hands into fists. Then she brought her hands up and started signing to Pearl. 

The woman got up to her wobbly legs and rocked slightly. She nodded. "Of course, Amethyst." 

Steven watched as Amethyst signed more to Pearl. 

The woman turned slightly to him and said, "Amethyst says that she'll discuss what she wanted to tell you now and that she'll tell Garnet later if and when she comes to." Pearl looked over at her boss again and Steven watched as she signed. Pearl nodded, "She says you suck at fighting. You're absolutely horrible at it. And also wielding a weapon."

He frowned.

Though it was true. He really _was_ bad at fighting.. and he really did have a long way to go with being a better fighter and weapon wielder. 

Amethyst continued to sign. 

"And with the men in the suits coming and the Di-" Amethyst had did something with her hands with a sudden shake of her head and Pearl immediately shut her mouth as she looked at her boss' tense reaction. 

She began signing again. 

"And with them coming, she demands that you get better at being a Crystal Gem." his stomach twisted. "So, you'll be training with Garnet two times a week, starting tomorrow morning." she looked at Amethyst's hands as she tapped on her wrist with her index finger and held up the same hand she tapped with and made an OK gesture as she shook the hand. She proceeded to sign more. "At nine o'clock. And you'll be training with.." Pearl trailed off before quickly starting back up as Amethyst gave her a glare. "uh.. with me.." she said. "I'll be the one to teach you all about weapon wielding." she watched Amethyst. "Starting Tuesday..." Steven could clearly see Pearl holding back how uncomfortable she was. 

And quite frankly, _he_ was uncomfortable about it too..

"..and, she wants you to start putting on more muscle. You need to buy some weights and start exercising at home."

Amethyst signed before pointing at Garnet, signing some more, pointing at the the Inkas armored limo behind her, signing some more and dropping her hands and looking at Steven. 

"That's all for your training at the moment, on top of you still going on missions. And that's it." said Pearl. "She wants to leave and get to the GemTech building as soon as possible. She says to put Garnet in the back of the Inkas and from there we'll leave and you go find your own way back home." 

Steven looked at Amethyst, shocked.

Though he shouldn't be..

Amethyst signed in front of him. 

"Can't waste any more time." Pearl interpreted. She took her steps to Garnet and crouched down to her. "Come on." she told Steven. "Deactivate your bubble." 

He ran his hand across the bubble and it deactivated and minimized back into the jewel. 

He walked over to Garnet's legs and crouched down. 

The two picked her up and walked towards the vehicle as Pearl kept Garnet's head on her stomach. She balanced the woman's head on her torso as she opened the back door. She climbed in backwards and carefully, Steven hopped in. 

Pearl began sliding her upwards into the seat and Garnet's arms swung to the side. 

"Watch her arm." 

"Don't tell me what to do." she snapped back at him. 

He kept quiet..

The two shifted Garnet upright in the seat and Steven leaned over and grabbed the seatbelt. Pearl walked away from him and he watched her jump out the car before focusing his attention back to Garnet. 

It was kind of scary, in a way.. to have seen Garnet unconscious twice within one month and the Gems just.. acting like it was nothing? 

He clipped the seatbelt in and looked at her. 

_Hopefully she'll be okay.._

He turned around and noticed his clothes on the seat and-

He jumped back. 

"Is THAT an arm?!?!" he squealed. 

Amethyst and Pearl looked at the Inkas. Amethyst shook her head and signed to Pearl. 

"It's just an arm from one of the men." Pearl answered. "And it doesn't concern you, just get out of the car." 

With a grimace on his face and a sick feeling in his churning stomach, he quickly picked his clothes up from beside the bloody sleeved arm and picked his dress shoes off the floor and hopped out of the car.

He heard the driver's door open. 

Amethyst slid into the front seat and Pearl closed the door back and walked back around the vehicle. 

Now with a full view of her face, he noticed one of her eyes completely shut and swollen with dried and fresh blood caked across it. The other eye half opened and red. 

And.. Amethyst really wanted her to drive like this? Even _after_ she just woke up from her unconscious state?

This was Amethyst he was talking about.. of course she would..

Pearl walked pass him as she ignored his eyes on her. She went to the back of the car and popped open the trunk. Moments later and she closed the trunk and he saw a dark gray pill in her hand. She popped it in her mouth and dry swallowed it.

Then she looked over at Steven just.. standing there.

"What?" she snapped.

"Um.. are you sure you should be driving? You're injured and.. you were unconscious just a few minutes ago-" he saw the narrowed eyed look on her face and stopped.

The passenger's window rolled down. "Hey, hey, hey! What's the hold u'!" 

Pearl cut her eye at Steven and ignored the pain in both eyes. 

"Maybe it'll be better if Pearl takes a break and I drive. She's hurt." 

Amethyst leaned over in her seat. "Are you telling _ne_ how to run _ny_ 'osition and give out orders?" 

"N, no. I was just-"

"Shut u'." she scowled at him. " What I say goes. You got that? Unless you want ne to drag you 'ack to the chander and nake you com'rehend and realize who's the 'oss here." she hissed.

He shook his head stiffly. 

Just a few moments glaring at him, Amethyst turned her attention to Pearl. "The door. Get in and let's go." she said bluntly. 

"Yes, Amethyst." she opened the door and let out a gasp of surprise as she raised her fists up.

..And realizing a split second later that it was Lion sitting up in the driver's seat. 

"Hey, buddy." Steven smiled sadly. "Sorry I left you for so long." 

"Alright, beat it, dog." Pearl shooed him off and Lion jumped down from the car and walked over to Steven. He threw the clothes over his other arm and pat gently at the dog's head. 

She got in the limo and Amethyst rolled the window up.

Steven watched as the Inkas drove off and the limo following after it.

It was rather abrupt and a bit jarring for them to leave si sudden just like that..

Nevertheless, it was still in character for them..

The men were gone, the fight was done and, with nothing else to do there now, they had to leave..

He sighed. 

"Well.. come on, boy." he looked around the area. "Time to go.." 

Wherever that may be..

"But first." he crouched down and pressed and held the pin down for three seconds and the bright pink color vanished from his fur. 

Steven looked around. "Mm.. maybe we should go somewhere more hidden to do this." 

He got up and walked across the street to a few fallen trees from the fight. 

Another look around and he didn't see anyone.

He crouched down and took off Lion's mane and his fronts and put them in one pocket and slipped the mask off and put it in another pocket. Then he took off his doggy flats and placed all four in one back pocket. 

He fixed Lion's bowtie that had went askew over his collar. "There, much better." 

He took off Connie's flip flops and placed them in his other back pocket and put his dress shirt over his Crystal Gem one and began buttoning the shirt up. Then he squeezed the bracelet onto his wrist and the braces slid back into the bracelet as he slid his ring off. Then he pulled the mask off his face and the bracelet from his wrist and placed the items in whatever pocket he could squeeze them into. 

He put on his tie, put on and yanked his black dress pants over his jeans, unballed his socks and put them and slipped on and tied the dress shoes onto his feet. 

He sat down and laid his back on a rock and let out a sigh for the umpteenth time that night. 

"So that just happened.." he mumbled. 

Lion was busy sniffing the ground of the new surroundings. 

The dinner didn't go too great.. then the huge fight between the Crystal Gems and the tuxedoed men.. then the Gems getting badly injured.. 

And now he has to work even harder with even _more_ training..

And with _Pearl_ now too..

_Great.. just great.._

And this splitting headache he had..

Unbearable..

He closed his eyes and titled his head back-

And heard a familiar chime as his phone vibrated in his pocket. 

He snapped open his eyes and sat up and made the pain rush to his head. He winced and held his head. He took the phone out of his picket with the other. 

He took a breath, anticipating what was going to happen..

He swiped across the screen. "Con-" 

"Steven!!!!" her voice belted through his hear and rammed into his head.

"Co-"

"I've been calling you and calling you!! Where are you!! Where did you go!!" she shouted. "Those guys came and then I couldn't find you-!!" her voice cracked and her heard a hiccup and a whine. 

"Connie, I'm soo sorry. I.. I just found my phone!! I got separated from Lion and I tried to find him and somehow I lost my phone and, the guys came and I hid away-Connie I'm sooo soooo sorry." he heard her crying on the other end. 

"Connie..Please I'm.. I got lost in all this.. chaos." he grimaced. "I'm sorry.." he whispered. 

She didn't let up and her sobs sounded farther away until he heard a cold, blunt, "Where are you?" 

His heart jumped in his chest. "I.. I uh.. I don't know." he told her mother. "I need to find the name of the street." he quickly pushed off to his feet, "Come on, Lion." he whispered and he ran out of the destroyed woods and Lion ran right beside him. 

He ran up the block and looked at the green plate above him and stuck on the silver pole on the corner. "Uh, Rouge Avenue." he said. "I'm on the corner of Rouge Avenue and" he looked to the other plate. "Zuanshi road." 

"I'm not familiar with the Delmarva area." then he heard a, "Doug, look up Rouge Avenue" there was a pause for a few moments. "and Zuanshi road." 

He heard the father say something, but couldn't make out what he said. 

"According to the GPS, it looks like you're just twenty minutes from us." she told him. "We're at the Terashon hotel on Aodaliya avenue."

"Okay." he said a bit too quickly. "I'll be there as quick as possible." 

"Good." her tone was anything but cheerful. "Because I just called roadside assistance and they'll be here with the rental very soon. I would _not_ want to keep them waiting. 

"O, of course!" 

"Mm." 

There was a lull in the conversation and he could practically _feel _ the mother taking the phone away from her ear and raising her finger up to the screen to end the call-

"Dr. Maheswaren!" 

He imagined her bringing the phone back up to her ear..

"Yes?" 

He cleared his throat. "Can I.. talk to Connie, please?" he asked shyly.

He felt a little silly saying that.. as if he was some high schooler calling on a home phone at her parent's house.

Again.. he could practically imagine what was going on. Her grimacing, maybe even looking at both her daughter and her husband before reluctantly, handing Connie back her cell phone.

Steven heard a low, soft, "Steven.." and he could hear her starting back up. 

"Connie.. I'm so sorry.. I know there are no excuses but.. really.. I lost Lion while they were ushering people in the building, then he ran off and I couldn't find you OR him and then those two fusions came I had to hide, then I thought about calling you and I realized I dropped my phone somewhere back at the restaurant and I.." he sighed. "I'm sorry, Connie." 

He heard a sniffle as her voice trembled, "I'm just glad you're okay." 

"And I'm glad you're okay too-" 

"Steven, it was terrifying." she blurted out. "We were stuck at the restaurant and the cops didn't want anyone to leave, then.. we saw those fusions fighting and they DESTROYED the restaurant! And then those guys were actually on the bus!! WITH us!! We could've.." she sobbed. "Then the Crystal Gems came." she continued to cry. 

He felt so guilty.. being one of the reasons.. no _two_ of the reasons why she was so upset..

Him being a a Crystal Gem and scaring her 

Him being away from her and making her worry..

He just couldn't win..

Steven heard Connie's mother saying something to her in Tamil. He had no clue what she said, but it sounded like she was trying to soothe her or calm her down. 

Connie said something back to her and he heard a, "Steven, I'll let you go. Try to get here as soon as you can." she said gently. "And please be careful. Who knows if the Crystal Gems or those guys are in the area.." then she suggested. "Try to stay on the main street." 

_Not that _that_ would stop any of them.. _ he thought. And he had a feeling that Connie knew that too. 

But thinking about that guy he let go possibly being in the area made his skin crawl. 

Crystal Gem or bystander, that guy could still attack him..

".. r, maybe act like you're on the phone or something." she added. 

"Yeah." he said. Then he said softly, "Okay, Connie. I'll see you later." 

He heard a sniffle at the end. "See you, Steven."

She hung up and he went to his maps and put in 'Terashon on Aodaliya avenue' in the search bar.

The coordinates popped up and he changed the option from driving to walking as he pressed on the picture of a side profile of a person walking. Then he pressed the navigation button and the blue arrow flipped across the screen. The voice saying, _"Head left on Zuanshi road."_ he pressed the phone against his ear and pretended to be in the phone as he and Lion turned left and walked up the street. 

  
  


Fifteen minutes later of Steven jogging towards his destination with cop cars driving pass every now and again and fifteen minutes of him saying a few sentences here and there to feign a conversation, he was coming up to another street ahead of him. 

As he ran up to the corner, he saw Connie and his heart began to flutter in his chest. 

She was sitting on a bench right underneath of the awning of the hotel. Her parents off to the side and talking to one another. 

"Connie!!!" he blurted out and smiled happily from ear to ear. 

She looked up from her lap as her parents looked over and across the street at him.

And she had a surprised expression on her face before he saw her start to smile. She jumped up from the bench.

He couldn't stop cheesing. He was so relieved, so happy to see her unharmed. 

He made it to the corner of the street- _"You have now reached your destination." _ -he ran across the street, only focused on her and the smile fading from her face as worry came across her features- 

Cars honked as they swerved pass him and he realized he'd ran straight into traffic, with his poor buddy Lion running pass him and almost getting hit twice as he made it to the sidewalk. 

"Steven!" 

"Uuhhggnn.." he ran and stopped as another car sped by and he backpedaled and stopped before another truck came his way. The driver blaring his horn at him and yelling out something incomprehensible as he drove pass. "Sorry!" Steven yelled to the incoming cars and he ran across the other half of the street as cars sped behind him, barely missing him. 

He made it to the sidewalk and Connie and Lion met him halfway down the smooth pavement of the front of the hotel. "Steven! You have to be ca-" he gave her a kiss, much to her parents dismay and they glared and grimaced at the two.

Steven gave her another kiss, much longer and deeper before he broke away from the kiss to nuzzle his head into her shoulder and wrap his arms around her. 

She hugged him back.

"I'm so sorry. I should've just left the phone.. or had held Lion's leash. Anything." he hugged her tighter. "But.. I'm just so happy that nothing happened to you." he rubbed her back. _I love you._ "You're so special to me, Connie."

They overhead that..

The mother's glare changing just slightly as sadness damped her features. Her husband, still sporting the glare and grimace on his angered face.

" I couldn't stop worrying about you." said Connie. 

"I couldn't stop worrying about you either." he whispered. 

The embrace lasted for a few heartwarming moments before Connie leaned up slightly and looked down at Steven. Her smile dropped to a worried grown once more. "Steven, your eyes." 

"What? What about them?" he blinked. As if that was going to help anything. 

"They're dilated." 

He leaned up more, though kept his arms around her back. "But.. that's not necessarily a.. bad thing right? I was just kind of.. stressed out.. I was worried about you." 

The worry never left her face. "Maybe.." though she didn't look convinced. 

"Connie, I'm fine." he widened his smile. "I'm with," he stood on his toes and poked her nose with his._"you."_ then started giving her Eskimo kisses as he rubbed his nose with hers. 

"Hmph.." she let a very short, dry chuckle. 

He leaned up from her nose and leaned back down on his feet. "I'm so happy to have you in my life." he looked up at her shades.. still a bit annoyed that he couldn't see her eyes. 

But he saw her surprised look turn into a tearful smile. "I'm so happy to have you in my life too." 

As her parents walked down the pavement, they saw her pull him in for another hug and her mother looked more despondent though her father's glare and scowl on his face never wavered. 

A chime came to Dr. Maheswaren's phone and she took the phone out of her purse. She unlocked her phone and read the message on the screen. She nodded. "Looks like the rental should be here in ten minutes." she told her husband.

The two walked farther down and saw Steven kissing Connie on her cheek.

There was a sound of disgust coming from her father and Dr. Maheswaren put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it. 

She let go moments later and walked towards the two. 

Steven and Connie were giggling and smiling at each other as they hugged when they heard the sound of someone clearing their voice. 

They looked over and saw her mother standing just a few feet from them. Back straight and shoulders squared. 

Their smiles faltered and they each eased off of each other from the hug. 

"The rental should be here in ten minutes." she told them. She looked at Connie. "You did remember to call your neighbor and tell him you would be getting a ride, right?" 

"Yes mom." she answered. "I told him and he said okay." 

She nodded. "Good." she nodded again.. and stood there.

There was an immediate lull in the conversation and suddenly.. it was as if tension was falling down and blowing over them like the wind. 

It was as if the elephant in the room was being addressed telepathically.. and the three of them seemed to be thinking back on one particular thing now. 

Connie saw the pained look on her mother's face and she saw her mother's eyes flicker down to her still flat stomach and back up to her face. 

The tension only grew.. as the present became more and more prominent with them.

Steven and Connie couldn't help but feel embarrassed at the predicament they were in.. and feeling her mother's disappointed, judging eyes on her and the angered, judging look on him. 

They heard a sigh and a soft and leveled, "Do you two really think you're ready for this? This is such a huge responsibility for such a young man and woman, especially with the lives that you two are living." 

Despite the embarrassed and guilty looks, they nodded and Connie answered, "We're ready." 

_She's_ ready.. Steven corrected in his mind. 

Her mother's eyes never left hers as she started her slow walk up to her. "Are you sure about this, Connie? There are.. _other_ alternatives." 

_She's not suggesting.._

Connie's mouth dropped slightly. 

A look of realization came to her mother's features and she raised her hand up as she quickly clarified, "I'm talking about adoption."

Connie's expression fell even more. 

Her mother continued, despite the sad, deslolate look on her daughter's face. "There are many parents who would like to foster or adopt. Those who like big families, those who like to foster and.. those who.. can't have children of their own." 

"..mom.."

Her mother's face was tense and resisting a grimace. "It's, something to think about. Giving him or her a good, stable home while you two straighten your lives out and take a better route in life." she explained. "Perhaps you may want to think of that option. It may very well be for the better. This city is dangerous and I'm already worrying about you, Connie. We have these gangs and nobody seems to be living right in this city." she shook her head. "Your father and I have came here just once. And what happens? Some kind of gang fight that destroyed the restaurant and totaled everyone's car including mine." she sighed. "Connie.. Connie... this is exactly what I mean. Just look at what's going ON with this world, especially in this very city." she tried for a gentle voice. "You really should consider this. For your life and for the baby's life as well." 

She looked at her mother through her teary eyes from behind her shades.

Her lips quivered. 

"Mom.." she shook her head in disbelief. "I.. want to keep the baby." her voice was meek despite her feeling defensive. "I don't want any of those alternatives. I'm.." her sigh sounded more annoyed with a low growl to it. "I'm tired of hearing about alternatives." she kept her voice low, but the bite she was holding back was still there. "Abortion, fostering, adoption.." she shook her head again as her mouth twisted back in a grimace. "I don't want any of that. I want to keep the baby._ I_ want to raise my _own_ child." her voice wavered at the end with a swallow.

The words that her daughter was using gripped at her heart and made her stomach churn. 

_Baby.._

_Child.._

She was waiting to wake up from the nightmare and wake up to the day of their family dinner. 

Steven and Connie looked at her mother's hurt and tensed expression. 

Tears soon started to well up in her eyes. 

And.. Connie started to feel guilty..

Silence lingered in for a few moments before her eyes glossed over to Steven and his heart skipped a beat. 

"Steven,.." she was forcing a leveled voice. "do you honestly.." though the waver on certain words managed to slip through. "think that you would be able to support both her and the child?" she asked. _"Honestly."_ she emphasized. 

Technically, with the Crystal Gem money? Yes. 

But that doesn't skip over the fact that he simply _still_ didn't want a baby..

He nodded stiffly. "Yes." then he quickly added, "Ma'am." 

She kept her teary eyes on his for a few moments before she nodded. Her hand over her mouth as a tear slid down her face. 

"Please support my daughter." she said in a hushed, trembling tone. "Not just financially. But in every way. If you two are to.." she paused before straining out through her teeth. 'become a family, then.. you need to step. up. You two can't keep living like this." 

"I know.. and I am. I'm getting myself together." he said. "I can do this.. Connie and I can do this." 

She was quiet for a few long moments once more, before her voice cracked as she said, "Please take care of my daughter. And soon.." she looked at Connie as she strained out. "my grand.. child as well." 

"Of course, Dr. Maheswaren."

They watched as she walked away from them, without a doubt disappointed in Connie..

Steven felt Connie grab hold of him as she buried her face in his neck. 

He wrapped her arms around her as she began to cry. 

He saw her mother walk over to her husband and did roughly the same thing as she held her husband close and laid her head on his chest and Mr. Maheswaren brought one arm around her and gave her a comforting rub on the back. 

_Like daughter like mother.._

"I should've known she wouldn't just.. change overnight." Connie sobbed into his suit jacket. Steven watched her father glare daggers at him. The man's rather scary and vindictive look not once looking away from him.. "That she would still have a huge problem with all of this." she cried. "And I shouldn't be surprised she doesn't want me to keep the baby." her voice cracked. 

He turned his eyes away from the father. 

He didn't have time for him.. right now he had to focus on Connie. 

He hugged her tighter, despite of what look her father might be having right then. 

At that point, he tried not to care. 

"We should give her some time." he whispered. "This is a lot to take in. She hasn't seen her daughter in two years and.. then she hears about this." 

"Yeah.." she sniveled. "I know.." 

He leaned up and kissed her temple before placing his head back on hers. "I think she'll come around. And.. if not.. well.. at least we'll still have each other." 

"..Yeah.." she frowned.

He tried lightning the mood even if just slightly. 

He turned his face towards her. "Hey.." she moved her head up to look at him. "She'll come around. Don't worry. We'll have both your parents and the two of us. Just wait. I really think everything will get better."

He did manage to see a small, sad smile on her face before it faltered back to a frown. "You like to look on the bright side.." 

He tried for an encouraging smile as he held her close and rocked her gently. "Why not?" 

"Getting your hopes up and it doesn't happen.." she said, straight-faced. 

"Well.. maybe.. but it doesn't hurt to try. You never know, maybe once all of this settles and we go on from here maybe you two.. you three, will have a better relationship." 

"Maybe.." she let out another sigh. " I mean.. I would hope so.." her mouth twitched up just slightly before she added, "She does seem just a bit different. I can't put my finger on it.." she shrugged. "I don't know.. but I just want to go home.. and put this behind me. I'm just glad that they know and that it's.. more or less over.." she hugged him tightly around the shoulders. "I'm just ready for the night to end.. I just want to go home."

"Yeah.." he pulled her in closer.

Thoughts of the night ran through his mind; the dinner, her telling her parents the news, the huge argument between them, him leaving and working with the Gems as they fought the tuxedoed men.. 

He wanted to go home too.. he wanted to go to sleep and start another day..

"I want to go home too." he kissed her cheek.

They heard a high pitched whine and Steven, then Connie, looked down to see Lion looking up at them and wagging his tail. 

He wiped at the corner of his eye. "We're okay, boy." 

Lion jumped on him and Steven gave him a very dry, humorless chuckle. He pat at his head as Lion leaned towards Connie and whined. 

"Looks like he wants to make sure you're okay too." 

The corner of her mouth twitched up as she slid one hand off of Steven's shoulder. Lion nuzzled and licked at her hand as she lowered it to pat at his head. She dragged her fingers along the back of his head and scratched behind his ear.

"Heh.. leave it to Lion to want to join in." said Connie. Her voice sounded somber and tired. 

"Can you blame him? He's a good boy and he's looking out for us." 

Lion panted as he kept his paws on Steven as he and Connie continued to pat and scratch at his head and ear respectively. 

Steven looked over at Connie and smiled. "I think he's trying to say, 'That everything is going to be okay and that you have nothing to worry about', Connie." 

He heard a soft chortle out of her. "That's what he's saying?" 

"Yup." 

Connie scoffed but didn't say anything else. 

Steven kissed her on the forehead. "That's what both of us are saying." 

He saw a small smile on her face and this time, it didn't falter. "Maybe.. just maybe this once.. I think I'll try to believe the both of you." 

Her parents looked over. 

Their daughter and.. Steven.. smiling as they pet their dog.. 

This could very well be it..

No..

Of _course_ it was..

It was obvious that this was it..

They were becoming a family..

.. whether they liked it or not..

A kiss on the lips from the two and their daughter smiling and holding him close as Lion wagged his tail to get more of their attention and Steven bringing his hand back down to pet him. 

Her father grit his teeth in anger.. and disgust.

And her mother.. cried silently as she held her husband close.


	206. Can only go forward from here

Steven and Connie were sitting in the back of the rental car as her father drove them up the familiar street towards their apartment.

During the entire ride Steven had rubbed soothing circles along Connie's back or hugged her and shared a few kisses on her temple to help ease her tension and to make her more comfortable about the whole situation; telling her parents that she was pregnant, having to witness a fight between the Crystal Gems and the men in the tuxedos and now.. having her parents know where they were living.. 

Lion had laid next to Connie on the other side of her. The dog had his head on her lap and placed a paw over her knee. 

Her father was driving up the block. They could see the apartment complex just up ahead.

Connie spoke up just a level over a whisper. "This is the complex." 

Her parents looked over at the six story building and Steven and Connie could practically feel her parent's judging the area; the cracked bricks along the corner of the building, certain windows with a lack of curtains which her parents found very tacky, the brown patches on various parts of the grass, the questionable alleyway just beside the building, and.. simply _being_ in a section eight building in this part of the city..

Not to mention the police box flashing red and blue at the top of a pole at the corner of the block..

Mr. Maheswaren kept the displeased and irritated look on his face as he drove into the lot. 

Dr. Maheswaren looked at more of the area; the untrimmed and old looking bushes, the dirty bricks along the edges of the building, the lack of anything decent in the area..

"So this is your place." she said. She looked at the door of the building with bits of the paint chipping off of it.

"Yes." Connie cleared her throat softly. Then she said with a bit more confidence in her voice. "This is our place." and she liked her place, despite of how her parents felt about the area. 

There was a hum from her mother. 

Her father parked the car right in front of the complex. 

"Thanks for giving Steven and I a ride, dad." 

He nodded without looking back.

She and Steven exchanged uneasy glances.

"Uh.." he spoke up. "It was nice finally having dinner with the both of you." then he added as guilt gripped at his tongue. "And.. I'm really sorry for what I-" before cutting himself off and the three looked at him. Connie with a more embarrassed look on her face.

He ignored the heat rising to his cheeks.

He cleared his throat. "Um.. I'll.. see if Lion has to use the bathroom." 

Lion lifted his head from Connie's lap upon hearing his name.

Connie glanced over at her parents before looking back at him, "Okay." she whispered. 

He unbuckled his seatbelt and unlocked the door. "..Goodnight, Mr. and Dr. Maheswaren." 

Her father said nothing and her mother gave him a single, "...... night."

Timidly, he opened the door. "Come on, Lion." he whispered meekly. 

He stepped out the car and waited as Lion leaned off of Connie and hopped down from his seat and out the car. 

Steven pushed the door a bit and left it a crack and walked away from the car. 

And silence..

Connie looked at her parents through the rearview mirror.

She licked her lips. "Uh.. I'm really glad that I got to see you two." before quickly realizing and switching over to Tamil. _"I.. wasn't sure if I would ever see you both again.."_

Her parents were quiet and she could only imagine what each of them were thinking. 

Her mother turned around in her seat. Her eyes were red and there was a deep sadness to them.. but there was something else Connie still couldn't pinpoint. _"Of course, honey. We never stopped thinking about you and.. everyday we would wonder about you. If you were okay, what you were doing." _ there was a solemn look to her face. _"We missed you so much, Connie. We didn't want to miss this dinner."_

But.. did they regret coming, knowing what they know now?

_"Yeah.. I didn't want to miss the dinner either.."_

There was another lull in the conversation as each of them looked at one another and exchanging various glances of guilt, sorrow, anger and confusion..

And once again, Connie was the one to speak up, _"I guess.. I'll get going. I don't want to keep you up. Also, I have to wake up early to go to my eye appointment as well."_

_"You don't have to worry about keeping us up." _ her mother reassured her._ "But you need to get some rest, sweetheart."_

_"Right.."_ she slid towards the door. _"Goodnight mom. Goodnight dad." _

_"Goodnight, sweetheart.", "Goodnight, Connie."_ her mother and father said over one another. 

Connie pushed open the door.

_"Please be careful." _ her mother added.

She turned around and grabbed the door. _"I will.. and you guys do the same. Safe ride back."_ then she wondered and asked immediately after. _"Are you two riding all the way back to Jersey tonight?"_

_"Yes. We didn't find any decent hotels here and quite frankly I wouldn't want to be anywhere near Empire."_

_"Oh.. well.." _ she looked from her mother to her father. _"Safe travels."_

She saw something out the corner of her eye and took a quick glance over to her side to see Steven coming from the corner with Lion. 

The three of them looked at him and he gave them a meek little wave of his hand and a shy smile.

Her father ignored him and her mother gave him a single wave without a smile.

He lowered his hand down slowly and began walking towards the main door of the building. 

Connie moved the car door as a little subtle way to get her parents to look back. _"I'll.. give you two a call sometime this week." _ though how she said it, she didn't sound so sure. 

_"Of course."_ said her mother. _"We'll be looking forward to it."_

_"Goodnight." _ she said again. 

_"Goodnight.", "Goodnight, honey."_ her father and mother said over one another. 

Then her mother added right before Connie started to close the door, _"And.. we should do this again."_

That lightened her mood up. And what she said nearly caught her by surprise. _"Of course."_ she smiled. 

Her father scoffed._ "Though maybe _we_ should choose the place. Perhaps somewhere in Jersey."_

_"Doug, how would she get up there? With an expensive plane ticket? By bus? The Marc train? Amtrak? Those.. dirty, filthy, shady Greyhound buses? With all of those random filthy people?" her face tightened. "Those places are germy and disgusting. We can't have her going to those places. We need to start thinking"_ she tapped a finger on the side of her head. _"about these things now. We have to think about Connie's health even more so than before."_

He father groaned lightly, as if holding back. Clenching his eyes shut, he pushed up his glasses as he pinched at the bridge of his nose. He sighed. _"Ah, yes.. such is this new life she has now.."_

As if she didn't already feel guilty..

Her mother let out a sigh of her own and looked up at her daughter's abashed expression. _"Goodnight, Connie. We'll keep in touch. Get some rest." _

She nodded stiffly._"Yeah.."_ she looked at her dad's grimacing look. _"You too.. Goodnight."_

Connie closed the door and took a few steps away from the car. 

It didn't move and she couldn't bare to move her legs just yet. 

..Did they want something?

The passenger's side window rolled down. _"We'll watch you go in."_

She gave her mother another nod and began walking away. She walked up the steps to the main door and stopped. 

She turned back around and gave them a wave and they waved back at her. Then.. she lowered her arm back down and looked at them just as few moments longer, looking at each of their sad and angered expressions respectively.. and she turned back around and opened the door and stepped in.

She had a little startle, not thinking to see Steven sitting on the bottom step and patting Lion.

"I.. thought you would've been back at the apartment." 

Steven shrugged as his hand idly scratched behind Lion's ear. "I just wanted to make sure if you were okay or not.." he said. "It didn't feel right leaving you there without knowing what was going on."

  
  


Her mother sighed sadly. She watched as their precious daughter walked into the apartment. 

She didn't know what was going on completely in her head.. but she had this feeling that continued to grip at her..

..something..

.. something that was griping at her mind.. at her heart..

Something about her daughter.. 

Something about.. herself..

Her husband started backing the car up.

She looked at the apartment complex as they backed up from the sidewalk.

That feeling..

Her husband shifted gears and turned the wheel. 

Then.. it finally hit her.

She.. _felt_ bad..

She felt like she had done something wrong..

And.. she didn't want to end the night between her and her daughter like that.

Her husband turned out the parking lot and turned into the street and began driving off-

_"Doug, wait."_ he stopped the car._"I have to talk to her."_

He looked back at the apartment complex behind them. _"She's probably gone into the apartment by now."_

_"Then I can call her to meet me on the main floor. But I need to talk to her."_

Her husband looked back at the apartment, then to his wife.

A look of distain on his face.

  
  


"..and they still seemed tense." Connie leaned on the wall. "Especially my dad.. but I expected that." she shrugged. "I guess we have to.. wait this out like you said."

Steven tried lightening the mood, but not trying to completely joke around. He went for a gentle, "Like both _Lion_ and I said." 

She looked over at him and ever so faintly, he saw her smirk. 

He walked up the two steps towards her and grabbed her hand. "It's only been a few hours anyway." he said. "It may take some time, but they love you and that's what really matters. So they'll try." 

"Yeah.. I think you're right. And my mom even brought up doing this again."

Steven smiled widely at her. "See? I honestly don't think we have anything to worry about. All in due time Connie." 

The smirk was more prominent on her face now.

"What?" he grinned. 

"There goes your optimism." she leaned up from the wall. "Steven being Steven." 

"Aww, but I can't help it." he mocked whined. He leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. 

She chuckled. "Come on, let's just go." 

"Okay." he placed his lips on her cheek again and gave her a long kiss..

..before blowing a raspberry on her skin.

"Steveeen~" she leaned away. 

"What? It's a raspberry. For dessert." he cheesed.

She groaned with an eye roll. "Soo corny.."

"No, we're fresh out of corn." he pulled her gently by the arm towards him and pulled her close. "But we're stocked full of raspberries." 

She scoffed good naturedly as he blew another raspberry on her cheek. Then the other one.

"Steeeven." 

He leaned up from her face. "You can't be full yet." he joked and went back to her cheek. "Pbbbbtt."

"Steven." she giggled. "Stooop.

He went to the other cheek. "Pbbbbbttttt." then back to the other. Pbbbbt." her chin. "Ppppbbbtt, pbbbt." back up to her cheek. "Pbbbbbbtt." 

She laughed as his lips tickled her skin. 

..Until the main door opened and Steven stopped and the two looked back at the door both in their fits of giggles 

..Until they saw her mother stepping into the door and their laughter died down almost instantly.

They stood there looking at each other.

Her mother had her cellphone in her hand. She cleared her throat. "Glad to see that I've caught up to you both." she said. "Looks like I won't be needing this then." she placed her phone back in her purse. 

They watched her close the door and take a few steps towards them. "I'm here because.. I want to talk to you, Connie." she answered their question they didn't dare to ask.

Fear gripped at them.

"S.. sure.." said Connie. Then she tried to sound more cheery. "Of course." she squeezed Steven's hand before letting go. She turned to her mother.

Steven looked up at her. 

She gave him a nod. "It shouldn't be too long." she told him. "I just want to have a talk with my daughter."

He was reluctant.. but nodded anyway. He looked at Connie who was focused on her mother.

"I'll be.. back at the apartment." he pointed behind himself. 

"Uh.." Connie glanced at him before looking back at her mother. "Yeah. Okay." 

He took a slow step up one stair. "..Goodnight, Dr. Maheswaren.." 

"Goodnight, Steven." she turned her attention back on her daughter. 

_Hopefully everything will be okay.._

He looked at her mother, then her. Both Maheswarens ignoring him and focusing only on each other. 

He resisted a sigh. "Come on, Lion." he pat at his leg. 

Lion got up from the bottom floor and stepped up two steps before stopping and looking at Connie. 

"Lion." he called for him again. "Come on." 

Lion ignored him. He looked from Connie to her mother. A not so happy look to his face. He began to growl.

Her mother looked unfazed at the dog, though she'd taken several steps back all the same. 

"Lion, no." he heard Connie say and he stopped his growling as he looked from her mother and back to her. He started wagging his tail. 

She pointed to the top of the floor. "Go upstairs with Steven._ Now." _

The canine stared at her for a few moments, then looked back at her mother, then back at her again and slowly, with his head low and tail down, he turned away and reluctantly began jogging towards Steven.

The boy walked up to the first floor and stopped and turned around. 

Her mother looked up at him and Connie turned around. 

He froze for a solid second before saying, "Sorry... I'll let you two have your talk... N, night." he forced his legs to move and he jogged up to the next flight of stairs to the next floor with Lion right beside him.

Dr. Maheswaren looked down towards her daughter.

Connie stood there in front of her mother in silence.

Neither of the two not knowing what to say first..

The two of them too busy feeling guilty and blaming themselves and thinking about the past.

..Until it became too much for Connie..

_"Mom.."_ she walked down the stairs towards her._ "I'm so sorry.." _ she stopped in front of her. _"Everything that I did-"_

She felt her mom put her arms around her and she hugged her back. 

_"I just want to start out saying how much I love you, Connie." _ she whispered._"I love you so much."_

She could already feel the tears coming. _"I love you too. And dad."_

The hug lasted for what felt like minutes as her mother rubbed her back soothingly. 

And when she leaned up, Connie saw tears in her eyes. _"Connie.. I want to apologize"_ Connie's eyes grow wide in shock. _"for tonight. Me yelling at you like that and _me _causing a scene at the restaurant.. Then me suggesting about.. alternatives.. for your _own_ child." _ she sighed sadly. _The point is.. I didn't want to end our night on such a.. rude, sour note, to say the least.."_

Connie was at a lost for words.

_"I'm sorry, Connie." _

She looked up at her mother. A guilt-stricken look on her face. _"And I'm sorry mom.. I mean.. with what happened between Steven and I.."_ she trailed off as she started feeling the embarrassment seeping in..

_"Yes.."_ her mother managed to say before exhaling through her nose. _"But.. what is done, is done and..you're.." _ she said in a hushed tone as she covered her trembling lips. _"going to be a mother soon.."_ she swallowed and lowered her hand from her face and placed her hands on her daughter's shoulders. She took a calming breath. _"We'll have to go through this and.. we'll go through it together."_

That warmed her heart. Her mother wasn't going to leave her.. and she was going to help her-

_"Oh, my baby.."_ she pulled her in for another hug and kissed head. _"I can't believe you've.. I can't believe this has happened.."_ she whispered.

Connie frowned.. the guilt and embarrassment was only more prominent than before..

Her mother leaned up and looked down at her. _"How many weeks are you?"_

_"I'm a little over two months pregnant.."_

Her mother nodded. _"You still have a ways."_ she said. _"But six and half months will go by fast.."_ she cut herself off and clenched her eyes as she scratched the back of her head. She let out a low breath and opened her tired eyes as she dropped her hand down from her hair and back to Connie's shoulder. She looked right into her eyes. _"I may _not_ approve of this"_ she watched her daughter look down as a frown came over her dejected expression. _"BUT, I can not be mad at the baby, nor blame it.. and I _do _want to see both him or her and you to be well, so we should start planning things accordingly." _

_"..Right.. and I agree. That's what Steven and I have been doing." _

_"Good.. because this is something that needs to be done the right way."_

_"I agree.."_

She looked up at her mother's narrowed, pained eyes and her tensed face.

She closed her eyes back and with another sigh and a shake of her head, she opened her eyes back open. _"I.. really can't believe that you're pregnant."_ she said in a hushed tone _"Connie.. this is exactly what I was afraid of with him.."_

_"But mom.." _ she felt embarrassed just repeating it again.. _"It wasn't his idea.."_ she felt her face heating up. 

That _she_ was the one who initiated having sex in the first place..

_"Yes.. you told us over dinner.."_ she shook her head. _"But he still played a role in it." _she squeezed her daughter's shoulders. _"I, just thought I raised you better than to.. engage in these kind of activities."_ she mumbled under her breath. _"I feel like a failure.."_

That only made her feel even _more_ guilty..

_"Mom, you're not the failure.."_ she felt a tear slide down to her glasses. _"I am."_ her voice cracked. _"Things that I've done.. I.."_ more tears started to fall.

_"Connie, you're not a failure."_ her daughter couldn't look at her. _"Connie.."_ she lifted her chin up. _"Connie..despite of ..the things you've done I_ still _see a bright future for you.. I.. _want_ a bright future for you." _ her daughter sniffled. _"Connie.. I have these ideas and dreams for you for a reason. The world is a very hard, cruel place.. I just wanted the best for you. I _want_ the best for you. I want you to be strong, independent, decisive."_ she sighed. _"Responsible.."_ shame hit her gut.. _"And I wanted you to have a good and happy life. I want nothing but the best for you."_

_"I know you do.. and I'm trying my best right now and getting my life together. And so is Steven."_ she saw her mother's face contort at his name. _"Mom.. I'm still living my life with him and.. we're doing the best that we can and he's really changing." _ her mother didn't look convinced. _"Mom.. Steven really isn't this monster you and dad paint him out to be. Steven.."_ she shrugged. _"Steven is a lot of things.. but he's also _not_ a lot of bad things. He's a really great guy just.." _ she trailed off as she looked away from her mother. _"he's been through so much in his life.."_

She heard a sigh from her mother and she felt her arm slide down her shoulder and hug her close. _"Connie.. that does NOT give him the right to live like he is living now."_

How could she say that..

_"But.. if you knew what he'd been through.."_ if her mother knew just _half_ of what he'd been through..

_"Mom.. he's just been through a lot. He hasn't had an easy life.."_

"I just don't want to see you so stressed out one day because you're trying to take all of his personal baggage in.."

She sighed.. and looked back up at her mom. _"Steven is doing fine now. It's taking time and effort, but he's really trying and he's changed so much and he's getting better."_ then she added. _"And.. It's not like _I'm_ the best myself..But both of us are getting better."_

_"I.. see.."_

Did she really? 

Or was it just a filler word to simply say something?

_"Connie.."_ she paused for a few moments, before she strained out, _"While I can.. appreciate you.. _two_..Are getting your life together and with him changing for the better.."_ she felt her mother's arms tighten around her. _"you're not.. stressed are you?"_

She was taken aback. 

She wasn't expecting that question. 

But then again, what kind of talk _was_ she expecting exactly? 

She shook her head and in a small voice she said, _"No.."_ then added another _"No.."_ more softer before adding, _"I'm not."_

Her mother was quiet for a few moments, before saying,_ "Throughout the night, I've seen how strongly you've acted towards him. I saw how.. huge of a reaction you've had countless times when you couldn't find him."_

But.. isn't that what most people's reactions are when someone close to them could either be injured or dead?

If something were to happen to Connie, she would have a similar reaction. Like her and her dad's reactions when they were on the bus.

What.. was her mother getting at here?

_"I love you, Connie." _ she said again. _"Baby or not, I don't want you to be unhappy or stressed." _ then she added. _"Even though I may very well have been the cause of it in the past." _ she held her close. _"And I deeply apologize for that."_ she breathed out lightly through her nose. _"Stress isn't good for you.. and, now that you're.. now that.. _that _ has happened, by extension now, the baby as well."_

_"I know." _ she said softly. _"And I'm fine, mom."_

The hug lasted for a few warm moments before her mother leaned up from the embrace and locked eyes with her. Her face, gloomy.. distressed.. sorrowful. _"If you're not stressed.. and he's proving to be a better person.."_ her eyes never left her daughter's face. _"Then.. you're happy with him."_ a statement that sounded unsure.. and more so as a question..

She watched her daughter's opened mouthed shocked expression turn to something akin to confusion or.. feeling dubious towards the question. 

Taken aback again from another one of her mother's questions..

But it was an easy one.

Of course she was happy with him.

Ever since she met him that day at the book fair, she felt something then.. It was something about him. And her feelings grew from there. 

Even now, almost three years of being together, her feelings were only getting stronger for him..

Their relationship wasn't perfect of course.. but what relationship is? 

They've had their arguments and they've had their ups and downs, with way more ups than downs.

She worried about him deeply all of the time.. and sometimes he would annoy her.. but she could see her life together with him..

She couldn't see herself with any other person.

He.. truly was one of a kind..

That's how she saw him..

She looked at her mother and held back her tears as her feelings started coming to the fore.

Oh how he had that effect on her..

_"I'm really happy with him. Honestly."_ she said. _"Steven is.." _ she shook her head as she let out a short chuckle, before a tearful frown twitched onto her face. _"No relationship is perfect.. and we have a lot to improve on.. but I can truthfully say that I'm happy with him and.. that he makes me happy. Steven is kind, sensitive, sweet, thoughtful, funny, he puts other people's needs above his, he's-" _ she stopped as she felt tears stinging her eyes. 

There was no one else like him..

_"He.. I.. never felt like this towards anyone else.."_ her voice cracked. _"Mom.."_ she held her hand over her mouth as a soft sob came out.

Her mother sighed.. tears in her own eyes. _"You love him."_ her daughter looked up at her. _"..don't you?"_

Connie's face twisted in a teary look and in a choked sob that came out she grabbed hold of her mother. And her mom cried with her. _"Oh, my baby.."_ she rubbed her daughter's back. 

_"I love him.. so much.. "_ she cried. _"And.. I don't even know if he feels the same way." _

Her mother laid her head down on her daughter's as she rubbed circles on her back. _"Oh, Connie.."_ she whispered. _"This was what I was also worried about.. I wanted to prevent this from happening.." _ she sighed. _"all of this from happening.."_

Connie cried into her mother's shoulder.

She held her daughter close.

If only she had taken her to another bookstore..

If only she'd been there with her to prevent him from having the audacity to approach and talk to her..

They wouldn't be here..

She wouldn't have so much heartbreak towards her daughter and the situation she was in..

She tried to soothe her..

But there was only so much she could do when someone so young was so deep in love with a person that.. very well may not feel the same way..

And that person happen to be the father of her unborn child..

What a path she took..

Connie continued to cry as her mother held her close to her.

There was nothing she could say that would change the situation on how Connie felt about him.

She loved him.. and much to her strong dismay, she would have to tolerate and live with that..

Especially if she were to be in both her daughter and her grandchild's life.

_"I can not say if he feels the same way,"_ she stated and there was a hiccup of a sob from her daughter. _"but I _also_ can't say that he doesn't." _ she dragged her hand up to her daughter's shoulder and rubbed a thumb across the fabric of her dress. _"I see how he looks at you.. How he treats you.. how he talks to you.."_ fresh tears fell from her eyes. _"There could be something there.."_

_"I want something to be there.."_ Connie sniveled. _"I want us to be together.. and to be a family.."_

She tried ignoring the deep, anxious and disgusted feeling she had in the pit of her stomach. _"Well.. you're pregnant by him."_ the words left a bad taste in her mouth and a queasiness to her stomach. _"So you'll be a family in that aspect.."_ the phrase came out almost as a quick-witted sneer..

_"Yeah.." _her voice wavered.

She had to remind herself.. what's done is done and, despite of how she felt, they could only go forward and.. that her daughter needed her support. 

She tried to calm herself with a sigh. _"But you'll have your dad and I too."_ she reassured her. 

Her mother.. 

She loved her. 

She loved _both_ of her parents. 

What would she do without them..

And here her mother was now trying..

She just knew her mother had her contempt towards the situation.. but at least she was trying..

She didn't think she would even do that much..

But here they were.

And.. with her mother trying.. she felt the guilt creeping in once more and she thought she should also try and meet her mother half way.

Now that they were talking, she would need to actually _talk_ to her.. come clean and tell her everything. Put everything on the table and go on from there.

Connie took a shaky breath and wiped under her glasses. _"Mom.. thank you for coming back."_ then she clarified. _"Both calling me back.. and coming back here tonight."_

_"Of course, sweetheart. I didn't see it any other way."_

_"And.."_ she felt her heart beginning to race. _"I feel that you deserve to know everything that I've been doing. That Steven and I have been doing. I want to get all of this out the way now that we're here."_

She could see the tense expression on her mother's face. 

_"I mean..did you have a bit more time?"_

Her mother kept her nervous look, though she said, _"Of course I have time. I'll always have time for you."_

_Except during operations._ Connie quipped but didn't bother saying aloud.

A hand brushed her dark brown hair to the side of her face. _"Before you begin, I want to apologize again." _ her mother said. _"For not calling back sooner. Two years was too long."_ she shook her head as more tears slid down her face. _"I'm sorry for abandoning you."_

_"But it was _my_ fault. I made my decision to leave and-"_

_"That doesn't mean for me, as a mother to not look for you.. anything. So much could've happened in just a couple of days, let alone two whole years."_

While that was true.. she just wanted to put the past behind them. Her mother was here now and that's what she wanted. 

For years that's what she wanted.

For her parents to be back in her life.

It'd been so hard without them.. she missed then terribly and the first few months was the hardest.. and she did find herself crying at night, something she hadn't even told Steven.. he was dealing with his own problems and crying over her parents shouldn't be thrown onto his shoulders.. It was her parents after all and the situation was more so between them.

Connie leaned away from the hug. _"Thank you, for coming back."_ she repeated to emphasize. She lowered her arms and her mother dropped her arms along with her from the longest hug they'd ever done. 

She walked to the steps and smoothed the bottom of her dress beneath her before sitting down. 

Her mother stepped towards the stairs and there was a look of disgust as she looked at the mottled dark blue and black dingy carpeting.

With a sigh and her thoughts of what could be lurking or soaked within the dirty carpet being pushed back in her mind, she sat down at the edge of the step and next to her daughter. Her heart racing in anticipation at what all she was going to hear..

Connie took a breath and quickly began, not wanting to waste anymore time and to prevent herself from stalling and backing out, _"I.. guess I'll start at the very beginning.. and.. come clean and say that.. we _ were_ actually dating all the way back when I was sixteen.."_ her mother kept a straight face.. or tried to. Connie could still see the sadness in her eyes and now the deception on her tense face. 

She scratched at her cheek. _"After a few dates.. he asked me out and..I was pretty reluctant because of how you two viewed dating.. but"_ she shrugged. _"I really liked him.. and I said yes anyway. And we kept it a secret from everyone..Then fast forward to us dating for a few months and only so much as going to the movies or him coming to see me at school during tennis and other extracurricular activities.. or him and I trying to squeeze in going to the park or a restaurant or the mall, we started getting closer and you and dad was even more suspicious of me and put more curfews and rules for me.. And even then we still found time to see each other. And while we were having fun and with stuff not going so well with us three at home.." _ she saw her mother's face as guilt crept I to her features._"Steven kind of half joked that we should get a place together. It was just something he said and we blew it off.. then we would joke about it.. then forget about it.. Then on graduation day, you and dad had a huge argument with him because I let him come see me cross the stage. And right then,"_ she looked away. _"that was it for me. For us. We talked that same night and we official decided that we would get a place. So, I packed up my essentials, left a letter and he and his friend Pee Dee picked me up and we drove all the way to Empire."_ Connie shook her head. _"Looking back on it, I realize now how dangerous that was or could've been. Anything could've happened between me and the two guys.. and then when I think about what you two must've felt seeing the letter."_ she sighed. _"Scared, upset, mad.."_ she forced her eyes back on her mother's teary eyes and she felt tears coming back to her own. _"I'm sorry.." _ she saw a tear slid down her mother's face. Timidly, she bgean again. _"Since we didn't have a place to stay, we drove up to Empire and stayed at Pee Dee and his girlfriend at that time apartment. Pee Dee is Steven's best friend."_ she added. _"We stayed in the living room while they stayed upstairs and for the next three weeks we stayed there. It wasn't ideal. The place wasn't in the best neighborhood, lot's of break ins and gang violence and shooting and drug raids into his apartment."_

..Not to mention the apartment's walls being paper thin and she and Steven having to listen to Pee Dee and his girlfriend almost every night..

..Making it even more awkward between them at that time since she still had that "waiting until marriage"rule with him..

_"Living with Steven really showed me how different it is when just seeing someone.. and actually seeing them every day and actually living with them. It was kind of a shock to us.. but we also ended up learning more about each other; our habits that the other dislikes, what ticks us off, what makes as happy, when we want our space... who snores the loudest and.. just simply being with each other and for such long periods of time. It was something that we didn't know.. Just like a lot of things. Steven is street smart.. and I wasn't.. and the school that I went to taught me well academically.. but he and I both knew so little about living life in the real world..; however, after countless trials and errors and lots of mistakes, we ended up barely chugging through life in the city of Empire."_

Connie continued. _"Something happened between Pee Dee and his girlfriend. Something drug related and.. also some guys were out to get him." _ she wasn't looking at her mother, but she could only imagine the horrific look on her face as she continued her story of Pee Dee losing the apartment and him living with his father, but quickly reassuring her that he ended up having two more places since then and is now living in a nice row house on the North side of Empire... and then telling her that during the fourth week of "living" together, that she and Steven ended up staying at another one of Steven's friend's place. A drug dealing guy named Jeff who always had a lot of company. The place was much worse.. more raids, more shootings and the place was in an even worse part of Empire.

And.. Connie continued.

And her mother sat there.. taking in what her daughter was saying.

In her mind, everything seemed to be straight out of a rap song that kids were listening to these days... or those gangster drama films.. 

Her life with Steven was terrifying.. and dangerous.. and all she wanted to do was hug her precious daughter and kiss her and be thankful that nothing ended up happening to her when _so_ many things could've..

And despite of all this her daughter still found reasons to be happy and enjoy her life?

..How was that even possible?..

Regardless of so many emotions she was feeling, she sat there silently.

She was going to listen to her daughter.

Something she'd never done and something that she wish she'd done before.

Maybe the outcomes would've been different.

Maybe she couldn't had prevented the relationship but.. at least the baby..

Or maybe she could've prevented them from going together as well.

Or maybe they wouldn't be here in general.. maybe she wouldn't have ever met him.

Or... maybe she and her husband shouldn't had started a scene after graduation and should've actually listened to them. Perhaps they wouldn't had thought about her running away and living two, three years in danger.

Or maybe-

..maybe-

Or maybe..

Maybe..

So many maybe and what if's whirled in her mind.

She tried quietening her thoughts. 

Her attention on Connie and staying completely still as she listened to the rest of her daughter's story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaand the healing between her and her mother begins ❤️


	207. Indirectly Bock Clocking

Steven was still in his suit and leaning his hands on the edge of the dresser. His nerves too worked up and his thoughts on a frenzy as he wondered what could be happening downstairs.

And.. he was practically _waiting_ for an argument to be heard from their apartment. 

They could be talking about anything. _Anything._

And everything started coming to his mind pertaining to Connie..

_Everything_ that they been through since the moment he'd first met her and up until this point.

If only he could've done better and had a better impact on her.

..Like she had on _him.._

His stomach was churning again as tears stung his eyes. 

He pushed off of the dresser and started pacing back and forth.. for the_ eighth_ time..

Lion was still close by and now walking alongside of Steven and looking up at him. 

He paced towards the front door and back away from it. 

What was going on down there?

Was everything okay?

He dug his nails into his head and raked his fingers through his thick curls. 

What if something happened?

It'd been a little more than an hour now..

He should've checked earlier.. why didn't he check on then earlier?

What if they did something?

What if they took her back to Jersey?

He turned on his heels and started for the door.

_No, that's it.. I'm going down there-_

He heard someone trying the knob before pushing the door. 

And his heart fluttered in his chest as he saw Connie stepping in and closing the door behind her. 

"Connie!" he ran towards her. 

"Steven, what's wrong?"-

He hugged her tightly. "You were downstairs for so long.. I didn't know what had happened."

"Steven." she felt an apologetic smile come to her face automatically. "I was talking to my mom the whole entire time."

He nuzzled into her shoulder. "But I didn't know if it was going well.. It's been over an hour." 

"..Really?" she looked at the clock on the wall. _01:48a.m_ "Wow.. it didn't even feel like an hour."

She _also_ didn't know it was that late..

He was still hugging her. 

"Steven." she pat his back. "I'm okay." 

"I know." he whispered, though he didn't let go. 

She chuckled. She turned her head and kissed his forehead. "Alriight, Steven. I have to take my shower." she dropped her arms slowly from him and he hugged her for a few moments more before leaning away from the her. He placed a long kiss on her cheek and slowly dropped his arms from her. 

She looked at his suit and raised her eyebrow. "And you still have your clothes on."

He shrugged meekly. "I couldn't bother getting relaxed.. I was too worked up and worried about you.. And I wanted to be ready to leave out the door if I needed to." 

He saw a smile come to her face. "Steven being Steven." she took her heels off and walked pass him and towards the closet.

"So.. uh.." he walked towards her. "How was it?" she put the heels in the box and looked over at him. "The talk, I mean.." a beat as he scratched at his neck. "That's.. if I can know about it?" 

She nodded slowly as she placed the box in the closet. "Yeah.. about that." and his heart jumped in his chest. "It was a much better talk than what I had expected. And I do feel much better."

"That's.. good." he tried for a smile.

"Yeah." she stood back up. "We talked about a lot of things and this time it seems like she's really listening to me now. And.. oddly enough, she actually apologized multiple times too. I didn't think she would ever do that. Ever." she walked over to the dresser. 

He was genuinely shocked. "Wow.. honestly I wouldn't had thought she would do that either. Being in your life now, sure. But I didn't think she would.. actually apologize." 

"Yeah, she'd apologized for everything she did and for her not calling me sooner. She also apologized for how she reacted at the restaurant." Connie pulled out her drawer and took out her under clothes. "I know. It's a shocker." she closed the drawer and turned to him. There was something else to her features. Something.. like a sort of penitent expression on her face. "I've also told her everything about me... and.. everything about you and I." then she added. "And a bit about Pee Dee, Jeff.. Lars, Sadie.. our neighbors.., but mainly us." 

Steven almost choked. "..Oh..Yeah?" 

"Yeah. I told them everything. I had to come clean about everything. The truth. I told her about us pretty much hopping from place to place before we lied to get this apartment, I told her about us going together when I was still in High school, about me leaving after graduation, about.. you being a drug dealer," his heart skipped a beat. She shrugged shyly. "you being on the run as a drug dealer and you hiding out at the book fair in another State when you first met me, you saving me from the bookcase falling on me that day, us getting closer and improving our relationship and admitting that we still have stuff to improve on," _well.. that was true.. Though_ she _wasn't the one who needed improving.. _he _was.._ "finding out that I was pregnant and wanting to officially get my life together and that I'm sorry for every single thing that I've done," and she kept going. "you finding Lion, us getting a job, us seeing a lot of shady things in Empire.." then she trailed off as she had to finally admit to him what she'd also told her mother as heat rose to her cheeks and she said slowly, "And.. of course I told her.. you know.. everything that _we've_ been doing.." she cleared her throat and mumbled, "Like.. the day I lost my virginity and.. amongst so many other things that I've told her.." she blushed and trailed off from there. 

His face was hot and he could practically feel the tips of his ears burning red, "What?!"

Lion came over towards them and wagging his tail. 

"I had to come clean, Steven." she crouched down and beckoned for Lion to come. The dog jogged over, wagging his tail faster. "She needed to know everything. Who I am or.. was.. and what I did." she rubbed at the back of her hot neck. "I feel that she does see me differently now." she shrugged. "But.. she _needed_ to know everything about me." she pat Lion on the head before unfastening the bowtie from around his collar.

But.. _every_ thing?

"Everything?!" he said aloud. "You and us.." he pointed at the bed behind him.

She nodded, still blushing. She got up and set the bowtie on the dresser.

_But why?! Why every single thing?! _

_Why tell her about me being a drug dealer?! What if she calls the cops?! AND telling her what we do behind closed doors?!_

He didn't have to look in the mirror to know he was red in the face. 

So many thoughts was being piled on top of each other in his mind. 

"Everything.." he shook his head fervently. He looked up at her and in a defeated look he said, "Everything? Even you sitting on my face?!?" then added. "For two hours?!"

Connie's eyes grew wide behind her shades and her mouth dropped. The blush spread more across her face. "No! I didn't tell her that! That I sat.. that you.."she shook her head. "Steven, I didn't go into detail!!"

"I, well how was I supposed to know?! That's how you made it seem!" he whined. 

She rubbed her face with both hands. "Steven.." she said into them before dropping them back in front of her. "I.. I wouldn't.." she shook her head again. "Look.. I told her what I thought she needed to hear, which was a lot of things. And, and now that everything's out in the open, I just. feel. better it all now." she grabbed her toiletries and her underclothes. "I'm just happy that this night is over." 

He nodded as he tried to calm his thoughts down. She was right. The night was over and all they should do now is get ready for bed. 

Especially with the still excruciating migraine he still had and his mind still feeling a bit fogged.

He should take his shower and get ready for bed too.

It was almost two a.m and he _did_ need to get up early for his training with Garnet at nine o'clock.

..How _is_ she doing anyway..

..Is she still unconscious?

Connie was walking about to him. "Steven, can you unzip my dress for me?" she snapped him out of his thoughts. "Huh?" he saw her turn around. "The zipper." 

"Yeah." he took the pull tab of the red zipper and pulled it down easily and down to the bottom stop at the lower part of her back. 

And just a a full second, his eyes locked into her bra then trailed down and looked at how.. smooth and soft her skin looked, especially towards her lower back-

"Thanks." she turned back around and his eyes shot back up to her face. "Uh.. yeah." 

She walked away from him and towards the bathroom. 

He looked at her bare shoulders.. "Um, you can keep the shower water running." he began unbuttoning his dress shirt, before realizing he still had his suit jacket on. He stopped at the fourth button.

She turned around and saw him taking off his suit jacket. "Okay, but you better be ready to hop in. You know.." her eyes caught sight of a red shirt underneath of his unbuttoned dress shirt. "You.. you know I don't like wasting.. water.." she said. 

Steven bent down to take his socks off and she saw what looked to be the hem from a pair of jeans just slightly over his dress pants.. Or.. maybe with the lighting, it was his boxers resembling that. 

He laughed. "Yeah, I know." he leaned up and through the sweaty socks over his suit jacket on the bed. "I'm getting ready right now." 

".. Yyyeah.." she ignored the dark brown eyes.. and those lips behind the pink hibiscus mask.. 

She turned around. "I'll be quick." she said and stepped into the bathroom. 

"Okay." Steven unbuttoned the rest of his shirt and realized that he had his Crystal Gem shirt on. 

_Oh, I forgot!_

_Phewf.. good thing I wasn't unbuttoning my shirt in front of Connie.._

_Seriously.. I need to be careful with stuff like this._

He took the rest of his clothes off and placed the clothes and under garments on the bed and his Crystal Gem clothes and gadgets under it. 

He sat down naked on his dirty clothes, though went for a more modest approach and at least placed his boxers over his lap to conceal what was between them.. 

He sighed as he felt every muscle starting to ache and pain. 

And.. this migraine..

Was it even a migraine at this point or did he really jostle his brain around that bad when he rammed into the back of that fusion?

And.. the lights weren't making it any better with his mega migraine..

He let out another sigh and closed his eyes.

_Today was.. something._

_The restaurant.. and then the tuxedoed man attacking Empire City tonight of all night's.. and then.. the Gem's getting so badly injured.._

_So.. badly.. injured.._

Steven sat there thinking about the fight and the Gems. 

Apart from Pearl getting injured from the sword that time with Amethyst, this was his first time actually seeing the Gems getting _hurt._

They've gotten hit before and they've gotten just a small scratch here and there.. but _this_ time?

They were so bruised up and bloodied..

Amethyst's jaw.. Garnet's arm.. Pearl's eye..

They really got themselves handed to them..

It was weird actually seeing them so beat up like that. They seemed untouchable. 

.. up until tonight..

Steven kept his eyes closed for the next fifteen minutes until he heard the bathroom door open. 

"All yours." 

"Huh?" he was snapped out of his thoughts about the Gems and saw her standing just a few feet away from him in her bra and underwear. 

She pointed at the bathroom. "I'm done."

He could hear the shower water hitting the curtain.

"Oh." he got up and threw his boxers over the pile of clothes. Then he realized he didn't have any of his toiletries. 

He ran to the dresser. 

"Really Steven? What were you doing this whole time? Just sitting on the bed?" she opened a drawer and took out a plain orange shirt. 

"Uh.. kinda." he grabbed his toiletries, swiped the dirty clothes from off the bed and ran into the bathroom. 

She shook her head. "That Steven." then a little smile came to her face. 

She really _couldn't_ see her self with any other guy. 

  
  


Steven had taken a quick ten minute shower. He put the Gemtech cream and oil all over his body and put some extra oil and cream on his forehead, hoping that the stuff would work for his excruciating headache.

Seriously.. maybe he _did_ do some damage to his head..

He tried to not think about any possible concussions or head injuries,_ though he knew he should be thinking about that since injuries ike those are serious,_ and opened the bathroom door and shivered as the cold air hit his warm skin. 

He walked pass the bed and out the corner of his eye he saw Connie turning her head at him, then going back to her phone.

"Checking me out?"

He heard a scoff. Then a, "No." 

"Heh, you don't have to lie, Connie." he gave a little stiff shake of his butt as he walked to the dresser. 

She looked up from her phone again and looked at the mirror on the dresser, getting a little peak at the front of him before the edge of the dresser blocked her view as he got closed to it. 

She looked down at her phone. 

He put the toiletries up and slipped his boxers on and some nice, loose fitting pants before making his way back to the bed. 

Lion was busy drinking his fresh water that Connie gave him not that long ago while Steven was in the shower. 

He slid into bed and let out a sigh of relief as he laid down on his side. 

They were back home and safe and sound in their bed. 

The night was officially over and he was more than relieved that everything was over with. 

Connie looked over at his smiling face. "What?" she couldn't help but smile back at him. 

"Just happy that we're back at the apartment after such a long, tiring day." 

She locked her phone and placed it on the table beside her. "Yeah, I am too." she said. "And in general, we had a proactive day. We managed to get a lot of things out of the way." 

He stretched. "Aah, I'm just glad that everything is over with." 

She kept her eyes on her boyfriend. She laid down beside him and got comfortable. 

"Yeah." she agreed. "That too." Then she nodded. "I'll call them in a couple of days. See how they're doing with the news and everything." 

He resisted a yawn. "Right." 

"Heh.." she grinned. "Alright, I'll let you sleep. It's pretty late." 

"Yeah.." he laid his head on the pillow. "Especially since you and I both have to get up pretty early tomorrow.. er.. today." he chuckled. 

She chortled. "Right. This time I even set three alarms, just in case I won't hear the first two or end up going back to sleep."

"What time did you set it for?" 

"The first one is at six in the morning and the other two are five minutes apart from each other."

"Then I won't put an alarm on my phone." he said lazily. "You can wake me up when you get up." 

She gave him a one shoulder shrug. "Wake up call it is." she joked. 

He grinned.. one of those dopey, tired grins. "Thanks." 

"Yeah." she said casually. "Okay, let's head to bed. If we go to bed now we should have about.." she looked at the clock. "..a whopping three and a half hours or so of sleep." 

"Mmm.." Steven groaned. 

She turned over and turned the light off and laid down. "Night, Steven." she felt his arm wrap around her.

"Aww, heyyy." he mocked whined as he nudged her shoulder. "You didn't give me a kiss goodnight." 

He heard her scoff. She turned around in his arm to face him. 

He was puckering his lips with his eyes closed. 

She rolled her eyes and chuckled. "Yeahh.. you might want to dial that back." 

"Heheh, okay." he smiled and lesson the pucker of his lips. 

She leaned down and kissed him. "Night, Steven."

She leaned away from him and he looked at her smile. "Night Connie." he leaned in and gave her another kiss before leaning his head back down on the pillow and she did the same and looked at his smiling, handsome face in bed. 

He scooted up closer to her and wrapped his arm around her. He lifted his head back up and kissed her forehead. "Sweet dreams, Connie."

She chuckled. "Well I haven't heard that one in awhile." 

He shrugged. "I guess I'm just trying to switch it up a bit." he gave her a peck on the cheek and laid his head close to hers on the pillow. 

And he couldn't stop looking at her beautiful, smiling face in bed. 

The two laid there close as they got more comfortable under the covers. 

And.. Steven began soothingly massaging her back. 

One little thought he was trying to suppress before came to the fore.. then more thoughts of.. having just a bit of fun.. began joining previous thoughts and he found his hand sliding farther towards her butt. 

Cautiously.. slowly.. he trialed his fingers daintily over her pants and cupped her butt.. giving it just a little squeeze.. and wanting to see what reaction he could get out of her.

Those shades really did mess up everything.. it was hard to see her reaction without seeing her eyes.. though he did see a little smirk on her face. 

"Guess I'll.. see you in the a.m" he half joked.

"Yeah." she whispered. 

He slid his arms above her waist and kept it there. "Night." he leaned in and kissed her. 

And the kiss felt deeper.

_Her_ kiss felt deeper.

And he was getting that.. hot sensation in his chest.

He gave her lips a subtle tug before breaking away from the kiss--

She laid there in silence as the passionate desires were slowly warming her stomach and spreading through her chest.

\--And with no sign that she wanted him to stop and the way her lips were pursed, wanting more.. he took that as an invitation..

He leaned down and kissed her deeply as he trailed his hand underneath of her shirt and feeling the heat of her body. His fingers brushing along her skin and making her shiver slightly.

He ran a tongue over her bottom lip before nipping at it and going for another kiss. 

He leaned his body towards her and gently grabbed at her leg and brought it over to his side and the heat of her inner thigh made his whole body shudder and he panted on her lips. 

He felt Connie's arms grab his shoulders and pull him closer as she kissed him passionately. He shifted on his arm and pushed his self over, gently bringing her over to her back. He grabbed her other leg and she kept both legs wrapped around him.

He slid his hand from her back and up her shirt as he trialed kisses down her throat and to her collarbone.

His mind wondered.. thinking about what he would do once they got their clothes off..

That familiar electric feeling.. that spark of sensation as it spread across his chest and that tingling sensation as he felt himself getting aroused in his shorts-

And a paper cut like pain zip down his-

He grunted and winced, almost breaking the rhythm of his kiss along her neck. 

He continued to feel that paper cut like pain between his legs.. now that he thought about it.. was most likely from the whips..

He resisted another grunt and started trailing pecks up her neck and to her chin. 

He felt himself getting more aroused.. and another paper cut like pain shocked across the base of him and he tried to ignore the pain as he brushed his lips up her chin and to her lips.

He felt another twitch of arousal in his pants and another shot of pain went up to the tip and he grunted and blew air hard through his nose and onto her lips. 

She broke away from the kiss. "Are you okay?" her voice was soft and in a sweet murmur.

"Uh.. yeah." he lied and tried for a smile, despite of the pain he was feeling. 

She didn't look convinced.. and she looked like she was about to say something more when he leaned back down and kissed her deeply.

He laid over her..feeling his bare chest against her shirt as he cupped her chest. He gave her lips another peck before going back down to her neck.. then trailing kisses down back to her collarbone.

Not so much as halfway there.. he felt his self stiffen more and felt two sharp pains from the agitated wounds along his- 

He broke away from the kiss and buried his face in her neck as grunted and panted harder. He winced over her as he throbbed in his shorts.. and not in good way.. with everything between his legs in pain..

"Steven." she grabbed his shoulders and tried to push him up and he leaned up from her neck and balanced on his forearms. 

He looked at the confused look on her face.. almost unnerved. "What's wrong?" the murmer had dissipated as worry laced her words.

"Uh.." he thought of anything.. there was no other way but to say instead, "The pain.. I uh, got hit.. I got hurt a bit at the restaurant-But I think I'm okay." he quickly clarified. 

She lowered her eyes at him. A straight-faced expression on her face. 

She didn't look convinced. "Right.." she said. 

"I am." he smiled and he had a feeling that wasn't convincing either..

"I.. just have to change position." he shifted on his knees, pretending to get comfortable as he moved one leg over hers and getting from between her legs. 

He leaned down and began kissing just above her shirt. He grabbed the bottom of it and lifted it up and over her chest to see her sleek, black bra and her stomach. He bent down and began placing pecks along her skin as he slid his face farther towards her hips. He kissed just above the hem of her underwear that sat so enticingly under his chin.

He couldn't wait until they would-

He felt a much sharper pain right across his tip and grunt as the worse shot of pain clung right at his head and he grabbed his self and quickly moved his hand to his thigh right as she looked down. 

"Uhm.. my thigh." he said. "That's what.. got hit." 

"Steven-" 

"I'll just change position again." he quickly said. He slid his knees farther down and laid on his elbows and began kissing her stomach again. 

He slid his self farther down and began kissing her thighs.. and just how hot her skin was made him shudder- 

And another shot of pain went up his-

"Ah." he flinched and froze as the pain throbbed up and down. 

"Steven." he felt her legs leave his face and the heat left with her as the cold air of the room hit the skin of his face. He looked up at her. "Maybe we shouldn't do this."

He thought his heart would stop.

"Uh, No! That's okay! I can just uh.. put cream on it!" he scrambled to his butt and ignored the pain from his legs hitting them. "Hold on." he slid off the bed.

She scoffed. "Calm down.. you act like I said forever." she rolled her eyes good naturedly. She turned the lamp light on. 

Thats what it sounded like to _him_

Thats how _he_ viewed it..

__

__

Steven jogged into the bathroom and opened the cabinet. He placed the cream and the oil on his self as quick as he could before putting the bottles back into the cabinet. "Okay cream and oil. Do your stuff." he whispered and walked out the bathroom. 

Connie was laying down on her side with a playful, mischievous grin on her face. One arm propping her head up with the other resting on her thigh. And he had to ignore the pain as he twitched in his shorts. 

"Feeling better?" she smirked.

"Yeah." he lied and made his way to the bed. 

He crawled across the sheets and laid on his side and wrapped his arm around her as he went for a kiss-

She placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed him to his back and swung her leg over him. She took the hem of his pants and slid it down just below the bulge of his boxers and sat down on him. 

It felt good.. and it hurt at the same time with his stupid cuts. 

And.. with what he was feeling so easily.. as if she wasn't wearing any..

He looked down and the shirt was blocking the front of her. 

He looked up at her. "Are you wearing any-" 

She leaned down and kissed him. 

His curiosity was peaked.. and his feisty hands grabbed at her thighs and slid up her soft skin. 

He felt her hands grab his and he let her pull his hands off her thighs and she placed them above his head as she gave him tender kisses down his chin and down his neck. 

She rocked her hips in a circle and the pressure and the movement hurt and sent a pleasing feeling on him. 

He grunted and winced as his breath became shallow between her kisses.

Until she let go of his hands and leaned up from his neck. "Okay Steven.. we shouldn't do this."

His heart skipped a beat. 

He looked at her with shock and disbelief in his eyes.

"Clearly you're in too much pain to do it."

"No, no! We can just wait until the cream and oil start working."

"Mmm.." she looked uncomfortable. "Noo.. I think we should just let you rest." she got up and he looked down to see a wet spot on him. He looked over and watched her pick up her underwear from the edge of the bed and slide it back on.

"We can.." he tried to think of something. Anything. "I just.. can't put any pressure on my thighs." he lied. 

She sat down and looked at him. 

He scooted closer to her. "I'm fine, Connie. I just.. have to be careful with my legs." 

She still didn't look convinced, though didn't say anything against that.

He leaned in slowly and when she didn't lean away, he leaned forward and kissed her. 

He couldn't let the moment slip away..

The kisses were getting deeper and he felt her hand touch his thigh. Her fingers brushed up the fabric of his shorts and to the bulge of his boxers and she grabbed him- 

And the pleasure and intense pain hit him hard and he grunted out and broke away from the kiss. 

As he clenched his eyes in pain she lifted her hand from him and looked down, then back up to his face as he slowly began opening his eyes. 

He saw the straight-faced expression on her face again. "So.. your thigh, huh?" she deadpanned.

"Um.. y.. yes?" the no nonsense look was still on her face. He sighed. "Well, both. I got hurt there as well.."

"Then.. how did you think we were going to do this exactly?" 

He shugged meekly. "Guess I kinda hoped that the stuff would work..Heh.."

She raised her eyebrow at him and a humored look was on her face. "Did you really think.." she shook her head. "Heheheh.. yeah.. no..." she shook her head again. "Even when you're in pain you're trying to.." she snorted. She sighed and looked at him. "Yeah, it's official. You need your rest." she said. "We're not doing it tonight."

Those words hit him like cement.. like a ton of bricks.. like a ton of cement filled with bricks.

It was a nightmare.. the worse of the worse of nightmares.

".. Connie.." he looked at her with pleading eyes.

"You're going to get your rest, Steven." 

He hung his head and let out a long, exasperated sigh. He looked down at the wet spot on his boxers and looked back up at her again. "But.. what about you?" he asked and he saw her blush. "Did you want me to-" 

"Steven, I'm fine." she looked away from him. 

He turned to her. "Are you sure? I can go down on-"

"Steven." her face was hot. "I'm fine." she peeled the blankets back and slid under the covers. She laid down on her side. "We'll just do this some other time."

He let out another exasperated sigh.

"Good_night_, Steven. You're hurt and in pain and you need some sleep." 

He sighed and pulled his pants up and pulled the blankets back and slid under the covers with her. 

He sighed again..

"Goodnight. Steven." she had her eyes closed and her face under the covers.

He looked at her, making sure if she would open her eyes back again and when she didn't, he sighed again and she didn't say anything. 

He laid down beside her and pulled the covers up to his shoulders.

_Stupid Amethyst.._

_We could be doing it right now.._

He kept feeling the enticing wetspot on him.. from her..

He exhaled through his nose.

_We could've been.._

He turned over to his back and stared up at ceiling.. frowning. 

_Stupid STUPID Amethyst.. had to hit me there.._

_And it seemed like Connie was really reaally into it.. and of all the times.._

_It could've been the best yet and now I will never know.._

_Stupid Amethyst.._

He closed his eyes.. and tried to ignore the wet spot he was feeling. 

He resisted a sigh. 

_Stupid, idiot, cock blocking Amethyst.._

_Why there.. WHY hit me there?.. There of all places.._

He kept his eyes closed as he tried to get relaxed-

He heard the sound of a low crackle of breaking wind. 

He opened his eyes and looked over at Connie laying peacefully under the covers. 

He heard another sound of breaking wind, much louder. 

He raised his eyebrow as he looked at her. 

Seconds passed and he didn't hear anything and he closed his eyes. 

Then he heard another low crackle of gas..

He wrinkled his nose as the smell finally smacked into his nostrils. He groaned at the fowl.. putrid odor. 

He wouldn't dare put his face under the covers and getting even more of the dangerous fumes from her.. 

He put the pillow over his face as he heard another sound of breaking wind. 

_Seriously, did that salmon not sit right with her?! Or maybe it was those Brussels sprouts-?! _

"Uuuuhg, Steven." Connie grimaced. "Why don't you do that in the bathroom. That smell is _not_ right. AT. all.." she held her nose. 

He lifted the pillow from his head and was hit with the most foulest of stenches.. "What? That wasn't me. I thought that was you." 

She opened her eyes. "Ueehhg, I don't even smell that bad. I can't believe you would even think that was me." 

"I mean, I don't know who e-" 

They heard a long and high pitched sound from in front of them. 

They turned to see Lion, ducking his head embarrassed. 

"Uuuueeehhgg." they grimaced and held their nose. 

"Looks like we found our culprit." she said into her hand.

"I was hoping he wouldn't end up having gas from the food." he groaned. 

Lion broke wind again. 

"Bleeugh, Steven just. hurry up and open the window. Get some fresh air in here." 

He slid off the bed with one hand still wrapped securely around his nose. "No more Asian salmon burgers or yellow rice or stir fried asparagus for you, Lion." he went to unlock the left panel-

"Open the other window. That one doesn't have a screen or a mosquito net. We don't want any flies or mosquitos coming in here." 

He went to the right panel and unlocked it. Then he took a deep breath and let go of his nose and pushed the window open. He practically threw his face towards the screen and his nose smacked into the mesh material as he exhaled out and quickly breathed in the fresh air. 

Lion broke wind again.

"Uehg, so gross, Lion." Connie slid off the bed. "We need some spray." she ran into the bathroom and yanked open the cabinet.

Steven was coming back to bed and holding his nose. 

"Steven, put Lion in his little corner. He's staying underneath that window and away from us tonight."

That sounded pretty mean..

Lion let out more gas. 

But, she's right.. he couldn't take the smell either. 

He went to the kitchen and went to Lion's cabinet. He opened the bag of doggy treats up and heard a, "Don't give him too many of those treats." then he heard the spray can as she febreezed the room. "We don't need him to have any more gas."

"I just wanted to lure him away from the bed." he grabbed three pieces and closed the bag up and put it back into the cabinet. 

"I know." she said. "I just don't want you to give him too much." she sprayed the room some more. 

Steven walked over and waved a thin piece of rawhide in his hand. "Hey, Lion. Hey boy." 

Lion looked at the tasty treat in his hand and got up and wagged his tail.

Steven threw the first treat onto the floor and Lion jumped off the bed to get it.

Conne placed the can by her phone on the table and slid into bed as he walked over and grabbed Lion's bed. 

The dog continued to knaw on the chewy treat.

Steven placed the bed on the floor and put the two treats on the cushion. 

He walked away as Lion jogged his way pass him and to the treats in his bed. 

Connie was laying down in bed and facing away from him. 

He gave his hands a quick wash and slid back into bed. He scooted up close to her and gently pressed his self against her to spoon.

And he couldn't help but feel the wet spot still on him. 

He frowned and resisted a sigh as he laid his head down behind hers. 

_Stupid Amethyst.._

_We could be doing it right now.._

He wrapped his arm around her and took a deep breath. 

_Stupid.. Amethyst.._

He heard Lion breaking wind in the corner. 

He twisted his face to a scowl. 

_Couldn't get laid.. and now my dog has gas.._

_It's all her stupid fault.._

He closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep.

A lone car alarm started to sound loud in the distance. 

_Stupid Amethyst.._

He lifted his arm away from Connie and bent his arm back to grab a pillow behind him. He placed it on the side of his face and kept his hand over the pillow. 

The car continued to sound. 

Then a pack of dogs began to bay and bark at the alarm.

He sighed. 

_Stupid Amethyst.._

_Couldn't get laid.. my dog has gas.. had to open the window to hear more of the outside noise.. nobody is seeming to care about their car.. and now the neighborhood dogs are joining in.._

Lion began to howl with the dogs. 

Another sigh.. and he lowered the pillow from his head and leaned up and opened his eyes to see Lion leaning his paws against the windowpane and tilting his head back and howling loudly. 

"Lion." the dog looked at him, then looked back at the window and began to bay along with the dogs as the sound of the car alarm continued to fill the neighborhood. 

"Steven, get your dog." Connie grumbled beside him. 

He blinked slowly. "Lion." the dog looked over at him.

"Noo. You don't do that." Lion wagged his tail. Steven shook his head. "No." and pointed to his bed. "Lay down." the dog looked at him. "Laaay down." 

Moments later of challenging the other, Lion let him win and leaned off the wall and walked over to his bed. 

"Good.." he looked up at the clock. _3:12 a.m._

The scowl on his face grew deeper. 

_Stupid Amethyst.._

He laid back down behind Connie and threw the pillow lazily over his head and wrapped his arm around Connie. The pillow doing only half the work now that he wasn't pushing the pillow into his ear..

The car sounded..

And the dogs bayed and howled and barked..

He exhaled through his nose.

_Stupid Amethyst.._

He turned his head and a piece of Connie's hair poked his eye and he winced and tilted his head back.

He sucked in some air as he rubbed at his eye.

_Stupid Amethyst._

He brushed her hair down and laid his head back down.

He guessed nobody cared about that car since the alarm was _still._ going. OFF..

And the very talented dogs continued their breathtaking, spectacular musical pieces.. 

How nice of them..

Lion broke wind again..

He sighed. 

_Amethyst.._

_..always ruining things.._

He heard a sigh from Connie and she slid away from him and got out of bed and headed to the bathroom.

And now he couldn't spoon for the next few minutes..

Because of course he couldn't..

It was all Amethyst's fault..

..every single thing was..

_Thanks_ Amethyst..

And _why_ hasn't that wet spot went away..

He sighed.. more so a growl if anything.

He clenched his eyes shut and blew out a frustrated breath hard through his nose.

The alarm continued to sound..

The dogs continued their symphony..

And Lion let out two high pitched sounds of his own..

Steven glowered under the covers..

_Stupid..Stupid Amethyst.._

_  
_

_Stupid.._

_Amethyst.._


	208. Reminiscent; Where did we go wrong?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going back and forth if I should add this chapter or not.. but.. I don't know, I just really wanted to add the part in.. But I didn't make it long and just wanted to shoehorn the little chapter in to just give y'all a small taste of what her parents were thinking/ how they're feeling after the big news.🤷

Dr. Maheswaren slipped under the covers of their bed. 

The woman still torn and having such mixed emotions.. but consternation seemed to really sit on her chest. 

She looked over at her husband. 

The man laying back and staring up angrily at the ceiling. His face tensed and his jaw rigid and clenched. 

With a soft sigh to cut the silence she said, _"I can't stop thinking about this.."_ she said softly. _"Our little girl."_

Though their little girl wasn't little anymore..

She had to come to terms that.. she was a young adult now and making her own decisions..

Her own.. _bad_ decisions..

The father glowered.. and moments later of silence, he pulled back his lips in disgust. _"It was something that I didn't want to hear." _he spat. _"Irate wouldn't be the right word." _

She smoothed out the fabric of the covers on her lap. She sighed lightly through her nose. _"This is something that we have to live with."_

_"That _those_ two would have to live with."_ he said bitterly before adding under his growling breath,_ "He messed up her life."_

She thought back on what Connie had told her while telling her story. How she'd been the one to instigate certain activities and Steven would join in..

As she had told her.. she wasn't young anymore. She was a sheltered and now curious girl coming of age who was.. now living with someone who would become a variable of her curiosity. 

_"Mom.. that was all me. Being around Steven everyday and being so close to him and finally living in our new apartment for just those first few months.. just use two..alone.. " she could see the blush coming to her daughter's face. "And.. I'm.. not some innocent girl you and dad seem to think I am." then she added. "Or was."_ she glanced over at her mother before looking away. _"We were so close together.. and we were learning about each other in so many ways.."_ she smoothed out a wrinkle in her dress. _"But one thing is that, despite what you and dad my think about him, not once has Steven ever made me feel uncomfortable or have ever pressured me to do anything. He's a really sweet and caring guy.. And everything that we did.. in.. _that_ aspect, was mainly me being ready and talking to him about it. And whenever we would.." she looked away as the blush spread more across her face. "engage in a new.. experience.. in our relationship, every single time he would always ask if I was one hundred percent sure or if I wasn't only doing it just for him."_

_ __ _

_ __ _

She still wished her daughter hadn't left.. or had met him in general.. but her daughter loved him and she would have to try and live with that. She loved her daughter.. and maybe she could put her own sour, angry, disappointing feelings aside for her.

.. and.. somehow tolerate her boyfriend..

She gave just a slight nod of her head._ "Regardless of that. Of me feeling the same way.. of me _still_ feeling the same way.. Connie has her own mind as well and she has made her own decisions."_

The anger only dug deeper into his skin._ "Such a young girl's mind.. so easily twisted by some smooth talker." _he snarled. _"That's what he is. A smooth talker. A manipulator. I know he put that stuff in her mind, making her think that _she_ was the one who thought of it.. and I know he has my.."_ he exhaled through this bared teeth._ "my baby girl wrapped around his pathetic, grimy fingers."_

He was fuming.. he was outraged.. he was repulsed at the situation.

He felt a gentle hand on his thigh._ "We both would either want to keep our daughter as three or four years old.. or see her as a young successful woman with Kevin. Nothing else in between. Nothing else different." _ she frowned as she gave her husband's thigh a light squeeze. _"But.. it seems that we'll be going with another path." _ she looked at the vexed expression on her husband's face._ "I would like to think that.. at least something will work out."_

_"Priyanka, she has _already_ made so many mistakes. How can she _possibly_ come back from this?"_

Thinking back on her daughter's story, it seemed like she'd already reached the bottom and she and her.. boyfriend.. were steadily getting their lives on track. 

They were now going up and improving their lives. 

And despite of telling her husband what her daughter had told her, he seemed to had only remembered and clung onto the near 78% of the bad thing's that had happened or that they'd done and not the rest of the 22% of the story of them learning hard from their mistakes and trying to do things the right way. 

She didn't like what happened between her daughter and her boyfriend and she still didn't approve of it and if she could go back in time and change things she would do it in a heartbeat.

But that wasn't the case and now she had to force herself to see things in a different way. To try and see things differently for Connie.. and by extension, her unborn grandchild that was innocent in all of this..

_"Unfortunately we have to take things day by day and see where all of this takes us."_ she said eventually.

She heard a belittling, growling scoff. _"Yeah.. day by day.. and watching my own daughter get dragged down some wicked path that.. lowlife is on."_ he closed his eyes as he turned on his side to face her. _"Like I would want to see something like that."_

She didn't want to see anything like that either. 

Just like her husband, she wanted nothing but the best for her daughter as well. 

But.. just like certain things in life, it wasn't going to go their way. 

Perhaps they're going to go their own way towards a successful life. 

The words rung in her head as if she'd heard them just lately, before her brain quickly registered that piece of dialogue having been said by Steven.

_"Everyone is just.. going down their own paths towards success."_ she remembered him saying.

Her expression dropped. _But will _they_ go towards success as well.._

Her husband hadn't made any more snide remarks or deprecating comments and she laid down beside him and kissed his forehead without a word. 

He kept his eyes closed, whether due to him falling angrily to sleep or he decided to not react was anyone's guess.

Dr. Maheswaren turned off the lamp on her bedside table, though kept the small portable closet push lamp on. The light dimmed enough to not agitate their sleep, though bright enough for her to see the family picture that she kept for over fifteen years. 

A professional, formal picture of she and her husband and three year old Connie sitting on her father's lap. The three of them sitting in front of a backdrop of Central Chennai. She was wearing an elegant lehenga dress while her husband was looking very handsome with his lungi draped from his waist to his feet. 

And their little Connie looking adorable in her Pattu Pavadai traditional dress and in all smiles and giggles.

Then her eyes went to a second very precious picture of hers.

A photo that had been taken just minutes before the huge argument that.. made her officially decide to leave them.. 

Connie's cap and gown photo that her mother had taken on the well trimmed lawn of her High School. Her daughter, now a beautiful young woman, with her blue gown and her blue cap placed above her dark brown hair and the tassel now sitting to the left side of the cap. Their daughter smiling.. and maybe it was in her mind.. but it seemed to be a sadness to her smile.. as she held her diploma in her hands that were decorated in lovely henna print. Her father standing proudly beside her with an even prouder smile on his face.

The photos were beautiful in every definition and every way of the word beauty.

And she loved looking at them every night.

.. despite of the pictures always leaving an empty or melancholic or nostalgic pit in her stomach..

Ever since that very night her daughter left she wondered since then, what did she do wrong? Or, where did she _go_ wrong?

And it took her until just hours earlier and talking to her daughter that.. maybe she wasn't there for her daughter like she thought she was? That she was there as her mother but.. did she ever think to actually_ listen_ to her own daughter? To actually have that close connection that bond where her daughter could be comfortable to talk to her about certain things going on with her?

Or maybe the outcome would've been the same even if she and her daughter _were_ closer. 

So many possibilities..

So many what if's..

The pictures soon becme bleary and she realized she was tearing up.

She wiped at one eye as a tear slid down the other. 

_Oh my Connie.. if only I could've stopped all of this from happening to you.._

_Maybe if I had taken you to another bookstore that day.. or had been with you.._

There were a lot of things she could've done, but she didn't. 

She _had_. to accept. that.

And now her daughter is in love with him.. and he might feel the same way.

She saw how lovingly he treats her and Connie has told her of so many things he has done for her. 

But she'd _also_ told her of his life as a drug dealer that, quite frankly, still didn't sit right with her.. and she wondered why she didn't leave him then before her brain quickly answered why..

She loves him..

And she forgives him so easily..

Apart from that deal breaker of an action he'd also apparently done a lot of things for her..

And she'd changed him drastically according to her and what she'd said his friends had told her. And she was helping him recover from his past trauma. 

Her daughter was doing so much for him..

She resisted a sigh of grief.

This was where her daughter now was in her life. 

She could sulk about it..

Or she could stop dwelling on the past and questioning why this has happened and go on from here.

And right now, she can be a better mother and listen to her daughter more as well as support and help her. She can take that first step in doing that. 

She took another long look at the two photos.. and this time that pit was filled, even just a few drops worth, of hope. 

She could try.

And things could be different now.

And she was able to see her Connie and there are no words to describe how relieved and how happy she feels now that her precious daughter is back in her life.

That _she_ was back in her _daughter's_ life. 

_"I love you, Connie." _ she whispered as another tear slid from her eye, down her cheek and to her pillow.

She had to come to terms that..this has happened for a reason.

She couldn't dwell on these what if's anymore..

She had no other choice.

She would have to walk this new path and try to tolerate- No, _accept_ what has happened and move on.

She would do it for her daughter's sake.


	209. Getting more serious

**~~Just a couple hours earlier~~**

Pearl drove towards the connector of the two cylindrical buildings and to the solid, black, GemTech gate. Amethyst having her and she switch vehicles so she could be the one to speak to Peridot on the monitor.

"CGVU. Scan GemTechCo base unit 141." she said.

"Voice code verification to proceed." the male voice said back to her.

"Pearl." she said her name. "Code: zero, seven, one, seven, one, nine, eight, nine."

A few moments and then a, "Voice code recognized." then a beat later. "Scanning."

A red laser formed horizontally in front of the vehicle. The light swept down in front of the gate before it winked out.

"I have been informed of one trying to verify this vehicle's information."

"Answer the line." 

"Answering the line." said the voice.

The tablet in front of them blinked from a plain, white screen to a live video feed of a dark figure from the mid chest on up. The video, near dark.

"State your purpose." said the deep and gravelly voice.

"Pearl. Code: zero, seven, one, seven, one, nine, eight, nine. I am currently driving the Inkas Armored limo with Garnet currently unconscious in the backseat. Behind me is Amethyst driving in a limo that we stole." then a beat later. "We're here to.. have a conversation with you. Also, we're bringing the limo to you to look at it and we're here for medical treatment. For all three of us." she clarified.

The shadowed hooded figure pressed a button in front of her. "I have proceeded with the next verification process." 

A horizontal red light shot out from the gate and scanned the car. The figure turned slightly to look at a monitor off screen. "The vehicle has been verified." she said. "Now for the next verification process." she pressed another button.

One small pole jutted up from the ground by the door. The tablet right at the top of it. Pearl rolled down the window and started typing in the information as the figure began pressing buttons of screen. 

"Your account has been verified." said the dark, mysterious voice from Peridot.

The tablet snapped back into its pole and the pole slid back into the ground.

"You will be waiting there for a few moments before I usher you three in." 

Pearl nodded. "Of course." she sat back in her seat and waited. Her eyes glanced up at the starry night sky before looking in front of her at the gate entrance.

Moments later and she saw shadows of figures on the gate from the vehicle's headlights.

She looked at the rearview mirror to see ten Labradorite's falling from a tall height and landing on the dirt plains with GemTech weapons in their hands; swords, spears, guns, whips in their hands.

They ran towards the limo and crowded around it.

They stood there, looking at Amethyst's masked, bloodied face. 

"Voice code recognition to proceed." one of the Labradorite's barked out. He held a GemTech gun in his hand.

"Anethyst. Code: zero, sethen, one, sethen, one, nine, eight, nine." 

"What's your facet and cut!" he held the gun in front of her.

She looked at the weapon. Completely unfazed by it. "Thacet- thithe. Cut eight XG."

He narrowed his eyes at her before his eyes looked at her mouth. 

"Let ne guess.. can't understand ne?" she chided. "Thaaceeet." she signed out the five letters. "Thithe." she held her hand up with the back of her hand facing them and holding up her four fingers and her thumb. 

He gave her a leveled stare.

One of the Labradorite's was typing in the information.

Just seconds later and she gave the group a nod. "She's in the system." 

The one with the gun turned his attention back to Amethyst. "Face recognition." he ordered. "Mask off."

Amethyst pulled her mask off and the trained Labradorites didn't flinch or so much as made a tick of showing any recoil at the dislocated jaw hanging down and to the left of the top of her mouth. Her gums bleeding and her lips and and chin covered in saliva and blood both caked and fresh.

The Labradorite that'd checked her information on the tablet nodded again. "It's her. And it's already been stated under her name that she and two others are here for medical attention."

He gave her a curt nod and looked back at Amethyst. "Out of the vehicle and come out slowly with your hands up."

She did so. Opening the door slowly and stepping out. She left the door opened as she held her hands up and took just a few steps towards then and stopped.

He aimed the gun at her face. "Wait right there." he growled. 

The nine Labradorites were cautious as they made their way towards the vehicle. Each one doing their own search; One checking for any other people within the seats or trunk of the car, one looking for working security cameras, one checking for bombs, another one checking for concealed weapons within the hood, trunk and the rest of the body of the car, one looking for poisonous chemicals, etc. 

The main one of the group kept his eye on Amethyst as the Labradorites did their job for the next fifteen minutes. 

Then there was a, "We see a decapitated arm."

The man glared at Amethyst-

"I cut it oth oth one oth the tuxedoed nen." she said as she signed. "I wanted 'eridot to take a look at it." 

"A decapitated arm.. with a watch." he didn't buy it.

"Yes. I wanted her to look at the watch."

"Then you could've just taken the watch with you and not the arm."

"Hey, nan. You act like I ended ut taking the whole dody. Just do what your grou' does dest and 'ut it in that fancy 'ox to check for any suspicious items in it." she continues used to sign. "You're wasting our tine."

He took a step towards her and put the gun farther into her face. "You better watch how you're talking to us." he warned. 

She was unfazed.

He gave her a leveled stare and didn't look away as he ordered, "Get the box. Let's check to see for any foreign items inside."

One Labradorite had a metal GemTech box strapped to his back. He turned it around and snapped the box off of him and opened the lid.

The arm was placed inside by a pair of what looked to be similar to tongs. The man let the arm go into the box and placed the tongs inside of a GemTech bag. 

The lid was placed back on the box and the technology began to analyze and scan the arm. 

Five Labradorites jogged up to Amethyst and began either patting her down or using two different scanners to analyse and scan her body from head to toe with the man still holding the gun up to her face. 

There was a ding. 

One Labradorite nodded. "She's good." she said. 

The man didn't move the gun. 

There was another ding moments later and a, "The arm and the watch are clear too."

The man nodded, his eyes not wavering from Amethyst's. "Then send out the verification." he said with his eyes still on her.

The verification was sent and seconds later the figure in the tablet of the Inkas looked over at the monitor. She nodded. "Looks like both Amethyst has been verified and the limo has passed the inspection." she nodded again. "Very well. The two of you may proceed." 

Pearl glanced at the rearview mirror once more to see the Labradorite giving her a nod and her putting her arms down and turning back around to the vehicle. 

The group still held their weapons up as she got into the car and closed the door.

Pearl looked back down and at the front of her. 

One square of the gate started to push up from the ground. It stopped just above the top of the tall squares on either side of it. A silver opening was shown in front of her. 

She shifted the car in drive and drove through the small tunnel, passing the small cannons on either side of them. 

Moments later of driving through the tunnel she stopped just two feet away from two cannons that were placed at the end of the hall.

Peridot pressed a few buttons and the floor started shaking underneath of her. "Wascoite is already up there to meet you. Park the car to the left and I'll use the floor to pick up Amethyst."

"Affirmative." she nodded.

The tablet winked out and went back to a plain white screen as the floor below started to ascend. The cannons following the car up as the glass, see through floor rose.

The elevator stopped with a loud metal clank at the 163rd floor. She was in the middle of the hallway. She shifted gears and turned the car to the left of the metal flooring and parked it just beside the panel. She turned the car off and took her mask off.

Two doors slid out from within the square hole of the floor and sealed the floor up. And to anyone who didn't know about the elevator underneath, how the flooring was smooth and without any cracks or a hint of a door being there, nobody would've realized it.

The panel underneath of the floor began descending towards the ground level. 

Mr. Wascoite was already there, sporting his usual sleek, dark red butler-like suit, with a bright yellow shirt underneath of it and bright yellow dress shoes. He had on his mottled red, yellow and lavender tie to finish the look.

He was typing in the code into the tablet. Moments later he turned around to face her as the glass wall began to slide down and into the floor.

He gave one beckoning hand towards Pearl and she got out and closed the door. She raised one hand up to her forehead in a two finger salute. Her thumb holding down the other two fingers. Her other arm held up and her fist clenched and at the middle of her chest.

"おはようございますワスコイト様。Ohayou gozaimasu Wasukoito sama. (Good morning, Mr. Wascoite." 

"おはようパールちゃん. Good morning, Pearl."

She kept the pose in front of him. 

Moments later and the two doors slid from each other on the floor and the elevator raised the Inkas car up to the floor.

Pearl held her stance for a few seconds before dropping her hands down and walking to the car. She opened Amethyst's door and the woman got out and Pearl got a better look at her now mask-less face. For just a split second they locked eyes and Pearl quickly changed her shocked reaction to something more neutral as she looked away. 

Amethyst walked away from her, leaving the door open and Pearl closed it for her. The two of them walked back towards Mr. Wascoite and Pearl stopped right at the trunk of the limo as Amethyst kept walking towards the gentleman.

A gurney was heard being rolled across the floor towards them as the stomps of feet echoed down the hall. 

Amethyst stopped in front of him and went for the same stance as she raised one hand up to her forehead in a two finger salute with her thumb holding down the other two fingers. Her other arm held up and her fist clenched and at the middle of her chest. The box she was allowed to keep was held firmly between her arm and her torso.

Pearl let the three paramedics roll the gurney pass her and towards the backseat of the limo. She walked pass them as they opened the door. 

She stood a foot from Amethyst and went for the same salute.

Mr. Wascoite looked at the women.

Pearl's swollen and blood eye that ran into the black and blue of her skin surrounding it. The other eye near half closed and swollen.

Amethyst's dislocated jaw hanging down and angled to the side. The bottom of her face bloodied. 

The Benitoites placed Garnet on the gurney and he looked pass the two women standing in front of him to see the woman laying unconscious. One wrist snapped and at an angle from the arm. 

He watched as one of the Benitoites closed the door back before the three of them scurried back up the hall with Garnet. 

He looked back down at the women. 

They kept their salutes up. 

He gave them a court nod. "Let us depart." he turned around and started up the hall. 

They kept their stance up for a few seconds before dropping their hands down and following him. 

The four of them walked down the long hallway and to an elevator door and Mr. Wascoite walked up to another tablet on the wall. He pressed a button and a red laser scanned his face. He leaned back and put the code in. A few moments later, the doors slid open in front of him. He walked in first, followed by Amethyst then Pearl. 

The doors closed and Mr. Wascoite swiped his badge inside of a slot next to the buttons of the elevator. Then he pressed the the sky deck level. One floor up to the 164th floor.

The elevator went up.

_DING_

The doors opened to Mrs. Charoite's lobby and Mr. Wascoite stepped out. Followed by Amethyst, then Pearl.

He approached the lobby table while the two of them followed behind.

".. and then the weapons should be there in two days." Charoite said over the mouthpiece of her headset. She paused just before going for another call. "Good morning, Mr. Wascoite." she said. Then quickly added. "I'll page Miss-" she stopped abruptly as her eyes went to Amethyst and Pearl's face. She heard the sounds of someone's throat being cleared and she quickly snapped her eyes to Mr. Wascoite's glare. "I'll page-!" she blurted out, before going for a leveled voice. "Miss.. Peridot for you right away."

He nodded with a narrowed eyed look. 

She pressed the big, shiny, green button in front of her. "Hello, Miss Peridot? Mr. Wascoite is here with Amethyst and Pearl. The two are here to see you."

"Yes." said Peridot. "Bring them to me."

"Right away, ma'am." she got up, ignoring the rings and chimes of the phones. She gave Mr. Wascoite the salute and she brought her hands down slowly and turned around. "Right this way." she said and went for the door behind them. 

She pressed a button on the tablet beside the door and a red laser scanned the her face. It winked out and she typed in a code and opened the door to the long hallway. They reached the green door with a pink rose on it and she pressed the button on the tablet. It scanned her face and she pressed the numbers inside the keypad.

The rose rotated on the surface and the door slid open by itself. The door sliding into the wall, opening up to Peridot's gloomy and dark room.

She leaned away from her GemTech computer. "Charoite." she acknowledged. 

The woman gave her the salute and stood completely still.

"You are free to go. Both you." she looked over at the boss of the Crystal Gem Empire. "and Grandad are free to go. I will take everything from here."

Wascoite gave her the salute.

A few seconds later, still holding her own salute, Charoite said a gentle "Goodnight, Peridot." put her arms down slowly and walked away, passing the gems.

Then Mr. Wascoite held his stance a bit longer before putting his arms down. "おやすみなさいペリドットさま。 Oyasuminasai, Peridotto sama. Goodnight, Miss Peridot.)" he turned away and the Amethyst and Pearl you their arms up in a salute. 

He walked out the room and the door closed once more and the Gems started putting their arms down slowly.

Peridot pushed herself away slightly from her computer and eyed them with a serious expression on her face.

The teen looked at the two women.. her eyes keeping on Amethyst's face..

She kept it professional.

She nodded. "Amethyst." another nod of acknowledgement. "Pearl. A pleasure to see you two here in my office" she looked at her watch. "at zero two fourteen hours." she nodded again. "So-" she stopped and they thought they heard a very faint sound of a snort as her mouth twitched and as fast as it did, her mouth was a thin line as she sported her serious look. "What brings you Gems here today exactly? Well, apart from the obvious medical treatment." she looked down at the box. "And I can safely assume that that box is for me since I've gotten a notification for it from one of the Labradorites."

Amethyst stepped up. " 'eridot."

There was another snort from in front of them though the teen's mouth was a thin line. 

Amethyst stood there, looking at her. 

Just one corner of Peridot's mouth twitched, though it looked more like she was holding back a grimace before settling the corner of her lips back to a stern thin line. "Go on, Amethyst."

She waited a few moments as she kept her eyes on Peridot before saying, "The thirst thing I want to talk adout-"

There was another snort and they saw the corner of Peridot's lips curve up for one long second, though her eyes still conveyed a no nonsense, serious look to them. 

Amethyst narrowed her eyes at her. 

The mouth was a thin line once more. She cleared her throat and they saw a small smile as she did, before it went back to a frown right as she finished clearing it.

Silence as Amethyst said nothing more as she glared at the teen. 

Peridot leaned back in her chair. "You were saying, Amethyst?" 

The woman fixed her a glare before slowly starting again, "I was _saying_ that I want to talk adout" she raised the box in front of her "this 'ox thirst. I got it thron one oth the-" 

Two loud snorts from Peridot as a smile came to her face before she tried holding it in. They watched her clear her throat and force the smile to a thin line. 

Amethyst glowered at her. 

Peridot leaned forward and placed her elbows on the table. She stapled her fingers together as she leaned her mouth towards her hands, blocking the forced frown. "Don't worry about me, Amethyst." her voice wavered faintly. "Do go on with what you were saying." 

Amethyst waited for a few moments as she scowled at her and when the teen had been quiet for a certain amount of seconds, she proceeded, " 'eridot, I hath a watch I want you to look at-" 

The teen's lips pursed as she held it in.. 

The two glared and looked at her respectively as she looked to them, with her eyes trialing back over to Amethyst. 

" ..'eridot.." Amethyst growled. 

Peridot kept her eyes on her before they heard another snort as she held in a laugh.

Then _another_ snort as the laugh became too much for her to contain before a..

"BAAHAHAahaha!!" Amethyst glowered as Peridot cackled nasally. "Nnnyeeenyeyneyenyehehee!!!"

" 'eridot." she growled. "This is serious!" 

She laughed uncontrollably. "I know, I know!! It's just" she snorted and let out another, "NYEEEnyenyenyenyeenyehehe!! It's just.. WOW Amethyst you REALLY got yourself handed to you, didn't you?" 

The woman glared and clenched her hands into fists. 

"And here _I_ thought nobody could even tooouch you!" she sounded as if she were mocking.

If she could close her mouth, she would be grinding her teeth together. "That thusion got in one shot.." she growled.. "That's. it." she said coarsely. 

"Yeah! And a GOOD shot at the one thing you use. A LOT!" she laughed. "Who would've thought, the one who talks the most is now the one who can't even talk now!!" she cackled some more. "Oh, what sweet irony!" 

Pearl looked both embarrassed and scared as she stood still, not knowing if she should intervene for her boss or not. 

Peridot continued to laugh. 

Amethyst snarled under her breath and took her whip out. She unraveled it within a second and threw it out towards her.

"Nyeeeenyenyehehehe-" Peridot saw the whip coming and stopping in mid laugh, she jumped out of her chair and out to her side and front flipped twice and landed on her feet with one arm keeping her balance the other arm already crackling with green electricity- 

The whip was coming towards her-

Peridot leaned back in a rather matrix-esque style as the whip went above her. 

She caught the whip with her other hand and leaned herself back up. Her mechanical fingers twisted around the whip and latched on tightly. 

She looked beside Amethyst to see Pearl with her spear out and pointing towards her. 

There was a complacent grin on Peridot's face. "Heh, no need to get all defensive Amethyst."

Amethyst pulled on the whip to get it from Peridot, though the teen nor her arm budged. Her limb enhancers being stronger. 

Peridot pulled back just slightly and Amethyst leaned forward, eventually taking a subtle step forward. " 'eridot, we need. to talk about this. now." she growled.

The teen snorted. "Yes.." she snorted, though a bit softer. "Yes I know." she smirked. She unravelled her fingers from the whip and the fingers snapped back into their regular size on her hand and she turned off the electricity from her other hand. 

She cleared her throat. "Ahem. Kmm.." then another. "Kmkmmm." she dropped her hands to her back as she straightened up. Now fully composing herself as if she weren't laughing before and a face back to looking serious, she said in a rather monotone voice, "Yes, it's time to be serious." 

She walked pass Amethyst, still angry and still with her hands balled up into fists and glaring at her with Pearl spinning her spear clockwise and snapping the weapon back into the canister. 

"Before we start." she looked at the group. "I take it that Talc is waiting in Charoite's office?" 

"No, he's not here." Amethyst answers still with a growo to her voice.

Peridot raised an eyebrow at her. "What?"

"Athter the thight, I let him go."

"Mm.." a displeased look came to Peridot's face.

"What?" she snapped. 

"My grandfather wants Talc to be in our talks."

"What!?!"

She gave her a court nod. "Yes. With everything going on, he wants us to start incorporating him into our group discussions now." she lied. 

From the _get go_ he'd wanted Talc in their talks. 

And she thought about that day when Kyanite, her grandfather and Talc was there. Her grandfather just finding out that she didn't tell him he was to help them take down the authority or to help them with the heist. 

_"All of that was supposed to be one of the first things to tell him during his verification process." _

_"I.. I know.." she ducked her head between her shoulders. "But.. the Gems were there and I couldn't jeopardize them hearing me. Then I.. got a bit side tracked afterwards during those times when it was just us two when I could've told him-"_

_"That is no excuse, Peridot." he scolded. "You were to tell him before it'd gotten this far. It is bad enough that you told me you didn't inform him of the talks you had with the Gems. It doesn't matter what Amethyst says, I said that he needs to know about these discussions." _

".. nd so now HE has to know adout all of this?!"

"Yes." a beat "And why not? He_ is_ apart of your team and more of these tuxedoed men are appearing more and more throughout the world." then she fixed her a leveled glare. "Also, my _grandfather_ ordered us to. And as head of the Gem Empire, we must _do_ as he says."

Amethyst fixed her a glare of her own as she stood there in silence for a few moments before a low, coarse. "Thine.." came out of her mouth. " 'ut _I_ won't de the one to ex'lain the whole Dianond and Crystal Gen history.." she glowered at her. "I'll hath Garnet do that. She's to train with hin tonorrow anyway. I'll hath her ex'lain e'erything to hin and get hin up to date dethore another one of our talks." 

Peridot nodded. "I've understood part of that, but I believe the jist of it is that you will have Garnet explain everything to Talc." 

A coarse nod from Amethyst's bloody, drooling face. 

Peridot preened her hair with her prosthetic fingers. "So, now that we have established that, what did you want to tell me? Though I know it has something about the men in the tuxedos. I saw the news and I saw Alexandrite, Talc and even Opal." she looked at the two. "I take it that something else has happened behind the scenes then?" 

"Yes." said Amethyst. "I managed to get sone inhornation thron one guy and-"

Peridot shook her head as she raised a hand up. "Amethyst.. perhaps we should try another method for communication. Something that would be more effective, yes?"

With a glare from the woman, she set the box down and began signing. _「I got some information from one of the men. He told me a few things about Yellow Diamond. First, this.」 _ She picked the box up and opened the lid. 

Peridot peered inside. "Yes." she said. "A decapitated arm with a watch." she looked back up at Amethyst. "I got a notification from one of my Labradorites about that." 

Amethyst shook her head fervently and blood flicked out from her mouth. She pushed pass Peridot and placed the box and the lid on her desk. She began signing again. 

_「Apparently the watch only works if it's on him. That's why I brought the arm with me. He also said that Yellow Diamond texts and calls them, though they can't talk or text out. The watch has been silent but it's only a matter of time before we get something from her.」_

Peridot raised an eyebrow at her. "What? Amethyst, that's not how those kind of watches work. We have those kind of watches for some of the Gems under this empire. The Labradorites, all of my Peridots, the Jades, the Agates, the Sapphires and of course my granddad." then she explained. "These specific types of watches only works if the person is still alive." 

Amethyst raised her hands up and clenched both hands in front of her with just the tip of the thumb in between the index and the ring finger. _「What?!」_ she growled..snarled and signed. _「He didn't tell me that!!」_

Peridot unfastened the watch from the arm and looked at it. "But perhaps I can hack into what she'd sent. If their technology in their watches is anything like ours or, remotely similar, then their security storage system may only hold secured information for up to twelve or to twenty hours before getting permanently deleted and completely untraceable." 

She began walking towards the back of her desk to her computer. "Now. What else did he tell you?" she sat down, set the watch on the table and began typing at the keyboard and cutting her eye at Amethyst as she signed.

_「That two people from Yellow Diamond's court are going to come to someplace of the world. They don't know yet until some prisoner tells them that piece of information. Apparently they're looking for these four particular Crystal Gems.」_

Going from screen to Amethyst and back to the screen and back to the woman, Peridot stopped her typing and raised her eyebrow again. "What? Did I.. see that correctly?" she turned to face Amethyst fully. "Two people who works under THE Yellow Diamond.. is coming to some undisclosed place.. an undisclosed place that.. only this prisoner knows?"

Amethyst nodded then brought her hand up clenched in a fist at near shoulder height and made a single bob forward and back with her first. _「Yes.」_

"That.." Peridot looked uneasy. "That brings up even more questions.." she mumbled. She looked back up at Amethyst and in a more leveled voice she asked, "Who's the prisoner? And which four Gems is she looking for?" 

_「He never met or seen the prisoner and he didn't know which Gems Yellow Diamond was talking about.」_ then she signed. _「Though since he didn't tell me about the watch only being able to work if he's alive, who knows if he was telling the truth about that or not.」_

Peridot nodded slowly. "Yes.." she scratched at her chin. "Mm.." the worry was claiming more of her face. "Then we really need to keep our eyes peeled for these tuxedoed men and for anything suspicious. Especially any two Gems wondering around throughout the world." then she thought allowed. "Perhaps I should send out an army of Labradorites and Jaspers to scour more of the world. I'll send some out domestically and others out internationally." 

Amethyst fanned her hand_ 「Hey」_ to get her attention. When Peridot's focused was back on her, she signed, _「Check out the coldest places in the world. He said that he was at Yellow Diamond's training site where it was filled with ice and snow for months. That should rule out the States.」_

"That rules out a lot of places. But, that still leaves us with plenty of ice cold and snowy places to scour." then she added, "I'll have majority of the Labradorites and Jaspers go to those specific cold cities while I have a few others go domestically and internationally to other non cold places." she sighed and dug her fingers through her hair once more. "So I'll make a call once our talk is over."

_「You should also have them look underground or in underground buildings.」_ then she quickly explained. 「Another thing he told me, was that Yellow Diamond is making some machine underground. It could be 'underground' as in some building underground or it could actually be under the actual ground.」

Peridot's eyes grew wide behind her glasses. "Yellow Diamond is.." she shook her head, confused. "But we have GemTech equipment underground. Both in underground buildings and underneath the Earth's crust.. Some of them even being made to specifically find non Gemtech substances.. and when found will be destroyed on the spot.." then realization came over her as she said, "The Diamond Essence.. The machine is being hidden from it.. Similar to how we have yet to trace them.. the.. technology is not picking up Yellow Diamond's machine.." 

_「What?! So OUR GemTech equipment can't even pick up any signal?! Motion?! Anything?!」_

"No.. not at this moment, no.." she said slowly. "It appears that we may have to reconstruct some of our underground equipment again as well.." then she gasped as another realization came to her. "This.. sounds an awful lot to what Ronaldo was saying not too long ago."

_「What? That stupid drunk?」_

"Yes, him. Right as he was being put into the ambulance via gurney, he was shouting out what seems to correlate to what the man had told you."

Peridot thought back on what he said.. the words chilling now that Ronaldo.. could very well be on to something..

_"Wait!!! The Diamonds!!! They're coming back!!!"_

_"They're everywhere!!!! Everywhere I tell you!!! In the sky!! Underground!! Within the trees and the comforts of our own homes!!! Within the oceans and mountains and in the most UNLIKELY of places!!! They!! Are!! Everywhere!!! THEY ARE LIVING AMONG US!!!" _

_"..I'M TELLING YOU PEOPLE!!! THIS IS ALL PART OF ONE, HUGE PLAN!!! THE DIAMONDS ARE COMING BACK!! AND THEY'RE COMING FOR ALL OF US THIS TIME!! NOT JUST THE GEMS!!"_

_"THINK ABOUT IT!! HAVE NONE OF YOU NOT NOTICED THE QUAKES WE'VE BEEN GETTING FOR THE PAST FEW MONTHS?!? YOU SAY THEY'RE EARTHQUAKES, I SAY A GEO WEAPON THAT HAS STEADILY BEEN STRUCTURED AND CONSTRUCTED WITHIN THE EARTH'S CORE!!!"_

_"I KNOW THERE'S A WEAPON!! BUT NOBODY IS WILLING TO BELIEVE ME UNTIL IT HAS ALREADY BEEN TOO LATE!!"_

_"THE WEAPON SHALL SAP THE EARTH OF ALL IT'S NATURAL RESOURCES AND THE EARTH WILL DIE AND WE WILL ALL BE TAKEN TO SOMEWHERE NEW!!"_

_"EVERYONE OF US SHALL FALL UNDER THEIR TYRANNY!!"_

Peridot was in her thoughts until she saw a hand fan in front of her face and she snapped out of the memory. 

_「What are you talking about, Peridot?」_

"Ronaldo was warning everyone that the Diamonds were coming. He claimed that they were making some type of Geo weapon within the Earth's core and that it's use is to sap the Earth of all it's natural resources. In doing so, our planet will die and we will all be taken somewhere else and there we would be under the Diamonds' despotism. Now, while I don't necessarily believe in _every_ single thing, I can believe or even _more so_ that there may be something within the Earth after all. Perhaps he has managed to figure out the Diamonds' plans. Or, a bit of it at least." she leaned forward in her chair. "Not only that, but someone has deleted the K.E.C.W blog. That could've very well been the Diamonds since Ronaldo said something about them and their plan specifically. Perhaps he was onto something. If he was wrong, I don't think they would care as much. But, it's deleted. As well as every video that was posted on TubeTube from the bystanders that were filming him. Thankfully I had already stored every photo and video and lives streams." she looked at the two. "So, that means that we can not kill him due to that stunt he pulled at the lighthouse. We must keep him alive. Perhaps he can, in his own weird.. Ronaldo way, can pick up other stuff. We need someone like him."

_「That sounds like a double edged sword. He could pick up on us too. I remember him talking about us planning on taking the pink diamond.」_

"Yes, I've just thought about that as well. That's why _we_ must be even more careful. But right now he only knows that. And quit frankly, I believe _everyone_ knows that. We're Gems and we steal jewels. So anyone could've guessed that." then she concluded with a, "We'll break him out of jail and keep a close eye on him." she looked to the two and they nodded. 

She leaned up in her chair. "So. Is that all? With everything I know now, I need to start making a lot of calls as well as" she turned to her computer "start this analysis process for the watch." she began typing on the keyboard. "Anything else to say before we end this?"

_「Yes. He has also said that she's been experimenting on people or forcing them to her own court to build her army or forcing them to be one of those tuxedoed man」_

Again, Peridot was looking from the screen and to the woman signing. "Ex...perimenting.." she glared at the words. "Amethyst, if I'm not mistaken, we have most likely heard it first hand from the first audio clip that I let you three listen to just weeks ago. The one where she's talking to her Pearl about the side effects of the experiments."

Both Amethyst and Pearl thought back on that day. The four of them huddled around and listening to the audio on Peridot's watch. 

_Pearl. How are the experiments coming along?"_

_"I talked to Benitoite." the light, child voice replied back. "She says that while a small group has had little to no side effects-"_

_"What are the side effects?" her voice cut in abruptly. Serious. Harsh._

_"Blotchy skin and or ear disfiguration, my Diamond."_

_There was a slight sound of fabric as if Yellow Diamond had leaned up in her chair. "Continue."_

_"While a small group suffered little to no side effects, two people have perished. The first one-_

_"Like I care about who perished. Good riddance." a beat later. "I will simply send a few of my Topazes to get more people."_

_"Yes, my Diamond. I will contact them for you._

"Mmm.." Peridot hummed as she clicked away on the keyboard. "I'm.. afraid I am not sure as to what that could be." her eyes were glued to the screen now and they could see the pre analysis check being scanned on the surface of the lens on her glasses. "But off hand it sounds like a medical experiment. But.. testing them for what, I don't know.. But whatever it is, it's definitely something that could be life threatening and dangerous.." 

Amethyst was snarling.. fuming.. _「Those.. Diamonds.. Disgusting!! Vial!!! Sick!!」_ she stomped towards the desk._ 「And they're getting MORE people! WE were THERE! We found more hostages that were supposed to be brought to her!」_

Peridot was shaking her head, grimacing. "And they're only going to continue with this. They seem to be popping up more everywhere throughout the world."

_「Then WE need to start recruiting more!! See Peridot, THIS is why we need to act accordingly! THIS was what I was talking about!! Their plans seem to become more and more.. prominent! We need more people! Weapons!.. Everything!!」_

"I know that. But right now, we just _don't_ have enough resources or time to recruit anymore people. As we've been saying plenty of times before. The Diamonds could come at ANY time." Amethyst was about to sign something before Peridot raised a hand up. "Right now, all we can do is work on the armor, clothes and weapons that our Gems already have. We can take their stuff back and reconstruct them to try and make them stronger as well as working on other weapons that are currently still being made. But apart from that, we ourselves have to train harder."

Amethyst fixed her a leveled stare for the umpteenth time._「Duh, that's obvious. That's why I have Garnet and Pearl training Talc. 」_

"Mmmm.." she nodded. "Talc." a disc holder popped out from the computer and Peridot placed the watch inside. "Is he showing any improvement? How are the weapons and gadgets from both his and the dog's working out?" she pressed a few buttons on the screen of the computer before typing back on the keyboard. The disc holder slid back into the compartment moments later. "I only saw a bit of what Talc did on the news. He seemed to be holding up okay from what I could see."

Amethyst shrugged. _「Yeah.. he was okay.」_

Just..okay? She saw a few news clips of Steven helping out with his shields. 

If anything, if it wasn't for his shield they probably wouldn't had gotten _that_ far..

Not to mention how he destroyed the fusion's shoulder and wrist.

.. or perhaps that was the dog's work?

Either way, it seemed like the two if them helped out tremendously-

_「Both him and the dog could be better. Especially him.」_

"..Yeees... That _is_ why I take it why you are training him more."

_「He has to get better. He's still horrible at fighting.」_ she ranted.

"Yes." she said plainly. "You three do that." she continued to type. "Now, is that it? I feel as if we're losing steam here. I have a lot of stuff to do and so do you two." 

The anger on Amethyst's face was still evident as she signed. _「Yes, that's it.」_

Peridot nodded. "Good." she leaned up and pressed on the screen of the computer. "So to end this note and to make sure everyone is on the same page here." she leaned back in her seat and began typing on the keyboard once more. "I'll see if I can find anything in this watch as my Peridots and I continue trying to replicate the Diamond Essence. I'll also have someone break Ronaldo out of jail and send out a group of Labradorites and Jaspers across the world as _well_ as order a group of Onyxes to dig underground and look around. Preferably near the colder places. On _top_ of having a handful of my Peridots to reconstruct our Gemtech equipment underground. I may even pair some up with my Onyxes. That may be even better, yes." she leaned away from the computer once more. "I'll also ontinue training the bird. Perch." she put her arm out and the two looked to her left, thinking that she was pointing at something to the adjacent wall, when a wedge-tailed eagle swooped down from behind them and landed on Peridot's arm. The bird turned around and screeched at the women. 

The two had almost forgotten that she had it.

How long has it been? A month or so? More or less? 

"I've been training this eagle for quite some time now. Teaching her to sniff out jewels just like the pooch can. As well as teaching her to retrieve items, guard, alarm and various other means of strategic measures that may let this bird come in handy for us. Fly." 

The wedge-tailed eagle raised her wings and shot towards them. The two women ducked as the bird flew up and towards a small perch that had been build for it. 

The bird turned around and kept as still as a statue. 

"I taught her that as well." they turned back to Peridot. "Keeping still and statuesque may trick some people into thinking she is fake. Which is why I used Gemtech paint to coat her feathers in a cement gray. It sells the act more." 

There were two notification dings on the computer and she began typing on the keyboard. "What else.. a yes and my Peridots and I will continue to make the old Gem suits stronger. So little by little we will be calling every Gem to bring us certain suits, weapons and gadgets back so we can reconstruct them." a beat. "And we're about seventy eight percent done with the new batch of vials. They should be done in another two weeks." 

Amethyst nodded. A glare still on her face, though she nodded. 

"I'll give you a call when the vials are ready. As well as if anything suspicious comes up or if we have made a breakthrough of some sort." 

Another glaring nod from Amethyst._ 「And we'll do our part in keeping an eye out and getting stronger.」_

Peridot gave her a curt nod of her own. "Then we have everything under control." 

Amethyst glowered at her and quickly signed as a low growl left her mouth. _「Not. quite.」_

Peridot let out a tired sigh. "We are now doing the most that we can with what we have been given under these circumstances." she said and added to quickly end their conversation, "You two are free to go to the infirmary to get treated. The Benitoites are already ready for you. After you two are treated, my Peridots should be finished fixing the Inkas and the Apatites should be done cleaning it. The limo, of course, will take much longer." she looked at their ripped up jumpsuits. "Also, your jumpsuits will need to be prepared as well. I do assume that you two, er, three have extra clothes in the car, yes?" 

They nodded and Amethyst signed, _「Of course we have more GemTech clothes in the car. We are ALWAYS prepared.」_

"Mm, yes. Of course." she said plainly before saying, "Give the jumpsuits to my Peridots. I'll send them to you to retrieve the clothes. The jumpsuits shouldn't take no more than two, three weeks."

_「I'll be looking forward to seeing how much different they will be once we get them.」_

"Yes. I had a feeling you would." she said, unfazed. She glanced back at them before her eyes went back to the computer screen. "That will be it for now." she stopped what she was doing on the monitor and leaned up from her seat and walked around her table and towards the door. Pearl immediately went for a salute, though Amethyst didn't.

"I bid you two adieu." she said and raised her limb enhancer to the tablet and stopped as she thought of one more thing. She turned to them. "Ah and do tell Garnet that her glass eye should be ready in another week or so. Though it shouldn't be no more than nine days."

Pearl kept her pose as she nodded while Amethyst gave her a half nod with her arms still down at her sides. 

Peridot cut her eye at her. "This. is the end of our talk, Amethyst. I bid. you two. _adieu."_

Amethyst only clenched her hands in response. 

Pearl looked from Amethyst and looked at Peridot nervously. 

"The salute, Amethyst." Peridot's voice was almost a hiss.

Moments later and with a stern glare to her face, Amethyst raised her hands up and went for the salute.

Peridot gave her a leveled stare for a few long seconds, before turning to her side and putting in the numbers to the tablet.

.. Until that lingering thought didn't ease from her mind..

The tablet lit up green.

She sighed and turned her head, ignoring it. 

Her face was stoic. serious.. and sincere. 

"I know you're.. outraged, to put it mildly, Amethyst, at what little findings we have discovered thus far.. But again, we are trying our best.. but, this is the Diamonds we're talking about. With the essence and apparently them also having the Chemical Elle Ghee, it's been proving a bit .. challenging to say the least but little by little we're getting closer to them. We really are do-"

Amethyst waved her hands fervently before quickly and angrily signing, _「Doing the best you can!! I know!! I KNOW that!!」_

"Amethyst. It's just taking a bit more time, but at least we're seeing progress. We, as Crystal Gems, we have this. It's just a matter of time before we have our breakthrough and start taking more action." Peridot's eyes never left hers. "We have this, Amethyst. That, we do." 

The two stared at one another for what felt like a solid minute, before Peridot gave one more curt nod between the two, "Now, if you two can excuse me. I have very, very important matters to attend to." she looked at them.

Pearl immediately went for the salute.

Peridot looked at Amethyst. 

She narrowed her eyes at Peridot and slowly began raising her arms up for the salute.

With another glance over at the two women, Peridot turned around and began putting the numbers in the tablet once more. 

The light lit up green and she pressed another button to proceed.

"Whether you and your 'eridots nake a 'reakthrough soon or not.. nark ny words.." she heard a snarling voice behind her. 

She kept her face forward for the red light to scan her face. 

She turned to look at Amethyst's snarling, bloody face. "Those Dianonds _will_ de no more." she growled. "I'll nake sure oth that." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it was a tad bit out of character to have this fic's Peridot to laugh out like that, especially during a serious situation such as what's going on, but I just wanted her to have a laugh at Amethyst soooo bad. She finally got beat up for once and I just wanted Peridot to point that out and gloat about it 🤷
> 
> Also, Just a refresher, the wedge tailed eagle was with the men in black suits and white shades when they were trying to find Onion in the arcade in 「Chapter 82: Trying to take action.」
> 
> And in 「Chapter 145: Another visit to the GemTech building」 she tells the Gems that she was training that said, wedge-tailed eagle.


	210. The plan has already started

"It appears that only one has survived." her voice was mixed with disgust and anger.

Her servant looked up at her with a rather robotic smile on her face. She kept her arms up on either side of her head in a salute that was fitting only for such an extravagant, radiant, dazzling, intelligent woman such as herself. 

Four monitors were plastered on plain white walls in front of them. The four videos having been paused.

One showing a point of view shot of Alexandrite looking directly at the camera as she was filmed jamming the cone-umbrella shaped hammer into the Giant's wounded shoulder. 

The second one filming the bus as it was driven at high speed down the street. The colossal Alexandrite running up behind it.

And the third one.. with Steven throwing a shield at the destabilizer cord while Alexandrite was being tazed. 

..with the fourth monitor showing a point of view shot of Steven and Lion in the bubble a second after the destabilizer hit the bubble. The weapon with more noticeable cracks in it from the impact as the bubble was still pristine and without a single scratch. The boy in mid air within the bubble as he held into the dog with the shield in front of them. 

Beside the monitor was a square radar with a dull green background and white grid stripes overlapping the color. One single red dot blinked as it moved slowly across the screen and towards an off white square that represented one of their buildings. 

Her lips curled down as utter abhorrence filled her veins. "The men in the "tuxedos and white shades" are supposed to be superior. Yet, the videos and pictures have shown me otherwise." her eyes narrowed as she stapled her fingers together. Her elbows rested on either side of the arms of her chair.

Her servant stood at the side wall adjacent from her and kept completely still with her arms in the salute. She kept completely quiet as the gray pupil of her one eye stared back intently and solely at the dignified, striking, valuable, influential empress. 

"Why must everyone be so.. _incompetent.."_ her voice was leveled. Eerily calm now. "Why is everyone so.. imperfect." she blinked slowly. "Dreadful. Revolting. All of them. Especially the hideous, detestable, doltish Crystal Gems."

Her servant continued to smile at her as she kept her stiff posture. Her one eye not daring to leave the view of such an empress. 

"THE adept and adroit Diamonds will find more people to take the "men in the tuxedos' " incompetent, disgusting places. That. they _will_ do. THE adept and adroit Diamonds will find better people to destroy the Crystal Gems. That. they. _will._ do." her eyes lowered from the screens and in front of her as she looked at the plain white door. "And I will do my own part for my _own_ plan. The Crystal Gems will not see it coming." 

The woman's one eyed stare never looked away from her empress as she smiled so plainly.. so eerily cheerfully at the astonishing, noble, astute, intelligent, bright, soigné woman.

The woman in royalty pulled her lips back in arrogance. Her skin showing not so much as one wrinkle on her old face. The disdainful look was ever present. "Soon." she said in a low voice. "Very soon."

The empress took one hand away from the other and held it in front of her. She snapped her fingers twice.

The woman ran over to the middle of the room. The puppeted smile still on her scarred face and her hands still over her head in a salute. 

The light from the radiant, beautiful, cunning empress in front of her shown a bit on her own lean body and the cicatrices of her pale face. 

Her empress didn't so much as look at her. Her eyes now back on the four monitors. "Turn around." she ordered brusquely. "You must see all that I am seeing." 

The woman, in an empty, robotic smile turned around. Her off-white skirt flowing at her legs as she did. 

"I know everything there _is_ to know about diamonds. And that, in the last two panels with the new Crystal Gem." she began. "With the color, the strength and dexterity. The _ability_ to cut through the diamond essence on the windows of both the vehicle they were driving in and the limo. As well as being able to cut through the cord of the destabilizer." 

The empress stapled her fingers together once more. "That is pink diamond essence. The only essence that would be able to cut through every diamond essences." her glowing eyes narrowed on the last two paused images on the screen. "In other words they did have it all along." her lips furled down in disgrace. "I was correct that they would lie about such a thing. How fitting of them." her jaws tightened as her eyes glared at the new person at the last two panels. "And this new person has Rose's mask. The mask of their now dead Crystal Gem advocate."

The servant looked at the last two monitors silently and still holding up her salute. 

"Rose." she heard the empress' voice behind her. She could hear the ice and the anger in her tone.

"Every single person will pay for everything that I and my family had to go through. Every single person on this Earth; The Gems, everyone working under the Diamond Authority, every bystander, everyone." anger seethed through her velvet skin. "Everyone will feel my pain. And everyone shall suffer as I have." 

The meek woman only smiled at the last two monitors in front of her as she listened to the prestigious empress.

"Turn around." her voice was harsh and thick with grief. 

Her servant turned to her as she smiled and kept her arms up in the salute.

"The adept and adroit Diamonds will be quick to find more people to work for them in various ways. People who are more competent, more intelligent. They do not have time for trivial matters." she pressed her fingers closer together. "And I do not either. I have plans of my own and they are almost complete." she blinked her sparkling eyes. "This will be it. And I will continue to keep close watch before I make my move." she looked at the last two panels. "And I will _also_ keep a close watch in the one honing the pink diamond essence. Clearly he is something special to them. There is no other reason as to why they would give such a person a great deal of power such as that of a pink diamond."

"I want to see what the adept and adroit Diamonds will do to him. For in time they will capture him. I know that very well. The Diamonds are capable of such power."

She tilted her head up slightly. "Or perhaps I could take him down myself. Surely I would be much quicker in doing so. I could add him to my list of other things to take care of." her expressive hardened, though there was a faint woeful tint to her eyes as she looked from the monitors and to a picture just inches away from her on the desk. The picture being the last one of five other photos and sitting just at the corner of the polished pink table.

The dark pink framed photograph was of a teenaged girl that one would assume her being no older than fifteen or sixteen. The girl sporting dark brown hair and eyes and a pink dress and a smiling face. A pink wall with Gem writing etched behind her as she stood in front of a middle aged woman dressed in a white, elegant dress. Her black fingernails on each of her shoulder and her black lipstick with several diamonds painted along her bottom lip shining in the picture. 

A very nice photo it was.

And one that gave her heartache. 

She looked down at the two pink colored items laying at the bottom two corners of the frame. 

One being of a closed rose flower made from pottery clay. The item cracked and marked with dull gray lines along the petals of the flower.

The woman sat their in all her elegance and beauty.

Her servant watched from the middle of the room. Smiling with the salute. 

The empress blinked slowly as she kept her shining, dazzling eyes on the girl in the photo. 

Oh how she had so much potential.

The woman leaned her hand towards the photo and leaned a single long, coarse finger on the curly hair of the teen in the photo. Her finger caressing along the glass frame. 

"Such a sad fate." her voice was low and speaking to the picture in front of her. 

A sad fate.

A cruel fate.

And now, she was gone. 

Pink had been murdered.

Then years later following her death, Rose had subjected to the same fate without anyone knowing who the culprit was. 

At least everyone knew who'd killed _Pink Diamond._

But, knowing who her killer was wasn't going to bring her back. 

Just like, if they were to ever find Rose's killer, it wouldn't bring her back. 

Regardless.

The empress was going to get her revenge.

That she _will_ do. 

And she knew that. 

The daunting, steely, majestic woman was going to avenge the young girl who she held so dearly to her. 

Her plan would soon unfold.

Everyone was going to suffer.

And she was going straight for the Gem Empire first.

She brought her hand back and placed it on top of the other as her arms leaned on the edge of the desk. "I, as the empress that I am, will undergo my plan. It is only but a matter of time before I take action." 

The one, gray eye of the smiling servant was ever intent on the coruscating, formidable, remarkable woman.

"Mark my words." she told her loyal servant. "Those Crystal Gems _will_ be no more." she bared her teeth in utter disgust and with blood seething with vengeance. "I'll make sure of that." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed the rest of the episode!
> 
> Stay tuned for Garnet's Universe! :)


	211. The morning after the dinner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys :)
> 
> This isn't the full "episode" (and not because it's long like the last "episode", it's not) but I just wanted to post _something_. I don't want to keep doing these very slow updates. So maybe I'll switch it up a bit and send half of an episode, then post the other half in another week and a half or so, to prevent these three week updates? 🤦🤷

Steven woke up to a full bladder.

Of _course_ he had to use the bathroom..

He was soo comfortable.

And soo exhausted.. and groggy..

But there was absolutely no going back to bed..

He lifted his head from the covers and caught the smell of breakfast cooking and heard Connie trying to be as quiet as possible in the kitchen as kitchenware clinked lightly behind him. 

He sighed as the tiredness seemed to latch onto his body and drag him farther into the sheets. 

He found himself falling back to sleep before his bladder alerted him abruptly. 

Another sigh and he slowly pushed his self up and threw the covers off him. 

He swung his feet over and reluctantly got up. 

The soft creak of the bed made Connie turn around. "Did I wake you?" she flipped a pancake over. "I was trying to give you more time to sleep." 

He stifled a yawn. "No.." he mumbled. "You didn't wake me." he shuffled across the carpet. "My bladder did.." he stepped into the bathroom and closed the door.

Connie flipped two more pancakes over.

Lion walked into the kitchen with her and began lapping the water up from his bowl.

Moments later and the bathroom door opened and Steven stepped out. He looked at the clock on the wall. _6:22a.m_

_So just two and a half hours of sleep.._

_Tsch...very little sleep and I don't even have anything to show for it.._

_Stupid Amethy-_

"Get your plate, Steven. I'm almost done."

He was snapped out of his both tired _and_ frustrated thoughts. 

He walked into the kitchen as Lion was walking back out. "Hey, buddy." the canine looked up at him. "How's your stomach?" 

Lion wagged his tail at him. 

He chuckled. "Glad you're feeling better." he said and walked over to the counter. "Good morning, Connie." 

"Good morning." 

He kissed her on the cheek. "I'm glad you're feeling well too." 

Just a split second, she thought he was referring to her feeling better from the family dinner, but quickly realized what he'd meant.. 

"Yeah.." she scraped the three pancakes from the pan. "I guess I have my good mornings and my bad mornings." 

He grabbed a plate from a top cabinet and placed it on the counter. 

She placed the three pancakes on the plate and went over to the stack of pancakes on a neatly folded paper towel. She slid the spatula under two more before Steven said, "You can give me one more instead." he grabbed a fork and a knife. "I'm trying not to eat as much anymore." _..I gotta get fit since I'm a.... Crystal Gem and all.._

"Oh?" she looked a bit intrigued but took the spatula from under the two and slid it under the top pancake. "This is new." 

He grabbed the syrup bottle. "Uh, yeah." he went over to the counter behind them. "I'm still trying to get fit, remember? My coworkers are trying to train me to get stronger." he placed the syrup bottle and the utensils down and went back for his plate. 

Connie was placing three pancakes on her own plate. "I remember." she said and put the pan and spatula in the sink. "I _also_ remember you having that bad gash on your head because you fell on the treadmill." she turned the water on and picked up the dish scrubber.

"Wha?-Oh, yeah." he grabbed his plate as he cleared his throat. "The treadmill.." he walked back over and sat the plate down.

"Steven, can you get my cup?" he turned around and she gestured with her chin at the cabinet.

"Looks like I'm the orange juice retriever." he said with a tired smile. He went back to the cabinet as she washed the dishes. 

He took two cups out and went to the fridge and took out a gallon of pulp orange juice. He filled the cups before looking at the quarter full container. "Yeah, I have to go to the store and get some more." he heard Connie say behind him. 

"Mmm.. we still have enough for about two days." he put the container back in the fridge.

"Exactly." she said. "I still have to get some more." she scrubbed the pan. "I'm not going to wait until we run out of it. That's not how you do things." 

He turned around and rolled his eyes good naturedly. "I knowww." he walked over and placed the cups on the table before going back and picking up Connie's plate and utensils and sitting them down across from his food. He sat down and took a few sips from his cup.

Lion had one of his chew toys in his mouth. The canine content as he laid down and chewed on his cheeseburger. The toy squeaked every now and again.

Steven smiled and let out a little chuckle. 

Just minutes later and Connie sat down to join him. The two prayed over their food and began cutting up their pancakes. 

"So," Steven began as he cut the final line down his pancakes. "What time is your appointment?" he set his knife down. "I don't think I asked."

"At eight forty five." she poured syrup along her food. "Then I have work at eleven. So I'll leave straight from there and wait until I have to clock in."

"I hope everything comes back good." he picked up a few pieces on the prongs of his fork.

"I haven't had any issues with my eyes, so I think everything should be fine." she bit off two little squares from her fork.

He swallowed down the delicious pancakes. "And, what time do you get off work?" 

"Not until seven."

"Euhg..." he groaned. "That's pretty late."

She picked up three pieces on her fork. "I know. But I can handle it." 

Says the girl who looked tired already.

Seriously.. she looked even more tired than him with her red half lidded, tired eyes.. 

How many hours did she sleep? Just two? One and a half maybe?

"If you want, I can call a Zuber. That'll save you at least an hour and a half or two hours." 

"Mmm." she shrugged. "I don't want to waste money on that."

"Connie, I don't mind. You're already tired and, it'll just be easier and safer for you to get a ride back." 

"Mmm.." she _really_ didn't want to waste money on that when that money could go to something else..

Not to mention she didn't want to burden him with her getting a ride back but..

"Okay." she eventually said and she saw a smile come to his face which made her smirk. With a casual eye roll she added, "Just this once." 

"Sure." he kept his smile and without looking, he slid the piece of pancake around in the syrup and ate it as he looked at her.

She kept her smile as she watched him eat the food.

How was that he looked so handsome and so cute doing just that?

He picked up more pieces of his pancake and ate them and a bit of syrup dripped down his lip and he licked it off.

Her eyes went down to his lips.

And.. just a faint thought came to her mind..

She looked up at his dark brown eyes as they stared back at her. She ate the pieces off her fork.

Her eyes trailed down at his lips again.

That faint thought becoming more present in her mind as the pink mask plagued her thoughts.. The dark brown eyes and rosy lips just behind them..

And.. that vanilla axe he wears from time to time.. that she smelled on that Crystal Gem..

Her smile began to falter as she tried to dismiss those bizarre thoughts of him.. actually being the same pers-

Steven was enjoying his food. He was also enjoying looking at Connie's beautiful, smiling face. 

But when her smile started to become more of a frown as her eyes narrowed at him, as if in thought, he began to worry. 

_..Why is she-_

"Hey, Steven." she began and he swallowed hard and nearly choked. "Yeah?" 

"You know.. maybe one day I could come and see you at work."

His heart skipped a beat. "Ohhh..y, yeah?" 

She nodded. "Yeah." she shrugged and tried playing it off as she said, "I heard that your store has items in bundles and bulk like Samson's Club and J.B's Wholesale. I want to check out the sales." 

"Uh, y, yeah.." he swallowed and idly picked up two more squares of his pancake. "B, but.. you won't see me. I uh,.. I'm.. usually in the back." 

She gave him another shrug. "Don't wooorry. It's not like I'll distract you. I wouldn't want you to get in trouble with your manager or supervisor. I'll just buy a few things and look around." then she added. "And I can come see you on your break on day. And who knows, if our work schedule line up a certain way, I could even get some of that Lebanese food again and bring it to you." her eyes never left his and that smile she had.. didn't quite reach her eyes..

"Uh.." he swallowed again, though it wasn't from the food, _that was still on the prongs of his fork_. "S, sure.. eheh.." he cleared his throat. "That.. sounds good to me."

_That sounds TERRIBLE to me!!_

_HOW am I going to do this?! _

_I don't work at that store!!_

_I.. I've never even BEEN to that store!_

_WHAT AM I GOING TO D-___

"I can't wait." he said causally and forced a very nervous smile to his face.

Her smile grew, though it still didn't reach her eyes. "Yeah, I was just thinking about that." she said nonchalantly. "You seem to aaalways be at that job and they're aaaalways calling you and giving you overtime. And with you finally seeing me at _my_ job, I just, figured I could finally see you at yours." 

"R, right. Eheh.. because.. because I definitely work there. Eheh." 

Her smile faltered once more as she raised a skeptic eyebrow at him.

"Uh." he cleared his throat. "Just.. can't wait." he let out a very dry chuckle and finally ate the food from his fork.

Connie stared at him for a few moments. "Yeah.. I.. can't wait either.." she said plainly and slowly went to the pancakes on her plate. 

  
  


After they ate, Connie had put on her uniform and Steven had decided to slip on her flip flops and walk her to the bus stop with just his pajama pants, much to her dismay, but she reluctantly let him out the house like that. 

He'd put Lion on his leash and the three of them walked down to the bus stop.

It'd taken just fifteen minutes waiting at the bus stop before the bus was seen at the top off the street.

"The bus is coming." she said to him and she felt him hug her tighter. He smiled at her. "Hope everything goes well at the eye doctors and have a great day at work." he kissed her cheek. 

"Thanks. And same to you." she looked at his lips then looked at his dark brown eyes.

Steven quickly noticing that.. she was more so staring at him, then looking at him..

If that made any sense?

"Uh.. see you" he saw her eyes look at his lips. "later, Connie." 

She nodded. "Yeah.." and paused for a few seconds as she stared at his lips, before leaning in and kissing him.

And he quickly noticed that.. even the _kiss_ felt a bit off..

Just didn't seem like she was into it.. or.. in deep thought?-

She broke away from the kiss. "See you later, Steven." then she added, "Try to take it easy... at work."

"Uh.." he tried not to look away from her stare. "..will do."

They heard the bus pulling up and she leaned away from their long, fifteen minutes hug/ cuddle. She crouched down and pet Lion. "See you, Lion." and got up and jogged down to the group of people waiting to get on. 

She waved to him one more time right before entering the bus and he waved back to her.

The bus pulled off moments later and he watched it as it drove up the street before looking down at Lion. "What was _that_ all about?" he asked the canine. 

Lion tilted his head at him.

Steven shrugged. "Connie seemed.. a bit different today." he tried to not let it get to him though the worry still seemed to lace his words.

Maybe it was just one of those "hormonal things" going on in her pregnancy or something. 

..Maybe that's why she was acting a bit off..

He tried chalking it up to that to not dwell on it.. and with his mind _still_ faintly wondering what could've been the real reason, he began walking back to the complex.

  
  


Steven opened the door and Lion ran in.

He closed the door behind him and locked it. "Come here, Lion." he bent down and gestured towards his self with his hands. "I have to get the leash off of you."

Lion jogged back towards him happily.

He unclipped the leash from his collar and hung it up on the coat rack and Lion was quick to run back towards the small living room of the studio.

Steven looked up at the clock. _7:48a.m._

Just slightly more than an hour until Garnet picked him up.

And, maybe even Amethyst too, like last time?

Tch.. Amethyst..

_Stupid Amethyst.._

He walked into the kitchen and gave Lion some food. Connie having told him during the walk to the bus stop that she hadn't fed him since she figured it was too early.

He put Lion's medicine inside the food as the dog munched away on the kibbles and bits. Then he gave him clean water and sat at down at the counter.

He was exhausted and as much as he really wanted to lay down for the next forty five minutes or so, he didn't. He didn't want to take that chance in over sleeping or falling into a deep sleep and not hearing his alarm.

So the bed was off limits, despite it calling his name.. and despite of it staring at him.. so.. enticingly..

He unlocked his phone and went to TubeTube.

He would simply have to watch a few videos to keep him up until it was time to leave.

And that's what he did.

He spent his time watching a couple trailer breakdowns and random "Daily dose of internet" videos and before he knew it, it was ten minutes to nine. 

He locked his phone and walked over to the closet. He picked out some comfortable clothes; a loose fitting gray T-shirt and sweatpants. 

He threw the clothes on the bed _that he.. unfortunately didn't lay down in.._ and took his pants off. Just as he picked his shirt up, his mind quickly echoed out Amethyst's voice to always be prepared.. 

_Stupid Amethyst.._

Though at the same time, maybe he _shouldn't_ ignore that thought and actually put his GemTech clothes on. 

He _did_ tell her that he wouldn't forget his clothes again, so putting it on would be better. 

Besides, it's best to have his clothes and his gadgets and nothing happens than him not having his clothes and something happening and having to go all the way back to get his stuff and.. to suffer the fate of another brutal whipping in the cellar..

He took the clothes from under the bed and put on his jeans and his GemTech shirt that smelled both a mixture of sweat and axe...

He slipped on the gray shirt and his sweatpants.

_So much for feeling comfortable.._

With both his and Lion's gadgets and weapons already in his jean pockets, he started for the door before having another thought and jogging back to the kitchen.

He grabbed a few treats from Lion's bag and the canine got up from the carpet and jogged up upon hearing the familiar crinkle sound of his treat bag and Steven by his cabinet. He wagged his tail as he jogged his way towards him. 

Steven closed the bag up slid it back inside the cabinet and jusr a half second later, saw the curious canine pop his head from behind him. He sniffed the air and looked up at him. 

"Think I have something for you?" he grinned.

Lion lolled out his tongue and wagged his tail faster.

He chuckled. "Yeaaah, I dooo." he closed the cabinet and got up. "Come on, boy." he jogged out the kitchen and to the front door with Lion jogging happily beside him.

They left out the apartment and jogged down the two flights of steps and out the main door and to the side of the building.

Lion was at it again. The dog hyper and jumping on Steven. "Hey. Siiit. Siiit." the canine continued to jump in him and panting. 

Steven turned to the side to avoid him but Lion followed him around as he jumped to his side, then his stomach. "Nooo. Siiit. Siiit." he stood his ground as Lion jumped on him one more time and kept his paws on his stomach. He sniffed the air, smelling the treats in Steven's hand. He headbutt his arm and jumped up on his hind legs and Steven raised his hands up. 

"Nooo. You know what you have to do to get the treats." he said. 

Lion's tail wagged fast behind him. He panted as he tongue stuck out his mouth. He jumped up again and nipped at his arm.

"Owch, hey, noooo. Definitely no biting. Bad dog. You don't bite."

Lion jumped up one more time and stood on his hind legs as looked up at Steven's "serious" face. The boy shook his head. "Nooo. Down. Dooown." he pointed and the dog watched his hand and tried sniffing it for treats. Steven raised his hand back up. "Sit Lion. Siiit."

Lion kept his paws on Steven, though after moments of the boy not engaging or not being "fun" to him, he leaned his legs off him and looked up. 

"That's not sitting, Lion. Siiiit."

The dog shifted on his paws before eventually sitting down.

Steven waited.... before cracking a small smile and saying, "Good boy." he threw a treat on the ground and Lion quickly went for it.

He waited for the dog to look back up at him. He raised another treat in his hand. "Lay down."

Lion sat down.

"No." he shook his head. "Lay down. Laaay down."

_I wonder if he still remembers that.._

Lion looked at him. He licked his chops.

"Lay down, Lion. Laaay dooown."

Lion kept his look on him for a few moments before slowly sliding his front paws towards the ground. He looked up at him.

And Steven waited again before complimenting the dog. "Good boy." he threw another treat in front of him and Lion went for it.

Steven trained Lion for just a couple minutes. The dog knew the word "Sit" and "stay" but had been a bit rusty with the command "lay down" and "roll over" but he'd jogged the canine's mind relatively quickly. 

"Now." he crouched down and Lion got up. "Noo. Sit." 

Lion sat.

"How about a new trick." he smiled. "Shake hands." he grabbed the canine's paw gently with his other hand and Lion sniffed it and licked the boy's wrist. "Shake hands." he said again and bobbed his hand up and down before letting go of the dog's paw. He held the treat out in his hand. "Good boy."

Lion grabbed the treat and yanked it from his hand. Steven pet his head "You're a natural, Lion." 

The dog finished crunching on the treat and looked back up at him. 

"Let's try this again." he lowered his hand. "Shake hands." he grabbed the canine's paw. "Shaaake. hands. Shake hands." he bobbed his hand up and down and kept his hold on the dog's paw for a few seconds longer before letting go. "Good boy." he gave him another treat. 

A sound of a car engine roared behind him and he turned around to see the Inkas car turning into the alleyway. He stood up. 

The car drove up the alley and stopped just a few feet behind him.

"Come on, Lion." he jogged over to the car and opened the door. Lion hopped in and he jumped in after him and closed the door and he quickly noticed that Amethyst wasn't in the car with them.

Good.

_Stupid Amethyst.._

"Hey, Talc."

He looked from the passenger's seat to the woman driving. "Oh, hey, Garnet." he gave her an apologetic smile. "Sorry. Just thought Amethyst would be with us." 

She shook her head and the black curls of her afro bounced with the movement. "No. She and Pearl are working out together today."

"Oh.." he nodded slowly.

"So, did you eat today?" he watched her hand shift gears and noticed a half ace bandage half cast material that wrapped around her thumb and just below her knuckles. The bandage/cast stopping just a couple inches from her elbow. 

"Uh, y, yeah.." he looked back up at the rear view mirror to see her looking right at him. "My girlfriend fixed me some breakfast." 

A small smile came to her face. "Good. Then we can go straight to the site then." she made a left from the alley and began driving up the street. 

"Right.." he trailed off. 

He wasn't looking forward to it..

He was extremely exhausted and his head was still hurting from yesterday and he'd forgotten to put any GemTech cream or oil on his skin before he left..

All he wanted to do was lay in bed and sleep until Connie calls him to call her a Zuber.. and then sleep some more..

But..

Here he was going to the forest once again for another brutal training with Garnet.

Yeees, he was _definitely_ looking forward to that..

Just like he was looking forward to their next training this Sunday..

_Just_ like he was looking forward to his training with Pearl just a couple days after _that_..

_Just_ like he was looking forward to more missions with them..

_Just._ like he was looking forward to being a Crystal. Gem..-

He felt a cold nose, then a tongue lick his fingers and he looked down to see Lion trying to get a treat out of his hand.

He'd almost forgotten he still had a few rawhide treats clenched in his fist..

He opened his hand and let the four little treats roll off his hand and into the floor and Lion was quick to get them.

Resisting a sigh, he wiped the treat crumbs and residue from his hands onto his sweatpants and leaned back in his seat.

He looked out the window and saw the car make a right turn to another main street towards the highway.

He had no choice.

He would have to train with Garnet and there was nothing he could do about it, despite how exhausted he was and how much he simply didn't _want_ to do it..

Garnet put on her left blinker as she approached a red light.

Though maybe, just _maybe_ the training session would go by quickly and he would be home relaxing in bed in no time.

The light turned green and Garnet made her turn up the street.

He definitely_ hoped_ that that would happen..

She stepped on the gas as she drove up the road. She put on her blinkers again and looked out her side mirror. 

But of course, for some reason.. he just had a feeling that today wasn't going to be as easy as that..

Garnet drove along the entry ramp towards the highway on her left.

Maybe it was his mind playing tricks on him since he was so used to something happening.. but he couldn't shake the feeling of something happening today..

Four cars went pass and Garnet cut her wheel sharp and sped into the highway and she stepped on the gas and put her left blinkers on to get to the left fast lane.

He resisted another sigh.

No use plaguing his mind with those thoughts.

If something happens then something happens.

And if _nothing_ happens then, he would be extremely happy and relived. 

But right now, all he could do was wait. 

He looked over to see Lion laying down with his eyes closed. The dog looking comfortable and content on the floor. 

That made him smile and that did make him feel just a_ bit_ better. 

Another day.. anoother day..

He closed his heavy eyes and stifled a lazy yawn as he stretched his tired legs out. And in just moments, he could feel the smooth ride of the vehicle already putting him to sleep.


	212. High Intensity Workout: 35 Day precision weight loss shred and muscle fitness with Adamma Garnet

Steven opened his bleary eyes. 

He felt his shoulder being softly shaken and he blinked slowly and looked to his side. 

Garnet was beside him and had a hand on his shoulder. "Time to get up." she said with a smirk. "We're here." 

"Uhmmmphnn.." he groaned.

"Time to wake yourself up, Talc. We have to stretch and then we'll start our training." she lowered her hand from his shoulder and walked away.

He was so.. exhausted..

He blinked and rubbed at his eye. He looked to his other side and noticed that Lion wasn't in the car with him.

He turned to the door and groggily slid out the car and closed the door behind him.

In front of him were an array of training equipment that she'd already set up. Some equipment had reminded him of football training equipment.

And.. seeing so many different tools and mats and punching equipment made his stomach twist.

They didn't have this much stuff the first two times they trained him..

Reluctantly, he began walking towards Garnet who was standing and waiting for him just a few yards away and by a few boulders.

A rabbit scurried in front of him and seconds later Lion ran pass, barking at the critter.

He shuffled towards her and stopped just a foot away. She had a small smirk on her face though her eye looked apologetic. "You look tired." 

He stifled a yawn and nodded. "I didn't get much sleep last night."

In fact she _herself_ was looking pretty tired as well. 

"Mm.." she hummed and her face changed to something of contrite. "Perhaps this wouldn't be the right time to tell you that this training will be a bit more tense and longer than the first two times we've trained." 

He grimaced. "You're.. you're kidding.."

She shook her head. A serious look to her features. "Amethyst" _of course it has something to do with stupid Amethyst.._ "..as told me that she wants to increase the intensity of our workout. She also wanted me to add a football routine" _oh, so I was right about the football-esque equipment.._ "and she wants you to start learning flips." 

That last part took him aback. Hard.

"Flips?! Like.. back flips and front flips like you guys do?!" 

She nodded. "Those come in handy." then she added. "But we'll be doing handsprings for the next few training sessions before we get you to start doing flips."

He sighed.

_Can this get any worse.._

_And my head is still hurting.._

_And I'm.. just soo exhausted.._

_Why am I so grumpy and down in the dumps?-_

"Let's get started." she snapped him out of his thoughts. "Time for a bit of stretching." 

He nodded stiffly wth a frown.

She raised up her arms and tilted her torso to the left and he did the same. 

They held the pose for fifteen seconds before Garnet tilted her torso to the other side and Steven followed after her.

They held the position for fifteen seconds and Garnet went back to standing upright. Then she bent over and stretched her hands towards the ground. One hand laying flat on the grass and the other hand having it's fingertips press on the ground.

Steven, still not remotely as flexible as her, went as far as he could go, which still wasn't that far. The boy feeling pain in his hamstrings as he bend down as far as he could. 

They held the pose for twenty seconds before Garnet leaned back up. She grabbed her left shin and pulled her leg back and balanced on her right.

Steven, slowly, grabbed his shin and wobbled slightly.

"Find your core balance." she said.

He wobbled a bit more as he tried remembering his balance and core training during his sword training and his two other trainings with Garnet. He focused on his breathing. Something they'd hammered into his head nonstop.

Focus on your breathing.. find your balance..

He took a deep breath and tried to stabilize his self on one leg. Then, after seconds had passed of him not wobbling, he lifted his leg farther from the ground and wobbled slightly on his leg again.

"You're getting there." she said. "Just keep your focus and mind your breathing." 

He took a deep breath and nodded silently.

They held the pose for twenty seconds and Garnet spread the same leg outwards while still holding to her shin.

Wobbling slightly again, he slowly and eventually did the same.

The pose was held for another twenty seconds before Garnet took her leg and raised it above her head in a split. The woman staying completely still with her arm down.

Steven looked at her. A hopeless look on his face.

"Don't worry." she reassured him. "Just lift your leg up as far as you can and stretch from there."

And he did. 

He took his leg and could only raise it as far as a bit under his hip before he started feeling a bit of pain. His balance was also a bit off and he tried to quickly regain his core balance once more. 

  
  


Steven grunted as he felt his muscle and hamstrings and every other "strings" and whatever else made up the human body, stretch and burn.

Garnet had his hands and was pulling him forward. The two of them on the ground now and she was pulling him as far as his body allowed and towards the ground as his legs were spread as far apart as he could spread them on the grass. 

"Ahh, Garnet." he grunted out. "I.. can't go any farther.." he winced and clenched his jaw.

"Just a little more, Talc." she pulled his arms and forced his body forward and he grunted out in pain. "Ah!! Okay, okay! I.. it hurts!" he clenched his teeth. 

She didn't pull him farther, but she held the pose. "Talc, watch your breathing." 

With that warning, he quickly noticed his breathing was staggered and shaky. He tried taking deep breaths, but they came out a bit too quick and shallow. 

"Easy, Talc." she soothed. "You need to take deep, easy breaths." 

He blew out air through his nose and his breath became shaky. "It.. just hurts.." he grunted.

"Focus on your breathing. Relax." 

He swallowed and continued his shaky breathing as he stared at the green grass and mud below him.

"Breath in.. breath out.." she said.

He tried and he breathed in quick and out even quicker.

"Try it again. Breath in.. breath out.."

He exhaled sharply. 

He tried again.

He took a deep, shaky breath and blew out air a bit too quickly and stopped himself and tried blowing the remaining air out a bit slower.

"That's better. Do it again."

He took in another deep, shaky breath as he felt the muscles in his back stretch and flex. He ignored the burning pain and exhaled out slowly.

"Again." he heard her voice above him.

He took in another deep breath and exhaled out.

"Good. Now we're going to hold this pose for twenty more seconds. Keep focusing on your breathing."

He closed his eyes and focused. He inhaled deeply and exhaled.

Inhaled.. exhaled..

Breath in.. breath out..

He continued to focus on his breathing and he soon heard Garnet begin to count from the teens. "Fourteen.. fifteen.. sixteen.. seventeen.. eighteen.. nineteen... twenty.. now easy." she quickly said." and easily, she slowly pushed him up as he leaned up slowly his self to a sitting position.

He looked at her. Achey. And sore.

She smiled. "That was good. Really good." she complimented. "Now we're going to do our circuit training."

He groaned. "The same one that Amethyst introduced me to?"

"Yup. The one that really gets the heart pumping."

_All_ of this different training styles really gets the heart pumping..

"Okay, Talc. We're going to start with bicycle kicks." 

He nodded stiffly again and saw her push herself down to her back. She placed her hands behind her head. "We're doing this for thirty seconds before we go to the next exercise." 

Steven laid down on his back and placed his hands behind his head. 

She lifted her legs up and he did the same. "Now." she said. "Thirty seconds. Go." she brought her left leg up as she turned and brought in her right elbow towards her knee. Then her right leg up and bringing her left arm towards her knee. She counted the seconds silently to herself as she brought each leg up one by one fast as she brought in alternate elbows towards each knee.

After a long thirty seconds, with Garnet counting out the last five seconds aloud, she rolled over to her hands and feet. "Now push ups." and Steven followed her as he rolled his self up lazily to his hands and feet. 

Garnet immediately went for the push ups and Steven tried to follow along, but, she was just _way_ too fast. 

She was most likely at double the number of push ups to his now..

"Try to go a bit faster." she said. 

And he did try.. and he panted as he forced his self to go faster.

"Twenty-five, twenty-six, twenty-seven, twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty." Garnet pushed herself up and kept her arms straight. "Mountain climbers." she brought her right leg in and under her, then her left leg in, running in place as she kept her hands on the ground. 

Steven panted hard as he didn't even try to keep up with Garnet's fast legs-

"Don't slow down." she said. 

He forced his self to go faster. 

"And knees up and again, mind your breathing." 

Breath in. And out. In. And out. As he tried bringing his legs in farther under his self. 

"Twenty-five, twenty-six, twenty-seven, twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty." Garnet pushed up on her toes and sat in a crouched position. "Punch hops." she said and began throwing each arm out twice and bringing them back in as she bounced in the crouch position as she made short little hops in place. 

Steven followed her, but couldn't do those short little hops as fast as Garnet, especially without feeling like he was going to fall forward or back. 

"Try to pick up the pace and focus on the aim of your punches." she said. 

And again, he tried as he forced his body to hop on his ties a bit quicker and he wobbled slightly as he tried throwing his double jabs forward. 

"Twenty-five, twenty-six, twenty-seven, twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty." Garnet brought her arms back down on the ground and Steven followed her as she pushed her legs back out horizontally. "Burpees." she said and brought her legs back in and pushed off with her arms into a stand. She jumped up and lifted her arms up and brought them back down and went down in a squat and quickly to a push up stance as she pushed her legs out to a horizontal position again. She quickly brought her legs back in and pushed herself up into a stand-

Steven panted as he again, tried to keep up..

Which.. he obviously couldn't..

"Just a little more, Talc. Try to keep up." 

..And again.. he tried forcing his body to keep up..

"Twenty-five, twenty-six, twenty-seven, twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty." Garnet jumped up to her feet. "Shoeshine." and Steven stopped right as he was about to jump back down for another burpee. 

She began running in place as she brought her arms close to her and spun them around each other.

Steven quickly followed after her. 

"Watch your breathing." she made him realize again 

"Twenty-five, twenty-six, twenty-seven, twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty. And rest." she stopped and Steven panted deeply. 

"We're going to rest for about thirty more seconds and start a new rep." she said. 

_Only thirty more seconds?!_

"We're going to do five more of these."

_NOOOO!!!!_

He nodded stiffly, _again_

Thirty seconds later and she laid her back on the ground and Steven, still not having recovered from the _first_ rep, panted hard as he laid back on the ground with her. 

  
  


After he and Garnet's strenuous circuit training workout, they immediately began their kickboxing cardio workout after just a one minute rest in between, _due to her needing to grab some equipment_. 

The workout was filled with various punches, jabs and kicks, though unlike last time when they were just punching air, this time Garnet was holding up a punching mat which was much harder and more painful, with the punches and kicks becoming more and more painful with each contact.

The kickboxing cardio was going on for twenty-five minutes and counting-

"Just five more minutes." said Garnet. She looked to had stifled a yawn. "Give me four squats and then go in for thirty seconds of jump roping." 

Steven raised his arms above his head and with his legs shoulder width apart, he began to lower his self into a squat. He held the pose for twenty seconds and he counted aloud.

He stood back up and performed three more squats in that manner before standing back up and dropping his arms to his side. He twirled his wrists around and began short little hops, mimicking jumping rope. 

He was counting aloud. 

"After that, give me a one, two." she said. 

He nodded as he hopped and continued to count aloud. ".. Eighteen, nineteen, twenty." he stopped and brought his hands up. He threw out a punch with his right hand, then a punch with his left. 

"One, two, three." she held the mat securely in front of her as she moved side to side and forward and back. 

He threw out a punch with his right hand, then the left, then brought the right hand forward and across his self with his elbow out in a right hook.

"You need to put some more strength into those hits, Talc. Again. One, two, three."

So.. exhausted..

He threw out a punch, harder this time towards the mat with his right hand, then the left, then brought the right hand forward and across his self with his elbow out. 

Garnet kept moving around quickly on her feet. "One, two!" 

Steven panted deeply as he tried to keep up with her footwork, along with his breathing and trying to aim precisely at the fast moving mat. He threw out a right punch, then a left.

"One, two, three four!"

He threw out more punches. 

"Harder, Talc. You have to _really_ hit this mat. Show me a one, two, three one and a high kick." 

He threw out a punch with his right hand, then his left and brought his right hand across in a right hook, then immediately threw the same arm out in a punch and quickly raised his leg out in a high kick, _which wasn't very high at all_. "You need to try and lift that leg up higher." she said. "One, two, high kick." 

Another right punch, followed by a left punch and he threw his leg out as far as he could, _which didn't go higher than his shoulder_ and kicked the mat at the side. 

"A bit better." she nodded. "Now. One, two, switch kick." 

Two more punches and then another kick from him.

"You lost a bit of momentum with the kick, but it was still a bit better than your other kicks." she put the mat down and picked up one sparring glove with her good hand.

He looked at the flat surface of the glove as he panted.

"We're going to practice our kicks and punches a bit more." 

_ 'We're'?_

_I'm the one who's doing all the kicking.._

"Precision. Accuracy. Speed. Strength. You need that in your punches and your kicks." she raised the glove up just slightly above her waist. "Show me a roundhouse kick, then a teep kick." 

He sighed deeply.

"Come on, Talc." he looked at her tired, hazel eye. "I know you're tired.. but we need to do this. I need to train you." she said gently. "Now, come on. Show me four roundhouse kicks and two teep kicks."

He tried catching his breath as he went into position. He looked at the glove.

With his legs should width apart and finding his core balance, he swung his leg in a half circle as he rotated on his one leg. He threw out his left leg in a roundhouse kick and hit Garnet's wrist. 

He put his leg back down. 

"Again. Three more." 

He threw out his left leg as he spun on his right. He turned his body slightly to the side as he threw out his kick. 

The weak roundhouse kick went below her hand. 

He brought his leg back down as he panted deeply. 

"Talc, you have to watch how and where you're kicking. Precision." she said. "Again. Two more times. And this time, really look at the glove, notice how far you are and how you're bringing up your leg." 

He took a deep breath as he eyed the glove just slightly above her waist in front of her. 

He took another deep breath, still being mindful of his breathing and he raised his left leg up and rotated one his right. He tried focusing on how both legs were moving in such a short, quick amount of time as he threw his leg out-

His foot hit just the bottom corner of the glove. 

He nearly lost balance and stomped his foot to the ground. 

"That was better." she complimented. "Just stay in tune with your balance and continue focusing on your breathing." she moved the glove to the left side of her. "Now. Again. And try putting some power into the kick." 

  
  


Steven had practiced for another twenty minutes of throwing out various kicks and punches. 

And he was overly, extremely, entirely exhausted..

Yet, she wasn't stopping..

And it didn't seem like she was going to stop anytime soon..

She threw the sparring gloves on the ground. "One minute rest, then we start Krav Maga and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu."

_Oh no.._

_This is the part with the chokeholds and grappling and tackling and slamming and.. even more punching and kicking.._

Garnet walked pass him and he threw his hands on his knees and tried desperately at catching his breath. His muscles ached and his lungs burned and sweat was pouring from him. 

And the hot summer weather wasn't making it any better..-

An arm came around his neck and he was yanked up hard from his feet. 

He panicked and tried pulling the muscular arm from his throat as his feet dangled in the air. 

The arm didn't budge and he panicked more as he kicked his legs wildly below him. He screamed and a bandaged/cast hand covered his mouth and he screamed and panicked more. 

He felt his body being picked up and he saw the sky and the trees above him before he was thrown backwards and slammed hard onto the ground. 

He groaned and as he cracked open his eyes. The grass scratched at his face and dirt was scraped across his cheek and the side of his head. 

He felt the arm leave his throat and felt a pair of hands grab his shoulder roughly and pull his body over-

He was looking at Garnet. 

.. and she did _not_ look happy..

He was at a lost for words..

She shook her head at him, disappointed. "It's like you forgot everything that we taught you last Sunday." she said. 

He frowned. "I panicked.." he mumbled. 

She sighed. "You can't panic, Talc." she looked around first before looking back at him in his eyes. She leaned in. "You know the kind of situations we find ourselves in as Gems." she whispered. "Panic is what we can never do." she shook her head again. "Ever." 

"I know.." 

She looked at the boy's frowning red, muddy face. Such an innocent face that doesn't even belong, _shouldn't_ belong as a member of a Crystal Gem..

She sighed again and said gently as she raised out her hand. "Come on. We can start with the basics again." 

With a frown more prominent on his face he grabbed her hand. She took her other wrapped, bandaged arm and slid it around his back and tucked her hand under his arm and practically lifted him up to his feet. She let go of his hand and lowered her arm from his sore back. "Now. We'll start with something simple." she said. 

He nodded, accepting his fate.

  
  


Steven's body felt like it'd reached it's limit. He was choked, slammed, tackled and punched and kicked just about everywhere in his body. 

Krav Maga was brutal as he learned the hard way how to get out of chokeholds, both from the back and the front, how to disarm guns and knives from enemies, what to do when pinned to the ground both on his back or stomach, how to gouge people's eyes in, foot sweeps, and various throat and groin strikes using both the hands and feet. 

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu was no easier and despite Garnet only using one arm, he _still_ wasn't able to over power her in _any_ way and he lost every time. 

She'd even seemed a bit tired herself, both during their Krav Maga training _and_ their Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training. 

Actually, she'd looked tired when they first started stretching. Then as their training wore on, she seemed to look at him at times with her eye half lidded or she would stifle a yawn here or there. She didn't do it a lot, but she'd still done it regardless. 

With how he was feeling and how he figured _she_ was feeling, he thought they could both use a very long break.. 

They'd been training non stop for at least three and a half hours now and neither of the two had stopped for at least a bottle of water..

Steven was laying on his back. 

He was out of it.

Completely.

There was absolutely no way he could go on with the training-

"Talc." he resisted a groan. Anticipating that she would say-

"One minute rest is up."

He groaned..

He felt a hand gently pat at his face and he cracked open his eyes. "This next lesson won't be too hard. It won't get your heart rate up too much, so this should give your heart a bit of rest."

Well.. at least there was _that_..

It was better than nothing.

He blew out a very exhausted breath out his mouth. "Okay." he used his rubber, spaghetti feeling arms to push his self up to a sitting position and he felt every single muscle contracting in every part of his body. He groaned and winced. 

"I'll be teaching you how to do a front handspring, then a back handspring, followed by a kip up." 

_Great.. now we're onto the soon to be flips.._

_And what's a 'kip up' exactly? _

"We'll first start with planking to strengthen up those muscles and to improve your balance." 

"Garnet." he couldn't help but whine. "Can we please take a break?" he wiped the sweat mixed mud from his temple and the residue smeared onto his hand. "I'm.. exhausted.." he whispered. "We've been training for almost four hours now.." 

"The lesson isn't too difficult-"

He groaned dramatically. "Why can't we just take one little break? I'm hot.. and exhausted.. and thirsty. I don't know how much more I can take.." 

She gave him a leveled stare before saying, "Then we'll just start with one rep at least and take a break then."

"Oooohh, come on, Garnet. I know you're tired too." 

"I'm not.."

"Garnet." he turned around and winced as he did to face her fully. "I know you're tired. You look it." then he added rather hesitantly. "Yesterday night.. seemed to had really taken a lot out of you three. Especially you and Pearl." 

Garnet's mouth faltered to a thin line.

"I don't know what happened after Amethyst and Pearl left, but maybe you didn't get much rest either?" 

Garnet was silent for a few moments before saying, "What happened yesterday with me and how tired I may or may not be right now will not get you out of this." 

He looked at her with a shocked look of disbelief on his face at her rather blunt response. "Garnet.. I'm, not trying to get out of it." then he thought. "Not, really?" he shrugged his sore shoulders. "You look tired and I'm worried about you, just as much as I want to have a break myself. It doesn't seem like you had much rest either." 

"I had enough rest when I was unconscious." she stated plainly.

He sighed. "Garnet, that doesn't count."

She gave a shrug of her own shoulders. "It does to Amethyst." 

Another look of shock grabbed his features.

"Time to focus on front handsprings." she said. "Go for a push up position." 

He let out an exasperated sigh. "Okay.." he pushed his self to his hands and knees first before pushing his legs out and going for a full push up position. 

"I'm going to grab the back of your legs."

"Huh?!" he turned his head to her.

"I'm not going to do anything." she said. "I'm just going to act as your support strength. I'm going to gently hold your legs while you try and keep your body up." she grabbed his legs and lifted them off the ground. "Try to keep that position."

He was already feeling the burn..

He grunted.

"Your breathing, Talc." she warned.

He took a deep breath in. And exhaled.

She held his legs up for a few more seconds before placing them back down. "Good. Now just four more reps of that." 

_Come on, Universe.. just get this over with.._

She grabbed his legs again.

The four reps were bad enough, but they definitely didn't come close to the vigorous heart racing exercises from earlier. Now it was more so his muscles screaming out in pain, but he could, in a way, get through it.

Well, _hopefully_.. 

Garnet placed his legs back down after the last rep. "Now we're going for a handstand. Do you know how to do that?" 

He shook his head as he frowned. 

She nodded slowly. "Okay.." her face was plain and unreadable. "I'll help you. Put your head on the ground and place your hands just slightly on either side."

Steven placed his curly hair on the grass and placed his hands on either side of his face.

"Use your arms and focus on your breathing and your balance." she said and grabbed his legs. "We're going to do this slowly." she shifted from a sitting position to her knees and slowly and carefully began raising his legs up.

He wobbled, already anticipating to fall.

"Relaax.." she said gently. "Stay calm.." she brought his legs farther up. "Your breathing, Talc." she reminded him again and proceeded to bring his legs all the way up . She held his legs as his whole body was straight up in the air. "We're going to hold for thirty seconds."

And Steven tried his best to focus on his breathing and keeping his legs in the air with Garnet's support.

"Twenty-five, twenty-six, twenty-seven, twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty. Focus on using your own muscles to bring your legs back down as I help you. And mind your breathing." she began to ease his legs farther down, slowly, to strengthen his core balance and his muscles.

Seconds later and his feet were back on the ground.

"Okay. Just four more reps."

Again, he was able to handle it, more or less. 

If he had to choose, he wouldn't definitely choose this than all of those other heart hurting, lung burning exercises..

He was now going for the last rep. His legs were up in the air and being more than half supported by Garnet. "For this last rep, I want you to lift your head off the ground." his eyes strained up at her but his clothes and the angle she was in obscured his vision. "This is crucial in learning how to properly perform a handspring. Your body needs to get used to this." 

This time, without so much as groaning in response, he silently huffed and tried pushing his arms up and struggled. 

Garnet quickly caught on and pulled his legs up, practically pulling his whole body up with ease. 

He focused on his breathing as he kept his hands on the ground while Garnet supported him at least ninety percent of the way at this point..

"Twenty-five, twenty-six, twenty-seven, twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty." and she slowly began bringing his legs down to the ground. 

He sighed a breath of relief. He rolled to his back and started taking a few more calming breaths.

"Now we're going to officially start on a few handsprings."

He resisted a groan.

She got up to her feet and held out her hand.

Averse to the idea, he reluctantly held out his hand and grabbed hers. She pulled him up straight to his feet easily. "We're going to do ten front handsprings." she stated. "You're going to jog forward and push off with your dominant leg and land on your hands while kicking your other leg back." then she quickly clarified. "I'll be holding your legs during this as well." 

Well.. at least she would be helping him again..

He didn't know which foot was his dominant one.. but he didn't bother saying it aloud. He just wanted to get this over with.. 

"When you're ready." she said.

He sighed.

When he was ready? Then that would be never..

Still..

.. he kicked up his feet and began jogging down the grassy path. 

He pushed off with his left leg and held his arms straight out as he immediately felt Garnet grab both legs. She slowed his legs down to a handstand and slowly brought his legs down in front of him and he fell to his back.

"Good." she smiled. "Not bad." she held out her hand as stifled what looked to be another yawn. He grabbed her hand and she pulled him up.

She was right. It wasn't that bad, _since she was essentially doing majority of the work._

"Let's try again."

He nodded. A bit more comfortable now. He jogged forward and pushed off with his left leg and landed on his hands as he kicked his other leg up.

Garnet grabbed both legs and raised it above his head, held the pose for a solid second and slowly brought his legs down. "Remember, Talc. You have to use your own balance and core strength. Remember how your arms, your legs and your back are."

He nodded and tried to pay more attention to his body and tried to hold his own legs just a bit more as Garnet slowly lowered them to the ground and helped him fall slowly to his back once again.

"That was even better." she complimented. "Let's continue."

The last eight handsprings were more or less 'good'. With Garnet's support, it made everything much easier.

However, that didn't mean that he was any less tired. 

The jogging, the jumping on his hands, the holding his body up and feeling the burn in his muscles.. it still took a lot out on his already, exhausted, sore body.

His feet were lowered back on the ground.

He took a deep breath as he laid there on his back.

"One minute rest, then we'll start with back handsprings."

"Garnet.. I really can't take anymore of this.." he whispered. "I.. I'm so tired.. and thirsty.." he whined. "Can we please take a break now?" 

She stared at him.

"Please.." his lips quivered as he stared up at her with his sad, pleading eyes.

She looked torn. And soon guilt reached her features as she loathed what she'd been told to do just hours prior.. though was now being asked to do the exact opposite from this boy that she cared deeply for.. 

"Please, Garnet?"

She looked at his sad, snivelling face.

She couldn't say no to that face..

She sighed. "Okay." his face brightened instantly and a relieved, shocked, open mouthed smile came to his face. "Five minutes." she said and his smile faltered slightly.

She got up and began walking to the Inkas.

He rolled his self to his hands and knees and felt every muscle in his body as he pushed to his feet. He followed her towards the vehicle on his weak legs.

Garnet opened the back door and opened the compartment between the seats. She took out two water bottles. She turned around and waited for him as he shuffled towards her. She held out her arm.

Moments later and he'd finally reached her. He grabbed the water and quickly unscrewed the cap-

"Take sips. Don't guzzle it all down." 

It took every once of him to not drink fast and drink everything down to the last drop..

He took a few sips and stopped. He sighed a breath of relief as he felt the cool liquid go down and hit his stomach.

So refreshing..

And he wanted to drunk it all down quick and fast..

He took a few more sips.

Lion came running over to them.

"Hey, Lion." he smiled.

Garnet turned back around and took out another water bottle. She held her arm out. "For Lion."

"Thanks." he grabbed the bottle from her. "Here's some water for you buddy." he crouched down and placed his own on the ground and untwisted the cap from the new bottle. "Garnet was kind enough to give you this." Lion sniffed the bottle.

She smirked though didn't say anything.

Steven sat down and tilted the water bottle gently as Lion lapped up the water. 

Garnet closed the door behind them.

Lion had finished nearly half of the water before he moved his head away from the bottle. "Done?" Lion licked the water off his lips and stepped towards Steven's side and sat down. He chuckled. "I guess that's a yes then." he put the top back on the bottle and grabbed his. He took a few sips as he saw Garnet out the corner of his eye. 

He swallowed the refreshing water down. "Don't you want to sit down and relax, Garnet?"

She was looking a bit more tired then before.

"I don't need to."

"You don't want to relax? Just.. for a tiny bit?"

"Don't need to." she stated. 

The two looked at each other before Steven asked, "Don't need to.. don't _want_ to?" and he saw Garnet's face tense up and he quickly thought of going for a much lighter approach. "What too good enough for the grass?" he wiggled his eyebrows.

"Hmh" she scoffed and he saw a smirk on her tired face. "No, that's not it." 

Lion decided to slide his front legs down and ay down next to Steven. He put his head down on his paws. 

Steven took a few more sips of water.

Garnet took a deep breath as her half lidded stare glazed over the forested area. 

_Look at her. She's exhausted.. why doesn't she want to relax? She needs it. She reaaally needs it.._

"Garnet?"

She looked at him.

"Are you sure you don't want to sit down? I don't.. think anyone or some wild animal is going to randomly pop out the woods and attack." he joked. 

She didn't find that funny.

Okay.. maybe that wasn't the best to joke about that..

She placed her barely drunken water bottle on the top of the car. "Okay, Talc. Our five minutes is up." she began walking away.

Steven sighed as he leaned his back on the wheel of the car. "Garnet, why is it such a bad thing for us to have a break?'

She stopped in her tracks.

"You and I have been training hard for hours. Not to mention that crazy, rough night from yesterday. We need more time to relax and take a breather.." 

She didn't turn around.

"..Garnet?"

Moments passed as the woman kept her back to him. Debating..

"We deserve to have our break. Especially you. You were badly injured last night and here you are fighting and training me as if you weren't knocked out unconscious just hours ago.." she kept her back towards him and he sighed. He rubbed at his sore shoulder. "I'm just.. worried about you, Garnet. You're always so tensed and you always work hard and.." he shrugged the opposite shoulder. "I don't know.. I'm, I'm just worried about you.." he mumbled. 

She kept her back to him.

"..Garnet?"

Moments passed again and reluctantly, hesitatingly, she turned just slightly to her side and looked at him. 

"You don't have to force yourself to work this hard. It's just you and I." he leaned up and hoped that the small smile on his face was friendly and encouraging. "You've worked hard enough for a long time. Why not finally relax for once?" he patted the patch of grass beside him. "You don't have to force yourself to do this." 

_Force.._

Maybe it was due to Amethyst ordering her to train him in this way..

Or maybe it was her being so used to being _forced_ to be a rough, diligent, hard worker and to be extra vigilant.. 

..To.. be _forced_ to do anything Amethyst tells her to do..

Though, despite of that, she still felt herself wanting to push away from Amethyst's orders.. 

And.. it_ was_ really them two there..

Maybe.. she could let her guard down just slightly and.. have her break..

Steven saw the woman still contemplating.

He pulled his hand back from the grass and placed it on his lap.

Maybe she wasn't going to relax..

Maybe he should accept the fact that she's too torned to disobey Amethyst's orders _again._

And.. maybe he shouldn't make the decision any harder on her. 

He should get up and continue training with her.

He shifted his leg inwards and placed his hands on the ground to push himself up when he saw Garnet walking over to him.

He knew he had a rather dumbfounded, shocked look on his face.

He leaned back on the tire. 

He stretched his legs out and got a bit more comfortable as Garnet sat down beside him. She leaned on the back door.

Silence..

And he wasn't sure if saying anything would make the mood more tense or less.. or if saying anything would cause her to change her mind and get up.

So, he treasured the fact that she _did_ finally sit down to relax. 

However long that would be..

Silence continued to pass them, say for the tweets of birds and the faint sound of a waterfall farther down on the side of the hill.

He took a deep breath as his muscles eased and relaxed slowly. Another deep breath and he closed his eyes as he listened to the sounds of the forest.

The looming trees shielded them from the sun's hot rays and a nice breeze blew pass every now and again.

Two squirrels were heard chittering and scurrying through the leaves and up the tree into the branches.

He focused on his breathing; inhaling.. and exhaling..

Inhaling.. and exhaling..

"Alexandrite really took a lot out of me."

At first, he alnost hadn't heard her.. or, paid attention? He was so focused on his breathing and easing his pain that he almost didn't catch what she'd said. 

He opened his eyes and looked to his side to see a tired, hazel eye looking right at him. "Last night." she said. "With that fusion.. it was nothing that we'd ever came across before." her voice was barely above a whisper. "He was so much harder to take down.. and.. Amethyst.." she shook her head as she trailed off. 

Steven leaned up and gave her his undivided attention. "I saw Alexandrite. She.." how should he word this exactly.. "She.. seemed okay before when I first saw her.. but then.. something seemed to had happened during the fight when Opal and I got separated from you two." 

Garnet's expression was a mixture of remorse and desolation. She was quiet. 

Steven held back any questions or statements as he gave her time.. If, she would decide to speak up again. 

Though moments passed and she didn't.

And he kept quiet.

Another breeze blew by, cooling his hot skin and the birds chirped as they flew above them and perched on top of a nearby tree just yards away from them.

"She got into our head." 

Steven looked from the colourful Oriole bird and back to the woman.

"Amethyst." she clarified. "She was so mad.." Garnet narrowed her eye as she shook her head. "She wanted us to be just as angry. She wanted to make Alexandrite this, killing machine. She wanted to get the two of us just as irate as her." she sighed. "So she got into our heads. Telling us.. _feeding _our minds with personal things that she knew would get us upset.." she let out another sigh. A more tired, defeated sigh. "Then soon we felt all three of our pain.. or anger.. and then, something happened." her face twisted, as if in thought. "There was so much anger.. but a feralness to it.. It's near indescribable to explain.. but all we could see was red. Literally. And all we could think of was.." she hesitated before admitting to someone like Steven. "killing him.." she looked down and Steven was unsure if she was looking at the cast on her wrist or the grass below her. "We lost each of ourselves in the fusion. Alexandrite was a completely different fusion at that point. It was like being in another person's body and being controlled by another. There was no control. There was no us. Each of us were, essentially gone.." she trailed off once more as she kept her head down. 

Steven turned slowly, as if any quick, sudden movement would send her running away from him. "Now that you said that, it.. did seem like you guys weren't.. you know.. there?" he shrugged. "Opal was pretty worried too." Garnet's faced tensed up. "We both were. We couldn't get through to you three and.. it was..scary." and disturbing.. Though he didn't say that aloud. 

Another sigh and she lifted her head up as she closed her eyes. The sun's rays that managed to escape through the leaves of the trees seemed to be blanket her skin in a nice way. 

With a displeased frown on her face she said, "That was the first time that has ever happened.. and now that I look back on it, it's frightening." then she added, "It's something that I would never want to experience again.." 

She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked at the worried look on Steven's face. "Maybe.. you won't have to? Since Amethyst saw that.. doing that caused Alexandrite to act like that, maybe she won't do it again?"

She forced out a hard, dry chuckled out of her frowning mouth and tilted her head back down and turned to him. "Steven.." he was nearly taken aback at the suddenly name change. "This is Amethyst we're talking about. And since she has seen what that fusion is capable of when under so much pressure and anger, she will definitely do it again. Despite of it causing so much damage to us, despite of us being lost in the fusion.. despite of it making us faint.. she's going to do it again. It's only a matter of time."

Steven pulled his lips back in a grimace. "She.. wouldn't really do that.." .._would she?_

"She has used Sugilite's strength and ferocity plenty of times before that caused she and I both to black out.. So, she's going to force us to get mad and to lose ourselves again with Alexandrite. She's_ going_ to force us.." then she added under her breath. "Just like she's forced us with fusing and keeping ourselves together _when_ we fuse.." 

Steven thought back on Alexandrite. The colossal fusion's face cracking and mending back together and cracking once more as she tried to force the fire out of her mouth.

And Sugilite nearly going rampant at the Communication hub before Peridot came to stop her..

Then Amethyst getting Garnet to fuse again to go against him and Pearl for some kind of, sick game to see if Garnet had trained him well on his first day..

Only for the fusion to reach her limit and unfuse, causing the two to fall unconscious.. 

This was.. this was mean. Amethyst was mean.. she was.. a horrible, u pleasant, sickening person. 

"She's forced you two to.." he could feel himself getting riled up. "Why is.." he shook his head fervently. "Why is she like this?!" 

Her eye widened at him. 

Maybe he was a bit loud.. but he could care less how loud his outburst was. 

"That's just how she is. She was already like that before. Then when the Diamonds-" she stopped.

_Did she just say.._

"The Diamonds?"

"It, it's nothing. Anyway,-" a quick look of realization came to her face and she sighed and rubbed at her head. She sighed and said tiredly, "I have to tell you about them anyway.." _What?! Really?!_ "I'll tell you later." she quickly said and added, "The point I was getting at, is that Amethyst has always been like this and when our rivals, the Diamonds starting fighting us more, she started acting worse.. Then Rose was murdered and she changed more.. then Lonny put her in charge before.. disappearing and.. she kept getting more and more.." she trailed off again. 

"That doesn't give her any right to treat you two like that!" his voice steadily raised as he got more defensive for them. His headache from last night that never quite left, being more prominent now. "That doesn't mean she has to.." _WHY was she like this... WHY was she.. so stupid!_ "It's just wrong, Garnet! What she's doing is wrong!" 

She looked around as his voice echoed out. "Steven, mind your voice." 

"You two don't deserve this! You two-" he growled out a sigh. "I just wish we could leave!" he admitted. "I just want to get out of this authority! I don't want this." he featured at the equipment outside. "I don't want to train, I don't want to fight! I.." he swallowed. "I just want my old life back.." 

"Steven.." she watched a tear slide down his face. 

"This is wrong.." he mumbled. "I want to help both of you two out of this.. I don't want to see you two get hurt anymore." he wiped at his cheek. "I can't take seeing you two get hurt like this.. I can't take seeing the people that we fight getting hurt and killed.." he sniveled. "I don't want this.." 

Garnet looked at him. She looked away as he wiped at another tear and looked back at him. Her mind torn between two actions once more..

Steven felt more tears slid down his face and he felt an arm lay on his shoulder and pull him in. Without a second thought he turned around and hugged her and buried his face in her shirt. Taken aback by the hug, but not moving away from it, she pat his shoulder. "I appreciate you wanting to help us.. but, I'm afraid that there's really not much that we can do.." 

He cried into her shirt. "I want to.." he sobbed. "I want to help everyone. Everyone under the empire.. I want to save everyone.." 

"I know you do. You're Steven and you always look for a better, less hostile approach and you value life." she raised her other hand up, but stopped. "But.. sometimes things don't work out the way you want it to." she sighed. "Believe me, I know." she clenched her eye shut as she tried to keep those memories in the vault. She cracked open her eye once more. "But this is how things are in the authority. It's.. really no changing it."

He wanted to change it.

And though he was crying.. and he was upset and a bit hopeless now, he was determined to end the authority. He was going to tear down the empire and he was going to save everyone..

"I want there to be a change." his voice quivered.

"I know you do."

He sniffed as he tried to calm his self back down. He was going to do this.. he wasn't going to give up. "And I will." 

She was quiet.

"I'll do it. I'll save everyone from the authority.." he brought his arm in and wiped at his face and put his arm back around Garnet in a hug. "That's what I'll do.." he whispered. 

"Steven-"

"I promise I'll take down the authority.."

He thought of the time he, Mr. Wascoite, Peridot and Miss Lee were talking at the GemTech building. How the three of them were secretly trying to take down the empire before their plan came to a halt when Miss Lee got captured trying to leave..

Another tear slid down from his cheek and to her shirt. "I promise." 

She knew he couldn't..

An authority that huge and just a regular Gem like him?

He wouldn't come close to taking the empire down.

He had no chance and she knew that. 

As much as she wished that would happen, she knew it wouldn't. 

It was impossible.

She sighed lightly. "It would be a sight to see.. to live to see the day when the empire is gone.." she whispered.

"And you'll be able to see that." he hugged her tighter. "Soon."

She knew he wouldn't..

She knew it..

But she said no more to him. She didn't dare to reject his overly optimistic thoughts.

And.. most importantly, right now, he needed to be comforted.

Just.. like she did.

She raised her other arm and completed the hug and she held him close. "You really are one of a kind." she rubbed his back. 

He didn't think so, but it was nice to hear that from someone he cared about.

The warm, comforting embrace lasted for what felt like several minutes before Steven was leaning his face away from her shirt, though his arms still kept around her torso. "Garnet.. have you ever thought about leaving? ..Even just once?"

He remembered asking her that question when he'd first became a Crystal Gem. She was carrying him up the water fall to get to the Solar Ground Spire.

_Steven hesitated. That possibly too personal question to ask, right on the edge of his tongue. He swallowed. "Garnet?"_

_"Hm?"_

_Did you.. ever.. think about leaving?"_

The lady stopped, then proceeded within a second. Whether she stopped to find another hand hold or was shocked by the question, Steven couldn't tell.

_She continued climbing in silence.. And just when Steven was about to apologize for asking a personal question, she stopped and turned her head and looked down at him. Craning her head down to a certain point so her blue eye could be looking somewhat at him. Steven looked at it. Her glass, blue eye obscuring her true feelings like that of her actual eye if he'd been looking at it instead. It was beautiful, but lifeless and cold all at the same time.._

_Her mouth was closed tightly and her jaw clenched.. Then, after a few moments and it loosened. "No." she said softly and went back to her climbing._

He wondered if Garnet remembered that.

She looked at him.

And without hesitation this time, she said, "Yes." then added, "More than once." then emphasized with a sorrowful frown. "More times than I can count." 

Steven met her frown with a teary eyed smile. "Exactly. And soon, you won't have to think about that anymore. You'll be free. Everyone will be." 

She hid her true thoughts and nodded behind a mouth that was neither a smile nor quite a frown.

He wouldn't be able to and she knew that.. but she appreciated his naïve overly optimistic and confident mindset no less.

He leaned in and gave her another hug.

And, hugs were nice. She missed them..

He leaned up from the hug and she lowered her hands from him and he sat back down. "I know it'll happen soon." he said.

"Yeah." she didn't.

Silence came over them as they sat back on the car.

The wind blew and the leaves rustled around them and the birds and other tiny critters continued to chirp or chatter amongst the trees.

And Steven was beginning to calm his self more, until his eyes went to the equipment just yards in front of them. His small smile faltered. 

Garnet noticed what he was frowning at and turned to him.

"I.. guess we still have to train, huh?"

"I'm afraid so." she said.

He let out an exasperated sigh and tilted his head back on the dirty tire. "This is it for me." he mumbled.

He heard a chuckle. "Don't worry. We're almost done."

He lifted his head back up. "Really?!?"

She nodded.

A breath of relief from him. "Good.. I didn't know how long I was going to last out there."

Garnet nodded slowly. Her tired eye looking out in front of them and at the equipment.

Steven chuckled. "Looks like you don't feel like doing this either."

"As you said, I didn't get much rest and falling unconscious doesn't really make for a decent sleep." she shrugged lazily. "When I woke up, Amethyst was already in my room waiting for the time I came to. Then she explained everything that happened last night and what.." she paused and quickly remembered that according to Peridot, that he was able to be filled in. "one of the tuxedoed man had told her in regards to the Diamonds." 

_The Diamonds again.._

"The Diamonds." he said.

Garnet scratched at the curls just at her hairline before grabbing a fistful of hair gently and sliding her hand across and towards the back. Her curls bending backwards and springing back towards the front. "You know all of those talks we had with Peridot without you?" she asked.

He nodded.

"Well, it turns out that Mr. Wascoite wants you in on our discussions now." 

And _that_, he already knew.

"Amethyst wanted me to explain everything to you. The Diamonds and what we had been discussing since day one." 

He nodded again, though he knew about the Diamonds since the room, Miss Lee and Mr. Wascoite had told him a lot about them already. 

"The Diamonds are our rivals. The Crystal Gems have been competing against them since July seventeenth nineteen eighty-nine when Lonny first started the empire. Hence, that is why we use that as our code." he nodded and she continued. " Things didn't start getting serious until the Crystal Gem empire started becoming more of a threat. The Diamonds didn't like that. They didn't want the Gems taking their spot as being the top, most powerful gang in the world. So they began to fight them head on. Then, a couple years later, Rose Quartz, which we'd quickly learned was Pink Diamond after she told us, became a member of the Gems. She'd soon made a plan that she said would get rid of the Diamonds for good. She would get them all in one spot. She would trick the Diamonds into thinking that all of _us_ had been trapped inside a mansion which had been built by Peridots. Though not our main one." she clarified. "She wasn't born yet." she continued. "But little did the Diamonds know that it would be _them_ to get trapped inside the mansion. Rose Quartz's plan was to have them, including her as Pink Diamond, to get trapped inside. There, we had Pearl to dress like her." Steven raised his eyebrow and Garnet scoffed. "Believe me, it sounds like a cheap product of some sort, but she really looked like Rose after putting her self into the suit and putting on her jumpsuit and mask and having her signature sword." then she added. "Or, that's what I've heard. I wasn't there." she continued. "And since she knew Rose, she knew her mannerisms and her sword skills, so it was that more convincing." 

Steven took a few sips of water. His curiosity peaked at hearing it from another angle and hearing just a bit more about the Diamonds and what'd happened between them and the Crystal Gems. It was like, finding another puzzle piece and being able to fit it with the rest of the unfinished picture.

"Rose, as Pink Diamond then, gave them the go and the plan underwent. The Crystal Gems began going up against the Diamonds' Jaspers, Topazes and Amethysts. The fight didn't last long and the Diamonds were able to get into their jets and escape. All except, for _Pink._ While the fight was still going on with the Diamonds' soldiers, Pearl had "conveniently" found Pink Diamond. The woman fled outside to where the battle was going on and there, Pearl held Rose's sword and sliced her across her stomach-" 

"Wait, she- uh, sorry to cut you off, Garnet.." he quickly apologized before saying, "She.. actually had Pearl.. _stab_ her?" 

She nodded. "They wanted to make it look convincing."

He held his stomach.

"And you can imagine the uproar when the rest of the living Jaspers and Topazes and Amethysts seen that happen. The rest of them charged towards the Gems and they were no match for them. They killed the rest of the Diamonds' soldiers and "got rid of" Pink Diamonds' body as Pearl quickly redressed into her own outfit. Everything was still in chaos as the Gems began fleeing from the mansion, taking precautions, just in case the Diamonds would come back. During that, Amethyst and Pearl saw Kyanite" he almost gasped. _Kyanite.._ "trying to escape." and he could remember that audio clip filming that particular scene.. 

"They took her down and everyone fled the scene. Then, after word had quickly got out about Pink Diamond's murder, which Rose had figured the Diamonds would stop once their own was murdered, nothing seems to had changed, apart of them still fighting us which wasn't much of a difference." then Garnet's face tightened almost instantly and there was a sorrowful cast to her eye. "The three Diamonds; Yellow Diamond, White Diamond.." her face twisted as she forced a snarl back. "And Blue Diamond.. had decided to land in Nigeria to start another war. Again, word had got out that the three Diamonds were there with a huge army of hundreds.. and they came with their own. The Diamonds.." she paused and swallowed. "The Diamonds ended up taking their army to a small part of Nigeria where the Crystal Gems found them. And there, they had a war like no other.." Garnet was staring off into space. "Explosions.. fire.. smoke.. people, Crystal Gem, Diamond soldier, innocent villagers... everyone.. everyone was getting killed.." her mouth grimaced as she said, "After a long, terrifying battle, the Diamonds unleashed this poison that infected everyone but Rose, Lonny, Amethyst and Pearl since.. they were following Rose inside of a house.." 

"A.. house? What house?"

Garnet clenched her eye and sighed. "After the poison, the Diamonds fled and they were stuck with a lot of corrupted Gems.. and.. as well as fire and dead bodies.. though, they didn't care.." she leaned up but kept her eyes staring out into nothing. "After that, we hadn't heard anything from the Diamonds in fifteen years.. up until approximately a month ago. We found out that the men in the tuxedos works for them." 

"What?!"

Now _that_ he didn't know.

She nodded. "We know they work under Yellow and Blue Diamond. We're_ not _sure if they work for White Diamond or if she's even still alive." she continued. "The ones working for Yellow Diamond kidnap people from off the streets and take them to her. There she either experiments on them, force them into her own court, which is another way of saying they work directly under her.. or they become one of them. We also know that Yellow Diamond is building some kind of machine. What, we don't know, but it's something underground. And as of right now, we don't know what Blue Diamond is doing."

Steven looked at her, no doubt with an extreme shocked expression on his face. "Experimenting on people?!? That's just wrong! And.. some kind of underground machine?!"

_Experimenting on people?!?!_

"Little by little, we've been getting more and more information about the Diamonds and their plans. But, we don't know if we're getting this information fast enough. These Diamonds could be coming back at _any_ time and we're trying to get ready for them." 

Steven let out a growing, exasperated sigh as he rubbed his migrained head. "Which, I guess is why Amethyst wants me to train harder with you and Pearl." then he added, "That also explains why you three always look tense when leaving Peridot's office.." 

"It's a very intense situation.. and now that the Diamonds have Chemical Elle Ghee-" she realized she hadn't told him about that. "Chemical Elle Ghee is something that Lonny made. That, paired up with our jewel essence clothes and weapons, made us near invincible. But, somehow the Diamonds got a hold of it. And with Diamond essence being the strongest, then with the Chemical Elle Ghee, _they_ are now the strongest.." she proceeded with what she was saying before. "With the Diamonds having Chemical Elle Ghee with their Diamond essence, it will now be much harder to take them down.." 

"But.. we still have a chance, Garnet."

She sighed out through her nose. "We need to prepare ourselves as best as we can. Apparently there are two Gems coming to any part of the world. According to the tuxedoed man that Amethyst had, he said that they're waiting on some prisoner to give the two Gems a certain location where these four Gems are located. Once the prisoner finally breaks and gives them the information, they're leaving and going straight there. And we need to prepare ourselves to leave at any moments notice once those two particular Gems are sighted." 

"But.. how would we know it's them exactly?"

She let out a tired, defeated sigh. "I don't know.."

This was.. quite a lot to take it.

SO much to take in..

Now he definitely understood why they would look so tense after their talks.

This was extremely alarming.. and scary..

Maybe he needed to start taking his training seriously.. or, even _more_ seriously..

"We got this, Garnet." he was determined that they would. 

She nodded, despite feeling otherwise.

Silence had passed for just a few moments and Steven spoke up, reluctantly, "So.. our.. training? I.." he scratched meekly at his cheek. ".. do need to get stronger.." he forced his self to say.

Garnet observed him through her lone eye.. before just a tiny, apologetic smile came to her face. "This won't be too long." she got up and held her hand out. 

He grabbed it and she pulled him up.

"I also want to thank you for saving Pearl and I yesterday."

"Oh, that.." he gave her a bashful shrug with a shy smile. "It was nothing.. I couldn't just, leave you two.."

She ruffled his hair and he pouted.

She chuckled. "Sorry. I just can't resist doing that." she walked away from him and he followed after her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Waaaay more intense workout for poor Steven 😝😝
> 
> Though of course I didn't right even _half_ of their workout. But just know that it was very. veeery. intense.


	213. Last half of the training

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaand another intense workout for poor Steven 😶

Steven had finally finished his near fifty reps of front handsprings and another fifty reps of back handsprings, which the latter had been much harder to do, even with Garnet's help and support.

After doing one hundred reps of handsprings, he was introduced to a kip up, which apparently he'd already known what it was, but simply didn't know the name of the move.

He'd seen kip ups a lot of times in those kung fu movies and to him it looked pretty cool.

And now he was learning how to do one.

"Okay, last rep." said Garnet.

Steven was doing his last kip up. This would mark the sixtieth one.

He was laying on his back. 

He placed his hands on either side of his head and pushed up with his feet. Garnet held his legs and he focused on holding his legs as she supported majority of the weight. He pushed up with his arms as hard as he could and straighten his back and pointed his feet to the ground as she placed her hands on his back to properly propel his body forward and back to his feet. 

He landed on the grass and moved with the momentum and went down to a crouch as he held his hands up. Garnet added that bit in, since he would always need to be ready to block any incoming hits.

"That was better. You just need to put more push off power with those arms." she said.

Well.. maybe if he wasn't so tired and his arms didn't feel like noodles..

"Okay. Time for some agility training."

"Time to get my heart rate up?" he grimaced.

"Yup." she smirked. "Come on. Time for that football training I was telling you about."

He tilted his head back and mocked cried as he shuffled his feet towards the football equipment.

Garnet stopped in front of three small round shaped cones that were no more than three inches tall. They were placed at least eight yards away from each other. 

"You're going to do a lateral shuffle. Do you know what that is?" he shook his head. "I'll show you. Then you'll do it next." she stepped in front of the middle cone. "As fast as you can, you're going to run sideways, with_out_ your feet crossing each other." in a burst of speed, she shuffled quickly towards the third cone. Then began running sideways back to the middle cone. "Then once you lateral shuffle back to the third cone," she started side running back to it. "you're going to turn around and change from running sideways to a front facing run and run as fast as you can to the first cone." she reached the third cone and turned around and dash passed him and towards the first cone. "Then run all the way back to the third cone." she pivoted around quickly on her toes and dashed towards the third cone. She ran quickly pass him and stopped, not so much as a small slid across the grass. 

"Now, your turn. We're doing twenty reps."

_Oh no.. here we go.._

He shuffled his feet to the middle cone.

"Go!"

He took a breath and began side shuffling towards the third cone.

"Faster, Talc. I no you have it in you."

He didn't..

He tried picking up his speed.

He reached the third cone and began side running back to the one in the middle.

"Watch your feet. Don't let your legs shuffle across each other. Small, quick, shuffle steps." 

He widen his stance slightly as he tried keeping each leg within a certain "shuffle zone" in his mind, not wanting his legs to meet and overlap one another. 

He reached the middle cone and began shuffling back to the third cone.

"Almost there." she encouraged him. "Then you sprint back to the first cone, then to the third one." 

He reached the third cone and turned around and started running "as fast as he could" to the first cone.

"Pick up those knees. And mind your breathing."

He tried implementing that as he ran for the first cone.

Just seconds later he reached the cone and he slid slightly as he turned around. He started running back to the third cone. 

He stopped just as he reached it and slid slightly on the slippery grass.

"Good.. good." she nodded with a smile. "Again."

  
  


"Come on, Talc. Five more reps." 

Sweat poured down Steven's face.

He went back down on his knees.

"Go!" 

He pushed his self up from his knees and to his feet and ran. 

He tried focusing on his breathing and his arms and legs as he ran his ten yard dash towards Garnet.

She was nodding at him.

He finally reached her and stopped.

"You lost a bit of speed," _no kidding.._ "but your form is getting better." she complimented before adding. "Again. Four more times."

  
  


Steven was exhausted once more. 

Sure, the first half of the training was still MUCH much worse and exhausting, but the football training was still taking a lot out of him.

They'd been doing various drills with him running, shuffling, spinning and twisting on his toes, doing those small, pitter patter toe step running as he shuffled around the cones, elevation ladders and small, ankle height hurdles. 

It was.. exhausting..

Yet they _still_ weren't done..

Now they were standing in front of a pull up bar. 

"We're done with our running." he would've felt even more relieved.. but.. they were standing in front of another exercise equipment..

"Self explanatory. I know you've done pull ups in school." she looked at him. He nodded. 

"That's what you're going to do. You're going to do ten reps of twenty with a thirty second rest in between."

_And..here we go.._

He jumped up and felt every single last piece of muscle in his whole entire body..

He grabbed onto the bar and went for one.. then two.. then three.. then.. four.. all the way up to eight pulls ups before he started feeling the burn from his sore arms..

He lowered his arms and took a breath-

"Noo, don't stop. You have to keep going, Talc."

He groaned.

He struggled pulling his self up. "I... I can't.." he grunted. "Too sore.. too tired.."

He felt Garnet grab his legs. He looked down. "You got this, Talc. Come on. Twelve more."

With another extremely tired sigh, he pulled his self up with Garnet supporting him.

  
  


Steven felt like he was suffocating. His lungs were burning, his heart was racing and the one hundred and forty pound barbell that Garnet started him off with felt like a ton on his back.

He'd done just four lunges with the barbell before he called out for Garnet to take the equipment off his back.

And she didn't.

Instead she grabbed the heavy barbell and lifted it off slightly, carrying half of the weight and had him do six more lunges before stopping.

And that.. was only one rep..

They had to do fifteen..

  
  


Steven was walking towards a rectangular block that was at least two feet in height and was as big as a school desk. The numbers two zero zero written in white.

The block had a thick piece of rope attached to it. On the other end of the rope was a Velcro strapped belt. 

_Oh don't tell me..-_

"Let's see how fast and how far you can go with this on."

She saw the horrified look on his face.

"Don't worry. We're almost done."

Either way, he _still_ had to do this next..

She beckoned him over with her hand and he shuffled, more so dragging his feet now, towards her.

She clipped the thick belt around his waist and took a step back. "Show me what you got."

He took a step and pulled his self forward.

He grunted.

The two hundred pound block slid slightly across the grass.

He stopped and placed his hands on his weak knees. "Garnet.." he whispered. "I-" she walked pass and he turned his head around to follow her. He saw her grab the rope with her hand. "I'll support you." she said. "Let's go."

  
  


Steven's arms felt like they were about to snap off. They felt like rubber, they felt like they were breaking, they felt like someone was wringing his skin, they felt.. like after he was done with his workout, they were going to be buying repair.. 

He was doing his last football drill, according to Garnet.

He was now on the exercise ropes.

The ones that he'd only seen on t.v where those rip people would lift them up and down with each hand effortlessly.

But it wasn't easy for _him_ and his already sore body..

"Twenty more seconds, Talc."

His mouth was wide open as he panted.

"Talc, your breathing."

He closed his mouth just slightly as he refocused on his breathing as he stood on his sore feet. He continued bringing the two ropes up and down together. A nice little wave going down the ropes as he did.

"Fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty."

He dropped the ropes.

Then dropped to his knees.

He panted and tried catching his breath.

He wasn't going to make it..

How much longer was their training?

Surely he's going to pass out from exhaustion soon..

He saw feet come into his view on the grass.

He looked up to see Garnet holding his water bottle and another small sports bottle with three limes in it. She shook up the container. "You're doing great, Talc. I'm proud of you." 

He panted and brought his head back down.

She smiled sadly.

She crouched down. "Here. Lift your head back up."

He did so slowly. 

She unclipped the cover off the mouth of the container placed it on his lips.

He closed his eyes, taking in the few sips of the refreshing lime filled water.

She let him take a few more sips. "Okay." she said and slid the container from his lips. She put the cap back on and handed him his water bottle that had just a few sips more in there.

He picked it up and as he lifted the bottle up to his lips, the muscles in his arms screamed.

"Okay, Talc."

His already racing heart jolted in his chest..

He put the empty water bottle down and looked up at her. 

"Time for your Muay Thai training."

"B, b, b, bu..." he sputtered. "But I thought I _DID_ that already."

"You have to toughen up your shins.

His heart almost stopped.

Of all the exercises.. this was the one he hated the most..

  
  


Steven was holding in his sobs as he held his bloody shins.

Ten minutes with each leg..

And the stupid, old, brittle tree_ still_ didn't break..

Garnet was walking back up to him carrying a bowl with a towel over her shoulder. He could see a bit of steam coming from the container. 

She sat down beside him. "I put two different kinds of oils in here." she said. "This should help." she dipped the towel.

He closed his eyes back as the pain didn't subside.

She wrung the towel out and she grabbed his hand one by one and saw the reopened wounds on his bloody legs. 

She pushed him gently to his back and gently packed the towel over his shins-

He sat up and screamed as the heat and the chemicals stung his wounds and the muscles of his legs. He flinched as he shook his legs in pain.

Until the few seconds of pain became too much and he went to grab for the towel when she grabbed his hands gently. "It hurts now, but you need this." 

Tears left his eyes as the pain shot up and down his legs and throughout his body. 

She rubbed his back soothingly. "It's okay.." 

He cried silently as the pain didn't seem to let up.

  
  


Steven had only a five minute break. When he'd asked if he could have a longer break, she'd told him that she would give him a longer break after their under water punching and kicking for the rest of his Muay Thai training. 

The two, with Lion running with them, had ran down to the waterfall. The same one they'd practiced under the first two times.

There, Garnet had properly corrected his punching and his kicking while underwater and the two of them trained for twenty minutes.

They were doing their last two punches and their last four kicks of their last rep.

A left hook, a right jab, a front kick, a roundhouse kick, a teep kick and a crescent kick. 

They lifted up from the water and caught their breath, with Steven panted near triple as hard as her.

Though she wasn't even panting..

"Okay."

He looked up at her with fear in his eyes.

"Don't worry, don't worry." she smiled. "Time for a break. Fifteen minutes. Come on."

And he was smiling with joy.

Fifteen minutes.

She walked through the water towards the low rushing waterfall and he followed her. The land raising more towards the surface of the water as the water became more shallow.

"You ever see in those movies or even a few shows where the trainer and the student sits under a waterfall and simply, relax and meditate?"

He nodded.

He and Connie had just recently watched an episode of Nevey and the Jeweled Ladies where three samurai friends were sitting under a waterfall for their training.

"It really works." she said.

There was a small bed of smooth pebbles just in front of them under the shallow water. 

Garnet sat down and scooted back. 

The low rush of the water flew down her head and down her back. She pat her hand on the pebbles beside her with a friendly smile as the water splashed under her fingers.

Steven sat down next to her and felt the water pour down his head and back. 

He pushed a wet curl from his eye. "Yeah, this isn't half bad." 

"I know." 

The two of them relaxed under the waterfall and he watched as Garnet closed her eye as she focused on her breathing. 

And he did the same thought she hadn't told him to. 

Minutes passed and he became more relaxed. 

Listening to the rushing water.

Listening to the birds..

Hearing his buddy Lion splash around in the water.

Hearing other, small noises within the area..

It was nice.. and calming..

And there were times when he enjoyed easing his mind.

And then, there were times when.. his mind would wonder to things that worried him or to things that he wondered hard about..

And for a reason that was most likely due to them being in the water, on top of having spoken about the Diamonds and the Crystal Gems and them taking her.. he started wondering about Miss Lee and how she was doing. 

Did she make it back to Vietnam safely?

How was she doing now?

Was she safe? 

Did she have food and shelter?

Did she find her family and friends? Or neighbors?

He had so many questions..

Minutes passed by and she never left his mind.. 

Why did he have such a bad feeling about this..

That, something had happened..

Maybe because his mind was telling him that? Thinking negatively because he was so used to things happening to the people he knew?

He needed to stop thinking like this..

He saw her fighting out there. She could easily take on everyone and with the huge ocean around her, she was near unbeatable. She'd taken on four Crystal Gems with one being a water Gem after all.

She was powerful. 

Yeah..

Yeah she was okay..

Nothing was wrong.

Nothing _went_ wrong.

And she was fine. She was great. She was safe. Nothing had happened to her. 

Still.. 

He _still_ couldn't shake this.. _feeling.._

He sighed and looked over at Garnet's peaceful face.

Maybe he shouldn't interrupt her..

He turned back and closed his eyes and began focusing on his breathing-

"Is something the matter, Steven?"

He snapped his eyes open and looked over. 

She was looking right at him.

_Wait.. how did she-?_

He nodded slowly. "Uh, y, yeah.." he said. "Yeah." he repeated. 

"What's wrong?"

He sighed.

Should he even bring her up?

He shrugged. "I guess I'm just.. worried about Miss Lee.."

"Did something happen?"

"Uh, I don't.. know?" he scratched at his damp neck and felt the water flow down his hand. "See, that's the thing." he brought his hand back down to his soaked pants. "I _don't_ know if anything happened.. and, I'm a little worried. Like," he looked back at the woman. "what if something happened? What if she didn't make it back to her country safely?" 

"Aah~, Steven." she said gently. "The boy who's always worrying about other people's well being." she smiled fondly. "I may not had known her personally, but with how she fought out there, I have a feeling that, if she had came across whether it be humans or Gems, she would be a force to be reckoned with." then she added with a nod. "She's quite a powerful Gem. Not to mention she has the whole ocean to use to keep her from harm's way." 

"I know.. but.." he shrugged. "I.. I just, have this.. feeling that something happened.. and.. that maybe it would be my fault because I didn't let her fly me at least half of the way there to keep her safe? I don't know.."

"Fly you across the world?" she chuckled. "Now how would you have gotten back?"

"Um.. my bubble? Maybe ride a few huge waves back?"

There was a scoff from Garnet. "Now I know you're joking."

Not.. quite..

He frowned.

Her smiled faltered to something more apologetic. "Steven, I know you're worried about her.. and I wish I could tell you that she's home safe and sound.." he hung his head low. "And, that could be true. I want you to focus on being optimistic. And for someone who likes to look on the bright side of things, I don't think that should be too hard for you." 

Maybe Garnet was right.. maybe he should start thinking about this in a more positive light..

Miss Lee being safe and sound _could_ be true.

It really could.

"Yeah.." he mumbled. "Maybe you're right." he looked at Garnet once more and seeing her gentle, smiling face staring back at him.

If only he could save her now..

Just like Miss Lee.. if only he could set her free too..

He looked at down and the waterproof cast on her hand, then back up at her now apologetic face. 

Knowing her, she was probably wondering why he was staring..

He looked at the blue eyes patch over her left eye.

_"She's coming.. with ME!" he threw his arm out to the side as she brought her gauntlet down and he pushed away with his shield, her hand being pushed off from the surface and her own gauntlet hitting her back in the face hard and Steven saw the small, oval shaped, blue glass eye staring right at them in the sand._

_He_ did that..

And still, she wanted to prevent him from trying to stop Amethyst in fear of the woman attacking or killing him..

And even after the constant physical and mental abuse from Amethyst, she somehow was still able to keep her sanity..

He needed to help her..

He needed to break her out of the authority..

"Steven?" she had a worried look on her face.

"Oh.. uh.. It's just.." he shrugged once more. "Sorry.. for your eye I mean.." 

He could practically see her thinking back on their little argument between the three of them on the beach.

"Steven.. If I'm not mistaken, you've already apologized." she said. "And I told you, I deserved that happening to me. You didn't need to apologize for that. And you definitely didn't need to apologize again for it." 

"Yyeah.." he looked back down at his lap and at the smooth pebbles within the inner circle of his crossed legs.

He watched the water rumble along the rocks as the waterfall above them splashed into the surface. 

Garnet hadn't said anything else and when he turned to his side, she was already looking forward with her eye closed. 

He looked back down at the surface of the river once more. 

He could roughly make out his reflection in the tumbling water.. the low tumbles within the surface casted little bubbles along certain parts of the water and for some coincidental reason, the two small groups of bubbles just inches apart on the surface made the pupils of his eyes resemble diamonds..

He took his hand and ran it through the bubbles, causing them to either be spread vertically across or popped within the water. 

He looked back at Garnet. 

What.. exactly did happen to her eye? 

When he first found out that she had a glass eye he always wondered what had happened. 

Was it from a birth defect? 

Was it from a childhood injury?

Did something happen during one of the missions where she lost her eye?

He just.. couldn't help but wonder.. 

"Uh.. Garnet?" 

She turned to him. "Yes?"

Hopefully.. she wouldn't take this the wrong way..

"I know that.. you told me that I didn't have to apologize again.. but I still do." 

"Steven..-"

"But I was also wondering" he quickly said before slowing down immediately after. "um.. well if it's not.. too personal to you- and I really hope that this doesn't get too personal but.. if I may ask.." he said meekly and her face looked a bit tense in anticipation. "What.. happened.." he paused before asking. "to your eye?"

For one full second her face was tensed, before the features of her face relaxed and her mouth loosened to a frown. Her eye growing wide as her shoulders lowered. 

Her mouth opened slightly, though she didn't say anything. 

Seconds passed in silence and her eye looked off into the distance.. looking at something in her mind that he was unable to see.. unable to _feel_ on a personal level..

Remorse and sadness clung at her features as her teary eye finally looked down from the smoke and the fire she could see in front of her and down to her hands that had been caked with dirt and blood. 

The waterfall, now feeling like her own sweat and blood from that day..

Guilt-stricken was nowhere near how Steven felt. 

He felt worse than horrible, he felt..

And just the way that Garnet was looking.. 

How dejected and sorrowful she looked..

"S, sorry Garnet!" he managed to blurt out. Though the damage had already been done and he knew it.. "I, I didn't mean to.. I.. ah, I should've kept my mouth shut! I'm soo sorry.."

He watched her cautiously.. The woman closing her hands tenderly and placing them on her lap. She sighed and looked up at him. "Let's continue our training.." she whispered in a wavering voice. "We're almost done." 

"..Garnet.." 

She got up from the water. "Come on." she said gently. 

He got up with her and he followed her out the waterfall and down the small hill and through the waist deep water once more. 

All he could do was berate himself harshly over asking such a personal question such as that!

Why did he even do that?!

_Why_ did he have to ask in the FIRST place?!

He followed her out the water and to the wet grass. 

"Garnet.. I am soo, soo sorry. I didn't mean to.. I.. I'm sorry. I shouldn't had-" 

"It's okay Talc." she said softly. "It's just.." she shook her head and sighed. "I know you didn't mean it to be.." she trailed off.

He felt so bad..

Garnet sighed once more. "Come on." 

  
  


The two of them, with Lion, had ran back up to the Inkas and this time, he didn't have to carry Garnet on his back like the first time they'd trained together, whether because she didn't want to be close to him or she didn't want to work him harder or because she'd forgotten, was anyone's guess.

However, once he got to the vehicle, she told him plainly that he would have to run fifty laps around the car and that_ that_ would be the end of his training.

And this time, he didn't dare complain or whine.

He nodded and said, "Yes." and began his run, despite of his hurt, sore, tired, exhausted body.

He finished ten laps.

Then.. eventually twenty..

..and ..eventually ..thirty..

And his lungs had been burning before during the first twenty laps, but now they felt like they were going to rip or pop..

He'd passed the trunk again.

Now he was on lap thirty-nine-

An arm grabbed his throat from behind and he felt himself go right on the verge of panicking, before he immediately thought back on his training and he quickly jumped up and brought his weight down to bring the "enemy" down.

The enemy bent down slightly with him, though kept their arm close to his throat. 

He felt himself being pulled back and instead of going for the arm, he raised both his arms and went for the face. One hand managing to jam two fingers into an eye and he heard a startled yelp of pain.

He felt the arm loosen and he grabbed it and yanked it away from his throat as he used his other arm to elbow the person in their stomach. All while bringing their arm up and over his head and he pulled the arm down and in extension, the person downwards- and quickly noticed that it wasn't Garnet-

Pearl flipped herself over, double joining her shoulder. She pivoted around to face him and tackled him hard to the ground.

Steven grabbed at the top of shirt as he tried to use his legs to clamp onto one of hers.

She slid her legs up and straddled his stomach and placed her hand on his chest and took her other arm and went around his arm and placed the hand on her other and pressed down hard onto the top of his chest as she leaned forward, putting all her weight onto him. 

He tried pushing her to the side and she slid her feet upwards with one leg under one of his arms and her other knee just behind his head. She pushed her hips up to his shoulder and grabbed at the same arm as she threw body/ weight back on his chest and spun outwards and brought the knee that was behind his head over his face and using her other leg to clamp down on his arm. She kept her feet locked just under his arm as she kept hold of his other arm. Then moving one of her arms in front of his and throwing her other arm underneath of her arm she leaned back to the ground as she squeezed her legs together. 

"AHH!! Uncle! Uncle!"

She kept the position.

He saw a figure out the corner of his eye and heard it as it landed down hard on the top of the Inkas. 

He moved his eyes to the side to see Amethyst in casual purple sweatpants and a plain white shirt. Her hands stuffed in her pockets casually.

The woman smiling mischievously at him.

".. Amethyst?" 

She jumped off the car and landed down easily in front of him, still with her hands in her pockets and sporting that mischievous grin. Though up close now, he noticed she had.. braces? Though he never seen braces like that. Ever. The dark gray bands seemed to cover along both her top and bottom teeth horizontally and without a break in the middle where her bottom and top teeth ended. As if both her bottom and top teeth were sharing the same.. band..?

"Yo.. good job, Talc." she spoke through her teeth. 

He grunted. Pearl still pulling on his arm and he could feel the muscle in his already sore, burning shoulder tense up.

"Looks like you're learning from Garnet after all." she cheesed. "You almost took Pearl down." she said, without so much as opening her mouth. The words being muffled from the bands and her not opening her mouth all the way. "Talc, actually taking Pearl down? Ha!" she snickered and her mouth stayed closed and he resisted tilting his head or raising an eyebrow at a sudden realization. 

_Is.. her jaw wired shut?_

"Uh,.." he said. "Garnet has been teaching me a lot."

She nodded and looked pass him. "Yo, Pearl. Let him go." she took a small item out of her pocket.

Pearl let go of his arm and lowered her legs from his head and his other arm and got up. 

He pushed up on his sore arms slowly to a sitting position and looked up at Pearl. The woman having two black eyes. One eye still swollen shut and red with dark blueish- purple and black coloring around her eye and the other opened now, though there was a purple and black ring around it. The coloring spreading from both eyes and across the bridge of her nose.

And he could only imagine how painful that could've been when he'd looked her in her eyes..

He couldn't help but feel guilty..

"Garnet." 

The woman hurried over from the car and towards her. 

"Hm. Seems like he's learning a bit from you." she nodded. "Good." she twisted the small cap off the item that he quickly realized was Chapstick. She put it along her lips and rubbed her lips together. Then she used her finger to spread a bit of the thin petroleum to the corners of her lips. "But he needs work with his grappling." she put the top back on and placed the Chapstick back in her pocket. "Keep training him, but train him more on his grappling this Sunday. Ninety percent of fights eventually end up on the ground. He needs to learn better ground fighting, so train him on his Brazilian Jiu Jitsu more."

_Oh no.._

"Yes, Amethyst." 

"Now." she said. "I didn't just come here to check on your training with Talc. You have a mission to go to." 

"Where is it?"

"Pearl, get the car." she told the woman and she quickly jogged away and into the trees. Amethyst turned back around. "It's right off Rosten-Whel city just north of Virginia. It's a guy there hoarding a jewel studded breastplate. The place is at the top of the hill and the signs to get there are all written in Igbo which," she snapped her finger and pointed at her. "you speak." she pocketed her hand back in her pocket. "The other two from Almandine's group are there but," she scoffed. "you know those goofy women aren't going to be able to get that plate by themselves, so you'll be helping them. They were told to hold off until you came." she looked at Steven still trying to catch his breath. "And you'll be going with her. Think of it as.. part two of your training." she saw the worried, tired look on his face and she chuckled, her teeth still staying together and even the laughter seemed to be held back as the bands kept her jaw shut. 

And despite of her being injured.. he couldn't feel sorry for her just then..

Even after this exhausting training he was going to be forced to go on a mission..

Then past thoughts came to his mind instantly. 

Thoughts about last night..

How she'd forced Garnet and Pearl to stay together despite of how badly injured they were..

Practically leaving them for dead after they unfused..

How she left him stranded in the street and took off in the car..

How the dogs were barking and baying loud in the neighborhood.. how the car alarm sounded so loud and for so long.. how he poked his self in the eye on Connie's hair..

How he couldn't have fun with her because Amethyst whipped him..

How he couldn't have fun with Connie last night..

Everything was all her fault and she just didn't care..

_Stupid Amethyst._

"Heh, wow. You looking so upset over there."

She _really_ had no idea..

"Anyway, that's it. You and Garnet need to go. But first, you're going to go finish those laps. Don't think you didn't have to do the rest." she watched the boy as he continued to scowl and push up to his feet. "Aye. Fix your face. Before I fix it for you." she threatened. 

He tried loosening up his tensed features.

"Go on. Run."

He started running.

And also while trying to figure out what number he'd stopped on..

He knew he'd passed thirty but.. did he ever reach forty? Or even thirty-five?

He'd decided to start from thirty again..

And with Amethyst here, he definitely couldn't slack off now..

And he forced his self to keep a steady, fast pace as he picked up his legs and focused on his breathing through his burning lungs.

He'd made it to forty and he thought his lungs were going to cave in or spasm or stop..

Still, he pushed through..

And Amethyst watched him closely..

Forty-four..

And his whole chest felt like it was on fire.

But.. he pushed through..

Maybe this was how he was going to die..

Exhaustion..

A heart attack..

.. he was going to die..

Forty-six..

He began slowing down.

"You can't be tired, Talc! You better quicken that pace!"

He was extremely thankful that she wasn't there with them the whole day..

He definitely would've died..

He picked up his place as he finished the forty-sixth lap.

All he needs to do is focus on the numbers..

Just.. less than five to go.

"Watch your form, Talc!"

..Guess he'd started paying less attention to the running itself..

But he did as he was told as he ran his forty-eighth lap.

His lungs or his heart..

Which one was going to give out on him?

But.. he had to force himself..

Reluctantly he did..

He _had_ to..

He passed the front passenger's door, marking the forty-ninth lap.

And he was practically dreaming about ending on the last lap and taking huge deep breaths and being thankful that it was all over.

He thought about maybe trying to pick up his pace to get to the end of the last lap quicker, but she wasn't complaining that he should pick up his speed.. so why force himself? 

He also didn't want her to think that he was simply "holding energy in all along" and using that for the last lap..

He passed the trunk of the car as he heard a sound of an engine nearby. 

The back door..

Then.. the passenger's side door and he took a few steps forward before stopping and immediately huffing and puffing.

"Good. Really good." then she said. "You did an extra nine laps by the way." and she cackled. 

And in that quick, snap of an instance in his mind, he could've tackled her down to the ground. 

..Then obviously get severely beat up and most likely killed afterwards from her..

A sleek, black Mercedes-Mayback S600 was pulling up behind her.

"Welp, my rides here." she had a smug look on her face as she stared at Steven's red, exhausted, mud-stained, sweaty face. "Try to come back in one piece." she snorted. "Or not. Like I care." 

He resisted a scowl.

Pearl got out the car and made her way to the passenger's side door and Amethyst gave him a leveled stare before turning around and casually walking away. "Alright. Beat it you two."

Drenched in sweat and overly exhausted and in pain, he shuffled to the door of the car. 

Garnet was already getting into the vehicle.

He opened the door and Lion looked at him and began wagging his tail.

He slid in and felt the cool dampness of his pants on the back of his thighs. 

It wasn't a good feeling..

And he slid back and closed the door. Feeling the cool dampness from his sweat on his shirt.

Another disgusting feeling..

He just wanted to take a shower and sleep..

Garnet started up the car and shifted gears.

..And now the cause of wearing two pants rubbing against his legs were making this weird, burning, itching feeling and he wanted to take both pants off and scratch at his skin.

..A horrible feeling..

He tried to ignore it..

He looked out the window as the Mercedes made a U-Turn and drive off.

Stupid Amethyst..

This was all her fault too..

Having him run and extra nine laps..

Having Pearl sneak up on him..

Checking in on Garnet as if she _really_ needed to do that..-

Garnet began the ride down the hill.

He closed his eyes as he felt his heart and his lungs burn and twist in his chest as he panted deeply in the backseat.

He didn't have time to think about Amethyst and her stupidity right now..

He was in too much pain for that..

And he shouldn't waste his time thinking about her anyway.

Still heavily breathing, he kept his eyes closed as he felt his muscles relaxing and contracting as his body began to unwind and relax.

Just get the mission over with, go home, shower and sleep. 

Those four tasks couldn't come soon enough..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woohoo!! I finally hit over a million words!! 🤗
> 
> Welp, just three little chapters but I hope y'all enjoyed even jus a bit of it :)
> 
> I always like writing this little duo, when it's just him and Garnet. She can just be herself. The lady needs it. She needs to relax and unwind. She really does. 😔
> 
> Anyway, stay tuned for the other half of Garnet's Universe! (Whenever that may be)


	214. Make we go up hill

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only one chapter today.
> 
> o/ooo is pronounced like "Oh" in these next few Chapters when Hoppy, Hopper, Ringo and Foxman talk.
> 
> And the dialogue in italics are them speaking in Igbo.

Steven had fallen asleep again.

The boy having roughly only an hour and forty minutes of sleep before Garnet was calling his name.

".. lc... alc..."

His face twitched before relaxing back again as sleep dragged him back in.

".. alc... alc.."

Steven groaned and another twitch tugged at the corner of his mouth as he slowly dozed back off to sleep with not as much as an eye cracking open.

Garnet parked and turned the car off. With her glasses, mask and jumpsuit on now, she opened the door and got out.

Moments later and she opened Steven's door. She began moving his shoulder. "Talc. Talc, wake up."

Another groan and low mumbles left his throat as his eyes clenched and relaxed. His mouth still slightly opened.

"Talc, wake up." she moved his chin gently and she heard another tired groan. She shook his chin just slightly harder and moments later, his eyes began to flutter. His mouth soon closed as his lips pulled back and relaxed once more.

She shook his chin again and his eyes slowly opened. "Mm." he blinked slowly. "Mm?" he was already going back to sleep- 

"Talc, come on. Wake up." she pat his cheek and his eyes opened back up halfway.

"We have to go." 

He turned his tired, half-lidded, blurry eyes toward her.

"You and Lion need to get dressed. We're here." she said.

"Nnngh... mhnn.." he groaned.

"Come on." she pat at his cheek again. "We really need to go."

"Mgnnnhmm.." he blinked slowly and stifled a yawn.

Garnet stood there and blocked the outside view of the boy's face as he got ready.

Steven had slowly taken off his smelly, sweat stained shirt, revealing an even smellier, heavily stained Crystal Gem shirt. He threw the shirt on the seat and Lion jogged up to it and began to sniff the deadly stench. 

He eased his sweatpants off his butt and down his legs and slid the sandals off his feet and slid his pants off. He threw them over top of the shirt and Lion began to sniff his pants.

With a sigh, he slid farther to the edge of the seat and slid his feet back into the sandals. He turned to get out-

"Talc, your mask." she said. "And you didn't put any of Lion's gadgets on him." then she added. "And you don't have yours on either."

"..Oh.. I didn't.." he stated groggily. He blinked slowly and rubbed at his eye. With another stuffed yawn, he began taking every single thing out of his front and back pockets.

He slid his mask on, then his ring and then his bracelet. Then he turned the ring inwards and he pressed the bracelet to his wrist. The five thin, pencil sized braces jutted from the bracelet and latched onto the nails of his thumb and four fingers. The tiny, flat, round discs having been pulled from the bracelet and slid to his five knuckles. 

Then he slid steadily and tiredly down to the floor to his knees. Lion already had his attention on him and was going towards him.

Steven began putting on his gadgets and setting him up. Pressing and holding the pin for three seconds for the pink glow to form around his fur, putting the doggy sandals on his paws, putting the mane over and around his collar and then putting the fronts in his mouth and sliding the mask over his head.

Another stifled yawn..

"Okay, Garnet. We're ready."

"Good." she stepped to the side. "Let's go."

Steven got up on his sore, tired legs as Lion hopped out of the car-

"No, Lion-" his tired voice whispered out.

Garnet had caught the canine as he was jumping out. She tucked the dog under her arm. "Sorry, Lion." the dog looked up at her. "You have to keep close to us." 

The dog wagged his tail and tried to lick her mask. She looked back up at Steven who was closing the door. 

"Don't worry, Talc. This should be quick."

_Hopefully.._

Steven tried to wake his self up a bit more for the mission as Garnet began walking away from him.

He'd noticed that they were in the forest. There weren't a lot trees as compared to the other forested area they were just in earlier, but the area looked just as vibrant and colorful. The fruit, the flowers, the birds. This forest had it's on beautiful and unique features.

He was starting to feel pretty bad that they had a mission in it..

Hopefully the forest wouldn't get ruined..

He turned away from a bush of red and pink poppy flowers to see Garnet petting Lion and yards away from him and walking towards a path of large bushes with a bed of snapdragon flowers on the right and ageratum flowers on the left. 

He picked up his pace to catch up to her.

"You know what I just thought about, Garnet?" 

She turned to him. Her hand still rubbing the dog's head side to side. "What?" 

"This'll be the first er.. _second_ mission, huh?" he stopped just beside her. "We hadn't been working alongside each other for a mission since the one at the jewelry store." and just as he said those words, he remembered how he snapped and just how much of an outburst he had that night..

He suddenly became a bit bashful. "Uh.." he scratched at his mask. "It's.. not the.. _best_.. memory.. but.. uh-"

He felt a hand on his head and saw Garnet's smiling face under her mask. "It's something that you learned from and something that needed to be let out." she dropped her hand slowly from the top of his head to his shoulder. "Sure, it was something that you didn't want to happen, but it was something that _needed_. to happen. And now, it is but a passing thing." she squeezed his shoulder. "No need to dwell on it." she dropped her hand from his shirt and went to pet Lion. "And it made us closer." with that, she turned away from him and began walking up the path once again. 

"Y, yeah.." he whispered and followed her.

The two of them, with Lion still being held securely under her arm and being pet, continued their brisk walk up the grassy path.

Steven was beginning to wake up more with their walk and his mind was now starting to realize how extremely tired and sore his body was..

_Don't worry, Steven._

_Just get that breastplate thing that Amethyst was talking about and then the mission and your training will be over and you'll be snoring back in the car and on your way home. _

He really _really_ couldn't wait for that..

Without Steven realizing as he walked with Garnet, the attentive woman was being ever mindful of her surroundings with not so much as turning her head. The vigilant and observant Gem herself holding in a smirk behind her stoic expression and glasses.

They were coming up to a white sign that was no more than four feet off the ground.

Steven wondered what it'd said and once they eventually got up closer to it, he realized that.. it wasn't in a language that he spoke..

They walked pass it and minutes later, they were coming up to four different paths in front of them. At the beginning of each path were four different signs.

_Which path are we going to take-?_

"This way." said Garnet. She never stopped her walk as she went for the second path from the right.

Steven followed her down. 

Garnet resisted a scoff unbeknownst to him and she switched Lion from her arm to the other. 

"Getting heavy for you?" Steven joked with a grin.

"Nnnope." she smiled and pat the dog on the head.

They continued up the path as it became more crowded with flowers and bushes.

Steven looked around at the floral around them. His mind wanting to pick some up for Connie.

He couldn't wait to see her.

Garnet remained stoic as she shifted the dog to the other arm.

Steven raised an eyebrow at her, though didn't say anything.

The two continued up and they could see fog from miles away and a mountain on the horizon.

More walking..

And Steven wondered how difficult and how fast the mission would be.

Maybe it'll be a simply, quick one.

In such a peaceful forest they were in, maybe the mission would be.. kinda peaceful too?-

An arm wrapped around his neck and he screamed. The figure pulled him in and turned him around to Garnet, just as he saw a figure jump to her side and latch onto her -

"Garnet!" he saw the woman grab the figure by the shoulder as he was pulled around and away from her. He heard Lion barking loudly. "Garnet!!" he lifted his legs up and used his weight and let gravity pull him down. 

The figure tipped over and his legs stomped to the ground. He jammed his elbow into the figure's stomach and the person bent over. He tried pulling the arm off until he felt a foot crash into both ankles as he was pushed forward. He was airborne for a solid second before he fell hard to the ground on his stomach.

The arm was pulled away from his throat as his arm was pulled back. Right as he went to raise his other arm, the person grabbed it as their legs wrapped and locked around his.

He was stuck.

He tried to shake out of their hold and pull his arms out in a futile way to escape.

His arms were pushed to his back and the person's torso slammed into his back, pinning his arms. He felt fingers jam into his side and he screamed. 

He tried squirming away. "AAAHHHHHHH!! AHHHHHH..AHAHAHAHAHA!!!" the fingers tickled his sides and his screams turned into laughter.

The fingers ran up and down his sides in rapid motion.

Steven guffawed and his body shook under the person. "STOP! STOP! AHAHAHAHA!!!" 

The figure didn't let up. They ran their hands up his underarms, eliciting more uncontrollable laughter from the boy. "AHAHAHA!! STOP!! STOP!!! AHAHAHA!! I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA PEEE!!" 

The fingers tickled him harder and so did his laughter.

_"Alright Hoppy, that's enough. You heard the boy."_ Garnet smirked. _"We don't need any accidents on this mission."_ she joked. 

Steven heard Garnet's voice. He didn't know what she'd said, but he felt the hands leave his sides and he was able to breath again.

And no accidents. So that was a plus.

He felt the person get off of him, then moments later felt their hand grab his arm and pull him up to his feet.

He looked up to see the woman as she let go of his arm. 

She was taller than him and much slimmer and muscular. She was wearing a black ski mask and over top of it was a light gray rabbit mask with one eye drawn close with a cut over it. She wore dark blue wristbands on each wrist, a blue shirt with a lime green collar and blue samurai pants with a dark blue belt. 

On her side was a katana with a purple and red handle. 

_"Looks like we have a new recruit." _ she said with a smile.

"Uh.. huh?"

_"Thought you could sneak up on me, huh, Hopper?"_ he heard Garnet talking and turned around to see her smirking and holding Lion under her arm. In the other and in a headlock was a shorter, more stout woman sporting a ski mask with a goofy, smiling with a tongue out frog mask over top if it. She was wearing a black cape with a hood, yellow mittens, a light tan shirt with green sleeves and a pair of light pink boots. On her side was also a katana sword. Though this one had a black handle and a gray hilt. 

She was flailing her legs in the air as she tried to pry Garnet's arm off her neck. _"Let go! Let go! I give!"_ she shouted. 

"Hm." Garnet scoffed and let her go.

The woman fell to the ground and let out a breath of relief. _"That was hopping close.." _ she sighed.

Garnet looked at Hoppy. _"I take it you were trying to show off? I've heard that you've been really training hard for awhile." _

The woman folded her arms in triumph as she held her head up high. _"Well I wouldn't say 'show off' but.."_ she nodded. _"I couldn't just let my amazing moves go to waste."_ she turned to Steven and nudged him hard in his chest and he rubbed at it. _"I definitely got this boy down in like, five seconds tops." _ then she asked. _"So, who are you anyway? You must be new."_

"Uh.." what was she saying? That sounded like a lot.. but she's smiling. So maybe it's nothing bad?

_She did tickle me.. so she can't be .. a bad guy?_

_"He doesn't speak Igbo, Hoppy."_

He turned back to Garnet.

_Now what did_ she_ say?_

She was smirking.. was that good or bad?

Connie had done her smirks before when she'd been mad at him-

The woman turned to him and his eyes stared at the rabbit mask. "Na so? (Is that so?) You no know Igbo but you dey here?" 

"Uh.mm.." he.. sort of understood? He shook his head. "No.. I don't speak it.. but I'm training with Garnet."

"Na so?! (Is that so?!)" her mouth was wide open in mock surprise. "Dis woman" she pointed at Garnet. "na make her teach you e be?" (This woman here is teaching you?")

"Uh.." he looked at Garnet, then back at her. 

She shook her head chuckling. "I no go gree. (I'm not going to accept that.) Make you get new person oya na. (Please reconsider getting a new person.)" she joked. "Dat woman no be am."(That woman isn't worth it).

_What is she saying?! Is this.. is she speaking English? _

Hopper walked up to him as she adjusted the frog mask on her face. "Hoppy oooo. Leave am so. Dis boy na Crystal Gem e be, abi? (This boy's a Crystal Gem, right?) Make you leave Garnet to teach am. (Let Garnet teach him.) She fit to am." (She can do it.)

_I.. _

_What are they saying?_

Garnet saw the confused look on his face. "Hoppy, Hopper. You three can be acquainted later. Right now we have a mission to do." 

Hoppy nodded as she banged her fist into her hand. "Na true. Make we comot. (That's true. Let's go.) We go get jewel and come back." 

She and Hopper started their walk towards Garnet and silently, Steven began to follow after.

_This.... is going to be a looong.. mission.._

Hoppy and Hopper were on either side of Garnet.

_"So, Garnet. How have you been? We haven't seen you in months."_ said Hopper.

_"I've been well."_ she half lied. She hated being a Crystal Gem, though meeting Steven had been a treasure. _"Nothing new to report." _ nothing that they needed to hear. Everything that had happened and everything that and and her group had learned was to be kept a secret. 

Hopper nodded with a friendly smile. _"Sounds like Hoppy and I. We've been fine and nothing different has really changed."_

_"What? Nothing has changed?"_ Hoppy rolled her sleeve back. _"Do you two not see these muscles?"_ she flexed her arm.

Hopper snorted behind her frog mask. _"No.."_

_"Ehen? Is that so?" _ she rolled her sleeve down and raised her arms up. _"Then allow me to show and reassure you just how well these muscles work."_ she lunged after her. _"HAA!"_

_"WHA oh."_ Hopper backpedaled as she tucked her arm behind her back. She pulled out a grappling hook from behind and turned around and pressed a side button on the gadget. A pink, frog-like tongue in place of a hook shot out of the gadget and the tip of the tongue stuck to a tree branch. She pulled herself towards the tree as Hoppy went for another lunge and missed. She body slammed the ground. _"You can't get away from me that easily."_ she pushed herself back up to her feet and jumped up and cleared twenty feet towards the branch Hopper was one. 

Garnet tried stifling a laugh. _"That's enough you two. We have to be serious."_ her voice wavered. 

Hopper's leg shook as Hoppy came towards her. She let out a startled yelp as she ran around the tree right as Hoppy landed on the branch. 

Hopper jumped to another branch on the other side of the tree then jumped from the tree and towards Garnet. 

The Gem grabbed her in mid air as Hoppy came towards them. Garnet moved her arm away and Hoppy missed and went straight for the ground once again and face planted in the hard dirt as Garnet spun forward.

_"Heh. So you have_ Garnet_ helping you." _ she got up and dusted her knees off then her sleeves. _"I can take her down too."_

Garnet looked over at her. The only thing shown being her lips as a thin line. The playfulness of her eyes as she raised her eyebrow being hidden behind her shades.

Hoppy looked away and readjusted the rabbit mask on her face. _"I... just don't feel like doing that right now."_ she turned her head forward and began walking up.

_"Yes. That's definitely the reason."_ Hopper chuckled. She tucked the grappling hook in her pants behind her.

Garnet set the woman down and kept Lion in her arm. The dog didn't seem to mind as he looked at the new surroundings and sniffed the air.

_"It is! I've been training nonstop! I can take anyone down!"_

_"Yeah." _ Hopper snorted. _"And I'm the Queen of Nigeria." _

_"Wait.. there's no.. Queen in Nigeria?"_ she nearly doubted herself.

_"Exactly."_ said Hopper. 

_"What, how does that even? That means-"_ she shook her head. _"That's not even a good example!"_

_"It is." _ said Hopper and she and Garnet laughed.

Steven was just steps behind them while he listened to the three as they talked and laughed.

It was a little disheartening that he was on this mission but that he couldn't understand a word. 

He was_ already_ starting to feel a bit left out.

Though at the same time, he did have to try and ignore that thought, since he was on this mission simply as an addition to his training. Not because he spoke.. whatever they were speaking.

It was just business.

The group continued their way up the path until they heard a, "Help me! Please! I need help! Somebody!" the accent was thick and not too far from them.

They began to look around. "Sounds like someone's in trouble." said Steven.

"Help! Abeg! Help me!" 

_"We should check it out." _ said Hoppy. She took out the katana sword from her scabbard and took a step into her run when Garnet threw an arm around the woman's chest and picked her up. She turned her head to look at the woman. _"Hey! What do you think you're doing, Garnet! Let me go!" _

_"We have to be careful. We can't just run off into the unknown."_ she said. _"We can not be hasty here."_

Hoppy stopped flailing her legs and dropped them limp as she pouted. _"I still think running in head on when he least expected it would've worked just fine.." _she mumbled 

Garnet set her down and looked to the boy. "Talc, stay close." she opened her arm up as he took his steps over to her. Right as he got close to her, she pulled him close in front of her before dropping her hand from his shoulder. "The four of us has to stay close. This could very well be a trap." she whispered. "Gem weapons out and be ever vigilant." she took out one gauntlet from her belt with her good hand and Hopper took out her katana sword and Steven double tapped on his index finger to activate his shield. 

Garnet quickly held a hand up before taking a step as her mind quickly went to-

She looked at Steven. "Talc. On a second thought, we can use your bubble." 

"Huh?"

"That'll protect us as we look for the person."

"Oh. Yeah! Now why didn't I think of that?" he looked at Hoppy and Hopper. "Alright, everybody. Here goes." he ran the ring across his arm and the jewel popped off of the band. A pink bubble formed around them.

Both Hoppy and Hopper looked at the inside of the bubble. _"Interesting.."_ said Hoppy. She placed a hand on the interior of the bubble.

Garnet set Lion down. "Come on, Gems." she began taking her steps within the bubble, though it hadn't moved until Steven had began walking himself.

They looked amongst the trees.

_"He's not saying anything now."_ said Hoppy.

"Hello!?" Hopper shouted.

Garnet pivoted on her heels and held her mouth. "Hopper-" , "Hello? Someone there! Help me! Abeg, help me!" she looked towards the sound of the voice then looked back at Hopper and whispered, "you need to keep your voice down." 

"Is someone there! Help me!"

Garnet eased her hand off of the young woman's mouth. "Now, come on. And keep your voice at a minimum."

The four of them stayed close to each other as the bubble rolled easily through the dense thicket. 

They could hear rustling nearby-

"Over there!" Hopper shouted and quickly closed her mouth as Garnet shot her a warning look with her tensed jaw.

She turned back around.

Just off to the side and underneath a hefty fallen tree branch laid an elderly man laying stomach first on the bare ground. 

"Looks like someone's trapped." said Steven. He took a step to move the bubble forward and he felt a bandaged hand grab his shoulder. "Talc, you have to stay cautious." Garnet lowered her hand from his shoulder. "Maybe this is a trap." 

The man lifted his head from the ground and looked at them. 

Garnet lifted up both her gauntlet and her broken wrist as Hoppy and Hopper raised their katana swords up. 

The man screamed before shouting out, "The Crystal Gems!!!" he screamed out once again before yelling out, "They're going to kill me!! Oooh!! I'm going to die today!!"

Steven was quick to turn to the women as he lifted his hands up in front of them in a placating matter. "We don't have to kill him." he shook his head fervently. "Right?" his eyes went to Garnet.

He couldn't read her expression through her glasses and her tight lipped look. 

"..Garnet?" he whispered. "We don't have to kill him.." 

She looked up at the man cowering with his arms over his head, before looking at the boy's nervous, pleading eyes.

She was a Crystal Gem.

And she was _with_ two other Crystal Gems.

They were on a mission and she had to treat it as such.

"..Garnet.."

She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

But, she wasn't with Amethyst or Pearl.

And she didn't have to worry about Hopper or even Hoppy.

And, she was still holding onto her and Steven's talk at the jewelry store on that fateful night.

She wouldn't kill anyone.. 

.. unless she truly, truly had to or had no other choice.

"We won't." she said and he sighed a breath of relief. 

She turned around in the bubble. "Come. We have to get through the swamp waters first." she said. "That's what the sign said."

"Wait, we're.. just going to leave him like this?"

Garnet turned to her side. "We're not going to kill him." she emphasized. "But, that _doesn't_ mean that he isn't a trap. We can leave him here and carry on with what we have to do."

"But what if he_ isn't_ a trap? What if he's really stuck under the tree and he needs our help?" 

"Unfortunately, we shouldn't take that chance. We have to leave him here and we have to continue with our mission."

"But he looks hurt." he took a step towards her to face her fully. "And what if he's not a trap?" he challenged.

"There's still a possibility that he is. And we don't have time for him to hold us back or try to sabotage what we're trying to do."

"But what If we leave him here and he dies and it turns out that he _wasn't_ a trap?" he questioed. "Then we really _did_ kill him. And, we just prolonged it."

Garnet sighed deeply. "Talc.."

"I have my bubble" he blurted out before raising his arm up. "and I have my shield now. And, I don't think this old guy could even get through you three. And that's saying that he's a trap-WHICH I don't think he is!" he quickly stated. 

Garnet's shades looked down at him and he tried his best to look pass the black, thick lenses to see her eye.. but couldn't..

"I just.. don't feel right leaving him.." 

Just the corner of her mouth twitched slightly.

"I don't think we have anything to worry about.." he whispered meekly to her. 

She blinked behind her glasses.

..Debating..

And seconds passed before she let out a defeated sigh and turned around.

"Garnet, wetin dey doing?! (What are you doing?!) Hoppy exclaimed. 

"We're going to help the man." she answered, straight-faced.

Steven smiled from ear to ear.

"Wetin?!" (What?!) 

"Nawa ooo.. (Wow..)" Hopper shook her head. "You say me to no go there but here you now say go there?" she sucked her teeth. "I gree with Hoppy. You dey mumu you waka there." (I agree with Hoppy. You're crazy if you walk over there.)

Garnet turned from them. "We're going." she took her steps and the bubble didn't budge.

"Oh, sorry." Steven started walking and the bubble began to roll towards the man. He noticed the Crystal Gems coming back for him and he began screaming out once more.

Hoppy growled out a sigh. "You una dey mad." (You people are crazy.). "Dis dey get k-leg." (This is suspicious)

Steven wondered what she was saying.. but opted for focusing on the older man screaming his head off instead. 

Again, he raised his hands in a placating matter and the man cowered with another scream as he threw his arms back over his head. Steven quickly put his arms back down and pressed the button on his mask to disguise his voice. "Don't worry. We're not going to hurt you. We're here to help you." 

The fellow lifted his head up slowly and peeked between his arms as he continued to shake in fear.

Steven swiped across the bubble and it disappeared back into the tiny jeweled ball in the band of the ring.

He quickly grabbed hold of Lion before the dog could ran away and explore the area. "Sit boy."

Lion sat down. 

Hoppy and Hopper raised their katana swords on either side of Garnet. 

The elder person went back to cowering under his arms as he screamed. 

Steven turned to them. "You're scaring him." 

"You say you kno dis guy no be wayo but I go get my sword up. I no trust am." (You said you know that this man isn't a trickster, but I'll have my sword up. I don't trust him.)

"Uh.." 

He understood.. part of that?.. Maybe?

He turned back around as Garnet glanced over at the two women silently.

He looked up again and saw the pink masked person coming towards him. He ducked his head back down. "Please! Don't hurt me!" 

"We won't." Steven reassured him. He knelt down near the tree and grabbed the bottom of it. He tried pulling it up and he grunted as his soar muscles ached throughout his body. "I can't move it." he grunted. 

He felt the log push up easily and opened his eyes to see Garnet holding the other end with both her good and her bad hand. She moved the log over the man's body and Steven followed her direction as she stepped pass the senior and behind him. 

The two held each end of the log and the older man looked on in shock as the two Crystal Gems threw the heavy piece of log to the grass behind him.

The one with the pink mask was coming back over with a gentle look to his face. "Are you hurt?" 

The man hesitated before shaking his head.

Steven crouched down and held a hand out. 

Hesitant at first, the senior slowly raised his hand towards him. 

Steven grabbed at the senior's hand and helped him to his knees, then up to his feet. The man grunting all the while as he did.

Steven slowly let go of the man's hand and stepped back to give him some space and to not get him even more nervous than what he already was. 

Now up to his feet, Steven noticed how tall and bigger he was compared to him.

A tanned man with his hair.. oddly styled up and in a ring at the front of his head. He wore a burgundy kimono with a white apron over top. The kimono tucked into his khaki shorts. His black boots were caked up in mud and leaves.

He adjusted the gray, rectangular rimmed glasses. "I... can't believe you two have helped me." 

Hoppy and Hopper held their swords in front of them as they glared at the mysterious man.

"We couldn't just leave you here all alone." said Steven.

"I.. see.." he looked from him to Garnet, to the other two. He nodded and cleared his throat. "I must thank you all, fellow people, for not harming me. Please, let me introduce myself." he began. "My name is Ringo. I am but a humble caretaker who not only takes in tired travelers that wish to trek this mountain, but I also teach Igbo classes as well as hold many Nigerian activities that are free to the public." 

That got Garnet's attention.

Hoppy and Hopper continued to be suspicious of the elderly man. "Wetin dey you do here underneath day tree?" Hoppy asked through her voice disguiser with a skeptic look.

"Ah, a fellow woman from the motherlands." he smiled. "How far na?" (How are you?)

Her eyes narrowed behind her rabbit mask. "You no answer ma question." 

He nodded contently. "Of course." he grinned. "You see, I have been living here for a little over four months now in these woods." he gestured at the trees around them. "Unfortunately, my brother and I had a squabble due to moral related differences and he had put me out. There, I was forced to fend for myself in the wild where I was doing great, up until I tried taking down that tree branch" he pointed. "for fire wood. It fell on top of me and there, I laid for hours calling for help. In which I, was later assisted." 

"Mm. Sounds plausible." Steven said casually with a shrug. 

"Dis man be wayo ooo." (This man is a fraud.) said Hoppy. 

"I too no trust am." Hopper agreed. 

"Make we do something about it." she ran towards him with her sword up. "YAAAHHHH!!" 

Hopper ran with her with her own katana sword.

The man yelled in fear as Steven and Garnet jumped in front of him. Steven raised his shield up as Garnet grabbed each woman by their face and stopped them in their tracks. Their face slamming into her rough palms.

_"Stop being so rash."_ she pushed them back and the women fell on their backs.

"I have been saved... AGAIN!" he cheered behind them.

Steven lowered his arm.

_"Garnet, what are you doing?" _ Hoppy got up from the ground. _"You can't _really_ trust that guy." _

She straightened her back up. _"I can't say that I do; however, you two are going about this all wrong. We can leave him and be ever vigilant."_

The man cleared his throat. _"I _do_ understand what you two are saying."_

They looked at him.

_"I can assure everyone that I am to not be feared or to be cautious of. As I've said before, I am a caretaker. I used to live with my brother up yonder mountain." he pointed to the side at the foggy area along the horizon. "Pass the fog was my abode. But now, I am here." _

The three eyed him. 

Steven stood there as he wondered what they were saying. 

The man continued. _"Please, believe me." _ he said gently. _"I do not want any trouble. Especially from the Crystal Gems."_

Garnet looked from him to the two women, then to Steven. "We're leaving." she said. "There's nothing else for us here." she began walking towards Steven. "Hoppy, Hopper, let's go. Steven, your bubble." 

The two women gave the senior a leveled glare before slowly walking away with their swords still pointing towards him. 

Steven ran the ring across his arm and the bubble formed around them. 

Ringo looked at the pink bubble and the Crystal Gems inside, speechless.

Steven waved his hand goodbye and Garnet grabbed it and lowered it back down. "We may have helped him, but we're not suppose to act like this." she warned him. "We're not here to be buddy buddy. Now let's go." 

Steven's smile faltered, but he did what he was told. With one more look at the elderly man, he turned around with the group and began walking forward in his bubble. 

Garnet looked around her. 

"See anything, Garnet?" Steven asked. He tried to imitate her as he looked to his sides and behind him.

Another look around and she said plainly, "I'm simply making sure. Just like Hoppy and Hopper said, we still cannot trust him." a beat. "In a bubble or not." 

Steven nodded slowly. "Riiight." 

The two walked out of the trees and was on the same path they were on just minutes ago. Garnet pointed her finger up the path. "The sign said that the swamp waters is just up ahead. There should be another sign at the end of the waters saying where we need to go next." 

The four of them, with Lion right beside Steven, began traveling up the dirt path.

The dirt and gravel soon made way for thick, wet mud with trees becoming more prominent in the area as they loomed overhead. 

Minutes later and they were approaching another sign. Behind it was the dark brown and green swamp waters.

_"Go through the swamp and make a right."_ Hoppy read the sign in Igbo. _"Beware of the crocodiles."_

_"Stupid crocodiles!"_ Hopper shook her head. 

_"Oh this is not going to be an easy mission oooo..." _

Garnet saw Steven look at both women with a look of confusion on his face.

"The sign says that we need to travel through the swamp waters and make a right." she translated for him. "And to beware of the crocodiles."

"Crocodiles?!"

"Mhm." she nodded, her expression showing a look of someone completely unfazed and collected.

Then Steven remembered, "Wait, wait, wait. I have my bubble! So.. so we don't have to worry about them." he felt more relieved and more confident to travel through.

With another nod, Garnet took another step forward in the bubble and he began walking to make the bubble move towards the edge of the swamp-

Garnet held her arm out in front of him. "Wait." she whispered sharply. 

"Huh?" 

She was looking forward in front of her and Steven did the same.

_What is she looking at?_

His eyes traced over the slow moving water in front of him.

"Hoppy." she called for the woman.

The woman looked to her with the rabbit mask still laying neatly on her face.

She still kept her face forward. "Do not look," she warned. "but when Steven" the boy looked at her. "deactivates the bubble, I need you to throw your sword to the left at seventy-two degrees just behind my back." 

"Got it." she raised her sword up, but kept her look forward.

"You have to be quick." she told her. "Steven, deactivate the bubble and keep to the front with me." 

Steven took his steps forward in his bubble. He raised his hand up to the surface and swiped across at an angle.

He didn't move back and stayed beside Garnet as he felt the sword dart pass behind him.

He heard a scream to his left.

Garnet looked over and seeing that she did it, he took that as invitation and looked over.

"Whuuuu OH!!!!" the elderly man screamed.

The sword had went through the hole in his hair and had pinned him to the tree. The man grabbed at his hair, too afraid to simply walk forward and slid his hair down the blade of the sword.

"Please! Don't hurt me!"

"Why. are you following us?" Garnet marched her way towards him.

"Please! I wasn't trying anything!"

Garnet narrowed her eye at him from behind her shades. "That doesn't tell us why you were following us."

"I..I, I, I, I was just wondering if you were going to my home! I.. surely you Gems had to be." he cowered. 

"Wetin be it to you if we were?" Hoppy questioned. "You say to us you no live there. So why you think am?" (So why are you worrying about it?) 

He looked at each of them. 

He hesitated.

"I.." he finally spoke up. "I.. was just hoping that none of you would hurt or kill my brother!"

"Ehen?" (Uh huh?) Hoppy wasn't convinced. "Dis na same guy dat put you out, abi?" (Right?)

"Well, yes. But I still care for him. Despite of it all, I wouldn't want anything to happen to him." 

"We no able to make reassure you dat."

The man looked visibly worried and Steven was about to cut in when Garnet raised her hand up to stop her. "While we can't make any promises, so long as he stays out of the way, we won't go after him." 

The elderly man sighed. "I know my brother. He won't stay out of the way, especially now that he has-" he stopped his casual ramble short and locked eyes with the Gems.

"What he has?" Hopper interrogated him.

"Oh.. well.."

The three women stared him down.

Another defeated sigh came from him. He'd already said to much now. "Okay.. the truth is. There's a reason why my brother and I had moral differences." he started off. "During one of our casual early morning walks, we'd strode upon a breastplate" Garnet raised her eyebrow and Hoppy and Hopper's eyes went wide. "We'd heard a many of stories about it's power. I wanted to hide it away in fear that someone, like the Crystal Gems or the Diamonds or any other people may try to find it and retrieve it." he explained. "Unfortunately, my brother did not see that. He wanted it's power. He wanted both of us to have it to protect us. But I knew it was more than just protecting one's property and one's person. He was going to do more with it. He was going to use it for bad." he looked to the group. "When I confronted him and tried to change his mind, he used the power of the breastplate on me and attacked." he frowned. "I was then forced to leave our property."

The three women were silent for only a few moments as Hoppy and Hopper looked up at Garnet before the woman spoke back up. "We need to get that breastplate."

The man's expression dropped even more.

"As I've said before, we can not make any promises on whether he will be assaulted or not, but we've came for that and only that and we will take it. There's no stopping us."

The old man nodded sadly. "But perhaps he has came to his senses. I hope that you will not have to hurt him." 

"Again." said Garnet. "No promises." 

"But," Steven cut in. "that doesn't mean that we _will_ hurt him." he tried to reassure the man.

"Come on, Gems. We have to go." Garnet began walking away.

Steven watched as she turned her head slightly to the side at them, then turned her head forward as she made her way back to the edge of the swamp. 

There was just.. something about Garnet being so stern yet so casual at the same time with the man.

Hopper jumped up and grabbed the handle of the sword and he cowered with a started yelp. She yanked it out of the tree. "Hopper. Make we comot." (Let's get out of here).

Ringo lowered his hands down as he looked from the two of them. 

Hopper raised her sword up and jammed it towards the man's face to spook him. "HAH!" 

He let out another startled yelp as he threw his hands back over his face. 

The frog masked woman chuckled behind her disguise. 

"Hopper." the three of them and the elderly man heard Garnet from afar. _"Stop messing with him. I said let's go." _

Steven hadn't understood, but the sound of her voice was every bit intimidating and serious and it made Hopper stop with her antics and make her way briskly towards her with Hoppy already a foot ahead of her. 

"Talc." she said. "You too." 

He looked from her and back at the elderly man. 

The poor senior just looked so hopeless.. and sad..

And he could understand completely why..

Being worried about his brother despite of what he's doing?

He was always worried about his Connie and despite of her and his brother having completely different situations, he still knew how heart crushing it feels to be worried for someone. 

"Sorry about that." Steven told him. "They're just pretty tense. You can understand why coming from the Gems. They just have to be on alter at all times." 

The man sighed. "I can understand that. But I fear that, with the Crystal Gems involved, that he won't make it.." 

The elderly man looked genuinely sad and defeated.

His head hung low and his eyes downcast over his solemn frown.

Steven had looked from him, then back to Garnet who, didn't look quite happy, based on the rigid look of her stance. Hoppy and Hopper on either side of her and waiting.

_Maybe.. I can do something about this?_

Steven looked back at the man. "Maybe you want to come with us?'

There was a dubious look to his features. "Come _with_ the Crystal Gems?!" 

"Yeah." he suggested. "Maybe you can talk to him again and with the Crystal Gems with you, maybe he'll back down." 

Ringo thought about it. His face slightly twisted as he scratched at his chin. "I suppose I could give it a shot. It won't be easy, but at this point I'll try anything."

Steven nodded with a determined smile. "All we _can_ do is try." he took a step away from him. "Now, let's help save your brother." he started his walk away. "Come on, Lion." the dog kept close to his side as they walked towards the three women.

Garnet saw the senior walking beside him. Her eyebrows knitted behind her mask. "Talc, what are you doing?"

"I want him to come with us."

Garnet was already shaking her head as Hoppy and Hopper both protested with fervent shakes of their own heads.

"I, just thought that maybe he could talk to his brother again-"

"Talc. We can't trust him. He could still have an anterior motive. We don't know him." said Garnet. 

"But-"

"We saved him, Talc." her shades never looked away from him. "He's not under the branch anymore. Now, we have to leave. We have a mission that Amethyst assigned us too." he looked at the black of the shades before she turned around. 

"But what if he's not a trap? And what's so bad about him wanting to see his brother? I think it's fair that we should take him with us." he stepped up behind her. "Wouldn't you want to try and stop a family member from getting hurt or killed too-?"

Right as the words left his mouth, he realized how wrong he might've sounded. He hadn't meant it like that. For it to sound like a personal jab towards her. 

To anyone else, it would've been a what-if question, just a question one would ask to get the other person to think, to get them to feel a pathetic towards the hypothetical question.

To her on the other hand, that was much more on a personal level.

And when she stopped abruptly in her tracks and as her shoulders tensed, so did he. 

He swallows hard.

"I..." he shook his head gently. "Garnet, I didn't mean-" 

She pivoted around to him. Majority of her features covered by the mask and the shades underneath it. Her mouth in a very tight line. 

"That's, not what I meant.."

Garnet was quiet. He could only imagine what was going through her mind.

He still hadn't found out what had went on with her life in the past, but he could only imagine how nightmarish it could've been-

She looked at the man. _"I only wish to keep those who I love safe."_ she said bluntly. The hurt was well into her wavering voice.

Hoppy and Hopper glanced up at her.

_"I agree. I do too."_ his wrinkled face was gentle and cordial. _"I value my family, as one should. I believe you understand that."_

Garnet glanced away from him as the guilt tugged at her heart.

_"Please give me a chance to talk to him."_ he took a step towards her and Hoppy, then Hopper upon seeing her, had raised their swords up at him and he stopped and held his hands up. His attention was back on Garnet. _"I want to try and save him."_

_"Ehen? Yeah, I still don't trust him." _ said Hoppy.__

_ __ _

_ __ _

_"Me either."_ Hopper chimed in.

Garnet was quiet once more as she stared deeply at the man.

All he wanted was to see if he could save his brother.

He could be a trap.

Or.. he could be telling the truth.

_"Wouldn't you want to try and stop a family member from getting hurt or killed too-?"_ Steven's words rung into her ears. 

Yes.

She would..

A slither of past thoughts tried breaking through the vault of her mind before she tried shutting them away once more. 

But.. too bad she _couldn't_ save them.

Any of them..

They watched as the woman stood there right in front of him.

Just seconds passed before she forced her lips open to speak, _"You can come with us."_

Hoppy and Hopper looked at her with their mouths agaped in bewilderment. _"What?!"_ they shouted. 

Garnet turned away.

Steven wondered what she and the man were talking about.

"He can come with us." she said plainly to him. She ignored Hoppy and Hopper behind her. "But we'll still keep a very close eye on him."

Steven was quick to nod his head. "Don't worry, I'll be with him." he saw her lips fold in in an unsure frown. "You don't have to worry." he tried quickly reassuring her. "I, learned from the best." he wasn't sure how far that compliment had went or if it eased her even in the slightest. 

The unsure tight-lipped look was still on her face.

"In fact, I'll keep him inside of my bubble."

Garnet was quick to look back at the man.

He held his hands up. "I won't do anything. I promise." he answered an unsaid statement.

"And I also have my shield."

Garnet looked back at Steven raising his shield up. "And I have trusty Lion right here." he pat at the dog's head.

Garnet looked down at the canine.

He wagged his tail at her.

She looked back up. "I'll permit it." she said. "But I'll still be keeping watch." she looked to the man. "Very. closely." 

He placed a hand on his chest. "You have nothing to worry about with me." he reassured with a bob of his head.

Garnet turned for the edge of the swamp.

Hoppy and Hopper still protesting and yelling beside her.

_I still can't believe you're letting him come with us!"_

_"What if HE tries to take the breastplate for himself?!_

_"What if he and his brother are plotting against us!"_

_This could be a trap!'_

_"I can't believe you said yes to this!"_

_"I don't trust this ONE bit!"_More frantic shouts were thrown at her.

She turned to them both and got in their face and they stopped abruptly. "I said, we're letting him come with us. If he does something, then we'll handle it accordingly." 

The two women were quiet.

She leaned back up. "Please. If we can continue. We really need to finish up this mission." she turned away from them. 

Maybe he was a trap or a tricker.

Or maybe he wasn't.

But just in case he was telling the truth, it would be a good feeling to try and stop his brother without harming him. 

In her mind she knew it wouldn't undo her own past or bring them back; nevertheless, it would be a nice feeling to save someone else's family. 

It was the least she could do..

This time, neither Hoppy nor Hopper didn't protest or question her.

Instead, they only followed her. 

Without a spoken word, Steven ran the ring across his arm and the bubble activated around him, Lion and the elderly man and the senior looked around his self both in fear and in awe. He touched the bubble.

"Alright, Mr. Ringo." Steven began. "Looks like you'll be able to see you brother soon." he smiled. "And we should be there in no time."

The man looked from the pink surface of the bubble and back to him. He gave him a smile of his own. "I can't wait." he said. "They can have the breastplate. All I want is my brother back and safe." 

The determined look was back on Stevens face. "And we'll do that for you."

The smile didn't leave the man's lips. "Again." then he said once more. "I can't wait. At last I'll have a chance of going back to my home with your help." the smile stretched out more, though it never did reach the vague look of his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone who's wondering, Hoppy and Hopper are speaking in Nigerian Pidgin English to Steven.  
*With that being said, if anyone speaks this fluently and have seen an error or if something doesn't sound natural, feel free to correct me.
> 
> *~~*~~*~~*~~*  
A vent/ discouraged/being a lame whining freakin' baby/ sorry note:
> 
> Just want to say sorry for not writing as much or not posting as quick as I've done before. I gotta come clean about this.. to be 110% honest, I just simply feel that maybe not a lot of people like this story? Just going off of the statistics and lack of engagement. (Which, don't get me wrong, I can completely understand if folks don't like this kind of story or how I may be writing it). If it's not good, then why keep writing it?
> 
> So yeah, I've been busy writing other stuff which people seem to like more. 
> 
> Am I still writing this?  
...Sure? *Shrugs* Somewhat-ish?  
Just not as much anymore despite how extremely passionate I still am about the story.
> 
> I still kinda plan to eventually post the last chapters of this episode at_ least._  
But yeah, if this story's a total flop then shoot 🤷 I gotta move on with something else then and focus on my other stuff.👋 If it's good it's good, but if it's bad then, *dusts hands* I can't be mad about that at all. I'll just move on with a bittersweet memory and that's it.
> 
> Sorry guys, I hope this doesn't come off too whiny. But after writing over a million words and over two hundred chapters, it just starts getting to you and it gets a little discouraging with no reassurance, ya know? Even a little, "I'm still reading this." and then disappear for another ten, twenty chapters is cool. Comments like those really go a long way.
> 
> I have but one amazing reader/ friend ❤️who comments and honestly if it wasn't for them, I most likely would've been dropped this fic like fifty, sixty chapters ago and carried on with my others.
> 
> Again, hope this wasn't too cringy/ bs to read 🤷 Maybe I shouldn't had even wrote this? Maybe it left a bad taste in your mouth by reading this? Maybe I should delete this author's note? I don't know, I guess I just wanted to give anyone a heads up on whether I continue the fic or not. Also, maybe it's just one of those blahh kinda days for me when I just want to gush and whine about stuff, I don't know.
> 
> That's it. Vent is over..
> 
> Hope whoever may be reading this has a great day/ enjoys the rest of their day/ have a good night and sleep tight.
> 
> Um, maybe stay tuned for the last few chapters of Garnet's Universe? 🖐️


	215. The Journey to the mountains

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just want to give a deeeeeep, deeeeep thanks and say how much I truly, truuuuuuly appreciate the kind words I've gotten from some amazing folks. 
> 
> I've gotten that push that I needed for right now to at least keep chugging along :)
> 
> Again, thanks for the comments. I really needed them. 😝🙃🤗✌️
> 
> Now, here's just two more chapters of Garnet's Universe. Hope you guys enjoy =)

Steven and Ringo were walking up to Garnet and the two women as they were looking at the swamp ahead.

The dark brown murky waters moved stiffly in front of them.

Ringo hesitated before speaking up in the presence of the Crystal Gems. He cleared his throat and the three women and Steven looked at him. "It..is unfortunate that we have to go through this. There was once a straight path to our place, but, my brother destroyed nearly every bridge and path to get there." 

Garnet turned back around. "Doesn't matter. We'll still get there. Bridges and paths or not." then she addressed the two women on either side of her. "Hopper, Hoppy." she ran into the water and the two followed her and dove in with her.

Steven followed after as he jogged forward in his bubble. The surface of the forcefield bubble rolled over top of the thick, dirty water and stayed afloat.

Ringo looked on in awe but stayed silent as he looked around him.

Steven looked over at Garnet and the two women swimming in the water, completely unfazed at the caked up dirt and grime and other decaying plants as they swam through. 

Good thing he had his bubble..

Otherwise he would have to do a whole scrub down of his body once he go back in the house.

Also.. he _still_ couldn't swim, so that was _also_ a plus of having his bubble.

And of course, keeping the man at bay. He couldn't forget that.

The group of them swam and rolled across respectively and to the other side of the swamp. From afar they could see large boulders jutting up from the waters covered in moss and grime.

Steven looked left and right of the seemingly endless swamp. Boulders laid across as far as he could see on either side of them. 

No going around them most likely.

He had a feeling they would have to climb them up.

Though how he was going to do that in his bubble with both Lion and the elderly man, he didn't know.

But he would have to figure something out quick before they got there.

The area around them had been quiet, say for the sound of their arms hitting the mucky water. That is, until moments later when he heard a startled shout from Hopper. 

A crocodile had swam up to the surface and grabbed onto the woman's arm. The predator's large teeth grabbed and locked hold of the sleeve-

Hopper threw her body over the scaly reptile as water and seaweed were kicked up into the air, making it harder for the Gems and Ringo to see the whole fight unfold.

"We have to save her!" Steven shouted. 

War shouts sounded from the woman as the crocodile threw her up in the air and spun it's body around. It slammed her back into the water.

"You guys!! We-!" Steven caught sight of Garnet and Hoppy. The women simply swimming afloat as Hopper was slammed back into the swamp once again.

Garnet's shades was looking towards him. She gave a single shake of her head.

And, as if some sort of wordless communication, he remembered their motto. 

Every Crystal Gem for themselves..

"Git am, Hopper! Git am!" Hoppy cheered 

"Heheh!!" the smile was wide and mischievous on the stout woman's face. "I dey! I dey!!" (I am!!) 

The crocodile lifted her up again in a spin to perform another barrel roll on her.

She wrapped her legs around the reptile's stomach as she was slammed back into the swamp.

More water splashed up as she wrestled with the croc.

_"Get him, Hopper! Come on! Get him!"_

_"Duh! That's what.. I'm doing!" _she grunted. She tried raising her katana sword to the reptile's head and the crocodile flung itself backwards into the water.

Steven stared on with bated breath as both the woman and the crocodile disappeared under the slow moving water. The surface near calm now as the two sunk farther down into the swamp.

He surveyed the area around him, looking for any bubbles coming up along the surface or any rapid movement ripples along the water, anything.

Nothing.

Everything being near silent once more.

Until Hoppy spoke back up._ "Hm. Guess we'll give her a few more seconds. And if she doesn't resurface, we can leave."_

Garnet had hesitated with Steven being there, but then nodded an affirmative to Hoppy. It was also a good thing he didn't understand what she'd said.

She could only imagine what he would've said or do upon hearing that.

The boy already worried enough as he kept his eyes on the surface of the swamp.

And, they waited.

Nothing. 

Several seconds passed and Hoppy turned from the spot of the attack. _"Okay, looks like she's gone. Let's go."_ she started to swim away. 

Garnet made a glance over at Steven and reluctantly, turned away herself.

"Wait! Wait! What are you guys doing?!" 

The women stopped and turned around. "We dey comot." (We're leaving.) said Hoppy.

"Uh.." he shook his head. "What?"

"We have our mission." Garnet said lightly. "We have to go."

"But.." he looked about the surface once more and looked back up at them. "But Hopper!" 

"No here." Hoppy answered. "Da woman no dey here, abi? (The woman isn't here, right?) Then abeg, make we comot from here. (Then please, let's get out of here." 

He walked in his bubble, all while hoping he wouldn't block the surface if Hopper was to try coming back up. "But I think she needs help!"

"Aye." she cut him off. "You need to listen well well. (You need to pay attention). She no dey here so we need to comot." (She isn't here so we need to leave."

Steven looked over at Garnet which made Hoppy looked over at her.

Neither of the two could read Garnet's plain expression through her shades.

"Garnet.." Steven started before immediately trailing off. 

Motto or not.. this was wrong.

Even if he _was_ surrounded by Gems and, definitely had no say about the situation as being a newcomer..

But Garnet.. she could maybe do something..

But how would that sit with Hoppy?

She'd already saved a life that she shouldn't had done under the Crystal Gem name..

Garnet was looking over at Hoppy. "He's new." was what she said before those mysterious shades were looking back at him. "No wahala." she told him.

Was that supposed to be a code? 

What did that even mean?

Hoppy nodded behind her rabbit mask. "I gree." (I agree). 

"Come on, Talc." she turned around and Hoppy was close behind.

He watched them swim away, but couldn't get his self to move. His eyes went back to the surface of the water.

Ringo had been quiet the entire time and decided to _keep_ quiet as the boy beside him kept his eyes on the water.

"Talc." 

The women had stopped and were looking back at him. "Come on." Garnet's voice had sounded just a bit forceful, but there was something else in her voice.

With another look over the swampy waters and seeing nothing, he sighed and reluctantly began walking in his bubble.

Once he'd eventually reached him, Hoppy had given him a side eye but otherwise didn't say anything. Garnet turned around silently and started her swim and so did she. Steven followed them slowly and still ever so reluctantly in his bubble.

With everything seemingly calm, Garnet had stopped which made Hoppy and Steven stop with her. 

"Wetin dey happen?" (What's going on?) Hoppy asked her. 

"Stand guard." she said-

The surface of the water in front of them rippled violently before bursting up in front of them. Hopper and the crocodile shot out from the water and slammed back into it. This time the woman had both arms around the crocodile's neck with her legs still wrapped around it. 

"I got am dis time! Haaahaha!" she took one arm off the reptile's neck and brought the sword back down.

Right as the blade dug into the throat of the crocodile and slice threw its skin, Steven immediately looked away as the woman proceeded to cut the throat of the reptile.

He didn't bother looking back and even when he heard the sound of something heavy, of something_ dead_ hitting the water and cheering from Hopper, he still didn't look back. 

Ringo looked at the uncomfortable look on the boy's face.

"Yeaheaaa!! I say to you I go do it!" (I told you I would do it!) Hopper cheered. "Dat croc no dey match for me." (The crocodile was no match for me).

"Na true." (That's true). Hoppy grinned. 

Garnet was busy looking over at the sad look on Steven's face. "Gems." she said and she saw him solemnly look over. "We should go. The faster we finish this missing, the faster we can leave and go back to our base." 

Or, in his case, to go home, she thought to herself.

"We're almost at the rocks. Once we get up there, there should be another sign telling us where to go next." she turned away from them and began her swim up the swampy waters. 

Hoppy and Hopper looked at each other before Hopper shrugged to her and the two began to follow her.

Steven had looked over and tried to keep his eyes up from the water. But, even then his eyes were still down far who gh to see the fresh blood along the surface of the water. A lone dark object floated stiffly along the water out the corner of his eye and he didn't bother looking to his side. 

He quickly made a slow jog over the bloody, mucky waters and passed the dead, floating figure and towards the three women.

Garnet was right..

The quicker they would would finish this mission, the quicker they would leave this place. 

And he wanted nothing more than to do that right now. Just leave and go home, take his shower and cuddle Connie in bed until he fell asleep.

If only he was doing that now instead of being a Crystal Gem and being on another deadly mission-

"Don't like to see things die, I see." 

The man's voice snapped him out of his fantasy. He looked over his shoulder to see the man looking straight at him with a very knowing grin on his face. "Your reaction to that Crystal Gem and to the crocodile." 

Steven only looked at him at first. He wasn't so sure on whether he should talk to the man. In his heart he had a feeling he could trust him, but like Garnet said, they still had to keep an eye on him. Being on friendly terms probably shouldn't be on his list of things to be towards the mysterious elderly man.

"Uh.. yeah." he eventually said to him. "I don't like it.' then he added as he tried to keep his emotions in check. "I didn't want to just leave her to die. That's wrong. And, even though the crocodile was trying to get her, he didn't have to die either." 

The man nodded and added. "And just like how you saved me."

Steven listened to him, still forcing his self to be weary of the gentle looking old man.

"If it wasn't for you, I most likely would've still been under that tree branch. Without you and that tentative Gem over there," he gestured art Garnet swimming at the front of the group and leading the way. "I would've most likely died there. But, you made her reconsider." the man's eyes sparkled admiringly under his glasses. "What a shocking way to get saved. By Crystal Gems." 

He could appreciate the man being thankful, but hearing the name 'Crystal Gem' made his stomach churn.

He didn't want to be associated with anything like that.

And very soon he would _not_ be associated with anything in regards to that.

Neither will anyone else under the Crystal Gem empire.

Or the _Diamond_ Authority for that matter.

And.. that _will_ happen. Both authorities will be dismantled and-

"I see good in you." 

The man, once again, snapped him out of his thoughts before he rambled his mind into a state of rumination.

There was a nod from the gentleman. "You play the role of being a Crystal Gem by name but not by heart."

Steven felt his mouth drop slightly.

That's what he'd been telling his self and to other people.

Being a Crystal Gem wasn't what he truly was or what he wanted to be. Just a title that was forced on him caused by being caught in the crossfire that fateful night in the alley..

Again, he wasn't so sure if he should continue talking to the man, but, it was something so calming, so trusting about him. 

"That's how I see it." Steven finally admitted and hesitated, wondering if he should add something else. "I don't want any trouble." was all he said without saying too much.

There was a bright, content smile on the old man's face. "I can see that." another nod from the senior. "Thank you again, for saving me."

"..Y, yeah.." Steven looked at the man from the corner of his eye. "I didn't mind at all.."

Steven though that the old geezer was going to say something more, but he didn't. He kept quiet and Steven didn't bother speaking back up if he didn't need to.

Besides, he had a mission _that he didn't want to be in_ to finish. 

  
  


The group had swam and rolled in the bubble for the following fifteen minutes before coming up to the boulders that were actually much, _much_ taller and bigger than he'd thought. 

Obviously from afar they hadn't looked like small buildings..

And, now standing in front of them, all Steven could do was crane his neck up to see the very top of them.

There were numerous rows in front of them. 

With each row blocking a would be opening between two boulders.

He looked over to see Hoppy and Hopper grabbing hold of the side of the stones and pulling themselves up from the water and simply super jumping, clearing fifty feet up and landing on top of the boulders.

Hopper landed on the surface in a crouched position with both knees bent on either side of her and her arms down in front of her like that of a frog position. "Rrrribbit." she joked. 

Hoppy scoffed and shook her head. "Everytime you do. Everytime." 

  
  


Steven sighed.

Again.. he still couldn't super jump like the Gems and he was starting to wonder if he was ever going to. 

Had Peridot simply forgotten about him?

He looked at the pink area around him.

Well, at least he had his bubble and his shield, so that's something.

Garnet was swimming up to him. "Talc."

"Garnet." he crouched down in his bubble.

"You'll have to meet us up there-" she saw the unsure, uneasy look on his face. She glanced up towards the tall, looming boulders then swam closer to him. Her voice was a whisper as she pressed her gloved hands against the bubble, "Unfortunately I can't help you. Remember, we're the Crystal Gems. I need to watch how I act around you." she reminded him and he nodded sadly, knowingly. "This is to be another part of your training like Amethyst said. So, you'll need to figure out how to do this on your own." she pushed off gently with her hands and began drifting away from the bubble. "We'll meet you at the top of the rocks." 

"But, what if I won't be able to get up there?!"

She looked at him for a few long moments before a small, reassuring smile came to her face. "You'll figure out a way to get up there." she pulled herself up from the water and placed her shoes on the side of the boulder. She pushed off and cleared the top of the boulder easily and disappeared.

Steven sighed as he hung his head down. "How can I possibly get up there? I, can't super jump, I can't fly and there's no way I can climb on this surface.."

_Especially not with Lion and Mr. Ringo with me.._

"I, couldn't help but overhear," Steven turned around to face the man. "but I believe I could be of some assistance."

There was a smile on the man's face and it was inviting and friendly.

But.. 

Should he even give the man a chance to explain himself?

Again, he had a feeling the elderly man was nice and that he had nothing to worry about.. but Garnet and the women had planted these.. skeptic seeds inside his mind-

He shook his head mentally of that pessimistic, dubious thought. 

He can trust the senior.

And it wasn't like he had much of a choice not to. If the man had an idea on how to meet the Gems on top of the boulders, then he should listen to what he has to say. 

"How?" he queried simply. 

The men's grin grew happier. "Simple. It involves teamwork." he said. "It involves you and I working together."

Well, yes. That _is_ how teamwork works.

"All you need to do, is deactivate the bubble" Steven resisted any red flag-esque thoughts to come to his mind, "and there, we can each stand back to back and get between two of the boulders and walk up the stones. Either you or I can hold your dog." he gestured at the canine and Lion began wagging his tail as he looked at the two.

"Uh.. well.."

_Deactivate the bubble?_

Should he even do that?

He wasn't necessarily picking up any bad vibes from him but..

Garnet.. and Hoppy and Hopper..

Steven looked up at the senior.

He was in all smiles. "That seems to be the only logical way we can go up there." then he quickly added. "Unless of course you can jump as high as them as well." 

.. he couldn't..

So.. what was it going to be?

They'd already wasted so much time and the Gems were most likely wondering what was taking him so long.

And he still felt that he could trust the man.

So.. in other words.

Steven looked at the bubble.

All he would have to is work with him for a few minutes and then once they got to the top, just activate the bubble. And, if the man tries anything before then, there's always his shield to keep the man at bay or reactivate the bubble around them.

.. and fall back to the water..

Again, he didn't really have much of a choice.

Steven turned back to the man. "Okay, let's do this." 

"Yes. So we may get to my brother quickly and stop him once and for all." he reminded Steven.

The boy looked up at the towering boulders then back down. He started for a particular opening that was smaller than the others. Another boulder standing broad and still just behind the would be entrance between the two boulders.

He stopped the bubble just in front of the small gap between the gigantic, moss and grit covered rocks.

Steven double tapped on the nail of his index finger and the shield deactivated into its small, tiny flat disc. "I'll carry Lion." he picked the canine up as the dog continued to wag his tail. He looked at the small gap between the rocks, then to the dog in his arm, then to the man. "So, how are we going to do this exactly?"

"We'll put our backs together." Ringo turned around and Steven mirrored him and took a couple steps back until his back touched the man's kimono.

"Now, I'm not one hundred percent sure how we can somehow go from standing outside of the boulders to actually being between them without having to go into the water," he admitted. "but we have to link at least one of our arms together. It's usually both, but you have to carry your dog." 

"Right." said Steven. "And, there's actually a way for us to get between the gap." he leaned off the senior and to the side of the bubble. He set Lion back down and placed his hands on the bubble and slid them towards each other. 

The bubble shrunk in size.

"Whoa.. you can actually change the size of the bubble.." he whispered.

Steven slid his hands together once more and the bubble shrunk. The bubble was barely big enough to hold the three of them and his back was already pressing against Ringo's kimono. He bent down easily and picked Lion back up and began his side step between the gap of the boulders.

"Okay, now this can work." the senior said with a grin.

"And then, just lock arms er.. _arm_, right?" 

"Right." Ringo pulled his arm back and behind him and Steven did the same and they hooked their arms together. "Okay. Now for the hard part. We'll have to mind our footing and our balance and walk upwards on our own boulders." 

Steven shifted Lion to his chest and just then he was thankful the dog wasn't a Great Dane.. or any Mastiff breed..

Not to mention the canine still wasn't at his ideal weight.

That made everything that much easier and he was thankful that he didn't have to have a heavy dog laying on his chest as he scaled up however tall the boulders were until they got to the top.. 

He felt Ringo leaning more on his back and he turned his head to see the man's legs up the side of the bubble, already in position to scale the side of the rock once when he deactivates it.

Steven took his steps from the bottom of the bubble and up halfway to the side of it.

Both men now with their backs on each other and with their legs halfway up the bubble on either side of it.

Steven tried taking in as deep as a breath as he could in such a cramp space and exhaled. "Okay. I'm about to deactivate the bubble." he gave the man a heads up.

Ringo nodded. "Ready."

Steven, easily, steadily, moved his body towards the side of the bubble. He slowly let go of Lion and when the dog didn't move, he lowered his arm away from him and placed his hand on the bubble. He swiped up and at an angle and the bubble deactivated back into the small pink jewel on the band-

Their feet hit the wet moss and while Ringo held his balance, Steven was slipping and trying to regain balance as he tried keeping his self up as he half ran half slipped in place.

Ringo leaned forward and stretched out his legs as he pushed his hips up in an attempt to help Steven stay up.

Holding hard onto Lion, his flip flops continued to slip every which way. 

"Just try to find your footing."

"I'm trryyying. Whooaa~~" his legs wobbled in front of him as his feet slipped apart in a near split. A shot of pain went up between his legs and he squealed. The pain rushed up into his stomach. 

He panted.

"Perhaps you should've worn better foot attire." the man said simply.

Too bad he doesn't know that this was now his official Crystal Gem attire, according to Amethyst..

Well, despite of the pain, at least he wasn't slipping anymore.

He waited for a few seconds to pass and for the pain to subside just slightly before slowly, _slowly_ moving his legs and feet closer together as he tried to be mindful of his footing on the slippery moss. 

Then, moments later, he'd done it.

He'd finally managed to have his feet close together at a decent distance. "Okay. I think I have it now. Let's start walking."

"Be mindful of the moss." Ringo cautioned.

"Mm." Steven nodded and the two of them, one foot at a time, began stomping up between the two boulders.

Steadily and slowly, they proceeded to scale up the towering rocks.

Ringo was on his own side, focusing on his steps and breathing and keeping his balance.

Steven felt like he was walking on ice.

With staggered breathing, he continued to wobble and slide across the mossy surface of the stone.

He looked up.

He still couldn't see the top of the boulder.

He sighed and brought his head back down.

All he could do was keeping going..

He felt Lion tug at his mask _again_ with his teeth..

And, keep ignoring his canine companion until he reached the top.

Again.. easily.. steadily.. the two continued up.

Steven was still having a hard time as he ventured up the rock.

Lion had finally stopped biting his mask _at the moment_ and that was one last thing to distract him, but the overall trek was still just as tedious even without one less distraction.

They were slowly coming up to the halfway point of their scaling now.

Ringo was still doing well on his side and Steven was still doing, not so well.

With teetering legs, he took another step- 

And stepped on a small patch of seaweed mixed in with the moss. That one, single step causing his whole foot to slip downwards and sending the rest of his body off balance. 

And he began plummeting downwards.

Fast.

He screamed as his scrambling feet slid down the mossy side of the stone. 

The boy not seeing a figure peering down from the top of the rocks.

"Your footing! Your footing!" Ringo warned. The man tried pushing his weight outwards to help Steven's descend. "Dig your heels in and put more weight in your step!" 

Steven was panicking and only scrambled more as he neared the swampy waters below.

More scrambling an more slipping.

More panicking and ignoring what the man was saying behind him until-

_ **Splash** _

Steven fell in just as he managed to stop with his feet getting a proper foothold below the surface of the water. 

The bottom half of his stomach on down getting soaked in the dirty, putrid, swamp waters.

Guess he _did_ have to give his whole body a scrubdown when he gets home after all..

Lion was licking his lips of the water. The dog sneezed and shook his head. The water flung from his fur.

And.. give Lion a scrubdown bath as well..

"Sorry, boy.." he raised his heavy, locked in arm from the dog's back and went to pat at the canine's head.

"Everything okay down there?" Ringo asked. The senior had almost reached the water. His black boots were just an inch away from the surface of the gunk of the swamp.

"Uh.." Steven looked at Lion as the dog shook his fur once more. He craned his neck up at the man. "Yeah.. yeah everything's.. okay." His back was still up against but more so below the elderly man.

"Think you want to try it again? You just have to keep a keen eye on your footing."

Of course he had to try again. He didn't have a choice. The Gems were waiting for him.

He took a few breaths before exhaling out a long, tired breath. "Okay.. let's do this again." he wrapped his arm around Lion and took a step up and slid back down." 

He growled out an exasperated sigh.

"It's okay, it's okay." Ringo said gently. "Find your footing." he repeated softly. "Keep your core balance, focus on your breathing, watch every step and shift your weight accordingly." he turned his neck to the side to look at Steven out the corner of his eye. "Just take your time. You have this." 

Was this guy some kind of trainer or something?

Maybe he's one of those fitness trainers too?

Amidst his frustration, he took another deep breath and looked at the murky waters he and part of Lion's body was still soaking inside of. He looked at the deep green, and mud covered moss just above the surface and caked up in the boulder. 

_Just think of this as your training.._

_Get pass this part, try to get pass everything else.. and just finish this mission.._

He took one step and shifted his weight to his toes and turned his foot inwards at an angle.

His foot locked into place.

He took another step and placed his foot on another part of the stone that was covered in less moss. The foot slipped slightly and he pressed his toes forward and pushed more weight to the font of his foot.

Two steps in and he didn't slip.

He took another step up with his first foot and pressed down on his toes and locked his foot onto the mud stained moss.

He lifted the next foot and stomped on top of the next foothold.

He exhaled his breath that he'd been holding.

Garnet wouldn't had liked that..

Her voice of 'minding his breathing' played in his mind.

He began a rhythmic breathing and moments later, he took another step up and shifted his weight to his toes. 

Three more steps in and he was now leveled with the elderly man. "Yeah! That's it! Keep it up!" Ringo encouraged.

Yeah..yeah, the old geezer was right. He could do it. He just, had to be extra careful, focus on his breathing and mind his steps and shift his weight accordingly. 

He got this.

He.. 

Steven looked up at the seemingly never-ending boulder.

He looked back down and sighed.

.. got this..

  
  


They'd reached the top.

Now, they were just leaning back to back.

Steven saw Garnet, Hoppy and Hopper standing around each other. The three women looking directly at him.

"Okay, so this part we'll have to be extra careful with." said Ringo. "We'll need to somehow get to your side without slipping back down." 

"I'm not sure how that'll work when we're literally keeping each other up." then he realized and added. _"And_ I have Lion in my arm. So I don't know how that'll w-" Lion broken away from his arm. "Lion!" the canine ran off his stomach and down to his legs and jumped off and to the stony surface. He looked back at Steven and turned back around and started running towards Garnet. 

"Uh.. well.. I guess that _does_ make things easier."

"It does." he agreed matter of factly. He slid his arm from Steven's and teadily and easily, he began turning his body around while still trying to keep Steven up. 

Steven turned his head slightly. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to give you a push." he turned from his shoulder to the front and placed his hands on the top of Steven's back. "Honestly not sure how well this'll work, but this an option." 

"Wait! Wait! But how is this going to work?! Even if I grab hold of the top how will you be able to grab on to the other side?! I'm not strong enough to pull you up either!' 

The calm man nodded. "That is my point exactly." a beat later. "Okay, on three-"

"Wait! Wait! Maybe there's something else we can.." he looked around and tried thinking of a plan. "We can just.." he looked pass the Gems and looked to his left at the swamp and then to his right at.. a large amount of swinging vines and he quickly hoped that that wasn't the next thing they had to go through-

"If you can't think of something else, then we'll go with this-"

"No, no! Wait!" he felt his self dip slightly as the man went in a stance to ready himself to push the boy forward. "We can.." he thought hard as he looked at the swampy abyss below them, then at their two boulders. 

_Wait, that's it!_

"I can use my bubble!"

There was a couple seconds of silence then a, "Come again?"

"My bubble! It'll prevent us from falling in." he ran the ring across his arm and the jewel popped off the band and formed into the pink forcefield bubble around them.

And wedged right between the two boulders.

Ringo looked down at his feet now resting on the pink surface.

"Hm." he leaned off of Steven. "Yes, that'll work"

"Now, all I need to do is just" he took a few steps back. "push us over to the other side." he started in a short run before jumping up. He tackled the upper side of the bubble and the bubble bounced upwards. "Yeah, there we- whoOaAaah!" the bubble floated upwards. 

"Wow! You're strong!" Ringo looked down to see the Gems ten feet below them.

Right before gravity pulled them straight down and he screamed.

The bubble bounced on the surface and cushioned majority of the impact and rolled a few feet and stopped.

They both groaned.

Steven pushed his self up to his knees. "I don't.. I don't think I'm that strong." he pushed his self slowly to his feet. "I, think I just found something else that this bubble can do.." he couldn't help that smidge of awe enter his voice as he looked at the pink surface of the bubble. 

The Gems were coming their way and he turned his attention back to them.

"We actually managed to reach the top!" he cheered.

Hopper folded her hands. "Well it dey about time. It took you guys long looong enough."

Steven's smile wavered to a frown.

"But, he made it." Garnet cut in. She had Lion in her hands and placed the canine down in front of Steven. "That's the main part." she said. "They're both here, so now we can continue with our mission."

"Hmph." Hopper twisted up her face.

"Come on." said Garnet and she started for the.. vines to Steven's dismay. He walked within his bubble and followed him as Lion walked alongside the bubble. 

Upon reaching the edge of the boulder there was a sign wedged inside of a crack of the stone. 

Garnet read it over and translated it out loud for Steven. "We'll have to go through these vines." she stated and turned to Steven. "Also, beware of monkeys."

"What?!"

"MmmmmHM." she smiled. "They like to throw stuff at people."

"Especially their own feces!" Hopper grinned. She jumped up and grabbed hold of one of the vines. "You betta hope you no get smacked in the face with a steamer!" she cackled.

Steven grimaced.

Hoppy jumped up on a vine. "Make we see if he fit to pass _this_ part without falling to his death." she said eerily calmly. "Both him, the old man _and_ the dog."

Steven's grimace fixed to something more of unease and apprehensiveness.

Garnet stepped in between them. "He can do it." she said plainly and ran up and jumped to a vine. She turned to Steven still with an uncomfortable expression on his face and still inside of the bubble with Ringo. "We'll meet you on the other side." she said and turned her body around. "Hopper, Hoppy. Let's go." she jumped from the vine and grabbed hold of another. 

Steven stood there as he watched the women swing away from him. At one point, watching Hopper grab hold of a vine and Hoppy taking her sword and slicing it across, cutting the vine in half. She held her stomach and laughed as Hopper flailed her arms as she plummeted down. The woman barely grabbing hold of another vine at the very end. Her face every bit annoyed and disgusted. She began climbing the vine back up madly and Hoppy stuck her tongue out at her and swung away from her.

Steven sighed. 

_Now_ how was he going to do this with both Lion and Mr. Ringo?-

He heard the man clearing his throat.

He turned to face him.

"If, by any chance, you're wondering what you could do" he was. "Might I propose that we cross the vines separately?" _So he can leave my sight?!_

_Nooo.. no, that's not why he said that. He's not planning anything, that's just those skeptic seeds still talking.._

"... ou can go your way." he smiled. "I'll be a bit slower, but it beats anything else we can do. You can't fly or jump as high as them it seems and you can't give me a piggyback, do that's the only method I can come up with."

Steven was still trying to hush away those pessimistic thoughts.

He can trust the guy.

Besides, what could an old guy _really_ do while suspended from vines?

And, again, there _was_ nothing bad going on with the elderly fellow.

And so far he didn't try anything, so..

"Are you sure you'll be able to do this?

Ringo nodded. "I may not be able to jump and climb as well as the young people, but I can do it. Slowly but surely."

If he say so..

Steven ran his hand against the bubble and it deactivated. 

Lion jogged towards him.

"Aaand, what am I going to do about you?" Steven asked.

Lion wagged his tail.

"I can propose another idea." Ringo smiled. He bought his hands behind his back and began untying his apron. "You can put the dog on your back and we can tie the apron around to hold him securely."

That, sounds like that could work.

"Since we don't have any other options," Steven picked Lion up. "then we'll try it." he shifted the dog to his back and felt Lion bite on the back of his mask. 

He moved his head forward. "Noo, no biting."

The dog held on to the fabric.

Ringo placed the apron over the dog and Lion let go of the mask to sniff the apron on his back.

The senior stepped in front of Steven and began tying the apron around his waist.

"I really hope this works.."

Ringo tied another knot in the string and leaned up. "I don't see why it wouldn't. Now you'll be able to jump from the vines with both hands without having to carry your dog." he stepped to the side and tucked the front of the apron deeply inside the back of Steven's jeans.

"I, I know.." he saw Ringo step back in front of him. "I still hope that all of this works." 

The senior looked pass him at the dog, then back to him. "The dog looks pretty secured to me." he said. "You don't have anything to worry about." 

Maybe.. he _doesn't_..

"So, shall we?" Ringo suggested. He was already walking away from Steven and towards the dark green vines ahead.

"..Yeah.." he looked amongst the thick vines far ahead of him. 

The elderly man stretched right, then left before bringing his arms up and lacing his fingers together and stretching to the right again, then the left. He brought his arms back down. "Okay. Here goes nothing."

"Be careful." Steven cautioned him. Was the old geezer _really_ sure he could do this?

Then again, he _was_ able to walk up those huge moss covered boulders with him-

Ringo jumped up and grabbed hold of a vine with a grunt. He exhaled deeply as he swung lightly side to side. He turned back to Steven. "See? Easy." 

"But.. you only jumped on one vine. There's a lot more that you have to get through."

The senior looked ahead of him at the densed area of vines that seemed to stretch on.. and _on_

"Mm." he pushed his glasses up. "Yes, well... I will not have some vines get between me and saving my brother." he began swinging the vine he was on. "Ibrefuse to let any of this stop me." he let the vine pick up more momentum before it swung back and forward once more. He let go and was in the air for a short moment until he grabbed hold of another vine with another grunt. He exhaled. "Slowly but surely." he said again. "But I'll get to the other side."

"I, guess I'll meet you there then." said Steven. He walked up to the edge of the boulder and stopped.

He looked down at the swampy waters so far below him..

He looked back up at the vines and tried to make out the other side, though the fog was obscuring his view.

He sighed.

He was so tired..

And he still had a headache from lastnight fighting with the Giant Tuxedoed Man with Alexandrite..

But.. no use whining about it now.

He should get to it.

The faster he gets through this, the faster he finishes the mission and the faster he gets to go home, take a shower and pass out on the bed. 

He couldn't wait for his body to lay across that soft mattress and curl up under the blankets with Connie-

"Uh, something wrong?"

Steven snapped out of his thoughts yet again. "Huh?"

"Is something-"

"Oh, no, no, no, I was just.." he took one more step forward. "I'm on my way." he said instead.

Ringo watched as Steven had taken a few steps back away from the edge then started running back towards it.

He jumped up and felt gravity already grabbing his body and pulling him down. He let out a scream before grabbing hold of a rough vine. 

He looked down below him and his heart began to race in his chest as his legs dangled in the air. 

He quickly wrapped his legs around the vine as he pulled his self close to it. 

He took a few calming breaths.

"Hey, not too bad." said Ringo. "Just don't look down next time." 

"Uh.." his breath was as shaky as his arms. "..,y,yeah.." he swallowed.

_Oh I hope this is the hardest part we have to go through.._

He placed a hand behind the canine in a futile way to make sure if the dog was still secured.

He couldn't tell, but when he brought his hand back around to touch the knots of the apron, the strings felt pretty right to him.

That made him feel just a _bit_ better.

He grabbed the vine back with his hand and began to swing.

_Okay. Just, swing to the other side. That's it._

That's..

_it..___

_ _  
_ _

And that's what he did.

He jumped from the first vine to a second one, resisting to look down. 

He kept the momentum up and swung harder as he pushed his body forward as the vine went upwards, then shifted his weight back as the vine swung backwards. 

He was being swung forward once again and he jumped and cleared just a foot in between before grabbing hold of another vine.

He turned his head to the side. "How are you holding up back there, Lion?" 

The dog leaned his face forward and licked the side of his mask.

That made Steven smile slightly. "Glad you're doing okay." he told the canine and turned back around. 

He increased the momentum on the vine and jumped off and grabbed hold of another. He turned his attention to Ringo who was already panting heavily.

The elderly man had looked up from his panting breaths and locked eyes with Steven. "Oh, that's okay." he reassured the young man. "Remember, just slowly but surely. I'll get there." 

Steven kept the leveled stare on the man for a few more moments before turning back around.

Well, if he said he had it.. then maybe he should have a bit more faith in the poor man.

He swung and let go and grabbed hold of another vine, unbeknownst to him that Garnet was watching him from afar as she held into her vine. The woman hoping that he would make it safely across.

She knew that she shouldn't interfere if something_ were_ to happen.

And so, she only watched from a safe distance, torn if she would even do such a thing if anything were to happen..

  
  


Steven had jumped to another vine. Just ten minutes in and he was already panting as hard as the man far behind him.

He looked ahead to see more vines far ahead of him.

He sighed, feeling defeated and worn out.

"Tarzan.. made it... look so easy.." he panted.

He took a very short breather as the vine swung slightly.

"Okay.." he whispered. "Just.. keeping going.. just.." he grunted as he started to swing the vine to built up the much needed momentum once more. 

He jumped and grabbed hold of the next vine, shifted his weight up to keep the velocity going and he jumped and grabbed hold of the next.

He kept the action going, forcing his self not to stop as he proceeded to jump and grab hold of the vines. 

Another jump, another grab.

Another jump and another grab and a pendulum swing.

He kept at it, despite of the burning feeling in his chest and back as he panted.

He had to keep going.

Another jump from a vine, another hold on one.

Another pendulum swing on it before jumping and grabbing hold of another.

So long as he keeps it up like this, he should be there in no time.

Another jump, a pendulum swing, another jump and a grab.

Panting breaths.

Another jump and a grab and a snap of the vine-

And Steven was free falling down towards the swamp.

Garnet saw it from afar. The woman stopped in her tracks and turned her position around and started her swing towards the screaming boy.

Steven was panicking as he fell towards the murky swamp waters once more as he desperately tried grabbing for a vine. 

Garnet wasn't going to catch up to him in time. 

But she would _still_. interfere..

"Talc, your gliders!"

In the midst of his screams and plummeting towards the surface of the water, he heard Garnet. 

It took a second or two too long to register what she said and he quickly, and simultaneously, dragged his elbows up and outwards as he dragged his right leg down his left. Both wings sprouted out on either side of his shirt and within the inside of his jeans.

The GemTech gliders caught air of his fall and he felt his self start to descend at half speed until he widen his arms and legs out to open the wings up more.

He started to descend slowly, almost floating gently back down as he gently glided forward.

Garnet stopped on a vine and watched as the boy drifted above the surface of the water. Feeling relieved but not so much as showing it on her forced stoic face.

Steven turned slightly to the right and glided to the side and grabbed hold of a vine. He caught his breath as he swung lightly. "That was... close Lion." he panted. He turned around to check on the dog. Lion leaned in to lick the cheek of his mask. 

"Heeh.." he panted out a chuckle. "Glad you're.. still okay."

A few more breaths and he looked down at the swamp directly below him, then back up at the vine.

He let out a tired, exasperated sigh.

"This is going to take awhile.."

  
  


Steven was finally climbing pass the boulders.

Ringo had jumped from a vine to another and immediately took another breather.

The Gems were nowhere in sight, unless they were beyond the fog that was just a few feet ahead of them.

This time, Steven didn't waste any time and he started swinging on the vine. He jumped from it and grabbed hold of another one and proceeded to keep the momentum going as he soon entered the fog. 

The off white mist ade things that much creepier.

Not to mention he couldn't see in front of him.

_Now.. how can I-_

He quickly remembered his bubble being able to let him see during the cloud of smoke that one time they were in Corro Park when retrieving Azurite..

If his bubble could do it then.. maybe his shield could too?

He double tapped on his index finger and the shield formed around his arm. He raised the shield up to his face.

He could see the vines in a pink tint.

_It works!_

He looked behind his self. 

He saw Ringo taking _another_ break.

"I think he's going to need this too, Lion." he turned around and started swinging back.

Ringo saw movement up ahead and looked up. "I told you. You don't have to worry about me. I'll get there."

"That's not why I came back." he jumped to a vine just on the side of the senior. "You're going to need this to see through the fog." Steven held his arms close to the vine as he slid the shield off his hand. "Here." Ringo grabbed the shield and looked at it in awe. "It'll help you see through the fog." he told the man.

"Wow.. I'm actually holding an actual Crystal Gem weapon."

Steven's face dropped slightly to something of embarrassment and shame. "Yyeah.. but, I don't really like using it." he reluctantly double tapped on his middle finger and another shield formed around him.

"Interesting.." the man whispered.

Steven was turning away. "I'll meet you on the side." he said. "Be careful." he started his swing away from the senior.

Ringo looked at the pink shield in his hand. "Incredible.." he said again.


	216. The last half of the Journey to the mountains

Steven was swinging his way tiredly through the fog.

Each swing and grab of a vine being more difficult than the last with his already aching and tired limbs.

He grabbed on another and swung his self and Lion to another vine as he felt or, _thought_ he felt something hit his arm. Thinking nothing much of it and that it was a lone vine or a piece of another vine hitting his arm, he continued his swing through the vines, until he felt something hard hit his shoulder, then the back of his neck.

He winced. "Lion, what are you doing?" he turned around and barely saw the dog through the thick fog. He placed the shield in front of him to see a large piece of rock coming right at him. He let out a startled yelp as he threw the shield behind Lion. The rock cracked against the surface. 

"The heck was that Lion-?"

The sound of numerous raspy whooping sounds filled the area around him. 

"What's-" he turned back around, still keeping the shield in front of him.

In a pink tinting, he saw a troop of howler monkeys hanging from the vines in front of him and he gasped. He looked right, then left. 

Their mouths were opened wide as they bellowed out their warning howls at him.

"Oh no.."

A rock slammed into the edge of his shield and he turned to the direction of it. More howler monkeys were swinging in.

And coming right towards him with rocks and sticks in their hands. 

"AAAAAHHHH!!! Oh no!!" he quickly pulled the shield from his hand and double tapped on his ring finger to activate a third shield as he slid the second one over his other arm. A mud covered stick _or he hoped it was mud_ hit the side of his arm right as he threw the third shield out to his side to block him and Lion. A jagged stone hit the surface and crumbled upon impact. "We have to get out of here!" he swung on the vines harder and faster and jumped off as more rocks and sticks were thrown at him and the two shields. The boy hoping that none was hitting Lion. 

The raspy, throaty howling barks echoed through the vines as he swung haphazardly through them. 

Monkeys swung overhead and bellowed out harsh warnings as they threw stones and rocks down. 

Steven threw his arm up and blocked the falling debris as more flung in his direction where he was now open.

He was pelted with more caked up twigs and rocks to his shoulder and face, the GemTech clothing cushioning the blow of the debris.

He kept swinging and stopping every time more monkeys would race beside him or lunge in front of him to another vine.

The whoops increased and sounded more frantic as heavier debris came towards him. "AAAAHHH!!!" he saw a chunk of rock coming towards him. He threw the third shield in front of him and braced for impact as the stone crashed into him. The force pushed him and the vine backwards. 

He was being brought forward in the swing and he used that momentum and that chance to jump off and grab another vine. He swung forward and jumped off and grabbed another, all while throwing his shield to the sides and above him to shield them of half of the debris that came their way.

He kept at it, ignoring his own exhaustion and ducking his head every time a monkey would lunge overhead and too close for comfort. He utilized both shields as best as he could, only being able to block just half of the debris that was thrown all around them. Some, even hitting Lion in the process. 

Steven jumped from two more vines, then a third, then a fourth as the monkeys became more angered. They began to jump closer towards them, some jumping on his head and trying to pull the mask off before jumping away. Others missing his head as he threw the shield over him and their nails raked across the surface. 

"Oh, come on! I'm not here to hurt any of you!" he whined.

They took that as a roaring threat out of the boy and that riled them up more as they charged close to him. 

He screamed as bigger pieces of stones were thrown at him. Monkeys from either direction pounced and pushed him violently before leaping away and giving a hefty whoop of triumph.

Steven barely continued as the monkeys never let up. More of them rushed in with more debris to throw at him and he could only block some of it. One rock hitting him right between the eyes and forcing his head back. He nearly let go before quickly regaining a hold back on the vine.

_These guys aren't even stopping.. how can I-_

A chunk of rock as big as his head shot towards him from the side and he pivoted around on the vine and held his shield up. The rock was crushed on top of the surface as he was knocked back from the force.

More debris came that way and he tried standing his ground as he kept both shields in front of him.

Every piece of rock, stone and stick cracked and crumbled upon impact.

He kept the shield up as more came towards him.

The raspy whooping continued to echo all around them. 

The monkeys leaped and jumped from the vines above and in front of him as more was thrown their way.

Another chunk of matter cracked upon impact as he was shoved backwards from the hard clash.

Steven panted as he tried to keep his burning, tried arms up.

He felt Lion squirming behind him as he growled. He let out a few loud barks in his ear to his left. 

He kept the shields up. "What's going on, Lion?" he reluctantly.. and quickly peeled his eyes away from the incoming rocks coming towards the shields and he turned to the side to see a huge block of stone as big as his own body coming right towards him. He screamed right before it crashed into his side. 

He was knocked off of the vine and was free falling back towards the water. Ignoring the slight pain in his arm from the cushioned blow of his shirt, he raised both arms out and glided through the fog before quickly, _and being mindful of the glider of his shirt, _ bending his arm towards him to place the shield in front of him to see where he was going.

Just a few yards up ahead, he could see the side of the rocky terrain of the mountain. He opted for gliding the remainder there versus climbing and swinging across the rest of the vines.

He stretched his legs and his elbows farther out to lesson the rate of his descend and to keep his self afloat as he glided farther towards the cliffside.

He felt his body start to relax only slightly. 

At least the monkeys hadn't followed him down and at least he wasn't getting pummeled with rocks..

And, on a much, much light note, at least he hadn't gotten hit with a "steamer" like Hopper said.

_Plop_

Something dense hit the top of his mask and moments later he smelled a fowl odor coming from the matter.. 

He sighed.

The rocky terrain was coming up slow towards him and he leaned his body up slightly as he reached for a hand hold of a tree root. His flip flops slid slightly across the dusty brown rocks before he found his foothold.

"Are you doing okay back there, Lion?" he went to scratch at the canine's ear. The dog seemingly a little shaken up with what had occurred. "Sorry you had to go through that, boy." he scratched behind his ear. "Hopefully the rocks didn't hurt you." he gave a few light, calming scratches behind the ear before he lowered his hand away. He looked up to see the dense fog. 

Of course.. he couldn't see _anything_.. 

He placed the shield in front of his face as he looked up to see the pink tinted world above him through the fog.

He couldn't see any monkeys.

Not could he see the top of the cliff. 

Or, even Mr. Ringo.

Hopefully the old man was okay. 

If _he_ could barely go up against the monkeys even _with_ TWO shields, he could only imagine how the old geezer was keeping up.

He brought his hand back down and was quick to start climbing back up. 

Hopefully the guy would be okay..

Though in the back of his mind as he climbed up, all he could think and worry about was hearing the man's screams as he plummeted down to the swamp.. 

  
  


Steven went in for another hand hold when his hand reached the edge of the cliff.

Relief wouldn't even be the word to how he was feeling just then.

His heart raced with anticipation as he pulled his exhausted body to the wet grass of the hill. 

He laid on his stomach as his body was alleviated of the vigorous pull ups from the climb.

He sighed out a breath of relief and breathed in and out through his mouth, tasting a bit of grass and dirt in the process.

He didn't care.

And he laid there..

Until he heard footsteps coming up towards him and he quickly remembered where he was before his body shut down in solid sleep mode.

He snapped his eyes back open as he pushed his self up to his knees. He threw his shield in font of him as he kept the second shield behind him to block Lion.

In front of him, he could see in a pink tint, was Garnet in her ever stoic look and posture. 

"Garnet.." he whispered tiredly. Though there was a bit of relief in his voice as well upon seeing her still there.

Footsteps were coming from the opposite side of him and he turned his shield around to see Hopper and Hoppy. In between them was a fearful looking Ringo. Both women had their katana sword pointed at either side of his neck. 

Steven was quick to push his self up to his feet. "What happened?!" 

"Nothing." Hoppy answered plainly. "But we no could make sure if no was up to no good or not." 

"We found dis guy with your shield." Hopper pulled the shield from behind her.

"What?! No! I _let_ him use that so he could see through the fog like us!" 

"That, is what I was trying to tell them-" 

"Hey!" Hopper cut him off as she jammed the point of the sword to his neck. "No you try me! Or I go take this here sword and end you." she threatened. "You sabi I fit to am!" (You know I can do it) she growled out to him with a glare to her eyes.

Steven still couldn't quiet understand, but the anger of her coarse voice and the way she was holding her sword to his his neck, he knew it wasn't good. "Hoppy! Uh, I mean Hopper! We don't have to do this." 

The woman kept her sword to the man's neck, but turned her glaring eyes to him and he shut his mouth before forcing it back open. "Uh.. it's just.. he's, not doing anything wrong.."

Her eyes narrowed more behind her frog mask. "Yet.." she grumbled.

"Hopper, Hoppy." Garnet cut in. "Talc is here so now he can keep watch on the man." the woman didn't budge. "Let's go. We're almost there." her shades never left the two women.

They stood their glaring at Garnet and her plain, imperturbable look. 

Garnet never moved or so much as made one slight movement of her face. Her mouth stayed closed as her shades stared in their direction.

Steven had imagined that the standstill was going to last for a long time, but soon, both Hopper and Hoppy's eyes seemed to waver under Garnet's look and stoic posture. Just a short moment later, their arms lowered and their katana swords lowered with them and away from the man's neck.

Hopper rolled her eyes. "Fine." she spat out. "You," she tapped the senior hard on the back with her sword and he winced. "old man. You go over there with the new kid." she looked at Steven. "Here, now you're back to babysitting da old man." Ringo made a slow jog towards him. 

She was still holding the shield. "He no need this either." with a careful look over at the senior once again, she threw the shield opposite of him towards Steven.

He had to take off in a short run and jump up to catch the shield.

"Huh.. not bad." she sounded _almost_ impressed. "That no be bad." she nodded. 

Steven was quiet, not exactly sure of what to make of that and he watched her turn around, but not before giving Ringo another skeptic glare. She and Hoppy started away from them and he and Garnet caught each other's look.

She gave him a curt nod of her head before slowly turning away. She strode up the path to catch up with Hopper and Hoppy.

Steven double tapped on his index and middle finger and the two shield deactivated back into the braces of the bracelet.

He looked at Ringo, who was still looking a bit spooked. "Don't worry, you don't have to worry about them." he tried reassuring the man. "Garnet and I won't let them hurt you."

He didn't look convinced; however he said, "If you suppose.. then I'll still have my chance in saving my brother."

"Of course you will. We'll take the ruby and be on our way."

The man nodded, though his unconvinced features said otherwise.

Steven had opened his mouth to say something else that could reassure the man, but one glance over at the empty area made him stop. "Uh oh, we have to go. The Gems are leaving us." he looked back before he pushed off in a slow jog. The senior had followed behind. 

Okay.. so they'd managed to make it to the other side of the vines. And according to Garnet, they were almost there.

But, what classified as 'almost' to her?

Hopefully it wouldn't take any longer..

He desperately,_ even more_, wanted to go home and rest.

Steven slowed his jog as he came up to the Gems. Moments later he heard Ringo's footsteps coming up behind him and felt the man bump into him hard and he fell to the ground. 

"Sorry.." he panted. "I.. can't see.. where I'm going.." 

That made sense..

In hindsight he shouldn't had even _left_ the man in the first place. Wasn't he supposed to be keeping an eye on him?

_(Even though he personally thought that there was nothing fishy going on with the guy).._

Steven pushed his self back up to his feet. "That's okay." he said. "I, kinda forgot that you _did_ need to use my shield to see." he took his steps beside the senior and was about to raise his shield up for him to see, when he thought about his bubble.

That would be much easier.

And, he could go back to keeping the man at bay again.

"On a second thought." said Steven. "We can use the bubble. That way, we'll be able to see around us." he ran the ring across his arm.

The bubble formed around them.

Ringo looked ahead of him then made a three sixty. He nodded as he looked at the pink tinted area. "Yes. This'll definitely do." 

The two of them started up the path in the bubble and immediately heard a sound of throaty growl. 

Steven stopped in his tracks. "What was that?!"

"A leopard." Ringo answered plainly. 

"What?! You have _leopards_ here too?!"

Good thing had had his bubble..

The man nodded, completely unfazed. "Yup." 

"I see am!!" they heard Hopper shout. She was pointing at the large spotted animal just a few yards away as it crouched down near a bush, waiting to attack. 

The woman held her sword up-

"Wait! Don't hurt it!" Steven shouted. 

Hopper looked back and raised an inquisitive eyebrow at him. "Well I no go make it kill _me_." she emphasized. She turned back around.

_No!_

Steven ran the ring across the bubble and deactivated it. He took a step forward and for a split second of looking in the general direction where Hopper had her sword pointed as she pulled her arm back, he turned his body as he brought his arm in and then twisted his self outwards and let go of the shield. 

The pink, sturdy buckler beamed through the air and between her and the animal.

The blade of the sword collided with the surface of the shield and shattered upon impact. The buckler flew pass the now startled animal and through the tall grass. With a low growl the leopard turned on its heels and ran through the trees, disappearing instantly. 

Hopper grabbed at the top of her black ski mask just behind her frog one. "Ma.. katana... SWORD!!!!" 

_"And_ am done jar." (_And_ it ran away.) Hoppy shook her head. 

Hopper was turning quick on her heels with her yellow mittens clenched into fists as she ran towards him. The dopey smiling faced frog mask contradicting her angered feelings. "Why you little-!" she bared her teeth. "I go SLAP life come off your body!" 

He ran the ring across his arm and the bubble formed around him right as Garnet jumped in the way in between them. The woman ran into her and fell back hard on the ground. "Garnet." she growled. "Wetin you doing!"

"Hopper, you shouldn't be so tear headed." (Short-tempered.) 

"Wetin!? (What?!) Did you no see that! Dat pikin (child) done broke ma sword!" 

"You broke your own sword." she stated bluntly. "You shouldn't had been worrying about that leopard anyway." the woman's mouth dropped though her glare never faltered. "We are _here_ on a _mission_. Not to play around with some animals."

"Wetiiiin?! But I no was pla-" 

"Look, you can have the Peridots make you a new one. Right now we have to finish our mission." 

The narrowed eyed, disgusted look was still on her face before she grumbled out, "But now wetin weapon I go use? (But now what weapon am I going to use?)" her voice trailed off into a whine. "Ehen? Now I no get weapon while ALL of una get one." (Uh huh? Now I don't have a weapon while EVERYONE else has one.) 

Garnet took her hand to the back of her belt and unclipped something from it. She brought the object out towards her. "Here. Use this." she placed the weapon in the woman's hand.

She pouted even more. "Just _ONE_ gauntlet?!" 

"I don't trust you to give you two. I can't have you breaking both of them."

"Wetin de heck I go do with just ONE gauntlet?!" 

"Use it." she said plainly and began walking away. 

The woman pouted even more, though she slid the gauntlet over her right hand and began stomping behind Garnet as she followed her. "Stupid one gauntlet.. stupid leopard.. stupid, stuupid pink shield.." she grumbled. 

Hoppy followed after them at a leisurely pace.

Steven deactivated the bubble and double tapped on his ring finger. The shield snapped back into the bracelet and he ran the ring across his arm to activate the bubble once again.

He took his step forward in his bubble and the two of them began to follow the three within the fog. 

A short moment passed before he heard a, "Another life you saved." 

"Uh, yeah.." he agreed. He looked up at the guy. "And the animal is long gone and we're still okay." 

He nodded with a pleased smile to his face. "That just comes to show you that we don't always have to resort to that." then he clarified. "To kill." 

"Right, exactly." then he added. "But, I wouldn't want anyone to get killed under any circumstances."

He the thought of killing and he didn't want anything to do with it. 

_Anything.._

The two of them continued their walk for the next several minutes before, unbeknownst to Steven and Ringo being in the bubble, the fog simply cleared out. Instantly. One moment they were in the fog and the next, they weren't. 

Hopper turned around to check it out and she saw the dense fog directly behind them and Steven and Ringo turned around to see what she was looking at.

To them, they didn't know. 

She turned back around. 

"I wonder what that was about." Ringo inquired. 

"I'm not sure, but at least we're in the bubble if she thinks about trying anything."

They group continued their walk and everything seemed fine for the most part before Steven had to resist his jaw from dropping and his heart from sinking in his chest.. 

They were nearing a swaying, rickety plank boarded bridge.. 

Yes, because of _COURSE_ every mission when it's located in the forest needed one. 

For what_ever_ reason..

The Gems had started across it and the bridge began to sway more. 

_And let me guess.. it's a deep fall with rushing water isn't it?_

Steven reached the edge of the hill and looked down to see rushing, choppy waters far beneath the bridge. 

_Yup.. I knew it..I kneeew it!_

Garnet was staring forward but kept a close eye on the tiny mirror at the corner of the lense of her shades.

Steven was still standing in his bubble and at the entrance of the bridge with a very unsure and apprehensive look on his face. 

"It's just over this bridge." she said as she kept forward.

She saw the boy look up at her though he looked back down at the unsteady looking, rocking bridge. 

She slowed her pace but didn't look back.

Ringo glanced down at Steven.

The boy continued to stare at the choppy waters below.

"We have nothing at all to worry about." he heard the man say beside him. "My brother and I have walked across this bridge as well as many other tourists." he assured him. "The bridge may look unstable, but it's safe."

Steven looked from him to the bridge to the waters below. Moments later and he looked in front of his self.

"Like she has said, my humble abode is just across this bridge. We simply walk across this and we'll be a step closer to saving my brother."

_A step closer to saving his brother._

He watched as the Gems, now halfway across the bridge, steadily made their way to the other side.

All they need to do is go to the other side and stop his brother. 

Just, get the jewel safely from him.

Then, the mission will be done and he can go home. 

Go home and take a shower and sleep for the rest of the night.

He couldn't wait.

And, he would just have to face his fear of walking across the rickety, swinging wooden bridge.

Besides, according to the elderly man, the bridge was safe and not only that, but the Gems were walking across it just fine as well.

So it was fine.

It was.

Ringo was about to open his mouth to say more, when Steven began his first steps in the bubble. He closed his mouth and silently walked with him. 

Lion looked around in his little makeshift wrap as Steven cautiously walked within the bubble. 

The three of them swayed slightly as the bridge creaked around them. 

Steven continued taking cautious steps within the forcefield.

_This.. isn't _so_ bad.._

_As.. long as I don't look down.._

The bridge rocked to their left before rocking hard to the right.

_And.. not pay attention to the wobbling bridge above deadly, rushing waters.._

Steadily, he proceeded across the planks as he tried keeping his kind clear of negative thoughts. 

Like.. the bridge snapping and plunging fast into the turbulent, river below..

He kept his face forward. Halfway there now.

The Gems were on the other side and waiting for them. Steven could see a tall brown gate just a few feet behind them.

They were so close.

Just keep the elderly man's brother safe as they get the ruby studded breastplate, then mission is over, then they can leave. 

He felt his legs pick up their pace just slightly.

The faster he gets across, the faster he wouldn't have to worry about the bridge and the faster he can make it to the other side and get to the gate.

The bridge banked left and back to the right as he started to jog across the planks.

Two main rope structures that'd been weakening and tearing from years of wear and tear were just halfway from completely snapping-

Then get over the gate.. and get the jewel.. and, mission is over. 

Go home, take a shower and go to bed and be with Connie.

The three of them was just a quarter of the way there.

Finish the mission, go home and spoon Connie as he went to sleep.

He could see the Gems in front of him getting closer into view.

So close..

And, so close to finishing the mission..

The ropes were hanging from threads-

The bridge dipped and rocked heavily side to side.

Get the jewel, go back home safe and sound, cuddle Connie under the warm blankets.

He saw Garnet look pass him. Her face stayed stoic as she looked back down at him. "Talc!" her voice said otherwise. 

Hoppy and Hopper looked up at her.

"Huh?" Steven saw Garnet running towards the bridge as he felt the planks below him dip.

Though he never felt the boards underneath him as he continued to fall. 

And he felt himself falling rapidly down as he now faced the sky above him. 

He plummeted down faster as he saw the other end of the rope swinging back towards the side of the mountain as pieces of wood fell around them.

And realized what had happened.

He screamed in his bubble and Ringo joined in as the bubble spun them up and around to face the churning waters. 

They screamed louder.

The choppy, blue waters bursted up, waiting to grab them and pull them into the current. 

Steven quickly placed his legs on either side of the bubble and braced for impact.

The two of them continued to scream their heads off as the bubble crashed into the water.

There was no dip or any slight movement of sinking as the rushing current snapped them forward.

And they screamed.

Water splashed along the bubble and everywhere around them.

Garnet ran passed the women and down the edge of the mountain and followed the path of the river. 

_"Garnet! What the heck are you doing?!"_ Hopper shouted. 

_"We have to finish the mission, remember?! If they make it out alive, then they make it out alive! If they don't, then it has NOTHING to do with us!"_ Hoppy shouted with her. 

Garnet ignored them as she raced through the tall grass and followed the screaming pink bubble along the current. She looked ahead to see the rushing waterfall and picked up her already frantic pace.

Steven was trying to calm himself.

He could see the bubbling, choppy edge of the waterfall.

"We're going to fall to our deaths!!!" Ringo yelled. "Ooooohh, this is IT for us!!" he fell to his knees. "Goodbye world!!!" 

And the old geezer wasn't making the situation any less scary or easier for him.

And they were getting closer and closer to the beginning rapids of the top of the waterfall.

What was he going to do now?

How was he going to get out of this?

Where was the waterfall going to take them?!

What if the bubble somehow pops?!

How was he going to survive the fall?!

WHAT was going to become of him?!

So many questions ran through his mind as they neared the turbulent falls.

..that they were going to hit at any moment..

He looked around, panic-stricken and distraught as he looked for anything, looked _at_ anything in a futile way to help himself. As if looking around would help them in any way. 

In the mix of looking about, he heard a, "Look out!" from Ringo and he felt the bubble bump into a tip of a jutted rock from within the river and the bubble bounced backwards and back into the rushing water. 

The two fell to their backs as the bubble was carried once more with the current.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no!!" Steven quickly scrambled from his to his knees. "Sorry, Lion!" he went to reach for the dog's face when the bubble hit another rock and bounced to the side.

Ringo screamed as the bubble crashed back into the water.

Steven was quickly getting up to his feet as they proceeded to reach the waterfall once more. "That's it!!"

"What's it?!" he yelled.

"The bubble!" he screamed. The choppy waters along the edge were getting closer.

"Justlikethetimeattheboulders!!" he shouted quickly.

"The time at the boul-?" 

Steven jumped up and slammed his weight at the side of the bubble and the man screamed as they were practically catapulted out of the water. 

They cleared ten feet diagonally as the waters churned and rushed underneath of them.

The bubble crashed back into the waters and Steven was quick to jump up and tackle the top of the barrier once more. 

They flew up another ten feet and saw the coarse, turbulent waves for a split second before seeing the brown mud of the land underneath of them. 

They screamed as the side of the mountain came up fast towards them. 

They slammed into the side and was thrown back into the waters as Steven turned his fall to his side to prevent falling on Lion. He quickly pushed to his feet and jumped up once more, being mindful to tap the bubble lightly at its side.

They were thrown a few feet and the bubble bounced against the ground and rolled towards the mountain until it hit the side of it and rolled back slightly.

The two of them were groaning as they slowly for up to their knees.

"We.. we actually made it." Ringo whispered. He looked back at the rushing waters behind them.

Steven was busy checking up on Lion. The boy looking back as he gently scratched on the canine's head. "Glad that you're still hanging in there buddy." the dog tilted his head back and licked his hand.

"Talc!" they heard a voice far above them.

They looked up to see Garnet looking down at them with Hopper and Hoppy on either side of her.

He swiped across the surface of the bubble and it deactivated. "Garnet-!"

"We're alive!!!" Ringo cut him off. "We're! Actually! Alive!" 

"I can see that!" she shouted down at him. "Now that you two are out of the water, you need to meet us back up here! We need to continue with our mission!"

"I.. I know!" Steven frowned.

They were.. _so_ far down..

"We'll be waiting by the gate!" and with that, they saw her face leave from the edge of the mountain, along with Hoppy and then Hopper. 

Steven sighed. "Looks like we have to climb this.." 

"I have.. just a bit more energy in me to climb this." the man nodded slowly. "Slowly but surely." 

"Are.. you sure?"

"Yes. And we don't have much of a choice anyway."

Steven's frown deepened. "R, right.." 

Ringo was grabbing hold of a small crack in the dirt hill. He brought his foot up.

"Wait."

He looked over at Steven.

"I can at least use the bubble to take us a little bit of the way." he suggested. He looked up at the mountainside. "But.. we would have to quickly get a handhold right after I deactivate the bubble. We don't want to end up falling back down."

_Especially_ him_ since I can at least glide down to safely when he'll end up falling straight.. down.._

"Uh, on a second thought-"

"No, no! That's a great idea. Even that little bit will help me out tremendously."

"But.. what if you end up.. you know.. not, catching onto something quick enough.. and-"

"I'm good at climbing." he reassured him. "I'll be able to find my hand and foothold quickly."

Steven didn't look so sure.

"Believe me. I'll be okay. Don't worry."

The young man still didn't look so sure, but he nodded regardless. He took his steps towards the senior and ran the ring across his arm. 

The bubble formed around them.

"Okay, here goes." he gave him a heads up. "One.. two....three." Steven jumped up and shouldered the top of the bubble as hard as he could. 

The two of them flew up in a near float, clearing fifteen feet up at a slant.

And they were soon approaching the side of the hill.

"Okay!" said Steven. He waited for a full two seconds before getting close enough to the side and swiping across his bubble. 

The forcefield deactivated and the two were quick to grab at the dirt side. Steven scrambling frantically for a good handhold and foothold as he slid down the dirt while Ringo was already still as he held onto the 

He watched Steven struggle as the boy half scrambled half grasped at the hill. "Just look at the resources around you and try to find a foot and handhold from there-" Steven had grabbed onto a point of a rock that'd been wedged deeply into the dirt. The flip flops slid slightly to a stop. He took a long breath as he hung on with one hand. He looked back up at the elderly man. "Uh.. I'm fine."

Ringo didn't seem to believe him, though he still nodded. "If you say that you have it then" he swung his body up and grabbed hold of a vine. "let's proceed." he placed a foot on a small pound of dirt and pushed up on his toes. "It's just up this mountain." he grunted.

Steven watched the senior steadily climb up the mountainside.

He hung his head down and sighed out deeply once more before bringing his head back up. "Okay.. just try to get pass this Universe. The faster you finish this mission, the faster you get to go home.." he tried to give his self a pep talk. 

He ignored the pain throughout his body as he climbed sluggishly up the dirt hill.

He looked up.

The top of the mountain seemed to reach the clouds.

Another near defeated sigh.

And, he kept going.

Minutes dragged on as he and Ringo made their climb up.

He couldn't wait to finally reach the top.

He was so sleep deprived, so, "not feeling" the mission, so.. achy and tired with the whole day in general. 

He just wanted to be in bed and be safe at home with Connie.

They kept up with their rock climbing.

.. when Lion began to growl..

Steven slowed his pace and turned his head. "Hey, what is it Lion?" 

The canine had his ears perked up as he looked off to the left of them.

Steven looked in the same direction to see nothing but the top half of the side of the mountain. Only dirt, vines and jagged edges of rocks and sticks protruding from the side. 

"Lion, I don't see-"

There was a sound of low, husky whooping.

_Oh no.._

He froze in place as he double tapped on his index finger. A shield formed above him on his arm.

Lion continued to growl. 

"What, what's going on?" Ringo asked above him.

"You don't hear that?! It sounds like those monkeys again!"

Ringo looked composed and unworried. "What about them?" 

" 'What about th'-?!- They're going to attack us!"

His voice was calm as he said matter of factly. "No they're not."

"What?! But.. but they attacked me _before!"_

"Really?.. huh.." the senior looked genuinely perplexed.

The whooping sounds grew louder. Closer.

Steven looked at the direction but still didn't see them. He quickly looked back over to Ringo. "They didn't attack you?!"

The old man shook his head. "No. But that makes sense given that they still most likely know me and know that I am of no threat."

Something hard hit Steven's shield and he looked up to see the bits of rock falling in crumbled pieces over the surface of his shield.

A troop of howler monkeys were running across the side of the hill whooping overhead. 

Steven screamed and pulled the shield close above him.

"It's okay. You have nothing to worry about." Ringo reassured him.

Three large rocks were thrown Steven's way and each of them hit a different part of the shield and forced Steven's arm back every time. 

He looked over at Ringo. "You call this okay?!" another rock was thrown and smashed into the shield as Lion began to bark loudly at the animals. "They're attacking me!"

"I'll handle this." Ringo resumed his climb as he folded his tongue back. He let out two loud, sharp whistles. 

The monkeys looked over in his direction. 

The man began to say something to them. Steven, once again, had no clue what he was saying, but the monkeys seemed to settle down. 

He watched as Ringo pointed to the right of him as he added more to what he was saying. 

The monkeys whooped, what Steven felt like, was gentle, as they began to swing in the direction he pointed.

He watched on as the monkeys swung away from him and Ringo.

..Was that it?

Was.. that _all_ they had to do?

..Really?!

He watched as more monkeys swung pass them.

How.. convenient.

If only he was here _earlier_ when he was on the vines..

Ringo carried on up the hill.

"Soo.. that's it." Steven was quick to grab another handhold. "You just.. said something to them and they just leave just like that?"

"That's the beauty of teaching them Igbo." was all he said as he smiled. He kept up the mountainside.

"That's.. that's great actually." he pulled his self up as he reached for another handhold. "I thought we would have to -Owch!" Steven turned back and rubbed at his head.

A howler monkey whooped in triumph before breaking off in a quick run in front of him and towards the area where Ringo had pointed. 

Steven held his head as he winced. "I.. thought that we would have to try and block them as we climbed up." he watched the monkey, seemingly the last one of the group, disappear within the tiny bushes within the cracks of the hill.

"Noo, no." he stated. "We don't have to worry about them anymore."

Steven glanced back over to his right just to make sure.

There were no monkeys in sight.

He turned back ahead and resumed his climb along with Ringo.

  
  


  
  


The Gems and Ringo were waiting by the gate. 

Approximately twenty-two minutes had went pass and Steven had yet to climb up to the top.

_What is TAKING him so long?!"_ Hopper shouted.

_"He's still new." _ said Garnet.

She let out a growling exasperated sigh. 

_"Wait, I think he's coming up."_ Hoppy observed.

The four of them saw Steven's hand, along with his shield, then a split second later, the curls of his hair as he pulled himself up. 

He was panting heavily. 

He threw his arm to the ground and they saw him slide back down and he let out a startled yelp. Garnet moved abruptly but stopped herself right as Steven quickly grabbed the edge of the ground once more.

He threw one arm down to the ground and pulled his self up as he threw the other towards another handhold. He slid his self on his stomach across the grassy terrain and laid there as he tried catching his breath.

"Comot comot." (Let's go). said Hopper. "Make we (let's) leave and hurry and get da man." 

Steven looked at her. 

His body far too exhausted.

Hopper sucked her teeth. "Your group really get a boy dat act like pikin." (Your group really has a boy that acts like a little kid.) "No. Like a baby. He no fit to do nothing." (He can't do anything.) 

Garnet shifted her eyes at her behind her shades. "He's still in training." was her rebuttal. "But he's getting the hang of things." 

She and Garnet, along with Hoppy and Ringo looked at the red, sweaty boy pushing his self up on wobbly arms ad he groaned.

"You sure of dis tin wey you dey talk so?" Hopper asked as she twisted her lips up at him. She smacked her teeth. "Dat be lie ooo." she shook her head at him.

Garnet straightened her back up more. "With the Gems here," she looked to them as she ignored the old man in the group. "all we need to do is bypass this gate and get to the man." she turned her body towards the ten foot tall dark brown mahogany fence. "Let's go."

"Finally!" Hopper exclaimed with a raise of both gauntlet and yellow mitten fist.

"Wait!" Ringo shouted.

"Oooohh, wetin (what) now!" 

"Please.." he looked to the three women, then behind him at Steven who was now on his feet. He looked back at Garnet standing and looking stoic and serious as ever. "Be careful with him. Don't hurt him.. or.." he couldn't find it his sentence. 

The hard look she gave him never wavered. And silence lasted between them for only a few seconds before she said, "Remember, no promises." she reminded him. "But we'll be able to get the jewel breasted plate easily from your brother. So we shouldn't have to worry about him." then she added. "Especially if he complies."

His expression fell. "We shall see."

"Come on! Make we do this already!" Hopper shouted. She turned back around to the gate and held up the one gauntlet. _"Let's tear this bad boy down." _ she pulled her arm back-

"Wait!"

"Wetin.. NOW!" 

"Instead of ruining our gate that my brother and I have worked so hard on, why don't we unlock it and walk through and go in like that?" 

Hoppy twisted up her face behind her rabbit mask. _"Why would we, as Crystal Gems, listen to YOU." _

_"Right!"_ Hopper agreed. _"You should be happy that you're still ALIVE old man!"_ she pointed the gauntlet at her. _"Besides. We're not going to walk aaall the way down to the entrance and waste MORE of our time."_

He held his hands up to ease their defensive manner. _"I.. was just making a suggestion."_

_"We didn't ask for your input in the first place old geezer."_ Hopper growled.

_"It doesn't matter." _ Garnet interrupted. _"We're doing neither." _ they looked at her and she pointed a gauntlet finger above the wall. _"We'll simply _jump_ over it." _

Hopper narrowed her eyes with a pout. She folded her arms. _"That's not as fun."_

_"Yes, well, we're not _here_ for fun."_

Steven looked at all four of them. Confusion written across his face. 

What was all of that just now?

What were they saying?

He saw Garnet turn to him. "We're going to hop this gate. You and Ringo will meet us over."

They saw Steven look over at the gate behind them.

Hopper snickered. "More climbing go for you." she teased.

"Come on Gems." Garnet cut in again. She turned once more to the gate and jumped over, clearing it easily.

Hopper looked over at the two. "Yeah. It be no way you two climb over before we kill am. Come time you two climb over he go be dead." a mischievous smile was on her face. "And we will get da jewel and comot from here." 

Hoppy nodded. "I gree. Make you say goodbye to your brother. He go be no more." 

"No!" Ringo shouted.

The two cackled as they turned away from him. They jumped over the gate.

Ringo was already running over to the gate and shouting out at them.

Steven, again, had no idea what he was saying.

He saw the elderly man start to pull himself up. "Mr. Ringo!" the man ignored him as he went for another handhold. "We can use my bubble. It's faster." the man looked back down at him. "The bubble can go right over this gate." 

The senior quickly jumped down. "Hurry! Hurry! We have to stop them!"

Steven had to practically force his self to ignore his overly exhausted body. He ran the ring across his arm and the bubble formed around him. Forcing his self more, he immediately used his burning, tired legs to jump up and he ran his shoulder into the top of the bubble.

They flew up, clearing an extra five feet above the top of the gate and they let out started yelps as they fell downwards -seeing Garnet with Hoppy and Hopper on either side of her as they began to walk up the wild grass- and they landed into red gooseberry bushes.

Ringo wobbled as he tried to quickly get up to his feet. "Come on." he grunted. "We have to hurry up and catch up to them." 

Steven's legs felt like spaghetti and lead at the same time. He pushed up hard on his near spasming arms. "O..okay.." he took a breath as he swayed to his feet. "Let's.." he forced his legs into a jog. "get to them.." 

The bubble easily rolled through the bushes and into the wild grass the women were currently still walking through. 

They could see them looking around.

Various trees were obscuring everyone's view from the whole area.

"Come! There they are! We need to try and stop them!" Ringo said frantically.

Steven ran towards them. He'd picked up his feet and again, had to forcefully ignore his whole body practically screaming out in pain.

The bubble cut through the trees and the various sized bushes and the tall grass.

"Almost there." Ringo's voice was laced with anticipation and apprehension.

Hopper had held the gauntlet up while Hoppy had her sword out in front of her. 

Garnet had both arms down but was still ever vigilant. She turned around to see Steven and Ringo running towards them.

Relieved that they were here, though the feeling didn't show on her features.

Hoppy saw Garnet and turned around herself. "Whoa.. dat was quick ooo." 

Hopper heard her and looked back._ "How did they climb so fa-"_ she caught sight of a side of a cabin within the trees. In front of it.. a figure eating something that looked to be nuts or dried fruit in a round brown bowl as he sat down in a dark brown wooden chair. 

She gasped. "I SEE AM!!" she shouted.

"Hopper, no!" Garnet warned.

The woman was already running through the trees as she let out a war cry while swinging her gauntlet arm in the air.

"Hopper!" Garnet ran after her with Hoppy right on her heels.

"No! My brother!" Ringo yelled.

Steven ran after them in the bubble.

"We can't let them hurt him!" the senior yelled. "Or.. or.." he didn't dare say. 

"He won't." Steven assured him. "Garnet and I won't let that happen-"

"AH!" a voice yelled out. "AH HA! So I have visitors!" the voice was ever complacent. "Heh, I knew that one day I would be face to face to face with the one and only Crystal Gems." 

"That's him!! We have to go!!" Ringo shouted.

Steven tried picking up his pace, but.. he just couldn't go any faster.

"We dey here for da Ruby studded breastplate, area boy!" (Gang hooligan) Hopper shouted.

"Ooohoooo, oh yeah?"

"No play mumu (stupid)." Hoppy cut in. "We not get the jewel, so now we go steal it." (We don't have the jewel, so we're going to steal it) 

Steven and Ringo ran through the last grove of trees and out into the opened area.

Garnet had her arms out in front of the women. "Look. You just give us what we want and we can leave."

Steven and Ringo looked at one another, relieved at the different approach. They looked back at the woman standing in front of the man sporting black skinny jeans and a golden breastplate resembling a medieval cuirass filled with dazzling rubies on every inch of the armor.

"Heh.." he scoffed behind his fox mask. "No."

Steven and Ringo's face dropped and fear came to them an instant after.

"Then it appears you have chosen death." Hopper hissed. 

"AHA! HAHA!" he exclaimed. "Yoouuu." he pointed a finger and dragged it in front of them. "five fools canNOT over power meeeEEEE!" he stopped abruptly and leaned forward on the patio of the building. He smiled smugly as he bared his teeth. "Though, I would like to see you try." his eyes lowered belittling at them. "Humor me."

"Humor THIS!" Hopper ran up to him.

Garnet glared at the woman, stupid enough to once again rush into things.

"NO!" Ringo shouted.

"HAAAAA, YAAAHHH!!!!" Hopper jumped towards him with her arm pulled back, ready to throw the gauntlet down-

"Heh." the senior jumped away from her. 

"Huh?..." she watched him jump overhead before diving face first into the dark baren wood of the porch. 

She sucked in some air as she slowly pulled her face from the wooden surface and leaned back on her knees.

They all looked as his brother landed in the green meadow just a few feet from them.

"Ahh~ well that was too easy." he rolled his shoulders back. "But, I'm looking to use this baby." he knocked on the breastplate. "some more." he grinned at them. 

_"Then prepare to use it and lose it!" _ Hoppy ran after him with her katana sword and Hopper hopped up back to her feet and jumped fifteen feet off of the porch. 

"They're going about this all wrong." Steven and Ringo heard Garnet grumble. She ran towards the women and indirectly, the man as well. 

The complacent grin was still on his face as he watched the women run towards them. "Looks like my time to shine has finally come at last."

"We _NEED_ to stop them!" Ringo yelled. 

Steven pushed his feet into a full on sprint and the two followed the women in the bubble. 

"Heeeeh~Ehehehehh. Well, if you guys _really_ want the jewels." he shrugged smugly and the armor when up and back down as he did. "Then, try your best to get it." he took a fighting stance with both arms out in front of him and with his feet firmly planted on the ground.

Hopper let out another war cry.

Ringo panted as he and Steven ran towards him. "We can't.. let them.. k,.. kill him.." he finally uttered. 

Steven forced his self to keep up the speed. "Don't worry. We won't." he huffed. "We'll save.. your brother."

And he meant every word of it.

The closer they got to the fight, the eager and the more of that rushed feeling he was getting in his body. 

He was set on saving a life. Crystal Gem or not. 

He wasn't going to let another person die..

Not if he can help it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to post something on my one year anniversary of this fic. 🤷
> 
> Hopefully I'll get the ball rolling again with this story as I really _do_ still have a looot of ideas for this, despite of me constantly putting this on the back burner as of late.
> 
> Hopefully I'll be able to post the rest sometime this week, though of course I can't make any promises. 
> 
> Also, I want to really and deeply thank everyone again who posted some quite encouraging messages to fuel me to do more. I truly appreciate it y'all.
> 
> Everyone stay safe out there and y'all take it easy. ✌️


	217. Foxman vs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two long chapters o3o

Steven and Ringo were still far behind in the bubble.

Hopper had her gauntlet arm out in front of her as she flew towards the senior.

"HA!" the man jumped to his side and she missed him. She was quick to jump back onto her feet and she lunged towards him.

He spun around and threw out a spinning side kick. His muscular old leg smacked into her, causing her to fly back and crash into Hoppy. The two of them fell hard to the ground.

Garnet jumped over them and kept up her speed.

"How are we going to stop them?!" Ringo asked.

"I.. don't really know." Steven panted. "But I know that Garnet won't hurt him. I trust her."

They saw the woman land in front of his brother. 

"You want some of this too?" he asked with a grin. He put his hands up in front of his face and made a stance. 

"You can not defeat us." she stated plainly. "You might as well hand over the breastplate."

"I'm not giving this up without a fight."

She narrowed her eyes at him from behind the mask and shades.

"H'YAAAAAAH!!!!" he ran towards her.

"Garnet!" , "Brother!" Steven and Ringo shouted over one another.

The senior lunged at her and she jumped up and threw out a leg directly in front of her in a snap kick. 

"Ueeehhhg!!" he was kicked below his chin and was kicked up from his feet. 

He landed hard on his back.

"She's hurting him!!" Ringo yelled.

Hopper and Hoppy landed on either side of the man. 

"Garnet! Hoppy! Hopper!" Steven shouted at them.

The man was groaning as he pushed his self up on his elbows. 

Hoppy threw her sword down towards his neck. "OH!" he yelped. 

_"DON'T you dare move." _she hissed. 

Hopper flexed the gauntlet on her hand. _"You move, you die."_

Steven wondered what they were saying.. but with the sword to the man's neck, he could safely assume-

_"No! Don't kill him!" _Ringo shouted.

..that it wasn't good..

Hopper took a step towards the two and _away_ from his brother. _"We gave him a chance that we SHOULDN'T had given him in the FIRST place! Now he dies!"_ she shouted.

_"No! Please!"_ the old man begged. "We could talk about this!"

His brother looked down at Hoppy's sword. The woman focused solely on Ringo and Steven. 

Slowly.. cautiously.. he began to scoot away from the blade..

_"There IS no 'talking about this'! We're getting the jewel and ending the mission NOW!"_ Hopper yelled.

Hoppy nodded. _"And if he loses his life over this, then that's on him. We show no remorse."_

_"No.."_ he whispered. _"you can't.."_ he shook his head slowly.

Steven was on edge. The mission was one thing but not knowing exactly what was going on was another. 

What was going on? What were they saying?-

_"Please.. just let him live.. let him g.." _ he looked over to Garnet.. hoping he would get even a sliver of support form her.

The two women snapped their attention to the woman standing just a few feet beside them. 

They glared at her from behind their masks. 

_"Garnet."_ Hopper growled. 

The woman stood still. Motionless.

_"Garnet.. what are you doing, standing there. doing. nothing."_ Hoppy hissed. 

Still.. and motionless..

A torn expression behind her shades and mask..

_"You've been acting very weird throughout this whole mission."_ Hopper scowled. _"Very.. un.Crystal.Gem.like." _she snarled.

From behind the women, Garnet could see his brother moving away from the two. 

She didn't speak up about it. 

Ringo and Steven caught sight of the man slinking away from the two as well. 

They also didn't say anything. The two afraid of what the women might do to him. 

_"WHAT is going on in that head of yours, Garnet!"_ Hopper clenched the gauntlet in her hand. _"What's with the stalling!? We kill him, get the plate and win!"_

_"No!"_ Ringo interjected.

_"Ah, SHUT up or we'll kill you too!"_

Steven kept looking from each person in the group. 

It would be easier if he could _just_ understand them!

_"It's a certain way to go about this." _ they heard Garnet say plainly. 

Hopper and Hoppy glanced back over at her. 

_"Oooh, NOW you want to talk." _ the former glowered.

_"There's a better way to do this."_

_"Garnet, what is going on with you! Do you hear yourself! We have him RIGHT where we want him! Let's just kill the guy and get the jewels already-!"_

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!!" the maniacal laugh was heard from a ways behind the women. 

Garnet looked ahead of them and they turned around.

The elderly man was on a dirt mound as big as a small house. He placed his knuckles on either side of the breastplate. "I, Foxman, I have outsmarted you!" he looked amongst the crowd. "ALL of you!" he pointed. 

Hopper grinded her teeth as she snarled at him. She ran towards him at full speed. _"Outsmart THIS!" _she jumped up and cleared twenty feet up towards him. She pulled her gauntlet arm back.

_"Does she _not_ think about what she does?"_ Garnet said under her breath.

_"Looks like whoever gets him kills him."_ Hoppy darted away from her. 

_"Don't!!"_ Ringo shouted. He pressed hard on the bubble to move it and Steven pushed off his feet into a run. "What are they saying?!" 

"They said they're going to kill him!"

"We won't let him do that!"

The two picked up their pace in the bubble. 

Foxmman kicked Hoppy away from him and she landed down hard by Hopper who was slowly getting up. Growling as she did. _"Don't think you're defeating us."_

Hoppy held up her sword. "You have only seconds before we kill you."

_"No!!"_

The women turned and glared at Ringo. 

_"Hopper. Hoppy."_

They turned to her to give her the same glare.

_"What now, Garnet?"_ Hopper snarled. 

The torn look was gone from her face. The collected and stoic expression now took its place. She saw the pink bubble coming up towards them and thought of Steven. She opted to switching back to English. "We have to be careful of what we're doing."

Hopper pointed an accusing gauntlet finger at her. "You dey (are) getting soft Garnet! You sabi (know) you would've rushed towards am (him) too!"

_"Hopper, forget about her."_ Hoppy cut in. _"Now's our chance. Let's get this jewel and get it over with. I'm done going back and forth with this."_

Hopper nodded.

The two turned around and jumped towards Foxman-

Garnet ran towards them.

"We have to think of something fast!" Ringo shouted. He pivoted towards Steven. "There's no way for you to stop them?! Your shield?! Anything?!"

"I... well I can try to stun them with my shield?" he shrugged and touched the edge of his shield. "I don't want to hurt_ them _too bad either-"

"H'YAHH!" Foxman had kicked Hopper.

The woman flew across the grassy area and slammed hard into Steven's bubble. 

She groaned. _"Not the way I intended.."_ she slid down the bubble and flopped to the ground. 

Garnet jumped over Hoppy who was trying to pull her sword up from the ground.

She landed in front of the senior._ "Foxman." _her voice was serious. _"Let us get the jewels and nobody gets hurt."_

_"Heh, you know I'm still surprised."_ he grinned. _"I didn't know that a Crystal Gem could even speak, let alone try to make truce."_ he came in for a quick punch and she stepped out the way, dodging it easily. 

He scowled at her as he turned to her.

_"I will not keep asking you over and over."_ she held the gauntlet up in front of her. _"You give as the Ruby studded breastplate and nobody. gets. hurt."_

_"Nobody..." _ he said.._ "but you!"_ he threw his self forward in a tackle and she jumped up. 

He flew under her and down the other side of the dirt mound.

Ringo and Steven saw Garnet jump down behind the mound before Hopper and Hoppy did the same. 

"We have to follow them!" Steven ran forward in his bubble with Ringo keeping up pace.

  
  


Garnet was dodging every punch and kick being thrown at her. With ease she ducked and lunged to either side and jumped, dodging every move from him. Every deadly kick and punch being avoided easily.

Foxman was coming in with another punch and she lunged towards the ground. 

He lost his balance and fell to the grass. 

She spun on her heels to face him as he was getting back up._ "How.. DARE you dodge my perfect kicks and punches!" _he rushed towards her again as he swung both arms out wildly. "H'YAH!!!!! H'yah, h'yah, H'YAH!! H'yah, h'yah, H'YAH!! H'YAH!!" 

Stoic and calm, Garnet swayed back and forth, side stepping and ducking his solid punches. He snapped a leg out in a fast high kick and she jumped up. His foot missed her completely. 

She landed back down. 

The man had his hands on his knees and was already panting. 

He looked back up at her._ "Think you.. got me now?" _he let out a breathy chuckle.

_"Give me the rubies."_

He pulled his lips back in a snarl._ "Never."_

_"I got you now!!" _ Hopper shouted behind him.

He leaned up from his knees.

The woman was coming straight for him with the gauntlet outstretched in front of her face. 

He jumped up into a spin and his leg collided with her face. 

"G'YAAAAHH!!" she shot forward a few feet and her body slammed into a tree. She groaned and held her face. 

Foxman chuckled sinisterly. 

She snapped her head back around. _"What's so funny?" _she hissed. She got back up. Her legs wobbled as she tried to make her slow moving steps towards him.

_"Maybe you shouldn't announce when you are coming-WHOA!! OH!" _a sword grassed the side of his face. The blade barely nicked the tip of his nose. He turned around to see Hoppy landing just a few feet from him. _"How's that for not "announcing"."_

Blood dripped from his nose. He lowered his eyes at her. _"Needs work-HUOOHGG!!"_ something solid and heavily bulldozed into him. He slid across the ground as he felt the figure jump off of him. The GemTech boots landed just an inch away from his face. He looked up to see Garnet's frowning face. 

_"HA! HA! Looks like Garnet's back to her senses!"_ Hopper exclaimed mischievously.

_"You again.." _he grumbled. 

_"You can't defeat us." _ Garnet said bluntly. _"Give us the jewels."_

He was slowly pushing his self back up. _"No.."_ he grumbled.

She stood her ground as he pushed to his knees, then slowly up to his feet. 

_"Get him, Garnet!"_ Hopper shouted.

The woman looked directly at the senior. Still and motionless once more. 

_"None of you will be able to get the Ruby studded breastplate from me."_

_"That's where you're wrong."_

He twisted his face at her.

And threw a quick punch-

Easily. She moved only her head and the fist went right pass her.

He pulled his arm back as he swung his other arm directly at her face.

She dropped to the ground and the fist went directly overhead as she swung her leg out. Her foot clipped his ankles and he fell hard on his back with a growling, "OOF!!" 

Hopper and Hoppy were cheering behind them.

Foxman got up slowly to his feet.

Garnet was already standing tall in front of him.

_"I refuse to let you defeat me."_ he threw his leg out into a kick and she jumped back.

He stomped forward, throwing his legs and fists out.

Garnet kept at it. Jumping back and dodging every move once again. 

_"If I can just.. LAND A HIT!!" _ he yelled. He threw his arms out harder as the two neared a Grove of trees.

Hopper and Hoppy continued to cheer mischievously as they followed them.

"H'YAH, H'YAH, H'YAH, H'YAH!!" he began putting more weight into his swings as he threw out hard jabs.

Garnet continued to dodge each and every one of them with agile ease.

He growled.

He pulled his arm back and swung out hard.

She jumped up as his fist collided with a tree and pierced through the bark. 

His hand was stuck.

She landed on his arm in a crouched position.

_Wha-?"_

He saw her smirk before he saw her turn around. Her boot smashed into his face and the impact jerked his body backwards, his arm being ripped from the hole of the tree. 

He fell on his back.

She landed beside him. 

_"The jewels. Now."_ she ordered.

"Garnet!" she heard Steven call out to her.

Foxman was already getting up to his feet.

Steven and Ringo were running up behind Hoppy and Hopper.

_"These fools again.."_ Hopper grumbled.

_"Do they not know that they're no match for Foxman?"_ Hoppy chimed in coarsely.

_"None of you are."_ he retorted with a scowl. 

They turned back to glare at the senior. Garnet kept a short distance between her and the elderly man.

_"You won't be saying that once you're dead." _ Hopper snapped back. 

_"Show me-"_

_"No!!"_ Ringo cut in. 

Everyone looked at him.

_"Brother! Why don't you just give them the plate so they can leave us alone!"_

_" 'Us'?"_ his lips curled down in a frown. _"The sibling connection is gone."_

Ringo's expression dropped to a shocked frown. 

"What? What happened?" Steven asked. "What's going on?"

"He's not listening.."

Foxman glowered at them. "I will_ keep_ the plate. And, it will only be me here." he looked to his brother. "There is no sibling connection." he said once more. "I banished you, did I not?"

"It was due to our moral differences.. And you know that." 

His brother nodded. "And so that is why I am here. And, you were banished to the far side of the mountains."

Ringo lowered his eyes at him. "Unfairness.."

"All is fair in power, dear brother. That is why I wanted _both_ of us to share in this opportunity. This strength. This, raw power."

"I didn't want that.." he whispered. 

"And that is why you made it easy for me to exile you." 

Ringo kept his disappointed glare towards his brother. 

"How can you do that to your own brother!" Steven shouted. "Because you two don't see eye to eye?" 

"Our differences in running this area would've been vastly different. Clashing would've erupted into much more. Banishing him was much easier."

"That's wrong!!" 

"NO! Ignoring POWER is wrong!" 

"No! Treating your family like this is!"

His lips pulled back in an aggravated snarl at Steven. 

"This isn't right! You can't just, do this to your own brother! You guys are supposed to be close! You shouldn't let something like this get between you two-!"

"I don't have time for this." he rushed forward, running away from Garnet and passing Hopper and Hoppy. 

"He's coming after us!" Steven shouted. 

"Brother! Think about what you're doing!" 

"I am." he tackled the bubble with the shoulder of the sturdy, solid breastplate. 

The two of them screamed in the bubble as they were flung far away from the group.

"There. Much better-OOFWAAAHH!!" he was tackled hard into the side and fell and slid shoulder first into the ground. 

He groaned.

Garnet landed beside him once more.

"I still refuse to give you the plate." he grumbled.

An explosion as tall as three feet up erupted just a few feet beside them.

He looked around as Garnet looked directly at the culprit.

Hopper was taking out another one of her small bombs from behind her. A round, dark brown bomb with an already burning wick. The brown surface of the explosive having a smiley face on it. _"We're killing him now! Out of the way or you go with him!" _

Foxman was scrambling up to his feet.

_"Hopper-"_

She threw the bomb and Garnet raised her gauntlet up. She grabbed hold of the round explosive as the wick reached its point. 

The bomb blew up into a small ball of fire in her hand. She opened her gauntlet and the disintegrated ash fell to the ground.

Hopper growled with clenched teeth. _"Garnet!"_

_"Hopper." _she said calmly.

Hoppy was picking up her katana sword. She fixed the rabbit mask on her face and turned back to the group. _"Hopper, you focus on the bombs."_ she raised her sword up. _"I'll do my part."_ she dashed towards them.

Hopper took out four small, dark brown marble sized spheres. She picked one up from her hand and squeezed it. She opened her hand as the marble grew into the apple sized bomb with the wick already burning on it. She threw the bomb towards them and quickly grabbed a second marble sized sphere. 

The bomb was coming towards them. 

Garnet jumped away and cleared a few feet. She landed on a branch of a tree. 

Foxman had dove out of the way.

The bomb rolled a fee inches through the grass and stopped. The wick sizzled down to it point.

Another small explosion erupted from its spot.

Hopper ignored Garnet and was going straight for Foxman. She threw bomb after bomb at him. 

A bomb landed in front of him. "WHOA!" he backpedaled just as another bomb cut his running to an abrupt halt. "AAHH!!" he backpedaled to another bomb that was thrown behind him. "OH NO!!!" each bomb began erupting around him. "AAAAHHH!!!"

_"Dance Foxman! Dance!" _Hopper cackled. She threw more smiley faced bombs at him.

Hoppy was running up towards her. She stopped just as she got beside her. _"It's a wonder why you didn't use this method before."_

The mischievous grin was still behind her smiling faced frog mask. _"Didn't want to waste it on the likes of him but-"_ she threw two more bombs and watched the man barely dodge the ones that were already placed on the ground and trying to dodge the two incoming ones. _"decided to use them."_ she took out more marble sized bombs from her pocket._"This is MUCH better anyway."_ she grabbed one from her hand.

Hoppy nodded. _"Keep it up. We'll defeat him in no time."_ she resumed her running towards the senior.

  
  


Steven and Ringo were running back towards the dirt mound.

They could see various small explosions throughout the area.

"Something's happening!!" Ringo exclaimed.

"Come on! We have to run faster!"

The two of them tried picking up their pace as more explosions erupted from behind the mound.

  
  


Foxman barely side-stepped out the way of a bomb when another one erupted by his foot. "AHHHH!!" he screamed. He lost his footing as another bomb erupted behind him. The small blast sending him fallings forwards to the ground.

Hoppy was running over with her sword-

_"Please!! Don't hurt me!!"_ he begged.

_"Too late now-" _she raised her sword up.

_"Please! Please!...please.."_ he cowered. _"I'll give you the plate. I'll give you it right now." _ he whispered. 

Hoppy threw her sword down to his throat and he hollered-

He didn't feel the blade of the sword.

Slowly, he opened his eyes.

The sword was only inches from his throat. He looked up at Hoppy.

He panted. _"T, thank you.. thank you for sparing my lif-"_

_"Don't thank me." _ she spat out. _"I decided that I didn't feel like cleaning your blood off of the plate. Now, get up and give the plate to us."_

_"Y, yes.. yes of course."_ he got up slowly to his feet. Hopper continued to hold the point of the sword towards his throat. _"No funny business."_ she said coarsely.

He shook his head. _"No funny business." _ he swallowed. _"I give."_

Garnet watched cautiously from the tree as the senior began taking off the breastplate. He pulled the solid armor over his head, revealing an orange shirt. He slowly lowered the armor down to the ground in front of him. He learned back up slowly with his hands up in a placating manner.

Hoppy kept the point of the sword towards his throat as Hopper jogged up to them. She placed the rest of the marble sized bombs into her back pocket and grabbed hold of the armor with both gauntlet and yellow mitten. With a grunted huff she lifted the breastplate up into her arms. _"Got it!"_ she jogged back away from them.

Foxman watched her place the breastplate on the ground and began to inspect it. He looked back at Hoppy.

The woman's mask stayed pointed towards the direction of his face. 

Moments later, she slowly, steadily began lowering the sword from his throat. The mask continued to look in his direction. 

_"Heh. Looks like we got what we wanted after all." _

He nodded fervently. Wordlessly. He swallowed nervously once more.

_"Hoppy! Come over here! Check this out!"_

The rabbit mask stayed in his direction for a few moments longer. She took a few steps back slowly... before quickly spinning back on her heels and running towards Hopper. 

Foxman exhaled a sigh of relief.

  
  


"Heheheh." Hopper chuckled. _"We finally got it."_ she dragged her mitten across the rubies on the surface of the armor.

_"We told that old geezer we were going to get it from him!"_ she held up her hand and Hopper gave her a high five.

_"Heheheheh, yeaaah. He was no match for us." _

They saw the man slowly walking away from them. 

He stopped and threw his hands back up. "Uh..-"

"HA!" Hopper fanned her hand at him. _"Go about your business, old man. We got what _we_ need." _

He nodded fervently once more. Keeping his arms up he slowly backed further away from them.

The two went back to looking at the shiny plate of armor.

Garnet watched Foxman slink into the trees, disappearing within the thick foliage.

She jumped down from the tree and started her walk towards the two women who were too busy cackling as they eyed and touched the rubies.

Hopper saw Garnet coming up and gave her an enthusiastic wave._"Look what we goooot~~"_ she said smugly. _"That guy couldn't hold his own. He was no match for us!"_

Hoppy nodded in agreement. _"Our mission is complete."_

Garnet looked at the women chuckling once more. 

She didn't seem too enthused.

_"What's wrong with you?"_ Hopper asked bluntly. _"Garnet, we got the jewels! Not to mention NOT killing another guy."_ she scoffed. _"I thought yooou would be hoppin' happyyy about that." _ she mocked. 

Her face twisted slightly in thought. _"That was too easy."_ she whispered. She kept her eyes near the area of the trees Foxman had walked into.

_"What do you mean Garnet?"_ Hopper asked. _"We showed him our strength and we got the stuff! What the heck do you mean 'too easy'?" _

Garnet heard slight rustling in the trees that he _didn't_ enter from. The noise just a few yards down. 

She kept her face down to them as not to draw attention to herself as she still kept her eye up and towards the thick foliage. 

Hoppy and Hopper saw Garnet "looking at them", though she didn't say anything else to them. 

They looked back at each other and Hoppy shrugged. _"Look, how about we do this already? We got the breastplate. Let's go."_

Hopper agreed with a small nod. _"Time to get this breastplate" _she and Hoppy lifted it up. _"and go-"_

The armor began cracking in their hands. 

_"What the.. WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON!" _Hopper yelled.

Garnet kept her head facing down as she glanced down at the breastplate cracking more across the surface before quickly crumbling inwards and falling to the ground as rubble. 

_"WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!"_ the woman grabbed at her mask where her hair would be.

_"It disintegrated."_ Hoppy hissed. 

_"He... LIED TO US!!"_ she shouted. _"Oooooh, that. no good-" _

They heard laughter from behind them.

Garnet saw something golden within the leaves right as a figure jumped out from the trees.

Hopper jumped up to her feet as Hoppy grabbed her katana sword and jumped to hers. 

Garnet stood her ground behind them.

Foxman landed on the ground just several yards away from them. The man now sporting another Ruby studded breastplate similar to the one he had on except twice as big and there was a slight difference in color with the rubies. The gemstones looking more red than the ones on the previous breastplate. 

_"Fools!!" _ he bellowed triumphantly. _"It was the RED one all along!!" _

_"That old man tricked us."_ Hopper growled. 

_"Now he's definitely going to pay."_ Hoppy glared at him.

Garnet said nothing. The woman now debating on what to do-

Hopper took a marble sized sphere from her pocket and squeezed it. The sphere formed into an apple sized bomb already lit at the wick.

She threw it at him and went to grab more marble sized spheres from her pocket.

Foxman saw the bomb coming towards him. "Hmph." he scoffed. He raised his arm in front of him and the armor from the breastplate grew down his arm to his wrist. 

The bomb smashed into the plated armor and shatter upon impact. Smoke seeped into the air. 

Hopper and Hoppy gasped. 

"Hmhmhmhmh." he chuckled. The armor slid back into the breastplate and he lowered his arm back down. 

_"My bombs.. aren't effective.."_

"Guys!! Wait!! Don't hurt him!!" 

They looked over to see Steven running with Ringo inside of the bubble. 

_"You knew about this didn't you!!" _ Hopper shouted at the man standing beside Steven. 

Ringo looked taken aback. _"Knew about what?"_

_"You know!!"_ she yelled. _"You knew it was a trap this WHOLE time, didn't you!"_

Ringo looked at her. A terrified and confused look on his face. _"I.. don't know what you're talking about."_

_"The armor! You knew he was using the fake armor all along!"_

He looked over at his brother. The fox mask was still over his face but he had a feeling his brother was sporting a complacent grin just then.

_"You LET us waste our time in trying to get the fake one! When he JUST put the REAL one on!"_ Hopper continued.

Steven looked from the two of them. What. were. they saying?! He didn't know, but she sounded,_ both_ of them sounded distressed.. or angry or.. both?

_"I didn't know."_ Ringo shook his head. _"I didn't know anything about it."_

_"Yeah, right."_ she took a step towards him and Hoppy grabbed her shoulder. _"Forget about him." _ she let go as Hopper turned to her. _"He's not important. Let's just get the real plate from him and we'll be finished."_

Hopper looked back to give another glare at the elderly man before turning away and running with Hoppy. 

"Ringo, what's going on!"

"She says that this whole time that my brother was using a fake one!"

"What?!"

"She thought I knew about this, but I didn't!" he explained. "He has on the real one now!" he pointed.

Steven saw Hoppy, Hopper and Garnet running towards the man. 

"Garnet!" 

The woman heard her name, but still took a few steps forwards before reluctantly stopping. 

.. If Amethyst was here she wouldn't had..

.. Unwillingly, she would've kept going..

The woman turned around.

Steven and Ringo were running up to her. 

"We still can't hurt him!" said Steven. 

Behind her, Hopper was flung yards away towards the bushes as Happy was grabbed by the wrist. Foxman threw her in the same direction towards Hopper. 

Garnet jumped up to meet them half way. She landed directly in front of the bubble and Steven had to quickly stop himself from bumping into her. 

He placed his feet wide on either side of the bubble and it stopped abruptly. Ringo fell forward on his face. 

"Talc, this is the _actual_ armor. He has a lot of power now, we have to get it from him."

"But.. that.. doesn't mean that things will get serious?" he asked softly. "..Right?"

She knew where he was getting at..

She sighed. "I said before that I couldn't make any promises."

"Please.." Ringo cut in gently. "I know you're a Crystal Gem."

Garnet kept her eye on him. 

"But please.. just try harder.."

"Come on Garnet.." Steven joined in. "If it makes things easier.. I'll be there with you. We can try to stop him together.. without.. having to..you know.._get_ rid of him."

The woman was quiet for a few moments..

"Garnet-"

"We need to be quick." she cut Steven off, though her voice was still soft. "We get the jewel and leave immediately."

Steven nodded quickly. "Just you and I." 

She nodded back at him.

Steven turned his attention back to Ringo. "Okay, you should go somewhere where it's safe. It's way too dangerous now. It was dangerous before." he crouched down and began untying the apron from his self. "Garnet and I can handle this." 

"But.. my brother."

"Garnet and I have this." he assured him. He eased Lion down his back. The canine shook his fur. 

"Just stay with Lion." he picked the dog up and Ringo took the dog from him. The canine licked the man's face. "I hope you two will be able to get the plate safely from him." 

Steven gave him a reassuring smile. "We will." he turned to the dog. "Be good, Lion." he scratched the dog behind the ear then placed the apron over Ringo's shoulder.

He turned to the front of the bubble and swiped his hand across. 

The bubble deactivated back into the jewel on the band.

He looked up at Garnet. 

She gave him a minute nod. "Let's go." she ran towards the fight and he followed after.

Ringo frowned as the dog locked his face once more. He signed. "I hope you're right, Talc.."


	218. Defeating Foxman

"Let's see what we can do.." Garnet thought aloud.

"Maybe I could stun him with my shield?" Steven suggested. "I just hope that it doesn't hurt him too bad. That's, kinda why I haven't used my shield yet.." 

"That's a possibility." she and him continued to run towards the fight. "And hurting him a bit would be better than the alternative."

His skin crawled at that..

They saw Hopper and Hoppy still fighting with Foxman and still.. losing to him. 

Hopper was thrown down into the ground once again by Foxman. 

Hoppy was picking up her cracked up sword.

"We have to think of something.." Garnet pondered.

They saw Hopper lunging towards Foxman and going for his head.

The armored sleeves of the shield went into the breastplate and the armor shot up from the neck of the plate and engulfed his head. 

Hopper slammed the gauntlet down, forming a very small dent in the armor before pushing herself off.

She landed back on the ground, growling at the missed attack.

"Looks like the armor can't cover his whole body." Garnet observed.

"Yeah, looks like it can either cover both arms or his head. But not at the same time."

"That makes it easy for us." 

They watched Hoppy get thrown towards the trees.

"If we grab his arms, then he may use the armor to cover them. That'll give you the opportunity to throw your shield towards his head."

"But.. what if he uses the shield to cover his face instead? I have a feeling he would shield his face than his arms."

"I know. And Hoppy might use her sword to cut at his arms if that happens."

Steven went silent. A shocked expression on his face.

Garnet's expression dropped even more. "That's why I didn't make any promises." she stated lightly. "But injuring him would be the least of his worries. It's better than killing him."

The frown grew deeper on his face. "Y, yeah.. but.. hopefully she doesn't cut him too deep if she does get a hold of him..?" he looked back up at Garnet. 

"No promises." was what she said.

Foxman was still fighting the women. Hopper went in for another strike and he dodged out the way as Hoppy went in for her strike. He raised his arm up and the armor slid out from both arms as his armored fist slammed into her side, sending her flying over Hopper who was already running back towards him.

"Hopper!" Garnet called out for her. "Get one of his arms!"

Without a retort, Hopper lunged for the elderly man. 

"Whatever you are trying to do! It won't work!" he said to Garnet. 

Hopper grabbed hold of his arm. 

"Get ready." Garnet said to Steven. He nodded and she jumped towards the man. 

She grabbed hold of the armored arm. 

Foxman began swinging his arms madly before spinning his self around to fling them off. 

_"NnNnNnNnnnn GarnEeEeEt... whaAaAat.." , _Hopper was already slipping off of the arm._ "is the plaAaAaAnnn.." _

Garnet was holding on with calm and ease. _"You'll see."_

Steven had slid the shield down to his hand. 

Carefully, he tried to think ahead, see where he could throw his shield and how hard.

But with a moving and spinning target, it was hard to calculate..

He lifted a foot up as he wound his torso to the side. He took a hard step forward and turned his torso outwards in an outstretched swing and flung his arm out as he let go of the shield. 

The buckler flew straight towards Foxman's head. 

In the mix of the spinning, the man lost a bit of his balance and banked to the left. The edge of the shield hit the side of his mask. "WHOA!" he looked over at the direction of the shield and saw another appear on Steven's arm. 

"Oh NO you don't!" the armored sleeves slid back into the breastplate and covered his head. 

_"Now!" _ Garnet threw her gauntlet down on his arm. The man hollered out. 

A mischievous smile came to Hopper's face. _"AHA! I get it now!"_ she raised the gauntlet up. _"The suit can't cover his whole body at the same time! AAHAHAHA!!" _ she stated the obvious. 

Hoppy landed beside Steven and he jumped and threw his shield in front of him before realizing who it was. "O, oh.. it's only you-" 

"Wetin you doing? Make we comot and fight am!" (What are you doing? Let's go and fight him!) she jammed her sword up towards the fight. 

"Uh.." he was still having a hard time understanding her.

She sucked her teeth and shook her head. "Why you dey gi me wahala? You no listen well well." (Why are you giving me so many problems? You don't pay attention.) she ran away from him and towards the fight. 

Yeah.. he definitely didn't understand that either..

But there was that 'wahala' word again.

  
  


Blood was sliding down both of his arms as Garnet and Hopper ripped through his skin with their gauntlets. 

Garnet being as "gentle" as she could possibly be with_ her_ weapon. 

Foxman was spinning his self towards the trees. He threw both arms towards the bark of the trunks. 

_"Whoa! Hey!"_ Hopper jumped off of his arm as it neared the tree. The bloodied arm slammed into the sturdy trunk, doing no damage to it as he hollered out in pain. 

He still proceeded to throw the next arm towards the tree and Garnet jumped off. 

He barely stopped his arm from hitting the tree before spinning back around to face the now four Crystal Gems as Hoppy ran up towards them. Steven far back and running with his shield. 

Hopper lunged for him and he threw a kick out and easily kicked her out the way as Hoppy was diving towards him. 

He jumped out the way of her attack and bulldozed towards Garnet. He raised his arms up and the armor slid from uncovering his face and down into the breastplate and sliding down his arms. 

He threw his arm down and she jumped up into the air, clearing thirty feet up.

He growled. 

His eyes caught sight of something running towards him. He looked down to see Steven running up fast. 

"Heh, _you_ again." then he realized. "And this time, without my brother." he lowered his eyes at him. "What did you do to him?!" he rushed towards Steven.

"HUH!" Steven yelped. 

The guy was charging right at him. 

In a split, frightened second, Steven's frantic mind went to activating his bubble versus throwing the shield he already had in his hand.. 

Foxman was just a foot away from him as he threw an armored fist out. 

Steven ran the ring across his arm and the jewel popped off and formed into the bubble around him just as Foxman's fist rammed into the surface of the bubble. 

Steven felt his self flying backwards as the bubble shot through the air. 

Foxman felt pressure on his hand and looked down to see the armor cracked up and dented in. _"What?!"_

Hopper and Hoppy grabbed at the back of his arms and he spun them around, quick and hard enough to spin them off easily. 

They fell to the ground. Hopper already completely dizzy from the first round. Hoppy was already getting back up. She ran towards him.

_"Come and get me-"_ he saw Hoppy look pass him and he turned around 

Garnet was diving towards him. 

He gasped and tried jumping out of the way. 

Her gauntlet barely missed his face and smashed into his shoulder. The armor cracked and dented in from the impact.

_"NO!"_ he grinded his teeth as he growled at her. She landed back on the ground in front of him. 

Hopper and Hoppy grabbed at his arms once more and he made a quick, heavy spin of his body, flinging them off easily once more. 

He ran towards Garnet. 

Armored fists came towards her at full speed and strength. The jabs and hooks much harder and stronger than before. 

And as before, she ducked and dodged them. 

The strikes from his fists landed in the ground, making craters from the impact and tore through the trees with every hit.

And she continued to dodge every strike from him. 

He growled out in vexation as he panted under his tired breath. 

Hopper and Hoppy grabbed at his arms again and he went to spin them off once more. 

He saw Garnet diving towards him with her gauntlet and the sleeves of the armor slid into the breastplate before shooting up from the neck of it and covering his head. 

She grabbed at it and wrapped her muscular legs around the full helmet as Hopper and Hoppy started for cutting or hitting him with sword and gauntlet respectively. 

Steven saw everything unfold in front of him as he was running back up in his bubble. 

Foxman saw the boy coming up fast towards him and stop to stand his ground. He made a stance.

"Let's see if this'll work.." Steven said to his self. He jumped up and tackled the front of his bubble with his shoulder. 

The bubble shot towards him and collided into stomach of the breastplate. 

Foxman hollered as the intense force of the impact shot him backwards. 

Hopper, Hoppy and Garnet jumped off as the man flew far back. 

He landed hard into the ground slid a few feet. 

The three of them landed back to the grass and looked back. 

"Uuuhhhhhhgg.." he was already pushing his self up on wobbly arms to a sitting position. He looked down and saw the dented breastplate with majority of the jewels cracked on the surface of it.

He gasped. "My Ruby studded breastplate!!"

Hopper and Happy gasped and Garnet had her own shocked expression. 

"You dey (are) cracking da breastplate!!" Hopper yelled at Steven. 

"I didn't mean to! I didn't know that was going to happen! I, I was just trying to make him lose his balance!" 

Hopper opened her mouth to shout out something to him when they heard a roaring, "How DARE you ruin my beautiful plate of armor!"

They looked back to see Foxman running back towards them.

Hopper and Hoppy lunged towards him. 

..only to both get punched out of the way.. 

He was running up to Garnet and Steven. 

He threw a heavy armored punch towards her and she jumped out of the way and he instantly ignored her and went right for him. Charging at him. 

With just a second of leeway, Steven was at a standstill as the gears raced in his mind. He froze in his bubble as he saw a black boot coming towards him. 

The heavy boot smashed into the surface of the bubble and sent him flying across the grass. 

He saw the sky, the ground, the sky, the ground, the sky, the ground and the scene continued to switch around him as he rolled and tumbled across the grassy field. 

The bubble ran into a tree and the trunk smashed inwards from the impact. 

The bubble lay inside of its own collision hole within the trunk of the tree. 

Steven was getting his bearings together once more as the world slowly spun around him. 

He heard footsteps and his heart raced in his chest. He braced for whoever it could be-

Ringo came into view as he ran from the side of the tree. He was back to wearing the apron and Lion was still in his arms.

"I don't like how this is going." 

"Don't worry." Steven tried to push his self out of the hole and the bubble rolled back to the inside of the tree. He sighed tiredly. A bit of irritation seeping into his sigh. He ran his hand across the bubble and it deactivated. He began climbing put of the tree. "He can't beat as and Garnet and I won't let them badly hurt him." 

"But.. his arms!!"

He sighed again. "I knooow. But, it's the least we could do." he saw the worried look on the old man's face "But don't worry, we still won't let anything too bad happen to him."

They heard a war cry from Hopper as she lunged towards Foxman. Easily, he punched her out of the way and ran for Garnet. 

She jumped towards him and the armor covered his head. 

Her boots planted on the face of the helmet and she pushed off, using the momentum to push his head back as she pushed herself off. 

The man's head tilted backwards as he lost his balance. He stumbled backwards and nearly fell to the ground. 

The man growled and ran towards her. _"Think you're so powerful, huh?!" _

He threw fast, sturdy punches towards her. 

And she kept dodging every one of them.

_"Just... STOP MOVING!!" _

He threw out another jab and she jumped up, clearing a few feet into the air and she la def on a tree branch.

_"Nnnnnnn.. YOU!!!"_

Hopper and Hoppy jumped on either side of him and he focused his attention on them as he spun the two around.

Steven was running the ring back across his arm. The bubble formed around him. He turned to Ringo. "You really need to go for cover while we handle this." he started running away. "We have this! Don't worry!" 

Ringo only watched with a solemn look on his face.

Lion licked the man's cheek to comfort him.

  
  


Steven was running towards the tree that Garnet was still in. "Garnet!"

She looked down. "Talc."

"We need to find a way to get the shield without hurting him!" 

"I know. That's what I'm trying to plan out now."

Steven double tapped on his index and middle finger. The first shield minimized back into the brace of the bracelet and the second shield deactivated on his arm. He took a few jogging steps in his bubble and jumped up. He tackled the top of the bubble and the bubble cleared a few feet up.

A shocked look came to Garnet's face.

Right as he began falling back down he swiped his hand across the bubble and deactivated it. The branch was coming up to him and he quickly grabbed hold of it. 

He began huffing as he pulled his self up. 

Garnet leaned over and grabbed him by the back of the pants and pulled him up with ease. She kept her crouched position.

"Eheh.. thanks." he pushed up on his arms and kept his legs on either side of the branch as he sat behind her.

That surprised yet proud-esque look was in her small smirk. He thought he saw a very tiny nod from her. "I'm still trying to figure out what we could do." she went to the topic at hand.

Steven hummed out a sigh. "Words don't seem to be working like Ringo said. And looks like both of our weapons are too strong for his armor." his face twisted in thought. "I wonder if cracking the jewels or breaking the plate would make much of a difference if we give it to Peridot? The jewels get crushed to make our stuff anyway, right? Maybe we can break the breastplate and give the pieces to her like that?." 

Garnet rubbed the chin of her mask. "We can't take that chance. She may need the plate intact like the other jewels and artifacts that we've given her." she placed her hand back on her knee. "We can't keep cracking it more than what it already is. And even now I hope that it's not too bad off for Peridot to use."

The two of them looked down at Hopper and Hoppy still fighting Foxman and still getting hit or thrown by him.

"I'm at least glad that we don't have to worry about Hopper or Hoppy doing any kind of damage to him." Garnet spoke back up. 

"Yeah.." Steven frowned. "But I don't want them getting hurt either.. And I have a feeling that they're just going to keep trying to attack him and end up doing more damage to themselves.." 

Garnet nodded. "They are." she continued watching the fight. "I can easily defeat him. I was just trying to give him chances. This very anticlimactic fight could've ended the moment it started." her eyes lowered behind her shades. "But I kept giving him chances. He's not listening and even now I'm still not trying to hurt him too much."

She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see a smiling face behind the pink hibiscus mask. 

"And.. I want to thank you for that, Garnet. For going out of your way to do this." the appreciative smile stayed on his face. "Thank you."

Slowly.. Garnet felt a smile come to her face-

_"Brother!" _they heard Ringo shout below them.

Hopper was getting up slowly on weak, tired arms. 

_"Brother stop! Why must you act like this!"_

_"How could you _NOT_ see the beauty of such power!"_ he raised his arm up. Hope was in a chokehold. _"How RICH it is! The BEAUTY of it all!" _ he threw Hoppy down hard to the ground. 

Ringo gasped._"Look at you! You have let it taint you! Look at what you're doing!" _ he gestured to the woman slowly getting back up to her knees. She stuck the handle of her sword into the ground and pulled herself up slowly. _".. ook at what you've become!"_

_"Heh, I let it open my eyes to what true power is."_

_"That is the OPPOSITE-!" _

Several bombs came there way and landed on the grass around them. 

Foxman stood his ground and looked at the direction of the bombs while Ringo hollered as he tried moving away from every explosion. 

His brother ignored Hopper coming in with more bombs and snapped his attention onto Ringo. _Brother!"_ he shouted, looking around. His frantic eyes finally spotted Ringo diving out the way of the last bomb and running for a nearby tree. 

His nervous expressions went back to being serious once more. He scoffed. _"If you had true power like I do, you wouldn't be running away from these lowlifes."_

_"LOWLIFES?!"_ Hopper yelled. She threw bombs all around him.

He stood there unfazed. Bombs began to explode all around him. 

Hoppy had jumped back on his shoulders and grabbed hold of his neck.

The helmet slid out of the breastplate from one side, pushing the woman away from his neck and shut on the other side of the neck of the breastplate, shutting Hoppy's fingers inside. She screamed out loudly, hysterically. 

"H'YAAAAAAH!!!" Hopper was lunging towards him.

Unfazed.. he raised his arm up and opened his hand. Her face slammed into his palm and he closed his hand over her head, turned around and threw her. She screamed as she shot forward towards the trees.

Her body slammed into the trunk of the tree.

Slowly.. she slid down and fell to her back on the ground.

Ringo was picking up the bombs that had dropped from her hand. 

  
  


".. ike we have no choice but to play it by ear." said Garnet. She stood back up on the branch. "We can't stay up in this tree for too long. We have to stop him."

"I think something will come to us." said Steven. He pulled his legs towards the top of the branch to sit on his knees before pushing his self up slowly and cautiously on the branch. 

..Just to lose balance. "Whoaaa~~"

Garnet grabbed his shoulder to keep him steady. 

He found his balance and smiled at her.

She pat his shoulder with the same hand.

His smile faltered shortly after as he saw two bombs coming towards him. Garnet saw his expression and was already turning her head when he yelled, "Garnet! Look out!" 

In one split second, right as placed the ring on his arm to swipe the jewel across his skin, Garnet grabbed him by his sides and jumped up as the jewel popped off of the band of the ring. 

The bubble formed around them as the bombs hit the tree and tree branch, exploding upon impact and destroying the part of the tree.

They began to free fall in the bubble and Steven screamed.

Garnet kept her cool. She turned the boy towards her chest and held him close with her bandaged arm as she used the other to tuck his head in. She braced her own self as they made impact with the ground.

The bubble absorbed much of the impact as it bounced up twice before rolling across the grass.

It came to a stop seconds later.

Garnet was slowly lifting her arm from Steven. 

The boy got up slowly from her chest. "T, thanks.." he cleared his throat. "Again.." 

"No problem." she shook her head with a smile.

Steven got up from her and she pushed her back off of the ground and he lend his hand to "help" her up despite the woman needing no assistance.

They could still hear the fight going on just yard beside them.

They heard another pair of footsteps coming up to them and the two braced for who was coming, to immediately see Ringo jogging up to them.

They relaxed their arms.

"Ringo, you should be somewhere safe." said Steven. "You almost got hurt last time AND you had Lion with you."

"I know. And I'm terribly sorry about that." he pet the dog in his arm. 

"We can handle this." said Garnet. "You should take Lion and go someplace that's safe. We'll stop Foxman one way or another." a beat. "Without doing too much harm to him." another beat. "Again, no promises."

"That's why I'm here!" he quickly blurted out.

The two of them and even Lion, looked at him.

"Maybe there's something else we can do." he said.

"Like what?" Garnet asked, a bit skeptical.

"It's a huge step." he began. "But maybe this will work. This may _also_ tell me if.. I have truly lost my brother or not. If the family bond truly _is_ broken.."

"Ringo." Garnet cut him off to get to the point. "What do you mean?"

"I've been watching him." he started once more. "He keeps trying to attack you four, but he's never attacked _me."_

"Yeah, only _banished_ you.." Steven retorted. The boy still angered at his own brother doing such a thing.. 

Ringo's expression fell to something apologetic. "I know.." he said. "But I saw how he looked at me and how he called out my name when he saw the bombs going off around us." he looked at the two. "I think he was genuinely afraid that I was going to get hurt." 

"But.. what does that mean for your plan to get the armor from him?" Garnet asked.

"Maybe.. what happens if he _does_ see me get hurt?"

"How you've made it seems, you act as if he would be upset."

"Exactly!" 

"But.. that still doesn't give us a full plan as to how we're going to get the plate from him."

Steven's eyes went wide as he thought about what Ringo had said. How his brother seemed to care, to worry about him. 

_"Heh, _you_ again." Steven remembered him saying. "And this time, without my brother." he lowered his eyes at Steven. "What did you do to him?!"_ he started charging towards him.

Steven gasped. "Maybe we can get him to stop if he sees us attacking YOU!" 

".. make him think that-" he stopped his talk with Garnet. "Exactly! We'll see if he truly is this power hungry OR if our brotherly bond WILL prevail." 

"Hmm.. that could work. Or at the very least distract him." said Garnet.

Ringo nodded. "See if my brother is still in there somewhere." his smile was wistful. "See if that bond is still there. And I have a feeling that it is. Love will be able to break this power. Brotherly bond can break it. Family, can break it."

Steven looked at him. Just a small little pang of.. some kind of feeling hitting him just then- 

"So what's this plan that you have?" Garnet snapped Steven out of a would be trance.

Ringo's expression changed to something more determined and complacent. "If we do this correctly, I have a feeling you'll get your Ruby studded breastplate and, I'll have my brother back in my life again." 

  
  


Steven and Garnet were hiding behind a nearby tree not too far from the fight. 

They could see Ringo just on the other side of the grassy field. The man nodded and gave them a thumbs up on his end. 

"You sure you got this, Steven?" Garnet asked in a whisper. She was crouched down beside him. 

He nodded. "I'm sure." he looked her and smiled. "I learned form the best."

She smiled back.

  
  


Foxman threw Hopper.

She flew towards Hoppy. The woman looked on in shock as Hopper crashed into her. The two flew back a few feet and toppled to the ground. 

Foxman was laughing. 

_"You laughing again, old man?"_ Hopper got up from the ground. 

She started running towards him once again.

_"Oh? Heh, back again already, I see." _ he took a step forward. _"Looks like you're hungry for another delicious beating!"_ __

_ _Hopper raised the gauntlet up. _"Actually, that last one spoiled my appetite."_ _ _

_ _  
_ _

Steven heard Garnet groan beside him and saw Ringo roll his eyes.

"What? What happened?" he asked Garnet. "What did they say?"

"Just a witless pun." she mumbled.

Hopper was kicked into the ground. 

Hoppy was lunging for Foxman as Hopper started pushing herself back up to her feet.

Garnet stuck her thumb and index finger within the edges of her mouth. She whistled and Steven jumped slightly, not thinking that a whistle could ever be that loud. 

The loud melody sounded ike a chirp of a bird.

She stopped and saw Ringo nod.

They saw him rush out of the trees and into the open. "Brother!" he exclaimed. And Steven immediately thought that he should.. perhaps turn it down a notch. The man seemed to be overselling it a bit _too_ much. 

Foxman threw _Hoppy_ into Hopper this time and turned to face his brother. _"Hm.. you again.."_

Ringo switched to Igbo. _"Please! Just give the Crystal Gems the plate! Then, they will leave us alone."_

Even though Steven couldn't understand him, he could still sense and feel the fake and "roboticness" and yet somehow at the same time, overly dramatic takes of his delivery. 

Would Foxman even fall for his fake acting?

_"Again, my brother. I, will not. I will keep this power until I take my last breath."_

_"So.. that's it then."_ Ringo mocked lowering his eyes in rage.

And again, Steven wasn't feeling the actual anger from him..

_"I've chosen what I wanted."_ and with that, he looked away from him and focused on the women taking tired steps towards him. 

He chuckled sinisterly. _"Looks like these two are getting tired."_

They glared at him. 

_"Not.. even close.."_ said Hopper.

_"Well since you've chosen your path-!"_ he heard his brother shout behind him. He turned around. _"Then.. I guess I'll just try to prevent THEM from hurting YOU!" _

Foxman raised an eyebrow behind his mask. _"What?"_

_"You've heard me correctly! I, Ringo, will prevent the GEMS from hurting YOU, brother!"_ he started to run pass him.

_"What?!"_ he growled though the apprehension was now in his voice. _"I don't need-"_ he turned around to follow his brother as he ran pass him. 

"Come on. That's our cue." said Garnet. She pushed up to her feet and ran out of the trees and to the clearing.

Steven double tapped on his index finger and the shield formed in front of his arm. He pushed his self up to his feet and ran down the trees in a near crouched position, keeping his self hidden within the Grove.

Garnet landed in front of Ringo and he screamed. _A fake scream Steven could hear from where he was.._

The senior backpedaled away from her and held his hands up into fists. _"You will not take my brother down! Not without a fight!"_

_"Heh, then a fight it is."_ said Garnet.

And Steven immediately realized how better of an actress _Garnet_ was.

She threw a gauntlet fist out and "hit" Ringo. Her fist stopping just an inch from his nose.

"UEGH!!" he pushed his self back and let his self fall to the ground.

_"What are you doing, brother!!"_ he ran towards the two. Hopper and Hoppy grabbed hold of him tiredly and easily he used each hand to pull the other off of each shoulder. He threw Hopper then Hopper and resumed his run towards Ringo who was getting picked up by the front of his shirt by Garnet.

_"Unhand him!"_

Garnet looked over and glared at him. 

The man closed the distance between them.

Garnet jumped away and over him, with Ringo still in her hands.

_"I said unhand him!"_ he ran after her.

Garnet landed hard on the ground and "pushed" him to the ground. The old men threw his body to the grass. 

Garnet pulled her arm back and Foxman saw her bringing her arm down hard multiple times as she continued to "punch" him in the face.

_"Stop hitting him!!"_ he tried picking up his pace.

Ringo slid out a few ketchup packets from his pocket _that he'd gotten from the cabin just minutes earlier_ and tore them open. He spread the ketchup under his nose and over his lips and spread a bit of it under his eye and spread one line across his cheek. Garnet continued to "punch" him as his brother rushed over towards them. _"Quick, put the packets away. He's coming." _she whispered as she threw her arm down in another "punch". 

He quickly shoved the half empty or completely empty ketchup packs in his pant pocket.

Foxman was closing the distance on them once again and Garnet grabbed the man by the shirt and lifted him up. He let his head fall limp and Foxman saw the "blood" on his face.

_"Look.. what you DID to him!!"_

_"This is the price you pay for trying to stop us." _ Garnet glowered at him. 

Foxman charged towards him with a huge, armored hand up. Garnet grabbed hold of Ringo and dove away from him.

Foxman was fuming already. 

He pivoted on his heels and ran after her.

Hopper lunged towards him and he ducked under and dodged her as she flew over his head. He he kept up his pace. Hoppy grabbed hold of his head and he grabbed the woman and threw her. He proceeded to keep up his pace. 

Garnet jumped away from him and at an angle. She cleared thirty feet away from him and landed just a few feet from the trees that Steven was lurking behind. 

_"Let him go!"_

Garnet let go of him and Ringo let his own self fall to the ground.

The woman jumped in front of Foxman. 

_"FINALLY you face me like the Crystal Gem you are!"_ he pulled his arm back and threw a punch towards her. _"This'll show you to mess with my brother!"_

Garnet raised her arm up and easily caught his jab. 

He looked at her in wide eyed shock.

She let go of his hand and spun on the balls of her foot, throwing a high roundhouse kick to his face.

The impact sent him diving to the ground. 

He was already getting up as Garnet stood tall and stoic in front of him.

_"You.. will pay for harming my brother!"_ he pushed up to his feet. 

Garnet tackled him and he was sent flying once more to the ground and hard on his back.

Ringo was pushing his own self up to his feet, slowly and wobbly to sell the act more. _"You, Crystal Gem! I shall defeat you and protect my brother from you!" _ he started charging for her and Garnet turned from Foxman. 

_"Brother! What are you doing! Stay out of this!" he shouted._

Steven watched closely from the bushes as Garnet tackled Foxman back down. The man immediately started pushing his self up to his feet.

Garnet turned towards Ringo and with her gauntlet hand, palm facing up, she poked both her thumb and pinky out and lowered her hand down to her waste.

「Now.」

That was the signal.

Heart racing with anticipation both being on the spot _and_ of a mission and that _AND_ hoping that the plan would work, Steven ran out of the bushes.

"I got this one Garnet." he said in a low tone.

Hm.. maybe he needed to sound a bit more serious.

He ran towards Ringo who'd just turned around. "Another one!" 

His acting was getting a.. smidge better.

"You again!!" Foxman shouted. He tried running for him but Garnet blocked his every way and move. 

He started to throw out jabs and each one she dodged or stopped with her gauntlet._"Let me through!!"_

Garnet caught another fist. _"No."_ she threw another kick out and kicked the side of his face.

Steven was just a few feet from Ringo. "I will NOT let you get to my brother!" he acted.

Steven slid his shield down to his hand and threw it. 

.._gently towards him_..

The surface of the shield simply hit Ringo's belly lightly.

Foxman looked up to see his brother falling to the ground. The shield laying right by him. "You're hurting him!"

Garnet tackled him back down and ran towards Ringo and Steven.

Foxman pushed to his feet and ran after her.

Steven was crouched down to the man as he threw his hands down as he "punched" him. 

Garnet came in and joined in. Throwing gauntlet and bandaged hand towards the man's face as she "struck" his face multiple times.

"NO!" Foxman screamed. "It's ME who you want! I'M the one with the jewels!" 

They continued to "punch" Ringo as he made small grunts and moans.

"I'M the one with the power!!" he emphasized as he nearly whined out.

Bombs fell to the area and they saw Hopper and Hoppy slow jogging towards them.

They hadn't been in on the plan, but it seemed to really sell more of the act. 

Garnet picked Ringo up and jumped away from Foxman as Steven ran the ring across his arm. The bubble formed around him and he tackled the top of his bubble to reach fifteen feet up towards Garnet.

Foxman stopped on his heals and ran back to follow him, tackling both an extremely worn out and exhausted Hopper and Hoppy in the process. "Leave him alone!!" he yelled. "It's ME who you want! Leave him out of this!"

Garnet landed back down and Steven was already back on the ground waiting for her. He ran towards them in his bubble.

She turned to him. "Time for the finishing act." she whispered.

Steven gave a subtle nod of his head as he swiped across the bubble. It disappeared from him and he kept up his run down the grass.

"Now." said Garnet. Her back was facing Foxman as he ran towards them.

Ringo quickly took the rest of the half empty ketchup packets and spread them all across his neck. He shoved the empty packets in his pocket.

Garnet turned to her side slightly. "Talc." she said. 

Steven double tapped on his middle finger and another shield formed around his arm. 

He raised his arm up and struck his arm back down towards Ringo. 

Foxman saw Steven throwing his shield down towards Ringo's neck. He saw the shield "strike" his brother's neck. 

And.. just the look on his brother's face when the shield..

He hollered out as he ran for him. 

Garnet let go and Foxman saw the limp body fall to the ground. 

His brother's eyes closed and his face already lifeless as he fell to the grass. 

Garnet and Steven heard Foxman scream out for his brother. 

"Let's go." said Garnet. She jumped away and Steven ran in the same direction.

Moments later and Foxman ran up to him. He slid on his knees and quickly grabbed his "dead" brother. _"No.."_ he shook his head. His lips trembled as tears started to form in his eyes. He touched his brother's "bloody" cheek. His head shook slowly, solemnly and in disbelief..

Tears fell to his brother's apron. 

_"No.."_ he whispered. _"No.."_ he sobbed. He sniveled and he bit at his lip. _"No... no..." _ his trembling lips were pulling back into a snarl as he shook his head harder. He rocked slightly._ "No... no.. no... no.." _the whisper became more coarse as he raised his voice.

_"No.."_ he clenched his teeth as more tears slid from his face. _"No.. NO... NO!!" _ he looked up from his brother and at them. 

The plain fox mask covering his look of hatred and contempt.. and grief..

Steven and Garnet watched as he hugged his brother's head before gently placing his body back on the ground. 

He got up slowly as he clenched his hands into fists. "You.. killed him.." he whispered coarsely. His eyes laid unmoving from his brother before snapping back up at them. "You.. KILLED HIM!!" 

Steven and Garnet saw the man charging towards him.

Garnet jumped up and Steven reactivated the bubble around him. He jumped up with her, floating up half of the way than her.

"Come fight me!! Fight me like real Gems!!" he screamed as he ran towards them.

The two were already coming back down. First Steven, then Garnet. 

Foxman was already close by the two. He threw a punch towards Steven's bubble, in that instant, forgetting how sturdy it was considering to the armor. 

The forced of the armored jab sent the bubble flying a few feet but cracked the armor of the fist along with it. He growled under his breath as more tears fell from his face.

He lunged for Garnet. _"He had nothing to do with this!!"_

_"Well he should've known then to interfere."_

The man curled his lips back in a snarl._"It was me!!! You should've only went for ME!! He had nothing to do with this!!"_ he threw out more angered, powerful jabs. _"He was just trying to protect me!!"_

Garnet dodged every jab and punch. _"Then maybe you should've listened." _ she mocked a complacent smirk. _"He would've been alive instead of dead weight." _

That struck his whole body. Deeply.

A chocked sob left his mouth as guilt joined in with his other intense emotions. Wordlessly, he swung out wildly, trying land a deadly strike.

She kept dodging every blow. _"Doing this_ won't_ bring him back."_ she jeered.

_"I.. KNOW that!!!!" _ he screamed frantically. _"But you're going to pay!! ALL of you are going to suffer!!"_ he kept throwing punch after deadly punch.

And she continued dodging every move with ease.

_"So we should suffer over something that _you_ started? Heh.. doesn't seem fair now does it?" _

_"YOU Crystal Gems killed him!! It was YOU!!"_

Garnet saw Steven running back up. She grabbed another fist and pulled him in and threw another spinning roundhouse kick, sending the man careening towards the ground hard. _"But it was you who played the initial role." _ he heard her voice behind him. She switched over to English as Foxman saw the boy in the pink bubble walking slowly towards him. "You took that Ruby studded breastplate. Your brother warned you, but you took it anyway." 

Tears continued to fall and dry up behind his mask. 

He didn't want to hear that it was his fault..

He narrowed his eyes at the killer in the bubble. "You killed him!!" he screamed hysterically. He got up to his feet. "He was my only brother!! And.. you monsters killed him!!" 

Steven stopped just a few feet away from him. "Your brother warned you. All this time he tried to stop you. But, you wouldn't listen. And what did he do?" he saw Foxman shaking his head hard as he clenched his eyes tightly. "He put his own life on the line to protect _you_ from us. And because of that. Because you wanted the rubies.. he died trying to fight _us_ off so you could have what _you_ wanted."

The man sobbed in front of him. "I.. just wanted power. You don't know what it's like growing up not having anything. And then finding sometime this?! I.. I just wanted power.. but not like this.. not with my brother gone." the man cried. "I.. can't believe he's gone.."

"Because of the power." Steven said though the tone of his voice sounded more so as an indirect question he already knew the answer to. 

"No.." he griamced. "bcause of me.."

Hopper and Hoppy were jogging towards the grouo with sword and gauntlet in hand. 

Garnet held her hand up and they slowed to a stop. 

She shook her head. 

The two looked from her to the man crying uncontrollably. 

Hopper looked at Hoppy and the woman shrugged. The two still kept their weapons up.

They were all looking at Foxman as he let out grieving sobs. 

Silence.. say for his cries..

Garnet looked at Steven and the boy nodded. 

He took a few steps towards Foxman and he looked up at him. "Power isn't like that." he said to the elderly man. "Wealth, overseeing people and taking charge, being on top, having strength. Or, powers from Ruby studded plates. It's much more than just those trivial things." 

The man heard footsteps coming towards him across the grass and he saw Garnet walking up to him. "True power." she said it so sweetly. "Family has that too." she nodded lightly. "And, family is everything." there was a small, sorrowful frown to her face. "It's all that you need and more." 

"Family has that power that you need." Steven chimed in gingerly. "And it comes with happiness." 

She looked at him. "And that's also _genuine_ happiness and love." her lip twitched, maybe even quivered slightly before stopping the moment it started. "You can't forget that." 

Steven agreed with a nod and a sad smile of his own. 

Foxman was staring down at his hands. 

He sighed. Defeated. 

"You're.. right.." he whispered. He sighed once more. "And now that I know this, it's all too late now." his lips trembled as he let out another sob. "I wish I could go back and stop myself.. I shouldn't had been so power hungry." he swiveled. "And I wish he could've known how much I loved him." 

Garnet looked over at Steven and he nodded again. The two looked over at Ringo who was _inconspicuously_ eyeing them through the blades of grass. 

From behind Foxman, Garnet waved the man over.

He pushed his self up to his feet and began making his jog towards them.

Hopper and Hoppy turned to him and he stopped in his tracks. Garnet snapped her fingers to get their attention and the two of them looked back at her and she shook her head once more.

"So.." Steven looked at Garnet. "you're saying that.." he looked at the sorrowful man. "if you knew that having these jewels would've been the cause of you being power hungry.. and by extension, the cause of your brother's death.. that you wouldn't had did this? You would've left the plate alone?" 

"Of course.." he whispered. And he realized that he was still wearing his own root of the problem. 

He took the breastplate off and threw it behind him. "I just wish I had my brother back.." 

He heard footsteps coming up towards him but figured that it was one of the Gems and didn't bother looking back up.

"I don't know, I think you might want to look up." he heard a familiar voice joke. "I think you got your wish." 

He looked up to see his brother, still covered in.. blood? 

But he was alright. He was alive. And he was standing right in front of him.

There was no word for it. The amount of joy, of happiness, of hope, of relief, of contentment, of love he was feeling.

Everyone saw the look on Foxman's face. Or, what they could see from the joy in his eyes and the wide smile on his face as he hung his mouth below the fox mask. "You're alive!!" he rushed up to his feet.

"Yeah, I think I am." he continued to joke. 

His brother jumped towards him with open arms.

The two hugged it out.

_"I.. thought I lost you."_ Foxman hugged him tighter. 

_"Heh, well.. I thought I lost you too."_

The tight embrace lasted for a few long moments before Foxman leaned up to see his brother's face.

Then he realized. "..Ketchup?" he looked at his brother.

_"The Gems and I." _ he gestured with both arms at Garnet and Steven. _"made a plan to try and save you from the rubies." _

His expression dropped to slight surprise.

_"It was his plan." _ Garnet cut in. _"We can't take the credit. He made a plan to bring out your brotherly bond and to save you from what you were becoming."_

He looked back at his brother. The slight surprised look lasted for a few more moments before changing to something of appreciation and thanks. _"Well.. I guess it worked." _ he let out a dry chuckle and sighed, though ore of relief if anything._ "Thank you."_ he looked from Steven, then to Garnet. _"And thank you two as well." _

Steven, for the umpteenth time, wasn't sure what anyone was saying.. but everyone, say for the confused looks on Hopper and Hoppy's mouth agaped looks, was smiling. 

Garnet saw the confused look on his own face. "He's thanking us, Steven." 

"OH, uh.. n, no problem." he shrugged. With everything safe and sound now he ran his hand across the bubble to deactivate it and he deactivated his second shield then double tapped on his index finger to bring the first one back to the knuckle of the brace.

Foxman smiled. "No wahala." 

That word again.

"What does that mean? I've been hearing it ever since I got here."

Everyone started to laugh.

As if it was some kind of joke.

.. Unless.. it _was_ a joke?

And.. he was the butt of it?

"It means 'No worries or no problems' in Nigerian Pidgin English."

"Ohh, so that's what everyone was speaking." he nodded knowingly.

More light laughter from the group.

Steven's smile faltered. 

"Nooo, we're speaking in Igbo." 

"But.. you just said.."

"We like to mix Igbo and Pidgin together."

Yeah.. as if the two languages weren't hard enough.. now you want to mix them too?

The gears in Steven's head were spinning.

Well, at least the mission was over.. 

At this point he was so exhausted, he could lay down on the grass he was standing on and go to sleep.

Then at least he wouldn't _also_ have to deal with the headache he still had since yesterday night..

Ringo was picking up the Ruby studded breastplate. He turned to his brother and the rest of the group. 

His brother waved him off._ "Just give it to them. I don't even want to see it."_

Ringo was walking over to Garnet. _"Thanks for helping us." _ he smiled. _"For saving my brother, for helping us re-astablish our brotherly bond and for making things peaceful once more."_

She didn't think she would ever hear _that._ Especially not as a Crystal Gem. 

Bring some sort of peacefulness as a Crystal Gem? Unheard of. 

_"It was Talc."_ she redirected the compliment. _"It was mainly him that got all of us going with a different approach since the very beginning." _

Ringo smirked. _"Yes, I have a feeling that I would've still been under that tree if it wasn't for him."_

Or dead.

Though she didn't say it.

_"Here you go."_ he raised the breastplate up towards her-

_"Give it here, old man!" _ Hopper snatched it from Ringo and ran off chuckling. Hoppy ran between the two and they watched the two women cheer as Hopper spun around happily with the rubies studded plate.

That got a chuckle out of Garnet and Ringo.

Foxman was coming over with Steven. The two in cordial smiles.

"I was asking your little friend here about a little celebration" he began. "and he said to come ask you." he said to Garnet. 

"What celebration?" she looked from him to Steven who saw her dubious look and.. soon his own smile started to falter to something apologetic.

"Well, I would like to invite you four over for dinner. A nice little get-together for helping us out. For, helping _me_ out." 

Ringo was already in all smiles as he gasped. "I agree! We can cook our TOPnotch most delicious, traditional foods and host our guests." then he quickly added, "I mean, I know you said earlier that you wanted to leave immediately after getting the rubies but.. why not also relax and share in some appreciation dinner as well?"

Garnet looked like she was about to object.

"Why not, Garnet?" Steven asked. "I thought you might wanted to join.. but I still wanted to ask you." he half explained. "But I.. guess I also really want us to relax. We really need it." he was quick to clarify, _You_ really need it."

She looked at the three of them. 

Despite of wanting to. Despite of truly wanting to, she still had to realize that she was still a Crystal Gem and act as one._ Or, more or less.._

They had the Ruby stuffed breastplate, so they should leave. Who knows what Amethyst is thinking or doing right now..

"That sounds like a great offer." from the tone of her voice, she saw their smiles falter. "But, we should really be going. We have what we need. We shouldn't be here any longer." 

Steven lowered his skeptic eyes at her. 

The woman _clearly_ sad. 

It was obvious. Painfully obvious what she was thinking about. 

Or rather, _who_ she was thinking about..

He knew she wanted to say yes..

But a certain someone was preventing her.

A certain _someone_ who wasn't here _anyway._

And, a certain _someone_ who shouldn't have this kind of control over her.

_And_ a certain _someone_ he was still miffed at for ruining his _would've_ been "sexy time" with Connie..

Someone who not _either_ of them shouldn't be thinking about.. OR worrying about..

Steven spoke back up. "Why?" he challenged softly. "We have the jewels. And, they offered some good food. We can't just, stay for a little bit and eat? I think it'll be pretty nice to have some dinner. It'll just be our own little tight knit group." a smile came to his face as he thought of the idea, "It'll be, Garnet's own little Universe." 

_That_ seemed to get a little smirk from her. "Talc, you know we still have to go." she said regardless of his suggestion.

His smile faltered to a frown.

"Since we have what we need, we can leave."

"Garnet, this isn't about Amethyst, is it?"

The two brothers looked at each other upon hearing another Crystal Gem name. 

And someone who was known to be deadly and brutal..

The woman was quiet.

"Garnet, she's not even here."

".. Talc.." 

"Why can't we relax? Why do we constantly have to worry about _her?"_

"Become she's our boss, Talc." 

_Yeah.. a pretty horrible one.._

"Garnet, she's not here." he emphasized. "And all we're doing is eating. You and I deserve it. YOU deserve it. After aaall of our training we did this morning, we get to have our own little thank you dinner after our mission withOUT any casualties, if I may add." he stated "matter-of-factly." 

"And that's always a plus." Ringo chimed in.

"Right. And just like what I said during our training, you need to relax a bit. Unwind. We're here with these nice guys who want to host a dinner. Do you really want to pass that up? And, pass up on good food?"

Foxman was nodding his head with a smug grin on his face. "And I have a feeling you haven't had any decent Isi ewu (Spicy Goat head soup) as a Crystal Gem. We make the best ones."

That _was_ true.. she hadn't had _any_ decent Igbo dishes since..

With a nostalgic, melancholic, wistful heart.. Garnet started to reconsider..

Steven stood there, just a tad bit confused. 

What was 'Isi ewu'? Whatever it was exactly, it sounded pretty exotic. 

"And it'll also be a nice little mental repose for us before we go back." he added. 

Garnet was quiet only but for a few moments as she contemplated. "Perhaps.. we can stay for just a _tiny_ while." the three of them started to smile. "We eat but unfortunately we would have to leave right after.. without being so rude." 

"Sure, sure of course. That's an understandable excuse. Crystal Gem duties." he nodded understandingly.

"Great! I'll start setting up!" Foxman cheered. 

Ringo looked around the damaged area with knocked over trees and dirt clumps all about and line trails throughout the field. Hopper was now wearing the breastplate that seemed four times too big for her. Both her and Hoppy were still in cheerful smiles.

"But.. we should clean this place up a bit." he suggested. _And prepare the food." _

__

__

His brother looked at the area and agreed.

  
  


Hopper was flexing her arms inside of the Ruby studded armor. _"I am the best. Hopper. ever!"_ she exclaimed-

"Hey Hopper, Hoppy." Steven called for them. 

They looked back at him. 

"We're going to have dinner with.. the.." he trailed off and looked over at the men. 

"The Abụọ Igbo Brothers." the two instantly said in unison with dazzling smiles. 

"They want to make us dinner as a token of their gratitude." 

Their masks stayed on him for a few long seconds before they turned their attention to one another. 

Hoppy shrugged. 

They two turned back to the group. Hoppy scoffed 

"Yeah, I rather no do that."

"I gree." said Hopper. "I go(will) pass on that waste of time." 

That got the group to frown. 

"W.. what? But why?" Steven asked. 

"Maybe you still don't trust me?" Foxman asked. "I'm okay. I'm fine now."

The two exchanged glances once more before looking back to the group. _"Heh.. that's not it, old man."_

_ said Hopper. _"We just don't have time for such trivial stuff."__

Steven was back to being confused. Hopper now switching back to Igbo.. of course..

_"Besides.."_ Hoppy smiled, though the grin was more mischievous than friendly. _"There's more important stuff to do."_

_"What do you mean?" _Garnet asked._ "What other important stuff? The mission's over. Now we can have a small bit of time to actually relax and eat before heading back." _

_"We don't _want_ dinner."_ said Hopper. _"And if anything, we'll stop dinner from happening and get this place set up the way _we_ want it."_

_  
_

_"What.."_ Garnet was taken aback before realization came over her as the two turned to face them fully. 

"Uh,.. Garnet?" Steven looked at her stunned reaction. "What's going on?"

_"This is _our_ turf now."_ Hopper cackled. She raised her hand up and Hoppy grabbed it.

_"Thanks for giving us what we wanted." _ Hoppy grinned- 

A bright white, gray light engulfed their form. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoaaa, they didn't see THAT coming! o3o
> 
> Did anyone see that coming? ;)
> 
> Also, woohoo! Looks like Steven discovered something else that he can do with his bubble! ^_^ He still can't super jump, but at least he discovered that he can jump a pretty decent feet up with his bubble :3
> 
> Anyway, hoooopefully I'll be able to post the last three chapters sometime next week. (I actually have the last of the three chapters completed and I'm like, a little over a quarter of the way done with the second one and I barely wrote anything for this next chapter) working backwards, lol. 
> 
> Anyyyywho, stay tuned =)


	219. Nawa O! Dis be aghụghọ ooo!

The fusion stood in front of them.

Looming over them at three times their height and size.

The black ski mask covered their head and was tucked under their blue shirt with a line green collar. 

A rabbit mask was facing the front of them as the frog mask laid at the back of the fusion's head.

One gauntlet in its yellow mitten and the katana sword in the other. Both weapons having also tripled in size.

The scheming fusion was also sporting one dark blue wristband on each wrist, blue samurai pants with a dark blue belt, a black cape with a hood and a pair of light pink boots. 

The dented, golden colored breastplate with cracked, red dazzling rubies over top of their attire.

Steven stood there, frozen. His mind processing what could possibly be happening..

Was Hopper and Hoppy playing around? Was this some sort of game?

Knowing what they said would've made things soo much easier.

"What's going on?!" he asked, a bit more frantically. 

"Hopper! Hoppy! What are you doing!" Garnet yelled.

_"AHA! This was our plan ALL along! And you dummies fell for it!!" _the fusion bellowed. _"And NOW the Ruby studded breastplate is OURS!"_ the fusion raised its arms up and the armor of the shield slid down up to their wrists. _"Ultimate Hopps!"_

_"I can't believe this.." _ Ringo glared at them.

_"They were waiting to get ahold of the plate for them self this whole time."_ Foxman whispered in utter shock.

Garnet glared at them.

Steven looked amongst the group. "What? What's going on?!"

Why couldn't they just.. speak in English for just one second! 

The apprehension was creeping into him.. he just wanted to _know_.

Ultimate Hopps pulled their gauntlet arm back to their back pocket. They squeezed the basketball sized bomb and it tripled in size. 

"Look out!" Garnet warned.

"Huh!" Steven watched Garnet pick up Foxman and Ringo under each arm and jump away from him-

The fusion threw the bomb towards Steven and he screamed. He ran the ring across his arm and the bubble formed around him as the bomb collided with the bubble.

The explosive erupted in front of him and he let out a started yelp as he cowered before remembering the sturdiness of the bubble.

He lowered his arms back down as he heard his name being yelled out by Garnet.

The area cleared around him as the smoke seeped away with the air.

The fusion stood there just a few feet in front of him. Its eyes narrowed at him and its smile was mischievous and impish.

"Talc!" he heard his _Crystal_ Gem name this time.

He turned his head towards the sound of the relieved sounding voice and saw Garnet standing on top of a branch of a tree. Ringo and Foxman still under her arms.

"Garnet!"

"Hopper and Hoppy took the breastplate for themselves. We need to get it-" she saw an incoming bomb coming towards her and she jumped from the branch with the two screaming men. 

She landed beside Steven. "We need to get it back from them."

Another bomb was coming towards them and just as Garnet took a step forward in a jump, she saw the bubble disappear. Steven quickly ran the jewel of the ring across his arm and the bubble formed around the four of them.

The bomb erupted upon impact and fire and smoke filled their vision.

Steven pivoted around to Garnet. "What do you _MEAN_ they took the breastplate for themselves?!"

"They took. the jewels. for themselves." she stated plainly. "That was their whole plan."

"But.. for what?! Aren't we supposed to _give_ the plate to Peridot?! I thought we were together on this!" 

The smoke was clearing and they saw the fusion walking up towards them. The mischievous grin still behind the rabbit mask. 

"I'm afraid not." Garnet glared at the fusion. 

Ultimate Hopps stopped in front of them. Sword and gauntlet in hand while the fusion eyed them as it grinned.

Steven was quick to address the fusion. "What are you guys doing!" 

"Wetin (what) it look like? We dey (are) proud OWNERS of da Ruby studded breastplate!" 

"But.. why?!" 

The complacent grin widened on their face. "Why not?" 

"B, because! You're Crystal Gems! We have to get it to Peridot! You can't do this!" 

"Eheh? Heh" they scoffed. "Oooor.. we go (will) overthrow Wascoite and be rulers ourselves!" they roared. "No more being lackies! We go (will) rule the Crystal Gem Empire! AAAAHAHAHAHAHA!!" 

"What?" Garnet whispered and he could hear just a bit of vexation in her voice.

"Overthrow Mr. Wascoite?!" 

What were these ladies _talking_ about? 'Overthrow Mr. Wascoite'?!

"Yeah. And you four go (will) be my top gems. Above the Agates and the Sapphires even." 

"Bu-, wha-?" he still couldn't grasp the absurdity of it. How could they do that? _How_ could they _think_ they could possibly do that?!

"But.. I still don't understand! Why-" 

"We love being Crystal Gems. We love the Authority. Dat dey why we wan take da empire and make it better! Wascoite dey (is) trash. We go take down am (him) and build a better authority." 

Garnet twisted her lips up in disgust. "You know that's impossible for you two to do." 

"Eheh? Na so?" (Is that so?) the complacent grin never left her face. "We got da rubies. Now we can start our takeover." a beat. "And, we go (will) put you four at a lower status now. Lower than Pearls." they cackled.

'We. will_ not_ be under your reign that you _don't_ have." she whispered.

"Eeeheh?" she nodded. "You una (people) no go(will) have a choice."

"Then we'll just have to take it from you by force."

"See how well that works for you." the fusion smirked.

In a split second, the four of them saw the fusion bolt towards them at full speed.

Ringo and Foxman hollered under Garnet's arms. 

Steven held in his yelp and Garnet grounded her feet to prepare herself as the fusion tackled hard into the bubble.

The bubble shot through the air and Ultimate Hopps laughed as they heard the screams fade within the distance. 

The sound of cracking was heard below and the fusion looked at the shoulder of the armor cracking from the impact. 

"AH!" she growled and threw her hand to her face. "Forgot about the surface of the bubble being so STRONG!" 

  
  


Steven and the others were brought back down by gravity. The bubble crashing into several trees before smashing into the ground and absorbing most of the impact. 

The bubble rolled a few more feet away before stopping. 

Ringo and Foxman groaned as Garnet sat herself up. The men still being held in her arms. 

Steven was pushing his self up on tired, wobbly arms and to his knees. "Is.. everyone okay?"

"Barely.." Foxman groaned. 

"That.. was rough.." said Ringo.

Garnet shifted forward to her knees before bringing a foot up in front of her and pushed herself up to her feet. "They're going to end up breaking the armor."

"Then.." Steven forced his tired, overly exhausted body up slowly to his feet. "Then we need to get it back from them."

The fusion was walking up to them with gauntlet and sword held up and to their sides.

"But.. _how_.." he added in a whisper.

"You four ready to surrender?" the fusion asked smugly.

"Do you _really_ think you can do this?" Garnet asked coarsely. "Do you really.. _really_ think you can do this." her voice was tense as she challenged the fusion. "Even _with_ the armor, you two will _not_ be able to defeat us. We're still more powerful than you'll ever be." 

The fusion glared at her. "Dat. dey wetin _you_ sabi." (That. is what _you_ think.) 

Garnet's glare never left hers-

"But it shouldn't be about power!" Foxman cut Garnet and the fusion off. He turned to Ultimate Hopps. "And have YOU two learned NOTHING from my _own_ situation!? Power is NOT everything!"

"Oh, it dey (is)." she scoffed. "And you left da power for something less." she grinned mischievously as their eyes looked at Ringo. "And for that, we thank you. Now, we can show you wetin (what) _true_ power is." the fusion took a step towards them and switched over to Igbo. _ "You just didn't know how to use such power. But, _we. do." she raised her arms up and the armored sleeves slid down from the breastplate and down to each weapon and melted and fused with the wrist of the gauntlet and the hilt of the sword respectively. The helmet slid up from the top of the breastplate and formed over the fusion's head.

Steven gasped.

"You say you wan take it by force." they taunted. "Den try. Heh, but you four won't stand a chance." the fusion turned away from them and ran towards the other side of the field.

The robot began smashing the sword and gauntlet into the trees, tearing down the Grove. "We need a bigger area for a new GemTech Building we go (will) build." the fusion tackled, slashed and smashed through more trees, rocks and bushes.

  
  


The four was watching from afar.

"Looks like they're not trying to listen.." said Garnet. 

"And they're tearing down our forest!!" Ringo screeched.

"That too." she said plainly.

"We need to figure out what to do." said Foxman. 

"With_out_ cracking or damaging the shield more." Garnet added. 

Steven stood there as the three went back and forth as they discussed what to do. 

_Of course this happened.._

Before he thought the mission was over.

Foxman had turned over a new leaf, they were able to get the rubies and everything was at peace once more.

And.. he thought he would have a nice dinner with the brothers along with Garnet, Hopper and Hoppy and then what happens? 

Steven watched as the fusions continued to destroy the forest with the weapons. 

Something was always happening to him..

Garnet, Ringo and Foxman were still in deep discussion.

"...aybe we can pull off a stunt like before." Ringo suggested. 

Garnet shook her head. "That won't work either. They don't care about _anyone_. Not even their _own_ selves." then she added with a bit of stoic-esque tone in her voice. "We'll have to take it by force as I've said before. We have to be forceful. Use our strength for this. And we'll get them. Easily." she set the men down. "You two will stay here." they nodded their heads. 

Garnet turned her attention to the boy looking off into the diatance. "Talc." 

The frowning boy didn't answer. 

She said a bit louder, "Talc." 

He blinked his eyes behind his mask. "Huh?"

"You and me." she said. "We're going to take the fusion head on." 

But.. his tired.. and mentally and physically exhausted body...

Steven nodded and forced out a rather determined look despite how he truly felt. 

"We'll figure this out." she told him. "Just us two." she raised her gauntlet up in front of her. 

With another nod from him he raised his arm and double tapped on the nail of his his index finger and the shield formed around his arm. "Let's do this." he whispered tiredly.

Garnet hummed. "I'll use my weighted gauntlet for this one." she held her arm to her side. 

And.. nothing happened.

She looked at her gauntlet. "It's not working."

For just a second Steven wondered if GemTech equipment could even _stop_ working. Their tech gave off this impression that it could last forever. That it was, essentially apart of them like some sort of magic power-

As quick as the second ended he realized what the cause of it was. 

He gasped. "It's because of my bubble!"

Garnet turned her attention from her gauntlet and back on him.

"Gem weapons can't work inside of it." he explained. "That's what happened to Miss Lee and that's how we beat Lapis." 

Garnet's face relaxed as an idea came to mind. "Then we can use your bubble to stop the armor from working."

He gave her a minute nod.

She scoffed. "A victory short lived." she straightened up and looked out in front of her. "Come on. Let's _officially_ get this over with." 

"Right." 

Steven ran his hand across the bubble and the bubble snapped back into the jewel on the band of the ring. 

"We'll meet you two back at the building." she told the men and she ran towards the fusion with Steven far behind her. 

Ringo and Foxman ran the opposite way towards the building.

They ran up the porch and looked out at the scenery of the two running towards the fusion tearing down more of the trees with the sword. 

The blinds rattled behind them and Lion slid his head between the rectangular blinds. He jumped onto the window and began pawing at the surface as he whined to get out. 

  
  


Garnet was running up to the fusion and they saw her out the corner of their eye. 

The pulled their hair get arm back from a tree and bits of bark and leaves fell from the GemTech glove. _"Ah, look what we have here. Looks like you're finally out of the bubble." _ she snarled. _"Good. Then we can show you our true power! H'YAAAAAAHHH!!!" _ the fusion threw the sword down hard and Garnet jumped out of the way. The sword slammed into the ground and the blade wedged itself deep into the dirt. 

Garnet jumped onto the blade and ran up the sword. 

_"Hey!"_ the fusion pulled and eventually yanked the sword out of the ground as Garnet jumped from the hilt and towards her face.

Ultimate Hopps threw her gauntlet above her head and Garnet matched hers with her own. The woman easily overpowering the fusion and knocking the gauntlet out of the way. She landed on her shoulder and the fusion threw her gauntlet towards Garnet once again.

The woman scaled her back as the gauntlet hit and cracked the armor on the shoulder. 

The fusion growled. 

She went to grab at Garnet as she threw the sword towards her back. 

Garnet blocked both gauntlet hand and sword as she ducked, scaled and jumped from one spot of the armor to the other. 

Steven was running up and during their one sided fight with Garnet, they saw him just yards behind them with his shield. 

They turned to follow him, to keep a close eye on the boy. "Wait! I see wetin (what) you dey (are) doing!" she felt Garnet jumped into her shoulder and grab at her helmet. "You're trying to distract me! Eheh?" she threw her sword back down towards her helmet and Garnet dodged it easily. With an annoyed growl, she ignored the woman grabbing hold of her shoulder and she charged after the boy.

Steven yelped and ran the ring across his arm as the sword was swinging down towards his face. 

The bubble formed around him and the blade crashed into the surface and shattered upon impact as the bubble flew back. 

"NOOOOO!!! AHHHHHH!!!!" she growled. The armor slid back from the hilt of the sword and she threw the broken sword down. The armor slid up and engulfed her fist. 

_"Whatever. I still have this gauntlet." _

She threw the gauntlet towards her shoulder and Garnet jumped off and back to the ground. 

"H'YAA!! H'YAA!! H'YAA!! H'YAA!! H'YAA!!" the fusion threw down gauntlet and armored fist towards the ground. 

Garnet dodged every one and every dodged one slammed down into the ground, making deep craters within the dirt. 

Steven, the bubble already back into the ring, was running back towards the fight and trying to stay behind the fusion-

When they took a step to the side during their fight with Garnet and saw him. "Oh NO you don't! You no go (will) sneak up on" the fusion swung out their fist towards him. "ME!" 

"AH!" Steven raised the shield in front of him as the armored fist slammed into the surface of the shield. He flew back and landed hard on his back and slid across the dirt. He groaned and laid on the ground. 

Ultimate Hopps looked at the dented armor over her hand. "NOO!! I keep.. FORGETTING!!" the fusion face palmed. 

They felt a kick to the face and stumbled to their side. They dropped their hand to see Garnet running back towards them. 

_"I'm not going to let you get this Ruby studded breastplate!!!" _ she threw another jab towards Garnet.

  
  


Steven saw Ultimate Hopps trying to land a hit on Garnet. Craters in the dirt and broken trees and crushed bushes and rocks laid around them. 

He kept his body low to the ground as he steadily hakf crawled half walked towards the fight once more. 

Another punch was coming towards Garnet and she jumped out of the way. She turned slightly to face the fusion. 

The fusion was panting. 

Garnet resisted a scoff. 

She held her arm out and the gauntlet around her hand tripled in size. 

The fusion's eyes went wide for a split second before narrowing their eyes back on Garnet. _"You don't scare me."_ she grinned. _"And that means we can do that too."_ the fusion raised the gauntlet up in an attempt to power up the gauntlet. 

Only for nothing to happen.

The fusion growled under their breath. _"How do you do this?"_

The muscles on Garnet's arms strained slightly to keep the weighted gauntlet up. 

She could see Steven coming up towards her and right behind the fusion.

They locked eyes.

Steven nodded.

Garnet dodged another punch from the fusion and dashed towards her. 

She jumped up.

She kept her arm forward as she threw the weighted gauntlet towards the chest of the breastplate.

Ultimate Hopps brought her arms towards the rubies to shield the shiny jewels as the solid, sturdy knuckles of the weighted gauntlet collided into the armor. The impact of the crash sent the fusion's torso snapping back as they felt something solid hit the back of their legs. The object knocking them off of their feet. 

The pink shield flew pass them as they came crashing down onto the ground.

They flinched and opened their bleary eyes to see Steven running the ring across his arm and a split second later seeing the sky above tinted pink. 

They saw the grinning boy backpedal away from them. He raised his shield up to protect his self from any hits.

_".. Wha-"_ they blinked a few more times before they got their bearings together before a, "Hey! It's you!" they scrambled up onto their feet and went to throw a punch- 

Steven braced his self as he hid in front of the shield-

The fusion stopped their fist from colliding into the shield once they saw one bare hand and the gauntlet on the other. Their arms bare up to the shoulders.

They brought their arms back to them. "HA!" they flung their limbs up.

Nothing happened. 

_"What?!"_

Then they wondered..

They touched their masks and realized that the helmet was gone.

They narrowed their eyes at Steven _"What's.. going o-"_

"Weapons can't work inside here." and to them he sounded smug about it. 

And not to mention that smirk behind his mask..

"Why.. you little-" 

Steven pushed his shield towards the fusion and they stopped. "But _my_ shield works." he warned. "You don't want me to crack the rest of the jewels." he bluffed. 

But the fusion seemed to believe him, which was good. 

They eased away as they lowered their hands from him. 

They noticed Garnet on other side of the bubble. "You've lost." she stated bluntly before adding, "Already." she leaned towards the bubble. "There's nothing else you can do."

The fusion glowered at them silently. 

Ringo and Foxman were coming into view as they jogged towards the bubble. 

"Your choice." they heard Garnet say. "We crack the armor," _she bluffed along with Steven._ "you stay in the bubble, you stop this and give us the armor and get out of the bubble. Either way you have no more moves."

The fusion looked at them without moving.

And they looked back.. waiting..

"Your. choice." Garnet repeated.

Moments had passed before the fusion or anyone else around them had said anything or so much as moved slightly.

Then.. Ultimate Hopps sighed angrily and they saw the fusion slowly.. reluctantly put their hands up. 

"You're missing a few steps." Garnet stated plainly. 

The fusion twisted their face at them and grumbled under their breath.. but moments later, they saw white, gray light engulf them. The figure within the light shrunk down and stretched, as if splitting into two, before the light winked out and Hopper and Hoppy stood side by side each other. 

The two women looked at each other for a few long moments before Hopper glared back at the group. She grabbed the armor and slowly lifted it up.

The scowling woman placed the breastplate down as she continued to grumble a few more things to herself.

"And. my gauntlet _that_ you cracked up." 

More grumbling from the woman as she yanked the gauntlet off of her hand and set it by the breastplate. 

She took a step back from it and glared at Garnet. 

"Talc." said Garnet. 

The boy nodded and took his steps towards the two. Cautiously, as he kept his shield up and facing the women, he stepped in front of the armor. 

With one foot he pushed the armor and then the gauntlet back. He took a step back and pushed the armor and the weapon back again. Another step and he pushed the armor and the gauntlet back once more towards the other side of the bubble. Then, he swiped his hand across the surface and the bubble snapped back into the ring.

Their eyes never left the women.

And.. they stood there.. unmoving.. and silent.

Only a short moment passed before Steven spoke up saying, "I still can't believe you two did that.." he sounded disappointed. "I thought that we were supposed to work alongside each other. Not, go against our own.." 

Hopper was scowling at him. "We love dis." she began. "We love dis authority and we wanted to improve it. We just. wanted. more. power." then she emphasized. "We can _have_ a better empire." 

"That's not the way to go and you two know that." said Garnet. "What you two have done goes against the rules of the Crystal Gem handbook." 

The two only looked at her without saying a word at that truth.. and she began walking away. 

_What _is_ this book they're talking about?! Opal kept talking about it too!_

Garnet clipped her gauntlet back on her belt and picked up the armor. She stood back up. _"Now_ the mission. is complete."

She looked back at the woman and everyone else did the same.

"Wetin?" (what) Hopper grumbled.

"Well.. you _did_ try to force us under your tyranny." said Garnet.

"It's.. kind of awkward I guess.." Steven shrugged.

Garnet was walking up to them. Stoic as ever with the armor under her arm. "Not to mention you two breaking THE biggest Crystal Gem law."

"So.. wetin? (what). You go (will) go and rat us out?" 

She didn't answer them but the stare of her glasses directly on them soon made the women's demeanor go from defensive to a bit apprehensive. 

"You two and I both know the punishment for what you two have tried to do."

The women's stoic demeanor broke down slightly more as actual fear crept into them. 

Steven looked at the three.

He didn't know what the punishment was, but even Hopper and Hoppy were looking a bit scared. 

He wouldn't want them to get.. _whatever_ kind of punishment they were going to get. 

Flashbacks of Garnet's face when Amethyst whipped her for not being there on a mission.. Amethyst stabbing Pearl.. him getting whipped and.... Miss Lee being caged inside of the cellar for all of those years..

And those two not only tried to ruin the mission, but they wanted to overthrow Mr. Wascoite?

He didn't want to imagine what would happen to them-

"Garnet!"

She felt a hand grab her arm and she looked down at the boy with a very uneasy expression on his face. 

"Please don't tell Mr. Wascoite.." he pleaded.

He saw the woman's mouth become a thin line.

"This isn't right.. even if they _did_ break a really big rule.." he squeezed her arm. "I don't want them to get.." he trailed off. 

The woman looked at him. 

Silent.

His voice came out in a timid breath, "Garnet.."

The boy wouldn't look away from her.

And moments passed them by..

She sighed.

"I won't tell them. Don't worry." 

He let go of her arm slowly and felt a huge rock of relief lift off of his shoulders. 

"We'll let you two off the hook."

"Wetin??" (What??) Hopper and Happy looked at one another.

"We're not going to stoop to the Crystal Gem's level." then she said as she looked at Steven. "The punishments are inhumane and wrong."

She saw a shocked smile come to his face.

The women looked shocked themselves, but also skeptic and confused.

"We should leave talk." Garnet told him. 

She saw the boy's face falter slightly. 

_I guess no dinner.._

"Yeah..I, guess we should.." he said. "I'm sore and tired anyway."

She placed a hand on his hand and he smiled and let out a tired chuckle. Too tired to pout at the gesture. 

She lowered her hand from his mask and walked away and towards the men who'd took a few steps away from them and were conversing with each other. She saw Ringo nod and say something back to his brother.

She walked up closer to them-

_".. as thinking that as well." _she overheard Ringo say. 

The two brothers turned to their side as they saw her approaching them.

"I'm coming to tell you that we'll be on our way." she pointed a thumb behind her at Steven. 

"My brother and I were just discussing that." said Ringo. "Despite of what'd just happened, we would still like to give you a thank you dinner as a token of our appreciation." 

They saw the woman's face drop slightly to something of concern or thought. 

"Please, what do you say? Just a quick dinner. It honestly wouldn't feel right not thanking you two." 

She heard footsteps walking towards them and she turned to see Steven taking a cautious glance at Hopper and Happy before looking back her way. She saw a small smile come to his face that was a bit apologetic than coy. "Uh.. I, didn't want to intrude but.. that _would_ be nice. And" he shrugged. "this _is_ another win for us." he countered lightly. 

Ringo nodded in agreement. "And the armor is in good hands. AND my brother isn't power hungry anymore."

"Just regular hungry." Foxman quipped with a grin.

"And.." Steven went to add as he grabbed at his stomach. "I have to admit.. I _am_ pretty hungry." then he said a bit softer. "And I'm not sure if Connie fixed dinner tonight." he dropped his hand from his shirt. "I would like to try out how you guys do it down in uh.. Nigeria." then he thought of something and said rather cheekily. "See if it's a any better than the Pizzas' food."

Now _that_ earned a side smirk from her. 

"The Pizzas' food?" Foxman asked. 

"It's a last name." she said airily. "Some folks from Ghana made some food for us."

"Ghana? HA! Now that is definitely a huge joke!" he puffed his chest out. "They can't even make fufu correctly!" he crossed his arms as a complacent grin came to his face. He looked at Steven. _"We_ will show you how food is _supposed_ to taste."

Steven smiled widely and tilted his head up to look at Garnet's still smirking look. Her face reconsidering the invitation. 

"Aww, come on Garnet." he beckoned. "You know you want tooo~."

The smirk was slowly widening to a smile. 

"Yeaaahh~~?" he asked. 

"A dinner would still be nice." she shrugged. 

"Woohoo!!"

_"Then_ we have to leave." 

"O, of course. BUT, we get to eat first!" he cheered. 

"Great." said Foxman. "Then we can start preparing the food." 

He, Ringo and Steven cheered but Garnet still wasn't so sure about _two_ other things..

"There's something else we have to think about."

They stopped in mid cheer and saw her looking back at the women. 

"What are we going to do with them?" she inquired.

"They can come to." said Foxman.

"What?", "What?!", "WETIN?!"(WHAT?!) Garnet, Steven and Hopper and Hoppy shouted out practically in unison.

Steven was shocked but happy at the same time.

Nevertheless.. he was still _shocked_

Did he really mean that?

"We may not had agreed or liked what had transpired just now, but I've been there before. Just earlier." said Foxman. "And, you two have helped me."

Ringo was nodding. "And with that, we _still_ thank you. With that being said, let us invite them as well. Besides, I have a feeling these two, whether they learned their lesson or not, are more or less under wraps anyway. So, let us let bygones be bygones and forgive BUT not forget. And, let's relish in these very important moments. We're not here to fight or punish anyone. As I, am here, for a peaceful night." 

"And I'm here for a good time and good food." Foxman said casually with a thumbs up. 

Garnet was still looking at the women.. still unsure about them..

Steven raised a hand as he glanced over at Garnet. "I'm.. definitely up for a good time and good food too." 

The two women looked at the group.

"Uhh.. yeah. Me too." said Hopper. She tried for an awkward side smile. "And dat be definitely betta den getting locked up by da ekelebay (police) or worse.. getting tortured and killed by da Crystal Gem authority." 

Steven's heart jolted in his chest.

Hoppy nodded. "I gree. And I'm fit to (can) help make da good food." she assured them with another plain faced nod.

Garnet still didn't trust them.

She couldn't believe she didn't read them..

She was always so good at reading people..-

"Garnet?"

She was pulled out of her thoughts from a familiar, friendly voice that.. sounded a bit worried.

She looked over at Steven's unsure and concerned look. 

She ignored her own feelings and shook away the thoughts. She gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "We might as well let them come too. Our hosts offered." she said. "We'll just have to keep an eye on them."

The men were already cheering and discussing what to make. 

Steven was still looking rather concerned. 

"Everything okay, Garnet?"

Apart from not seeing this coming because she'd been blindsided somehow when she was _always_ supposed to be extra vigilant and cautious and watchful and _observant_ of her surroundings and _people?_

.. No..

But, he didn't need to know that.

Besides, the brothers seemed very happy, Hopper and Hoppy _seemed_ like they weren't going to be any more trouble and they had the rubby studded breastplate and, it would be nice to relax for a bit anyway and eat and be with Steven. 

Steven looked at her. The woman having been quiet since he asked that question.. 

"..Garnet?" she placed a hand on his shoulder. "Everything's fine, Steven. Let's just, enjoy a nice dinner." he saw a very small smile come to her face. "Now you can see what actual good food tastes like." she tried for a dry joke. 

He still wasn't _entirely_ convinced.. but, the smile she was making and the little joke she made made it seem like.. it wasn't anything too bad that he had to be worried about.

Or so he'd hoped.

And so, he gave her a smile of his own and a, "Can't wait." 

  
  


So this was it.

That was easier than expected overall. The whole mission was.

But.. he also _knew_ that other missions wouldn't be like this, of course..

Especially if they were dealing with even _more_ brutal people and.. especially with Amethyst being with them every step of the way to make the missions even worse..

Good thing she wasn't here for this one..

Things would've been quicker, but deadlier..

But they weren't. _Thankfully_.

And they were allowed to help someone, they were allowed to _not_ have anyone die on their watch AND they were about to have a nice little get-together dinner for helping out.

Not to mention also being able to successfully finish the mission.

If only all missions were this easy in the long run..

But right now.. he shouldn't focus on that.

Very soon, they would be relaxing and having a small feast.

He should focus in having a good time and sinking his teeth into some delicious, authentic Nigerian food.

  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


Somewhere.. from afar.. a photo was taken by a spherical object.

「Two men in all smiles as a tall figure with a mask on had a hand on the shorter figure's shoulder. The shorter figure, also with a mask. Two more figures approximately four point five feet away from them, also wearing masks. The six of them in a forest now in ruins.」

With a shrilling chirp, the photo was sent.


	220. Garnet's Universe

Garnet was coming over with the last stockpot. She set it down with the rest of the various pots that were sitting along the long, wide cooling shelf that was placed above a bed of smooth pebbles.

She crouched down and lifted the lid from the container. Steam seeped up into the cool summer air and mixed with the other alluring steams from the other food pots placed in front of them. 

The air around them smelled of cooked vegetables and goatmeat and various herbs and spices and the sky above them was steadily growing a darker shade of blue and purple as the sun shifted down towards the horizon.

With the position of the sun behind them, the bark of the trees on down and the area covering the ground was painted in hues of warm colors.

The lights on the two lampposts at the head of the cabin beside them allowed extra warm lighting over them and the eating area.

Another cool breeze went by and the leaves of the trees rustled lightly in the wind.

And, everything felt quaint and homely.

Steven was looking at the soup that he.. _couldn't_ quite remember the name of. He'd helped prepared it- or rather, the the stock, paste and garnish to go with it. He watched Mr. Foxman and Garnet prepare the goat head, which looked like a completely different, tedious work all on its on. 

And all the while as Ringo assisted him in making this particular soup, Mr. Foxman and Garnet were telling him how they prepared the goatmeat; how they cut it, how to properly scrub and clean it, where to specifically put the goat brain amongst other extremely informative cooking rules. 

Then Ringo was helping him with their part of the soup. Instructing him on which ingredients were used, and using the Igbo terms of the ingredients that he would always forget a minute after hearing it. 

Hopper and Hoppy were in charge of making fufu, which he remembered eating with the Pizzas. 

And he couldn't help but wonder how different Nigerian fufu was to the fufu in Ghana. Or, he should say, fufu made in the _Eastern_ apart of Nigeria than the fufu in..?... _whatever_ part of Ghana _they_ were from. 

He couldn't wait to try it out.

He and the two women had also been in charge of making.. _another_ dish he couldn't remember the name of. It had something to do with cow foot and again, he was more so in charge of the stew and the garnish than the meat, which he was still able to learn about as he watched the two. 

He had fun; cutting up vegetables and spices, _though the smell of the spices had irritated his nose and eyes.._, learning about the various cleaning and cooking procedures and learning a handful of Igbo words which.. he couldn't retain in his mind..

He'd also learned about the tea that Ringo and Garnet were making and just like he was taught how to make the fruit drinks with the Pizzas, they taught him how to make the tea as well. 

His brain was taking in so much food knowledge of the exotic Igbo dishes. 

It was also a plus that he knew what all was going into the different dishes he was preparing. It made things a bit more familiar and he felt less.. he hesitated to say the word 'scared' but.. less .._alarmed_ and felt more safe to eat it. 

No offense to them in any way of course, but just like the food with the Pizzas, he knew how his stomach was with.. certain ethnic foods and to this day he was still getting used to Indian esque dishes when Connie would make it.

Though he was thankful that he did _not_ get sick from eating the food that he and the Gems helped made with the Pizzas.

Steven peered into the pot as the steam blew hot, moist air into his face. Various peppers, onions and several ingredients he'd never heard of floated amongst the soup and around the tender chunks of meat. 

"Garnet?" the woman was placing the top beside the stockpot. She looked over at him. "Is this done?" he asked.

She got up and walked towards him. He sat back on his legs as she crouched down and leaned over to look into the pot. 

"Yes." she said. "Looks like it." she grabbed a small ladle from beside the pan and dipped it into the soup. She picked it back up as the stock dripped from the spoon. Chunks of meat topped with flakes of various vegetables and peppers laid inside of the scoop.

She pinched a piece of the meat off and looked at it before giving it a squeeze. She nodded with a small smile. "It's done." 

"Ohh, abeg (please), no tell me di food done spoil." Hopper was coming over with thick, ceramic, high edged rounded shaped bowls stacked on top of each other as Hoppy held two small water bowls in her hands and one on each arm. 

Garnet shook her head. "It didn't." she poured the contents back into the pot and placed the ladle beside it. She handed the piece of the goat meat over towards Steven and with a wordless smile and a nod from him, he took it from her. 

He let the piece of meat cool between his fingertips as he watched Garnet get up and walk over to Hoppy. She picked up the two bowls of water from off of her arms as Hopper started unstacking the bowls and placing three on one particular side of the pots of food. "Na good" (That's good) said Hopper. "because hunger wan kill me. I wan chop." (I'm hungry) she walked over to the other side of the food and began placing the last three empty bowls on the ground as Garnet began placing the two bowls beside the ones Hopper had placed on the ground just moments prior. Hoppy set one bowl beside the third one and walked to the other side of the food near Hopper and placed the last bowl she had in her hand by one of the three bowls.

Garnet was walking back to the house beside them. 

Hoppy and Hopper were walking back to the house behind her as the two talked amongst themselves in Igbo. 

Steven looked down at the nice, juicy, tender piece of meat in his hand. 

What was the dish called again?

Eeewi something? Issi something? .. Something issu?

He couldn't remember.

But, it was now cooled down and he couldn't wait to try it.

He licked his lips and brought his hand towards his mouth-

And felt and saw a figure push pass him and felt the piece get snatched out from his fingertips. 

He fell back to the ground as he saw Lion leaping away from him. "Hey!" 

Lion turned around and Steven saw the piece of meat between his teeth.

He pouted as he pushed his self back up to a sit. "Lion!!!" 

The canine turned from him and ran off. 

"Bad boy!" he saw Lion hide beside the nearest tree. He began snacking on the meat. "That's a very bad boy!" the dog looked back up. "You know better than to do that!" he scolded. 

Lion eyed him for a few moments more.. before quickly going back to the meat and finishing it up.

Steven puckered his lips up more in a pout as he narrowed his eyes at the dog. 

He heard the door of the cabin open and glared at the dog for a few moments more before looking away.

Ringo and Foxman were walking down the steps and towards him. The twins looking completely identical.

The men were dressed in a bright white pullover-tunic-shirt that draped down towards their knees. A white tied wrapper around their waist flowed towards the shins of their legs. Underneath of the fabric of the wrapper, he could make out white, well ironed pants. The two both having white beanie caps and shoes and both holding a fancy walking stick. 

They definitely went all out for this occasion.

And here he was wearing jeans, a t-shirt and flip flops and his mask..

Everything dirty and musty smelling..

He gave them a wave and they returned the gesture.

Garnet was right behind them and holding six small cushions in her arms, being careful to not keep them close to her dirty jumpsuit.

Hopper and Hoppy were behind her. The former holding small hand towels and six cups stacked inside each other and the latter holding two more bowls of water.

Garnet began placing three cushions by the bowls as Hopper placed three hand towels and cups by them.

Hoppy set down the last two bowls of water.

"Do you guys need any help?"

"No, that's it." said Garnet. She walked to the other side and placed the last thee cushions down on the ground. 

"Oh.. okay."

Hopper set the other three hand towels and cups by the last three bowls.

Steven saw some movement out the corner of his eye and turned his head to see Lion sniffing the grass as he wagged his tail. The dog catching a scent of something and running off with his tongue out the side of his mouth.

"Someone's looking pouty."

"Huh?" 

Garnet was walking up to him. 

He sighed and perhaps a bit_ too_ dramatically. "Lion took the piece of meat that you gave me." he raised his hand up as if to emphasis. "Just, right out of my hand." 

"Hmph." she scoffed with a smile. "It's okay. We're about to eat." 

His stomach growled upon hearing that.

He couldn't wait to eat and the smells were ever enticing.

He saw Hopper sitting down on the middle cushion.

"So, where are you sitting, Garnet?" 

"I'm sitting with them." she gestured to the side of her at Hoppy sitting down next to Hopper. There was an instant yet slight look of confused shock on his face as he looked at the last cushion beside Hopper. "Oh.." he said and she was quick to clarify. "It's not that. You have to sit with the men."

"Huh?"

He looked back at Hoppy and Hopper sitting together then to Ringo and Foxman sitting down on the other side of the food as they conversed. 

"Oh, sorry.. I didn't.." 

"It's okay." she assured him. "It's dining etiquette." 

Guess the rules and etiquettes are different than with the Pizzas.. 

Or, the Pizzas didn't care?

Either way, who was he to judge even in the slightest about that.

That was just coming from wanting to sit with Garnet..

He nodded. 

She placed her hand on top of his mask and ran her hand over his head and he pouted. 

She walked away with a smile and he walked around the food and towards the cushion by Foxman. 

He sat down beside him and Garnet sat down directly in front of him on hers. 

Well, they weren't sitting next to each other, but this would do. And they weren't too far apart from each other. 

If they were to reach out to one another, they could touch hands. 

And, the oneness was still there too. 

The homely and the feeling of oneness and closeness and unity was there. 

Not to mention how peaceful and calm everything felt.

The nice summer air, the smell of the delicious food and the soft cushion underneath him and.. the nice fresh smelling of Ringo and Foxman's cologne or.. oils? Or.. soap? ...Detergent? 

And here he was smelling like literal crap.. and sweat and musk.. and everything _else_ foul..

He pressed his arms close against his sides and ever so inconspicuously.. slid just a smidge away from Foxman.

"Now with everything set." the man said beside him. "We can start." 

Steven saw Foxman dipping his hands inside of the water in the bowl in front of him. He moved his hands away from the container and scrubbed them over the ground. Drops of water fell into the dirt. He dipped his hands into the water another two more times and scrubbed them before taking the hand towel and drying off his hands. 

"Now." he grabbed Steven's bowl and shifted his legs from a sitting position to a sitting crouch. He took the lid off of one of the pans and the steam seeped up into the air. 

Steven watched as the man began to dip the ladles into their respective pans and pour a generous amount of food into the mortar bowl. 

Each pot holding something delicious..

After the fourth pot Foxman used his hand to pick up a round, thick, golden colored piece of dough that Steven could vaguely remember as.. fufu? 

He placed the bowl in front of Steven and picked up a gallon size container and began pouring tea inside of his cup. 

Steven was looking at the delicious food all mixed inside of one bowl. 

Everything looked exotic and healthy and hearty. 

..and the delicious smells wafting from the dish~..

And the tea was looking very refreshing as well~

Foxman reached his arm out and he saw Garnet handing him her bowl between the pans.

He did the same for her and handed her back the bowl filled pass the brim of various seasoned meats, sauce and stock and onions, leafy greens and peppers and various other ingredients that he could name and ingredients seemingly only knwn to them.

She handed her cup to him and he poured the tea inside. 

He handed the cup back between the pans and towards her and she grabbed it back from him.

Then it was Hopper's turn, then Hoppy's. Steven noticing that every time a bowl or cup was passed that their hands never reached over the pots of food but always in between them.

Foxman fixed Ringo' plate and set it down beside his brother before taking the jug of tea and pouring the light brown, reddish liquid into the cup. 

Then, he made his own plate and set the mortar bowl down. 

Ringo was pouring the tea inside of his brother's cup and Steven wondered why Foxman didn't pour tea inside of his own. Epecially since he served everyone else and even fixed his own plate.

But he didn't ask..

He didn't want his curiosity to intrude really.

"Can't wait to see how this tastes." said Foxman. 

He went to dip his hands into the water once more and Steven noticed everyone else dipping their hands into the water and cleaning them. 

He imitated them. He dipped his hands inside of the warm water and scrubbed his hands away from the bowl. 

Foxman took a few sips of his tea and went for his food. 

Steven then figured he could as well and turned to his own food and realized nobody else was eating.

He looked back to see Foxman scooping up a small scoop of meat, peppers and onions and placing the whole bite, tips of his fingers and all into his mouth. 

He gave an appreciative, happy nod of his head. Cheeks full as he chewed on the food. He went to dip his fingers back into the food. 

Then Steven saw everyone else take sips of their own teas and started digging into their own food 

And he then remembered about the time with the Pizzas and how they let Nanefua eat first. And also them nearly stopping Amethyst from eating before the older woman did..

Steven was drinking his tea. It wasn't sweet, but that was how the tea was supposed to be. Then, the second round of tea being sweeter, then the third round of tea being much sweeter than the first two. 

They'd told him that the serving of tea in this way is meant to mirror or portray the development of friendship amongst the group as a whole and as a unit.

He set the cup down.

"This tastes like.. exactly how my mother and my grandmother used to make it.."

Steven and the group looked over at Garnet's solemn.. wistful? expression on her face. Her trembling lips going to a smile to a frown and to a pained smile and to a teary frown once more. 

At first, it seemed the group didn't know what to say to her before Foxman said, "I told you that we make the best food." the man completely oblivious to her feelings or perhaps glossing over the sorrowful atmosphere to brighten the mood. "Everyone here chimed in and, everyone here put their all and their heart into it."

He _did_ see Garnet, though a bit wistful if anything, smile at that. Her shades hiding her misty eye.

Hopper scooped up a chunk of meat. "I gree. (I agree) Dis food sweet well well." (This food is delicious) 

Steven still hadn't eaten any of the delicious looking food and went to pray over it and.. went to take his first scoop of the dish.

His fingers sliding into the tender food and the soup and spices..

His mouth already watering.

This was it.

He was finally going to taste the food that he helped made! 

He raised his hand to his mouth as the juice of the meat and the soup dripped down his fingers.

He placed the food into his mouth and chewed.

It was good. 

Really good.

Delicious.

So many flavors and so many spices.

So many spices..

A lot of spices..

A load of spices..

Maybe.. a bit.. too much..

_SPICY!!!!_

Too much spice!!

Steven panted and blew on his tongue before going to a fit of coughs.

_Why did Hopper say it was sweet?!?!?! It is NOT sweet!!! _

_FAR FROM IT!!_

Everyone around him continued to eat as the poor, pathetic boy, who couldn't handle spices, coughed hard into his arm. 

He had to stop coughing..

He was probably being extremely rude right now.

"This.." he coughed. "is good. Really good." he coughed. 

Hopper snorted. "Am no fit to chomp da food." (He can't handle eating the food).

"Hm.. maybe we should've put in less spices." said Ringo. 

Steven hacked into his arm. He looked at the man with his water eyes. "No, no. It's okay." he coughed. "If, that's how it's done the traditional way," he coughed. "who am I to" a short fit of coughs. "to.. stop you from making it the original way?" 

They watched the boy, still coughing, as he desperately reached for his cup of tea. "Sorry." he said hoarsely. He took his cup and drunk from it. The tea doing near half the job of washing away the fire on his tongue. 

He set the near empty cup back down.

"It's.." he took a breath. "Delicious." 

And it was. 

Extremely delicious but.. extremely _spicy_ as well..

He sighed out a breath of relief as Foxman picked up the jug of tea. He refilled the tea up to the top for him. 

"Thank you." he whispered hoarsely. 

"Maybe you should try eating it with fufu." the man suggested. 

Hmm..

Yeah, that could work.

He twisted and pulled off a piece of the dough and went for _a much smaller_ scoop of the meat, though this time he went for the okra part of the soup and not the spicy goat meat part of the dish.

He took a bite.

More delicious, new flavors of the okra soup this time and the flavors mixed in with the spicy goat soup that mixed a bit into it. 

The okra soup was spicy as well, but not as much as the spicy goat soup and the piece of fufu did help with coating some of the spiciness.

Steven nodded. "Mhmm." he grinned with slightly numbed cheeks from the previous fire of the spices.

"Here." Foxman placed another fufu roll on top of the soup. 

Steven chewed a few more times and swallowed. "Thanks." he let out a little cough he tried to hold in. 

Hopper and Hoppy chuckled.

"You get used to am(it)." said Hopper.

Would he ever though?

He nodded anyway and said with a burning lipped grin, "Yeah, I can get used to tasty food." he complimented as his tongue was practically being scorched inside of his mouth. 

He tried to keep a calm demeanor.

And coughed.

The two laughed some more. 

"Couldn't agree more." Foxman joked. He took another scoop of his food. 

Steven took another bigger piece of fufu and a small scoop of the spicy goat meat. 

The six of them ate in peace and silence, say for Lion barking at something and the crickets chirping in the distance.. and.. Steven trying to stifle his coughs every now and again.

Another light summer night breeze blew around them and the shadows of the leaves danced and swayed on the ground. 

Everything was so tranquil and serene..

Ringo licked his fingers. "So.. Crystal Gems." he began and they and his brother turned their attention to him. "I can't believe it." he said. "We're actually hosting. real life. Crystal. Gems." then he wondered as he dipped his hands back into the food. "Or is this something kind of façade? I don't think actual Gems would do this." he dipped the food and his fingers into his mouth. 

"Neh. No façade here." Hopper said nonchalantly. She grabbed a finger and thumb-ful of meat and ate it. 

Hoppy nodded. "We are the actual. Crystal Gems." she stated plainly. 

Steven and Garnet had glanced at each other. The two seemingly having this telepathic-esque feel towards the other. 

"..Yeah.." Garnet was first to speak up. "We are too." 

That.. sunk his mood slightly..

They were Gems, yes... but it was something about him _and_ Garnet that was much different than your "average Crystal Gem."

Should he even go out of his way and say it?

Steven saw her go back to her food along with everyone else. 

Yes.

He _should._

And he was.

"I'm a Crystal Gem" he said, "by name. Not by heart." 

His eyes glanced over by Garnet who was looking back at him now. 

She looked hesitant and unsure. Apprehensive even. 

..Maybe he shouldn't had said that.. with Hopper and Hoppy there..?

But.. _they_ are the ones who break rules apparently. So he shouldn't care about them.

..Even.. if he knew he should be careful with the things he said and did.. but he couldn't contain it.

Garnet hadn't say anything as she looked at him nor had add anything to what he'd said. 

And.. that did hurt him..

But he knew why..

She had to keep her name clean..

Or, in this case _un_clean..

But that still didn't stop the frown from coming to his face as he looked at her faint guilty look.

"Well, I have to say I'm happy that we bumped into you two instead versus anyone else." said Ringo. "Otherwise I most likely wouldn't be here and my brother would still be lower hungry." 

Garnet nodded. "It was Steven." she threw the compliment on him. The faint guilty look was still on her face.

The men looked at the boy blowing off his tongue. He stopped abruptly and pulled his tongue back into his mouth. "Uh.. yeah..I, couldn't let Ringo lay there under the branch." he shrugged. "And I don't like _not_ helping people." then he added. "And it wasn't just us. Ringo was the one who helped as well. He came up with the foolproof plan." 

"Ah, and what a plan that was." Foxman beamed. 

Hopper and Hoppy watched on as the four of them talked while the two both devoured their food.

"I'm glad it worked." said Ringo. 

"Who would've thought." said Foxman. 

The twin brothers laughed good naturedly as if what'd happened earlier never even occurred.

"Hey, hey, hey but enough about that." Foxman said in between his and his brothers laughter. "Now that this is essentially a new start for us both, how about we start discussing when we're going to open this place back up."

Ringo's laughter was slowly dying down. "Mm, good question. We need to start planning all of that thoroughly." 

"I can't wait already. I can see it now. Traditional sports and games, pottery, festivals and more!" 

"That sounds interesting." said Steven. "So.. is everything pertaining to Igbo culture?" he stuffed another piece of fufu in his burning, near fire breathing mouth.

His sinuses began to open up even more.

He sniffled.

"That's what we specialize in, but we bring more Nigerian culture in general." 

"Cooool." he elongated the vowels to inconspicuously cool off his tongue. "I don't know much about the culture." he admitted. 

"Then this place would be right for you." said Ringo. "You will be able to learn the actual _authentic_ Nigerian lifestyle." 

Garnet was listening in quietly.

"And. it'll be fun." Foxman tried to reel him in.

"I can be up for that." they had his full attention. "So.. there's like, classes?" 

"Some are classes, some aren't." said Ringo. "It all depends on what you want to do. AND. this place will be opened 24/7 like last time."

"Whaaaa?!"

"Yeah. As I've said," said Foxman. "festivals, games, pottery and sports. Heh, I can't wait to get back into coaching wrestling." 

"Wrestling?"

If he had to guess, he wouldn't had even thought that wrestling would be one of the sports being held. 

But then again.. he knew little to nothing about their culture.

"Yes, wrestling is huge in Igboland."

Hopper was nodding her head. "Hoppy and I would always watch am (it). Eheh and even imitating am." she cackled. "Hoppy no stood a chance. At any sport really." 

"Iiii, let you win. I'm fit to beat you at any sport, game, anything." 

"Eheh? Na so?" (Oh yeah? Is that so?)

"Na so."

Hopper scoffed. "Abeg, no you make me laugh."

"Well.. I don't mean to be the instigator here," said Ringo. "but, you two are welcomed to come here too." he looked at Garnet. "Everyone is." 

"Eheeeh? You hear what am say, Hoppy?" she grinned mischievously. "You prepare to lose."

It was Hoppy's turn to scoff. "Eheh, we go (will) see."

"Hey, I was wondering." Steven cut in. "Is it like.. a fee? Or..."

How would he pay for this exactly if he were to actually go along with this?

"It's free."

"What!"

Hopper and Hoppy were also in shock.

"You've saved us. And," he looked at the women. "I can't leave you two out as well."

"And we don't want to get hurt or die." Foxman said causally with a shrug. 

"Awwwe yeah!" Hopper cheered. 

"Then it is settled! Everyone is welcomed to take a step into a piece of Africa." Foxman cheered with her.

"Such beauty." Ringo mocked a dramatic sniffle as he wiped at a tear that wasn't in his eye.

Steven smiled and laughed along with them. Garnet on the other side doing the same.

  
  


Throughout the dinner, Ringo and Foxman were talking about the building and going more in depth about food, sports, and games and activities which resulted in them telling their own stories pertaining to them. This _also_ resulted in Hopper and Hoppy telling their own fun stories when they were younger. Garnet was quite vague with her stories. She would clearly avoid talking about her family members, but would only talk about the food or the sports or the festivals or even the way the yams grew in her village, but never in depth with who she was with. And every now and again Ringo and Foxman would make it so Steven wouldn't feel left out of the conversation. 

Sometimes they would get really into their own stories and speak in Igbo. And, though that_ did_ make him feel a bit left out when that happened, at the same time it felt nice to sit back and watch them talk and feel this sort of homeliness with them while they conversed smoothly as if all five of them had known each other for decades.

Steven took a few sips of his tea. 

This one not being a refill of the first serving of tea, but the actual second serving of it. And, as they said before, it certainly was sweeter than the first serving. 

And, even more delicious.

He couldn't wait for the third serving of it.

He set the cup down and wiped his numb lips with the back of his hand. 

This was nice. 

Despite of what all had happened today, everyone seemed to be in a good mood. 

Even Hopper and Hoppy were making jokes with Garnet. She didn't seem as weary of them. 

Everyone lookd happy.

Especially Garnet.

There was something so wistful, yet so calming and peaceful and there was this serene smile to her lips. 

From the time she started making the food all the way up to now, she had this relaxed, collected, happy but wistful look to her.

And even at this very moment..

Steven watched as she and Hopper spoke. Ringo nodded and said something back to the two. 

She had this beautiful, glowing smile on her face that he'd never seen apart from that one time playing with the Pizzas at the beach and eating dinner with them.

He loved seeing her like this. Happy and calm and relaxed and without a care in the world.

She looked like she was having a great time and she really seemed more out of her shell and relaxed. 

Again, he hadn't seen her like that except that one time at the beach with the Pizzas.

Laughing and joking around like what she's doing now.

She seemed like she was in her element.

Right along with them..

A memory came to his mind of them leaving the beach..

_"It's been so long since I've experienced something that'd reminded me of my country." the corner of her mouth twitched. "It was like, I was home. Everything that we did today with the Pizzas today... I was home."_

She could be feeling the same way now.

And for a split second Steven thought to himself, that if only she could go back to see her family, then he quickly remembered that.. they were.. _gone_..

And another thought came to him.

But.. didn't she say that she killed them?

He could remember it so clearly..

Garnet right in front of him and Miss Lee..

_Then Phi Lo countered. "If you could leave.. wouldn't you want to go back to your home too?"_

_Garnet looked as if she'd been stunned. Her mouth dropping and her eyes wide and staring blankly ahead. Her arms dropped to her side._

_"Miss Lee.." Steven whispered and she looked at him as he shook his head. Maybe she shouldn't had said that.. He still remembered all too well how Garnet reacted to that simulation game._

_Her face tensed up as her eyes squinted towards them. Her expression growing colder until her face became a snarl as she barred her teeth. " Of course I would like to go back home. I would LOVE to go back to my family." she said with such ice and venom in her voice it almost didn't sound like her. And he'd never seen her look so.. chillingly angry. "But I can't." she whispered out lowly. A tear slid down her eye. And she huffed. And her breathing became shaky. "I CAN'T!!" she screamed out again. "BECAUSE I KILLED THEM!!!" more tears slid down her one hazel eye._

A chill ran down Steven's spine.

She killed them.. yet at the beach and here now, she seems so wistful..? 

He wanted his mind to stop there.. but the more he really thought about it.. the more confused her became.

And the memories wouldn't stop coming to his mind..

~~~~~~~~~~~~

_ "Pearl." then she took a moment to think about what to say. "has been through quite a bit.." then another moment to think. "we all have.." she said with such sadness and sorrow in her voice._

_"Really?"_

_Garnet nodded. More water droplets fell on his forehead and trailed down his already wet cheeks. "Yeah." she whispered. "The Crystal Gems loves to take in people such as us. Pearl, me.." a pause. "Amethyst.. and even you, Talc."_

_He looked up at her, even though he couldn't see her face. "..Me?"_

_"Yeah. Someone who's hit hard times.. Struggling to survive. Not truly knowing their place in the world or what to do.." there was another beat of silence. "You're lost.. Just like us..Lost and without knowing your purpose so you just, live life doing whatever you feel like.. though no matter what you do, you still have that.. empty, yearning feeling for something more.. And it's an everyday cycle. You want to better your life.. And so you've chose this life. A job filled with so much distraction and adrenaline so you won't have to focus on your own true life in front of you and your own future."_

_"Wow, Garnet.. That was.. that was deep." he held on to her tighter. Not because he was afraid to fall.. but he figured she needed a hug. Though she probably didn't notice and just figured he was holding on to not fall from her._

_"Yeah, well.. I've had a lot of time to think." and that's all she said, continuing her climb up._

~~~~~~~~~~~

_"Killing people ain't no big deal. You know that right?" Amethyst said to him. _

_He bit his lip, keeping in what he truly wanted to say to her._

_"Take Garnet, for example." she pointed at the woman who only so much as glanced at Steven then refocused on the road. He managed to catch the glance._

_"She has killed a lot of people. And I'm talking a lot."_

_Steven.. Could assume that. But how Amethyst was saying it and actually throwing it out there felt.. A bit alarming. And surreal._

_"Yup." Amethyst nodded over her crossed arms. "This lady right here?" she gestured with her chin. "A stone cold killer. Has killed more people than Pearl and I combined."_

_Steven's jaw slacked at that. He could believe that she killed people.. But he couldn't believe that she killed people.. like that._

_"Yes sir. She has sure learned a lot from our late comrade. She learned from the VERY best from someone who's.. unfortunately, no longer with us." her mouth was curled in a smile._

_Garnet seemed to slouch her shoulders, but otherwise, she didn't say anything. Her eyes staying on the road._

_Amethyst looked at Steven's reaction. Practically feeding off of the boy's shocked emotions. "Yuuuup." she nodded slowly. "This tank of a woman here." she took her arm, patting Garnet on the shoulder. "Has quite an anger with her. Yup, mhmm. Wouldn't want to. piss her off or anything." she scoffed. "Less you want to get sent to an early grave, that is." she snorted, raising her arm back to lay on it again._

_She looked at Steven right in his eyes. "Why, why else do you think.. she's wanted in her own country?"_

_Steven's heart skipped a few beats at that revelation. She's a wanted woman?!_

_"Yeah and I don't mean like Pearl and I or the rest of the Crystal Gems who's wanted. I'm talking, high rewards, her country's president, chief or whatever the heck the top dog person they have down there is called, will be getting involved. This chick? Heh. This chick is one. scary, blood chilling woman." she trailed her eyes over at Garnet. "That's why she's the best at her job." she gave her a sneer, evil smile. "And she will continue being the best. Isn't that right, Garnet?"_

_Garnet gave her one affirmative nod. "Of course, Amethyst. Always."_

_"Ya see that, Talc? Everyone is a Crystal Gem first and foremost. You think you know a person and. they turn out to have a lot of secrets.." she stretched to the side towards Garnet. "skeletons in their closets." she whispered out. Then she leaned back up. "Yeaaah, it's certainly best to watch out for us Crystal Gems. Some. more so than others." she cut her eye at Garnet. "No matter how much you think you know a person or you think you have this trust, this, talkie talkie stuff.. Well, let's just say it's wise to stay away from such bonds as that and keep to your own work." _

~~~~~~~~~~~~

_I can't!!" Steven yelled. "I must.. I, I NEED to be a Crystal Gem!!"_

_"But you're losing yourself!!!"_

_"I'm finding a new way to improve who I am!!"_

_"You're going about this all wrong! This is NOT who you are!!"_

_"IT IS!!"_

_"DON'T GO DOWN THE SAME PATH THAT I DID!!" her voice cracked._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_ __ _

_ __ _

_ __ _

_A few deeply rooted memories of her family from decades prior uprooted only slightly before she quickly closed the box in that vault. She took a deep, meditated breath. "Garnet?" she heard him say her name again. She nodded. "Yes. I did regret killing people..Certain people." she quickly added. Then she took another deep breath, shrinking into Steven. "Still do.." she whispered sadly.. "But." she added. "I.. try not to linger on it too much.. It's.. in the past."_

_Steven nodded.. "So it still bothers you.." Garnet looked away, her jaws clenched. "So you do have remorse.." she didn't look back at him._

_"You don't like killing people.... Do you Garnet?"_

_The woman was silent for a few long moments, until she gave a small shake of her head._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_"Garnet!!" he crawled over to her and grabbed hold of her legs, shaking them. "Garnet! You NEED to snap out of it! It's only a game!"_

_Garnet thrashed around in his arms, screaming. Then she fell back, panting, crying. The eye piece of the headset popped off. "No!!" she yelled._

_"Garnet.." Steven said gently. He raised his arm up and hesitated, before putting his hand lightly on her shoulder._

_She got up slowly, sitting on her knees. "I couldn't save them.. again.." she said.. in a language Steven couldn't understand as sobbed into her hands._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_"Soooo, we've been keeping. a non Crystal Gem inside of our Gem base?" Pearl asked._

_"Yes." Garnet stopped beside them. "I saw Lonny and Rose Quartz taking her and the other Gems inside of the helicopters. They must've known she wasn't but took her with them anyway."_

_"I, but why would?!"_

_Garnet shrugged. "Why did they drop more explosives in my village as they left?" she asked bitterly. "Why did they take me and not leave me there to die like everyone else?" she narrowed her eyes at Pearl. "Why would they do. a lot of things. Pearl?"_

_Steven looked at the angered and pained expression on Garnet's face. Her eye misty as a tear threatened to fall from her tear duct._

_"Garnet, I.." she said softly. "I didn't mean to say it like that, I was just.." she trailed off as she saw a tear slide down Garnet's cheek. "I'll.. I'll just be upstairs.." she whispered gently. She didn't want to speak on anything about the war. She would rather avoid the whole topic completely.._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_"I have to find a cure, Steven.." her voice cracked. "I have to do it for her.." she swallowed. "She's the only one I have left from my village." she rubbed at her eye. "If I can't save her.. then there will be nobody else." she cried more. "Then I would've saved nobody.."_

_"..Garnet-"_

_"EVERYONE else is dead!! EVERY. single. person!!" she sobbed._

_Steven stepped over and wrapped his arms around Garnet. She turned around and returned the gesture, hugging him close to her as she cried._

_"We're going to help her, Garnet." her body shook with her shallow breaths. "She's going to be cured. We'll save her."_

_He wasn't there at the war.. And he was thankful for that._

_But he couldn't imagine the pain that she was feeling. And he could only piece together the little bit of information that he got.. which was that the corruption happened right in her village and one person ended up being corrupted from her village.. they spared Garnet's life and took the lady with them.. and that they bombed the rest of the village.._

~~~~~~~~~~~

_"The three Diamonds; Yellow Diamond, White Diamond.." her face twisted as she forced a snarl back. "And Blue Diamond.. had decided to land in Nigeria to start another war. Again, word had got out that the three Diamonds were there with a huge army of hundreds.. and they came with their own. The Diamonds.." she paused and swallowed. "The Diamonds ended up taking their army to a small part of Nigeria where the Crystal Gems found them. And there, they had a war like no other.." Garnet was staring off into space. "Explosions.. fire.. smoke.. people, Crystal Gem, Diamond soldier, innocent villagers... everyone.. everyone was getting killed.." her mouth grimaced as she said, "After a long, terrifying battle, the Diamonds unleashed this poison that infected everyone but Rose, Lonny, Amethyst and Pearl since.. they were following Rose inside of a house.."_

_"A.. house? What house?"_

_Garnet clenched her eye and sighed. "After the poison, the Diamonds fled and they were stuck with a lot of corrupted Gems.. and.. as well as fire and dead bodies.. though, they didn't care.." she leaned up but kept her eyes staring out into nothing. "After that, we hadn't heard anything from the Diamonds in fifteen years.. up until approximately a month ago. We found out that the men in the tuxedos works for them."_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

All of those memories..

They told so much but.. somehow they still weren't enough..

She doesn't like killing.. but she has killed more than Amethyst and Pearl combined?

She seems to had deeply loved her family and it seems that she misses them... but she killed them?

A game replicated.. _too_ much like a war game caused her to have this.. panic attack.. and she's constantly feeling remorseful.. 

Yet.. according to Amethyst she's this brutal, deadly person with anger issues?

And he _has_ saw her get angry.

But he's seen Amethyst and Pearl get angry as well. 

He _himself_ went to therapy for his own anger..

Steven looked at Garnet laughing and smiling as she continued to converse with the group.

Why did she kill them..

If she "misses her country" so much and is banned from there and she "loves and misses her family".. then why did she kill them? 

Did she kill them before or after the Corruption in her village?

There was so much he didn't know about her and it'd set in deeply once again that.. he didn't _truly_ know her. Only the Crystal Gem side.. 

If anything, he knew more about the _real_ Pearl since their talk at the Gembase than he actually knew about Garnet, despite of this connection he felt with her.

He'd scratched the surface but.. never gotten too deep with her like what'd happened between he and Pearl..

So much he didn't know... 

She truly was a mysterious woman..

All three of the Gems were..

But.. it seemed like _she_ was more mysterious more so than the others..

Like Amethyst had indirectly said.. Garnet had a lot of secrets.. skeletons in her closet...

Steven kept his eyes on the smiling woman.. wistful.. and calm.. happy.. secretive.. 

_What am I missing.._

_Why.. isn't anything clicking to me yet-_

He felt a nudge to his arm and looked down and jumped, only to instantly calm back down when he saw Lion looking up at him. "Awe, hey buddy." he went to scratch at his head and Lion turned towards his hand.

"What's.."

Steven saw light blue, grayish goop on the left side of the canine's face. 

"Aww, now what did you get into this time, boy?" he reached for his pink fur. "Some kind of.. paint or something?" he touched the sticky goop. It squished in under his fingertips. 

He grabbed at a corner of it and tried for peeling it off. The substance was peeling off of his fur easily. "What _is_ this?" he peeled the flat, sticky substance from his fur. 

It laid flat in the palm of his hand.

_What. -_

"Wetin be dat on your dog's fur?" Hopper asked.

He looked up and saw everyone else looking at him. 

He shrugged. "Uh.. I'm not sure." he held his hand up for them to see the light blue, grayish flat goop in his hand.

"Nothing that we have here." said Foxman. "Doesn't look familiar." 

"Maybe something that a bird dropped?" Ringo wondered.

Steven shrugged again. "Maybe." he placed the substance beside him and turned his attention back to the canine. He went to stretch at the side of the dog's face. "Lion, you know you have to be more careful when snooping around like that."

The dog panted happily.

"All of these foxes and rabbit holes." he scratched the dog behind the ear. "You have to be more careful. Thankfully whatever that is didn't hurt you." 

Lion licked his wrist as the boy scratched behind his ear. 

"You just have to be more careful, Lion. You can't just go snooping around where you shouldn't be. You don't want to end up getting in trouble one day."

The dog's ears perked up and he turned his head towards a sound only he could hear from afar. He wagged his tail across the ground.

Steven chuckled and raised his other hand up to scratch at the dog's other ear.

"Yeaahh. You're still a good boy. I knooww." 

  
  


  
  


~~~~~~~~~~~~

Garnet, Steven, Hopper and Hoppy were standing at the door of the gate. All four of them with their To-Go boxes of food for later, with Garnet also holding the Ruby studded breastplate.

"Time for us to comot(leave)." said Hopper. "We need to go back to our Gembase."

"And I'm da one driving back." Hoppy said plainly but with a smirk. "Our car dey tear rubber.(brand new). I wan show it off. We go (will) take na scenic route." 

Garnet nodded once. 

But Steven didn't understand..

He was watching them walk away. 

"What did she say, Garnet?"

"Ehm.. she wants to show off her car."

"O.. oh..?" 

Garnet only shrugged. 

"Garnet, ..how many languages_ do_ you speak?"

"Ten. But fluently? Igbo, English and Spanish. Pidgin is something that I learned from them." a coyish smirk came to her face as she admitted, "Half of the time I honestly don't know what they're saying in Pidgin. That's why I always rather speak to them in Igbo."

Steven snorted. "Heh.." and the scoff become a tired chuckle. 

Okay so even _Garnet_ can't understand them at times.

That made him feel a bit better. It wasn't just him then.

The two watched as the women walked towards the opening of the gate and towards the edge of the mountainside.

Ringo and Foxman were walking up towards them. The latter holding an Ankara wrap. "This should work." 

"That's perfect." said Garnet. 

The men closed the distance between them and Foxman handed Garnet the wrap. 

"Thank you." 

"My pleasure." said Ringo. 

Everyone was in all smiles. They all had a good night and everything had ended so peacefully. 

"We'll be looking forward to seeing you two." said Foxman. 

"Yeah, I'm definitely looking forward to it." said Steven. 

"I am too." said Garnet. 

"I can't wait until this place is up and running." Foxman said to his brother and Ringo nodded. "It'll be like old times again." he slapped Foxman good naturally on the shoulder.

The two brothers laughed and to someone from the outside looking in, it really did seem as if nothing happened between them.

It was a wonder to him.

".. go. So we won't hold you two up any longer." said Foxman. He looked from the two of them. "I know I said this many times already, but thank you for saving both my brother and I." 

Garnet smiled as Steven grinned, "And it's _our_ pleasure."

The four of them exchanged their waves of goodbyes as the two men started their walk away from them.

Steven lowered his hand back down. "This was a really nice night."

"It was." Garnet agreed and her eyes watched the two men walk farther down towards the building before she turned around.

"And I can't wait to go when the place is set up!"

Garnet chuckled, but it was something so wistful about it. "Yeah. Me either." she handed Steven the breastplate and unfolded the wrap and crouched down. She made little kissy sounds towards Lion as she beckoned the dog to come over. "Come here, Lion." 

The canine was sniffing the grass and looked up. 

She waved her hand down. "Come here." 

The canine sniffed the grass for a few more moments before breaking off into a full sprint towards her.

"That was pretty nice of them to give you a blanket." 

"You mean a _wrap." _she corrected gently. 

"Oh. Uh..y, yeah. Eheh." he cleared his throat that didn't need clearing. 

Lion came over and started sniffing the fabric in her hand. She pet the dog between the ears and picked him up. 

She placed the canine on her back and threw the blanket over the dog's back. In front of her, with the wrap above her chest, she took one side of the wrap and tucked it under her arm and she took the other end and placed it over top of it and tucked the fabric in at the top. Then she brought her arms behind her back and pulled the fabric up to shorten it and tuck it around the dog's hind legs and tail.

She gave the dog a little push up towards her shoulders and took the bottom of the wrap, grabbing it firmly and keeping it close to her body as she brought it back to the front of her. She twisted the two ends together and tucked the fabric in.

So _that's_ how they do it..

_Thaaat's_ how those babies stay so secure.. 

Steven felt like he'd found out one of the many secrets of the close kept secrets of the world.

Lion licked Garnet's mask and went back to smelling the fabric.

"This is going to make for an easier travel back." she went to pet Lion once more. 

The dog stopped his smelling session in an attempt to lick her hand as she pet him. 

Steven let out another small chuckle and his eyes wondered back over to the gate entrance. He caught a glimpse of Hopper and Hoppy walking towards the edge of the hillside.

His chuckles died slowly on his lips.

Garnet looked to where Steven was looking. 

Hopper then a second later Hoppy jumped off from the edge and activated their Gemtech gliders. The two of them gliding away and soon disappearing off into the distance and the black of the night. 

"You know.." Steven began. "I still can't believe they tried to overthrow Mr. Wascoite."

"People don't like how he's running things. A lot of them prefer how Lonny was overseeing the authority." a pause, then she admitted, "Like Amethyst. She doesn't either. Though unlike them, she at least has a bit more respect as to not overthrow or, go up and, I don't know, cut his neck or something in an attempt to kill him."

And.. that face Steven made to her. That shocked, fearful, disgusted, uncomfortable look to his face.

"Okay.. that was in bad taste." she grimaced. "But I'm being serious."

"Y, yeah.." he frowned.

Somehow he could really see Amethyst doing that if she was given a chance to though..

Or.._anyone_ for that matter..

"Come on." she said softly.

He looked at her gentle, smiling face. 

"Let's get you home. You look exhausted."

Steven's shoulders drooped slightly as the tired frown kept on his face. "You have no idea. Whoa-" 

Garnet scooped him up like a baby in her arms and he almost dropped the breastplate from his hands.

Pfft.. carrying him like he's some little kid..

He felt his cheeks heat up as he resisted an embarrassed pout. 

Why, he's a grown man! He doesn't need this!

Steven stifled a yawn. 

"Sit tight." Garnet told him. "It's going to be a bit before we get back to the car." 

Oh.. yeah.. that's right..

They had to go through the forest again to get back to the Inkas..

Garnet started her walk. 

Well, at least he didn't have to go through all of those obstacles again his _self._

He stifled another yawn and with his cheeks still most likely red.. he slowly.. had to swallow his pride.. and he placed his head on her chest. 

And he was so comfortable already~..

He wrapped his arms around the Ruby studded armor to keep it steady.

The mission was over, they got to save a couple people or_ four_ technically.. and now they were on their way back. 

He felt Lion tug at the top of his mask and began chewing on it. 

He was way too tired to stop him..

And soon, he would be able to see Connie, take his shower and go to sleep.

And, he couldn't wait to do just that.

Go home, see his Connie, take a nice, hot shower and get his much needed rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For aaaaanyone who is curious. They were eating okra soup:
> 
> Okra soup and fufu:
> 
> https://images.app.goo.gl/EoQrnDnkqCgZEiaL8
> 
> Isi ewu (spicy goat head soup)
> 
> https://images.app.goo.gl/rK25FkfD9DDA35UNA


	221. No Wahala

Garnet was pulling up at the side of the complex.

Steven was in the back snoring loudly.

"Talc. Talc, we're here." 

The boy was completely knocked out.

Garnet got out of the car and left the driver's door cracked open. She made her walk around the vehicle and opened the door. 

She grabbed his shoulder and shook him gently. "Talc, wake up. We're at your place." 

The woman shook the boy's shoulder and slowly, _incredibly_ slowly, he began to wake up. 

"Mm..hh..nnm.." his eyes opened just a crack before closing back. His head dipped back down as he went back to sleep.

She shook his shoulder a bit harder. "We're at the apartment complex, Talc. Wake up." 

There was a very tired sigh mixed in with a groan as Steven opened his tired eyes. He lifted his head up groggily and looked over at a blurred image of Garnet through his sleep-deprived eyes. 

He saw a very tiny smile come to her face. "We're back at your place." she said. "Now you can go to bed and get some actual good sleep."

"Mm.." he nodded tiredly. "Yeah.. that's.. what I need.." he mumbled and stifled a yawn.

Garnet stepped to the side as he turned around in the car. 

"Don't forget the food." she pointed behind him. 

"Hm?" he turned around to see the bag sitting on the seat. "Oh, thanks." he grabbed the bag and turned back around.

Lion squeezed pass them and jumped out of the car. He wagged his tail as he waited for Steven.

The boy stifled another yawn and slid out of the car. "I'll.. see you later, Garnet." he whispered. He shuffled forward towards the canine and he thought of something and stopped. He turned back around. "I had great time, by the way." then he clarified. "Well.. maybe not the training.. or the first half of the mission.. -But, I'm glad that we got to save his brother and get the jewel too. And we got to have dinner with them." 

"Yeah." he saw the smile grow on her face, though it was a sadness to it. More so wistful. "I enjoyed myself too. It was something that I.. miss." her smile quickly folded down to a frown before shifting more to a thin line on her face. "But it _is_ a good thing that we were able to save them, yes. Now they can continue on with what they were doing." 

Steven blinked his tired eyes as his body slowly began to wake up more. To him, her expression looked yearning or longing. Wistful and longing. Though he didn't want to say anything about it. "Right." he said. "Thanks again for not hurting them." he said instead.

"I remember our talk." she said. "I'm trying." there was a slight pause before she added. "And, I wanted to at least keep _them_ alive specifically." 

"Y, yeah.. I can understand that."

Though saving everyone and _anyone_ should be their protocol.

Though, again, seeing it from her personal perspective and why she said that, he could see the psychological reason behind it.

The longing look was now looking more melancholic. "Well, it's getting pretty late. You need your rest and I need to head back to the Gem base."

He still wanted to say more about the night, but decided against it. "Yeah.. and, you need your rest too."

She gave him a shrug of her shoulders. "I'll get as much as I can."

The moment between them as they looked at each other lasted a few seconds in silence as Steven toyed with saying more.

He grabbed hold of the bag of food a bit tighter, though he didn't have to. "Goodnight, Garnet." he ended up saying. 

"Goodnight, Talc." there was another pause before she said, "And, sorry I had to work you so hard. Remember to use the Gemtech oil for your muscles. And don't forget to soak in the tub." 

"Yeah and take some Advils for my headache.." 

"I didn't know you had a headache." her voice was soft all of a sudden and she seemed genuinely concerned. 

He scratched at the back of his dirt-covered, sweaty hair. "I had it since yesterday ever since I slammed into the back of that fusion. I don't know if it's a concussion, I don't even know _if_ concussions can even last this long without being dangerous. Maybe it's not one and it's just some, really bad migraine? I don't know.."

"Mm.. I see." she turned her head to the trunk of the car. "Come with me." she closed the back door.

He watched her walk pass him and he followed her to the trunk of the car. It popped open and she opened one of the boxes on the far right side of the vehicle. She took out a small black bottle and leaned back. "These are better than Advils." she showed him the bottle. "It gets rid of migraines and concussions and the like and can regulate blood pressure. It also helps with any damages within the nervous and circulatory system." 

He looked at her with his mouth hanging open. Utterly and completely shocked at such a medicine having been made. "Really? All. of that?"

"Mmmhm." she opened the bottle. "Here, open your hand." 

He raised a hand, palm up to her.

She tapped the bottle in his hand and let one dark gray pill slid out. "You take these on a full stomach." she twisted the top back on the bottle and climbed into the car. She bent down and reached into the backseat. Moments later she leaned back up with a bottle of water in her hand. 

Steven was looking at the pill in his hand. It was the same one that Pearl ad dry swallowed last night right before she got into the Inkas..

He saw the water bottle with the top already off come into view and he looked up to see Garnet giving him a nod. "Here's some water." 

"Thanks." he put the pill in his mouth and grabbed the water bottle from her. He took a few sips and swallowed the tablet down.

A bit bitter tasting but nothing too bad. 

"It usually starts working between ten to fifteen minutes." 

Garnet handed him the top and he twisted the cap back on the bottle. "Thanks again."

"It's no problem, Talc." 

He placed the water bottle in the food bag and thought with a cheeky smile, "No wahala?"

That made what looked to be a genuine smile come to the woman's face. "Na true. No wahala." (That's true. No problem.) 

Steven squinted his eyes as he smiled harder until he felt a handle ruffle his hair and he opened his eyes and pouted.

She chuckled. "Told you before, I just can't resist." she picked the small black bottle up. "You can have the rest of the bottle, though you're not going to need anymore for right now. That one is enough, but you'll need this for any other future injuries."

"Are you sure I can have the rest of the bottle? I don't... want you to get in trouble or anything.." 

Garnet shook her head. "I won't. We have plenty more in the box and at the Gem base. Not to mention tons of cases at the GemTech building." 

He grabbed the bottle from her and placed it in his pocket. "Thanks." a beat. "Again." before adding. "In, general really." he said a bit slow as more words start to come out. "For everything. Saving my life twice in one day when I first became a Crystal Gem, having our talks, not killing people now.. or.. not as many.. and for helping the two brothers out today. I also, do enjoy our training. Well, not the actual training part.. but I enjoy your company." 

Her mouth was a thin line once more, though just two solid seconds later, he saw a gentle smile come to her face. "Hmph." she let out a small, humorless chuckle. _"You're_ thanking _me_ when I don't even deserve it." the smile became more wan. _"I_ should be the one thanking _you_. You make this Crystal Gem life, a bit easier to live. It's unfortunate that you were forced to become one, but, I have to say that I'm glad that we have someone like you with a different mindset on things. It makes things.. easier." 

He knew she meant that as a compliment, but that didn't stop his smile from faltering slightly. "Yeah.." he let out a breath through his nostrils. "You know, Garnet. I'm serious about getting us out of here." he started lowering his voice. "You, me, everyone. Just like how I was able to save Miss Lee. I _will_ take down the authority and save everyone from it." he shook his head gently. "You won't have to worry about the "Crystal Gem" life being easier. You'll, finally be free." 

Now her smile had faltered. 

"I know I can do it." he looked at her with sudden, newfound determination in his eyes. "I can make a change. I, just feel it." 

"Yeah.. you seem to really think so.."

" 'Think so'? Garnet I-.. I.._know_ so. It's just, I don't know, but I have this strong feeling that I'll be able to. I.. I really think I can change people's minds. I think I can change.. the Diamonds' minds too. In fact, I _know_ I can." 

Her one, hazel eye widen upon hearing that. "Talc.." she started shaking her head. "Honestly.. I know we had our talk earlier.. and I know you feel that you can really do this, save all of us, including those under the Diamond Authority.." her expression dropped to apprehension and dread. "but the Diamonds are a different force altogether. They're not like us. They're worse. Much worse.. and.." she sighed solemnly. "I.. have to be honest, Talc, I'm not sure if we'll be able to get through to them. If, _you'll_ be able to get through to them. The Crystal Gem Empire is a huge project all on it's own, but the Diamond Authority?" she continued shaking her head. "That's wishful thinking.. it's impossible." 

"Garnet.."

"I'm sorry.. but this is something that's literally bigger than any gang and any system of government. It'll be near impossible taking down the Crystal Gem Empire and the Diamond Authority is impenetrable. They are everywhere. Both the Gems who work for them _and_ their tools and contrivances. Everything that relates to them is heavily seeded throughout the whole Earth. You'll literally have to go against the world if you want to get even remotely close to them." 

Steven looked at her, shocked to say the least. 

So their talk after the first half of their training... she didn't_ really_ have hope in him? That, he would be able to dismantle both empires?

Well.. he was going to prove her wrong..

He was going to take down these tyrannical rulers that were the Diamonds. He was going to help them change their ways.

And, he was going to try and find Lonny if the former head Crystal Gem leader is still alive and take him down too.

Then, Mr. Wascoite would step down from the Crystal Gem Empire and all of the pieces would start falling apart afterwards. 

Steven kept his eyes on Garnet. "You may not believe me now.." he began in a whisper. "but I will." he nodded slowly as he narrowed his eyes. It was this willpower, this firmness in them. "I don't know how long it will take, but I know _how_ I can. And I will." he straightened his back up, ignoring the aches and pains across his shoulders and down the muscles of his back. "Mark my words, Garnet. I'll dismantle both Gem empires. Everyone will finally be free." 

She looked at him silently.

The boy really had no idea who he was going up against.

But she figured soon, that he would learn the hard way 

..whether he liked it or not..

There was absolutely no way he would be able to take down the two biggest gang systems in the world.

He took a step away from her. That tenacious look still on his face. "Thanks again for the tablets." he stated bluntly. He lifted the bag in his hand. "And for the food." he turned slightly away from her. "I'll see you on Sunday for my next training."

She still kept quiet and after a few short moments of neither of the two saying anything, Steven began walking away. "Come on, Lion.." 

The dog got up from the ground and shook his fur. The nameplate on his collar rattled as he did. The canine followed right beside him. 

The walk had been quiet until he walked just to the corner of the apartment and heard a soft, "I'll see you then.." and the sound of the trunk slamming close.

He turned back around to see Garnet walking away from the trunk of the car.

"Goodnight.." 

She turned to her side. And once again, moments passed as she he looked at a rather toyed expression on her face. She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it back. She turned away from him. "Goodnight." she said and walked to the driver's side of the car. 

He heard the door open. "Garnet.. what we talked about today.." he tried to keep his voice just above a whisper. "I know we'll be able to leave. We just, need a bit more time-" thoughts of Peridot saying the exact same thing to _them_ on replicating the diamond essence and finding the Diamonds ran through her mind. ".. ut I know that everyone will be able to leave the Authority. In. _both_. Authorities." 

She frowned slightly and didn't bother looking up from the handle of the car. "Yes.."

He really seemed so sure of himself.

Unfortunately for him, he _won't_ be able to take down either one. 

And he'll be a Crystal Gem up until he takes his last breath-

She heard the sound of footsteps in a jog towards her and turned around to see Steven right as he threw his arms up and she felt his arms wrap around her in a hug. "You just have to trust me on this, Garnet." he pressed his head on her stomach. "I know we'll get out of this.." 

So naïve..

So blissfully unaware of it all..

But she raised her arms up slowly and lightly hugged him back. 

"It's going to be okay." he whispered to her.

He was so terribly unaware of what he was going against..

She pat his back gently and leaned up slightly from the embrace and that made him look up, though he still had his arms tightly around her.

"Okay." she said softly. "You need your rest." he could've been imagining those tears in her eye. "Enjoy your two days off." 

Reluctantly and hesitatingly, he began sliding his arms away from her. "Y,yeah.. s, same to you.." 

She opened the door once more. "Goodnight, Talc."

"Goodnight, Garnet."

She watched the boy turn back around slowly and even slower, began walking away from her.

He had so much hope. 

So much hope that would come crashing down on him once he realizes how wrong he truly was.

He would always be a Crystal Gem.

Just like her.. just like Pearl.. just like the rest of them-

She felt a lick on her hand and looked down to see Lion. He tilted his head at her as he wagged his tail.

Wordlessly and with a solemn, tired frown on her face, she reached down and pet the canine. 

And.. just like Lion..

All of them were going to be Crystal Gems.

.. for the rest of their lives..-

"Lion?" 

The dog looked up from the petting with perked ears. He run away from her and towards the boy that was looking around at the corner of the building.

Garnet watched as Lion jumped on Steven. The boy stumbled slightly but immediately found his footing. He pat the dog on the head and began walking away, disappearing in front of the corner of the complex. 

Garnet sighed.

He would either continue hating being a Crystal Gem or change.. like Rose did.

Either way, he would _always_ be. a. Crystal. Gem. 

She hoped he would never change and end up becoming like her.

And apart of her was also worrying about his safety _as_ a Crystal Gem. He didn't act like one nor did he have the physical strength like one.

There have been so many instances where he could've died.. and with the Diamonds coming back, who knows if he would be able to survive that much longer.

That left a tight feeling in her chest and a twist in her gut. 

She wouldn't forgive herself if something were to happen to him.

Just like how.. she hasn't forgiven herself for the death of her family and friends-

She turned back around and got in the car. 

The door shut tightly.

And the car drove off into the night..

  
  


Steven was walking down the hall. 

He had to admit, it stung a bit that Garnet didn't believe him.. but a part of him was trying to see it from her side.

For.. however many years, he still wasn't sure actually, but all of those years she'd most likely just.. given up in ever leaving. 

As she'd told him earlier during their break, she _had_ thought about leaving. Many times, she said. 

So many years of not being able to leave had more or less given her the impression that she would never leave. The Crystal Gem Empire, the Diamond Authority. They all just, prevented her from thinking otherwise. 

Steven took the keys out of his pocket.

He was going to change all of that.

He _is_ going to go straight to the Diamonds and change their minds. Every one of them. He _ is_ going to take down their own Authority. He _is_ going to find Lonny if he's still alive and he _is_ going to change his mind too. And, he _is_ going to help Mr. Wascoite in taking down the Crystal Gem Empire.

Steven unlocked the door and pushed it open.

Lion ran in and he stepped in after and closed and locked the door behind his self.

"Connie?"

"Yeah." his heart fluttered in his chest at just hearing her voice. She sounded close by and he saw her step from the corner of the wall. She was pulling her wet hair from the back of her shirt. She let her hair fall back over her shoulders. "I just got in not too long ago." she said and her face crinkled up immediately as he stepped away from the door. 

He was smiling. "So you-"

"Uueehg." she grabbed her nose and took a few steps back. "Did they work you hard _again?"_

"Huh?"

And instantly the training and him falling into the dirty, smelly swamp water _and_ one of the monkeys throwing its own feces at him came to his mind.

"Uh..yeah."

She kept her hand over her nose. "Okay, you're going to take a shower _right_ now." he was walking over and she walked backwards towards the counter, away from him. "I'll talk to you when you're _not_ churning my stomach." 

He smacked his teeth and mocked a pout. "Yeeees, Connieee." he walked over to the dresser and grabbed his toiletries and began his walk in her direction. 

She walked away from him and into the kitchen. The counter being the only thing between them. 

"Aw, come ooon. It's not _that_ bad."

"It is." she said into her hand. "It's horrible." 

He chuckled.

She was right.

He smelled worse than a garbage dump.

It was a wonder how Garnet could even drive in the car with him without having the windows down.

Or, even being able to hug him without so much as gagging or retching.

"Well, I got you some food." he placed the bag on the counter. She looked from the bag to him, still holding her nose. She nodded. "Mhm."

"I didn't know if you were going to eat something else before you left work or order out or make food, but I just thought I would make you a plate just in case." then he quickly added into the story. "One of my co-workers made this. It's really good. It's just a little spicy-"

"Steven, I'll be fine, just.. please, go take your shower." her voice was near muffled under her tightly cupped hand. 

He couldn't help but chuckle again. "Okay." he looked down at Lion still drinking from his water bowl. "I need to give him a bath too." 

She nodded. "Then, go ahead."

"Well I can't just interrupt him while he's hydrating himself."

She sighed dramatically. "You're just trying to make me sick aren't you.."

He shook his head, still smiling. "Nope."

Lion leaned up from the water bowl and looked up at Steven. He licked his chops.

"Looks like you're done. Come on, buddy." he picked up the dog in his arm and remembered something. He turned his head. "Oh, can you grab his doggy shampoo for me?" 

She sighed again. "Of course you need me to do that." she fanned her other hand away at him. "Okay, _you_ go to the bathroom. I'll get the shampoo." 

"Okay." he grinned. "No wahala." he turned back around and headed for the bathroom.

"No.. what?" 

He stepped inside and placed the toiletries on the bathroom sinkand placed Lion inside of the tub. He crouched down and began unfastening his collar. 

Moments later and he heard footsteps coming towards the room. "Here." 

He turned around and saw Connie, still holding her nose, as she placed the shampoo bottle on the counter. 

"Thanks!"

"..Mhm.." she nodded and leaned forward. She quickly grabbed the door and pulled it towards her and closed it shut.

He scoffed with another smile and turned back around. He placed the collar on the edge of the tub. _"You_ don't think I smell that bad, do you Lion?" 

The canine lolled out his tongue. 

"Yeaaahh, good boooy." he scratched on either side of the dog's head. 

He got up and grabbed the bottle from the sink and walked back to the tub. Lion was sitting down and looking right at him and being a good boy.

"Hm, you know I wonder what classifies this as dog shampoo, ya know?" he asked his canine companion. "Like, what if humans use this? What would happen exactly?" he crouched down. "If someone were to use this" he flipped open the small silver cap. "will their hair fall out? Will their skin get itchy?" he gasped. "What if they turn into a dog-!" 

He heard knocking on the door. "Are you going to keep talking to Lion or actually take your shower before you reek up the whole bathroom?" 

Steven giggled. He poured the soapy, lavender smelling liquid into his hands. "How cool would that be?" he place his hands on the dog's fur and rubbed the substance in. "I think I would make a suuuper cool Golden Retriever. Oor maybe even a Chihuahua, who knows." he leaned over and turned the two knobs above the tub and the water poured down from the faucet. 

  
  


~~~~~~~~~~

Steven was still soaking in the bathtub and enjoying it immensely. 

After giving Lion a much needed bath, he gave a quick wash of his collar and put it back around his neck and let the dog out of the bathroom where he then heard Connie protest moments later seemingly from the dog shaking his fur by her. She yelled out Steven's name, but he'd quickly shut the bathroom door back. 

He placed the bottle of "GemTech Advils" as he'd decided to call them, into the cabinet with the other GemTech bottles and went to take his shower. Then he washed out his GemTech shirt, both his and Lion's masks, his ring and bracelet, Lion's doggy flats, and his mane and fronts. Thankfully, he simply put the jeans that looked like average jeans, into the hamper along with his boxers. 

He placed the damp GemTech gadgets on top of the hamper, cleaned out the tub and had filled it up. He grabbed the brown bottle from the cabinet and poured a bit inside of the extremely warm to the point of almost hot water of the tub. There, he dipped his toe and like someone off of a show he sucked his teeth with every dab of his toes and slowly, steadily eased his foot in up to his leg, before bringing his other leg in and dipping slowly into the rub, regrettably, nearly burning the.. _downstairs area_ before sliding the rest of his body up to his neck under the water.

And he was still in the water.

Whatever else they put into that bottle, it always made him feel extremely good.

His muscles were relaxed and sore free and his airways were clearer and his mind even felt more at ease. 

He let out another relaxed sigh and dipped his whole head under water.

Moments later and he slowly slid his self back up just far enough for the water to hit below his chin. His eyes looked at the light foam of the water above him and the light steam of the bathroom.

What a tiring day today was.. but at least he was back home and clean and relaxing in the tub. 

Though, perhaps he should get out soon so he could actually rest up. Just fall back on the soft, comfortable, tempurpedic mattress of the bed and throw the covers over him and.. go to sleep.

He felt slight anticipation goosebumps just thinking about that.

Finally going to bed..

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath in and took in the steam of the GemTech solution water and felt his lungs expand and clear up even more. 

He exhaled slowly..

He opened his eyes. 

"Okay.. time to get out." 

Steven clicked the small lever up with his toes. The stopper pushing up and the therapeutic water started its journey down the drain. 

He got up and his body was feeling better than ever. So limber, so soft, so.. it was hard to explain but he felt like he was walking on air. He felt like he _was_ air. And on top of that, his headache was completely gone.

He let the water drip from him and into the steadily lowering water of the tub before taking his first step out of it moments later. The tiled floors cooled his hot, soft feeling feet. 

He opened the cabinet and took out the GemTech cream and oil. One for his _almost_ faded scars on his skin and one for his muscles that weren't sore in the slightest.

He slathered the two over his whole body and put the bottles back. 

All of the gadgets were laying above his GemTech shirt and he simply folded the shirt up and opened the door. 

The cool air sent a slight chill down his body. He stepped his naked self out of the door. 

Connie seemed deeply engrossed on her phone. 

Good.

He quickly shuffled forward, feeling the cool air grip his hot skin and he crouched down and practically half threw half shoved the shirt underneath of the bed and popped back up to his feet and quickly continued his way to the dresser.

He _really_ needed a better way of hiding his and Lion's stuff..

It could very well be that one of these days she _won't_ have her back turned, or be in the middle of cooking, or be on her phone..

He opened the drawer of the dresser.

"Didn't know what happened to you." 

He turned his head. She was placing the phone on the counter. She leaned back in the chair. "I didn't hear the water running for awhile and you never came out." she _was_ smiling, though only slightly and her voice was soft, but there still that.. _slight_ pinch of worry she was probably trying her best to hide in her voice. 

"Oh, I had soaked in the water for a bit." he took his boxers out and his pajama pants. "My muscles were a bit sore."

"Awww.." she said softly. "Looks like they're working you too hard." 

"Mmm.." he shrugged slowly. "Not reaaally." he turned around and went to put a leg into his boxers. "My body still just isn't used to it yet."

Connie's eyes went to her boyfriend's naked body. Or more so, just _one_ specific area of him. "Mhhmm.." she said. 

Steven slipped in his other leg and pulled his boxers up. He looked back up and caught Connie staring. 

A rather complacent grin came to his face. "Checking me out again I see." 

She shook his head and looked away. "No.." she stated plainly with a "bored" look on her face all of a sudden.

Just because she couldn't help but simply look, didn't mean she was.

Or.. that's what she told herself.

If anything it was more so because she was curious..

Her eyes trailed back to him. 

Yes, _that's_ what it was.. 

Curiosity.

..Or so she told herself..

Simple as that. It was this.. _curiousness_. This, _wonder_ at what water or, what _warm_ water always seemed to do to him..

Not to mention she always wondered why.. he always seemed to have a slight erection whenever he would come out of the shower-

She wasn't checking him out.. just.. just _curious_ and amazed at what water could do..__

It wasn't anything sexual.. just.. her being curious. 

_Only_ that.

Even _if_ she couldn't _help_ but look every time he would come out of the shower..

Just. curiosity. 

_Not._ checking him out..

Like how she_ wasn't _checking out the imprint under his pants as he made his way towards her-

Connie forced her eyes up to look at his face and ignored the heat on her cheeks.

He still had a smug grin on his face.

She cleared her throat as she looked away once more. "So.. uh, the food." she started with any topic. "It was.. pretty good." she cleared her throat again as she rubbed her neck. 

Steven closed the distance between them and.. maybe she imagined the air warming up around her. She could see the smile still on his face out the corner of her eye. 

"It wasn't too spicy for you? I mean, I know you're used to eating spicy food.. but I didn't know if that food was overdoing it for you or not."

He sounded pretty casual as he spoke to her which made her turn back around slowly. He still had the smile on his face, but it wasn't smug. 

Still, it was something about it.

"No, I'm pretty much used to eating spicy food."

She saw him tilt his head. His cute, thick eyebrows wiggled as the smile turned into a smirk. "Guess that explains why you're with _me"_

She sighed with an eye roll.. but couldn't stop the smile from coming to her face.

He chuckled and his eyes never left hers. Or rather, her glasses. 

Steven could feel the laughter slowly diminishing as a nice, feel good thought was pushing to his mind again.

He let out another single chuckle and grinned. He leaned forward, simply wanting to place a quick peck on her lips and sit down and talk to her. And just, relax in her presence. 

He was just.. so happy to be home. 

He leaned over towards Connie's smiling face and kissed her. In the mix of it, getting a nice smell of the soap or shampoo she used. Or the perfume or lotion or, maybe the detergent in the clothes or a mixture of them all.. 

Whatever it was, it hit his body hard and sent chills down his stomach and caused a slight tingling feeling and he felt his body getting riled up. 

And he realized again, how soft her lips were. 

_Always_ were.

He went for a deeper kiss- 

Connie had been enjoying the sweet little peck he gave her and it was even nicer when he went farther into it. But then.. the kiss got a bit deeper.. though at the same time, she would lying if she said she didn't shiver when he placed his hands on her back. 

And that her breath didn't hitch when he slowly moved his fingers to the_ middle_ of her back. 

He needed his rest and she knew that. And, she was tired too..

Despite of the soft kisses he was giving her and pulling her into a hug. 

..They could do this another time..

He lightly nipped at her bottom lip and pulled it-

She resisted letting out a breath and pulled away from him gently. "Steven.." 

He looked from her lips as he licked his. He looked at her with sensual yet tired eyes. "What? Just, giving you a kiss after coming back from work." he purred. "I can't do that?" and there was the complacent grin again. 

She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. 

She wanted to.. but she was _also_ tired..

Besides, it was a time and place for everything and now wasn't the time..

She looked at his tired, half lidded eyes. 

_Heh.. even when he's tired he's still trying for it.._

"Yeah.. it felt a bit more than that." she said eventually with a smirk. 

"Oh?" he feigned obliviousness with a shrug. "I didn't realize that." 

Connie ignored the pressure being put on her knee.. Steven still with his warm arms wrapped around her and the bulge of his pants pressed firmly on her knee. "Well.. now you do." she said. 

"Mhm." he nodded and he kept a plain, straight faced expression as she felt him pressed his self more against her knee and she knew he was trying to get a reaction out of her. He slid his hands down her back and to her waist. 

She kept her _own_ expression straight faced.

"So.." she started off and her skin shivered as he slid his hands to her thighs. His fingers inched under her shirt as his fingertips caressed her skin. "S, so.." she said again. "are you.." his fingers stopped at either sides of her underwear. ".. going to ask me how my eye appointment went?" 

He smiled tiredly as he let out a sigh, almost a murmur. He gently squeezed her thighs as he nuzzled his face into her neck. "How was your appointment?" he whispered and the heat of his breath tickled her skin. 

She swallowed.. and hoped for him to kiss her neck at that moment. 

He rocked his hips slightly from side to side and she felt his self move as he rubbed against her knee. 

She still wasn't going to give him a reaction. 

Two can play at this game..

"It was good." she kept her voice levelled. "Everything went well. I..still have to use the eye drops and" his fingers moved closer between her thighs. "and.. I still have to wear the glasses for another two weeks." she resisted giving him any reaction. "And my next appointment is in another three weeks." 

"Mmmhm.." he nodded and his nose tickled her neck. "Eeeeverything is good." he repeated what she'd said. 

"Yeah.." she tried ignoring the heat in her chest and howe warm her legs were getting. "they said that everything is healing well." 

"Mmm.." he hummed. He exhaled hot breath out his nose and to her skin. "That's good." he moved his head slightly and kissed her neck and the heat spread down her stomach and down to her thighs. 

He laid his head back on her shoulder. "That's really good." he said gently. "Theeen.. I get to see those pretty brown eyes of yours again soon." 

She went for a scoff though it sounded more of a moan if anything. She opted for not saying anything further.

He leaned back up to face her. "I miss looking into them.." 

She looked to his eyes once more. How half-lidded they were and how tired they were and.. something else..

A small tinge of worry managed to dip into that sultry arousal she was feeling. "Steven.. are, you okay?" 

He nodded slowly with a doughy grin on his face. "I just, feel really good. _Really._ good." he chuckled. "I put this stuff in the tub to help with my muscles." he let out another sensual-esque chuckle and leaned forward and nuzzled his nose just below her chin. "And.. it always makes me feel soo good." he dragged his lips up to her chin and nipped at her skin. 

"Or.. maybe someone spiked it?" he kissed her and she was at a lost for words. The kiss ended way too short for her liking and she felt his lips on her neck. "I.. strongly doubt that a muscle relaxer would make you do this.." 

She heard him chuckle and he gave her another small kiss on the neck before leaning back up. "I'm fine, Connie. Really. My body is just, feeling really good." he looked at her lips. 

"So.." she began once more. "how was your day at work?"

"Awww.." he tilted his head back with a lopsided grin. He leaned his self forward towards her as he gave her thighs another squeeze. "Stiiiiill playing hard to get?" 

"..What do you mean?"

"Ooh, come on Connie. You know _exactly_ what I mean." he leaned in and kissed below her ear and whispered into it, "We didn't get to do anything yesterday." each word was hot in her ear and sent more shivers down her spine. "And since you and me have nothing to do now.." he bite her ear gently.

"Yeah, I'm.." he gave her earlobe a small lick and nipped it again. "..I'm pretty tired.." she moved her head away from him gently and he leaned back up. "Besides, I have work tomorrow too." 

His expression fell to a frown. "Aww.." 

"Yeah." she said plainly. She ignored the silent cries from her body begging for him. "So I need my rest. I _definitely_ don't want to go to work that tired like how I was this morning ever again." 

Steven was nodding knowingly, though the frown was still evident on his face. "Yeah.. yeah your rest is more important.." his hands were so comfortable laying on her lap. Her soft cotton shirt laid delicately overtop of his knuckles. 

She continued to ignore the kisses she still felt on her neck and his hands on her thighs. "Yeah.. we can do this another time."

He pouted. _"If_ you're still in the mood."

And he knew Connie. One minute yeah and then.. five weeks to a year of it as a noo..

At least that's how it felt to him..

She shrugged. "Maybe." there was a kittenish smirk. "You never know." 

"Mm.. guess we'll see.." he kept the pouting frown on his face.

Guess.. not tonight then..

_And_ his body was feeling so good..

But alas.. another night of no fun..

_Just_ like last night..

But, she still had this look on her face-

No, he shouldn't push it..

..Another time..

Wasn't their anniversary coming up soon anyway?

_.. Hmm..~_

_Thaaat_ could work.

He'll just, simply wait until then. 

He looked at her and a cheeky, overly smug look came to his face again as a rather conceited thought came to his face. 

_I'll just wait aaand, save up that energy for our special day. Give her an amazing time._

The overly smug look widened on his face. 

_The neighbors will get to know that too. _

_Everyone will know my name that night.._

The thought stayed in his mind and he snorted, trying to hold in the cheeky laughter

A dubious look came to Connie's face. She raised an inquisitive eyebrow at him. "What?" 

He stopped mid chuckle. "Huh?" he looked at the skeptic expression on her face. 

He dropped the smug look quickly. "Uh.." he shifted his eyes away from her before quickly looking back. "N, nothing." 

She didn't look convinced. 

He gave her a quick peck on the cheek and leaned back up. "Some other time." he smiled. He took his steps away from her and she missed him pressing against her knee. 

He slid into the chair in front of her, ignoring the chills and tingles and good feeling his whole body and mind was feeling and Connie took a quick glance down at his pants once more before quickly glancing back up. "Soo~" he slouched back in the chair, purposely, as he kept his legs farther apart than he needed to apart keeping his self on_ display _for her. He placed his elbow on the counter casually. "the eye doctor went well." there was a nod before he added. "But,.. how was your day in general?"

She fought with her mind and her eyes to keep them looking up at his. "It was good. And work wasn't too bad." she said with a one shoulder shrug. "Kinda why I didn't bother calling or texting you to request me a Zuber."

Steven's eyebrows went up as realization came over him and he pushed off of the counter with his elbow. "Aw man, Connie! I completely forgot!"

"It's not like you really forgot. I told you I was going to call you to request me a ride but I decided otherwise."

"But, if I had remembered the time you get off, I would've requested one for you. I don't want you to be out that late at night. And, we have the money for it."

Another nonchalant shrug from her. "It's okay."

His shoulders slumped. "Will you at least use one for tomorrow?"

"I clock out pretty early tomorrow." she stated plainly.

"What time?"

"Four."

He looked at her.

"Steeeeven, that's my usual time anyway. I'll be fine. Besides, I just have tomorrow and the next day and then I have my days off." 

"But.. if you're _really_ drained tomorrow.. can you at least promise me that you'll take one home?" 

"Yeeees, Steven. I will." 

He looked at her.

"I promise."

A slight frown came to his face. "Okay.."

"So, how was _your_ day?" she quickly asked.

"Oh, uh.. it was good. Just tiring. But I'm off for the next two days, so I guess I can't complain."

"Lucky." she grinned. 

Far from it..

Connie watched the boy cover his mouth as he yawned slightly.

"Why don't you just go to sleep?" she scoffed. "You look exhausted."

"I am." he admitted.

_Might as well go to sleep if I'm not getting any action anyway.._

"Then you should head to bed."

"I am Connie." he forced a tired, little smile to his face. Then he added, "No wahala." 

She scrunched up her face at him. "What does that even mean? You said that to me earlier." 

"It means 'no problem'." 

He thought that would be the end of it before she raised her eyebrow at him. 

"My coworker taught me that word." he explained in short. 

"Wow." she didn't sound enthused or impressed. "Exercising _and_ learning languages from your co-workers, huh?" 

"Mmmmm~" he puckered his lips at her. "Well at least _someone_ is teaching me their language." 

"Steeeven, again" she smirked. "you don't _need_ to learn Tamil." 

"But Cooonniee. How am I supposed to know what you're saying? What if I want to go to India one day? Or what if I want to watch a movie in Tamil without subtitles? What if.. what if I want to speak sweet nothings in Tamil in your ear?" he whined. "And you _still_ haven't told me what you said that day when I-" 

"Steven." she cut him off. "It was nothing. I, I can't even remember what I said anyway" she felt her face heating up. 

He pouted. "Yeah, _sure_ you don't.." a complacent thought came to his mind and he said under his breath, "maybe I'll jog your memory on our anniversary night." 

"What was that?" 

"Hm?" he glanced over at her. He shook his head. "Nothing."

She lowered her skeptic eyes at him. 

He gave her a friendly, Innocent looking smile. 

She lowered her eyes more at him.

And he widened his smile. "No wahala." 

"Doesn't make sense in this context.." she mocked grumbled.

"Mmm, how about this then?" he slid off of the chair and her heart instantly skipped a beat in her chest. He leaned over and gave her a peck on the cheek.

She looked at him. 

He smiled widely. 

"Steven, shouldn't you be going to bed?" she folded her arms, but the little smirk was on her face.

"Heh.. yeah.." at this point he was practically running on fumes and was saying anything at this point.

He really did need his rest.

"Alright, I'm heading to bed this time." he said. "Honest." he leaned over and kissed her and perhaps just a _bit_ deeper than he initially intended.

He leaned up slowly and kept his lips close to hers. 

And he could feel her breath on his lips.

He stood there, frozen.

..Maybe she changed her mind-?

"Good_night_, Steven."

He looked from her lips and to her shades. "Uh.. goodnight." he thought about it before giving her a little peck on the lips and leaning back up. "Guess I'll see you in the a.m." he smiled.

"Yeah." and she smiled back at him. "I'll head to bed soon. I want to sit for a bit longer. I just ate and I don't want to end up getting indigestion."

"Oh, right. Makes sense." he snuck in another peck on the cheek. "Night, Connie."

"Goodnight."

Steven made his walk over to the bed. 

Lion was still being good and laying down in his own little bed.

"Night Lion." he scratched the dog behind the ear and pulled back the covers and slid under them. He stifled another yawn as he stretched. He turned around to face Connie who had a smiling look on her face. 

He laid his head on the soft pillow with an admiring yet tired smile of his own.

Finally home.. and finally in bed. 

And most importantly, safe with his Connie.

Another day of training and another successful mission and now he was back in the warm bed and under the comfortable blankets.

Something he'd been thinking about since the moment Garnet picked him up to take them to the training sit.

He was already drifting off to sleep as his eyelids fluttered lightly.

His body was still elated and feeling like air and his mind was still under a feeling of euphoria and ease.

Everything was nice.

Everything felt great.

He closed his eyes as he tucked his chin under the covers.

Slowly drifting to sleep..-

He felt warm, soft lips on his forehead as Connie kissed him softly. 

He chuckled tiredly, feeling good, feeling great, feeling at ease and comfortable. He kept his eyes closed. "Night, Connie." he mumbled under the covers.

"Goodnight." he felt the blankets pull up to his shoulders and heard her footsteps as she walked away.

What a tiring day, but what a relaxing night.

And he and Garnet were able to get the Ruby studded breastplate without harming anyone and they had a great time at dinner. And to come back to Connie.

He had no complaints. 

No aches and pains, no worries, no bad feelings.

Just mental repose and tranquility and peace.

He took in a deep breath and exhaled out slowly.

His mind only focusing on sleep and relaxation.

And tomorrow, more relaxation and laying down in bed and eating that leftover ice cream in the freezer and watching nothing but TubeTube videos until Connie comes home.

That's what he thought, having zero negativity in his mind and completely oblivious of things like missions coming up and running his day.

'No wahala', he thought and smiled under the covers as he got more comfortable in bed. The soft, comfortable mattress beneath him and the warm, soft covers over him. 

He let out another sigh of relief.

No wahala.

And he couldn't wait for another day of relaxation tomorrow.

He relished in the euphoric, blissful feeling. 

_No wahala_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Whoever's wondering, yeah that GemTech "muscle-relaxor-ish" solution in the brown bottle _can_ do that to people. Make em feeel a bit high or frisky even. It'd happen with Steven before when he used it after his training/ his fight with Sugilite. Though the potent stuff didn't hit him that hard like it did in this chapter. And the GemTech oil and cream _AND_ the GemTech Advil made the effect that much stronger 😝
> 
> ~~~~~~~  
Anyway guys, it definitely took a while to post but I'm glad that I was able to finish this!
> 
> Hope y'all enjoyed le chapters o3o
> 
> Anywho, y'all be good. Stay safe out there and take care both mentally, emotionally, physically, etc. ✌️❤️ Peace.


	222. Dealing with the symptoms

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was planning on finishing up at least two chapters and posting it yesterday BUT, I got side tracked with other pointless things. Any who, at least y'all didn't have to wait too long for another update 🙃😂
> 
> Also it's only one chapta instead of two so..

Steven woke up to aches and pains throughout his body from all of the rigorous training and the mission from yesterday. 

But what _really_ got him up, was the inevitable feeling that he had in his abdomen as his stomach made warning gurgles. 

He sat up with a groan as he rubbed on his stomach. 

The stomach pains didn't subside and as he let out just one lone toot that seemed to bring everything down to the canal, he clenched everything in and jumped out of bed and made his way quickly to the bathroom.

What felt like ten, fifteen minutes later, his stomach was still in pain, but he opted for leaving the bathroom after nothing else had came out for a couple of minutes. 

With a few more wipes, then a flush and then a wash of his hands, he exited the bathroom. 

Connie was sitting up in bed with Lion right beside her. The two both looked at him.

It was _his_ turn to get embarrassed. "I.. hope that you didn't hear all of that."

_I should've put the water on.._

She gave a shrug of her shoulders. "I just got up." 

Maybe she was trying to make him feel _less_ embarrassed.

"So.. your stomach is acting up, huh?" she said airily.

He resisted a pout. "I think it's that food that I ate. I think it was too spicy or, I don't know. Maybe my stomach wasn't used to whatever was put in it." he lowered his hand down from his abdomen. "I guess it didn't get you too?"

"Maybe because my stomach is used to it?"

"Oh, right.." he mumbled. "Well, that's good." 

_ At least her stomach is giving her a break this morning._

He took a step and felt his stomach start to act up again.

He reached up to grab at it. "Uh.." he mumbled out in a whisper. "did you have to use the bathroom?"

Good thing she'd already used the bathroom just an hour prior. 

For the _third _time that night..

"It's okay, you can go."

With that said, he quickly opened the door and ran back inside. She heard him turn the water on to drawn his self out.

She chuckled and shook her head. She looked at Lion as she reached over to pet him once more. "Poor Steven." 

Lion pushed his head up into her hand as his tail dragged across the sheets of the bed.

A rather giddy smile came to her face as she scratched behind his ears.

The dog wasn't.. _so_ bad after all..

"Good boy." she whispered.

Okay, maaybe he wasn't bad at all.

She lowered her hand from his ears. "Alright, time for some breakfast." she told him.

She slid off of the bed and Lion got up and followed her towards the windows. She slid open the curtains to the sliding doors of their patio. The sun was still rising as cumulus clouds drifted along the sky.

There was movement down below and she looked down to see Mr. Vecino and his son carrying a white, rectangular folding table towards the opened back doors of the Winnebago. They sat it down on its side and Gregory ran back towards the apartment as his father began opening the legs of the table.

Connie walked away from the windows and towards the bathroom door. She knocked on it. "Light a match in there, Steven." he said something that was drowned out by the rushing water. She walked away and towards kitchen with Lion at every step of the way as he looked up at her. She went to his cabinet and took out his medicine and his bag of dog food. 

He wagged his tail in excitement and in anticipation for his food.

She poured the kibbles and bits into the bowl, then placed the two pills inside of the food before walking over and setting the bowl into the holder. 

Lion immediately dove into the food.

She put everything back into the cabinet, gave him some fresh water and gave her hands a quick wash before grabbing a can of ginger ale and grabbing a handful of saltine crackers. There was a notification chime from the SurpriseSurprise website for her baby tracker. 

She placed the crackers in a napkin and put the box back into the top shelf and made her way back to the bed. 

She popped open the can and took a few cold, fizzy sips of the drink in hopes of avoiding an onset of morning sickness. She bit into the first cracker and grabbed her phone off of the table and unlocked it. 

She clicked on her notification and began reading the information on the website as she nibbled on her morning snack.

_Your baby is as big as a raspberry!_

_Your baby-to-be has already developed web-like hand and feet stubs. _

Connie continued to read on. 

_The volume of the amniotic fluid is increasing and your womb is expanding to accommodate the growing baby._

It was interesting. Fascinating to have a living, extremely tiny baby growing that was currently only around a half inch small. So many parts were forming already for such a tiny thing. 

But it was also a bit unnerving and scary. Having something growing inside day by day. 

She was still so far away from having the baby and she already had so many questions as a mom to be for the first time in her life. 

Connie scrolled down to read more information about her baby. About her _and Steven's_ first baby. She was scared and giddy at the same time. 

How was their life going to be once they finally have their bundle of joy?

She finished another cracker and placed her hand just at the bottom of her abdomen. 

She was_ actually _pregnant. 

Despite of not feeling anything yet, the symptoms were sure telltale signs that she was. 

_..tiny fingers and toes are starting to grow within the web-like hands and feet and the baby's tail is almost gone. An upper lip, a protruding tip of a nose and tiny, very thin eyelids are beginning to form._

The site was very informative and fun to read.

_The baby's heart is beating at an incredibly fast rate of around 150 to 170 times per minute, roughly twice as fast as yours. And though you may not feel any movement yet, the baby is currently making spontaneous movements as he twitches and moves his tiny body and limb buds._

Are they having a boy? Or a girl?

She would love her baby dearly no matter the gender.

_But_, she was still hoping for a girl.

Maybe it was due to her really wanting one, but she had this inkling, this feeling that they were going to have a daughter.

She was even more giddy now, despite of not trying to think too much about it at the time, but she just couldn't help it.

She scrolled down to the pregnancy symptoms that a mother to be would_「possibly」_be experiencing during this week in the trimester

_Fatigue._

Check.

Over the last week she'd been feeling much more tired than usual. And being on her feet for eight hours wasn't helping. Neither was waiting for the bus and sometimes having to stand when the benches were full. 

She wouldn't ask for a seat because of her pregnancy. Her coworkers or any of the regulars that took the bus doesn't even know that she is and, it wasn't like she had to tell them or even wanted to, especially so early in the game. 

Besides, once she starts showing, they're going to know _then_ anyway.

_Nausea and vomiting._

Check and check. 

It'd been weeks now and so far those symptoms haven't been letting up as well as been hitting her randomly throughout the day. Not a very good look at work when having to run to the bathroom a few times during the shift. But for the most part, she'd been managing her work life with those symptoms. 

_Visible veins on the belly and the chest_

She hadn't gotten those. At least not yet, if she'll ever get them. 

_Dizziness and faintness._

Thankfully, she hadn't experienced that. Yet. And hopefully she never will. 

_Headaches._

No. Thankfully she wasn't getting those either. 

_Food cravings and aversions. _

Check.

Avoiding cheese now was a thing for her and now, since that time she and Steven hung out after her eye appointment, she found out that she likes Durian. Which, she hadn't liked before. Amongst cravings for pickles which she'd thought was only a mere running pregnancy gag in movies. 

_Frequently going to the bathroom._

Check. 

For the passed week it seemed like her bladder was getting full every two, three hours. Something that also sent her to the bathroom multiple times during her work shift _along_ with her morning sickness..

_Heartburn and indigestion._

A definite check.

If it wasn't nausea or getting sick, then she was feeling some form of heartburn or indigestion. 

_Bloating and gas. _

Another check. 

Heartburn, nausea, indigestion, bloating and gas. She felt like she should be advertising for a Pepto commercial at this point. 

_Constipation._

At least she didn't have that. And she hoped that she wouldn't have to go through it. She was definitely watching her intake of water and watching what she ate. 

_Breast tenderness._

Check.

That only started days ago. Not to mention her oblivious Steven squeezing them the night before last when he tried to have some fun with her.

If they get even more tender she's definitely going to have to tell him to ease up on that..

_Round ligament pain._

Check. 

She'd been experiencing dull aches and pains below her stomach and along her sides just above her hips for the passed few days as well. 

So many things she was feeling as she neared the end of her first trimester and so many things she tried to not make a big deal of at work _and_ at home.

She wanted to be strong. Had to be. She didn't want to complain and she didn't want anyone to worry or baby her-

The bathroom door opened and Steven shuffled out holding his stomach with a very sick look to his face. "It's just like that time at the Thai-Mexican restaurant.." he mumbled. "Except everything's coming out the back end.." his lips trembled as he dramatized his pain with a groan. 

He dragged his feet over to the bed and slumped onto the blankets on his face. He groaned again and moments later he turned his head slowly from the covers. He groaned once more. "Connie.. can you rub my stomach.." he whined.

She set her phone down on the blanket. She scoffed lightly. "Yeah." she got up and walked around the bed then thought, "But you should take something first." she made her way to the bathroom and pushed the door open.

She held her nose. "Steven, I told you to light a match in here."

"..I forgot.." he whined into the blankets.

She held her breath as she quickly opened the cabinet and grabbed the bottle of Pepto. She stepped out and exhaled deeply. 

Steven was now on his side with his arms wrapped around his stomach.

She began putting the pink liquid into the small cup. She set the bottle down on the table and slid into bed behind him. "Hm. Take this." 

He looked up at the cup, still with a rather sick, disgusted look to his face. He curled up more in a ball.

She sighed with a grin and a roll of her eyes. She leaned over and brought the cup farther down to his mouth. 

Still keeping his face on the bed, he moved his head up slightly. She tipped the cup into his mouth and he drunk the tart, peppermint tasting medicine. 

"There. Now that should start working on you soon." she placed the cup by the bottle and turned back around and threw her arm around him. She slinked her arm underneath his and he moved them out the way as she slid her hand farther across his stomach. She began rubbing small circles along his skin. 

Steven closed his eyes as he groaned in pain.

Connie chuckled. "Sooo dramatic." she placed a small kiss on his temple as she continued to rub his stomach.

As she did, however, she'd noticed that he was less.. _doughy_ than he usually was. 

Just two weeks ago it seemed that he'd lost maybe a few pounds, but she wasn't sure if it was in her mind or not or if he was wearing baggier clothes that day. But now, it _really_ looked as if he'd lost weight. Or even more.

_This_ time there was no doubt about it. 

Maybe that stocker job was hard labor and he was losing weight?

Or, maybe he and his co-workers were exercising more now? He _was_ telling her about that just yesterday morning.

Nevertheless, she didn't speak on it and instead continued to caress and massage his stomach. 

Minutes later and he stopped groaning and she continued to rub small circles on his belly. She gave him another tender kiss on his temple. "Feeling any better?"

"Mmmnnnng... my stomach still hurts." he groaned out a whine.

"Awww.." she smiled softly. She leaned more towards his back and placed her head gently on his shoulder as she circled her hand around on his stomach.

More minutes passed by in silence before her hand felt his stomach push up slowly and in deeply. The deep, slow rhythm continued and she lifted her head up from his shoulder to see his mouth slightly open and his eyes closed. 

A small crackle of a snore came out of his mouth.

She smiled with a small chuckle. "My big baby." she cooed. She kissed him on his cheek and leaned off of him. 

Lion was busy playing with one of his chew toys and thrashing his head about until he saw Connie get up from the bed. He stopped and watched Connie walk pass him before running up and jumping on the bed. He dropped the chew toy in his own bed and sniffed around Steven's head before giving the boy a lick on his cheek- 

"Hey." 

He looked up at her as he perked his ears up.

"Don't mess with him." she warned as she pointed a finger at him. "Let him sleep."

Lion sat down on the bed and kept his eyes on her, not wanting to get into any trouble. 

She gave him a leveled stare. 

He began wagging his tail innocently. 

The stare lasted for a few moments before she turned back around. She went back to the curtains to close them back for Steven to get better rest with_out_ any sun shining in his face. 

She grabbed both sides of the split curtains as she looked out the window. 

Mr. Vecino and Gregory were sitting inside of the back of the van with five medium sized brown moving boxes around them. In front of them was the table and on top of it was a white sheet draped across. Two blenders on either side of the table, a square blue box, a few stacks of cups and other items laid over top of it. 

A neighbor of theirs began walking up to them and Connie watched the two slide off of the edge of the van as Mr. Vecino exchange words with the woman. Moments later and he ruffled Gregory's hair and pulled him in for a side hug as the boy grinned from ear to ear. More dialogue was exchanged before his father nudged his son's arm good naturedly and Gregory opened the blue box. He picked up the ice scoop that was inside and scooped up a chunk of cubed ice. He placed it in the blender as his father went to one of the brown boxes that was already opened.

He picked up a half cut watermelon and Gregory placed the scoop back into the box and picked up a long handled big spoon. His dad held the watermelon over the blender as his son began carving and scooping out chunks of watermelon into the blender. 

Gregory said something to the woman and she pointed at one of the four clear jugs on the table. He gave her a thumbs up and picked up the bottle. He pressed down on the top and syrup spurt into the blender. He went to put the bottle back down as his father picked up a small spoon from a bowl and began scooping sugar into the machine. 

He turned to his son and said something and Gregory looked around the table until he found the top for the blender underneath a pile of napkins. He walked over and placed the top on the blender and pressed the button. The ingredients began to blend inside of the machine. He kept his hand on the lid as his father walked behind him to the other side of the table. He grabbed a styrofoam cup, two napkins and a straw and side stepped over. 

Moments later and Gregory stopped the blender and took the top off. He picked up the cup and tilted towards the lady to see. 

She nodded. 

With a huge smile on his face Gregory turned to the cup his dad was holding still and he began pouring the contents into the cup. 

He picked up the long handled spoon and slid the rest of the contents into the cup and his dad placed the plastic lid over it. He stepped away and let his son do the honors of handing the woman the cup with her straw and napkins.

She peeled the paper from the straw and placed it inside of the cup. She took a sip and nodded happily. She gave the two a thumbs up and said something to Gregory that made the boy smile even harder. He said something back as he looked up at his father. 

Connie watched the exchange for a bit longer until the woman began walking to her car.

"Hmm.." she then realized what she'd meant to do in the first place and went to close the curtains for Steven.

The studio was now dimmed and fit for someone to have a proper sleep.

She slowly walked pass the bed as she took a quick glance at her handsome, sleeping boyfriend.

Lion was laying down in his bed and he saw her make her way to the door. She took her purse from the coat rack and slipped one flip flop on before she heard some stirring on the bed.

She paused and listened.

The stirring went on for a few moments presumably as Steven moved around in bed.

She waited a few moments for the stirring to stop, then waited a few moments more before she quietly tried to unlock the door-

"Connie?" the whine was still in his voice.

"Yeah, Steven?"

He groaned. "Are you going to work _already?"_ he sounded every bit sad and hopeless. 

"Noo, I'm just heading downstairs for a moment." she opened the door. "I'll be back in a few minutes." 

She heard rustling in the bed as she heard another groan. "Hurry back.." he whined.

"Yeah, Steven." she stepped out the door. "You just get some rest." she heard another groan from him as an answer and she closed the door behind her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Figured I haven't really said much about the baby/fetus for quite some time OR about what Connie has been going through with her pregnancy. (As a refresher, she's more or less two and a half months, (with Steven more or less having been a C.G for almost a month)).
> 
> So yeah, this was just a small little tidbit on what has been going on with the fetus and what has been going on in Connie's mind as well as what has been going on with her physically. So apart from her morning sickness (which has been written on screen), _other_ things have been happening _off_ screen. And as we now know, she's been having these symptoms and she hasn't told Steven due to her not wanting him to worry or baby her. She wants to be strong 😎👍
> 
> Anywho, too bad I couldn't quite finish this second chapter I had been working on. Stay tuned for the next chapter tomorrow (hopefully).  
Yeah, I'm just way too tired to finish the rest of chapter two. 
> 
> Y'all folks be safe ✌️✌️


	223. Making one's day better with a refreshing watermelon icy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So much for posting on Sunday, uh? 😝
> 
> But hey, here's two long chapters for y'all anyway instead of one✌️

Connie made her way down the hall and the two flights of stairs to the main door. She opened it to the bright and sunny outside right as the wind blew gently around her.

Mr. Vecino and Gregory were back to sitting in the van with Gregory playing with two of his G.U.Y figures on his lap. A handful of other G.U.Y figures were laying in a pile beside him. "Ranger guy will save the day!" he shook the action figure in the air.

Connie was coming up to them and they spotted her. Mr. Vecino gave her a wave with a, "Good morning."

"Good morning, Mr. Vecino. Good morning, Gregory." 

His son shouted out a very enthusiastic 'Good Morning!' back at her. 

As they saw her approach the table, as if rehearsed, he set the action figures down and he and his dad slid off the edge of the van and stepped towards the table with friendly, welcoming smiles on their faces.

"Welcome!" Gregory announced as he threw his hands up in the air. "to our table where we make delicious watermelon drinks!" he cheesed.

"Yeah, I saw you two upstairs." she said. She looked between the two. "So is this some kind of fundraiser? I thought I could chip in." 

"Nnnope!" Gregory grinned with a superhero-esque pose with his fists on his waist and his chest puffed out.

Mr. Vecino couldn't help but laugh. He ruffled his son's hair once again. "No, it's no fundraiser here." he said. "Shtu-ball and I have been growing watermelons for the annual Fruit Festival today."

"This year is going to be better than the last! And the year before that! And the year before that! And the year before _that!_ And the year before-!" 

His dad laid a gentle hand on his son's shoulder. "Hey.. kiddo. Eheh, I.. think she understands how amazing this year will be." 

His son cheered.

"We're doing this" Mr. Vecino gestured at the items on the table. "for a bit of fun and we want to give back to our neighbors."

"We've been making scrumptious, thirst quenching, refreshing watermelon juice!" Gregory chimed in with a thousand watt smile. 

His dad couldn't help but laugh again at his son's charismatic, high energy. "You could try one if you like." he suggested. "You can even give one to Steven."

"The kissy man!" Gregory teased.

Connie looked over at the boy, just a bit embarrassed.

"Gregory." his father cautioned him gently.

"Sure." said Connie. She bypassed the teasing remark. "How much is for two?" she opened her purse.

"Oh no, no, no, no, no." Mr. Vecino stopped her. "This is for free." 

"Really?" she started to close her purse back.

"Yeah. We're not looking to make profit."

"We're doing this out of the kindness of our hearts!" Gregory cut in once again. "We want to give back and make people happy with a nutritious drink that would get them through the day!" his grin was ever endearing and ever wholesome and friendly.

It was extremely kind of them to do this. Use up their time in growing watermelons simply to give them away for free. 

How many people would even do that?

Not many.

Connie was offered to choose from the four jugs filled with sweet syrup; Strawberry, Lemon, Blueberry and Apple.

She'd picked strawberry for her and lemonade for Steven.

Right away, dad and son went to prepare the two refreshing juice.

Gregory had went back to the ice box and used the ice scoop to scoop the cubed ice into the two blenders as his dad went to grab the half cut watermelon from earlier and another half cut watermelon that hadn't been scooped out. 

He placed the new one on the table and let Gregory scoop the rest of the watermelon in the blender. Once scooped down to the rind, his dad placed the empty watermelon on the table and picked up the new one. Gregory scooped out just a few more pieces into the machine before going to the next one. 

Now with two blenders filled with a little ice and chunks of watermelon, his dad placed the watermelon back into the box as Gregory picked the strawberry jug up. He pumped the syrup a few times into the blender before doing the same for the lemonade over the second blender.

His dad put the finishing touches over the ingredients as he sprinkled sugar over the two blenders. While his dad was over at the second blender, Gregory placed the top on the first one and pressed the button. The contents began to blend. 

Mr. Vecino gathered the cups, straws and the napkins. 

Gregory pressed the button again and the machine stopped churning. He took the top off and looked inside. He gasped. "This looks.. amaaziiiing! My best one yet!" he showed his dad and he nodded. "You definitely have some good blending skills there, kiddo."

Gregory tipped the cup towards Connie.

Everything looked blended nicely in a smooth puree.

"Looks delicious." she complimented.

The contents were poured into the cup before Mr. Vecino placed the top over it. 

"Now it's time for you to do the honors, dad." he cheesed. 

Mr. Vecino raised the cup towards Connie. "Here ya go." 

"Thanks." she grabbed the napkins and the straw from him.

Gregory was now blending the second one. 

Connie peeled the paper from the straw and slid it into the whole of the cup.

She took a sip.

And, the sweet flavors of the strawberry mixed with the summer-esque, fruity taste of the watermelon. The drink complimented by the sugary content that made the drink that much sweeter and even more tasty.

Not to mention overall refreshing.

It was amazing.

"Wow." she looked at the cup to see the reddish-pink under the plastic top. "This is so good."

The boy gasped happily and looked up at his dad.

Mr. Vecino nodded proudly with a pat on his shoulder. "Looks like you've done it again, Shtu-ball. Another masterpiece."

"I'm the best at making watermelon drinks!!" he shouted with another throw of his hands. Steven's cup being in one of those hands.

"Wha oh. Careful there." his dad raised his hands up to catch a potential dropped cup. "You don't want to spill any of that." 

The kid looked up at his hands. "Uh oh, you're right dad." he smiled. He brought his hands back down and his father quickly placed the lid over the cup. 

Gregory grabbed the two napkins and the straw. "For Kissy Man!" he handed the cup to her. "I hope he likes it!" 

Mr. Vecino was scratching at the back of his half grown mullet embarrassingly as he gave her a sheepish look. 

Again, Connie had to ignore the little teasing remark. "Uh.. yeah." she grabbed the cup from him and the napkins and straw. "I, think he will." she forced a very tiny smile, though she felt it as more of a lopsided grin if anything. 

She _did_ manage a nod and a, "Thanks." to the boy before turning her attention to his father. "Thanks for the drinks." she said. 

"Hey, it's our pleasure." he smiled. The embarrassed look was still in his eyes over his bashful smile. "I hope Steven will enjoy it."

"He'll like it." she assured him. "He's pretty big on slushies and tropical drinks." 

"Ahh, heh." he grabbed a damp washcloth from a corner of the table. "I'll take your word for it." he grinned.

"Of COURSE he'll like it!" Gregory exclaimed. "That's my BEST one yet!"

_Heh.. but I thought the one he made _me_ was the 'best one yet'_

Though she didn't bother saying it out loud, even _if_ it was only in a joking manner.

".. nd I'm sure it is." he smiled at his son.

"Well," she began lightly. "I don't want to interrupt what you guys are doing." she went for saying anything airily.

"Oh, you're not interrupting anything. Don't worry." he assured her. "It's nice to have some company."

"It is!" Gregory cheered.

Connie giggled. "Yeah.." and she couldn't help but smile herself, as she looked at father and son. Mr. Vecino wiping off the table and Gregory finding a tiny bit of watermelon and picking it up from the table and eating it. Mr. Vecino gave him a sheepish look with a little chuckle. 

Connie's smile grew more wan and yearning. 

The duo seemed to have such a nice dynamic together. 

She hoped that Steven would have this sort of father and child relationship with their own child when they got older.

"I think I should start heading back." she eased back into the conversation. "I'll see you two later and again, thanks for the smoothies." 

Mr. Vecino shook the cloth out over the ground. "It was no problem at all." he said casually. "Take it easy. Both you and Steven." 

"We will." 

Gregory opened the blue cooler and snuck his hand inside and grabbed a few ice cubes. "Enjoy the delicious, sugary watermelon juice!" he shouted. He placed the ice cubes on his forehead and smeared it across before dragging the ice down his temple.

"Hey, why don't you head back in the car and cool yourself off." his dad suggested. "A hardworking man like yourself deserves a break." 

"Daaaad." there was still a smile on his rosy cheeked face. "But you need a break too."

Connie gave them a wave with her hand with Steven's cup in it.

The duo waved back. Mr. Vecino placed the washcloth back on the corner of the table. "Ah, don't you worry about me, kiddo. Besides, I can use a little more hard work." he pat his stomach. 

Connie heard a chuckle behind her from the boy as she opened the main door of the apartment. "Aw, daaad."

She let go of the door and made her way up the stairs and down the hall of the second floor.

She placed her cup on the carpet and fished for the keys in her purse. She took them out, put the key in the lock and turned it. With a click, she turned the doorknob and pushed open the door.

Lion was there to greet her at the door with a look of doggy curiosity and a wag of his tail.

He watched her pick up the cup and step inside. He wagged his tail faster as he licked his lips. 

"Nooo." she closed the door and locked it back. "This isn't for you." she slid the flip flops off.

The dog huffed.

"Noo, we're not going to do that." she walked pass him and heard a very faint growl and another huff. 

She ignored him and walked to the counter of the apartment. Steven wasn't in bed and she heard the water running in the bathroom.

She placed her cup and the napkins and his straw on the counter. "Courtesy flushes, Steven." she said towards the door.

She heard the sound of a toilet flushing.

She was about to walk into the kitchen when she stopped and wondered, "And did you light a match in there like I told you?" 

Moments later and she heard a few clicks from the candle lighter.

She scoffed lightly with a shake of her head and a smile. She walked into the kitchen with Lion still following behind her.

She opened the freezer door and placed Steven's cup inside and closed it back.

Lion was tilting his head as he looked up at her.

"None of the cups are for you Lion." she walked towards the counter, passing him in the process.

She sat down as she heard another growling huff.

She grabbed the cup. "Lion, no matter how many times you do that, you're not going to get any of the smoothie." she took a few flavorful sips. 

She heard another growl and looked over. 

Lion was starting right at her. He gave her a low growl before giving her another huff as he stepped towards her.

She took a few more sips of the juice before setting it back down. "Noo." she shook her head.

Lion threw his head back and let out a few tantrum-esque barks.

"Throwing a little fit will let you get your way with _Steven._ But not. with _me_." she grinned.

Lion's growling stopped abruptly as if he'd registered what she'd said. Then a second later, he was throwing more barks her way. 

"Noooo." she said plainly. "Barking won't let you get your way. Not with me."

Lion barked a few more times before staring, seemingly _glaring_ at her as he growled.

With an unperturbed look on her face, she kept her stare at him. 

And thus, the two were at a standstill.

Waiting for the other to break under pressure.

And her stare carried on along with his growls.

An unspecified moment had passed and the growling stopped though the canine kept his eyes on the girl who's eyes never wavered from him. 

The standstill lingered on..

The two still waiting, though one was starting to feel a bit less confident as the seconds ticked away. 

The staring match kept on.. and a solid minute had passed at last..

Not to her shock, Lion had pulled his ears back and looked away from her.

Defeat. 

Submission.

He trotted away from her and out of the kitchen.

The grin was back, though a bit more complacent now. "See Steven. Now is that so hard?" she said to herself. She picked the cup back up and drunk from it.

Minutes later and the boy in question opened the door and shuffled out of the bathroom looking sad and sweaty.

"Uuuehhhmm.. don't look too good." she said.

He turned around, as if he hadn't seen her there. "Huh? Oh.." he placed his hand on his stomach. "Yeah.. I'm just.. going to take some more pepto.." he mumbled. 

"It's on the table." she pointed and he turned around. He shuffled over and grabbed the bottle and the small cup and sat down on the bed. He poured the pink liquid to the top and drunk it. 

"Blehhh." he grimaced with a tongue out and a shudder of his head. 

Connie chuckled. "It's not that bad."

"It tastes _nothing_ like cherry.." he pouted.

"Awwwww."

He placed the bottle and the tiny cup on the table. With a groaning sigh he threw his legs back over the bed and laid down on his side, facing her. 

He blinked his tired, sad eyes as he looked at her smiling face. 

That made him feel a bit better. Just seeing her face and her being there with him.

He watched her slid off the chair and despite of how disgusted he was feeling, he still felt a flutter in his chest as she approached him.

Connie was walking over to him. Solely wanting to calm his nerves even just for a few moments.

She watched as his eyes seemed to light up slightly despite the grimacing frown he still had on his face.

She leaned over and wrapped her arms around his neck in a warm embrace. "Get some rest." she whispered and gave him a long kiss on the forehead.

Steven hummed tiredly but warmly.

Connie leaned away from him and got in bed. She slid directly behind him and on her side. She laid a hand on his stomach and began massaging it as she did before.

She heard what could've been a sigh of relief, but it sounded a bit of a light groan from him as well.

She kissed his cheek and leaned back down as she continued to massage his stomach. 

Steven closed his eyes.

He laid in bed feeling the warmth of Connie's body and her soft chest on his back. Her breath on his neck as she laid her head on his hair. He could still smell the lovely, enticing scent of her shampoo and he ignored that faint arousal in his shorts as he tried focusing more on her rubbing his stomach. 

A part of his mind wished her hand would go lower but a part of him just wanted his stomach to feel better as well..

He took a calming, relaxed breath as he laid in bed with her. Feeling the rhythmic motions of her hand and her soft body close to him as he slowly drifted back to sleep.

  
  


  
  


Steven woke up with the covers tucked around his body. 

The first thing he noticed was the absence of Connie behind him. The warmth and the soft embrace gone.

The second was that his stomach wasn't hurting or feeling queasy anymore.

He stifled a yawn as he slowly leaned up from bed.

And quickly felt the aches and pains in his muscles throughout his body. 

He sucked in some air as he rubbed his back and he felt every muscle in his arm retract and relax.

His eyes caught sight of Lion who was standing in front of the curtains.

"What's out there, boy?"

Lion looked at him and wagged his tail. He looked back at the curtains.

_Must be a bird or something.. otherwise he would be growling._

Steven flipped the covers off of him and swung his legs over, immediately regretting moving his legs so fast as he felt the pain in his muscles. "Well, let's hope that we have a relaxing day, Lion. It would be pretty nice if we could stay in and do nothing and relax for once." he got up and walked towards the dog.

Lion wagged his tail faster.

"What exactly are you looking at, Lion?"

Lion walked up to the curtains and let out a little bark.

"Hmm.." 

Slowly and cautiously, Steven walked towards the curtains.

Sure, it could be a bird. Or, that's what he'd _initially_ thought.. 

But, something else could _also_ be behind them..

He crouched down and his muscles screamed out in pain and he winced slightly. Lion walked over to him and stood beside him, sniffing the curtain and his hand. 

He grabbed the curtains.. and pulled back just a centimeter of the material. 

He peeked out with one eye.

Connie was hanging up a pair of pants on the clothing line. She placed a clothespin on the hem of the jeans and bent down to pick up another article of clothing.

And immediately he felt relieved.

He leaned back. "Aw, you just want to check up on Connie, boy?" he scratched the dog behind the ear.

He got up. "Come on, Lion. Let's go see, Connie." he pulled back the curtain and Lion began to bark happily. He saw Connie looking back at them. 

Lion jumped on the sliding door and began pawing at the glass. 

"Hey, hey, hey. Down, boy." he grabbed the vertical handle of the door. "Dooown."

Lion leaned on the glass as he wagged his tail excitedly.

"Dooooown." he pointed towards the floor. "Dooown."

Lion looked at him for several long moments before leaning off of the glass as he continued to wag his tail happily in anticipation.

Steven slid the door opened and Lion bolted pass his legs and to the porch. 

"Heh.." he shook his head and stepped outside and into the porch shoes he had to wear. Something he learned about when living with Connie and also leaving outside shoes at the doors..

Lion was standing by Connie and looking up at her as she took out one of Steven's shirts from the basket.

Steven walked over. His eyes glancing over at her attire; a night shirt she still had on, though now she had a pair of long pajama pants, most likely putting them on due to having to leave the apartment..

A shame he couldn't see her legs.

But, those pants_ did_ hug her waist down to her calves perfectly. 

A little smirk came to his face as he walked to the side of her. He dropped a hand towards her waist. "Gooood morning, Connie." 

"Good morning, St-" she gasped at the sudden pinch on her butt. She looked over at Steven's half lidded, complacent smile.

"Steeeven.." the mocked "annoyed" tone was far from convincing.

"Coooonie~" he mocked back and gave her a peck on the cheek. He slid his fingers from pinching her butt, to sliding his hand down to cup it. He gave it a firm squeeze and felt a little tingle in his shorts as he did.

..Maybe he was still feeling the effects of that muscle relaxer stuff he put in the tub last night..

"I.. take it that you're feeling better?" she asked, trying to hide her own smirk.

He gave a very long mocked innocent shrug of his shoulders. "N'yeaaah~~, I guess." and he could still feel the cheeky smirk on his own face.

"Mhmm." she ignored the light massage she was feeling on her butt as she pinned up his shirt. 

She looked at him and he gave her an innocent wave with his other hand.

She bent down _and felt another firm squeeze_ and she picked up another one of his shirts. She took a step to the side and he moved a step out of the way to give her some space.

She held the shirt up and put the first clothespin on the line and closed it on the top of the sleeve of the shirt. 

As she opened the shirt across the clothesline, she felt a few.._ light pats_ on the butt..

She lowered one hand from the shirt and deadpanned, "Really, Steven?" 

He couldn't hold in his laugh and he snorted, before chuckling. "I was wondering how long it would take to get a reaction out of you." he dropped his hand from her butt.

..But not before giving it another very long squeeze.. 

..Eliciting a "stern glare" from behind her shades..

He walked over to the basket on the other side of her and bent down, ignoring his pained muscles. He grabbed a pair of pants from the basket that Lion was laying down beside.

"So," he shook out the wrinkled, heavy, damp jeans in front of him. "you know I have to ask." he grabbed three clothespins from the table behind them. "Why are you finally using the clothesline?" 

Connie was picking up another article of clothing. One of her work shirts. She unclipped a clothespin from the bottom of the shirt she was wearing. "Well, for one, I _could've_ done this later. But your clothes reeked. Baadly." he pouted and she continued. "I didn't want the bin to stink up the whole bathroom. You already did that earlier. Twice." she joked and he pouted more. "Anyway, two of the dryers were out of order." she raised the shirt up. "Apparently some kind of goop was found on them. The maintenance people _or_ the landlord have no clue what it is. Just that the stuff ate through the machines." she put the first clothespin on the shirt. 

Steven stopped to look at her. "Ate through them?"

"Yeah." she plucked another clothespin from her shirt. "As in, huge holes are in the machines. Like someone just threw acid or something on top of the dryers. They looked.. eroded or something." she clamped the second clothespin on it.

"Hmm.. that's weird."

She turned to him and grabbed the jeans from his hands.

"Aww, I was going to do that Connie." he said apologetically.

"I know how to do it a bit better." she raised the jeans up to the line.

"Pfft.." he rolled his eyes with a smile. He went to grab another article of clothing from the basket.

"And it is weird." she resumed the conversation. "They're planning to run the cameras back to see who did it." she pinned the clothespin over the hem of the jeans. "And the rest of the dryers were full." she plucked the last clothespin from her shirt. "So, that's why I'm using this clothesline." she clamped the third clothespin over the hem of the jeans.

Steven raised up one of her night shirts towards the clothesline and she noticed him wearing.. one of her red bras..

"Steven, really?" she tried to resist a smile. She grabbed a handful of clothespins and began clipping them to the bottom of her shirt.

He didn't look at her. He clamped the first clothespin at the top of the sleeve of the shirt. "What?" he asked plain faced. He held up another clothespin to the line. 

"What you're wearing.."

He placed another clothespin over the shirt. "Hm?" he finally turned to her to see her eyes on his chest. "Oh.. what, this?" he asked obliviously. "Why, this is just something that I wear." he smiled. "Makes me feel supported." 

He heard a snort from her.

And, now that he mentioned that.. he noticed that he looked a bit _small_ in Connie's bra..

He never fit them in general, but, now he seemed even_ smaller_

..Was he losing weight?

He remembered Amethyst just weeks ago telling him that he looked like he'd lost a few pounds but he wasn't sure if she was being serious.

Maybe she was.

Maybe he was starting to lose weight from all of that exercising and all of those missions..-

_"Aanyway."_ she grabbed a pair of his boxers and one of her shirts from the basket. She placed her shirt over her arm. "Since you're off today, you can check on the clothes from time to time." she clipped the first clothespin over the hem of his boxer briefs. "You can place the clothes at the foot of the bed." she clipped the second one over the underwear. "I'll get them when I come home."

He shrugged. "I can handle the clothes Connie. I know how to iron and fold too." he retorted with a smirk.

She was raising her shirt up to the line. "Hm. Suure."

"Whaaaat? Think I can't handle it?" 

_"You_ said that. Not me." the corner of her lips curled up in a complacent smirk.

"Heyy. I can." he wanted to pout but resisted. "Eaaasy task for me, Connie. I did it last week remember?" 

When he had to practically clean the house top to bottom because of Gregory..

"A few days ago." she corrected and took out a pair of her pants from the basket. 

"Eeexactly." he nodded. He heard a loud cheer from underneath of them and looked over.

At the front of the building was Mr. Vecino and Gregory standing in front of the table. The boy was waving to another neighbor of theirs as the man walked away.

"Didn't even notice them there.." said Steven.

So much for being vigilant and so much for situational awareness..

Amethyst would've berated him for that..

_Stupid Amethyst.._

Though he couldn't help that. Connie_ did_ distract him right when he got on the porch.

"..hey've been there." said Connie. "Since this morning actually." 

"Is that a lemonade stand?" he walked up to the railing and looked down.

"No, they're making these watermelon icys. They're dong this for fun before they go to this Fruit Festival." she plucked a clothespin from her shirt. "They made you and I both an icy." a beat and she added. "Yours is in the freezer. I already finished mine." 

"Oooooo." he was genuinely interested. "I should try it out." he turned for the door. "Be right back."

"Mhm."

Steven slid open the door and slid out of the porch slippers. He walked back into the apartment and to the kitchen. 

He opened the freezer door.

And there was the enticing, chilled, reddish, pinkish cup~.

He grabbed it from the freezer and his eye caught sight of the glow bracelet Konni gave him. 

He smiled.

Hopefully she and her mother were doing great.

He closed the freezer door and ran the cup under the hot water for a few moments.

He heard the patio door sliding open and turned around to see Connie slidding her feet out of the slippers and stepping back into the carpet of their apartment. 

She turned around and Lion jogged in right behind her, wagging his tail happily as he looked up at her.

She closed the door and locked it and set the empty basket by the dresser with Lion right on her heels.

Steven turned the faucet off and was walking back to the bed. 

Connie was taking out her work clothes from the closet. Two hangers; one with her work shirt and the other holding her pants.

Steven sat down at the foot of the bed. "Too bad you have to go to work, Connie." 

She walked over and place the clothes on the side of the bed. "Yeah.." she said. "But at least I get off pretty early today."

He smiled. "And _then_ we get to hang out the rest of the day. You know.. watch some mooovies, maybe order pizzaaaa."

She smiled. "Yeah."

_If_ she wasn't too tired to even talk or as much as watch a movie or two with him..

But she didn't say that.

She shouldn't get home too late and, hopefully she wouldn't be_ too_ tired.

Steven was taking his first sip of his icy. 

He leaned back and licked his lips as he looked at the cup in his hand. A shocked look on his face.

He turned to her. "This is.. delicious!"

"I know. I practically drunk all of mine in minutes." 

He was taking a few more delicious, refreshing gulps. He swallowed. "Ahh~"

She chuckled. "You're really enjoying that." 

He swallows a few more gulps. "Yeah." he licked his lips and looked at the already half empty container. "Want some?" 

"No, I'm fine. Besides, I already took a few sips of yours when you were fast asleep."

"Aw, hey." he mocked pouted. 

She shrugged. "Barely even noticeable."

He took a few more sips. "Nope. It's definitely noticeable." then he smirked. "It's muuuch much sweeter since you put your lips on it." 

She groaned with an eye roll.

He chuckled and took another sip. "Hey, I wonder if it would be okay for me to ask them for another one of these for later on."

She shrugged. "It's Mr. Vecino and Gregory. I'm pretty sure they wouldn't mind."

"Yeah.." he nodded slowly as he thought about it. "I'll see if I can get another one." he got up from the bed and he didn't notice Lion looking at the cup in his hand and licking his chops. 

"How much is it?" he placed the cup on the divider in the kitchen.

"It's free."

"Free?" 

"Yuuup." she grabbed her shirt. "I told you." she took her shirt off and his eyes glanced down quickly at her bra.. or.. what was _in_ them.. "They're doing this for fun. They just want to give us neighbors some refreshing drinks." she grabbed her work shirt.

"Then, I guess I'll get another icy." he said casually. 

She threw her work shirt on. "You do that." she said. "I have to get ready for work." she looked up at the clock. 

_7:35a.m._

"I'm already really late." she slid her pants off. "I wasted a lot of time washing clothes but, I just _couldn't_ leave the apartment smelling a mess." she grabbed her work pants. 

"You could've just told _me_ to do it." 

"I knooow, but you weren't feeling well earlier. And I wanted you to get your rest." she slid her pants on. "Also, I didn't think it was going to take up that much of my time."

He walked to the front door and slid the flip flops on. "I can at least walk you to the bus stop." 

She sighed. "Noo, that's okay. You still need your rest." she picked up her brush from the dresser. "I'll just have to sprint to it. I'll be fine."

He chuckled. "Use your tennis speed." 

She kept her eyes on the mirror as she brushed her hair. He saw a smile come to her face. "Right." 

He laughed as he opened the door. "Hey, I think I should take Lion out with me too. See if he has to use the bathroom." 

Hearing his name, the dog looked at him and wagged his tail. 

"Cooome on, Lion. Come on." 

The dog got up and trotted over towards him. 

"Take your keys with you. I'm going to lock the door." 

"Oh, yeah." he slid the flip flops back off and jogged pass Lion. 

He grabbed the keys from off of the divider. 

"And don't forget." she said. "You still have my bra on."

"Huh!" he looked down. "I almost forgot!" 

She snorted. "I was going to let you walk out like that. Buuut I figured that that would've been way too mean."

He pouted as he unsnapped the bra from the back _with just one hand since he was quite good at that._

"Here, give that to me." she placed the brush down. "I'll hang it up." 

"Coonniee~~ you said you're already running late." he placed the bra on the counter and jogged back over to the door. "It's okay, I'll do it when I get back." he slipped the flip flops on and opened the door. "Come on, Lion." 

The dog practically leaped out of the door and Steven ran behind him. "Hope you have a great day at work, Connie!" 

"Heh, I'll try."

He closed the door and the two of them jogged down the hallway and the two flights of stairs to the main door.

Steven opened it and Lion ran out and the dog saw the mysterious table in front of him and a pair of friendly people he'd met.

He ran up to them.

"Lion, noooo." he said in his "no nonsense" tone.

The dog stopped and looked back at him. He wagged his tail excitedly and instead, turned away from Steven and went for a slow jog towards the table.

The table.. that was now being cleared off by the two..

_Awww man.._

Mr. Vecino was picking up the cooler of ice with both hands while Gregory was wrapping up one of the cords of the blender.

"Hey! Good morning!" Mr. Vecino greeted. 

"Kissy man!" Gregory shouted.

"Owh.. Gregory.." his dad trailed off, a bit embarrassed.

"Uh, Good morning." he waved to the two.

Should he even ask?

They were packing up..

Maybe he should just let Lion do his business and go back inside-

Mr. Vecino caught the young man looking at them, seemingly looking as if he_ wanted_ to say something. 

Then, perhaps he should help him out with that.

He placed the cooler back on the table and smiled from ear to ear. "Hey, can I help ya with something 'ole chap?" he laughed at his own acting.

The boy looked at him. "Oh, uh.." he looked indecisive. "I was.. kinda hoping if I could get another icy. Buuut.. I see that you two are packing up, and.." he trailed off.

"Oh, is that all?" he said airily. "Sure, we can make you another one."

"Are you sure? Looks like you two are trying to clean up."

"Aah, that's okay." Mr. Vecino smiled. "Hey, Shtu-ball?" he looked at his son. "Want to do the honors? Want to make Steven here one of your best lemondade watermelon icys ever?" 

The boy looked at him wide eyed before gasping. "Would I!!" he nearly threw the blender back on the table and ran to the back of the van. He jumped inside and nearly threw his self into the box. 

Mr. Vecino found it humorous and chuckled at his son. 

Gregory took out a half cut of a watermelon and jumped back out of the van. He jogged and placed the watermelon on the table.

"T, thanks." said Steven. "Though I do feel bad about your son making me one since you two were more or less done with making them." 

"Ah, that's okay. Besides, Gregory here loves making icys." 

"I sure do!!" the boy cut in. He scooped out more of the watermelon and placed the chunks in the blender with the other pieces of watermelon. 

"And we don't mind making another icy for our neighbor." Mr. Vecino added. 

Steven resisted shrugging. "Yeah." he said and thought about saying more and added, "It's really good. I didn't finish the one from earlier but I didn't know how long you two were going to be out here so I was going to put it in the freezer for later."

"Oh, that's definitely understandable. Gregory and I do that a lot with our Eleven-Seven Slushies." then a thought came to his mind. "Hey!" he snapped his fingers. "How about we make another one for Connie?"

"Oh, sure." Steven smiled. "She really liked it too."

Gregory was putting the sugar into the blender. He gasped and looked at his father. "Dad! Can I do the honors again?!" 

"Sure, son." 

"Wooohooo!!!" he placed the top on the blender. "The next one will ALSO be a masterpiece." 

Steven and his neighbor stood there as Gregory kept his hand on the top of the blender as the machine blended up the contents inside it. 

Steven's eyes glanced over at Mr. Vecino. 

The man continued to smile at him. 

It was a jovial, cordial smile, but... it looked kinda creepy as well. Endearing.. but, creepy. Did the guy even know how to frown for more than ten seconds? 

Did he ever get angry?

He knew that the smile was meant to be a rather calming and friendly look and knew that the man didn't intend for his self to look like a smiling wax figure at some homely museum.. 

Maybe he should say something to him, at least to make the wait a bit less awkward and more comfortable for his self?

"So.. uh.." he began. "Connie was telling me a bit about what you guys were doing." he said. "Making watermelon icys for fun huh? And.. then you two are going to some fruit festival?" 

"Yeah." Mr. Vecino's face lit up even more. "He and I wanted to give a little back to our neighbors. Now we're going to head off to the festival. It doesn't start until a bit later, but we would like to get there fairly early to set up and settle down in the area."

"It's gonna be so cool!" Gregory cut in. He was placing another scoop of watermelon inside of the blender. "There's swimming, there's playing on the rope course, there's dipping your feet in jeeellyyy" _'dipping your feet in jelly'?_ "there's making fruit necklaces, there's zip lining, there's kayaking, there's water slides, there's eating lot's of tasty, healthy foods, there's paddle boarding and so! Much! More!" 

"Oh, uh.. sounds fun?"

"It is!!" the boy cheered. "And I can't WAIT for people try out our watermelon icys!" he grabbed the jug of strawberry pureed syrup. "Dad and I worked reaaally hard planting and growing these watermelons!" he pressed down on the top and the liquid came out in short sports into the container. _"Last_ year we made strawberries! And the year before THAT we made blueberries! And the year before THAT we made blackberries! And the year before THAT we made mangos! And the year before THAT we made oranges!! And we had sooooo much orange juice at home for WEEKS! And the the year before thaaaat, we made apples! But the year before_ that_ we didn't do anything since daaad thought I was way too young to grow fruit, but I waaasnnn't." he put the jug of syrup on the table.

"Heheh," his dad rubbed the back of his tanned neck. "Well, I didn't want you to get hurt son. Planting and growing fruit is quite the responsibility."

"Exactly! And I _was_ ready to be responsible!" he whined out his counter. "Two is a very important year in a young man's life!" he picked up the container of sugar.

"Ah, son." he ruffled the boy's curly hair. "The important thing, is that you and I are participating now, right?"

He laughed at his dad ruffling his hair. "Yeaahh." he agreed. 

Mr. Vecino and his son had looked over at Steven amongst themselves laughing.

..Should he.. say something else?

The kid was almost done with Connie's icy anyway. He might as well add another simple question to the mix then hurry up and head back inside.

"Sooo.. you.. actually taught your son all of that?" 

"He did!" Gregory cut in first. 

Mr. Vecino ruffled the boy's hair once more, eliciting laughter out of him. He lowered his hand back down. "Yeah, I wanted to teach my son how to grow food. I think it's very important for a young man to know how to grow his own crops. Ya never know when the food prices might go up again. Also, it's good to know how to make your own food." 

"And it's fun!" Gregory added, before quickly saying, "I mean, sometimes it's boring and sometimes our fruit dies or gets squished by cows.." _Cows? Where do they grow them-_ "..UT, most of them grow healthy and they're reeeally, reaaaally delicious! AND we get to go to festivals so OTHER people can try them too!" he pressed the button on the blender and the machine whirled as the contents began to mix inside of the container.

"Uh.." he tried for a smile. "Sounds nice." 

And it was.

He just.. didn't _feel_ that happy for them..

And why?

What they were doing was nice. 

Farming was a good thing to do with his son.

He tried to ignore Miss Lee's little remark..

The father and son continued to converse.

".. ou think we could grow something exotic this time, dad?!" Gregory suggested as he bounced on his toes. He placed the top on the cup and placed a straw and two napkins on the top of it. "Oooooo, what about Rambutan! Or Salak! Oooo! Oooo! Oooo! Or maybe starfruit!" 

His dad chuckled. "Sure."

Steven frowned slightly at the interaction. He picked up the straws and the napkins in each hand and picked up the two cups in either one. "Um.. thanks for the icys." he tried to sound cheery and thankful. 

The two looked over in all smiles and seemingly without a care in the world. "No problem at all." said Mr. Vecino. "No problemo, duuude!" his son poked his tongue out as he gave Steven a thumbs up.

"Uh.. yeeess.." Steven cleared his throat. "Well I guess I'll go. I need to take Lion out to the side then head back in." 

"Sure, sure." Mr. Vecino said casually.

"I hope you and Miss Connie enjoy the icys!" said Gregory.

"Eheh, we will." he waved to them. "Okay, come on Lion. 

The dog was laying in the dirt by the side of the table. He got up and shook his fur. He wagged his tail as he trotted towards Steven.

The main door of the building was thrown open and Connie came rushing out of the door. She ran opposite of them and towards the end of the parking lot.

"Connie." 

"Uh oh.. looks like she's running late." Mr. Vecino stated the obvious as he poured water into the blender. He shook the container. "Hey, if she wants, I could take her to work." 

"Really-?"

"Yeah." he reluctantly caught Steven off as he watched the girl run across the street. "It's on the way of the interstate we have to get on. I can drop her off and head back on the highway." 

"Uh, sure!" he pushed off into a jog and stopped. He pivoted back around and placed the cups on the table and ran after her, feeling his muscles scream out in pain.

Lion ran after him, lolling out his tongue as he participated in the fun game with his human friend.

Steven ran across the street and down the sidewalk as he saw Connie turn the corner.

_WOW, she's fast.._

He ran down the block with Lion running directly beside him. 

"Connie!" 

He turned the corner and picked up his pace.

She was already nearing the next corner of the block.

_What, was she a track runner too?!_

"Connie!" he ran down the block. "CONNIE!" 

He saw her turn around and turn back to see in front of her. She turned her head to him again. "Steven?" 

"Wait! Mr. Vecino said he can give you a ride!" 

"Really!" he could hear the shocked relief in her shout.

Steven was slowing his self down to a jog as Lion ran pass him a few steps. The dog turned back around as his tail swung rapidly side to side.

"Yeah." he took in a deep breath and exhaled. His muscles contracted all around his body..

She was already running back.

_And_ in all smiles which, warmed his heart.

He still couldn't see those beautiful eyes of hers behind those shades, but her smile could really light up the world.

"I reaaally, really appreciate it." she ran pass Lion as he jumped up towards her, the dog's head still in the game he thought they were playing. 

"I know you are." he smiled. "Now you don't have to worry about being late." he turned back towards the complex.

She half sighed, half exhaled out a deep breath as she caught her breath. "Yeah. Not to mention I don't have to deal with riding on public transformation with.. not so pleasant and quiet people." she added with a roll of her eyes behind her shades. 


	224. Who wants to go to a fruuUUIIT FESTIVAAAAL!!!!

Steven and Connie were jogging across the street and to the parking lot. As they neared the grass in front of the complex, they saw the table having been cleared off, say for their two cups of icys. 

The van was already running.

Gregory was sitting on the edge at the back of the van. "Hey!" he threw his arms up in the air with a huge smile. "He caught up to you!" 

"Yeahh." said Connie. She and Steven made their walk towards the van.

Gregory was sliding off of the van and towards the table. He picked up the two cups up and turned to them. He raised one up. "This is the one with lemonade." he raised the second cup in his hand. "And this is the one with strawberry." 

"I didn't know you gave us different ones." Steven said to Connie.

She took both cups from Gregory and handed Steven his. "You're more of a fan of lemonade." she said.

He grabbed the cup from her. "Mm, I do love a bit more tart." he said. "Yeah, you have a point." 

"You want to try mine?" she was already placing her hand on the edge of the top.

"Sure." 

She peeled the top back and raised the cup to his mouth.

She shook the cup and a bit of the icy slid onto his tongue. 

She shook the cup again as more ice cold, sweet icy slid into his mouth. 

"Nnmmnng, owkay, Co' ie." he said over the slushie. 

He saw a smirk on her face as she continued to shake the cup. 

"Nnng! Co'ie!" the ice hit his teeth and sent a sharp, sensitive nerving chill from the nerve of his front teeth and down his spine as his mouth was filled with delicious, cold icy. "Co'ie!" he moved out the way as a bit of the slushie slid down his lip and to the ground. 

Connie was chuckling as she placed the top back on the cup.

Gregory_ also_ found that funny. _Hilarious_.

Steven was wiping his chin of the juice. His mouth still not being able to close. "You gahf 'e too muhch." 

"Oh? Didn't think I did."

Lion walked over to lick the one spot of slushie from the grass.

Steven didn't respond back. Instead, focused on not choking and trying to finish what all was in his now ice cold mouth. 

Though she and Gregory found it oh so funny..

He swallowed a bit of the icy.

He had to admit though, the strawberry mixed with the watermelon was pretty good.

He took more chilling gulps.

But not as good as his lemonade watermelon mix.

Especially when it's not being poured all into his mouth at once..

Eventually he swallowed the rest down.

He sighed and let his tongue feel around the cold roof of his mouth and his cheek.

"How was it?"

And Gregory thought _that_ was oh so hilarious too..

He narrowed his eyes at her though good naturedly.._ kind of._.

He shrugged. "It's good." he complimented plainly. "But I still prefer mine." 

The smirk was still on her face. "Fair enough."

They heard the main door of the building open and they saw Mr. Vecino walking down the large, wide steps of the complex.

"Good morning, Mr. Vecino." Connie spoke up first. "Thanks again for giving me a ride to work." a beat and she added, a touch guiltily, _"Again."_

There was that same cordial, friendly and dad-esque smile on his face. "Hey, it's no problem at all." he made his walk towards the table. "Sure you don't have to use the bathroom, kiddo?" he asked his son. "It's going to be at least two and a half hours until we get to the festival." 

His son shook his head. "Nnnnope."

"Aaalrighty then." and his dad simply left it at that as he made it to the table. 

Gregory was already grabbing the other side of it.

The two of them pushed the table on its side and Lion quickly jogged over to investigate as he sniffed the surface of the table and the ground.

Mr. Vecino was folding the legs of the table in as Gregory was pushing the legs in on the other side.

"I can help you with that." Steven offered.

"Ah, it's okay. Your hands are full." said Mr. Vecino.

Steven set the cup on the ground and Connie went to quickly pick it back up from the ground before Lion got to it. The dog looked up at her and huffed. 

She ignored him.

The three men were picking up the table with Steven picking up the table from the middle and _still_ ignoring his pained muscles..

"Hey, Connie." said Mr. Vecino. "Ladies first. You can hop in and we'll put the table to the other side."

"Okay." they waited as she walked pass them and to the the van with Lion following right behind her.

She climbed in, being careful of the two cups in her hands and Lion jumped in beside her, his nails scraping across the flooring of the van as he found his balance and followed Connie towards the side of the vehicle. "Ladies _and_ gentledogs first." Gregory joked.

The three of them slid the table into the vehicle and they each climbed into the van. 

"I REALLY can't wait until we get there!" Gregory cheered. "I have a feeling it's going to be SO much better than last year's festival!" he pushed the table farther back into the van with his dad and Steven's help.

"I have a feeling that it is too." said his dad.

"I can't wait until we get a box of freshly baked banana cinnamon rolls that we always get! AND I can't wait to paddle board! Today's gonna be the FUNNEST day of the week ever!!"

_This boy.._

"And you'll have you dad with you too." Connie chimed in and Steven looked over at the girl sitting on the other side by Lion. "You two can have fun together. Take lot's of pictures."

_Really? She has something to say too??_

_Oh, come on, Connie.._

".. at's a great idea!!" then he gasped. "We can make a scrapbook!!" he looked at his dad in all smiles and eyes filled with glee.

His dad was already nodding at Connie's suggestion. "That doesn't sound bad at all." they pushed the table towards the side of the van. "And I think I still have my trusty camera from '78. Heheh, good tiiiimes."

"Aww, daaad. We can just use my cellphone. It takes WAAAY better pictures than that old potato you have in that closet." 

His poor 'ole dad only laughed embarrassingly at the little insult. "Ookay, ookay. Just thought I would put that offer on the table." he got up. "Ah, you kids don't know what you're missing out on. We could've taken some sweet vintage pictures. I even still have my old Polaroid camera." 

"Polar who?" 

"Heheh, ah, ya little Dickens. I've showed you that old contraption. Can't shake the photo remember."

"Oooooohh that one." his son nodded. "Yeah, that ones a potato too." he said casually with an innocent, oblivious smile. 

His dad laughed, still just as embarrassed. "Yeah, I guess electronics have gotten better over the passed couple of decades, huh?" the man was lowering his self down to a sit on the edge of the van before sliding his self out of it.

Gregory was walking to the edge of the van behind him.

Steven walked over to Connie and crouched down beside her and felt his muscles nearly spasm. "See ya later, Connie." he smiled. "Have fun at work."

"With those customers?" she scoffed. "Riiight." she smirked. 

He leaned over and gave her a kiss that was just a tad bit longer than he'd intended-

"Heeheeee~ Kissy Man's at it again." Gregory teased.

Steven leaned up from Connie's lips, ignoring the instant blush he felt on his face. 

He sighed.

Connie tried to stifle a giggle.

She handed him back his cup and he got up. "Okay, come on, Lion. They have to go."

Lion leaned back in a half roll over and his head hit Connie's leg. 

"Aww, he wants to stay with me." she rubbed his chest and the dog pushed his body more towards her and left all of his chest and his belly exposed.

She continued to scratch at his chest.

"And yooou're not making it any better." he pouted. 

"Heh, I knoow." she gave the dog a few more scratches on his chest before dropping her hand. "Okay, Lion. Time to go to Steven." she pointed at her boyfriend.

Lion looked at her hand, then back at her. The dog still with his tongue out as he rested on his back.

"To Steven." she pointed. "Go to him." she said as she waved her the back of her hand. "Go on. Go to Steven." she gently nudged the dog's body back to his side. 

He bent his neck back to look at her as his nose wiggled as he sniffed the air.

"Go to Steven, Lion."

"Come on, Lion." Steven said cheerily as he pat his leg. "Let's go. Let's go outside."

Lion looked at him then back at her.

His shoulders dropped. "Oh, come on Lion. They have to go. Come on. You can't go to work with her." 

"Lion." she gestured with her chin and her finger and lowered her tone. "Come on. Go to Steven. Go." 

The dog stopped panting and closed his mouth, _seemingly_ frowning. Or, perhaps that was just in their mind.. 

"Go to Steven now, Lion." she gestured up with her finger once more.

Reluctantly the dog got up slowly and looked back at her, wagging his tail slowly.

"To Steven." she pointed.

He stood there for a few long moments before reluctantly turning away from her and walking over towards Steven.

"Thanks." he said. "Well, see ya later Connie."

"See you, Steven."

Mr. Vecino was getting into the driver's side of the car.

"Later, Mr. Vecino."

He turned around in his seat. "Hey, see ya later." he waved.

Steven turned back around and walked to the edge of the van.

Gregory was still in all smiles as he waited by one of the back doors.

"Uh.. have fun.. uh..' he said anything. "Painting with jelly."

"Hahaha! Aw, we don't do that."

Steven shrugged. "I don't know." he said nonchalantly. "I've never been to a fruit festival." he jumped out of the van with Lion as he heard a gasp from Gregory then a, "Dad, did you hear that!"

His father had a mouthful of pretzel sticks in his mouth. He turned around. "Hm?" he began rolling the bag of pretzels back up as he chewed.

"Uh.. yeah?"

"You should come with us!!"

"Uh.." he looked from the boy, then to Mr. Vecino's shocked face and Connie's skeptic, yet smiling face. 

He looked back at the boy. "No.. that's okay. I was planning on.. uh.. doing other stuff today." _Like sleeping in or eating or.. watching some shows on Nitphlitcs as I lay sprawled out on the bed with a sandwich on my stomach.._

"Awwww come ooon. You've never been to a festival! You HAVE to go to at least ONE festival in your life!" 

"Uh.. well.. I really don't.." he looked up to see Mr. Vecino's awkward side smile on his face. 

"Dad! He can come with us, right?" he tried reeling his old man in.

Mr. Vecino looked from him to his son. "W, well, of course son but" he glanced back over to Steven. "Steven seems like he's pretty busy.." 

"With whaat?" he whined with a pout. 

Steven's faced dropped as he resisted a sigh. 

"Well, uh.. with his own things, Shtu-ball." 

"But daaaad. He's never been!!" he turned back to Steven. "Oh, come ooooon, Mister Steven. It's going to be so much fun!! Delicious fooood!! And ALL kinds of fun activities!!" 

He_ really_ didn't want to go..

"..I.. "

"Gregory, maybe we should let him have his day off. Let the young man here go about his own plans for today." 

"Rght. Y, yeah.. I'm focusing on.. doing other things.." he trailed off. 

A day off was something that he wanted_ and_ needed. He would rather do that instead of going to some hot festival..-

Steven looked down at Gregory's frowning face. "But I know you'll like it." he pouted with sad, trembling lips. "It's.. what you need. It's a day of fun and relaxation. You'll.. you'll feel like a new you."

"I.." he looked away from Gregory's puppy dog stare and at Connie apologetic face as she smiled softly at him. She shrugged. 

He really.._really_ did _not_ want. to go..

Regardless of Gregory really wanting him to and regardless of his sad looking face as he looked at him..

Mr. Vecino seemed a bit at a standstill, not wanting to stop his son from pestering him and.. Connie only sat there smiling. Maybe she even found it a bit amusing..

Still, he didn't want to go..

He looked at Gregory's sad face..

No. 

Besides, festivals are just hot with.. fruit flies and.. healthy, slim people with muscles..

..

.. but..

Maybe..

He couldn't look away from Gregory's face..

Maybe.. getting.. just a _little_ tiny bit of fresh air wouldn't hurt him..

And.. he_ did_ say that there was going to be some delicious food there..

That would mean he wouldn't have to make his own food back at the apartment or be lazy and wait for Connie to come home to fix them something to eat.. or wait until she got home to order pizza or takeout.. 

No.. he needed his rest.

Not to mention how sore his muscles were..

He can put the GemTech cream and oil on his body then make a simple sandwich and relax in bed and watch shows on the laptop..-

He couldn't look away from the sad stare..

Or.. maybe..

..he could get some fruit? Or..

No..

He should just go back to the apar-..

No, maybe he could go with them and-..

Or forget about..

Or..

But..

..Maybe..

He inwardly sighed.

He should face it.

He was going to say yes.

He knew he was..

Whatever..

Wasn't he supposed to be off tomorrow anyway?

He'll just relax then.

Having that the Gems don't call him for random mission tomorrow..

Having that they don't call him _today_ for a mission..

He tried quickly dismissing the thought.

He sighed. "Fiiine.." he mumbled. 

Immediately, the pouting look and the trembling of his lips stopped and a huge toothy grin came to his face as he threw his arms up in the air. "Yayy!!!!" he cheered. He turned to his father. "Dad! He's coming with us!!" 

"Yeah, eheh. I uh. I heard." he still had an apologetic look on his face as he looked at Steven. 

_Terrific..._

He resisted another sigh. "So, what do I need?" 

"Just loose fitting clothes and your spirit!" the boy cheered.

Eh.. one of the two is easy enough..

Another sigh he had to resist. "Okay. I'll be back." 

He jogged up to the complex with Lion jogging right beside him. 

They jogged up the flight of stairs and down the hall to their door where he unlocked and opened it. 

Lion ran right inside. 

Steven closed the door behind him and jogged in. He placed the straw and napkin on the counter and placed the cup of icy in the freezer and jogged to the closet. 

He didn't have any incredibly loose fitting clothes like the flowwy pants and oversized shirts that Mr. Vecino and Gregory were wearing.. 

A pair of sweat pants and a regular white shirt should do.. right? 

It's not like he had anything else he could wear.

He threw the outfit on the bed and took out a pair of GemTech jeans. 

Because.. according to Amethyst.. he must always be prepared..

He took off his pajamas pants and jogged into the bathroom. He quickly put on the GemTech cream and oil everywhere over his body.

He pulled his boxers back up as he was jogging back out of the bathroom. 

He put the jeans on, then his gray sweat pants before looking under the bed. He pulled out the lightly damp and cold GemTech shirt _that smelled like wet dog.._

Seriously he had to find a better way of putting up his GemTech stuff..

He put the old shirt over his warm body and he shivered. He took out his bracelet and ring and all of Lion's things as well and the envelope and placed them on the bed.

He opened the envelope. 

A one hundred dollar bill, a fifty and a few twenties, tens, fives and ones..

Stupid expensive restaurant taking nearly all of his money..

When was he going to get paid again..

He grabbed a fifty dollar bill and shoved it in his jean pocket and put the envelope inside of the shoe box and placed it back under the bed. 

He jogged over to the dresser, grabbed a can of cologne and jogged back to the bed. He sprayed the front and back and both sides of his shirt before spraying both his and Lion's still damp masks and Lion's mane. 

He shoved all of the items in the pockets of his jean pants and fixed his sweat pants up and over the hem of his jeans and threw the white shirt on.

Okay, that should do it.

He looked down.

And he could see the bit of red from his GemTech shirt.. 

Okay.. maybe wearing white wasn't the best option..

He quickly jogged back to the closet, placed the cologne back on the dresser as he did and hung the white shirt back up haphazardly before pulling a blue shirt from off og the hanger. He threw it over the shirt and looked down. 

Better.

He jogged over to the counter and picked up the icy from earlier, now melted even more.

He thought about hanging up Connie's bra while he was at it but didn't see it on the counter. 

Looks like she already did it.

Because.. of _course_ she did..

She shook his head as he smiled. 

He grabbed his wallet and jogged back over to the door. "Come on, Lion." he opened it. 

Lion was chewing on one of his chew toys. He let go and ran towards Steven and out the door. 

The two made it down the hall and down the steps to the main door. 

He opened it and as Lion ran out and towards the car, he thought about the near three hour ride to the festival. 

He should take lion out. 

"Lion." he walked towards the side of the building and the canine looked back at him. 

"Come on. Come on." he beckoned with his hand. 

The dog looked at the back of the opened van and back at him before running towards him. 

  
  


It'd only taken a few minutes with Lion's little bathroom break before they started walking back to the van. 

Gregory was already in the front seat. 

Lion jumped into the van and towards Connie. 

Steven climbed in behind him and closed both doors shut in the van. He walked over to the two and Connie looked him up and down.. then back up. She raised her eyebrow.

He shrugged. "It was the only thing I could find to wear." he sat down beside her with a sheepish smile.

She could smell the mixture of GemTech cream and oil_ and_ all of that cologne he sprayed on his self. 

She leaned back as she cupped her nose. 

So many strong smells churning her stomach already..

"What?" 

"Steven." she swallowed. She scooted away from him. "Why did you spray so much cologne?" 

"I.. didn't think I did.."

_"And_ I can smell that stuff you put on your skin too.." she grimaced. 

"My muscles are sore." 

"Noo, I didn't mean.-I mean, yes, you can put that on, it's just." she felt the saliva coating her mouth and she swallowed. She scooted farther away from him. "It's just too much for my stomach right now..." 

He frowned.. knowing_ exactly_ what she meant..

"Wha oh, dad." Gregory joked. "Looks like Miss Connie's about to spew." 

"Uh, I'm.." she burped lightly. "I'm fine."

She wasn't.

She scooted over more and Lion followed her every move. "I just.. need to.." she trailed off, looking at Steven's sad face.

"Hey, Shtu-ball? How about ya open the curtain and push the windows out so we can get some sunlight and some fresh air in here." 

"Okey, dokey, dad!" he unbuckled his seat belt and climbed over between the front seats and into the back. "Don't worry, Miss Connie. Fresh air is on its way!" he ran to the first side of the van and pulled the strings on the side downwards. 

The plaid fabric rose up, letting in sunshine into the van. Then he used both hands to squeeze the two black knobs at the bottom of the window. He pushed them outward and the window jutted out. "There we go! Now the other side." he jogged to the other side of the van and did the same. "There. That should make you not throw up." he cheesed. "Fresh air always helps me." 

"Um.." she sounded a bit embarrassed. And even looked it. "Thanks." 

"No problem, Miss Connie." the boy scrambled back up between the seats and sat back down to his. He buckled in his seatbelt. 

"Are you feeling alright back there, Connie?" Mr. Vecino asked.

She nodded. "Yes, sir." 

"You sure?" he scratched at his bald head. "I mean, if you need a bucket or.." 

"We have plenty of them because we fish a lot!" Gregory cut in cheerfully. 

"Oh, no sir. I'm fine, really. But thanks."

"Aalright. But, if the motion of the van gets to you, or if you need me to pull over, don't hesitate to say so." 

She felt even more embarrassed. "Yes, sir.."

He turned around. "Well, folks. Without any further adooo," he shifted gears. "everyone sit tight."

"Woohooo! I can't wait until we get to the amazing fruit festival!!"

Steven sat there with guilt in his chest as he and Connie looked at each other from opposite ends of the van.

If only he could turn back time, he would..

She wouldn't be dealing with this..

_He_ wouldn't be dealing with this..

But there it was.. a few last seconds of fun and pleasure turning into his biggest mistake ever..

  
  


The second mistake, being a Crystal Gem..

  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mr. Vecino was pulling up at the building. 

The ride there was only a little over twenty minutes and Connie's stomach had settled a bit within that time. 

The fresh air wafting away Steven's strong cologne and the cream and oil really helped.

"We're here." he said with a soft smile. He'd backed up into the parking space and parked the van right in front of the sliding doors. 

"Thanks again, Mr. Vecino." said Connie. She picked up her cup that was now halfway full. "I really, reaally appreciate it." 

"Not at all a problem." he smiled.

Steven was already getting up as Connie was. "I can open the door for you." he said a touch shyly.

"See you later, Miss Connie!" Gregory waved.

She waved back to him. "Have fun at the festival." 

"Sure will!" he cheesed.

Steven opened the door and looked up at Connie. His mouth twitched slightly, as if to say something, though he didn't.. 

"I'll see you later." Connie said softly to him.

"Uh, yeah.. See you later."

Carefully, she lowered herself down and out of the van.

He watched her as she walked towards the door.. 

He couldn't leave on that note..

He should say something.

"Um, I'll be back, Mr. Vecino." 

The man nodded knowingly, approvingly. "Go ahead." and he still had a soft smile on his face.

Steven jumped out of the van and closed the door to prevent Lion from coming out.

"Connie." 

She was just about to walk through the sliding doors. They opened for her as she stopped and turned around.

"Uh.." he slowed down as he thought of what to say. "I'm.. s.." he thought of something else to say instead. "How's your stomach?" not quite the sweetest thing to say but..

"My stomach is doing fine." she went to raise her hand up to her stomach almost distinctively, but lowered it back down. "It settled down."

"That's... That's good." he said meekly.

"Yeah.."

Silence lingered in for a few moments before Steven cleared his throat. "I.. know I already said this.." she looked worried as she anticipated- "but I do hope you have a great day at work today." the worry left her eyes in quick relief. 

She tried for a smile. "Yeah, we'll see. It shouldn't be too bad." she tried to reassure the nervous looking boy.

"Uh.. good." he stood there, wanting to formulate more words. Words of encouragement, words of comedy, words that would make their parting a bit better, anything.

Her smile softened.

She started her walk to him and his heart fluttered in his chest. 

Inconspicuously, she took a deep breath in before she got close to him, purposeful stepping to the left of him as the wind blew passed her and towards him and wafting away more of his cologne. "Yoou, are a real worrywart." she joked. The irony in calling _him_ that. 

"I'll be fine Steven." she hugged him, being careful with the cup in her hand and immediately he hugged her back and pulled her in close. 

He wished he could hold onto her like this forever.

But right now, he was going to cherish the moment.

He laid his head on hers as he felt her arms around his shoulders.

It was really something about her. 

And he only wished he would be with her for the rest of his life. That they would always have each other.

He loved her. 

And he always will.

If only she felt the same way..

Connie was leaning away from him and trying to not inhale too much of the cream and the oil she still smelled on his skin.

And she looked him and his dark brown eyes.

How she always loved looking at them..

She could stare into them forever.

She could feel Steven's heart thumping in his chest as he kept her close with his arms wrapped around her waist.

If only they could be in this embrace longer..

Steven couldn't look away from her. 

It was near impossible and all the while the words he'd been meaning to say to her wouldn't leave his lips.

That he loves her.

But no matter how hard he tried, he was too afraid to say it..

"Connie.." 

Her heart skipped a beat and quickened in her chest.

Silence.. before he said instead, "you're very special to me." 

And he quickly berated himself once again for not telling her.

She pushed her hair back behind her ear as she smiled bashfully at him. "You're.. very special to me too." 

His heart continued to beat faster in his chest. 

He leaned towards her and she followed his move, meeting him halfway and kissing him. 

And every kiss, every touch sent a new different feel, a different shock of affection and love down his spine and in his chest. 

And he wouldn't had stopped, but she leaned up from him and he saw the blush on her face. "I.. have to go."

"Oh, uh.. right." he cleared his throat. 

She gave him a quick peck on his red cheek. "See you later, Steven. Hope you and your little brother have a great time at the fair." she joked.

He scoffed with an eye roll. " 'Little brother.' "

She lowered her arms from him and shrugged. "Just have some fun, okay? It seemed like he really wanted you to go with him and his dad."

"Yeaaah.." and Steven felt a little smile tug at his lips. "I mean, they're alright." 

And they _had_ been growing on him for quite some time.

Saving his life, making that waffle breakfast thing with them, then making a Go-Kart. 

They_ were_ nice people.

They just, could get a bit..

Steven scoffed again and that made Connie chuckle. "I have a feeling you're going to have a great time with them."

He scoffed.

"Oh, come on, now you're just playing around." 

"Okay, okay, they don't deserve that." he grinned. "I'll try to make the day of it." 

"Good." 

He leaned towards her again and she met him halfway once more in a kiss.

And he could really kiss her soft lips for hours..

"You guys have to come up for air some time." they heard a familiar voice.

Steven could've cared less and continued but Connie broke away from the kiss once more to his dismay..

It was one of the cashier girls from a few days ago.

.. Anna..

Connie didn't look too thrilled to see her.

Maybe she was still mad about her telling Steven about the guys flirting with her.

Maybe she was made that she cut into their little kissing session.

Or both.

Steven didn't know.

The girl waved to them and Connie didn't, but Steven did as she walked through the sliding doors.

She sighed. "Alright, this time, I really have to go." she gave him a small kiss on the lips and officially broke away from the hug. 

And the whole front side of him immediately felt cold. He waved. "Later, Connie."

"See you, Steven." 

He watched her walk through the sliding doors to the vestibule and through the second pair of sliding doors to the store.

Haaa~

What a girl..

He stood there dreamy eyed for a few moments until he realized that he was, in fact, _still_ standing in front of the doors and by himself.

He glanced at the glass to see if he could see Connie in the store, but had only saw but a few people and a bit of the store's merchandise.

He turned away from the store and walked back to the van. He opened the door and heard Lion whining until he stopped immediately as he saw Steven. He wagged his tail.

"Aww, ya miss me?" 

_Or_ Connie.. since apparently they're oh so buddy buddy now..

He jumped inside and got up and closed and locked the door behind him.

"Took you long enough, Kissy Man." Gregory teased. 

"Uh, Gregory." Mr. Vecino cleared his throat. "Well uh, I hope everything is peachy keen." 

Steven sat down where he once was. "Yeah, everything is fine." he said and went for a pretty small, but genuine smile. 

Mr. Vecino nodded. "That's great, that's great. Well, looks like we'll be on our way then." he shifted gears and Gregory cheered as he threw his arms in the air. 

"Aaalrighty boys." a beat and he added as he looked back at Lion laying down beside Steven. "And man's best friend." he turned back around to face the windshield. "Time to enjoy our day at the most amazing fruit festival ever." he pulled out of the parking spot.

Steven leaned back as he pet Lion's head.

He watched the rays of the sun as it beamed over the miscellaneous items in the van and over him and Lion. He looked out of the two small windows at the back of the van to take another quick glance at the building as they drove away.

The van rumbled softly as Mr. Vecino drove from the parking lot and to the main street.

And now, it was time to go to this festival that his neighbors were so excited about.

But then again, those two seemed to get excited over_ every_ little thing..

Mr. Vecino put on his left blinkers to get to the far left lane as he neared the first intersection.

And Steven watched the area go pass as the van drove up the road.

How was his first fruit festival going to go?

He didn't have a clue.. but there was now this gut feeling he was having as Mr. Vecino was turning left to head to the entryway of the highway. 

Why did he feel that the festival was either going to be reaaallly boring.. or something completely left field? 

Nothing in between, just either or. 

  
  


  
  


And.. why was this gut feeling leaning more towards the latter..


	225. Arriving at the Fruit Festival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Told myself that I was going to wait until at least Saturday to post, but ehhhh... here's two chapters for y'all 😗

Mr. Vecino was driving the van through a well trimmed grassy area. Some spots having trees for shade with a few vendors having made their own little area under them. Their tables being shielded from the sun still steadily rising in the sky with their vans and trucks being parked behind them as they continued to take their appliances and their fruits out of the vehicles to set up.

Steven didn't exactly know which city they were in, but a sign he'd read just twenty minutes ago informed him that they were now in Pennsylvania. 

He looked out the window opposite him as he saw glimpses of tents and small buildings. Sand bordered a few tents as only handfuls of people walked about in the area as more vendors began to drive pass the opened area to the festival.

"Oooooooooo!!!!! Oooo!! Ooo!! Ooo!! Dad!! Look at the water!!" Gregory shouted. Steven leaned up and didn't see the water and he turned around and shifted up to his knees to see the huge body of blue water on the other side. ".. it looks even better than LAST year!! And just LOOK at that new spiral water slide!!" he gasped. "And they have new inner tubes!!!" 

Far beyond the vendor's tents and buildings laid the blue lake of water. Sand coated the edge of it and mixed in with the grass as it stretched away from the water. Various kayaks, paddle boards and other objects for fun water activities laid at one side of the seemingly makeshift beach. And within the water loomed tall, colorful water slides. Some taller than the others, with some curving under other slides or spiraling down to the water with some intertwining with each other.

Inner tubes in various colors and shapes were laid or stacked above one another on too of the tall platforms.

"Yeah, it's certainly a sight to see." his dad agreed. "Just check out that waterfront." 

There was another gasp from Gregory as a thought came to him. "I'm going to take some pictures!" he turned around in his seat and took his phone out of his pocket. 

He went to his fancy camera app and turned the phone horizontally. He pressed the round, white button on the screen. "Ooooo! That's a perfect shot!" he clicked on the button again and gasped. "And ANOTHER perfect shot!" he pressed on the screen. "And another!!" the boy panned right as he clicked on the surface of the phone a few more times as his dad drove away from the scenery. "And another amazing picture! And another! And another! And ANOTHER!" he lowered the phone from his eyes as he smiled. "Wow, I took some sweeeet photos. I think I can be an AMAZING photographer, dad." 

Mr. Vecino chuckled. "Why, I think so too." 

Gregory turned back around and placed the phone on his lap. "Awe, dad! I can't WAIT to get this party started! I'm going to take sooo many pictures! AND I'm going to eat soooo muuuch food!" 

"Heh.. ah,.. kiddo." he said softly, "You.. might want to be a taaad bit careful with eating so much food. You don't want to end up getting a stomachache like last time.

"Daaad, that wasn't because I ate so much. That was because I drunk that seltzer water too fast." he countered with a wan grin. "All I need to do is _not_ drink the seltzer water." he gave his dad a thumbs up. "That'll definitely work."

"Heheh, yeah, that could also work, Shtu-ball."

Steven was looking at the two in the front seat.

Seriously.. what was with this guy?

He practically just _went_ with every single thing his son said.

Everything seemed so cardboard cut-out perfect between them..

Steven leaned back as _some_ kind of feeling fell to the pit of his stomach. His face dropped slowly as he continued to look at their interactions as they laughed..

Mr. Vecino was passing more trucks and tents. "Yeah," he chuckled with his son. "well, I don't see why not. Maybe we can even beat this time. We've been exercising enough lately and I think these old bones have been getting pretty limber since then. Limboing should be easier this time." 

"Mmm'yyeaaah~" said Gregory as he shrugged. "But you still have that gut of yours dad, so I think you'll still end up hitting the stick." 

"Ahh, eheh." his dad scratched at his neck as a faint blush of embarrassment came to his cheeks. "Well.. it'll still be fun to check it out." he mumbled shyly. 

"Of course!" his son cheered.

Mr. Vecino was still scratching his neck, yet moments later a skeptic look came to his face and he tilted his head as he looked at the scene in front of him.

He began slowing the van down as she approached the taped off area.

"Uh oh, dad." Gregory said casually. "That doesn't look good." he leaned up and forward in his seat to get a better view.

Curiosity now peaked, Steven got up from his seat and crawled forward towards the front of the van just between the two front seats. 

In front of them was a small Grove of burned down.. or seemingly? burned down trees. 

Some trees were snapped off from their stumps with some with their branches broken off or cracked. But one thing that Steven quickly noticed, was the light blue, grayish residue on the edges of the cracks and the holes on the trees. 

The area looked like it'd been doused with some kind of acid or something that remained after a fire; the burned holes and crevices within the trees, the charred, acid eaten look of them and the grass and the tent behind them that'd been burned halfway through. Inside the tent, he could see a few specialists taking pictures or carefully looking at substances with the other two carefully placing various pieces of what they deemed was evidence inside of a black box. 

One particular man was being lifted inside of an ambulance in a gurney with two paramedics on either side of him. One arm and the left side of his face, neck and shoulder wrapped up in bandages. 

In front of the whole scene was striped black and yellow caution tape. Above the tape was a second yellow one with the words in black stating, _hazardous substance_ on it.

Mr. Vecino stopped just as an officer was walking up to his vehicle. He rolled his window down and gave a causal wave to the fellow as he smiled. "Good morning, officer." he gestured to the area and Steven could hear the subtle awkwardness in the man's voice. "So, I see that there's something going on. Sorry, I didn't know there was a detour."

The man was ever stoic and rigid as he stepped closer to the car with his intimidating police uniform on. A gun strapped to the front of him as he closed the distance between himself and the vehicle.

Slowly, Mr. Vecino's smile began to waver. He cleared his voice as the officer looked pass him and to his son who was waving at him with a wide smile on his face. "Hello Mr. Officer sir!" 

The policeman ignored him and looked to his side and at Steven, who'd gasped. With him as a Crystal Gem the guilt had already knocked into him the moment the officer caught sight of him.

Lion walked up beside him and began growling at the officer.

He gave a leveled stare towards Steven, then to the boy in the front seat, then back at Mr. Vecino. "This place has been taped off due to.. circumstances regarding hazardous materials." his voice was as gruff as the scars on his face. "For the time being this whole area will be strictly prohibited for the remainder of the festival which is, as I've been told, will still continue as planned for the day." 

"Yay!!" Gregory cheered and Steven saw Mr. Vecino's mouth pull back in an awkward grimace at his son's cheerful outburst.

"That's, great Officer. I'm quite happy that the festival is still going on."

"Yes.." he looked at Mr. Vecino. 

The man was quiet under the policeman's intimidating glare.

"On behalf of ensuring one's safety, the festival is now also conducting safety protocols of vehicles, vendors, participants and personnel." he said bluntly. "We'll be searching your vehicle as well as the three of you and the canine." 

Steven's heart jolted in his chest. 

Could they do that? Don't they need a warrant for that?!

And if they search him.. they're going to find the GemTech equipment in his pocket.. 

Steven looked at the officer and Mr. Vecino as his heart began to race in his chest.

"Oh, sure, sure, sure. Of course you can." 

The policeman nodded and took several steps back. "All of you, out of the car."

"Alright, everyone." Mr. Vecino whispered. "Let's do what the officer says."

"AaAaaaWWwww.." Gregory whined. 

"Gregory.. please.." Mr. Vecino said softly and he opened his door. 

Steven was already getting up with the growling dog as Gregory opened his door and slid out.

"Lion. Come on, Lion. You need to stop." said Steven. He picked up the now empty cup that once held the delicious watermelon slushie and began walking away. 

The dog growled louder as they approached the back doors of the van.

"Lion, stop." Steven warned him again and the dog growled louder as he bared his teeth. "You're going to get yourself in trouble acting like this." he whispered to the canine. "They're going to think something is up."

Lion shot towards the doors and leaned his paws on it as he growled. 

"Lion." Steven grabbed the handle of the door. "Sit. Sit down." 

The canine stopped and looked at him.

"Sit down. Sit.. down." 

Rather reluctantly, Lion leaned off of the door and sat. He turned his head back to the door and eyed it intently.

"Sit." he said again and opened it just a crack. "Siiit." he turned back to the door as he opened it up more. 

Two new officers were standing just a foot away from the van. Each one with an intimidating glare and a gun hanging across their chest.

Steven _hoped_ that he wasn't looking suspicious or scared as his stiff legs walked towards the edge of the van.

Should he say something to the officers?

Would it be suspicious if he did?

Would it.. be suspicious if he _didn't?_

He heard Lion growling as he got out of the van. He turned back to the dog. "Noooo. No. You don't do that." 

The dog continued to keep his seat inside of the van as he growled.

"S, sorry officers." Steven said meekly.

They stood there stoic. 

"The dog needs to get out of the van as well." one of them said plainly.

"Uh-, sure." he turned back to the canine. He pat his leg. "Come on, Lion." 

The dog was quick to get up and jump out of the car and stand beside Steven as he looked left and right at the two police as he growled. 

"Lion no. Sit." 

The canine did as he was told, once again, _reluctantly_ and sat down. Though the growl was still being directed at the officers in his closed mouth. His tail wagging back and forth tensely.

"Where's the dog's leash?" one of them asked.

"Oh, uh.." he didn't have it.. "it's.. in the van." he lied as he pointed behind his self.

"When we're done, you need to put the dog on his leash." 

"Of course, officer." 

And.. how was he going to do that exactly?

The men began walking towards the van and Lion got up and growled louder. They didn't stop their walk as Steven grabbed at Lion's shoulders. "Lion, no. You have to sit. Siiit." 

The dog turned around and watched the two men on either side of him walk pass them and jump into the vehicle. He kept his eyes on them and eventually sat down as his eyes never left the officers as they began their search. 

Steven rubbed and pat at Lion's shoulder. "You have to calm down, Lion." he said calmly. "We can't have you growling at the police." 

The dog continued to growl..

"Everything out of your pockets?" Steven overheard the first officer from before. 

He turned around as he saw Mr. Vecino nodding at the officer. He stuck both hands in either pocket and pulled the pockets out. 

The officer held up a metal-detecting wand and began at the top of his neighbor's tanned, bald head. 

The middle aged man had his arms up and out to his sides with his legs a foot apart as the officer began to wand under his left arm and down his side towards his waist.

To his side Steven saw another officer wanding down Gregory. The boy holding the same position as his father but facing away from the woman as the policeman began raising the wand up his leg.

Steven heard Lion growl louder as the dog got up and pivoted to the opposite way of where the Vecinos were.

Steven turned in the direction to see another stoic looking officer coming their way with a square white container and a wand. 

"Lion, sit." 

The dog sat down reluctantly once more as the officer closed the distance between them.

And it took every once of Steven's being to not look at the gun across his chest..

He stayed completely still and hoped that he didn't look suspicious doing that.

"Take everything out of your pockets and put them in the bin." he raised his hand out towards Steven as Lion growled louder at the man. 

"Lion. Keep sitting." Steven said sternly. The dog did so as Steven grabbed the bin from the officer.

And this was it..

Perhaps.. he could get away with _not_ taking out the GemTech items out of his pocket if he just take out everything out of the pockets of his sweatpants instead..

He stuck his hand in one pocket and took out his keys and shifted the bin to his other hand and dug in his other pocket as he tried to inconspicuously look at his pants to see if the items in his jean pockets were noticeable underneath of his sweatpants.

And thankfully.. _thankfully_ they weren't.

He took the wallet out of his pocket and placed it in the bin.

"That's everything?" the officer inquired.

Steven nodded and hoped that the smile on his face didn't look guilty. "Yes."

The officer grabbed the bin and placed it on the ground beside him. "Put your arms and legs out." he ordered.

Lion growled louder.

"Lion, stop. Just sit." Steven moved his head just slightly to the canine when he heard a, "Don't move."

"Sorry." he quickly said as he snapped his head back around and immediately realizing that he _did_ just move again.

The police wanded down his head and to his shoulder and began hovering the wand over his right arm.

And he hoped that the GemTech items wouldn't set off the alarm..

The wand was coming back around now, underneath of his arm and towards his side.

.. hopefully the items won't alarm..

The wand lowered towards his waist.

.. what was he going to do if the items_ did_ set off the alarm.. 

The wand grazed pass his pocket..

..with_out_ beeping or vibrating.

He felt relieved before realizing that there was one more pocket the wand had to go over. The items in the first pocket didn't alarm.. but, that didn't mean that the items in the _other_ pocket wouldn't..

"Foot off the ground." the officer ordered and he lifted his foot up and the guy circled around his foot. "Put your foot back down." and demanded and Steven did. 

What was going to happen..

The wand was coming up the first leg and going towards the crotch area of his sweatpants.

What did he have in that pocket? 

He couldn't remember..

Perhaps Lion's fronts? Maybe his ring and bracelet?

Could those three set it off?

The wand was going down his other leg.

Maybe Lion's fronts can..

It seemed like an item that would set off an alarm.

"Foot up."

Steven lifted his foot up as the wand circled around it. 

He placed his foot back on the ground.

_Pleaase don't set off the alarm.._

The wand was hovering up his leg.

What was he going to do if the wand beeps? He would be face to face with the officer without an explanation.. only to take out his GemTech items..

..his Crystal Gem.. GemTech.. items..

..all for the officer to see..-

The wand travelled pass his pocket without a single beep or vibration.

It began hovering up his side and towards his arm.

A huge, heavy weight lifted off of his shoulders.

None of the items set off the alarm.

Now.. maybe.. he could relax..

The officer waved the wand over the top of his arm and toward his neck and over his head. 

He lowered the wand away from Steven.

"You're cleared." he said before gesturing at the dog with the wand. "Hold him steady."

Wordlessly, Steven crouched down near the growling dog and held him as the officer crouched down in front of the canine.

Lion pushed up on his feet when Steven told him a stern, "Sit." as he put his weight on the dog's backside.

Unfazed by the bared teeth and growling dog, the officer did his job as he trailed the wand over the canine.

Lion surprisingly held back on lounging or buying or even mouthing the guy as he screened him, most likely due to Steven keeping his weight on him and rubbing his head. 

The officer was done in seconds and he stood back up. "The dog is cleared as well." he said. "You can get your belongings from the bin." he gestured with his chin.

"Sure." said Steven, still incredibly relieved how everything worked out. "I will."

The policeman walked away and towards the back of the van while the other two officers were walking towards the edge of the vehicle.

_What a relief.._

_My cover wasn't blown-_

".. on't know what it is."

Steven overheard an officer nearby. He slid the bin towards him and grabbed his keys and his wallet. 

"The man claims that he saw what looked to be a robot of some sort." the policeman and his coworker were far away and heading towards one of the three police cars but were still close enough for Steven to hear him. The man also not doing such a good job at keeping his voice low.

"He said that it happened so fast. The sphere shaped object zipped inside of his tent and at first he didn't know what it was. But when he went to go check out what he saw in the corner of his eye, that's when that machine attacked him, spraying this goo-like substance on him."

His co-worker walked to the other side of the second police car to the passenger's door. "You know.. this is becoming more and more unusual." he told the man. "These sphere shaped robots have been seen off and on for the passed few days now." he opened the door. "This could be something more serious." 

"I agree. We should head back to the festival's main tent." the cop opened the driver's door. "We need to warn them about keeping the festival open. If someone or a group of people are" he got in. "planning something to attack people here, then we need to-" he closed the door. 

That didn't sound good at all..

If the cops were uneasy about what's going on, then maybe he and the Vecinos should think twice about staying at this festival-

"Mister Steven!" 

Steven turned back around to see Gregory standing beside the opened passenger's door of the van. "What are you doing looking off into the distance like that!" the boy cheesed. "The officers said that we're cleared to go! We can finally have some fun!" 

'Fun'..

Would they?

With what_ could_ be going on, would they be able to have some fun?

Should he warn them?

But.. then again, the cops hadn't so..

But.. _those_ two cops seemed a bit skeptical about it..

Steven stood back up and placed the keys and his wallet back in his pockets. 

Maybe, he shouldn't think too much about this.

If anything more were to come about during the festival, then it was a good enough chance that the police and the faculty would be quick to end the festival. 

So.. 

Steven more or less forced a small smile to come to his face. 

He should focus on participating in the festival with the Vecinos while also keeping that small spot in his mind cleared only for a "potential or what if" scenario that could come about in the festival."

"Come on, Lion. Let's go back in the van." he left the bin on the ground and began jogging back up to the vehicle with Lion jogging right beside him.

The dog jumped up before him and he climbed in after as Gregory was closing his door. "Ahhhhh.. that was a TOOOOOTAL waste." he whined. "We could've been like, drinking smoothies and like, having fun and stuff!"

"Oh, don't worry, kiddo. They were just doing their job. They need to keep us safe."

"Uhhhhgg...I knooooow, but they wasted sooooo much of our tiiiime" the boy slumped back in the chair.

"Heheh, they didn't waste our time." his father smiled apologetically. He shifted the gears in reverse. "Besides, we still have the whole day to have some fun at the festival. There will be plenty of smoothies and games and other fun activities for all three of us to do." 

"Yeahh.." the smile grew just slightly on his face. "I guess you're right dad."

His dad lowered his hand in a low five position.

In a burst of small giggles, his son slammed his hand down on his father's, completing the five. 

Steven watched the interaction quietly as he sat beside Lion. The boy idly petting Lion's head.


	226. This looks like a good spot

Mr. Vecino found a spot near a Grove of apple trees and a spot that was thankfully, right off to the side and in the middle of the festival and near the main attractions.

"Looks like we found ourselves a perfect spot." the man parked the van and put on the parking break. "Time to get started." He opened the door and got out. 

Gregory looked around in front of him and at the green trees with ripped red apples. A brown fence with thick, green vines intertwined within the planks boarded off between the festival and the outer area of the perimeter. "Whooa.." he turned around in his seat and looked at Steven with a smile. "This isn't our usual spot, but this one is MUCH better!" 

Steven picked up his empty cup and got up with Lion in tow. 

The three of them heard the handle of the back door before it opened. 

"Dad! You found THE most perfect spot!" Gregory complimented with the biggest smile ever.

He opened the second door with a smile. "Welp, I try my best." he climbed into the van with a grunt and got up with a, "Whooo." and grabbed at his back as he stretched. "Okay, let's get this 'ole table set up." 

Gregory was climbing between the two front seats towards the back as Steven grabbed one end of the table with Mr. Vecino grabbing the other side. "We can turn around." said Steven. He shifted over to his left towards the door. "I can walk back and we can move the weight of the table towards me." 

"Good thinking!" Gregory was pushing one of the heavy half full boxes of watermelons towards the door.

Steven was making his way to the edge of the van and slowed his pace as he got ready to kneel down.

"Careful there, Steven." 

He nodded. "I am." carefully and cautiously, he lowered the table to lay on the floor of the van before sliding a leg out of the van while sitting on his other knee. 

Lion jumped out of the vehicle, brushing pass him.

"Whoa, Lion." he focused more on sliding his self more out of the van as he began to slid the table towards him. 

Mr. Vecino turned the table parallel to the edge of the van and lowered it down. He crouched down to a sit and carefully slid out of the car as Steven placed his foot on the grass.

Gregory was running to the back of the van. He picked up the two blenders in one hand and one of the syrup jugs in the other. He jogged back towards the edge of the van.

Steven and Mr. Vecino was carrying the table a few get away from the vehicle. The two looked around.

"Where should we put this?" Steven asked.

Mr. Vecino looked around before looking down. He smiled. "Ah what the hay. This should be fine right here."

The two placed the table on its side and pulled the legs out before grabbing the edge of the table and hoisting it up to its feet.

"There we go." said Mr. Vecino. "Now, time to lay the sheet over it and decorate this baby up." he turned back for the vehicle and Steven jogged over and threw the cup in a nearby trashcan and jogged back over to the van.

One box of watermelons, two blenders and one jug of sweet syrup lay at the end of the van.

"We can leave the boxes in the van." said Mr. Vecino. He grabbed the two blenders as Gregory came back with two more syrup jugs and the white cloth to be put over the table. He laid them down as Steven grabbed for one of the jugs and grabbed the first one he'd brought over previously. 

The two walked back to the table as Gregory jogged to the cooler at the side of the vehicle. 

Lion watched them happily as the three of them went back and forth, sliding and grabbing the necessary items for the table.

He sniffed the area curiously and walked all in between them for a closer look as they worked around him.

He could hear someone struggling from inside of the vehicle.

Gregory was pushing or _trying_ to push the full box of whole watermelons towards the doors.

Steven was placing the styrofoam cups, napkins and straws strategically on the table for them to not be tipped or blown away. 

Mr. Vecino was placing the container of ice on the table and turned around to see his son leaning forward in a near plank with his arms straight out and struggling to push the box. "Whooaa there bud." he jogged up to the van. "Let your old man help ya out with that." he crawled back into the van.

Gregory stopped and fell to his knees, panting. 

Steven managed to finally place the multiple stacks of styrofoam cups a certain way for them to not fall over and turned back to the van. 

Mr. Vecino was crouching down towards Gregory. He placed an encouraging hand on his back and his son looked up at him. "Don't worry, Shtu-ball, we have this." he pat his son on the back before bringing both hands on the box. "Remember, there's absolutely _nothing_ wrong with asking for help." 

With a wand, tired smile his son nodded his head.

"Okay, with your legs now. One, two-"

Steven saw the two pushing the heavy box towards the edge of the van. 

_'There's absolutely nothing wrong with asking for help'.._

Seriously.. these two..

He felt Lion's body hit his leg and he looked down to see the dog looking up at him with his light blue eyes and his tongue hanging out of his mouth.

A very, very small smile came to Steven's face and he leaned down to scratch at Lion's ear.

"Phewf. Thanks for the help, dad."

"Anytime, kiddo." he hugged his son from the side and crawled towards the side of the box to the edge of the van.

Steven saw Mr. Vecino sliding out of the van with Gregory right behind him. Still scratching behind Lion's ear he asked, "Is that everything we need to take out?" 

Mr. Vecino nodded as he "dusted" off his hands. He placed them on his hips and nodded once more with a grin. "Yup. This shop is now officially open." 

"Yeaaahhh!!" Gregory cheered. He slid out of the van and ran pass his dad then Steven as he ran for the table. He nearly slammed his hands down on the surface of it and pushed his feet off of the ground. "I can't WAIT to start making smoothies!!" he shouted out to the small crowd slowly trickling in. The people mainly consisting of vendors and those that worked at the festival.

"Heheh, that kid's got spirit." Mr. Vecino was walking towards Steven. "Hey, pick a stool and relax. Might be a bit before we start seeing the actual crowd. We're still fairly early." 

"Uh, sure." he gave a few friendly pats at Lion's shoulder and leaned up. 

Mr. Vecino was already sitting down on a medium sized stool as Gregory continued to bounce up and down excitedly with his hands on the table.

Steven walked up to them and grabbed a stool and slid it to the other side of Gregory and sat down. 

Lion jumped up and placed his paws on Steven's thigh as he wagged his tail happily. 

"Heyy, Lion." he said casually with a side grin. He pat at his head and Lion moved his head to lick at his hand. 

Steven chuckled lightly.

"Ooooo, I wonder how many customers we'll get today!!" he gasped and bounced harder. "Or who'll be the very FIRST one!!" 

Steven watched as Gregory jumped up and down on his toes. The table under his hands rocked slightly. 

Well he.. certainly was a very active kid..

Or maybe that's how kids acted and it was just him being wrong.

It wasn't like he had much experience with kids anyway.

Not that he was complaining-

Lion leaned off of him and galloped towards Gregory. 

"Awwee, hey Lion!" the boy stopped jumping and crouched down and began scratching at both of Lion's ears. "Yeheaa~~ good booooy. Good boooy." 

Aaand.. Lion seems to love him.

But then again, why wouldn't he?

Gregory wasn't _too_ bad. Just.. a bit hyper and loud.

But, at the same time, this_ is_ the same boy who saved him from Pearl. He saved his _life_.

Steven looked at the happy smiling, laughing boy patting Lion's head.

Just.. full of life and without a care in world.

And, because of him, he was still here.. 

Maybe.. he_ should_ start giving the boy the recognition he deserves..-

"Welp, before things start picking up, I think I should head to the loo." Mr. Vecino got up. "Ya gotta go?" 

Gregory shook his head, still grinning and petting Lion. "Nnnnope! I don't."

Mr. Vecino looked over at Steven and he shook his head. 

"Alright, I'll be back quicker than you can say 'The trio's delicious watermelon slushies'." he power walked away.

_'The trio's'.._

" 'The trio's delicious watermelon slushies'!" Gregory shouted quickly.

"Uh, I meant faster than you can say that ONE hundred times!" Mr. Vecino power walked faster in front of them and down a pathway towards two adjacent tents on the other side of the opening.

Gregory was chuckling and Steven was surprised that Gregory wasn't already trying to say that phrase one hundred times. It seemed in his character to do so.

He pat Lion a few more times on the head and got up. "I still have my G.U.Y toys AND Cookie Cat AND Dogcopter!" he ran to the van and jumped inside. He quickly pushed his self up to his feet and ran towards the back. 

Moments later of sounds of pitter pattering feet and things being moved around, he heard an, "Awww.. but I thought I took Dogcopter with me.." 

More sounds of rushing sandals across the floor of the van and more things being moved and he heard a whining groan from the boy and a, "I think I left him home!"

The boy slid back out of the van with both arms wrapped close to him. Inside of them were a handful of G.U.Y toys and the Cookie Cat with his spaceship that Steven bought for him not too long ago.

That did earn a small smile from him, seeing that Gregory seemed to really love it to the point of bringing it with him. Not to mention being upset that he didn't have Dogcopter with him. _Another_ toy that Steven had brought for him.

Gregory jogged back over to the table and opened his arms, letting the plastic toys fall and nearly scatter across the surface of the table. One G.U.Y toy hitting a blender and another two hitting the container of ice. "We don't have Dogcopter with us." he said. "BUT at least we still have THESE guys!" he gestured at the toys on the table before pointing at Lion standing in between them. "AND we still have a cool dog with us!"

Lion wagged his tail.

"Yeah, he is a pretty cool dog, isn't he-?"

"Here!" Gregory shoved several G.U.Y figures towards Steven and he fumbled with the toys as he tried to quickly grab hold of them. "Wha-?" 

"You can play with those guys!" he turned back around and picked up the Cookie Cat toy and Ranger Guy. 

Steven looked down at the four action figures in his hands. "Uh.." 

"Ranger Guy is my favorite," he looked back up at the boy talking to him. "but you can play with him this round." he handed the toy off to him and slowly.. he grabbed the toy from him.

Okay.. he didn't say anything about_ him_ having to play with the toys with him-

"We can plaaaay.. Cookie Cat saves the day!" he waved Cookie Cat up in the air. He turned back around and began placing the handful of G.U.Y figures on their feet. "I just have to set up the scene." he leaned forward, placing his face close to each figure as he placed them down in a specific location on the table.

Maybe not the most sanitary or the best way to go about playing around as well as having the same table to make smoothies, but he wasn't going to be the one to bring it up. Actually, that was most likely Connie's words resonating through his head as he wouldn't had thought much about it either.

"Done!" he turned back to Steven. "Ranger Guy and Cookie Cat are the good guys. The rest of the G.U.Y.'s in your hands are their sidekicks! Aaaand.. the ones on the tables are both villains and bystanders! So we have to move quick and beat the bad guys and save the innocent people and become heroes!" 

What a quick imagination.

Something he'd also learned from playing a couple of games with him with his toys when he was watching the boy.

Well.. looks like he didn't seem to have a choice now. Looks like he had to play along with him.

He turned his head to the handful of action figures on the table. He couldn't help a silly smile come to his face and he had to resist an eye roll as he opted for finally playing along. "But.. we don't know which ones are the villains and which ones are the innocent bystanders." 

Gregory placed Cookie Cat in front of his face and said in a deeper, more heroic tone as he spoke for the cat. "That is right, Ranger Guy." he moved the toy left and right in his hand as he spoke. "And THAT is why we must be very, very careful." 

"Heh." 

But that _really_ doesn't say who's a bad guy and who's a good guy.

"Come, Ranger Guy and friends." he kept his deep voice. Or, as deep as his prepubescent voice could get. He picked up the spaceship and opened it up. He placed Cookie Cat inside and made a zipping spaceship noise as he zigzagged the ship towards Steven. He stopped it at chest level. 

Steven took that as his cue to place Ranger Guy and the other G.U.Y's inside of the spaceship. Two of the "sidekicks" being able to fit but Gregory kept the spaceship in front by of him and Steven haphazardly placed the rest of the three on the hood of the spaceship and Gregory a hand over them. "Hang on tight fellow heroes!" he made zipping noises as he turned away from Steven. He took a step and pushed off in a jog around the table and Lion was quick to jog with him. The boy gasped happily. "And looks like Lion-! Uh, I mean.." he deepened his voice again. "And it appears that Dogcopter Jr has swooped in on his invisible doggy spaceship to help us! Surely everyone will be saved now!" 

Steven watched as the boy and dog jogged around the table a few times and he couldn't help but let out a chuckle at the boy's imagination and upbeat tone.

"BrrrrzzzzzzzRRRRRRRrrrrrzzzzZZZzzzzrrrr..." Gregory jogged back around to the front of the table and stopped and landed the spaceship on the table as Lion stopped and pivoted back around to the boy. He hopped up to get Gregory's attention.

"Heyy.." Steven warned. "No jumping." 

Lion, still in play mode, looked at him as his tail wagged excitedly.

Gregory kept his deep, heroic voice going for Cookie Cat. "Ah, ahahaha~." Looks like Dogcopter Jr cannot contain himself in helping out the citizens of Watermelon Table City. Well, do not worry young canine of Dogville. We will uphold our name and save them at once!" Gregory picked up Ranger Guy and the sidekicks. He turned to Steven and leaned in and whispered as he covered the side of his mouth, "This is the part where we have to save the people and fight the bad guys." he leaned back up. 

Steven grabbed Ranger Guy and another G.U.Y figure and grabbed the others in his other hand. "Ookay.. so.. time to uh.." he cleared his throat and immediately he felt silly doing this. He lowered his voice. "Time to" he waved Ranger Guy between his fingers as the other figure was held by his pinky. "save the people of Watermelon Table City." this was so.. soo silly.. Even_ more_ silly than the first time he played with the toys with him.

That got Gregory to smile even wider at Steven now interacting in the game. "Yes!" he bounced. "Uh, I mean.." he deepened his voice and stopped bouncing. He puffed his chest out. "Yes! Let us go at once!" 

Steven resisted another eye roll as Gregory placed Cookie Cat on the table next to the spaceship. Steven placed Ranger Guy and the sidekick on the other side of the spaceship as he kept the other sidekicks in his other hand.

  
  


  
  


Steven was putting another innocent bystander into the spaceship along with two other G.U.Y action figures.

They were twenty minutes into the game and according to Gregory, who was pretty much just making up the game as he went on, the battle was far from over.

There were still five G.U.Y figures standing on the table. Some of them villains and the rest innocent citizens needing to be rescued.

"Thank you, Ranger Guy. Now I'll take them to the Space Hospital quickly! Bzzzzzzzrrrrrrr, bzzrr, bzzrr, bzzrr" he lifted the spaceship up slowly off the table in liftoff. "Pssshhhooobbbbbbzzzrrrr" he turned slowly around and began jogging around one of the stools. Already on the seat of it were nine G.U.Y figures, both innocent bystanders and sidekicks, bent in a stiff sitting position with some having their arms or legs bent up or down to show their "injuries".

Gregory jogged around the stool one last time and with more zipping and "exhaust" sounds from him, he began slowly lowering the spaceship down to the stool.

The boy really did have this weird but fun and wild imagination. Making things up as he went along and not caring if it made sense or contradicted what he'd said or done just moments earlier.

Everything was fun and without limits or care.

He was being a kid.

And he was really selling it too.

_Really_ selling it..

Wow.. to be a kid again. Just like this carefree boy.

To.. _had_ been a kid..

Steven felt the smile he had on his face throughout the whole time of playing with him falter slightly.

The boy's life.. really did seem like the complete opposite of his..

  
  


_"OoOoOOhHhhh.." Phi Lo nodded slowly.. knowingly. "I already see what's going on here." she had a sly smile on her face._

_He tilted his head. "What?"_

_She pointed an causing finger at him. "Yoooouuuu're jealous."_

_"What?!" he leaned off the motorcycle. "So just because I get a bit annoyed, I'm jealous?"_

_The van was driving to their side._

_"No, that's not always the case. It definitely isn't. I'm saying, in YOUR case it is. How you're talking about the guy and practically indirectly bragging about his positive qualities even though they don't effect you in any way. And then you bring up the relationship with his son." she kept her sly smile as she folded her arms. "Looks like you have sort of a "wanting that for yourself" kind of thing going on if you ask me."_

_"I don't." he said a bit too bluntly-_

"Ranger Guy! Ranger Guy, what's wrong!"

Steven snapped out of it. 

Gregory had already placed the spaceship back on the table. He took Cookie Cat out of his seat and placed him in front of Steven's face and tilted the toy left and right as he spoke deeply. "You had an upside down smile on your face and you were staring off into the distance of the horizon!" 

Steven leaned up slightly. His hand still on the table and holding onto Ranger Guy with only half of the sidekicks now in his other hand as backup. The others having been injured from the fight and now being treated in the hospital along with the rescued citizens.

"A villain is coming this way!" Gregory was moving one of the four guy figures towards Cookie Cat. "Help! Ranger Guy! I need you to help me fend off this bad guy!" he shoved the villain into Cookie Cat's chest. "AAAHHH!! OH NO!! HE'S GOT ME!! UUEEHGGG!! UUUUUHHH!! KRRRRR!!! UUUUEEEHHG!!" 

Steven shook his head of the thoughts that still seemed to linger in his mind. He took a step to the side towards Gregory and the fight and placed Ranger Guy next to the villain. "Have no fear. I am here to save you." he tried to push the thoughts down and simply tried to have a good time, because despite of that thought, despite of that small feeling he had in the pit of his stimach and on top of him playing this silly game, he _was_ enjoying himself and keeping both himself and the boy entertained.

"Ranger guy has the best range!" he leaned the action figure towards the villain and "head-butted" him. 

"ACK! The powerful head-butt!" Gregory imitated a gravelly villain voice. "No more!" 

Steven leaned the figure towards the villain again and tapped his head on the villain's and Gregory leaned the villain back. "Oh! The pain of the strongest head-butt! And yet, Ranger Guy has no headache himself!" he moved the plastic figure left and right. "Unbelievable! Ackackakvkakckakvcffff." 

The boy could do a lot of random sound effects that was so left field it always elicited a chuckle from Steven like how he was chuckling now.

Slowly Gregory bent his legs as he sunk close towards the ground. 

Another tap on the head from Ranger Guy and Gregory let out another cry. "Ackgrrrrrfrrzzzzuuueehhg.. .. kkrrr.. rrrrrr.. uuhhggeerrrrzz.." he sunk down more as he slid the villain towards the edge of the table. The boy's face just at eye level to the edge as he continued to sink down more until he slid the villain off of the table and, "kaplooooshh.. splatzz." he slammed the villain face down in the grass.

He looked back up at Steven with a smile as he left the villain face down with the other G.U.Y villains scattered across the grass. He brought his hand back up to the table and felt around the surface of it until he felt the boot of the Cookie Cat toy. He grabbed the toy and brought it in between them. "Looks like you have defeated another villain, Ranger Guy! Now we should have enough time to save another citizen! Shhhwwwwwoooo." he raised the toy back to the top of the table then lifted his self back up to a full stand. 

He gasped. "Oh no!" he pointed at a G.U.Y figure then grabbed the action figure and turned its arm downwards. He placed the toy back on the table. "That poor, innocent citizen has a broken arm! We need to get him to the broken arm facility, quick!" 

Steven rocked the toy slightly as he "jogged" over to the patient. "Don't worry, citizen, for I, Ranger Guy, am here now." Steven moved the toy's plastic arms up and picked up the G.U.Y citizen and put him into Ranger Guy's arms. He turned the figure towards the spaceship and began "jogging" over towards it. "Okay, Cookie Cat, I have him!" 

A middle aged male in a white shirt with light blue loose shorts was walking up to their table.

"Hurry! We have to put him into the spaceship and save the other citizen!- OH NO!" Gregory picked up a G.U.Y figure. "Another villain is already about to attack!" he moved the villain towards another G.U.Y action figure and he gasped dramatically. "And he's heading for the bystander that we need to save!" 

Steven leaned the figure forward and used his other hand to help slide the hurt citizen into the spaceship. He turned the figure around as Gregory was moving the villain closer to the bystander. "Don't worry." said Steven. "Ranger Guy can.." he trailed off and both he, then a second later Gregory as he followed Steven's eyes to the side of them and saw the man closing the distance between them.

And Steven felt even sillier having been caught playing with action figures at his age.. even if it was with a kid..

Gregory was in all smiles and cheers as he bounced up an down on his feet. "Looks like we finally have our very first customer, Mister Steven!" he dropped the villain and Cookie Cat on the table.

The man waved at him and Gregory with a friendly smile of his own. "Hey there. Good morning." 

"Good morning!!" Gregory shouted over Steven's, "Good morning." 

"Hey, Greg. Where's your old man?" 

"Peeing." he said casually.

Steven resisted making a face. 

Though the boy_ could've_ worded that better. 

The man laughed. "Well I guess I'll just come back later then." he said airily. "Hey, but I can still get my slushie right?" 

Gregory turned to Steven as he continued to bounce on his toes, too happy to contain his joy. "Mister Steven, you should do the honors of making THE very first watermelon icy!" 

"What?" maybe he shouldn't had said that in front of customer in that way but he was caught of guard. 

"Yeah! You haven't made one yet! This will be amazing!"

He never really thought about his self _actually_ doing this. He simply figured that it would mainly be the Vecinos as he more or less watched from the sidelines and kept them company.

He didn't even know how to properly _make_ one. How to go about _fixing_ a smoothie. 

But.. just like the game Gregory made up, this as well was randomly sprung on him..

"Uh.. sure." he gave them an uneasy smile as he placed Ranger Guy and the sidekicks down on table. Then he thought about it and picked them up and moved them to the corner of the table, out of the way.

"So.. uh.. heh.." he stood in front of the table feeling a tad bit of stage fright for his incompetence..

He looked down at the items on the table. 

_So.. first thing is.._

_Ice right?_

_Made sense._

"Don't worry! I can talk you through the process step by step!" said Gregory.

_Oohh good. _ he sighed a relief in his mind.

"And now, kind Sir, watch and be amazed as Mister Steven prepares a delicious watermelon slushie!" Gregory opened the cooler to reveal the ice still chilled and cubed in the bin. He took a step back to give Steven some room. "First. The ice."

_Knew it!_

Steven picked up the ice scoop.

"You only need two scoops." said Gregory. He took anither step back as Steven placed the scoop inside of the ice. "I'll grab the watermelon!" he turned around. "Excuse me Lion." he jogged around the dog laying down in the grass. The dog tilted his head back as he followed Gregory's movements to the van. He climbed inside and leaned into the box. He took out the half cut watermelon and began peeling the wrap from it. He jumped back out of the van. 

Steven was closing the cooler when he made it back to the table. 

He kept the watermelon in his hand. "And now you have to scoop the watermelon into the blender with the big spoon." 

Steven laid the scoop on the table and grabbed the "big spoon" laying beside one of the G.U.Y toys that was left untouched. He grabbed the watermelon from him and began cautiously slicing the ladle down into the watermelon and scooping out small chunks of it into the container.

"We usually stop just before the watermelon gets to the middle line" he pointed to the line on the container. "of the blender." 

Steven concentrated as he scooped out more of the watermelon inside it.

"And this guy is going to get the strawberry stuff." he pat at the jug, as if patting it on its shoulder. 

Steven scooped out the last bit that would hit just below the line. He placed the watermelon down and the ladle and grabbed the jug. "How many pumps?"

"He likes his smoothie EXTRA sweet!" the boy cheesed and held up four fingers and his thumb heroically. "Five pumps!" 

Steven hovered the pump of the jug over the blender and began pressing down on it.

Gregory was sliding over a small bowl with both hands. "Then we put the sugar in." he picked up a small spoon.

After the ffith pump, Steven stepped over and placed the jug by the others and grabbed the small spoon Gregory was holding towards him in his hand.

"Remember, he likes it sweet." Gregory gave him a thumbs up. 

Doesn't_ really_ tell him how much to put in the container..

At least the man seemed pretty friendly as he waited for his smoothie to be ready. 

Hopefully he wouldn't mind if the smoothie wasn't.. too up to par with his taste or to his liking..

He began scooping the sugar inside. 

"He's new." Gregory announced. "But he has spirit!" 

Did he really need this silly introduction from the boy?

And maybe it was from the heat.. but his cheeks felt a bit warmer than usual.

The man nodded. "He's doing a good job." and.. it was just said in one of those voices one would say to children or towards someone to cheer them up. 

He tried ignoring the heat on his cheeks and continued scooping more sugar into the container. 

Gregory picked up the top. "And once you're done, you place the top on the blender and rrrrrrev the baby up!" 

Steven hoped that he didn't misjudge the amount of sugar he put in the container and placed the spoon inside of the bowl and placed it back on the table. 

He grabbed the top from Gregory. 

"You press the first button and sing 'heads, shoulders, knees and toes to times!" 

Odd.. but, easy enough. 

He placed the top on the blender and kept his hand over it and pressed the button. In his mind he sung the little song as the machine whirled in front of him. The sweet ingredients blended as the machine chopped and spun it around. 

Gregory grabbed a styrofoam cup, the top, two napkins and a straw and side stepped back over to Steven who was singing the song for the second time in his head.

He let go of the button and pulled the top off. 

The contents were well blended in a smooth puree. 

"Looks good to me." Steven popped the container from the base of it-

"Wait! Wait!" Gregory threw his hands towards him before leaning back down to his feet. _"You_ think it looks good." he said and gestured at the man with his hand as he held the napkins and straw in it. "We have good character here. We have to show the nice man the masterpiece too!" 

Weird how he was being talked to like this..

Or it felt weird to_ him_ that he was being talked to like that..

Steven leaned the blender towards the man for him to see inside.

Just like that voice he used, he was even using that smile that adults would give little kids. "Yeah, that looks amazing!" 

Gregory cheered. "See! You're a real natural!" he placed the cup on the table. "Now, all we need to do is serve it." 

Steven poured the contents into the cup and as it reached the top, the three of them realized there was just a bit more inside of the container. 

"Uh oh, looks like we have some leftovers." said Gregory. Steven figured the boy was dramatizing a "worried" or fake "hopeless" expression which looked more like a surprised look if anything.

"Why don't you pour the rest on top?" the man suggested. "I can drink it down and put the top on it." 

And there goes the smile again. "That's a great idea!" 

Steven shook the container slightly as he poured the rest of the smoothie on top.

Gregory was handing the man the top to the cup and the straw and napkins.

Carefully and without trying to squeeze the cup, Steven lifted it up from the table and raised it towards the man. "Here you go."

"Thanks." he nodded at Steven then at Gregory. 

He raised the cup up to his lips and Steven's heart jolted in his chest.

He shouldn't be this nervous.. it was only a smoothie.. but he couldn't help but hopefully the guy didn't hate it _too_ much.

He took a "bite" out of the leftover slushie..

And.. the man's eyes went wide and he made this ever so dramatic, "Mmmmmm!! Mm! Mm! Mm!" he swallowed the icy. He held the cup up. "Wow, this sure is good."

Steven wasn't sure if the guy was just being nice because he was new or if he genuinely liked it. 

But that was enough for Gregory to cheer out loud as he threw his arms up in the air. "Wooooo!! He likes it!!" 

He took another "bite" out of the icy. "Sure do." he said between his lips. He slurped up what was about to leak out of his mouth and swallowed. He wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. "Delicious."

"Uh, thanks." why was he so taken aback? "Glad I could" he resisted a shrug "make a pretty good slushie."

"A pretty_ great_ slushie." the man corrected with a smile. He turned to Gregory and pointed a thumb good naturedly at Steven. "You're right, Greg. This guy's a real natural." 

"Told ya!" 

He took another "bite" and was able to place the top on the cup.. or, more or less, as some of the red slushie seeped up through the hole of the top and underneath the rim of it. 

The guy didn't seem to mind in the slightest.

"Hey, I'll catch you two later. I'll swing pass again to have a chat with your pops."

"Sure!" 

"Thanks again for the delicious, scrumptious slushie." 

_Okay this guy is definitely over selling it now.._

Steven nodded and waved at him. "Yeah, no problem."

"Have a good day, Mr. Green sir!"

The man turned around and went in with his business as he walked away from them.

Gregory was already turning to Steven in all smiles.

The boy was_ always_ smiling.

"He's a regular." said Gregory. "He's been going here every year for yeaaaaars." then he added casually as if Steven wanted to know, "He and my dad went to High School together." 

"Oh. Uh." Steven sat back down on his stool. "That's nice."

"Don't sit down now, Mister Steven!" 

"Heh.. Gregory, I keep telling you." he said airily. "You can just call me Steven."

The boy was picking up Cookie Cat. "We still have to save the citizen with the broken arm while another villain is approaching!" he picked up the villain.

They were really doing this again? 

Well it wasn't like they were serving any other customer.

He heard a happy gasp from Gregory. "Dad's back!" 

Someone would've thought his dad had been gone for years the way he reacted.

Mr. Vecino was walking up to them. "Hey there, kiddo. Sorry I took too long. I saw my middle school band teacher and I just took a bit of time catching up with her. And can you believe she_ actually_ wanted my autograph too? Maaan.. haven't signed an autograph in ages." 

"That's okay dad! Catching up is great!" then he added. "And yes! I can believe that!"

His dad chuckled. His precious son definitely took things literal at times. "So, you two," he tried bringing Steven into the conversation. "what did I miss?"

"Mr. Green was here! You just missed him!" 

"Aw, what?" he made it over to the table. "Ah, guess I'll have to try to bump into him later."

"Don't worry. He said he'll 'swing by later'."

"Ya don't say?" he pulled up the stool to the table and sat down. "I didn't know he was part Tarzan." 

For a split second, Steven didn't get it, until he thought about what Mr. Vecino had said.

..Dad joke..

And Gregory began laughing moments later as he held his stomach. "I get it! Swing! Because Tarzan swings from vines!" 

"Looks like I have a bright kid over here." he told Steven with a grin and a chuckle.

"Heh, yeah."

"I got the brightness from YOU, dad." 

"Oh, you did?" he opened the ice container. "I always thought you got the incredibly suave, handsome, good looks and humour from me." he picked up the ice scoop.

"Oh daaaaad." 

His father scooped up the ice and placed it in the blender. 

He half jumped, half climbed over his dad's back and slumped over his father's shoulder. "You can't drink all of our produuuct." 

Mr. Vecino turned to his side and waved his arm back and grabbed his son from the side. "Ah, c'mere you." he gave his son a playful noogie on his fluffy hair and the boy laughed.

The boy slid slowly off of his father. "Fiiine. I guess just oooone little cup then." 

"Of course." he picked up the half cut watermelon. "And anyone else is free to make an icy as well." 

"Nope!" said Gregory. "I'm waiting to drink that smoothie at the red tent later." 

_What smoothie at the red tent?_

Mr. Vecino was looking over at Steven. 

He shook his head. "I'm fine. I'm still pretty full from the other slushie." and he could've went for another one, but he also wanted to save some room for other things he might try out at the festival.

"Aaaalrighty-o then. Suit y'all selves." he began scooping the watermelon into the blender.

With Gregory focused on his father than finishing the game now, Steven leaned back and looked around at the area. 

More people were walking in. Policemen, those who worked for the festival with their lime green fruits festival vests and name tag, vendors and participants. 

And one thing he noticed, _apart from the policemen in their uniform,_ was how colorful the crowd looked; ladies in their flowing dresses and skirts and sun hats. Colorful, light, pastel clothing or Polka dots or flowered patterns. Some wearing flowing gaucho pants with peacock patterns or bright summer colors with flip flops or sandals or just large tie dye shirts as they walked barefooted. Some wore glasses of varying shapes and colors and some wore pastel bandanas, scrunchies and various headbands.

The guys wore just as bright colors with the baggy or flowing, loose fitting bright pants or shorts with some without shirts or some with loose tank tops or large tie dye shirts with shades and baseball caps. 

He even saw one with a kilt while he carried a bagpipe behind him.

And there were several people with their dogs.

He felt so out of the group.

Everyone was wearing the same colorful, loose fitting attire and here he was with gray sweatpants and a blue shirt..

Even Mr. Vecino and his son were wearing flowing orange shorts and oversized, warm colored, tie dye shirts with Gregory wearing a thin, red sweatband across his head while his father had a red flower shaped scrunchy for his mullet ponytail. 

And.. this was what he was wearing. 

Maybe he should've worn a lighter shirt at least..-

"Whatcha looking at?" 

Steven was pulled from his thoughts to see Gregory smiling wide and very close to the side of his face. "Huh?"

"You're aaalways staring off into the horizon." he tilted his head. "Like you're monologuing in your mind or something." he chuckled. "It's funny." 

Wait.. does he really do that.. when he's pondering?

He ignored that question and shrugged nonchalantly. "Just looking at the people in colorful attire." he looked from him and Mr. Vecino drinking his icy. "And you two look it and, I don't necessarily_ look_ the part."

"Ah, that's okay." said Mr. Vecino. He set his cup down. "As long as ya having fun and you're comfortable, then you have nothing to worry about." 

Steven shook his head side to side ever so slightly as he thought over what he said. 

"Remember, just have fun. No need to worry about that kind of stuff. None of that is important here. Colorful clothing, gray pants, pssshht. Ya breathing and feeling alive, you've already won!" 

"Aaaand that means you're not a robot." his son added. He grabbed the cup from the table and took a few long sips of his dad's slushie. 

"Heh, I guess you two are right." and he was feeling alive, he was feeling good. He was feeling.. _something_ he couldn't quite explain but he smiled. "Yeah." he said again. "You're right." 

"That's the spirit!" Gregory shouted. He set the cup down. "Colorful flowing shorts AND gray pants make the BEST team! Gray goes with everything AND colorful colors make people happy!" 

"He's not wrong." his dad chimed in. 

"Heh." one chuckle turned into a string of small ones from Steven and Gregory cheered on. "Gray pants and colorful shorts! Woohoo!" 

"Woooo!!" even his dad decided to chime in and.. what the heck, he chimed in along with them in this silly, whooping cheer they were doing that more or less came out of nowhere.

Though the cheering didn't last too long as a young woman was walking up towards them. 

The whooping died down, though the smiles were still on all three of their faces. 

"Oh look at this rambunctious crew." she strolled towards the table. "Couldn't help but be pulled into such an enthusiastic atmosphere, I just had to come here." 

Gregory was cheesing away. He quickly looked over at Steven with a smile and he winked at him. "Told ya. Best team." he whispered. 

"What can I get for you, Miss?" his dad asked. 

"Hmm.. watcha have?" 

"Weell, we're serving watermelon icys wit-" 

"WITH" he son shouted overtop of him. "your choice of syrup! We have strawberry, lemon, blueberry AND apple." 

"Hmmmm~~" she thought as she tapped at her chin. Then a grin spread to her lips. "How about a watermelon icy with blueberry." 

"Terrific choice!" he turned to Steven. "You should do the honors again!"

"Huh-me?" he wasn't _as_ taken aback like last time, but more so wondering why_ he_ should do it again.

He pivoted around to his father. "Dad! Mister Steven is reaaally good at making slushies!" 

"Ah, I wouldn't say _really_ good. I only made one." 

"He IS good, dad!" 

"He helped me." 

"I only gave him the steps. HE actually did it!" 

The Lady giggled at the interaction. 

"Come oooon. How about you do it again! Then I'll go next!" 

"Ah.." he looked between the three of them; Gregory, his dad, then the lady, then back to Gregory and his dad. 

"Come oooon."

He might as well do it instead of wasting seconds contemplating it. He knew he would just end up doing it anyway. You just couldn't win with this kid. 

"Fiiiine." he managed a small side smile for them. 

Mr. Vecino slid his stool away from the table for Steven to walk in front of him and to the ice container. He opened it and grabbed the scoop off of the table. 

"Ooooooooo! Ooo! Ooo! Ooo! Ooo!! Let's see how well you'll do without me giving you the steps!"

He resisted a scoff. 

How hard could that be? He already showed him once. 

Steven looked at the items below. 

_All I have to do is scoop the ice in twice then scoop the watermelon to the line and- wait, no. Above the line. Or.. was it below? Oh wait and how many pumps of blueberry do I put in here? Does she like her slushie sweet too?_

_And I still don't know how much sugar to put in the container.._

"Uh.." he wasn't feeling _nervous_ per se.. but..

"Heheh, heyy, no need to scare him, bud." he heard Mr. Vecino say to Gregory. "He has this." 

Well... _maybe_ he did-

"In fact, I _know_ he does." and, just how Mr. Vecino sounded. Like he really meant it. Wholeheartedly. And.. to him there was something else in that voice. 

This feeling..

It was something that rushed to his chest in an instant and he felt a warm smile come to his face. "Yeah." he said back. "I do." 

  
  


  
  


  
  


The festival was crowded and loud and hot.

Three hours had passed of them making slushies and having a good time talking to each other or talking to customers; some regulars and some new.

That Mr. Green guy came back as well to talk to Mr. Vecino about going on their ski trip next week that got Gregory so excited.

It sounded interesting to Steven, not to mention that he never even_ been_ to one. However, he kept quiet during the whole talk as they rambled on about what they couldn't wait to do at the resort.

It would be nice to go to one one day. Him and Connie. That was something they could check off on their 'relationship bucket list'. 

The man left minutes later and they continued both serving people and finishing the game because Gregory just_ had_ to finish the game. They ended up defeating the villain they left off of and defeated another one and saved all of the innocent citizens. 

That is.. until Gregory had his father be the boss level villain who wasn't too hard to defeat. Gregory tried shaking his stool that.. didn't actually shake but Mr. Vecino pretended that it did. The guy letting out a cry of anguish as he dramatically fell from the stool and down to his knees and to his stomach. 

Gregory informed Steven that both he and him had to do a victory dance of them spinning in a circle with Gregory standing on Steven's feet.

Though the victory dance was short lived as Gregory _then_ imagined Ranger Guy trading sides and becoming the next villain, thus, Steven being THE final _final_ boss.

Gregory made it so that he couldn't beat him, fast forward to the end of the fight and.. it turned out that the final boss jus needed a hug.

Weird way of defeating a villain..

Though Gregory was quick to say that he wasn't actually a villain and just a misunderstood guy who had been through a lot and who just needed love.

Seriously with this kid.. 

What kid would've thought of all that? Only some.

It was nice and it was a positive message that made feeling _again, _ this.. particular feeling that he still couldn't pinpoint..

The game was over with Cookie Cat, Ranger Guy and the sidekicks getting 8nto the spaceship and flying off back into space as the citizens saw them off and waved to them good-bye.

Bittersweet ending to the game, but he couldn't complain too much about it.

Overall he enjoyed the three hours of being with them.

And he couldn't wait for what they would do later on at the festival.

"Have a nice day!" Gregory was waving to their customer as she walked away.

The boy turned back to his dad. "We made another person happy!" 

"That's right! And it's aaall because of you two." he complimented as he hugged his son from the side. 

Steven was fixing the rest of the styrofoam cups and sliding them towards the straws.

"Hey, ya know what?" 

They looked at him.

"How about us three relax now."

"YeaaAAHH?!" Gregory shouted.

"Yeah, why not? You two don't want to be cooped up here selling watermelons all day, do ya? And we have a festival to see after all."

"Yeaheaaahh!!" Gregory cheered. "Come on dad! I want to try out EVERYTHING!!" 

"Heheh, ookay, kiddo." he ruffled the boy's hair. "Let's start packing up." 

Steven picked up the styrofoam cups and stacked the rest on top of each other and grabbed the straws and the napkins.

The three of them put everything back in the van, with Mr. Vecino cleaning out the blenders and spoons and drying them off and packing them back in the van.

Him and Steven put the table back in the van while Gregory handled the lighter objects such as the spoons and bowls, then the three of them put the stools back and Gregory did the honors of dumping the rest of the half ice half water from the cooler out onto the grass where Lion was quick to chew on the ice then fall flat on his back and roll in the cool, damp grass and mud.

Steven was pushing the last box holding the rest of the watermelons towards the back of the van when Mr. Vecino stopped him. 

"We'll keep these out for anyone who may want a watermelon."

"We're just going to leave them out?"

"Yeah, it's okay." Mr. Vecino assured him. "This is a cooling box that keeps these buggers pretty cool and keeping them under the shade would work even better." he helped Steven slide the box towards the edge of the van. "We'll just sit the box out and put a sign in front of it.

"I'll get the sign!" Gregory offered and jumped between the two front seats. He shimmied his body through to the passenger's seat.

Steven and Mr. Vecino were carrying the box over to a tree nearest the dirt paved walkway. 

"This'll be a good spot for someone to easily see the box." 

The two moved towards the tree and carefully placed the half full box on the grass.

"I got the sign, dad!!" Gregory was waving a square white sign over his head with the words in red and green and underlined _Free Watermelons!_

"Great! The finishing touches." 

The boy ran towards the box and stopped abruptly. He pulled the kickstand flap from behind the sign and placed it right in front of the box. He leaned back up and have the two a thumbs up. "I DID it!" 

"Ya sure did, bud." and he jammed a finger at the van. "Now, before we leave, how's about we put on some sunscreen. We won't be surrounded around the shade all day." 

"That's right, dad!" the boy was running back to the van. "Sunscreen! So we don't end up looking like lobsters!" he cheered.

Mr. Vecino let out a hearty laugh and Steven chuckled at the boy's enthusiasm for uv protection and spf lotion.

The two followed him over as Lion took the time to jog pass them and over towards the box of watermelons. 

He began chewing on one of the edges. 

Steven just so happened to look over as he waited with Mr. Vecino by the truck. "Lion. Noooo." 

His neighbor looked over to see what the canine was doing.

Lion continued knawing on the box.

"Lion. Lion, stop."

The dog looked over at them as he continued to chew on the corner.

Mr. Vecino chuckled at that. 

"Lion." Steven took a single step and Lion leaned off of the box. "Nooo. Bad dog. You don't do that." 

Lion stood there wagging his tail.

"That's a _baad_ dog. You don't do that. You don't chew on boxes."

Lion ran back over to the damp grass with the nearly melted rest of the ice and dove to the ground and began rolling his back in it. He stopped and tilted his head back to look at the two upside down then looked away and went back to rolling in the cool, wet grass innocently.

Mr. Vecino found it funny, though Steven had to keep his no nonsense, stern look on his face.

Gregory was running back to the edge of the van and holding two bottles of sunscreen, one in each hand. "I found them!" he cheesed. "Who's first!" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I totes rambled on too much in this chapter even more so than usual but.. welp 🤷 Can't help it. I talks a loooot and y'all already know that xP..
> 
> Anyway, as uuuuusual I can't make any promises but I reaaally hope that I'll be able to finish the rest of the chapters/ episode within a two week time. 
> 
> I keep saying this but I just reaaally want to get the ball rolling on this story. I mean shoot, next up is Lion 3: Straight to video and freakin' WARP TOUR! 
> 
> Dun dun duunnnnn!!!  
Canon version Steven watches a tape his mother made for him aaaaand.. he and the Gems get to see the Robonoids in the warp streams and Peridot.
> 
> .. Ooooh what is going to happen in_ this_ fic's version of that? 😎😎


	227. Getting oneself prepared for the amazing festival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me to my brain: Remember, DON'T post unless you have at LEAST a good five chapters to post so people will have more to read.
> 
> Brain: Right, right. Read ya loud and clear self. I won't post UNTIL I have written at _least_ that much.
> 
> ***Writes two chapters**
> 
> **Thumb trembles towards post button**
> 
> Self: STOP, what are you doing?!  
Brain: Posting these two chapters..
> 
> Self: But you only wrote two little chapters! Whatever happened to waiting until you've written enough for people to read!
> 
> Brain: Can't help it.. must.. post..
> 
> Self: But-
> 
> Brain: Shhhh~ just do it. 
> 
> Self: But it's not enou-
> 
> Brain: SsSsShHhHhhhh... post 'em. And simply, write more..

Mr. Vecino closed the second door of the van as Steven closed the other. He turned to the two boys standing in front of him. He gave them a thumbs up. "Welp, now that everything is put away and we have on our trsut sunscreen, we can have ourselves an even better time having fun at the festival." 

Gregory threw his arms up in the air. "Woohoo!!" he turned to Steven. "Come on, Mister Steven. We need to get ourselves a programme!" he ran away from the group. 

That shocked him just a bit to see the boy just running off like that and through the crowd of people, but he heard a hearty chuckle behind him as his father walked up beside him, shaking his head with a fatherly grin. "Ah, that kid." he walked pass Steven and towards the direction his son went in towards the crowd of colorful, flowing clothes. 

Steven looked over at the dog sniffing around in the grass. He pat his leg. "Lion." the dog looked up and he pat at his leg again. "Come on, Lion. We're leaving." he took his slow steps away from the area.

Lion went back to sniffing the grass once more before breaking into a short sprint towards Steven.

The two followed Mr. Vecino who was walking through the crowd and towards Gregory standing in front of a small booth as tall as him. He was already holding a laminated piece of paper. "Dad! Mister Steven! Come on! Quick! We're wasting precious time!!"

"We're on our way, Shtu-ball." he said apologetically as he picked up his pace to a power walk.

They squeezed pass the crowd to a "lesser" dense area of the path to Gregory who was waving the paper in the air. "Look dad and Mister Steven! There's like sooooo many cool things to do this year! It's,.. it's even BETTER than last years!" 

"Whaaat?" Mr. Vecino said with such mocked surprise. "No foolin'?" 

Gregory shook his head as he smiled. "This day is gonna be AWESOME!!" 

"I'll take your word for it, kiddo." he placed a hand on his son's head and the boy giggled. "So, let's say we head to the red tent now and get ourselves an energized smoothie?"

"Yeah!!" he exclaimed.

Looks he was going to see what this 'red tent' place was about.

".. ry to keep up dad and Mister Steven!" the boy was already running off once again.

Really?

Steven didn't care too much for it, but again, his father simply shook his head as he chuckled. He power walked in the direction of where his son ran off to and in extension, the red tent.

"We can keep up." Steven told Lion casually and took a step in following Mr. Vecino when a familiar character caught his eye just a few feet at his side. The young man having walked out of the crowd and into the opening for Steven to see him. 

They locked eyes and Steven turned to him, holding another stern look on his face. 

Onion. 

The boy had a programme in his hand as well. 

Steven kept the look on his face. "Staying out of trouble, Onion?" 

He doubted it.

Onion nodded silently and gave him a small, mocked innocent smile with a thumbs up. 

_Riiight.. sure you are.._

He wouldn't dare believe that he was staying out of trouble- 

Onion was already running away from him. 

Steven sighed and shook his head. "Whatever. I don't have to worry about him." he told Lion. "Let's just focus on the festival." he picked up his pace as he barely made out Mr. Vecino within the crowd.

  
  


  
  


The three of them were approaching several tents up ahead. Each were serving and selling their own food or items, though only one had a red tent. 

And that one just so happened to be the one with the most people in line.

Gregory was off to the side waiting for them. He was looking at the servers preparing the smoothies and when he looked back he caught sight of them. He waved them over. "Come on, guys!! Smoothie time!!" 

His father waved back. "Don't worry, bud. We're on our way to ya." 

Gregory ran to the end of the line behind at least fifteen or twenty people as his father, Steven and Lion made it to him just moments later.

"I can't wait to finally have these guys' smoothies! It's delicious AND good for you!" he turned to Steven. "After we serve our slushies and pack up, dad and I always come here and get our antioxidant protein smoothie to officially start our festival day. It gives us energy, boosts our immune system AND it's berry-tastic!" 

_"Aaaand_ it's a good way to keep cool in the heat." his dad added and his son nodded excitedly in agreement. 

Steven looked pass them to try and get a look at the front of the area; A cashier taking orders while the other four were off making smoothies. 

He looked back at the two. "What are you two going to get?" 

Mr. Vecino opened his mouth to say something when Gregory was quick to jump in and say, "We never know what to get. There's SO many to choose from! So we always go for their smoothie of the day!-Or, year? You know.. because this festival is only held once a year." he giggled. 

"Hmm.." he looked back up at the front of the counter. "Guess I'll do the same."

After waiting in line for nearly twenty minutes, Gregory, once again, couldn't contain his joy as he bounced on the balls of his feet. "We're almost there!!" 

A father was ordering two smoothies for he and his daughter.

Steven got a better look at the counter. Directly behind the sneeze guard were slim jug containers of various syrups on the first shelf. Below the jugs were the pieces of fruit in their respective square or rectangular containers and one square container of peanut butter and another square of thick heavily dense dates mashed together. Beside the fruit were small, cylindrical containers containing various powders and behind the front line was a small freezer where they kept their kale, spinach, corn, peas, carrots and ice cream. 

Everyone was working diligently and fast as they worked in each of their own station. 

Steven stood there and watched it all unfold.

The cashier rung up the two orders and handed the man his change and his recipe. He leaned down and handed his daughter the receipt that she was so excited to have in her hand. 

The cashier turned around, grabbed the first of the upside down stacked blenders and slid her own receipt of the order over a small wet spot on the counter of the small sink and slapped it onto the container where it stuck and held. 

She placed the blender underneath of a small water jug and gave the container four pumps of water before turning around and placing the blender on the ledge right in front of the fruit. She picked up a scoop and slid it into the container of bananas. She placed five scoops in the blender and went to the container above it and took out six scoops of strawberry. She placed the scoop back and went back to the register just as the second person to take over was done with her previous blender and was side stepping back over to the next blender. She picked it up and read the receipt as the cashier was taking their order from a very enthusiastic Gregory who'd once again cut in before his father could. "..e want THREE of your special, delicious smoothie of the day!!" he cheesed. 

"That'll be our 'Antioxidant Quadruple Mixed Berry Protein Blast'." she shifted the sign in front of them slightly. On the sign was a picture of a medium size cup of the purple colored smoothie. Bits of green and blue were dotted within the drink. Around the cup were pictures of blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, bananas, kale and spinach and a list of the ingredients in words on the right side of it. On the other side was the precautionary words stating, **The ingredients may come in contact with peanuts, milk or wheat.**

"Yeah!! We'll take THREE of those!"

"Aalright. And what size?"

"Medium!"

"I can pay for mine." Steven quickly told Mr. Vecino. 

"Ah, that's okay. Smoothies on me." 

"Are you sure? They're pretty pricey."

"Heyy, it's okay. Really. I want to do this." 

"Uh, o, okay..Thanks." he said shyly.

"Noo problem at all." 

The second person at the station had just put in the necessary syrups and powders into the container and was handing the blender off to the third person who was in charge of the ice.

A door opened from the back revealing another employee coming through with a rectangular tub of strawberries. He eased next to the second girl at her station and placed the container on the ledge as she carefully plucked up the near empty strawberry bin.

He peeled off the top and carefully reached over and set the new container within the rectangular opened spot. The second girl poured the last bit of the contents from the first container into the new one and handed the empty container to him. He went back to the door and disappeared in the back once more. 

The cashier was handing Gregory the change and the receipt. "Thanks, Miss!" he cheesed.

"You're welcome." she smiled. 

He and his dad were walking away and Steven was about to walk with them when he realized something and stopped. He pivoted back around before he could officially leave the line as the girl now had her back to him and was picking up another blender. "Oh, sorry, I just remembered." she turned to her side to him. "Uh, do you sell water bottles here?" 

She slid the receipt paper across a bit of water and slapped it on the side of the blender. "Yes, we do." she began pumping the water into the container. 

"Great, can I get one please?"

"Sure." she turned back around and placed the blender on the ledge. "Just give me a moment." 

"Sure."

She put six scoops of bananas and six scoops of strawberries inside of the blender and slid it towards the second girl who would continue putting the rest of the berries, then the syrups, powders and the frozen vegetables inside. 

The cashier stepped back to her register. "You want the large one or the small one?" 

"How big is the large one?" 

She raised an arm out and pointed towards the corner of the sneeze guard beside him where the two room temperature water bottles sat. 

He felt.. dumb..

If those water bottles were snakes, they would've bit him. 

He looked back at her. "Uh, I'll just get the small one." 

She rung him up."That'll be two eleven."

He slid his hand underneath of his sweatpants to get to his jean pocket. 

Too bad he didn't have a bill smaller than this but..

He handed her the fifty. 

If she was miffed that he gave her a large bill for such a small item, she didn't show it.

After checking the authenticity of the bill with a counterfeit marker, she put it in the register and began retrieving his change. 

She handed it to him and his receipt.

"Thanks. And I don't need the receipt."

She threw the paper in the bin beside her and turned around and opened a small fridge behind her. She grabbed one water bottle and turned back around. "Here you go. Enjoy the water.

"Yeah, you too-" and he immediately berated himself for adding that last bit..

He kept quiet and walked away from that mistake..

  
  


"The smoothies are almost done!!" Gregory cheered.

He and his father were watching the third employee put just a small bit of ice into the nearly full container. She handed it off to the fourth employee and he turned around to the five blendng machines along the wall. He placed the top on the blender and placed it inside of the machine and closed the top over it. He pressed the button and there was a low whirring sound as the blades churned stiffly before moments later churning more smoothly as the contents become easier to blend inside. 

He went to one machine and lifted up the covering and took out one blender. He grabbed two cups, one medium, one small and placed them on the counter.

Steven was walking over to them. He placed the cold water bottle in his pocket. 

"We're almost next dad!" Gregory cheered once more.

The teen handed the two cups and the napkins and straws to the father beside them. "Have a nice day you two. Enjoy the smoothies."

"Thanks." the man looked down at his daughter as he pointed at the employee. "What do you say to the young man?"

Now on the spotlight, the little girl stepped behind her father's leg and wrapped an arm around it as she hid behind him, though she said shyly, "Thank you.." 

"You're welcome." he said in.. one of those voices one would use for little kids.

Her father was placing the straw inside of the cup. He handed her the smoothie and she slowly leaned off of her father's leg and grabbed the cup with both hands and the two walked away.

Steven watched them a bit_ too_ long.

Kids..

_Little_. kids..

".. umber four eighty-two? Three Antioxidant Quadruple Mixed Berry Protein Blast?"

"That's us!!" Gregory waved his arm in the air as he hopped up and down in front of the counter. 

The man was placing the three medium cups on the counter along with the straws and the napkins on top of the cups. 

"Thank you!" Gregory said over his father's, "Thanks, young man." the two grabbed their smoothies as Steven was slowly looking back over to the counter. 

"Come on, Mister Steven! Before your smoothie gets warm!" 

Steven ignored that churning feeling he had in his stomach and walked over and picked up the smoothie. "Uh, thanks." he said to the teen. 

"No, thank_ you._" he smiled. "Enjoy your smoothie." 

"Thanks, you too-"

Really?! A_gain._

Steven didn't bother making eye contact as he berated himself for making the same mistake again.

He walked away.

  
  


Mr. Vecino and Gregory were enjoying their smoothies.

"Thelishiouus!!" Gregory complimented with a mouthful of smoothie.

"Ahhh~" Mr. Vecino smacked his lips. "This really does hit the spot."

Steven was power walking up to them. "Hey, mind if we stop for a few moments?" they turned back around. "I have to see if Lion is thirsty." 

"Oh, sure, sure. Go on ahead." said Mr. Vecino.

Steven crouched down and placed the smoothie on the ground and Lion was quickly coming up to it to sniff it out. "Noo." he gently moved the dog's face away from the straw. With his other hand he pulled out the water bottle and Lion's tail began to wag faster as he sniffed the water bottle instead. 

Steven untwisted the top and squeezed the water gently. Lion quickly began lapping up the water from the bottle. 

Gregory sipped more of his smoothie. He took out the rolled up programme from his pocket and the laminated paper flung outward and back to its original flat state. 

He read over the list once again as he took more chilled sips of the smoothie. He looked up at his father. "Good news, dad! Looks like we'll be able to catch the next Pilates class!" 

His father leaned over and Gregory shifted the paper over for his dad to see. "It starts in fifteen minutes!" he told him. "We can DEFINITELY make it there on time!"

"Sure can, kiddo." he nodded. "Yeaahh, these old bones can definitely use some good 'ole stretching and moving."

Pilates. 

Steven had heard of that name many times and had even came across a few old workout Pilates tapes, but he never truly knew the difference between it and yoga. 

_Lars would most likely know the difference between them. That guy's a total exercise and health nut._

Steven was pouring the bottle on its side as Lion was drinking the water before it hit the ground, though just a few droplets managed to hit the grass. "Wow, you were thirsty. Maybe I should've gotten the bigger bottle instead." 

Lion stopped and licked his chops.

"Done?" he leaned the bottle towards the canine and Lion sniffed it and looked away as he licked his lips once more.

"Guess that's a yes then." he twisted the cap back on the bottle and placed the bottle _with just a tiny bit of water still inside,_ back in his pocket.

"Yay! Looks like Lion is done! Now we can head off!" Gregory cheesed.

Steven picked up the smoothie _that he still hadn't tasted yet_ and got up. "Yeah, let's uh, let's do this." he tried for a chipper voice like Gregory. He made his steps towards them, ready to continue his day with the two cooky fellas.

  
  


  
  


The trio and Lion were coming up to a small area covered in well cut grass. Apart of the area was in the shade from the trees that were on one side while the other side was exposed to the the hot rays of the sun.

Cushioned, colorful mats laid in rows. Some were vacant while others had a single person sitting down on it. Some already starting their stretches with some sitting down with crossed legs as they played on their phone, talked to neighboring persons on nearby mats or had their eyes closed as they meditated quietly. Some were in the shade while some were in the sun and using the opportunity to get a nice tan.

A few joggers jogged across the outskirts of the grass and kept up their pace up the path of the festival.

"I see some empty mats over there!" Gregory pointed as he shouted out. The boy pushed off in a run away from them. He ran in front of and all between the bystanders sitting on their mats, some almost being victims of their toes being stepped on by the boy or getting pushed by him as they laid on their mats in a stretch.

"Uh, Gregory." his father jogged over slowly. "Careful son." he warned softly. 

Steven and Lion followed after them.

Gregory was coming up to several mats laying just beyond the shade. The material near hot to the touch. 

He turned around to see the others jogging up towards them. "I found THE perfect spot in the sun!" he sat down on the last mat in the row. "Careful. It's hot and it could burn your butt." he giggled. 

"Thanks for the heads up there, kiddo." his dad slowly and cautiously sat down next to him and Steven sat down on a red mat beside him. The mat wasn't hot to him, but hen again, he _was_ wearing two pair of pants with one of them being GemTech and thus, protecting him from the heat. 

Gregory leaned forward to look at Steven. "After the smoothie of the day, dad and I do our Pilates to get our body limber for the day." he took a sip of his near empty smoothie.

His dad was nodding in agreement. "Really gets the blood flowing."

Steven nodded slowly.

He'd never done Pilates before, but, he_ has_ been stretching a lot with the Gems, so it shouldn't be too hard.

"Hello everyone!" the three of them heard a chipper female voice in the area. They looked up to see who undoubtedly was the Pilates instructor. The woman wearing skintight blue yoga pants, showing off her well sculpted, toned legs and a tight white, sleeveless shirt, showing off her toned, tanned arms. "In this session, we'll be doing a level one Pilates class. So, this will be perfect for everyone of any level. If you're a beginner, if you're at a more advanced stage but would just like to refresh a bit on the basics or maybe there are those who have been having pain or aches recently and would like to start out with a session that's a bit smoother and a bit slower." 

The speakers at the front of the class on either side of her really helped with projecting her voice to the back and her voice was so crisp and clear through the speakers.

"..e're going to head right into it guys." she fixed the speaker across her mouth and crouched down towards her mat. "We're going to start on our backs." she laid down on her back and everyone, including Gregory, Mr. Vecino_ slowly but surely as he grunted_ and Steven laid on their backs. 

Lion leaned over Steven's head as he sniffed his cheek. 

"Hey, Lion. You want to try out some Pilates too?" 

Lion leaned farther down and gave him one huge lick across his cheek and lips.

"Uueeeeehhhg." he wiped his mouth off with the back of his hand and laughed. Lion went on to lick his face. "Hey, hey." he laughed and gently moved the canine's face from his. "No kisses. I have to concentrate on what I'm doing."

Lion leaned up slowly as he wagged his tail happily. Steven scratched at the dog's face as he continued to laugh at his friend. "Whooo's a good boy? Whooo's a good boy?"

"..next inhale, I want everyone to bring their arms from their sides and all the way up and"

"Uh oh." he stopped his scratches and looked over at the woman bringing her arms up and over her head. "I missed the beginning of it." he turned his head up at Lion and pouted. "See, Lion." he whispered. "Look what you made me do." 

Lion tilted his head at him.

"Heh." he reached up and pat at the side of the dog's face. "You're still a good boy." 

".. oing to roll your waist up into a bridge."

He looked over at the woman with both arms laying flat above her head with her shoulders and head on the mat. Her feet shoulder width apart with her waist just slightly up from the mat. 

He looked up at the canine. "Okay, seriously Lion." he laid a gentle hand on the dog's face. He scratched it gently. "I really have to focus now. I already missed a bit of the session." he dropped his hand back down and put both arms above his head, _ignoring the mat nearly burning his arms_ and lifted his hips up as he slid both feet slightly apart. 

He looked over as the lady continued to walk them through the session. She already had her arms down to her sides and Steven quickly put his arms flat on either side of him. She was lowering her body back down to the mat and he began to do the same. "... oll ourselves back down."

"Remember, we're following our breath." moments later and she said, "Inhale. Aaand now we're going to reach back again." she raised her arms up slowly and over her head and down towards the mat and everyone else was doing the same.

She breathed out deeply. "Exhale slowly. Now we're going to roll ourselves back up slowly." she began pushing her hips up slowly away from the mat. "Really try your best to try and feel each backbone moving up one at a time until you're at that nice straight line when you get to the bridge pose. Then we're going to bring our arms back down to our side. Then, we're going to gently lower ourselves back down, again, imagining every single backbone moving back down to the mat." 

Steven followed along easily to the instructions. It was easy, calming and. it. was. easy. 

It was nothing like his brutal stretches during his extremely brutal workouts. 

Far from it.

If anything it reminded him of that time when he and Lars did a bit of yoga before sunrise at camp.

It was relaxing. 

Not as relaxing as yoga with Lars, but still calming and relaxing. 

And again. _Easy_.

This was just what his body needed. A nice stretch that worked a bit on his muscles. 

Nice. And easy.

And_ surprisingly_ nice and easy despite of him wearing an extra pair of pants and shirt underneath his clothing. 

Simply put, he could do this for hours.

He closed his eyes and listened to the lady. 

He rose his arms back over his head and gently raised his hips up, being mindful of both his breathing and each individual backbone.

He felt Lion's tail hit his forehead but kept his eyes closed, assuming the dog was simply sitting down by his head.

He lowered his body back down, then brought his arms back down to his sides.

He raised his body back up and raised his arms above his head and down on the mat as she did.

"And we're going to keep that bridge as we bring our arms back down to our sides. And back over our heads again while keeping that pose. Exhale." they heard her breath through the speakers. "as we bring our arms back down. Inhale as we bring our arms back up. Exhale slowly as we bring them back down." 

Yeah.. yeah he really _could_ do this for hours.

  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


The session only lasted for twenty minutes, much to Steven's dismay..

It was over so quick.

Some people were continuing on with their own regime while some were conversing with others while some continued to lie on their backs as the rested and mediated in the sun or shade. A handful of other people were getting up from the mats.

Them included..

Much.. to Steven's.. dismay..

"Wow! I'm feeling BETTER than ever dad!" Gregory was twisting his torso left and right as he bounced on his feet.

His dad was leaning forward in his sitting position. He placed his hands on the ground and rocked his self forward. With a light dad grunt he pushed his self to his knees, then slid one foot up under him and pushed his self up with both hands. Another grunt and slowly, he left his torso up slowly to a stand. "Aahh, yup." he agreed. "I'm feeling every bit at sixty now." 

Gregory tilted his head at him. "But dad, you're not even fifty yet." 

His dad laughed heartily. "Ah, that's just a little joke, son." 

"Ooooooooohh.." his son nodded.

Steven was getting up from his sitting position on the mat. He picked up his smoothie.

Lion wagged his tail as he looked up at him.

"Mister Steven." 

Steven looked over.

Gregory was waving the programme in his hand. "We have to hurry quick! If we want to do EVERY single thing on the list, we gotta hurry and go!" 

"Dooon't you worry." his dad said casually. "We'll be able to do every single fun activity on there."

"I know! But we still have to bee fast!" he jogged away from them and turned around. "Come ooooon you slowpokes!" 

Mr. Vecino held his jiggling belly as he laughed. "Ah, what am I gonna do with this kid." he beckoned a hand at Steven. "Come on, let's skedaddle on out of here." he began walking away from the mats.

"Let's go, Lion." the canine was already by his side as he followed M. Vecino towards Gregory.

"Say, what's next on the list there, kiddo?"

"Something easy but something soooo totally cool!"

"Yeah? Well now I'm curious as to what it could be."

Steven was too.

What_ could_ it be?

"You're gonna LOVE it dad! AND it's something new!" 

The man scratched at his short brown beard. "Hmm.. something new you say?"

Gregory nodded fervently with a huge smile.

His father dropped his hand from his chin with a grin. "Welp, can't wait to see what it is." 

"Theeeen, let's put some pep into our step!" he encouraged them. He turned away and was already jogging away from the two.

Again, Steven finding it so odd that Mr. Vecino wasn't saying anything about that.

Isn't something like that dangerous?

The man in question turned to him. "Wonder what it could be that he's so excited to show us?"

Steven was caught of guard just for a second at his neighbor starting up a conversation. "Uh." he shrugged. "Not.. sure. But,.. it could be something that uh.. he really wants to do?" 

Well_ duh._. that was obvious.

"Yeaaaaaah, well." the man grinned. "Gregory can get pretty excited over a lot of things, so this one is definitely a mystery to me." he laughed.

"Heh, yeah." then he added simple to_ say_ something more. "Guess we'll see when we get there, huh?" 

The man nodded with a friendly smile. "Yup. Guess we will." he turned his head to look forward at Gregory far away from them. The boy waving his arm at them from afar. He waved back at him. "Yeaah, as long as it's nothing too dangerous, I'll be okay with it." 


	228. Let's get this festival OFFICALLY started!

The group was heading towards a tall and huge square building. 

A white sign was in front of it with the words..

Both Steven and Mr. Vecino's eyes grew wide in shock as opposed to Gregory's happy-go-lucky smile on his face as he picked up his pace.

**Rock Climbing**

And underneath of it.

**Between the hours of 2p.m to 9:30p.m**

Really? He chose _this._

Though, why does it surprise him? The boy seemed to be a total daredevil at heart.

And _he_ didn't mind it. He was actually getting excited at the thought of rock climbing.

Sure Connie didn't like things like that, but that was in regards to _outdoor_ ones. Therefore, she should be okay with this. Heck, she'd also joke plenty of times about rock climbing with him.

Aaand if she _wasn't_ actually okay with him rock climbing? Heh, weeeell~~

S'not like she was here to tell him otherwise~~

He resisted a mischievous grin to come to his face.

"Euuuhg boy." Mr. Vecino rubbed at his neck. "Didn't think it would be something like this." he mumbled.

Steven looked over at the uncomfortable look on the man's face. "Maybe it's one of those small ones?" Steven tried to ease the man's nerves. 

"Well.. I,.. I shouldn't really be this nervous. He's rock climbed a couple of times. It's just.." he trailed off before finding the words. "I just hope that this one will be as safe as the others. Gregory has been talking about going on the higher level walls, but I think he still needs a bit of practice before getting on those."

"Oookay? Then why not just say that to him?"

Mr. Vecino looked at Steven as if he'd said something utterly hurtful to him. "Oh, whaaat?" his voice went up an octave. He rubbed at the back of his neck once more as he looked away. "Ah, I can't just tell Shtu-ball that. Would really break his heart, ya know? And.. I can't do that to my son." he dropped his hand from his neck and smiled, though the smirk looked very uneasy and timid. "Besides, there will be harnesses and professional climbers there, so I won't even have to bring that up to him."

Steven looked at him, the boy thinking about saying something when Mr. Vecino managed an actual small smile though it seemed apologetic. He took a few steps forward in front of Steven and opened the door. "It'll be fine." he said. "Heh, I shouldn't even had brought that up." he gestured inside. "Let's head on in." 

Despite of Steven starting to say something to him, _what exactly, he didn't know_, instead he gave the man a single nod and walked into the air conditioned building and into the shockingly quiet area inside despite of the large crowds of people of varying ages. 

_Whoa.._

Nearly the whole building was covered in walls to climb from. The walls themselves ranging in varying colors of grays, browns, reds, oranges and blues. Various holds of all shapes, sizes, weight and textures laid out everywhere on the walls. Some of the walls even tilting and angled steeply with some curving up and going across the ceiling.

People were climbing, falling, stretching, putting on their gear, talking to professional teachers or cheering their climbers on.

_So cool.._

He couldn't wait to try any of the walls.

"Dad! Mister Steven!" Gregory was calling them over with a wave of his hand. The boy was standing by the main counter with one young, slim looking guy behind the desk. "Dad! Ya gotta sign the waiver saying I can be in the next class!" 

The two of them and Lion made it over to him.

"Hiya." his dad waved at the employee.

"Hey, the dad." the man said. "Yeah, basically what I was telling your son here was that the classes are all free. You just have to sign the registry form as well as a waiver in order for him to participate in the next class." 

"Yeah, that's fine with me. I've done that before for him. Heh." there was just a slight tinge of nervousness in his voice that most likely would've went unnoticed by Steven had it not been for their short talk previously. "Soo, I'll just uh, sign the papers and Shtu-ball here will be able to.. climb the walls."

"Yup. That's how it goes."

"Yaaaaayy!!" the boy cheered with his arms up.

Steven kept quiet towards Mr. Vecino. He wouldn't want to intrude on the man's own decision regarding his own son. Instead, he took a step up to the counter as his neighbor was busy reading and signing the registry papers.

"Hey." Steven got the man's attention. "I wanted to join the next class too."

"Sure. You just need a parent to sign for you."

"Wha.." he shook his head. "I'm twenty-one." 

The man's eyes went wide. "Oooh.. well, you look pretty young." he began retrieving the papers from underneath the desk. "I still have to see a form of I.D." 

Steven resisted an eye roll. "Yeahh.. sure.." he nearly grumbled. He took the wallet out of his pocket and opened it. He slid out his I.D and handed it to the employee.

The young man looked at his birth date. 

**August 15, 1998**

He looked from the date to his picture, then lowered the card in his hand and looked from the frowning young man in the picture to the frowning young looking man in front of him.

He nodded at Steven. "Yup, you weren't kidding."

Was that supposed to be some kind of joke or jab at him?

"Also, your I.D is about to expire."

"I know that.." he resisted a grumble.

The employee was handing him back the I.D as he slid the papers across the counter in front of him. "Just sign the registry papers and the waiver form and you'll be good to go." 

Steven gave him a half nod as he slid the card back into the first slot in his wallet. "Uh huh. Thanks." he closed the wallet and placed it back in his pocket.

He looked at the papers in front of him. "Do you have a p-" the man was handing a pen to him.

Steven plucked it from his hand as he resisted another eye roll. "Thanks.." he slid the papers closer towards him and began reading the first of the five.

"Come on, dad! Come on!" Gregory bounced. "I can't miss the class! It's about to start soon!"

"Uh.. sorry there, Shtu-ball, but I have to read these papers thoroughly first.'

The boy's knees bent as he threw his head back. "Awwwww, come ooooon." he whined. 

"Don't worry, I'm almost done. I'm on the second to last page."

"Mmmmmnnnnnnggg.." the boy whned some more.

"Aaaaaalmost done, kiddo." he signed his name on the last line and wrote the date on the second line beside it and flipped the finished paper to the other three finished forms.

He began reading the last paper.

Gregory sighed dramatically. He turned away from his dad and looked at the area. On the far side of the building, he could see a group of people sitting down. "I think that's the class dad!" he pointed. 

"Just about done there, Shtu-ball." he continued to read the form.

Steven was barely reading the papers. He skimmed a bit of it and signed his name and put the date on the line for the first four. He skimmed the fifth paper, wrote down his initials in the necessary boxes and signed his name and wrote the date on the last line of the paper. "Done." he said and fixed the papers underneath of each other and slid them towards the employee. 

"Aaalrighty. Thank you." he began looking over the papers. "Also, you need to put the dog on the leash." he said. 

"Uh, yeah, yeah." Steven nodded as he lied through his teeth. "It's in my pocket."he pat above his side pocket. 

The young man looked over the fifth paper and nodded to himself. He placed the papers on the counter. "And you need to have proper footwear." 

Steven looked down at the pink flip flops on his feet before looking back up at him.

The employee pointed behind his self at the track of shoes behind him. "You'll have to wear one of our pairs for the class."

Steven shrugged. "Ookay?"

  
  


Gregory was staring at the class already sitting down. A huge frown on his face as he watched more people hand in their papers to the employee or come from the locker rooms on the side and sit down with the group.

He whined dramatically once more and turned to his father. "Awwww, come on dad. I want to-"

"Done." his father smiled. 

Gregory saw him slide the papers over towards the employee and a huge smile came to his face and he began bouncing on his feet. "I get to go to the class now!!!!" 

"Ah-, well we still need to get some shoes for ya."

"Come on! Come on! Come on!!" he cheesed.

The employee was still looking over the papers.

Steven was putting on his shoes while Lion stood beside him, sniffing the area as he looked around.

Steven slipped the last shoe on his foot and fixed the back of it behind his ankle. He reached over and pat Lion's back and the dog jerked to the side and turned to him. "Heyy, Lion." 

The canine wagged his tail as he trotted towards him. He sniffed his face. 

"How's my buddy doing?" he cooed into the dog's face. He scratched at both sides of his panting mouth.

Lion began licking his forehead and he laughed. "Awwwee, you love mee." 

"Mister Steven!" 

Still laughing at Lion now licking his hair, he moved away slightly from his "kisses". 

Gregory was holding a pair of climbing shoes. "Come on! We can go to the class now! We have to go! It's about to start!" 

The laughter was slowly dying down. "Oh, uh.." he scratched at the dog's face just a bit more as he smiled. "Yeah, I'm coming."

Gregory was rushing towards the crowd with his father walking up to the area behind him.

Steven turned back to Lion. "Come on, boy." he scratched at the dog's face for just a couple seconds more before dropping his hands. "Time to go." 

He picked up the flip flops and on shed his self up to a stand. He placed the flip flops in his back pocket. "Alright, Lion. Time to go rock climbing." he began walking away from the area. "Or.. time for_ you_ to sit and relax while you watch me rock climb." 

Lion looked at him silently as his tail wagged faster.

Steven chuckled.

"Hey. Sir." 

_Ah boy.._

Steven turned around.

"You have to put that dog on a leash." the employee said again.

"Yeah. Yeah I'm about to."

"You have to do it now before the class starts."

"Uh, yeah. I am." he shoved his hand in his pocket as he increased his walk just slightly. He looked back at the class and back at the man. "Uh, the class is about to start. I'll do it when I get over there." he turned around and acted like he took something out of his pocket.

"Sir, you have to-" the man growled out a sigh as he waved his hand at him. "Whatever.." he leaned back hard on the shelf. "I don't get paid enough for this-Ow!" a shoe fell on his head. He looked up at the cubby hole in the shelf as he rubbed above his eye.

  
  


  
  


Steven was far away from the counter and he was able to relax just a bit more now that he realized that the man wasn't going to go out of his way to pester him more about a leash. 

A leash that he _didn't_ have.

He was walking up to a group of people, perhaps around thirty to forty sitting down on the cushioned, blue mats on the floor. 

He looked around as he approached them closer, looking for Gregory or Mr. Vecino. 

A little kid arm waved in the air within the group and he was able to make out Gregory's curly hair wth his colorful headband and Mr. Vecino's bald, tanned head.

He waved back. "I see them, Lion. Come on." 

He walked behind the group to the other side of the crowd where Gregory and his dad were sitting just at the corner of.

"We're right on time!" Gregory whisper shouted with such awe and glee in his voice.

Steven sat down beside him and Lion walked pass him to sniff at Gregory's face. The boy giggled. "Hey, Lion." he scratched behind his ear.

A slim, toned, tanned man was walking towards the group. He was walking with another man just as toned and muscular as he was. "I'm going to wait another" he took his phone out of his pocket. He checked the screen. "I'm going to wait another five minutes or so before I start." he put his phone back in his pocket. 

His friend nodded. "I'll start setting up the equipment." and with that, he walked away opposite of the group as the first guy walked across the group. He waved at a few people and Steven saw the man lean forward. One person in the group was asking him a question. Steven didn't hear what the question was, but the muscular man leaned back up and said loud enough for everyone to hear as he glanced over at the whole class, "We're going to start in about five more minutes. Just waiting for anyone who may be running a bit late." 

"I can't WAIT to start climbing." said Gregory. "It's gonna be so. much. fun!"

"Just uh, heh." his dad laid a hand on his hair and ruffled his curls gently. "Just, be sure you be careful out there Bucko."

"Of course!" 

"Heh.. good." he lowered his hand to pat at his son's shoulder. 

To Steven, Mr. Vecino still looked just a tad bit worried. 

  
  


  
  


The trio sat there for the remaining several minutes as Lion took turns getting scratches from the three.

"How's it going everyone?" the man didn't have any fancy speakers or a mic like the Pilates woman, but his loud, articulate voice was enough to fill the whole area.

He was definitely used to doing this.

"Hello, my name is Lloyd Thomps. How's everyone doing today?" 

A mashup of replies came to him including Gregory's enthusiast, "Amazing!!" 

"Aaalright, alright." the man nodded. "That's what I like to hear." he began walking towards the other side of the crowd. "Now I'll be you guys' climbing instructor for today. I've been rock climbing for sixteen years, been teaching for nine." he stated in a a clear, professional voice. "I'm a certified instructor by the American States Hillside Touchstone Association and today I'm here to introduce you guys to the amazing word of rock climbing." he proceeded to turn around and walk to the other side. "Now, contrary to what a lot of people may think, rock climbing can be for all ages. I've personally seen climbers as young as two and up to even eighty-one rock climbing. It's a very enjoyable sport." 

Steven could practically imagine Connie grimacing as she listened to this guy stating that the sport can be for, "All ages". 

Buuuut, she wasn't here, soo~~

".. nd the sport not only possesses physical challenges, but it also works the mind as well. For example, when you're climbing and you're trying to figure out how to progress through the course. It's basically a mental puzzle that you're trying to put together in your head as you go along through your climb." the trainer was walking back to the other side of the group, keeping eye contact with the crowd as he kept his arms up while he talked. "With that being said, the sport essentially becomes a full body workout;" he pointed to his thumb and each finger as he listed off, "your arms, your legs, your back, your ankles, your chest," he raised up his other hand. "torso, muscle stabilization and just overall flexibility." he dropped his hands back to chest level as he continued to walk and talk to his class. "With this class I'll be teaching you the fundamentals of climbing; prier body positioning, basic foot technique, grip techniques, dynamic and static moves, directional loading, bouldering, showing various holds and the like." he slowed his steps as he was walking back to the middle of the group. He stopped and turned to them. "Once I give you the whole rundown of the "rock climbing" 101, we'll do some stretching and a full body warmup which is extremely important. And they're really simple, just a bit of stretching then light dynamic warmups starting from the head and all the way down to the toes. Exercises like calf raises and jumps."

Everyone listened in closely as their instructor spoke to them. Every single person focusing on the man as he began to teach them the basics about rock climbing.

And nobody, say for Lion who'd heard the soft patter of metal legs from a certain area of the room, seeing a lone robotic sphere in the corner of the building just behind them.

Lion fold down his ears as he glared at the robot. He began to growl at the foreign object sitting quietly in the corner. 

A few people in the area, including Gregory, Mr. Vecino and Steven turned their heads to see what was going on. They looked at the dog facing the opposite way from them. 

"Lion, what's going on?" Steven turned to his side and placed a hand on the dog. He looked in the canine's direction and saw nothing. Just the plain blue mat they were sitting on and the corner of the building and the window.

Nothing else.

"Lion, what's going on?" he tried to soothe the dog as he rubbed his side. 

Lion looked at him, then shifted on his paws as he looked back at the corner and growled louder.

"Everything okay back there?"

"Uh?" Steven turned around to see everyone in the group looking back at him, including the instructor. "Uh, yeah." he pat Lion on the head. "It's nothing. He's fine, really. It was just uh.." he rubbed at Lion's side gently with his other hand. "just a squirrel in the window. That's all."

The man didn't look convinced.

Steven looked back at the window that did_ not_ have a squirrel behind it. "Lion.. buddy." he acted. "The squirrel's gone. See?" he scratched at the dog's head. "Come on, ya gotta behave, boy." he used his other hand to gently nudge the dog towards him. "Lion, come on, Lion. The squirrel's gone." 

The dog moved towards him, but turned his head back as he continued to growl.

"Lion," Steven scolded in a whisper. "you have to stop."

"If he's acting this way to a squirrel, then I'm not sure how well he's going to act once we have people walking and climbing about around him-"

"Oh, no, no, no. He's reaaally good with people." he nudged the dog more for the canine to face forward towards the instructor. "It's.. it's just squirrels." he gently moved Lion's head to turn away from the window. 

The canine eventually obliged, though reluctantly, and looked forward.

"I just want to make sure. I don't want anyone getting hurt."

"Sit boy." Steven whispered sternly. "Now."

Reluctantly once more, Lion sat down. He was beginning to move his head to the side, "Nooo." Steven moved his head back. "Stay. Staaay." he looked back at the instructor. "Don't worry, nobody here has to worry about that. Honest. He just.. gets that way with squirrels sometimes, -but he's fine now. He's facing away from the window."

The instructor still seemed a bit skeptical and Steven could completely understand why. They wouldn't want anyone getting hurt on their property, even if it technically _would_ be_ his_ fault and not theirs but.. that's not how those.. law.. people.. minds worked, or.. so he assumed. He didn't know much about lawsuits really but that companies feared them, which again was completely understandable. 

".. nd he also needs to stay on his leash." 

Steven was nodding immediately. "Of course." 

.. even though he didn't have one..

The man not seeing that the canine did_ not_ have a leash on.. 

He pat at Lion's head innocently. The dog finally quiet as he kept his attention forward. "There we go." he whispered. "Good boy." 

Moments later and the instructor had resumed his talk as he went over the basics of rock climbing.

  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


**Rec... Rec....Rec....Rec....**

A light blinks red on a gray, shiny surface.

**Rec... Rec... Rec... Rec...**

A camera from the corner of the ceiling zooms in closer and the image is clear on the screen. 

**Rec... Rec... Rec... Rec.. Rec...**

_Figures are in a huddle. _

The camera zooms in closer and scans every row from the back on up. Taking pictures as it steadily records.

The camera eventually stopping at a figure that wasn't like the others.

_Furry figure: Possible threat. Produces low gutteral sound towards objects. _

**Image Taken: 00015.image/DAjpeg**

** **Rec... Rec... Rec... Rec... Rec... Rec...** **

The camera continues to scan each row as it proceeds to take pictures while the other half records.

The scanning of rows is finished and the camera pans up.

_Single figure in front of huddled figures. Threat: Unlikely. _

**Image Taken: 0032.image/DA.jpeg**

**Rec... Rec... Rec... Rec...**

The audio is steadily being recorded.

The camera pans away from the instructor and from left to right is scanning the area around him, steadily taking pictures as it records.

_Barriers. Oddly shaped objects formed in them. Figures climbing on oddly shaped objects and barriers._

**Image Taken. 0041.image/DA.jpeg**

The camera changes mode and the screen is now showing in various shades of gray. A tiny color bar ranging from yellow at the bottom to blue at the top is shown at the top corner of the screen.

_Oddly shaped objects, barriers or figures show no sign of being made of gemstones. _

**Image Taken. 0042.image/DA.jpeg**

In a split second the screen is now viewing the area in the normal setting..

**Rec... Rec... R-**

**Stop video recording**

**Send to which of the three computerized systems?**

**Down arrow**

**Enter**

**Sending to Yellow Diamond**

The surface of the robot lights up yellow for one second before going back to its original solid gray color. 

**9min 32sec recording and 42 images sent**

Quietly, while keeping itself upside down, the spherical robot scurries across the ceiling undetected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope y'all enjoyed the two little chapters. 
> 
> Aaand hpefully I'll restrain myself more to actually writing out more of the episode THEN posting it. But.. probably not 🤷
> 
> Anyway, I plan for this particular episode to be pretty drawn out to a good maybe seven, eight or so chapters before we get to the next episode of Lion 3: Straight to video where it'll be much shorter, perhaps only four chapters or so.


	229. Chapter 229

Hey guys! Real quick, I'm still writing the fic 👍 I just wanted to quickly write that I made one huge change which may or may not drop readers 🤷

Uh... so Steven isn't a cheater..  
***Trrrrryyyyy to act like it neva happened**** 😰😰😰

Just POOF he nevaa was >.>

(I'm sorry, I just couldn't do it anymore. The story that I had envisioned before vs the story writing itself it just.. he didn't seem like one who would cheat. The fact that he's supposed to be this sympathetic, empathetic guy and the fact that he absolutely loves Connie, I just couldn't see it anymore. Also, just him doing it more than several times and someone like Connie constantly taking him back, etc, I just not only felt sorry for my girl Connie, but he didn't seem as ooc as I was going to have him when I was writing the fic at the beginning. Likeliness going to make this much darker, etc. And while I have no problem writing incredibly dark fics or cheating, amongst other stuff, I just personally didn't find it going with _this_ story.

Weird, abrupt and whiplash-y to just stop and rewrite the fic a million words in, I know... but I'd actually been torn in changing it way before then. I was even feeling pretty bad all the way back in Monster Buddies at Chapter 148. And I even felt bad before that. Long story short this was supposed to be a much darker fic with Steven acting way more ooc with the cheating and etc etc. I scrapped a few ideas for future chapters and I had went back throughout the whole fic and spent a bit of time changing Steven' cheating scandals. (I really hope I didn't miss anything xP) 

So Nephry, Chloe, Ki.. Nephry again, that didn't happen yet I still kept the details of the story. (So yes Steven still got shot, even though he wasn't cheating on Connie with Ki at the party).

And Nephry is still a thirsty chick, but Steven haven't fallen for her tricks nor will he ever.

Anywho, I'm still writing Watermelon Steven and hopefully I'll get to post at least a few chapters within a week and a half. I've already written about four or so almost five chapters so far. It would've been more but uh.. yeah, I spent the time rewriting the story.

Apart from that abrupt bit, I aaaalso have a looooovely, awesome cover photo of my dark crime fic that an amazing group drew for me! Yay!!

I absolutely love it 😍😍😍😍

Anyway guys, y'all stay safe out there and as usual, I can't wait until we really start going more into the fic :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The picture that I'm talking about is this one :)
> 
> <https://onecoolcat2013.tumblr.com/post/644899659740037120/new-session-archive-of>
> 
> Ooooor if you don't have Tumblr, then you can check it out in the first chapter of the fic.


End file.
